1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,640 I'm glad. Are you glad to be in church today? 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,600 Amen. Doesn't it feel like summer already? 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,560 How many of you love the fact that summer is coming? 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:14,000 No more school. How many of you are thrilled about no more school? 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,240 All the parents are like, when does school start exactly? 6 00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:21,920 Like, what's the day? How many days left? 7 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,240 We're excited about the summertime here at Southern Hills 8 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:26,400 because we're beginning a brand new sermon series. 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,400 As you can tell and titled Jesus People, 10 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,320 it's a three-week sermon series through Luke chapter number 17 11 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:36,960 where Jesus himself describes what his followers are to be like. 12 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,040 And we're going to turn there in the Bible right now, if you will. 13 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,720 Luke chapter number 17. 14 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,480 Go ahead and turn there and it'll be a help to you and to all of us. 15 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,280 One more time. Are you glad to be in church today? 16 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,120 If you are, let's praise Jesus together. 17 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:54,560 Man, I am glad you are here as well. 18 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,280 So much going on here at the church today, 19 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,440 but I do want to make sure that you know this three-week sermon series 20 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:08,160 is absolutely essential for your spiritual growth and health 21 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:11,920 over the next three months of this summer. 22 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,280 I don't know what you have planned. 23 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:14,800 I don't know where God is leading you. 24 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,280 I don't know all the things good and bad 25 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,280 that may be coming into your life over the next three weeks 26 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,640 or the next three months, but I am absolutely convinced 27 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:28,320 that these three sermons are here specifically to prep you, 28 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:32,960 to prepare you, to help you move forward and think forward 29 00:01:32,960 --> 00:01:36,240 as it relates to your life and your family 30 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,200 and your relationship specifically this summer. 31 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,600 Today's sermon is entitled, So Happy Together. 32 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,560 Luke chapter number 17, verses one through three. 33 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:47,120 Let's pray. 34 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:52,080 Father, my prayer this morning is that you would help me 35 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,280 do what you just did at the 830 service, 36 00:01:55,280 --> 00:02:00,880 that you would speak through your word to the hearts of men. 37 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:02,880 I pray that you'd help me do what I cannot do, 38 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:03,760 help my friends. 39 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,160 I know my desire is to help my friends understand the Bible 40 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:12,080 better so that they can more properly follow you 41 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:14,240 as followers of Jesus. 42 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,760 And so I pray that you would give me clarity in my words. 43 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,400 I pray that you would give specificity in my heart. 44 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,160 I pray as I speak your word, they would come from you. 45 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,560 I pray, Lord, that you would fill this place 46 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,440 with your Holy Spirit's presence and power 47 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,080 just as you have filled it with your holy people 48 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:34,800 and now fill my mouth with your holy scripture 49 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,200 so that we can hear from you and learn. 50 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:39,200 God, you know our hearts. 51 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:41,760 You know that we are not perfect people. 52 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,120 You know the vast majority of us have messed up, 53 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,600 not just in the last few days, in the last few weeks, 54 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,760 but maybe even in the last few hours. 55 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,720 We come to church today not because we're perfect people, 56 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,120 but we're in need of a perfect God. 57 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,120 We're in need of a perfect Bible 58 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,440 that's going to teach us what we must be 59 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:01,280 in order to follow you. 60 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:03,840 So God, I pray that you would comfort the hearts 61 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:05,040 that are hurting today. 62 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:06,800 I pray that you would instruct the minds 63 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,000 that need instruction. 64 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,080 I pray, Father, that you would bring encouragement 65 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,040 into our hearts so that we can see what your word says 66 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:13,920 and then live by it. 67 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,160 I pray that we would be the people 68 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,120 that you describe in Luke chapter 17. 69 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,840 In Jesus' name we pray. 70 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:23,780 Amen. 71 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:26,400 Jesus' people. 72 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,640 Jesus' people are supposed to be happy people. 73 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,040 And they are happy people because of how they interact 74 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,640 with their relationships, as described in Luke chapter 17. 75 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,080 In Luke chapter 17, you hear the description 76 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,960 from Jesus of what he wants his followers to be, to live like, 77 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,400 to love, and to relate with one another. 78 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,400 And in Luke chapter 17 verses one through 10, 79 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,040 we see that he wants his people to be happy together. 80 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:00,000 And that's the key. 81 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,760 Happiness is found with one another. 82 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:12,160 Jesus' people are happy people because they have each other. 83 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,000 I know you've had friends, you've been friends 84 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:14,960 for a very long time. 85 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,400 How many of you have a friend that you've been friends 86 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:19,920 for many, many years? 87 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,160 I mean, all the way back to your childhood. 88 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:23,600 How many of you have somebody in your life 89 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:26,080 that you've been friends for a very long time, 90 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:27,200 maybe even back to your childhood? 91 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:27,840 How many of you like that? 92 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:28,320 Raise your hand. 93 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:29,120 How many of you like that? 94 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:29,920 All right, very good. 95 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:31,040 Very good. 96 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:32,800 You have a friend since childhood? 97 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:33,760 What's the person's name? 98 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:35,440 Paul. 99 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,600 And how old were you when you got to know Paul? 100 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:39,600 Three years old. 101 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:41,760 How did you become friends at three? 102 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:44,720 He stole your toy. 103 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,760 And this sparked a beautiful relationship. 104 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,200 Counselors, we need help in the front row today. 105 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:57,360 No, but that happens, right? 106 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,080 How many of you also have a very long relationship 107 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,120 many years? 108 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:02,880 Julie, yeah, how many years? 109 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:04,640 Since high school. 110 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:06,640 Which was how many years? 111 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:07,280 I'm just kidding. 112 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:08,000 I won't say that. 113 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:08,640 All right, Julie. 114 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:10,400 Quite a few years. 115 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:11,680 Wow, incredible. 116 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,000 And what brought you together, this friendship? 117 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:16,720 Did she steal something from you? 118 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,040 Oh, you're like-minded on things. 119 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,160 I have so many great friendships. 120 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:26,160 One of the great gifts of being a pastor of this church 121 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:28,560 is you've become my friend and I've become yours. 122 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:30,480 But not just in this group, 123 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:32,800 but also within the staff itself, 124 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,040 the pastors of the church, Pastor Caleb and Ruthie, 125 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:36,320 very good friends with Heather and I. 126 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:38,800 We're excited about going to Israel together next year. 127 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,040 Pastor Jason and Kimberly have been friends of ours 128 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:42,960 for many years, Andrew and Kerry. 129 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:44,640 And then Fred, for those of you who don't know, 130 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:46,000 Fred and Kelly have been friends of ours 131 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,200 since we were teenagers, 132 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,240 but Fred and I have been friends since we were children. 133 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,680 In fact, here's a photograph of myself with Pastor Fred 134 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:55,920 many, many years ago. 135 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:56,880 I know it's hard to see. 136 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,480 It's a little fuzzy because back then, 137 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:01,520 cameras were basically people jotting things down on a- 138 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,280 it's a painting is what it is. 139 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:05,360 There were no real cameras back then. 140 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:06,880 But here I am, and you're gonna- 141 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:08,720 I'm gonna tell you what I'm holding here in a moment. 142 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,080 And here Fred is, right here sitting in the back of a jeep. 143 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:13,360 Those are two cool guys. 144 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:14,480 Can I get an amen right there? 145 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:18,080 He said, wow, it's just shocking how amazing you've turned out. 146 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:19,200 I mean, look at this guy. 147 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:20,480 And we're at a wedding. 148 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:24,080 Actually, this is the wedding of Fred's parents. 149 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:26,480 Fred's parents are getting married on this day. 150 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:30,480 And we are tying cans to the back of the jeep. 151 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,440 So when they drive off, you know, they'll have the cans bouncing 152 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:34,240 and we'll litter. 153 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:35,120 It's a fun thing. 154 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:36,880 And so this is us. 155 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,600 Now, we grew up spending so much time. 156 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:41,120 During this age, we were best pals. 157 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:43,040 And we would do all sorts- 158 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:44,400 spend the night together. 159 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,400 We would do all these sleepovers. 160 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,400 We would play the original Nintendo, the original NES. 161 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,480 How many of you remember the original Nintendo? 162 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,640 Man, such a great- 163 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,000 How many of you remember the- 164 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:56,480 That's right. 165 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,000 Oh, there's the old people. 166 00:06:58,000 --> 00:06:58,320 Yeah. 167 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,960 What games did you use to play on the original Nintendo? 168 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:03,840 Do you remember any of them? 169 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:06,960 Final Fantasy, the original one, right? 170 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:07,280 Yeah. 171 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:08,960 These were fun. 172 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:10,240 I used to play Double Dribble. 173 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:12,560 Tecmo Super Bowl. 174 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:14,960 How many of you remember Tecmo Super Bowl? 175 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:16,560 Yeah, that was a great game, right? 176 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,480 We'd play all games all night long. 177 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,960 We'd watch Aladdin on VHS. 178 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:22,000 Do you remember VHS? 179 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:23,680 Do you remember the giant, you know, 180 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:25,920 and you'd have to be kind and rewind? 181 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:30,480 And we would put that in and watch it over and over and over together. 182 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:34,960 I'm going to tell you a story about one time 183 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:36,480 when I spent the night at his house and- 184 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:42,320 But that friendship has been tested over the years. 185 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,520 Now, if you're here today and you've had a friend 186 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,680 and that friend has betrayed you in some way, 187 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:49,440 if you're here and you've had a friendship 188 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:51,280 and it's been tested in some way, 189 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:52,960 understand you're not alone. 190 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:54,720 All of us have strong friendships 191 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:56,080 that go back many years, 192 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:57,920 and there are elements to that friendship 193 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:59,120 that can be tested. 194 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:01,200 Jesus is talking to his people. 195 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,240 And he's saying, as disciples of mine, 196 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,800 I want my friends, my family, 197 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,920 I want my community, I want Jesus' people 198 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,320 to view their relationships differently. 199 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,680 And I want every single one of you to hear 200 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,480 what Jesus taught his disciples during this time 201 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,680 about what true relationships and friendships are all about. 202 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:23,680 It's not that they won't be tested, 203 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,880 but they are happy together. 204 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:28,400 Now, what makes them happy together? 205 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,800 What makes a Jesus people relationship truly happy? 206 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,280 Three elements that we find in Luke chapter 17. 207 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,280 First and foremost, we're going to see 208 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,080 that Jesus' people are happy people 209 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,920 because they are responsible for each other. 210 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:46,800 Number one, Jesus' people are happy people 211 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,440 because they are responsible for each other. 212 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,520 I'm going to say number one, you say responsible. 213 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,360 Number one, all right, I can tell this Memorial Day, 214 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,240 you're a little tired, you bought your mattress yesterday, 215 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:02,400 and you're not ready for this. 216 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:03,920 So I'm going to say number one, you say responsible. 217 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,320 Number one, responsible. 218 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:07,760 Jesus' people are happy people 219 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,120 because they're responsible for one another. 220 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,200 Look at verses one through three, Jesus speaking. 221 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,360 One day, Jesus said to his disciples, 222 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,040 who was Jesus speaking to? 223 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:19,120 His disciples. 224 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:21,120 Jesus said to his disciples, 225 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,320 there will always be temptations to sin. 226 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,000 How many of you can say amen to that? 227 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:28,720 There will always be temptation to sin. 228 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:30,640 Some of you are new Christians. 229 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,720 You just were born again. 230 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,440 You just prayed and asked Jesus to save you last week, 231 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,280 last month, a few months ago, 232 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,200 and you've got this false idea 233 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,280 that now that you're a follower of Jesus, 234 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:43,840 you'll never be tempted to sin again. 235 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,360 I must have disabused you of this idea. 236 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,840 The fact is, you will be tempted. 237 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:51,600 There will always be temptations. 238 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:52,800 That's what Jesus says. 239 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,800 There will always be temptations to sin. 240 00:09:54,800 --> 00:10:00,000 But what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting? 241 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,200 You say, who is the person who does the tempting? 242 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:08,000 You say, I know this one. 243 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,520 I'm a new Christian, but I know it is the devil. 244 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,440 That's true. The devil does tempting. 245 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,440 But did you know that other Christians 246 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:14,800 contempt other Christians? 247 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:17,840 That's what Jesus is talking about here. 248 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,960 He's talking about tripping somebody else up in their faith. 249 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,840 He's talking about you becoming a stumbling block 250 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:27,040 to a weaker Christian. 251 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,680 He's talking about you being so reckless 252 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:34,160 in the way you live, in what you say, 253 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,040 in what you do, that you accidentally 254 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,640 or intentionally lead somebody else to fall into sin. 255 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,880 It's terrible when you make a mistake and sin. 256 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:47,040 According to Jesus, it's even more terrible 257 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,480 when you accidentally push somebody else into sin. 258 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,400 And his Jesus people, he doesn't want that for you. 259 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,880 That'd be like, that'd be like you're at a party 260 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:58,960 and you have a beer and you don't realize 261 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,800 that your friend is an alcoholic and you give them a beer. 262 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,840 You are pushing them into messing up, you see? 263 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,320 That'd be like watching a movie with nudity in it 264 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:12,560 with somebody who struggles with pornography. 265 00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:14,720 You're pushing them down a road. 266 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:15,440 Do you understand? 267 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,800 That'd be like you have a friend that is an angry person 268 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,880 and this angry person is sitting there 269 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,200 watching a Golden Knights game with you. 270 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:24,160 It's not nice. 271 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,120 It's gonna frustrate them, they're gonna go crazy. 272 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:27,840 Understand? 273 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:30,320 You don't push your friend into sin. 274 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,280 You watch out for your friend. 275 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,440 Now you might be saying, well, wait a second, wait a second. 276 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,400 Who am I to watch out for somebody else? 277 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:39,840 I can barely take care of myself. 278 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:42,640 How many of you feel that way sometimes? 279 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,360 As a Christian, I can barely take care of myself. 280 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,720 Yet as you take care of you, the best way for you 281 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,280 to take care of you is for you to help take care 282 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:52,240 of the other Christians. 283 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:54,960 And as you take care of the other Christians, 284 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,520 they watch your back and help take care of you. 285 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,360 We are to be there for one another. 286 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,000 This concept goes all the way back to the Old Testament 287 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,120 when there were two brothers, Cain and Abel. 288 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,240 And God comes to Abel one day and says, 289 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:09,360 where's your brother Cain? 290 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:12,480 Or excuse me, God comes to Cain one day 291 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:13,680 and says, where's your brother Abel? 292 00:12:13,680 --> 00:12:16,800 And Cain says to God, am I my brother's keeper? 293 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,280 And the answer to that question is not answered 294 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:20,480 until the New Testament. 295 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,000 The answer is yes, yours are responsible for your brother. 296 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:26,720 You're responsible for your friend. 297 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,720 You're responsible to keep them from falling into the trap 298 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:31,840 that keeps taking them. 299 00:12:32,560 --> 00:12:34,080 And so according to the scripture, 300 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,960 Jesus people are happy people because they're responsible 301 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:38,960 for one another. 302 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:42,080 Verse two, it would be better to be thrown into the sea. 303 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:46,400 With a millstone hung around your neck 304 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,480 than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 305 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:55,040 Now this is a big statement from Jesus. 306 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,760 Jesus says, let me give you a choice. 307 00:12:57,760 --> 00:12:59,520 Let's play a would you rather. 308 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:04,080 Would you rather have a giant stone chained around your neck 309 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:05,760 and be cast into the ocean, 310 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:09,680 or would you rather make one of your friends fall into sin? 311 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:12,480 Make one of your friends fall into sin. 312 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:13,840 And Jesus said, let me give you the answer. 313 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:19,120 You would rather get your neck wrapped up with a stone 314 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:20,560 and thrown into the ocean. 315 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:22,240 One is preferable to the other. 316 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:26,640 He said, man, Jesus is using this hyperbolic language 317 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,160 to make a strong point. 318 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,520 Don't cause your friends to sin. 319 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,240 Now the parallel passage to this is in the book of Matthew. 320 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,680 And in Matthew, Jesus is talking about specifically children. 321 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:48,160 If you hurt a child, it's better for you after hurting the child. 322 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:50,240 It's better for you than hurting the child 323 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,240 than to have a, it's better for you to have a stone 324 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:53,440 wrapped around your neck and be cast. 325 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,120 By the way, how many of you agree with that? 326 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,880 We should not allow people to hurt children, amen? 327 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:00,240 That's what Jesus's point is. 328 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,440 Jesus's point in Matthew. 329 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,040 But in Luke, he's talking about little ones 330 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,600 as in little Christians, new Christians, new believers. 331 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,920 You have a responsibility to protect children, 332 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,600 but you also have a responsibility to protect little Christians, 333 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:23,360 new Christians, believers in Jesus Christ. 334 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:29,280 Verse three, so Jesus says, so watch yourself. 335 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:32,320 That's a great statement. 336 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:33,280 Watch yourself. 337 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:36,160 How many of you had parents who would say things like that to you? 338 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:36,880 Watch yourself. 339 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,200 I remember any time my mother and I or the family, 340 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:45,760 we would go into one of those stores where there might be like decorations 341 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,520 or glass objects or crystals or something like that. 342 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:53,520 My mother would look at me and say, put your hands in your pockets. 343 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:57,840 Your hands break things, Joshua. 344 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,240 Put your hands in your pockets and be walking around. 345 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:01,920 And it's so hard to keep your hands in your pockets 346 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:03,200 when you want to touch something and break it. 347 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:03,840 You know what I mean? 348 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,480 What was she saying? 349 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:12,080 She's saying, watch yourself because I'm responsible for you breaking something. 350 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:19,680 Jesus is saying, look, watch yourself because your words, your actions, 351 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:24,560 your lifestyle, your choices, they are affecting the people around you. 352 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:35,200 Why are we happy as Christians? 353 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:35,520 Why? 354 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:38,080 Because we have each other's back. 355 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,120 You're supposed to look out for your brother. 356 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:43,120 You're supposed to look out for me. 357 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:44,240 I'm supposed to look out for you. 358 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:45,760 We're supposed to look out for one another. 359 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,000 For example, I got to tell you, what is your kryptonite? 360 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,760 What is your kryptonite? 361 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:58,640 Mine is donuts. 362 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:03,040 You say, Pastor Josh, there's no way as I look at you 363 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:04,880 that you've ever had a donut in your life. 364 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:09,760 I'm speaking, relax. 365 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:12,080 No, I love them. 366 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:12,880 Donuts are the best. 367 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,760 I mean, they've always, I've always loved, grew up on Winshills donuts, 368 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:17,360 and then Krispy Kreme came to town. 369 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:18,080 Oh my word. 370 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,520 I remember when Krispy Kreme showed up in Vegas. 371 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,320 Have you ever gone by Krispy Kreme and got it when it's hot 372 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,680 and the glaze just poured over, and you pick it up and you put it in your mouth, 373 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,880 and you don't chew, it just melts like cotton candy into your, 374 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,920 it is both a physical, metaphysical, and spiritual experience all at once. 375 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:38,240 They're so good. 376 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,680 Now I've moved on, I'm a pink box donut guy. 377 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,000 I love pink box donuts. 378 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,120 I could eat a whole box. 379 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:46,000 I'm not even kidding. 380 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:49,040 I could, and now what, now that's fine. 381 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,240 Is it a sin to eat pink box donuts? 382 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:55,600 I thought I heard somebody in the back say, yes. 383 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:57,920 You're a legalist. 384 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:58,720 Get out of the church. 385 00:16:58,720 --> 00:16:59,600 You're not allowed in here. 386 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:01,840 No, you can have a pink box donut. 387 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:02,160 It's fine. 388 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:02,800 Relax. 389 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:09,280 But what if, what if, what if my doctor told me I need to cut out the sugar, 390 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:11,920 and that I had to have six months, a year, a year and a half, 391 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,640 no more donuts, Josh, and I said, okay, that's my commitment. 392 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:16,240 And I let everybody know no more donuts. 393 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:17,760 I'm not allowed to have donuts for a while. 394 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:19,360 And then we set up a coffee appointment. 395 00:17:19,360 --> 00:17:22,880 We go to Starbucks, you show up, I buy you a coffee, I buy myself a coffee, 396 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,640 and you pull out of your bag a box of Krispy Kreme donuts. 397 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:29,680 And I say, oh no, I can't have you. 398 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:31,440 And you look at me and say, oh, these aren't for you. 399 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,920 I know you struggle, pastor, with these things, and you're not supposed to. 400 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:38,960 But these are for me. 401 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:43,520 And you one by one just begin to eat the donuts in front of me. 402 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:44,960 I hate you. 403 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:46,960 I hate you in this fake story. 404 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,480 It's not even, why? 405 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:48,960 Why? 406 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,680 Because what you're doing, according to the script, we call it, 407 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:54,800 you're tempting your brother to stumble. 408 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,800 And we as Christians should not be doing this with each other. 409 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:02,640 The passage that's spoken of in 1 Corinthians 8, 410 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:07,840 in the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul uses the illustration of meat offered to idols. 411 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:08,560 Don't eat it. 412 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:09,280 Don't eat it. 413 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:09,840 Don't eat it. 414 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:10,400 Don't eat it. 415 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:10,960 Don't eat it. 416 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:11,600 Don't eat it. 417 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,600 Don't eat it. 418 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,320 Or he said, you can eat it, but it's dangerous too. 419 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:16,800 Here's why. 420 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,520 In 1 Corinthians 8, we don't do this now, but back then they would take meat 421 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,360 and they would offer it to an idol. 422 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:27,280 And after they would, and do you know what happened after you would offer meat to idol? 423 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:28,800 Do you know what would happen to the meat? 424 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:30,400 Nothing. 425 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:31,920 Do you know why? 426 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,400 Because an idol is a piece of stone. 427 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:35,360 They can't eat. 428 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:38,080 So what they would do is they would take that meat off of the altar. 429 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,760 They would sell it in the marketplace or they would bring it home and they would eat it. 430 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,680 And there was nothing sinful about eating meat offered to an idol, 431 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:46,560 essentially sinful. 432 00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:47,360 Nothing wrong with it. 433 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,480 But there were some Christians in the church at Corinth 434 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,560 who their history was all involved in idol worship. 435 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,840 And when they knew they were eating meat that was once offered to an idol, 436 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:02,960 it actually pulled them back into idol worship. 437 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:05,760 You say, well, wait a second, what does that mean? 438 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:10,720 So Paul told the Corinthians, stop eating meat offered to idols 439 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:14,240 because it's going to make your brother fall back into idolatry. 440 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:17,520 You say, well, that's their fault. 441 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:19,040 That's not the Christian mindset. 442 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:26,400 The Christian mindset is circumspect, careful, not only about what I do for my own soul, 443 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,600 but about what my choices might lead others to make. 444 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,440 In fact, Paul goes so far in 1 Corinthians 8. 445 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:37,840 He says, if you choose to do that, it's not only a sin, 446 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,840 but when you cause your brother to stumble, you have sinned against your brother. 447 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:42,880 And look it up. 448 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,680 You've sinned against Christ. 449 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,960 So what Jesus is saying here is very clear. 450 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:52,960 Watch what you do. 451 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:54,560 Watch what you say. 452 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:56,160 Watch how you live. 453 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,440 Jesus is saying that it is a sin to be a stumbling block, 454 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,280 to be so reckless in your actions, in your words. 455 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:12,240 I, how many of you understand pastors can make mistakes too? 456 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:13,040 Can I get a name, man? 457 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,760 I mean, pastors say some dumb stuff and you've heard me say dumb stuff, 458 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:23,120 but I knew a pastor once who said one of the dumbest things I've ever, dumbest, dumb, dumb. 459 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:29,680 A man came up to him for a cup of coffee. 460 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:32,800 He said, was this man you? 461 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:35,760 I'd tell you if it was me. 462 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:37,200 You know I'd tell you everything. 463 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:38,560 It wasn't me. 464 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,080 Set down for a cup of coffee and ask the pastor this question. 465 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:47,040 Pastor, is it a sin to smoke crystal meth? 466 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:57,760 Now some of you are like, I'm no theologian, but I think I can answer this one. 467 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:05,600 The pastor looked at him and said, well, technically, I've read the Scripture from 468 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:06,880 Big Genesis to Revelation. 469 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:08,400 I've studied it my whole life. 470 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,440 Technically, it's not a sin. 471 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:19,680 He said, the pastor was speaking to a crystal meth addict, 472 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:23,200 telling them, no big deal. 473 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:34,160 Friend, this pastor in his reckless words sinned against his brother as he went out and binged 474 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,240 and sinned against Christ. 475 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:41,440 Why? Because he was a stumbling block out of a lack of being circumspect. 476 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:43,440 It means being careful. 477 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:50,800 So here the principle that Jesus is teaching is that you and I, all of us, we have a responsibility 478 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:56,720 to keep ourselves from sin, yes, but to walk in such a way that is making sure our children 479 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:01,440 are safe, our friends are safe, our family is safe, that we're careful. 480 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:04,560 These are reasons why for me, I'm not preaching about this to you. 481 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:10,240 But for me, Josh, the Christian, for me, I don't personally drink or gamble. 482 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:10,960 You say, why? 483 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:12,560 Why don't you drink or gamble? 484 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,720 Bible doesn't technically say you can't drink or gamble. 485 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:15,440 It doesn't. 486 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:16,000 It doesn't. 487 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:16,800 It doesn't say that. 488 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:17,840 But I choose not to. 489 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:18,400 Why? 490 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,480 Because I have people that look up to me spiritually. 491 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:23,200 Here's the question. 492 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:25,040 Do you have people that look up to you spiritually? 493 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:25,600 Anybody? 494 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:29,200 Children, teenagers, other Christians? 495 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:34,000 The reason I don't is because I would never be able to say, 496 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:39,040 I would never want to accidentally put a stumbling block where something may not be a big deal for me, 497 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,320 but might lead them down a rabbit hole of destruction. 498 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:44,160 Why? 499 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,920 Because Christians look out for each other. 500 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:49,440 Does this make sense? 501 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:55,600 We're careful not only to make sure we're okay, but we are okay. 502 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,200 See, that's why this is so hard for Americans to get in their minds, 503 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,680 because Americans are individualistic minded. 504 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,720 We think, if I'm okay with Jesus, that's all that matters. 505 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,600 No, if you're okay with Jesus, that's the first step. 506 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:13,120 But then we collectively need to be walking with Jesus. 507 00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:15,920 And you are responsible for your brother. 508 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:17,200 Amen? 509 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:20,640 Number one, the reason why we are happy together, 510 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,600 number one, is because we are responsible for each other. 511 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,240 I feel God as, I feel like I'm supposed to say this. 512 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:28,640 Some of you think to yourselves, well, you know, 513 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,640 I'm not really connected to the church like that. 514 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:31,600 Friend, hear me. 515 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:32,880 That's on you. 516 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,840 If all you view church as is a place to come for one hour a week 517 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:46,640 of spiritual entertainment, your Christianity is going to remain 518 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,400 at a very shallow level. 519 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:52,880 Christianity is meant to be lived in community, 520 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:57,200 which means you have to start investing time with each other. 521 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,920 You have to start getting to know the people around you. 522 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:03,200 You have to start living in such a way that if you screw up, 523 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:04,960 they might screw up too. 524 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,400 That's the way the church was originally intended to be. 525 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,200 But because we're so distant from one another, 526 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,240 we put on masks instead of showing our authentic self, 527 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,880 we have an anemic Christianity to this day. 528 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,640 For Jesus people, nothing is sadder than to know that you were the cause 529 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,160 of somebody else's downfall. 530 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,600 We are happy together because we are responsible for one another. 531 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,400 But number two, Jesus says, not only are we happy together, 532 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:30,880 we're happy together because we're responsible for each other. 533 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:31,840 We're happy together. 534 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:34,560 Number two, because we are forgiving of one another. 535 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:37,760 I'm going to say number two. 536 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:38,480 You say forgiving. 537 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:43,760 Number two, forgiving versus three and four. 538 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:47,680 If another believer sins, rebuke that person. 539 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:52,240 Now that word rebuke, say it, rebuke. 540 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,200 There are two kinds of people I find. 541 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:58,880 Some people who get really excited about the word rebuke, 542 00:24:58,880 --> 00:24:59,680 that's their favorite thing. 543 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:00,480 Have you ever met a Christian? 544 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:02,720 They're like, my gift is rebuking everybody. 545 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,080 This is their favorite thing. 546 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,080 You need to settle down, Joe. 547 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,480 You're like, that's not the point. 548 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,360 And there's some people that are a little bit intimidated by rebuke. 549 00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:15,520 Like they're like, I don't want to confront anybody 550 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:17,600 because if I confront them, they might confront me. 551 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:18,080 You know what I mean? 552 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:19,360 And so there's this dynamic. 553 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:22,480 But on this spectrum, there needs to be some middle ground 554 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:26,480 where you're not thrilled about helping somebody not make a mistake, 555 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,120 but you're also not intimidated by confronting a brother saying, 556 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:30,480 hey man, you're hurting yourself. 557 00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:34,160 To your teenagers, hey, this is not the right decision for you. 558 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,840 See, some of us are so concerned that people like us 559 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:40,080 that we are unwilling to confront them 560 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:41,600 in an error that is hurting them. 561 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,960 And some of us are so excited about confronting everybody, 562 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:48,480 it's no wonder that nobody likes us. 563 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:51,520 And so what Jesus is saying here is yes, look what it says, 564 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:54,640 if another believer sins, rebuke them, that is humbly go, 565 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,040 according to the book of Galatians, when you rebuke somebody, 566 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,360 you humbly consider your own temptations. 567 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:01,520 You humbly approach them. 568 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:03,600 You humbly speak with them. 569 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,720 The whole idea here is that you don't go tell two other people. 570 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:11,040 You go to them. 571 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:13,680 You don't go to other people and talk about them. 572 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:14,720 Can I get an amen? 573 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:16,560 Then if there's a problem, 574 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,600 can I get an amen? Then if there's repentance, forgive them. 575 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,080 Then if there is repentance, forgive them. 576 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,040 Now, I know that some of you love that loophole. 577 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:30,480 You're like, hey pastor, look what it says here. 578 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,480 It says, if they repent, then I can forgive them. 579 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,520 Does that mean, does that mean if they don't, 580 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:39,600 I can grow into a bitter old person 581 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,200 and think about them every day of my life? 582 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,920 And hate them and my hatred will keep me warm at night. 583 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:46,720 It says, if. 584 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,600 The emphasis here is not on the if they repent. 585 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:53,360 The emphasis is on forgive them. 586 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,480 Yeah? Forgive them. 587 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:01,440 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day. 588 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:04,800 How many of you are married? 589 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:07,920 Yeah? Seven times a day? 590 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:10,160 Which of you? 591 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:11,680 Yeah. 592 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:16,000 Uh-huh. Which of you are the, there's two of you. 593 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,880 Which of you are the like always apologize 594 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:20,400 for the same thing a thousand times? 595 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:22,320 How many of you, that's me in our relationship. 596 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:23,840 I'm just like, I'm sorry again, I'm sorry again. 597 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:25,760 You know you're that person if they say, 598 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:27,440 would you stop saying I'm sorry? 599 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:29,120 You say it too much. 600 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:32,560 So look what it says, Jesus says, 601 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,640 if that person wrongs you seven times a day 602 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,760 and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, 603 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,840 you must forgive. 604 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:50,480 Jesus is saying that his people should develop a habit of forgiving. 605 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:53,920 Somebody does you wrong? 606 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:55,520 No worries. Somebody does you wrong? 607 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:57,120 It's forgiven. Somebody does you wrong? 608 00:27:57,120 --> 00:27:57,600 It's fine. 609 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,040 You forgive and you forgive and you forgive and you forgive. 610 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:02,640 One time Peter comes to Jesus and says, 611 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:03,680 okay, I got it. 612 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:05,360 Forgive seven times, right? 613 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:08,480 And Jesus says for you seven times 70. 614 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:12,880 That's what friendship is. 615 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:16,240 So a Christian friendship is. 616 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,200 Fred and I have been friends for many, many years 617 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:22,160 and you might be asking yourself, 618 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,480 well, how did you become so close and like, 619 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,040 why have you been friends for like, 620 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:28,720 like almost four decades now? 621 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,960 And the answer to that question is because we have never done 622 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:37,360 anything wrong to each other not once. 623 00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:38,880 We've never had a disagreement. 624 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:41,840 We've never spoke harshly to each other. 625 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,040 How many of you would believe that that's actually true? 626 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:46,800 Of course not. 627 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,480 The new Christians are like, but you're the pastor. 628 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:52,720 And the answer is you're going to get to know I'm a real human 629 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:53,920 who makes a lot of mistakes. 630 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:57,760 In fact, I can remember one of the very first times 631 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,920 I really wronged my friend Fred. 632 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,000 We called him Freddy back then. 633 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,400 He's going to love that you now know his name is really Freddy. 634 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,880 And it started, we were about, I don't know, 635 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,640 probably about eight years old at the time. 636 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:15,440 And we went to a midweek Christian program called 637 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:16,640 Awana for children. 638 00:29:16,640 --> 00:29:17,920 Anybody ever heard of Awana before? 639 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,240 And every single week we would go and they had a very special 640 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,440 event where they brought out a giant jar of M&Ms. 641 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:28,560 How many of you know Pastor Fred? 642 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:29,440 How many of you know him? 643 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:30,240 Would you raise your hand? 644 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,040 Pastor Fred is the administrative pastor of the church, 645 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:35,680 meaning he's in charge of all the business side 646 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,280 and he's a godly man. 647 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,200 He knows how finances work. 648 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:41,200 He knows how the deacons ministry is to run. 649 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:43,680 He's the one getting the building built, all of these things. 650 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:44,320 He's brilliant. 651 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:46,640 He's everything that I'm not. 652 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:47,440 We're great partners. 653 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:53,040 He, Fred, you've known him forever, right, Jeffrey? 654 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,800 Fred has always been Fred. 655 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:57,840 There's never been a time in Fred's life 656 00:29:57,840 --> 00:29:58,800 that he's not been Freddy. 657 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,360 Like the Fred you see at home is the Fred you see on the court, 658 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:03,040 which is the Fred you'll see at church, 659 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:04,400 the Fred you see everywhere. 660 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:05,600 Fred is Fred is Fred. 661 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,840 And Fred at 41 years old is also Fred at eight years old. 662 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:13,200 And I can remember they put this big jar of M&Ms 663 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,800 at the Awana program and we were supposed to guess 664 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,040 how many M&Ms are in the jar. 665 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,440 We all lined up and you only got one guest. 666 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:22,240 John, were you there for this? 667 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:23,120 You remember this? 668 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:26,480 All lined up and we're ready to count how many M&Ms 669 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:27,680 or guess. 670 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:29,280 And I remember I got up there and he's like, 671 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:30,000 what do you think? 672 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,120 I'm like, I don't know. 673 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:33,760 And Fred's mind is already calculating. 674 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:36,960 He's like, what do you think? 675 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:38,240 I'm like, I don't know, like 50? 676 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:39,200 He's like 50. 677 00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:40,080 I'm like, I don't know. 678 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:45,280 55, you know. 679 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:47,520 And they're like, he's stupid. 680 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:48,880 55. 681 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:50,640 I walk away. 682 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:52,320 And then Fred comes up. 683 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,360 And Fred, you could just see this mind 684 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,080 working, all these thought bubbles with calculations 685 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:00,080 coming up and he's just going like this. 686 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,800 And he looks up and he says, I believe there's 1742 M&Ms 687 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:10,640 inside of the jar. 688 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:12,960 And the lady's like, all right, she put it down, 689 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:14,240 wrote it down. 690 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:16,160 By the way, after the first service, he didn't know I was 691 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:17,440 going to tell the story. 692 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:18,240 He was sitting in the back. 693 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:19,040 He came up to me afterward. 694 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,240 He said, I think it was 1742. 695 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:25,600 He said that to me. 696 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:27,520 I'm like, you're kidding me. 697 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:28,160 You remember? 698 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,520 He's like, he's with their 1742 or his 1472. 699 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:32,480 How did you remember? 700 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:36,160 I said, I made that number up. 701 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:37,280 He said, I think you remembered. 702 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:38,800 I think it was in your mind. 703 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:40,240 He walked away, you know? 704 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,200 I'm like, it's true. 705 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,040 He won the contest and won that jar of M&Ms. 706 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:49,520 I know. 707 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:51,440 He took it home and I was a little upset, 708 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,840 but I also knew that next Friday night I was going to spend 709 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:54,800 the night at Fred's house. 710 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:01,280 So I was going to get my 50 M&Ms, you know what I mean? 711 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:02,080 So I did. 712 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,640 We spent the night all playing Joe Montana's football 713 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:05,280 on NES. 714 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,240 And then after Ruby came in and told us to go to sleep, 715 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:11,360 I crawled up in the second bunk and he was in the bottom bunk. 716 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:12,960 And as I crawled up in the second bunk, 717 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:16,000 I looked over and on the shelf right beside my head 718 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,960 was this jar of M&Ms. 719 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,600 And I said, the Lord hath provided for it. 720 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:25,600 I don't forget. 721 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,240 I wanted to wait until Fred was asleep so that he didn't know. 722 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:35,120 And so I started out. 723 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:36,480 I'm like, Freddie. 724 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:39,840 Freddie. 725 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:40,480 What? 726 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:41,120 Never mind. 727 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:45,440 I did. 728 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:46,320 I sat there awake. 729 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:47,920 It is not cool. 730 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,760 This is not great. 731 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:50,640 He finally fell asleep. 732 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:52,080 I'm like, Freddie. 733 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:53,760 Freddie. 734 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:54,560 Freddie. 735 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:55,440 Nothing. 736 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,680 This is my moment. 737 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:00,560 I reached up and I took the top of the jar. 738 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:02,160 You hear the little clink. 739 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:05,680 Put it off to the side. 740 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:09,360 I reached up and I grabbed a whole handful of M&Ms, 741 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,000 the red and the orange and the yellow. 742 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:13,520 There was no blue and purple back then. 743 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:13,840 You remember? 744 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:15,520 It's the light brown. 745 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:16,080 That was dumb. 746 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:17,600 I pulled them all out. 747 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,240 I held them in my belly on my belly like this, 748 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:22,240 laid there and just eaten all the M&Ms. 749 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,720 After I was done, I still wanted more. 750 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:29,280 You know? 751 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:31,920 So I reached up and grabbed more. 752 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:33,520 And I grabbed more. 753 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:35,040 And I grabbed more. 754 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:42,000 That next morning, you tell me, do you think Fred noticed 755 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:43,280 his M&Ms going down? 756 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:44,080 Yes or no? 757 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:46,080 Sorry. 758 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,080 Do you think Fred confronted me on this? 759 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:49,040 Yes or no? 760 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,280 Do you think he was kind in his rebuke? 761 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:52,080 Yes or no? 762 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,080 You say, how could you still be friends? 763 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:56,880 Here's why. 764 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,080 Because that was the last time I ever did anything wrong to Fred. 765 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:00,880 Do you believe it? 766 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:03,380 No. 767 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:08,080 It's because Fred has developed a habit of forgiveness. 768 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,080 It doesn't mean he doesn't hold me accountable. 769 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:14,080 And I hold him accountable when I need to forgive him. 770 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:18,080 But it's that we have a dialogue and a communication that says, 771 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,080 When you make a mistake, I forgive you. 772 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,080 When I make a mistake, I forgive you. 773 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:22,880 We love one another. 774 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:24,080 We work through this. 775 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,080 That's the way that Jesus people are supposed to work. 776 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,080 We are happy together. 777 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,080 Why are we so happy together? 778 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,080 Because we are responsible for each other. 779 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:34,080 We are responsible for each other. 780 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,080 We are responsible for each other. 781 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:38,080 Because we are responsible for each other. 782 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,080 We are forgiving of one another. 783 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:42,080 And number three, number three, and we'll be done, 784 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,080 number three, we are faithful to our duties. 785 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:50,080 I'm going to say, number three, you say duties. 786 00:34:50,080 --> 00:34:51,080 Three. 787 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:52,080 Doodies. 788 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:56,080 Doodies is not a word that we use as much. 789 00:34:56,080 --> 00:35:00,080 In America, we don't use it because we don't feel it. 790 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,080 We don't feel the idea of duty. 791 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:04,080 But that's exactly what Jesus talks about here. 792 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:06,080 Look what he says. 793 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:08,080 He goes on and says in verse number five through 10, 794 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,080 the apostles said to the Lord, 795 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:12,080 show us how to increase our faith. 796 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:15,080 Why did the apostles all of a sudden ask about faith 797 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,080 after Jesus is telling them to be responsible for each other 798 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:20,080 and forgiving of one another? 799 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:21,080 Here's why. 800 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:24,080 Because it takes faith to be responsible for your brother. 801 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:29,080 It takes faith to be forgiving of your brother. 802 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:32,080 It takes a great deal of faith. 803 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:36,080 And so they said to Jesus, can you increase our faith? 804 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:40,080 And so Jesus says, if you have even a small amount 805 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:44,080 of mustard seed size faith, you could say to this mulberry tree, 806 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:46,080 may you be uprooted and planted in the sea, 807 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:47,080 and it would obey you. 808 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,080 Jesus said, all you need is a little bit of faith. 809 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,080 And if you had a little bit of faith, you could take a tree 810 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:55,080 and throw it into the ocean with your very mind. 811 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,080 Question, honest question. 812 00:35:57,080 --> 00:36:01,080 How many believers in Jesus here say amen? 813 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:03,080 Like, I want to hear how many of you say, I'm a follower 814 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,080 of Jesus, amen? 815 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:09,080 Okay, how many of you have ever done the Jedi mind trick 816 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:12,080 of uprooting a tree and throwing it into the water? 817 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:14,080 How many of you have ever done this before 818 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,080 and you have video proof because I don't believe you? 819 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,080 How many of you have ever done this? 820 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:20,080 Nobody? 821 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:22,080 Okay, Jesus says in another passage, 822 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:24,080 if you have a little bit of faith, you can cap a mountain, 823 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:26,080 you could take the top of the mountain and throw it 824 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:27,080 into the ocean. 825 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,080 How many of you have ever capped a mountain and throw it 826 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:31,080 into the ocean with your mind power? 827 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,080 A faith. 828 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:36,080 So, what was Jesus' point? 829 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,080 If you've never done it, is it not possible? 830 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:41,080 Here's Jesus' point. 831 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:44,080 He's saying, if you are a person of faith, 832 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:49,080 you can do the most miraculous things. 833 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:54,080 But it really takes faith to not do the marvelous. 834 00:36:54,080 --> 00:37:00,080 It takes faith to do the mundane. 835 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:06,080 You have to be full of faith to be able to do the mundane things 836 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:11,080 of being responsible for your brothers and forgiving their mistakes. 837 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:14,080 It takes way more faith to do the mundane than the marvelous. 838 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,080 That's what he's saying. 839 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:23,080 See, faith is most often used to be faithful. 840 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,080 If you are full of faith, you will be faithful. 841 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:30,080 And faith is most often used to remain faithful. 842 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:34,080 It takes more than faith to do the mundane things 843 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:37,080 than it does to do the magnificent things. 844 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,080 And Jesus makes this point. 845 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:40,080 By the way, all of this is rooted. 846 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:42,080 I want to show you a picture of the Scripture itself. 847 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:44,080 Let me show you because this helps visualize. 848 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:48,080 This whole part of the passage, verses 5, all the way to verse 10, 849 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:51,080 it's rooted in the verses that came before it. 850 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:54,080 This is not a separate thought from Jesus. 851 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:57,080 What he's saying is, increase our faith. 852 00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:01,080 And that faith is about being dutiful to each other. 853 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:04,080 What is the duty and faithfulness to our duties have to do? 854 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:08,080 You have to be faithful to the duty of forgiving your brothers 855 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:11,080 and standing with your brothers and taking care of your brothers. 856 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:15,080 It's all rooted in the same text. 857 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,080 Now this part I did not share with the first service 858 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:20,080 and Fred came and asked me afterward. 859 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,080 He said, do you know where you got that Bible? 860 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:25,080 And I said, no, I forgot. 861 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:28,080 This middle of the week, I was looking for a specific style of Bible 862 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:31,080 so I could circle it so I could take this photo. 863 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:32,080 I went upstairs to his office. 864 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,080 I pulled a Bible off of his shelf. 865 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:38,080 I circled his Bible and I took a photo of that. 866 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:40,080 He walked up, he's like, what are you doing? 867 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:42,080 And I said, I'm taking a picture for the sermon. 868 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:44,080 You don't care about the sermon in Jesus and God? 869 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:48,080 And he's like, it's fine, it's fine. 870 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:52,080 Like that's literally his Bible that I did that with. 871 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:56,080 Constant forgiveness, amen. 872 00:38:56,080 --> 00:39:00,080 How many of you are going to pray for Pastor Fred more often now? 873 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:03,080 Now, what is he saying in verses 7 through 10? 874 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:05,080 This all wraps up the entire thought and we'll be done. 875 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:07,080 What is he saying in verses 7 through 10? 876 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:11,080 When a servant comes in from plowing and taking care of sheep, 877 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,080 does his master say, come in and eat with me? 878 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:18,080 Jesus gives a little parable to lock home his point. 879 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:22,080 Imagine there's a master and the servant's been out taking care of the sheep 880 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,080 and planting food and all that. 881 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,080 And the servant comes in. 882 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:29,080 Does the master say, hey, how was work? 883 00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:30,080 Oh, it was a lot. 884 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,080 Oh, come in, sit down, I'll make you dinner. 885 00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:36,080 No, that's not what happens at all. 886 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:38,080 Verse 9, no, Jesus says. 887 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,080 Instead, he says, okay, now that you're done working outside, 888 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:46,080 prepare me a meal and put on your apron and serve me while I eat, 889 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:50,080 then you can eat later. 890 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:54,080 Now, American mindset is so far from this, 891 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,080 we do not like what's about to be stated. 892 00:39:57,080 --> 00:40:01,080 Jesus is talking about a master-servant relationship. 893 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:03,080 And he's saying the servant's done working outside. 894 00:40:03,080 --> 00:40:07,080 And Jesus' terminology, the wording in the original languages 895 00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:10,080 is the concept of, to his audience, Jesus was like, could you imagine? 896 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:16,080 Could you imagine a master saying, hey, come on in, now let me serve you. 897 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:18,080 Hey, come on in, let's have some dinner together. 898 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:21,080 Thank you for serving me, now let's have some dinner together. 899 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:23,080 Can you imagine that happening? 900 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:24,080 And all of them are like, no. 901 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:27,080 And Jesus says, you're right, no, he doesn't do that. 902 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,080 He says, prepare my meal and then put your apron on 903 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:33,080 and serve me while I eat, then you can eat later. 904 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,080 And then Jesus says in verse 19. 905 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:39,080 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was asked to do? 906 00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:42,080 Of course not, that's Jesus' words. 907 00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:44,080 Does the master say, great job today? 908 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:46,080 Really, fantastic. 909 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:47,080 High marks all the way around. 910 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:51,080 No, the master does not thank the servant. 911 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:52,080 Verse 10. 912 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:56,080 In the same way, when you obey me, you should say, 913 00:40:56,080 --> 00:41:01,080 we are simply unworthy, servants who have simply done our duty. 914 00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:03,080 Jesus said, you want to know how you're supposed to view me? 915 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:05,080 Jesus says, here's how you're supposed to view me. 916 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:12,080 I tell you what to do and then you do it. 917 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:16,080 And then you say, we're just doing our duty. 918 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,080 Wow. 919 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:19,080 Wow. 920 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:21,080 What duty is he talking about? 921 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,080 Taking care of the brothers and forgiving the friends. 922 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:29,080 Jesus saying, just do it. 923 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:31,080 Then you say, man, getting this idea of duty, 924 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,080 I don't like the idea of a master, just, 925 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:37,080 but we do understand as Americans the idea of duty, don't we? 926 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,080 We do when we talk to men like this. 927 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:43,080 See, when you speak to a man like this, as I often have, 928 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:45,080 though I never served, 929 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:49,080 I've spoken with many men and women who have served. 930 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:52,080 And when you speak to them about their time, 931 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:55,080 especially if they saw active duty, 932 00:41:55,080 --> 00:42:00,080 or if they saw actual battle, 933 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:04,080 I've often found myself accidentally saying something like, 934 00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:05,080 man, that's incredible. 935 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:07,080 You're like a hero. 936 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:08,080 That's amazing. 937 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:10,080 You're like a hero to us. 938 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:12,080 If you've ever said that, they'll all say the same thing. 939 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:16,080 They'll say, no, no, no, I'm not the hero. 940 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:22,080 Those guys who didn't come home, those are the heroes. 941 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:26,080 And then they'll say, I was just doing my duty. 942 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:28,080 What was their duty? 943 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:31,080 Taking care of the brothers, 944 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,080 getting their back, 945 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:36,080 forgiving them when they screw up. 946 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:38,080 You see? 947 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:41,080 So don't let your mind think, I don't understand. 948 00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:43,080 How would I have an attitude of just doing my duty? 949 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:48,080 We have to start thinking like these men, these people, amen? 950 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:50,080 So our duty is to serve Christ. 951 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:53,080 Now what I find fascinating is Luke chapter 17 952 00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:57,080 gives you the image of how you are to view the master 953 00:42:57,080 --> 00:42:59,080 just doing your duty. 954 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:01,080 But in Matthew chapter 25, 955 00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:04,080 it shows us the way the master views you. 956 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:07,080 And the way the master views you is that one day 957 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:10,080 you're going to stand before God at the end of your life 958 00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:13,080 and Jesus is going to get up off of his throne. 959 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,080 He's going to walk down before you. 960 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:17,080 He's going to place a crown on your head 961 00:43:17,080 --> 00:43:19,080 and he's going to say, well done, 962 00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:21,080 thou good and faithful servant. 963 00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:22,080 Come into a dinner. 964 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:24,080 We're going to eat together at this point. 965 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:26,080 You see, the master that we serve 966 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:28,080 is not like the master of the rest of this world. 967 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,080 He loves you as a friend and a brother 968 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:32,080 and invites you to sit with him and dine. 969 00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:34,080 He wants you to serve him 970 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:37,080 and then he wants you to be part of his family. 971 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:42,080 Nonetheless, our duty that brings us happiness 972 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:48,080 is being responsible for the brothers. 973 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:50,080 It's being forgiving of the brothers. 974 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:57,080 If we do that, we will be so happy together.