WEBVTT 00:00:01.229 --> 00:00:03.950 Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton, 00:00:04.129 --> 00:00:07.269 the official podcast of Cross -Christian Fellowship, 00:00:07.290 --> 00:00:10.769 Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 00:00:10.990 --> 00:00:14.150 where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're 00:00:14.150 --> 00:00:19.510 here. With that said, let us pray. Heavenly Father, 00:00:19.670 --> 00:00:21.730 we thank you for this day. We thank you for bringing 00:00:21.730 --> 00:00:24.149 us together, this time in fellowship, this time 00:00:24.149 --> 00:00:27.289 in your word, this opportunity to continue to 00:00:27.289 --> 00:00:29.730 grow in our understanding and our relationship 00:00:29.730 --> 00:00:32.850 with you. We ask that you open the eyes of our 00:00:32.850 --> 00:00:35.829 hearts and our minds to everything that you have 00:00:35.829 --> 00:00:38.490 to speak to us and let us hear it clearly and 00:00:38.490 --> 00:00:40.969 see how it applies to our lives. In Jesus' name. 00:00:41.270 --> 00:00:48.030 Amen. All right. Let's switch this over. Maybe. 00:00:48.670 --> 00:00:51.250 There we go. All right. That's an interesting 00:00:51.250 --> 00:01:02.009 slide, right? So what? I like pop culture. What 00:01:02.009 --> 00:01:06.370 can I say? Guilty as charged. For the next couple 00:01:06.370 --> 00:01:08.409 of weeks, so surprisingly, when you look at this, 00:01:08.469 --> 00:01:10.609 what we're going to be looking at is not going 00:01:10.609 --> 00:01:14.950 to be what you expect. Today is just kind of 00:01:14.950 --> 00:01:17.049 an introduction, but we're going to be looking, 00:01:17.269 --> 00:01:18.750 we're going to spend a little bit of time over 00:01:18.750 --> 00:01:20.230 the next couple of weeks looking at the Beatitudes. 00:01:21.909 --> 00:01:24.390 And specifically, we're looking at how Jesus 00:01:24.390 --> 00:01:27.090 encouraged believers to represent the kingdom 00:01:27.090 --> 00:01:30.480 of God and to operate differently. than in the 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:34.239 world that we know, all right? So a little bit 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:37.280 different. Jesus, you know, he introduced the 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:39.939 disciples to a way of thinking that challenged 00:01:39.939 --> 00:01:41.939 them. It changed the way that they viewed things, 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:43.920 the way that they worked when they went out into 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:48.040 the world. You know, for some people, you know, 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:49.439 they'd say it actually changed their understanding 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:52.579 of what success really is, what victory really 00:01:52.579 --> 00:01:58.430 is, right? So, you know, that's... We get started 00:01:58.430 --> 00:02:02.430 though, I'm going to say lately, I'm sure everybody 00:02:02.430 --> 00:02:04.230 in here kind of follows the news some, right? 00:02:05.170 --> 00:02:07.129 It's getting a little bit harder lately for me 00:02:07.129 --> 00:02:10.889 anyway. And I'm not sure if it's because I used 00:02:10.889 --> 00:02:12.789 to work in law enforcement and law enforcement 00:02:12.789 --> 00:02:14.789 is prominently what's being attacked out there. 00:02:15.830 --> 00:02:19.189 And I will say, it's like any other job. You 00:02:19.189 --> 00:02:22.050 have a whole bunch of good people, you do have 00:02:22.050 --> 00:02:26.650 some bad actors. I think the part that stings 00:02:26.650 --> 00:02:28.310 the most, though, is nobody's even giving benefit 00:02:28.310 --> 00:02:30.830 of the doubt. They're hearing the audio clips 00:02:30.830 --> 00:02:33.330 and the augmented video clips, and they're just 00:02:33.330 --> 00:02:34.909 going on the attack right away without having 00:02:34.909 --> 00:02:37.830 all the information. And what's worse is we have 00:02:37.830 --> 00:02:40.930 people that we've put in positions to be leaders, 00:02:41.110 --> 00:02:46.830 and they're leading the charge. It hits a little 00:02:46.830 --> 00:02:50.449 close to home for me, right? And it's not the 00:02:50.449 --> 00:02:52.409 only thing that's going on. It's just specifically 00:02:52.409 --> 00:02:54.889 what's hitting me. When we listen to the news 00:02:54.889 --> 00:02:57.729 and we hear it, more and more so, we're really 00:02:57.729 --> 00:03:02.289 soaking in the violence, aren't we? And that's 00:03:02.289 --> 00:03:03.909 the best way I could come up with it, just soaking 00:03:03.909 --> 00:03:08.909 it in. Painfully so. And it got me to thinking. 00:03:11.149 --> 00:03:15.530 I still do it some. A fair bit on my phone. I've 00:03:15.530 --> 00:03:17.229 got a couple books that have been gifted to me. 00:03:17.349 --> 00:03:18.689 As a matter of fact, my sister -in -law gifted 00:03:18.689 --> 00:03:22.710 me a wonderful book not that long ago that I 00:03:22.710 --> 00:03:25.990 just started. But it's reading. When I was young, 00:03:26.030 --> 00:03:30.530 I loved... I would go through books like a bag 00:03:30.530 --> 00:03:33.810 of chips. And typically, I had a couple bags 00:03:33.810 --> 00:03:39.180 with me when I was doing it. But I did, and I 00:03:39.180 --> 00:03:41.800 loved it. Now, when it comes to reading, for 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.099 me at least, it's a lot like watching TV. Everybody 00:03:45.099 --> 00:03:48.360 has their favorite genre, right? Whether it's 00:03:48.360 --> 00:03:50.560 westerns, mysteries, true crime, nonfiction, 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:53.240 fiction, as much as I hate to say it, romance. 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:59.120 Right? There's a number out there. Comic books. 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:01.060 You know, there's some people, like, they'll 00:04:01.060 --> 00:04:02.520 get the whole binded thing that's got, like, 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:05.340 a hundred issues of a comic book in there. Right? 00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:07.699 Say, hey. If that's what interests you, okay, 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:12.759 cool. Go for it. For me, it's, you know, fantasy 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:16.680 was always kind of a cool thing, but it's because 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:19.120 it's closely related to science fiction. I loved 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:21.579 science fiction. Fantasy was good. Science fiction 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:24.300 was great. Matter of fact, if you looked at my 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:27.920 library, that was most of it. There'd be a few 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:29.540 other things here and there, mysteries and whatnot. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:31.759 I mean, especially when I was younger, like a 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:33.839 lot of boys, I loved the Hardy Boys, you know, 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:37.120 Tarzan. You know, I dated myself there a little 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:38.339 bit. There's a few people who are kind of like, 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:42.620 huh? God, you're old. I don't even know if those 00:04:42.620 --> 00:04:44.519 books are still out anymore. They're hard to 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:47.180 find. But here's the thing. When it comes to 00:04:47.180 --> 00:04:50.139 those types of stories, much like what we see 00:04:50.139 --> 00:04:52.360 on TV, because like right now people love superheroes, 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:55.339 right? What's the story though? What's the underlying 00:04:55.339 --> 00:04:59.160 context? Good versus evil. People love a good 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:03.850 versus evil story. They do, right? You know, 00:05:03.850 --> 00:05:05.569 things like the Chronicles are gnawing at the 00:05:05.569 --> 00:05:09.050 Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, you know, to an 00:05:09.050 --> 00:05:11.569 extent, you know, for those who are just kind 00:05:11.569 --> 00:05:15.189 of falling into it now, Doom. That's been around, 00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:16.949 that series has been around longer than I've 00:05:16.949 --> 00:05:19.829 been alive, I want to say. It's been around for 00:05:19.829 --> 00:05:22.610 a long time. You know, a lot of these books, 00:05:22.689 --> 00:05:24.529 but what are they? They're good versus evil. 00:05:26.490 --> 00:05:28.870 They rank pretty high up there for me. You know, 00:05:28.970 --> 00:05:30.949 now we're not going to look into this a whole 00:05:30.949 --> 00:05:35.819 lot. We're really not. You can tell by the slide 00:05:35.819 --> 00:05:39.759 behind me. There is a show I'm going to mention 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:42.180 as we go through this series. There's a lot of 00:05:42.180 --> 00:05:44.899 mixed feelings. I understand that. We're not 00:05:44.899 --> 00:05:51.040 getting into that. Believe me, we're not. The 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.279 current show that's out there, a lot of people 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.399 have been in tune with it. The finale just hit. 00:05:56.500 --> 00:05:59.990 It's Stranger Things. Stranger Things is one 00:05:59.990 --> 00:06:02.310 of those sci -fi shows, and if you've followed 00:06:02.310 --> 00:06:05.209 any of it, even just the stuff that pops up online, 00:06:05.410 --> 00:06:07.629 it's very quick to understand that it's another 00:06:07.629 --> 00:06:11.149 good versus evil story. And when you look at 00:06:11.149 --> 00:06:13.290 the visuals and everything that's in there, you 00:06:13.290 --> 00:06:17.170 know, the alternate world here, basically. So 00:06:17.170 --> 00:06:20.209 it follows these kids. One of them, he gets pulled 00:06:20.209 --> 00:06:22.029 into another dimension, right? It's a world they 00:06:22.029 --> 00:06:25.589 call the Upside Down. Everything there, it's 00:06:25.589 --> 00:06:28.009 different from the world. It's a dark... gloomy, 00:06:28.009 --> 00:06:31.110 evil place. Demons are after you on every corner. 00:06:31.350 --> 00:06:36.769 And there are demons, right? And when you follow 00:06:36.769 --> 00:06:39.610 it, it's quick to describe this, but without 00:06:39.610 --> 00:06:43.069 getting too deep into any kind of theology, right? 00:06:43.230 --> 00:06:46.310 But it's the example that it uses to make the 00:06:46.310 --> 00:06:51.069 illustration. And I said that it's a dark, scary 00:06:51.069 --> 00:06:56.610 place. And this kid who basically gets abducted 00:06:56.610 --> 00:06:59.529 and pulled into it, as a result, he goes through 00:06:59.529 --> 00:07:03.250 a lot of chaos, a lot of torment. It's a scary 00:07:03.250 --> 00:07:06.649 place, and his friends have to find a way to 00:07:06.649 --> 00:07:11.550 rescue him, right? They have to find their hero. 00:07:13.189 --> 00:07:17.529 I bring it up because when we look at this illustration, 00:07:17.670 --> 00:07:21.050 it's much the world that we live in today. You 00:07:21.050 --> 00:07:25.810 know, we talk about how the word says that there's 00:07:25.810 --> 00:07:28.069 going to be a day when people in the world call 00:07:28.069 --> 00:07:33.410 evil good and good evil, right? And we see that 00:07:33.410 --> 00:07:37.029 happening more and more so. Years ago, Donald 00:07:37.029 --> 00:07:39.949 Craybill, he wrote a book about God's kingdom, 00:07:40.029 --> 00:07:44.170 and it's called The Upside -Down Kingdom. And 00:07:44.170 --> 00:07:47.550 Craybill, in this book, he suggests that people 00:07:47.550 --> 00:07:51.490 assume that the way things are now, are the way 00:07:51.490 --> 00:07:58.709 things are supposed to be. Yes and no. It's the 00:07:58.709 --> 00:08:02.170 way they're supposed to be in the world so that 00:08:02.170 --> 00:08:07.709 we can learn of God, right? So we can discover 00:08:07.709 --> 00:08:12.009 how to lean into him, discover what he wants 00:08:12.009 --> 00:08:14.790 for us, what he expects of us as believers, right? 00:08:15.709 --> 00:08:18.750 It's a place where we're given all the opportunity 00:08:18.750 --> 00:08:22.230 and all the information. Where we can make the 00:08:22.230 --> 00:08:24.750 decision for ourselves if we want a relationship 00:08:24.750 --> 00:08:26.310 with him or if we want a relationship with the 00:08:26.310 --> 00:08:31.189 world. The reality of it is, is we are in the 00:08:31.189 --> 00:08:35.429 upside down. We are in that dark, scary, demon 00:08:35.429 --> 00:08:38.610 infested place where evil is lurking after the 00:08:38.610 --> 00:08:42.870 good people every chance it gets. That's the 00:08:42.870 --> 00:08:47.009 truth of the matter. God's kingdom is what the 00:08:47.009 --> 00:08:50.889 show calls the right side up. Where things are 00:08:50.889 --> 00:08:53.690 right. Where things truly are the way they are 00:08:53.690 --> 00:08:57.330 supposed to be. The way God intended for them 00:08:57.330 --> 00:09:02.049 to be. With that said, let's open up our Bibles. 00:09:02.070 --> 00:09:04.730 Oh my goodness, it came up smaller than it did 00:09:04.730 --> 00:09:08.049 on my computer. I apologize, guys. Let's definitely 00:09:08.049 --> 00:09:11.730 open up our Bibles or Bible apps to Mark 5. Mark 00:09:11.730 --> 00:09:13.470 5 right there at the beginning. I apologize. 00:09:13.590 --> 00:09:18.330 My goodness, that is tiny. That looked a lot 00:09:18.330 --> 00:09:23.769 bigger on my laptop last night. Maybe it's because 00:09:23.769 --> 00:09:26.549 I was tired. I don't know. I promise the rest 00:09:26.549 --> 00:09:30.110 of the slides look a lot better than this. But 00:09:30.110 --> 00:09:36.870 Matthew 5. I'm sorry. Mark 5. Mark 5, Matthew 00:09:36.870 --> 00:09:42.450 5. Should be Matthew. Yeah. Mark's up there. 00:09:42.490 --> 00:09:45.509 It should be Matthew. Yeah, I was tired, guys. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:49.700 It should be Matthew 5, verses 1 through 12. 00:09:51.179 --> 00:09:58.059 I love you too, man. Okay, we're looking for 00:09:58.059 --> 00:09:59.519 the Beatitudes. If it's not starting with the 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:01.480 Beatitudes, you're in the wrong place. All right, 00:10:01.539 --> 00:10:04.799 the word says, And seeing the multitudes, he 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:07.179 went up on a mountain, and when he was seated, 00:10:07.299 --> 00:10:10.240 his disciples came to him. Then he opened his 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:12.700 mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the 00:10:12.700 --> 00:10:16.000 poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:18.820 heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they 00:10:18.820 --> 00:10:22.820 shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for 00:10:22.820 --> 00:10:26.059 they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those 00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:28.679 who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:31.700 they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:34.980 for they shall attain mercy. Blessed are the 00:10:34.980 --> 00:10:37.799 pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:39.600 are the peacemakers, for they shall be called 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:42.970 the sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted 00:10:42.970 --> 00:10:46.629 for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom 00:10:46.629 --> 00:10:51.210 of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and 00:10:51.210 --> 00:10:54.730 persecute you and say all kinds of evil against 00:10:54.730 --> 00:10:59.190 you and falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly 00:10:59.190 --> 00:11:04.129 glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for 00:11:04.129 --> 00:11:06.950 so they persecuted the prophets who were before 00:11:06.950 --> 00:11:12.720 you. It's a lot. Right? I said this week is kind 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.519 of an introduction. Here in Matthew 5, though, 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:21.379 Jesus is giving a list of how our understanding 00:11:21.379 --> 00:11:24.179 should be to guide us in how we operate in the 00:11:24.179 --> 00:11:26.980 upside down. When we're in the upside down world, 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:30.700 this is what we should be focusing on. And like 00:11:30.700 --> 00:11:33.460 I said, this is a list of what we call the Beatitudes. 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:38.259 And each one starts specifically with the word 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:43.200 blessed. This word, it comes from the Greek word 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.580 makarios, which in English, it most closely means 00:11:46.580 --> 00:11:50.659 happy or fortunate. And I say most closely means 00:11:50.659 --> 00:11:53.259 because it's not something that directly translates 00:11:53.259 --> 00:11:56.860 very well into English. It actually translates 00:11:56.860 --> 00:11:59.779 kind of poorly. I hate to say it, but that is 00:11:59.779 --> 00:12:02.080 the truth. It's just the closest that we come. 00:12:02.870 --> 00:12:07.129 to this. I want to say in the word, especially 00:12:07.129 --> 00:12:09.889 in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is like 00:12:09.889 --> 00:12:14.590 esra, something like that. What's that? Esros? 00:12:14.990 --> 00:12:17.250 Yeah. I knew it was something like that. I was 00:12:17.250 --> 00:12:18.590 trying to go off my memory there because it just 00:12:18.590 --> 00:12:23.450 came to me. It's very much the same kind of thing. 00:12:24.149 --> 00:12:29.809 All right? That's something to keep in mind as 00:12:29.809 --> 00:12:34.080 we go through here. By starting the Sermon on 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:35.480 the Mount, because this is where Jesus is truly 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:38.980 starting the Sermon on the Mount. He's starting 00:12:38.980 --> 00:12:40.580 with the Beatitudes. And the reason he's doing 00:12:40.580 --> 00:12:43.779 this is because he's establishing how fortunate 00:12:43.779 --> 00:12:48.820 the disciples are to live his way while they're 00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:53.059 in the upside down. On the surface, it certainly 00:12:53.059 --> 00:12:55.279 doesn't seem that way, though, does it? Because 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:57.620 you look at what this is, blessed are the poor, 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:01.580 blessed are those who mourn, right? Talking about 00:13:01.580 --> 00:13:05.740 weakness and pain and suffering. You know, these 00:13:05.740 --> 00:13:08.600 are, when we read this face front, especially 00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:12.820 from what we know of the world, it seems quite 00:13:12.820 --> 00:13:18.179 the opposite, doesn't it? It really does. And 00:13:18.179 --> 00:13:19.580 it's definitely the opposite of the response 00:13:19.580 --> 00:13:21.200 that we expect to hear when we're like, you know, 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:24.340 Lord, help me with this. These are the most common 00:13:24.340 --> 00:13:28.279 issues right there, laid out. You know, these 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:30.779 are those hurtful, low times in life that nobody 00:13:30.779 --> 00:13:33.799 wants to go through. Nobody wants to have to 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:38.100 deal with. Nobody wants to encounter. You know, 00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:41.120 let alone even have to admit that they have to 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:43.320 deal with, right? Sometimes these things can 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:47.179 be kind of embarrassing. But Jesus is calling 00:13:47.179 --> 00:13:53.600 each and every one of these things blessed. What 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:57.639 he's saying is almost like precious. Ever thought 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:02.120 of that? Precious. Kind of like Smeagol, right? 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:07.220 Gets to ring my precious. Like I said, I'm a 00:14:07.220 --> 00:14:09.240 nerd who likes my books and my movies that match. 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:11.240 You know, I sit there and hours to talk about 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.500 the difference between the book and the movies, 00:14:12.559 --> 00:14:17.919 I'm game. We might wear each other out. But why 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:22.679 would he call these blessings? It's really, it's 00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:25.870 a weird way. To address these types of things. 00:14:25.909 --> 00:14:27.350 And for that, we'll find the answer, actually, 00:14:27.370 --> 00:14:29.809 when we look at 2 Corinthians 12 .9. I promise 00:14:29.809 --> 00:14:37.509 this one's right. 2 Corinthians 12 .9. And he 00:14:37.509 --> 00:14:40.389 said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for 00:14:40.389 --> 00:14:44.110 my strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, 00:14:44.350 --> 00:14:47.230 most gladly, I will rather boast in my affirmities 00:14:47.230 --> 00:14:55.340 that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Blessings 00:14:55.340 --> 00:14:57.519 because it's when we are at our weakest that 00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.860 we start letting down those barriers to God. 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:02.879 It's at our weakest that we truly let go and 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:07.159 let Jesus. So when we are suffering and hurting, 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:11.399 that we give in and realize, I can't do this 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:15.820 on my own. I need help. I need a savior. I need 00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:21.379 Jesus. And we let him in. When you hit rock bottom, 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:27.139 And you don't know how to get back up. The only 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:29.159 place you can truly look is up. You just roll 00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:31.139 over and you look up. And you need that hand 00:15:31.139 --> 00:15:37.559 to help pick you back up. We turn things over 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:43.340 to Jesus. And think of it this way. When we get 00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:45.519 to these points in our lives and we go to Jesus, 00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:50.000 we're like a small child. We're that upset small 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:54.529 child. Who has that broken toy. And they're coming 00:15:54.529 --> 00:15:58.490 and going, you fix it? They've got the tears 00:15:58.490 --> 00:16:01.710 running down their cheeks. That's how we go to 00:16:01.710 --> 00:16:04.210 Jesus. When we're in these moments of our lives, 00:16:04.289 --> 00:16:06.610 when we're in these seasons. The only difference, 00:16:06.629 --> 00:16:09.990 though, is when we go to Jesus, it's not a toy 00:16:09.990 --> 00:16:12.490 that we're going to him with. It's our life. 00:16:13.730 --> 00:16:19.110 It is our life. And it's a big thing. We're strong 00:16:19.110 --> 00:16:22.519 when we're weak. And likewise, we have another 00:16:22.519 --> 00:16:26.440 weakness we don't even think of very often. As 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:31.539 believers, we have this thing, and there are 00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:34.039 those who will look at it and see it as a curse, 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:40.820 called dual citizenship. When we look at the 00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:42.240 world, like, ooh, dual citizenship, that could 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:46.240 be kind of cool, and it can be. But it can also 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:50.879 be a curse. Because as believers, as followers 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.620 of Christ, we're residents of this world, but 00:16:53.620 --> 00:16:56.820 we're also residents of God's kingdom. If we 00:16:56.820 --> 00:17:00.360 turn to Philippians 3, verse 20. Philippians 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:11.539 3, verse 20 says, Meaning we're in the world, 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:18.119 we're not of it. If we go to John 17. Verses 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:21.819 14 through 16. So John 17, verses 14 through 00:17:21.819 --> 00:17:28.079 16. This is actually from a prayer of Christ. 00:17:28.660 --> 00:17:31.500 Jesus is praying and he said, I have given them 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:35.079 your word and the world has hated them because 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:38.079 they are not of the world just as I am not of 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:41.039 the world. I do not pray that you should take 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:43.019 them out of the world, but that you should keep 00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:45.730 them from the evil one. They are not of the world 00:17:45.730 --> 00:17:50.309 just as I am not of the world. I'm going to break 00:17:50.309 --> 00:17:56.630 it down for you another way. In the military, 00:17:56.789 --> 00:17:59.009 we call the children of service members military 00:17:59.009 --> 00:18:02.410 brats. My wife is a military brat. Yes, very 00:18:02.410 --> 00:18:06.609 much proudly, yes. This is something that impacts 00:18:06.609 --> 00:18:12.269 a lot of them, though. And it can be a big issue. 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.400 Basically, you have your military families. They're 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:20.099 stationed overseas. They have a child. Now, typically, 00:18:20.339 --> 00:18:23.140 even if it's in a country that traditionally 00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:25.700 would not have dual citizenship with the U .S., 00:18:25.700 --> 00:18:30.380 the fact that they are born there, they are still 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:32.420 granted dual citizenship, meaning that they are 00:18:32.420 --> 00:18:35.079 citizens of that country and the United States. 00:18:35.619 --> 00:18:39.319 They get both. And as a kid, it's cool because 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:42.339 you get to go back and forth. No problem. Right? 00:18:43.940 --> 00:18:47.819 Because you're a citizen. For those of you who 00:18:47.819 --> 00:18:50.019 have never been outside the country, especially 00:18:50.019 --> 00:18:53.359 overseas where you have to fly in, I will tell 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:55.059 you, if you are a citizen of the United States, 00:18:55.240 --> 00:18:58.859 it is a whole lot easier to get through customs 00:18:58.859 --> 00:19:01.279 and a whole lot faster than if you are a foreigner. 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:11.359 A whole lot easier. Now, in many cases, These 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:12.960 children, they have this dual citizenship. They 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:16.640 get to keep it for life. That's cool. But there 00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:19.339 are those countries where that changes. There 00:19:19.339 --> 00:19:22.559 are some countries that when you get to a certain 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:27.180 age, you have to make a choice. Am I going to 00:19:27.180 --> 00:19:29.720 be the citizen of this country? Am I going to 00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:31.839 be the citizen of that country? What do you want 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:34.420 for your life? What's going to make best for 00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:37.759 you? Now, if you're that kid who grew up in that 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:39.480 other country and that's all you really know, 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:43.720 it might be an easier decision. If you've traveled 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:48.400 a bit, it's going to be a bit harder. But it's 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.839 a tough choice. Because there are some issues 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:57.019 that come up. Even if you maintain the dual citizenship. 00:19:59.180 --> 00:20:01.220 I'll ask a question. Nobody has to raise their 00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:02.559 hand. I just want you to kind of think about 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:06.460 this. Who here would want to pay taxes in two 00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:08.299 countries, whether you live in the other one 00:20:08.299 --> 00:20:12.819 or not? No, I didn't think so. There are countries 00:20:12.819 --> 00:20:14.740 out there like, hey, you have citizenship with 00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:16.839 us. Even though you're living in another country, 00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:18.859 you're still earning a paycheck. You still have 00:20:18.859 --> 00:20:23.160 to pay taxes here. So you're paying your U .S. 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:24.839 taxes and the taxes for whatever that other country 00:20:24.839 --> 00:20:27.619 is. I'll tell you what, some of those countries, 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:34.539 those taxes are steep. Steep. How about this? 00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:39.220 There are those other countries that demand Military 00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:45.579 service. Now that, on the face side, might not 00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:50.460 seem like a bad deal. Think about this, though. 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:54.000 What happens if the countries that you have citizenship 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.799 in break away from each other and they go to 00:20:57.799 --> 00:21:00.460 war and now you're having to fight against the 00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:04.519 other country of your citizenship? You have to 00:21:04.519 --> 00:21:08.920 choose which one you belong to. and swear that 00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:14.740 allegiance and then fight the other. That's hard, 00:21:14.740 --> 00:21:19.079 isn't it? That's hard just to think about. But 00:21:19.079 --> 00:21:23.059 there are people out there that that is the very 00:21:23.059 --> 00:21:24.460 thing that they've had to deal with in their 00:21:24.460 --> 00:21:30.640 lifetimes. People called away saying, hey, you 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:32.079 need to come back to our country because we're 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:33.740 going to war with that country over there even. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.880 Maybe you don't agree with it, but too bad. You're 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:40.650 a citizen. Come on over. Raise your right hand. 00:21:40.789 --> 00:21:42.529 We're going to give you some fatigues and a rifle. 00:21:44.970 --> 00:21:49.410 That's a hard one. The dilemma of dual citizenship 00:21:49.410 --> 00:21:52.369 is very similar to being a child of God, though. 00:21:53.390 --> 00:21:55.670 Because even though we're born into the world, 00:21:55.869 --> 00:22:01.589 we have to make a choice. We have to make a choice. 00:22:01.769 --> 00:22:03.710 And when we look at the Beatitudes, it's like, 00:22:03.769 --> 00:22:05.369 oh, is this really the choice I want to make? 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:12.180 Is it really a blessing? And the way we make 00:22:12.180 --> 00:22:13.980 that determination is based upon where we're 00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:17.039 at with our relationship with Jesus Christ. The 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:19.799 stronger our relationship is, the more understanding 00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:21.519 and the more likely it is that we are truly going 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:23.880 to see them for the blessings that they are and 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:26.579 understand why they're there and how they work 00:22:26.579 --> 00:22:31.680 on us. But the day is still going to come where 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:33.559 we have to make that choice whether or not we 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:37.079 are going to live according to the world. If 00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:40.700 we want to live worldly, in which case we fall 00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:44.980 under the provision, probably not the best choice 00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:47.460 of word there, of the prince of this world, right? 00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:50.240 We fall under Satan and his ministers and all 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.099 the nonsense that they spew in the garbage and 00:22:52.099 --> 00:22:56.319 the evilness, right? Or we choose Jesus Christ. 00:22:57.720 --> 00:23:02.519 We live under his rules and his love and his 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:04.079 grace and his mercy, and we know where we're 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:09.480 going. We don't get to keep both. We have to 00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:16.160 make choice. Eventually, you have to let go of 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:20.059 one or the other. Indecision is not a choice. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:22.240 You don't get to sit there and hold on to it 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:24.119 forever and say, oh, let me think about it a 00:23:24.119 --> 00:23:31.200 little bit more. We go to Revelation 3, 16. This 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:33.819 time I hear 3, 16, it takes me back to when I 00:23:33.819 --> 00:23:36.359 was younger. Anybody who watched wrestling knows 00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:41.339 exactly what I'm talking about. Revelation 3 00:23:41.339 --> 00:23:47.059 .16 says, So then, because you are lukewarm and 00:23:47.059 --> 00:23:50.220 neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of 00:23:50.220 --> 00:23:52.819 my mouth. You have to make a choice. You're either 00:23:52.819 --> 00:23:56.119 on fire for Jesus or you're not. You love the 00:23:56.119 --> 00:23:58.039 world or you don't. You don't get to sit in the 00:23:58.039 --> 00:24:01.519 middle. You don't get to sit on the fence. Let 00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:02.920 me put it another way. When it comes to sales 00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:05.119 or anybody who's worked in the service industry, 00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:09.319 if it's not an automatic yes, it's a no. If it's 00:24:09.319 --> 00:24:11.599 not an automatic yes, it's a no. Are you on Team 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:15.380 Jesus or aren't you? That's what it comes down 00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:18.220 to. It's like, I don't know. I think I need more 00:24:18.220 --> 00:24:21.400 information. Well, that's a no. Your time is 00:24:21.400 --> 00:24:25.480 up. Sorry. That's the thing. Tomorrow's not promised. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:30.069 This afternoon is not promised. Any one of us 00:24:30.069 --> 00:24:34.329 can walk out the door and that's it. Time's up. 00:24:37.609 --> 00:24:40.150 So when it comes to your citizenship, you need 00:24:40.150 --> 00:24:43.009 to think on it and you need to choose. If you 00:24:43.009 --> 00:24:44.390 know people who are on the fence, you need to 00:24:44.390 --> 00:24:46.829 talk to them before the time is up because they 00:24:46.829 --> 00:24:56.390 need to choose. It's one or the other. Think 00:24:56.390 --> 00:24:59.009 about what it means. to be a citizen in the world. 00:24:59.849 --> 00:25:02.150 Think of facing the temptations and the issues 00:25:02.150 --> 00:25:04.789 of everyday life, the struggle that we constantly 00:25:04.789 --> 00:25:08.410 have to deal with. Think of what it really means 00:25:08.410 --> 00:25:12.289 to have this opportunity right now to live in 00:25:12.289 --> 00:25:16.430 the upside -down kingdom. That is truly what 00:25:16.430 --> 00:25:21.250 it is, is an upside -down kingdom. Now think 00:25:21.250 --> 00:25:25.329 of the struggle and what you need to do to live 00:25:25.329 --> 00:25:29.640 a holy life in it. The issues that we have with 00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:35.519 our bodies. Heck, we did a 5K yesterday. We're 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:38.960 both sore. Everybody that's out there, I guarantee 00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:43.319 is sore. Guarantee it. Especially the people 00:25:43.319 --> 00:25:45.660 who are pushing even further for the 10K and 00:25:45.660 --> 00:25:47.859 the half marathon. We got people waiting for 00:25:47.859 --> 00:25:49.460 surgeries. We got people that are home sick. 00:25:49.740 --> 00:25:51.720 We got people who just got over a cold. They 00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:55.920 just got the lingering cough. You know? We go 00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:59.950 through a lot. We go through a ton. Every time 00:25:59.950 --> 00:26:01.750 the weather changes, all the hardware I have 00:26:01.750 --> 00:26:04.049 on my body, I feel it. I tell my wife, yeah, 00:26:04.089 --> 00:26:05.289 there's a storm on the other side of the mountain 00:26:05.289 --> 00:26:08.009 right now. But there's not supposed to be. Oh, 00:26:08.049 --> 00:26:09.529 there is. I guarantee it. And later on the news, 00:26:09.589 --> 00:26:12.769 what happens? There's a storm, right? Like a 00:26:12.769 --> 00:26:17.349 human barometer. It's not fun. But you think 00:26:17.349 --> 00:26:19.569 about it. Think of the problems that might arise 00:26:19.569 --> 00:26:24.690 as you go forward in the future. Think about 00:26:24.690 --> 00:26:27.440 this. What do you have? What have you had for 00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:30.599 a long time? What is it that you absolutely will 00:26:30.599 --> 00:26:34.200 not give up? What don't you want to give up? 00:26:35.420 --> 00:26:39.500 There's some hard ones here. I'm just going to 00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:42.779 give you a quick example. Most of us work, right? 00:26:43.200 --> 00:26:44.700 We don't have a whole lot of people here who 00:26:44.700 --> 00:26:47.759 are retired. A couple people who are close, right? 00:26:49.859 --> 00:26:51.519 How would you feel about giving up your car and 00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:56.369 walking? Giving up means a transportation altogether 00:26:56.369 --> 00:26:59.589 minus your feet. Your feet become your Cadillacs 00:26:59.589 --> 00:27:02.950 and you got to walk to and fro and while you're 00:27:02.950 --> 00:27:06.789 there. Who wants to give up their car? I didn't 00:27:06.789 --> 00:27:09.269 see any hands go up. I saw a few heads shaking. 00:27:09.349 --> 00:27:12.609 No, I don't want to give mine up either. But 00:27:12.609 --> 00:27:15.210 you know what? If the Lord asks us to, we have 00:27:15.210 --> 00:27:18.990 to be obedient. That is a hard choice to make 00:27:18.990 --> 00:27:21.089 though, isn't it? How am I going to get there? 00:27:21.170 --> 00:27:23.259 How am I going to get back? Especially people 00:27:23.259 --> 00:27:25.279 who commute. What am I going to do about groceries? 00:27:28.359 --> 00:27:31.720 Hmm. There's a tough one. There's a lot of us. 00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:33.140 We go to the store and we load up, don't we? 00:27:35.319 --> 00:27:37.319 More than we could just carry in a bag and carry 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:40.839 back and forth every day. Take it home. We load 00:27:40.839 --> 00:27:43.640 up our fridge. We load up our counters. Load 00:27:43.640 --> 00:27:48.980 up our cabinets. Hmm. That's a big one. Or how 00:27:48.980 --> 00:27:53.039 about when a loved one gets sick? Maybe a kid 00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:54.640 falls and breaks a bone and you got to get into 00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:59.039 a doctor quick. I don't think any of us want 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:01.700 to have to deal with a stressful enough, let 00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:03.319 alone having to pick someone up and carry them 00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:06.380 that distance. Some of us don't live that close 00:28:06.380 --> 00:28:08.359 to medical facilities to get that kind of help. 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:13.599 Tough choices. These are the things we have to 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:15.740 think of though, which is why when it comes to 00:28:15.740 --> 00:28:18.559 following Jesus Christ, it's not just a quick 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:21.579 yes or no answer for most people. That's why 00:28:21.579 --> 00:28:23.940 they stay lukewarm. And unfortunately, they don't 00:28:23.940 --> 00:28:29.720 make it to the finish line and finish well. It 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:34.519 is a hard life. So are you willing to give something 00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:39.579 up for Jesus? You don't get the choice on what 00:28:39.579 --> 00:28:43.859 that something is. Hoping for all of us in here, 00:28:43.960 --> 00:28:47.440 that answer is yes. Willing to give it up. Willing 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:50.440 to bear just a little bit more. For his sake. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:55.359 Because of what he's done for me, I know he's 00:28:55.359 --> 00:29:01.799 doing for me. Because I love him. Not as close 00:29:01.799 --> 00:29:03.759 to as much as he loves me, but because I love 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:07.720 him. Let's face it, he loves us a whole lot more. 00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:16.380 That's your homework for the week. I want you 00:29:16.380 --> 00:29:18.750 to reflect on these things. You get a chance. 00:29:18.769 --> 00:29:20.289 I want you to come back. I want you to open your 00:29:20.289 --> 00:29:21.990 Bibles back up to the Beatitudes. I want you 00:29:21.990 --> 00:29:24.670 to read through them. Read through them kind 00:29:24.670 --> 00:29:28.789 of carefully and think to yourself, ah, what's 00:29:28.789 --> 00:29:31.109 strange here? What's strange? What's hard to 00:29:31.109 --> 00:29:35.569 understand? I want you to meditate on that. Maybe 00:29:35.569 --> 00:29:38.609 even take a note. Right? You don't have to bring 00:29:38.609 --> 00:29:39.849 it back to church. Don't worry. You don't have 00:29:39.849 --> 00:29:41.109 to turn in your homework. I'm not asking you 00:29:41.109 --> 00:29:45.670 to submit anything. Right? But go back. Everybody 00:29:45.670 --> 00:29:47.789 should go back, spend a couple minutes with themselves 00:29:47.789 --> 00:29:50.950 and the word, and take a look at exactly what 00:29:50.950 --> 00:29:52.450 this is. It'll also prepare you a little bit 00:29:52.450 --> 00:29:57.750 more for the next couple weeks. Right? And then 00:29:57.750 --> 00:30:00.309 as you go through it, the big thing I want you 00:30:00.309 --> 00:30:03.630 to remember is the kingdom of God does not operate 00:30:03.630 --> 00:30:07.809 the same as things do here. It's not meant to. 00:30:11.170 --> 00:30:14.539 The world's kingdom is a different place. This 00:30:14.539 --> 00:30:17.700 is a place filled with sin. God's kingdom is 00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:22.920 not. God's kingdom is a place of absolute joy 00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:27.900 and happiness and purpose, love, grace, and mercy. 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:32.920 When we get there, we're going to find a much 00:30:32.920 --> 00:30:34.460 different place than even what we can imagine, 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:40.240 a much brighter place. On that note, let us pray. 00:30:42.429 --> 00:30:44.190 Heavenly Father, we thank you again for bringing 00:30:44.190 --> 00:30:47.190 us together. We know that we live in an upside 00:30:47.190 --> 00:30:50.210 -down world and we see it getting worse all the 00:30:50.210 --> 00:30:53.930 time. You've opened our eyes to a better way 00:30:53.930 --> 00:30:56.789 and a better life and a new way of looking at 00:30:56.789 --> 00:31:00.670 it, a new way of working in it, a new way of 00:31:00.670 --> 00:31:04.710 moving through it. We ask that you please just 00:31:04.710 --> 00:31:07.690 continue to keep our eyes open, our ears open, 00:31:07.750 --> 00:31:12.759 our minds open, and help us. Not just to understand 00:31:12.759 --> 00:31:14.700 what's going on around us, but what you'd have 00:31:14.700 --> 00:31:17.500 us do in the time that we have and the places 00:31:17.500 --> 00:31:21.180 that you send us to. We pray for your healing 00:31:21.180 --> 00:31:25.599 and your guidance over our land and the turmoil 00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:28.579 it's going through. And we know that you'll work 00:31:28.579 --> 00:31:32.279 all things to your glory. That's what your word 00:31:32.279 --> 00:31:33.779 has told us and that's what your word has promised 00:31:33.779 --> 00:31:40.099 us. That you guide and protect us all the days 00:31:40.099 --> 00:31:42.779 of our lives here. Help us to continue to grow 00:31:42.779 --> 00:31:46.539 people that you would have us be. Continue to 00:31:46.539 --> 00:31:50.839 grow our relationship with you. All of his people 00:31:50.839 --> 00:31:53.940 said, amen and amen. And remember, as you leave 00:31:53.940 --> 00:31:55.700 here today, you are loved and you are blessed. 00:31:55.720 --> 00:32:26.130 So go and be the church. Until next time, take 00:32:26.130 --> 00:32:27.690 care and God bless.