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We've all been hurt. We all carry scars. We can all overcome these things and be

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healed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's build that relationship

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together right here. Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. Hey everybody

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welcome back to the sanctuary. So far this season as you know we've been

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looking at the least popular books in the Bible and focusing on the shortest

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books of the Bible because really they're twofold. The least common just so

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happen to be the shortest for the most part and today is no different. We're

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going to keep on learning and we're going to keep on growing because of all

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the great things that the Lord has placed here in these books for us. We

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not only learn of God and his character we also learn about ourselves and how we

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need to change our view of the world from well worldly to a biblical view. So

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you know with that said you know we've all known some bad leaders. Call them

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whatever you want. Manager, supervisor, director, politicians, a lieutenant. My

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point is they're still in leadership positions and quite often it can leave

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you wondering man how did they get this job let alone keep it you know. Those

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two-faced people where you take an issue to them and later on they deny it and

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try to paint you into that bad light you know or they say things well you're not

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seeing this right and they try to you know change the direction of it as

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opposed to addressing the issue you know or how about this one you take

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an idea to someone and you know and they don't say much they leave it like and

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maybe it's it's not a good fit but in reality they love it because it is a

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great idea and later they take your idea they put it into action and of course

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what do they do they claim it as the wrong so you know we're talking you know

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these are those lazy people those lazy people those lazy leaders the

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liars the gaslighters and on and on and on you know we could call out examples

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and tell stories about these things for days. Excuse me you know unfortunately we

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see these so-called leaders everywhere we see them regularly and the fact is we

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have to deal with them however we need to remember that it's temporary they're

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not going to be there forever it might feel like it but they won't be there and

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the other thing that we need to keep in mind is that when these things happen we

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need to turn the other cheek and continue to do what is right. Now we

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could have started with second John which talks about false teachers however

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we're not just talking about false teachers here we're talking about

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leadership across the board from the street to the business and beyond

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because there's leaders everywhere right and but we will be talking about poor

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leaders in the church because it is something that we need to address as

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well and be aware of it's important to know how we should act so that we can

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prepare ourselves properly so that when we see this poor leadership in our lives

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we respond properly we respond the way God wants us to so that's what we're

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going to be looking at today and third John it's poor leadership okay so before

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we dive into it let's just address it third John is the shortest book in the

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Bible and like many it's a letter it was written about 85 to 90 AD by John to

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someone called Gaius now Gaius was a prominent Christian in one of the

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churches that John was familiar with and at this time in the early church the

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leaders would travel from town to town to help get the new congregations up and

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running and make sure everything was running smoothly and properly in

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addition you know to other skills you know teaching preaching that sort of

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stuff on and on you know and because of this you know they they depended on the

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hospitality of fellow believers because let's face it if they had to pay for

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someplace to stay regularly I who has that kind of money not many especially

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not then you know and Gaius he was one of these people who would welcome in

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these travelers and give them a place to stay and take care of them so this

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letter really gives us a great look into the church at that time and it really

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shines a light on this need in the church and you know and something

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something we still see today around the world however this letter is also a

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warning it is a warning against a bad church leader who is becoming a dictator

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so for those following in their Bible and those taking notes we'll go to 3rd

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John and we're specifically going to be looking at verses 1 through 4 the Bible

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says the elder to my dear friend Gaius whom I love in the truth dear friend I

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pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you even as

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your soul is getting along well it gave me great joy when some believers came

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and testified about your faithfulness to the truth telling how you continue to

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walk in it I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the

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truth so there's a bit of formality right here at the very beginning you know it

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starts off with literally those two words the elder and the elder is a

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reference to the fact that John was one of the original twelve disciples and you

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know so it spoke to his authority he was a man of authority and we know quite a

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bit about him and then it goes on to address Gaius as a as a friend and very

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affectionately so you know we don't know much about him or why John loved him so

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dearly beyond this maybe in his travels you know John stayed with him we don't

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know you know and if he did it would certainly explain as to why he was so

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favored you know looking at Matthew chapter 10 verses 11 through 16 the

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Bible says whatever town or village you enter search for someone excuse me

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search there for some worthy person and stay there stay at their house until you

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leave as you enter the home give it your greeting if the home is deserving let

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your peace restart it if it is not let your peace return to you if anyone will

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not welcome you or listen to your words leave that home or town and shake the

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dust off your feet truly I tell you it will be more bearable for Sodom and

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Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town I am sending you out like

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sheep among wolves therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as does

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see when people put these leaders up it wasn't just letting them stay you know

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in like a guest room or spare bed they were feeding them they were helping them

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with whatever you know really they needed during their stay so it created a

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very special bond so you know even if John didn't stay with them hearing about

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you know what he was still doing still would have struck a very you know

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special place in his heart we're just really tugged at that cord that heart

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string so you know John he goes on to show you know just how much he cares for

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Gaius you know and it's not just his physical but his spiritual well-being

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you know and that itself is is actually very interesting you know much like

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today there was a belief that taught that you know there was a separation of

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this spirit from the physical aspect of living in our world you know it's it's

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that teaching that you know if if you stay focused on your spiritual health

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then you'll neglect your physical health but if you focus on your body and the

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various you know indulgences you know of life you know those little things that

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you enjoy then somehow you're going to be sacrificing your spiritual health you

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know and so on and so forth I mean that itself we could really talk about you

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know get quite some length you know however you know it's important here to

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point out God cares about us spiritually and physically that's why discipline or

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you know really I should say self-discipline is so important you know

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that we take care of ourselves in both aspects of our lives so that we can best

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serve others you know and best serve God you know after all you know who can we

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really serve if we're not taking care of ourselves right so you know moving along

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here in a third John verses 5 through 6 the Bible says dear friend you are

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faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters even though they

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are strangers to you they have told the church about your love please send them

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on their way in a manner that honors God all right so I'd like to call your

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attention really you know to verse 5 here and specifically to where it says

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brothers and sisters now depending on the translation that you're reading it

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may say brethren it may say teachers you know there could be emphasis you know

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some sort of emphasis you know where it says and sisters something along those

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lines and this is important because the Greek word that is used here is

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Adelphoi which refers to believers and believers meaning both men and women

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belonging you know to the church and to God's family you know Adelphos is the

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tense that refers to brothers and Adelphoi for sister so for those who

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like to see women are left out you know I'll remind you you really need to learn

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for context not for those words just to nitpick you know and I'm gonna leave it

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at that because there's still gonna be someone out there who wants to nitpick

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on this now again in the churches early days traveling was very common among

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evangelists and teachers there was a lot of ground to cover and it was paramount

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that they ensured that the word was being taught properly you know that's

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something we still battle today you know for example even today many of us

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dedicate years and years to school and improving our knowledge you know we

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dive right into study now well that's not a requirement you know because we

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know God equips the called we still have to battle because you know one we need

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to know what we're talking about two we have to battle because of those who go

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on you know like these sketchy online farms and you know who ordain people as

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whatever they want and you know make whatever make-believe order they want

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you know you go on he could you know ordain as a Jedi for example it's a

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horrible example but it's true you know and unfortunately these guys you know

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are these people I should say are able to go out and legally marry others open

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facilities etc etc and they still get you know the protections I could go on

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for hours as to you know why many of these people the vast majority make

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everyone else in the clergy look really bad let me just look poorly you know and

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again you know many people such as Gaius provided a home on the road and food

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for while they were there you know it's true it's true hospitality you know

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hospitality at its best you know that in itself is something that's become more

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and more of a lost art in many churches and many homes you know today keep in

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mind church isn't just a place where we go and listen to someone talk at us

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about biblical things it's anywhere where two or more people come together

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to worship the Lord you know invite inviting you know inviting people over

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for example it's like type of say home church would do us all well but more

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often than not we don't think about these things anymore and why not well

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simply put it's because of our society it's what our culture has evolved into

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you know it's become one of you know it's very self-centered it's very

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individualistic it's very much a us or a me versus them mentality that's been

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created in just about anything and everything you know it's it's created a

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society of very lonely people very lonely people and you know I could tell

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you when I worked in hospice it it was extremely common to have a patient who

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wondered if anyone would even care if you know when they died that's

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heartbreaking it's absolutely heartbreaking you talk to anyone who's

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worked in hospice and they'll tell you the same you know and it's all the more

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reason that we should smile for people and you know tell those that we care

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about that we love them and not only you know say it but to do things that

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actually show that we really do care because people need to know that one

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they're seen to they're heard and three that they matter that they matter so you

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know we're also told send them on away the honors God now now how do we do

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that do we do that by arguing no by yelling how about cussing and pointing

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fingers no of course not you know if anything if anything that's gonna

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escalate it's just gonna make it worse right you know it's why a lot of things

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just don't go away that they should because people they get caught up you

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know now you know these are these leaders that we're dealing with you know

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and not even just them but other people in general you think about arguments

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that you know you're still gonna be made out to be the bad guy you know some

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people they're just gonna they're gonna pour on those crocodile tears you know

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and we know they're full of garbage but you know they're their friends and all

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they're gonna eat it up if they're there you know with a little sit down

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face-to-faces and all that kind of stuff you know but they're gonna do

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everything they can to make themselves out to be the victim instead of owning

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up and taking responsibility you know instead of being a mature adult you know

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I've been there myself you know I've had a job I was ready to walk out the door

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because of it we've all been there you know but ultimately it's still on us to

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send them off in a biblical way now we do that regardless of the beating that

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we're gonna take that we're gonna take you know and we very well may take you

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know a pretty gnarly beating over it yes we may appear to be tarnished briefly

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you know but most importantly to God we are truly unscathed because we did what

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was right now that may mean we need to bite our tongues and for some of us

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that's a lot harder than others right we all we you know exactly what I'm

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talking about you know and more often than not we really should be doing

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exactly that because we let our feelings take over and that leads us into sin and

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we're no better off than than they are at that point okay so let's continue on

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in 3rd John verses 7 through 8 and the Bible says it was for the sake of the

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name that they went out receiving no help from the pagans we are therefore to

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show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth okay

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now I'll refer you back to the reading that we did for Matthew just a little

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bit ago also I'd like to call out on Acts chapter 20 verse 33 in which the

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Bible says I have not coveted anyone silver or gold or clothing and then it

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continues on in verse 35 to say and everything I did I showed you that by

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this kind of work we must help the weak remembering the words of the Lord Jesus

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Christ himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive now you see the

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missionaries they would go out and they wouldn't ask for anything and they

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would not accept anything from non-believers and it wasn't meant as an

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insult and it wasn't meant to exclude them or push them out or banish them you

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know or label to label them as unworthy of God's Word or God's love or anything

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else like oh you're not you're not Christian get away from me you know

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instead it was an action that was meant to show how things should be and took

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away motive and I'm gonna go I'm gonna go into this a little bit more depth

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here okay you know the and by motive what we're talking about is that whole

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question of why are they really here what do they really want you know like

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that person you haven't heard from in months or even years and they come

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around knocking and you know the only time that they do this is when they want

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something you know so so they wouldn't ask and they wouldn't accept anything

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from them because of that you know they would stay only with believers so that

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when they did go out to reach people in the world with the gospel it took away

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all those doubts that the unbelievers had okay so you know that's that's why

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it's important that believers really you know support the church in any way that

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they can so that when people do go out you know that there's no doubt as to why

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they're really there you know so when those who are working in the field can

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do so without creating that question of motive like what are they really after

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you know God's preachers I'll remind you you know the the really good preachers

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that you're gonna find there are those pastors and so on they don't do it for

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the money they do it because God has placed a calling on their heart and

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they're answering that call not for the money so that's why you should question

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when you know you go to you know you know how much I hate this but you know

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when you go to a church when you go to a place of worship is really what we're

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saying here you know or when you hear a you know that pastor that's always up

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there and always talking about why you need to give so much money and on a

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regular basis and you know money is a very focal point for them all the time

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you know that the church yes you know the church has a responsibility to do

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what they can to take care of Christian workers and take away the doubts of

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non-believers however it is it does not need to always be monetary should say it

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doesn't even need to be monetary because let's face it so for some people that is

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a hardship you know time using your talents to support them you know

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sharing their messages with friends and families and so on and so forth there's

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so many things there is a lot that could be done to accomplish this you know and

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at the same time I do want to remind you don't ignore a Christian workers

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fundraising attempts either instead pray on it and see what God places in your

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heart you know their please very well may be legitimate and it may be an

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invitation from God for you to become a partner in their venture all right well

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whatever kindness that you can extend that may be the answer that they've been

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waiting for and that they needed with their prayer all right it's also why

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it's important that we give generously and with a kind and happy heart right

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I've talked about this before so you know when you help someone in you know

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answering the Great Commission and and that is what you're giving is your

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essentially you are a partner in their mission and we'll go more into this when

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we when we go through second John but this is you know this is what we're

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talking about where it says not everyone should go into the mission field when

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we're when we're looking at at second John you know those who are at home are

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just important okay think about the military how far do you think the troops

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would would get without someone being back there at home to help out with the

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various needs you know building vehicles those pieces that are needed for

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shelters and clothing advancing technology you know food ammo weapons

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and so on and so forth all the various things that there that are needed to

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accomplish their mission you know or missions leading up to that ultimate

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goal you know for that matter you know you know ask any active duty service

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member or veteran and we'll tell you we do not go on missions let alone in

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country without having supplies needed and the continuing supplies and support

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needed to accomplish the various missions we're going now you know it we

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might be going on with the bare essentials the very you know those those

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basic tools but in general without knowing that things are in place and that

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more is coming it's not going to happen no one's going to be moving they're not

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going to be you know leaving that that flight line let alone going out to it

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anytime soon you know and I can tell you Christian mission fields are no

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different everyone needs support at some point prayer money hospitality time love

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you know all these things go a long way to helping them accomplish the mission

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all right I feel like I maybe I'm kind of harping on this point a little

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little long here but you know definitely yes because it weighs on me

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continuing on though third John verses 9 through 10 the Bible says I wrote to the

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church about diatrophies who loves to be first will not welcome us so when I come

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I will call attention to what he is doing spreading malicious nonsense about

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us not satisfied with that he even refuses to welcome other believers he

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also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church you know

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first off the letter that John is taught was talking about here it wasn't first

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or second John it was different letter entirely you know and as far as we know

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it no longer exists you know so you know I can't really speak to it beyond that

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nobody can you know for that matter now diatrophies you know he sounds like a

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real winner doesn't he a real stand-up kind of guy it's a

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reminder of anyone you've worked with in the past or currently working with you

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know that that type of person you just love to go home and tell the family

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about yeah you know we we all know this type we all do so let's take a look at

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what John tells us about him first and foremost he is a control freak he is an

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absolute control freak he wants total control you know of his place of worship

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you know at the church you know everyone that's there and John goes out to point

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out that he refuses to have anything to do with the other spiritual leaders he

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actually goes so far you know as to slander them he also refuses to welcome

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anyone who speaks the truth you know or to be welcoming especially when they're

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calling them out when they when they're questioning his leadership and what he's

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doing what he's saying you know he he finds it offensive hello woke movement

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you know he finds it so offensive that he he kicks them out of the church he

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cancels them sound familiar cancel culture anyone you know he's a very

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prideful man and where there's pride there's usually some sort of jealousy

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and fear as well you know let me tell you when a leader even in the church

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because we're talking about someone in the church here you know when a pastor

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encourages sin in some way and discourages godly acts they need to be

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stopped they need to be taken out of that pulpit and they need to be

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corrected you know I've said it time and time again and I'll say it again you

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know you can cause just as much harm through your inaction as you can by your

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action and when nobody speaks up they're allowing the sin can to it to continue

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and you know what happens it continues to grow when sin enters the church we

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don't just need to confront it we have an obligation to confront it and to stop

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it all right when a you know when a true leader a true Christian leader is there

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they are a servant a true leader and a true Christian leader is a servant first

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and foremost something our politicians forgot about a long time ago I'm pretty

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sure all of us would agree on that you know like I said you know it it's not

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just churches it's in businesses as well you know we we all still have to deal

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with these types of leaders and let me tell you something when you've identified

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a poor leader and they're given control especially when they pretty much have

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free reign it's because that fire has spread and it's infiltrated your border

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as well your elders you know your your other supervisors and your other levels

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of management you know that quote-unquote church or business it's on

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it's in critical care and it has a very very grim outlook you know like I said

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it's the same for business look at banks it wasn't that long ago we just saw a

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Silicon Valley bank go belly up and close its doors you know and countless

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other businesses have done the same or are headed that way even in health care

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we see one one health care system buying out another regularly and you know yet

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when this happens we wonder where they're the care part of health care has

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gone you know these weak leaders are absolutely no better than the Pharisee

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and Luke 18 you know and that that Pharisee you know he if you recall he

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thought he was better better than the lowly tax collector because of his

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status his status in his position you know he was very prideful you know it's

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pride pride is a sin sin kills so if that person can't be taught can't be

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corrected and humbled then they have no business continuing to be in a position

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of leadership they need to be removed and it doesn't matter where it is you

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know as I said at the very beginning it doesn't matter it could be from the

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street to the pulpit to the highest office in the land if it's beneath you

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to serve that you don't know how to lead it's that simple let's take a look at

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the rest of our reading today so let's pick back up in 3rd John verses 11 through

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15 and depending on the translation that you have it may be it might be verses

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11 through 14 you know some some translations have a way of kind of

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breaking that or combining it it's it's it's interesting to see however I

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digress the Bible says dear friend do not imitate what is evil but what is

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good anyone who does what is good is from God anyone who do who does what is

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evil has not seen God Demetrius is a well spoken of by everyone and even by

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the truth itself we also speak well of him and you know that our testimony is

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true I have much to write you but I do not want to do so with pen and ink I

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hope to see you soon and we will talk face to face peace to you the friends

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here send their greetings greet the friends there by name so in contrast you

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know contrast to the diet for diet triphes Demetrius appears to be a good

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servant leader you know and John is essentially singing his praise here even

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when speaking about the truth you know and what John is saying here is that if

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the truth could speak as plainly as you and I can you know then it would speak

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well of him as well you know if it had that voice to do so so we know that

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Gaius would certainly be looking forward to his visit not only with an open door

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but with open arms you know it'd be exciting thing for him and John

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encourages you know he encourages us to to be hospitable with others you know

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I'll tell you you know being a hospitable you know the point that John's

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making out here it is a sign of strength and love it shows support and that itself

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is very empowering you know sharing what you have your resources helping you know

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to put people at ease so that they only need to focus on the work that they

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need to take out you know it takes a tremendous amount of stress off of them

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you know encouragement gifts a bed to sleep in prayer you know these are all

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some of the great ways to support people you know you think about you know we go

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someplace and somebody opens the door and they're very inviting you know and

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happy and everything it's very encouraging it lifts our spirits as well

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doesn't it as opposed to you go to those places yeah come on in but you get you

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know you go to those other places like yeah come on in make yourself at home

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there's couch over there this you know can I get you something to drink you

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know there's some snacks whatever you know it changes the environment so you

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feel very welcome and you know it's very it's very nice we all enjoy that type

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of thing you know so don't get caught up and you know and don't follow the bad

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examples that are set by you know bad leaders don't get pulled into you know

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arguments you know if they want to put on a show you know and like you know

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like a sit down together between you and the party that's you know committing

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the sin you know I'm making excuses or pointing fingers you know let them just

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let them don't let that anger out through your mouth you know you know I'm

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not saying don't be angry you can be angry and not sin Proverbs chapter 10

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verses 19 and 20 the Bible says sin is not ended by multiplying words but the

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prudent hold their tongues the tongue of the righteous is choice silver but the

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heart of the wicked is of little value and in James chapter 1 verses 19 to 20

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the Bible says in a second here turn over to it and okay here we go so so I'm

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looking at my notes and I'm flipping over here so James chapter 1 19 through

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20 the Bible says know this my beloved brothers let every person be quick to

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hear slow to speak slow to anger for the anger of man does not produce

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righteousness excuse does not produce the righteousness of God we all need to

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learn when to keep silent instead of letting our pride take control of our

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mouths you know I'll say that again we all need to learn when to keep silent

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instead of letting our pride take control of our mouths you know all that

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all the crocodile tears and the lies that you know these things are all gonna

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eventually catch up to them we need to act in love we need to do the right

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thing for the right reason even when we don't want to you know that could be

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easier said than done however that's what Jesus wants from us and if we keep

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our eyes on him and we ask him for help he will guide our steps we're not alone

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and remember these people that are in these positions they're doing all this

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stuff because they're caught up in their own sin and you know and it's like a

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flame it's consuming them it's an addiction and yes think about you can

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you can be addicted to sin you know and but there's a cure for it there is a

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cure for it and the cure is the word it's on them if they want to accept it

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so share the word pray for them and then leave it to them to accept it and start

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healing with Jesus that's what we call planting the seed and that's how you

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send them on their way in a way that honors God we'll catch you next time

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God bless I want to thank you for joining us today if you have any

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questions prayer requests or would like to know more about our ministry you can

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find us on our website at be the light sanctuary org or on Facebook at be the

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light sanctuary we'll catch you next time God bless