1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,220 Just to make sure, we have some verbal commitment 2 00:00:02,220 --> 00:00:05,220 binding in the state of Indiana. 3 00:00:05,220 --> 00:00:09,000 We continue, like I said, our sermon series on faith 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,920 to a very poignant passage as we close chapter two. 5 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,920 To me, and I say this, the youth pastor that Carrie and I 6 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:21,560 actually met under when we were in high school, 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,320 the one that did our wedding, was a mentor in my life 8 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,560 for a long time, confirmed the call of ministry. 9 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,960 I would always remember he'd have this as his voicemail, 10 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,480 the first couple of verses that we're going to read. 11 00:00:32,480 --> 00:00:33,960 And I always thought that was interesting 12 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,360 because I was a high needs kid, I know you're surprised, 13 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:38,800 and so I called his phone a lot. 14 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,120 And it didn't dawn on me that he just sent it to voicemail 15 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:43,240 for a long time. 16 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,240 I think just for me to listen to him read this, 17 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,480 because it really made a point in my life, 18 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:50,200 and hopefully it does for you today, 19 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:54,460 to answer the question, what good is your faith? 20 00:00:55,540 --> 00:00:58,420 It's a hard question to ask, it's a hard question 21 00:00:58,420 --> 00:01:01,020 to answer, I'm sure, but I'm hoping there's two, 22 00:01:01,020 --> 00:01:04,000 maybe three or four brave souls 23 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,080 that take that question honestly. 24 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,160 What good, not the person, not the faith of the person 25 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,440 next to you, or your spouse, or your kids, or the church, 26 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,880 what is good about your faith? 27 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:18,080 What's good about it? 28 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,960 It drives you to love God and love people, okay? 29 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:29,400 Others, up in the front, or in the balcony. 30 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,580 It's very comforting, okay? 31 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:34,280 Yeah. 32 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,680 I appreciate that you guys are trying to raise your hands 33 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,160 like it's a class, we don't need to do that, okay? 34 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:42,560 I will engage regardless, because I may not see it. 35 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,120 It what? 36 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,560 Keeps you sober, okay? 37 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,000 Okay, maybe I do need you to raise your hands. 38 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,560 No, well go ahead. 39 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,600 You're not alone, absolutely, yeah. 40 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,960 It comforted, absolutely, you definitely have comfort. 41 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:58,760 I heard one over here in the back. 42 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:02,200 Humble, at least I hope, right? 43 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,400 At least I hope it makes you humble, yeah. 44 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:06,560 Gives you hope. 45 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,400 It drives you, okay, yeah. 46 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,920 Gives you a purpose, these are all good answers, right? 47 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:18,040 And I'm not looking for one specific one, 48 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,440 this was for you to really take that question. 49 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,680 For me, what good is my faith? 50 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,200 It keeps me grounded. 51 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,400 Vanity is a temptation of, 52 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,680 I probably can say every pastor, right? 53 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,240 That you have stepped into a life 54 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,640 that in a lot of ways is a fishbowl. 55 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,400 Just opinions and people, especially with a growing church, 56 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,560 it's one of the things, people always say, 57 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:48,920 wow, you have a growing church. 58 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:53,080 Man, you have 350 bosses, and I go, no, I don't. 59 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,720 I have 350 opinions. 60 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,040 I have a heavenly boss, right, in Christ. 61 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,000 I have an earthly boss in Kerry. 62 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,720 I have eight or 10 project overseers, 63 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:05,760 and those are my elders, okay? 64 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,760 But the life of a pastor, one of the easiest temptations 65 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,600 that Satan hits on pastors all the time, 66 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,240 and we actually talked about this while I was away this week, 67 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,720 is the idea of pride and vanity. 68 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,280 And I was able to say with a lot of certainty 69 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,960 that I have people in my life, 70 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:25,560 God has put people in my life, 71 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,040 namely my wife, my mom, my dad, 72 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,080 pretty much all of our elders. 73 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,800 And if you are put on the slate for elders, 74 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,480 that you get to have that as one of your jobs, right, 75 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:41,480 is to make sure that my head fits in this sanctuary, okay? 76 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:46,280 Because pride and vanity for a pastor is a massive thing. 77 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:47,480 Because at the end of the day, 78 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,520 it is and can be a work of applause. 79 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:55,040 Oh, I gotta make sure I have a good sermon this week, 80 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:56,320 gotta make sure I'm available, 81 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:58,760 I gotta make sure to do all of these things, 82 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,680 because if I don't, then people's opinions may shift. 83 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,160 But the same goes for your faith. 84 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,040 Because when we look at really what the book of James 85 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,760 is calling out right in the beginning of our text today, 86 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,920 is everything you guys just talked about 87 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,080 about what is so good about your faith. 88 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:19,360 Now I love that none of you said, 89 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,480 well my faith's better than that person's, 90 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,400 and now I probably would think 91 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,320 no one would actually verbalize that here, right? 92 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,080 But I know for a lot of us we think about it, 93 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,080 that we are far more devout than other people. 94 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,080 Oh, I can't believe they did that on Sunday, 95 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:35,560 I can't believe all of these things, 96 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,080 I mean, the list goes on and on. 97 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,100 But let's dive in, because today what we're gonna look at, 98 00:04:41,100 --> 00:04:43,440 we've already defined faith in trials, 99 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,360 we already defined on how faith is really rooted, 100 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:47,400 not only in scripture, 101 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,040 and we're gonna get to that more in a couple weeks, 102 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,400 but a faith that is alive, a dormant faith, 103 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,560 that James would say is not a faith. 104 00:04:55,840 --> 00:04:57,720 That faith is called to be active, 105 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:59,120 but again, like we've said, 106 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,000 this isn't as a way of earning salvation, 107 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,680 it is a way of responding to salvation. 108 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,320 The Holy Spirit regenerating in our hearts 109 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,240 that we are sanctified by Jesus, we profess, 110 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,520 and therefore we do something. 111 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:21,280 How many people enjoy receiving jewelry 112 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:23,680 for some kind of gifts, right? 113 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,040 You can just do a little hand, 114 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,800 you know, but however you wanna do that, 115 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,080 and that's fine, right? 116 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:32,520 Jewelry is awesome, I guess, 117 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,160 but when you get jewelry, 118 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,220 you kinda wanna show it off, right? 119 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,080 Let's be honest, all those that rose your hand, 120 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:42,760 like when you get jewelry, 121 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,760 let's say you get a nice necklace, 122 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,080 for the next month, you're not wearing turtlenecks, 123 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:49,600 are you? 124 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:51,640 Like you're not trying to cover it up. 125 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,000 No, you have a nice piece of jewelry, 126 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,480 you wanna show it off. 127 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:56,080 That's all well and good. 128 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:57,920 How many of you love dogs? 129 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,120 How many of you love cats? 130 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:04,480 Yeah. 131 00:06:06,700 --> 00:06:08,320 For the dog people, right, 132 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,360 because I'm gonna reject the cat thing, 133 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:12,480 but for the dog people, 134 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,240 how many of you, when you get your dog, 135 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,960 the first thing you do is you wanna post it on social media? 136 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,280 Be honest, right? 137 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:21,280 Because you wanna show it off, right? 138 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:22,920 Even if you have an ugly dog, 139 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:24,080 you wanna show it off 140 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,840 because it's something you are proud of. 141 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:30,120 We do it all the time, 142 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,940 but even more so, we should do it with our faith. 143 00:06:32,940 --> 00:06:35,640 That's exactly where James is gonna go with it. 144 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,440 That if you have faith, you need to show it off, 145 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,960 but not in a vanity kind of way, 146 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,320 not in a way that's look at me, look at me, 147 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:45,800 because if you're gonna do that, 148 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,160 then your faith better be active. 149 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,080 So let's dive in for this call of consistency 150 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:53,280 when it comes to faith. 151 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:55,320 Chapter two, verse 14. 152 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,240 What good is it, my brothers, 153 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:02,720 if someone says he has faith but does not have works? 154 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,680 Can such a faith save him? 155 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,480 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed 156 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:08,840 and lacking in daily food, 157 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:10,120 and one of you says to them, 158 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,080 go in peace, be warm and filled, 159 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,000 without giving them the things needed for the body, 160 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,720 what good is that? 161 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,400 So also faith by itself, 162 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:25,400 it is if it does not have works is dead. 163 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,280 But someone will say, you have faith, I have works. 164 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:31,160 Show me your faith apart from your works, 165 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,360 and I will show you my faith by my works. 166 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:35,200 I'm gonna pause there, 167 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:36,800 I know we have a couple more verses in that, 168 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:37,960 but I'm gonna pause. 169 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,520 Because that is a very important text. 170 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,400 It's a very important text in the life of the believer. 171 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,240 It is a text that Martin Luther couldn't stand 172 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,160 because he thought that it sounded very Catholic. 173 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,360 He thought that it sound very much like works righteousness. 174 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:54,840 That's why I said in the beginning, 175 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,960 this is not pre-salvation, this is post-salvation. 176 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:00,360 This is you have been saved, 177 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:01,560 you've done the altar call, 178 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,720 you've professed your faith, you've been baptized. 179 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,600 However the faith expression you grew up or you're in now, 180 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,000 you have made that faith your own. 181 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,440 In the CRC, that means you have professed your faith 182 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:15,400 and you have joined the church. 183 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:16,440 That's part of that. 184 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:18,840 You came before the elders, you professed your faith, 185 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:20,360 they process that, 186 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,480 and then you come up and you do the professing of your faith. 187 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,640 We have a couple adult baptisms and professions coming up 188 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:27,960 in this month and next month. 189 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,560 Super excited about that. 190 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:33,040 But this is what we're talking about this time, 191 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:34,960 not over here, we're talking about this. 192 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:39,200 But Luther hated this because of how much the word works 193 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,560 is tied to faith. 194 00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:44,200 And it's awkward and it's rough, 195 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,440 especially for reformed people because we wanna be, 196 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,000 we wanna reject that idea of works righteousness. 197 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:51,640 But what James is saying, 198 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:56,640 what good is faith if it produces nothing? 199 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:01,760 And that's hard. 200 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,000 It's hard because what it does, 201 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:07,200 it shoots right in the face of sometimes tradition, 202 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,720 habitual actions of faith, 203 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,640 like, oh, it's Sunday again, gotta go to church. 204 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:15,000 Maybe you as adults don't feel like it, maybe you do, 205 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,480 but I know your kids do. 206 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,160 I know I did, we gotta go again. 207 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,080 It's every week. 208 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:26,080 And for some of you that grew up, you went twice. 209 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,360 You went morning, and then you got home 210 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,960 and you had a nice roast or ham buns or whatever it was. 211 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,000 You weren't allowed to go outside 212 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,920 and then you were back at it at what time? 213 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:38,760 Five? 214 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,680 Seven, seven. 215 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,400 I can't even, seven o'clock? 216 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:51,200 Did you have one in like early afternoon, 217 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,200 you just chose the late show or? 218 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:55,200 No, you didn't. 219 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:56,520 You're like, I didn't have a choice in that at all. 220 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:57,760 No, we went, we were there. 221 00:09:57,760 --> 00:09:59,240 And how long did it go? 222 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,000 Good hour and 15 minutes. 223 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,000 So 815. 224 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,240 I'm tired just thinking about that. 225 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,720 But for some of you, that was your faith expression. 226 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,080 Like, you went twice. 227 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,320 And so that's what James is saying is 228 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,080 that is all well and good. 229 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:21,120 Having those traditions, having all of those values, right? 230 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,800 And I know Jo, she's pretty great. 231 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,560 So I think that worked, right? 232 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:27,040 Going the two times. 233 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,600 And so understanding that, James is saying 234 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:33,120 that is all well and good if you're doing something with it. 235 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,440 If you're actually doing something with your faith. 236 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:39,760 You're doing stuff in faith. 237 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,880 You're walking out your faith. 238 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,000 And he throws, I love how he throws. 239 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,480 What good is it? 240 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:51,720 But it does not have works. 241 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,120 And then he goes into a prime example, right? 242 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,960 Which echoes a little bit of Matthew 25. 243 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:58,320 Sheep and the goats. 244 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,320 When you've done to the least of these, 245 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:02,040 you have done unto me. 246 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,560 That's coming from Jesus, the King. 247 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:06,520 And he kinda goes right there. 248 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,360 Go and, if a brother or sister is poorly clothed 249 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,640 and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 250 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,040 go in peace, be warmed and filled. 251 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:18,800 But does nothing. 252 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,280 Can you imagine how awkward that is? 253 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,080 That if you're sitting next to someone 254 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:29,040 that has not had a meal in, let's say, three or four days, 255 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:30,800 which even the thought of that for some was like, 256 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:32,200 no, I'd be dead, right? 257 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:33,680 If I did not eat for three or four days. 258 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:36,240 And I think the body can, and people that are smarter 259 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:40,720 than I, and can talk better, how many days can you go 260 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:42,920 without food before you really start to have problems? 261 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:43,760 Does anybody know? 262 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:45,680 Okay, don't guess. 263 00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:47,920 I'm not gonna take a kid's word on this, okay? 264 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:49,120 Let's talk to adults. 265 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,680 Well, maybe Mr. Scott, yes. 266 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:53,080 Three weeks, interesting. 267 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:57,240 All right, has this been experienced in the Scott house? 268 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:58,320 We can talk. 269 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,280 We have, I have office hours. 270 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,360 I don't think that's true, but, 271 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,120 cause three weeks, that's a long time. 272 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:05,440 But we're gonna go with it, all right? 273 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:06,320 We're gonna go with it. 274 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,100 So you're sitting next to someone 275 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:11,360 that hasn't eaten for three weeks. 276 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,840 Now, think of yourself. 277 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,200 If you haven't eaten for three weeks, 278 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,360 what does your physical presence look like? 279 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,080 Jeremiah, what does your physical presence look like 280 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,360 after not eating for, and I've been with Jeremiah, right? 281 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,000 He can put down some food. 282 00:12:30,300 --> 00:12:32,000 Three weeks, you haven't eaten. 283 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,300 How are you? 284 00:12:34,300 --> 00:12:36,120 Not well, okay. 285 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:37,900 Maybe a little disheveled. 286 00:12:37,900 --> 00:12:39,320 Yeah, probably didn't shave, 287 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:40,780 because a lot of that probably connects, 288 00:12:40,780 --> 00:12:42,080 and we don't even know why. 289 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,660 Like, I'm hungry, I'm just, I'm gonna throw in the towel. 290 00:12:44,660 --> 00:12:45,760 Sorry, Ashley. 291 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:47,940 You know, all of those things, 292 00:12:47,940 --> 00:12:51,080 but your mental state, how are you 293 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:52,640 after three weeks of not eating? 294 00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:55,920 You're throwing up, I doubt it, 295 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,380 because you probably don't have anything in you to throw up. 296 00:12:58,380 --> 00:12:59,620 You've already purged. 297 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,860 Defeated, wow, ooh, hang on, defeated. 298 00:13:04,860 --> 00:13:05,900 Why defeated? 299 00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:07,760 That was a phenomenal answer. 300 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:09,580 Mike, yours was okay, but you know, 301 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,140 defeated, why, Jess? 302 00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:16,480 Because you gave up hope. 303 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,840 I think part of that is because no one stepped into that. 304 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:26,400 I think, was it you, were you going there? 305 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,880 Yeah, like three weeks you went without food. 306 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,520 Nobody has stepped into it. 307 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,520 Nobody has tossed you a cracker. 308 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,320 But what James is saying is you have that person 309 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,920 sitting next to you, and your faith is so pious, 310 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:44,120 meaning at times, pious of that of the Pharisees is bad. 311 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,600 Piety as far as wanting to walk out that tradition 312 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,760 and understand the foundation and why we do what we do, 313 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:52,640 that level of piety, good things. 314 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,720 The Pharisees was, no, no, no, do as I say, not as I do. 315 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:58,240 And Jess, so you're sitting next to someone, 316 00:13:58,240 --> 00:13:59,840 we're not gonna say Joel, make it awkward, 317 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:01,400 but you know, you're sitting next to somebody, 318 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:02,960 and you let them know, I haven't had a thing 319 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,320 in three weeks, and they go, 320 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,560 sister praying for you, be filled. 321 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:10,720 Maybe they put their hand on your shoulder, you know. 322 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,920 Maybe if they're weird, they put it on your stomach. 323 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,800 But what happens to that hope? 324 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:22,000 It goes in one ear and out the other 325 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:23,800 because they're not backing that up. 326 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,640 Because they are putting it on somebody else to deal with. 327 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:30,880 Oof, that hurts. 328 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,120 Oof, that hurts. 329 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:34,200 Because I think for a lot of us, 330 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,320 that's kind of the mentality. 331 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,080 When we pass somebody, maybe that has a sign, 332 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,360 and maybe you grew up, and we've talked about this before, 333 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,640 we grew up with maybe two different camps. 334 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,280 One camp is, don't give that person money 335 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:49,880 because all they're gonna do is 336 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,440 spend it on drugs, right? 337 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,920 Or alcohol, or we go to the bad type thing. 338 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,360 My dad always said, your choice is to give them the food, 339 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,960 or give them the money, their choice is to do something 340 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,800 with it, but we always tried to give food instead of money 341 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:08,120 whenever we saw that. 342 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:10,880 But in our house, it's like, well, 343 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:12,360 we'll just give them the leftovers. 344 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:14,240 That's a whole nother sermon, 345 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:15,600 if you actually think about it. 346 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,760 But it's interesting to say, the words will go in one ear 347 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:18,580 and out the other. 348 00:15:18,580 --> 00:15:21,360 I think that's what James is trying to say. 349 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:23,920 What good is your faith if you're not gonna step in 350 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:25,320 and meet the needs of people? 351 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,400 What good is your faith if you're not gonna meet 352 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:31,440 the needs of people? 353 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,400 You've already gotten the commandment from Jesus, by the way, 354 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,240 before this book was written, 355 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,000 where he literally said the same thing, 356 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,400 and he actually broke it down to how we do it. 357 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,720 We give food to the hungry, give water to the thirsty, 358 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:49,360 we clothe the naked, we see those that are imprisoned. 359 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,080 The downtrodden, the least of these, 360 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:55,880 not having anything to eat for three weeks, 361 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,480 I would think that qualifies to be a part of the least 362 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,280 of these, and we do nothing with it. 363 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,920 And the goats said, Lord, when? 364 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,760 And he goes into that line, and the sheep do, 365 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:11,000 and they go into glory. 366 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,120 The goats don't, and they go to hell. 367 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,440 And understand that it's, and this again, 368 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,520 you can see why Luther struggled with this, 369 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,800 because it's not in order to gain salvation, 370 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:26,120 it is the outflow, the outpouring of your faith. 371 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,400 But it means we have to have eyes to see it first. 372 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:36,400 That consistency in faith means you are developing eyes 373 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,400 to see the needs of people, 374 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,560 and not just the needs that you want to fulfill. 375 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,320 Because then you're kind of putting people's needs 376 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,120 on your own kind of Burger King understanding 377 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:49,600 of your way right away. 378 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,240 Like, I'm only gonna meet the need that I'm comfortable 379 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,200 meeting when you need it. 380 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:55,040 What? 381 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:56,560 That doesn't make any sense. 382 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,320 That sounds like crazy town to me. 383 00:16:58,320 --> 00:16:59,640 That's crazy talk. 384 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:04,360 Because the world needs so many different things. 385 00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:06,080 It's not always gonna be the same, 386 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,120 but isn't it funny that we break it down 387 00:17:08,120 --> 00:17:12,840 to just the simplest of things, food and water. 388 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:17,840 A basic necessity of life, food and water. 389 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,840 That's why we work with Love, Inc., 390 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:23,840 but if there is someone that comes to this church 391 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,640 and says we need food, our food pantry team 392 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,240 has bags already made for us, 393 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,240 because how can we be a church and say, 394 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:34,760 you can go over to Faith Munster, 395 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:36,160 we think they can help you? 396 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,840 No, that is something we're never gonna do. 397 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,240 Now, are there people that are gonna probably 398 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,160 work the system and maybe take advantage? 399 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,000 Absolutely not. 400 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:48,720 Take advantage, absolutely. 401 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,360 But if you're hungry and you need food, 402 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:53,600 we're gonna give you food, a basic need, 403 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,120 because we believe what Jesus says, more importantly, 404 00:17:56,120 --> 00:17:59,080 but then we also believe what James says right here. 405 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,600 Because we wanna be of good faith. 406 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:04,920 Now, you also get people that come and say, 407 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,440 I need $1,500 to pay my mortgage. 408 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,520 Well, we're not an ATM. 409 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,040 We do have a process of stewardship, right? 410 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:13,880 And we've talked about that, 411 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,360 the deacons got it a little bit last week, 412 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:20,480 but part of this is the spiritual care of others, 413 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:21,640 seeing the needs. 414 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:22,600 And guess what? 415 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,440 Who's supposed to lead that charge in the church? 416 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:32,800 Every one of us, okay, you just gave 10 guys a pass 417 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:33,840 on that, okay? 418 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,000 Because we're gonna, let's go a little higher, our elders. 419 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:39,920 That the elders oversee the doctrine 420 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:41,960 and life of other people. 421 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,000 Yeah, there are some elders that they like to stick 422 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,800 to the doctrine side and okay, 423 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,400 but it's the life side as well. 424 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,280 And when elders and deacons work together, 425 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,160 it's a beautiful thing because if someone 426 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:56,760 hasn't eaten for three weeks, I guarantee you 427 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,880 there's something else going on besides a food problem. 428 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,720 And so it's the working together to find that hope, 429 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:09,720 to give those necessities to people, basic needs. 430 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:13,720 I think that's why James is calling this out. 431 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,000 Verse 19, I'll go back to verse 18, 432 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,560 but someone will say, you have faith, I have works. 433 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:23,320 Show me your faith apart from your works 434 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:26,320 and I will show you my faith by my works. 435 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,480 You believe that God is one. 436 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:29,960 You do well. 437 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,120 Even the demons believe and shudder. 438 00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:36,920 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, 439 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,160 that faith apart from works is useless? 440 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:45,040 So James is gonna double down on this. 441 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,480 So you believe that God is one and that we are called 442 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,760 to engage the needs of others. 443 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:51,600 Fantastic, guess what? 444 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:53,880 Satan believes that too. 445 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,800 He knows, he's just coming at it from a very different 446 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,720 defeated perspective. 447 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,800 That if we know that God is one, that we know God 448 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:06,800 has called us into this life of faith, has saved your soul, 449 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,120 that we are called to do something with it. 450 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:14,040 We are called to go and meet the needs of others. 451 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:16,200 You guys have probably heard, and when I was, 452 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,000 I started school to be a teacher. 453 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,040 I thought I was gonna be a junior high teacher 454 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:21,480 because I figured I acted like one, 455 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:22,800 it would be easier to teach him. 456 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,400 And so when I, stop shaking your head when I say that, okay? 457 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:28,560 But understand, one of the things that I learned 458 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:31,080 very early on is students and I think, 459 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:32,280 where's Alicia, right? 460 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,080 She's one of our teachers. 461 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,880 Kids don't care what you know until they, 462 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,520 until they do it and until they know that you care, okay? 463 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:43,080 Kids don't care what you know 464 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:44,880 until they know that you care. 465 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,120 Now for education, you have to teach regardless, right? 466 00:20:48,120 --> 00:20:49,240 You have to teach regardless. 467 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,400 How you teach, what you teach, curriculum, however, 468 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,800 but it's the caring piece 469 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,800 that I'm sure a lot of us remember. 470 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,640 I remember in sixth grade, it was Mr. T. Hogan, 471 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:06,000 because we also had a J. Hogan at Orland Junior High. 472 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,000 And I just remember not only the way he taught us, 473 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,200 but the way he cared for us was such a holistic 474 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:13,840 understanding of how to learn. 475 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:15,760 In sixth grade, I didn't get it. 476 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,920 But looking back on it, I do now. 477 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:21,360 That the same thing kind of goes with the gospel, 478 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:22,240 doesn't it? 479 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:23,760 That people don't care what you know 480 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,000 until they know that you care. 481 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,480 We can give the gospel. 482 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:27,960 You can shout it from the rooftops, 483 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:29,120 you can use the megaphone, 484 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:31,720 you can wear the sandwich board and ring your bell. 485 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,320 You can do what Jonah did, right? 486 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,440 40 more days and Nineveh will be in the pocket, 487 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:39,520 which he thought meant destroyed. 488 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,840 And so he was coming at it from a very pious, 489 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,080 ha ha, God's gonna get you, kind of way, 490 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,360 like Ninevites, you're gonna get yours. 491 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:47,640 But the Hebrew word, if you remember, 492 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,120 all the way back to 2020, and I'm sure you all do, 493 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:52,720 that in the pocket meant changed. 494 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,840 That the town was going to be changed. 495 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,240 Jonah didn't even realize what he was saying. 496 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:01,920 But that was the result. 497 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,720 Our action is a result of our faith 498 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,880 that people will understand the gospel better 499 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,280 when their basic needs are being met. 500 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,000 Because as Jess said, three weeks, no food, 501 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:15,520 she's given up hope. 502 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,640 And anybody that's just gonna want, want, want, 503 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,880 is gonna be more like the teacher from Charlie Brown 504 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:20,720 than anything. 505 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,760 You're not gonna understand a word they say 506 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,560 because you're not in a place to receive it. 507 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:27,520 Yet there are some of us that go, 508 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,400 no, I'm still gonna give it to you 509 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,520 because I know what's better for you. 510 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:33,600 I know what's better for your soul, 511 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,280 even if you've given up hope. 512 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:39,960 I don't think it works like that. 513 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,120 I don't think James is telling us to do it that way. 514 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,520 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, 515 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:50,960 that faith apart from works is useless? 516 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:53,920 And he continues on in verse 21. 517 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,920 Was not Abraham our father justified by works 518 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,840 when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 519 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,680 You see that faith was active along with his works 520 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,760 and faith was completed by his works 521 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,440 and the scripture was fulfilled that says, 522 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,400 Abraham believed God and it was counted to him 523 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:15,000 as righteousness and he was called a friend of God. 524 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:17,640 That's so amazing. 525 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:21,160 Then verse 24, you see that a person is justified by works 526 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:22,760 and not by faith alone. 527 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,760 Even in the Old Testament, this is pre-Jesus. 528 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,560 This is looking toward the Messiah in the very early stages 529 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:32,640 that there was a righteous understanding 530 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,560 that when God called you to something, you did it. 531 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,160 Oh, how that's changed in 2024. 532 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,840 Abraham was called to do what? 533 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:46,640 To offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. 534 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,200 I gotta be honest, if God did that, 535 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:56,160 if God told me to do that, I don't think I could. 536 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:00,960 If you were called to do that, 537 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,960 you were called to give up a family member 538 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,400 and when I say give up, we mean killed. 539 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:06,880 Okay, that's what it was. 540 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,280 Could you do that? 541 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:10,320 Could I do that? 542 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:14,800 I'm seeing a lot of heads doing this. 543 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,360 I see some doing this and you're sitting by yourself 544 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:21,680 and you're doing this, but it's hard. 545 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,920 But it was counted as righteousness, 546 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,760 he was called a friend of God 547 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,040 because he followed God's voice 548 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,800 and for about 42% of you, you don't like that 549 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,320 because it comes down to control. 550 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,880 In order to be a friend of God, I have to do what God says? 551 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:41,080 Yes. 552 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:44,840 Yep, that's all over this book. 553 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,280 I could just say that and be done. 554 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,980 Let's follow what God says and we'll be good. 555 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,580 Oh, we wanna dissect it, we wanna make it hard. 556 00:24:59,060 --> 00:25:01,700 He goes again, verse 25. 557 00:25:01,700 --> 00:25:04,140 And in the same way was not Rahab the prostitute 558 00:25:04,140 --> 00:25:05,820 justified by works? 559 00:25:05,820 --> 00:25:08,140 Listen to that sentence. 560 00:25:08,140 --> 00:25:09,240 That's a thinker. 561 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:14,200 And in the same way was also not Rahab the prostitute 562 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,220 justified by works when she received the messengers 563 00:25:17,220 --> 00:25:20,120 and sent them out by another way. 564 00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:22,840 Whereas the body apart from the spirit is dead, 565 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:26,240 so also faith apart from the works is dead. 566 00:25:27,340 --> 00:25:31,120 Now we can probably talk a whole lot about how that works, 567 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:34,880 that Rahab not having the most honorable job 568 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:36,760 still was counted as righteous. 569 00:25:37,660 --> 00:25:40,600 I'm just gonna say, I think she stopped turning tricks 570 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:44,120 after this, that's just my understanding of the situation, 571 00:25:44,120 --> 00:25:46,940 much like the woman caught in the act of adultery, 572 00:25:46,940 --> 00:25:49,800 which is not just for her but also for all the ones 573 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:51,060 that wanted to kill her. 574 00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:56,520 That I think what does life look like after the Jesus moment? 575 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,520 What does it look like when Jesus saves you from yourself? 576 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:03,520 He's not saving you from other people, 577 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,600 he's saving you for you. 578 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:10,000 He's saving you so you can be with him in glory. 579 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,520 Now can he use your story to help save other people? 580 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:15,960 Absolutely, and there are dozens of stories of that 581 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:17,240 here in this church. 582 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,960 But understand that it's following the call of God 583 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,040 in your life, and here's a spoiler alert, 584 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,380 it's not always gonna come the way you want it, 585 00:26:28,380 --> 00:26:31,580 it's not always gonna be exactly how you want it to be, 586 00:26:31,580 --> 00:26:33,200 and you may be called to go places 587 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:34,680 you never thought you'd go. 588 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,100 I guarantee you that eight year old, nine year old Jim 589 00:26:39,100 --> 00:26:40,840 never thought I'd be here. 590 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,760 And maybe you feel the same way about your life, 591 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:48,880 but guess what, the author and perfecter of faith 592 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,540 is going to write it and perfect it in you. 593 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,720 But what are you gonna do about it? 594 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,420 The hope is that you go and talk to people about Jesus. 595 00:26:59,420 --> 00:27:03,080 That's my hope for the church, that's your hope for me. 596 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:04,960 What kind of pastor would I be if I don't, 597 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,320 I preach, I don't evangelize. 598 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:10,400 No, that's pastor hypocrite. 599 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,720 But the same goes for any believer. 600 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:19,720 That I have faith, I love God, I was baptized in the church, 601 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,000 I made my profession of faith, maybe even I was rebaptized 602 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,000 if you were in a non-reformed understanding, 603 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:27,820 more of a Baptist or Armenian understanding 604 00:27:27,820 --> 00:27:31,960 where they put more emphasis on us choosing that, 605 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:33,600 where we believe on the reform side 606 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:37,520 that we are all been chosen, and that's a wonderful thing. 607 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:41,000 Chosen for what? 608 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:42,280 To fill up a seat? 609 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,160 To maybe give to a future building project? 610 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:47,920 To lead cadets? 611 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,500 To be a leader in gems? 612 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:53,480 Just battle through nursery? 613 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:56,800 I always wonder, the people that do the first Sunday 614 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,800 of the month, if they're like, oh, I forgot it's communion. 615 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:02,800 Please don't start doing that, by the way. 616 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,680 But, I mean, for what? 617 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:07,360 That God saved you. 618 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:08,920 God's called you. 619 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:10,400 Well, what did he save you from? 620 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,240 Hell and death forever. 621 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:14,880 But what did he call you to? 622 00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:18,560 To do good works. 623 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:25,520 That's hard, because there are days, let's be honest, 624 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,540 I don't wanna do good works. 625 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:30,680 I'm exhausted spiritually. 626 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:34,220 What did I say last week? 627 00:28:34,220 --> 00:28:35,060 Take a day. 628 00:28:35,060 --> 00:28:36,660 God's not done calling you. 629 00:28:37,980 --> 00:28:40,460 How do you know when God's done calling you? 630 00:28:40,460 --> 00:28:41,300 Does anyone know? 631 00:28:43,180 --> 00:28:45,180 Well, you can say it in a much different way than that. 632 00:28:45,180 --> 00:28:46,020 You're dead. 633 00:28:48,220 --> 00:28:51,220 He's done calling you when you get to see him face to face. 634 00:28:53,700 --> 00:28:55,460 Because now you've been called forever. 635 00:28:56,860 --> 00:28:58,660 So what are we doing with this calling? 636 00:28:59,860 --> 00:29:02,540 What are we doing as Munster Church? 637 00:29:02,540 --> 00:29:05,580 Munster Church, we're a friendly church 638 00:29:05,580 --> 00:29:07,180 and we're a community church. 639 00:29:07,180 --> 00:29:09,660 Great, how do we know that? 640 00:29:09,660 --> 00:29:12,420 Well, we had 2,000 people come to our trunk or treat. 641 00:29:14,220 --> 00:29:15,140 What else? 642 00:29:17,620 --> 00:29:21,520 Sometimes it can be like that. 643 00:29:23,180 --> 00:29:27,160 That when we wanna be a community church 644 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,160 and the community starts to come 645 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:31,380 and be a part of what we're doing, 646 00:29:31,380 --> 00:29:32,780 what are we doing with that? 647 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:36,900 What are we being called to in those moments? 648 00:29:38,260 --> 00:29:40,540 Now, some of you, and I'm gonna hope 649 00:29:40,540 --> 00:29:43,220 that there is 43 of you, 650 00:29:44,140 --> 00:29:46,460 I just made that number up. 651 00:29:46,460 --> 00:29:48,340 I hope there's 43 of you right now 652 00:29:48,340 --> 00:29:51,780 that everything inside of you is just binding 653 00:29:51,780 --> 00:29:54,380 because this is something that the Lord's been telling you 654 00:29:54,380 --> 00:29:57,540 for the last weeks, months, maybe even years, 655 00:29:57,540 --> 00:29:59,960 and you're like, nope, too old to serve, 656 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:01,420 don't have enough energy to serve, 657 00:30:01,420 --> 00:30:04,300 not in the right age bracket, I hate children, 658 00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:07,940 whatever it is, but it's just, 659 00:30:07,940 --> 00:30:09,500 and all of a sudden I'm saying these things 660 00:30:09,500 --> 00:30:12,760 and you're like, why does he keep talking to me? 661 00:30:13,900 --> 00:30:15,900 And I love it, some of you actually tell me that 662 00:30:15,900 --> 00:30:17,020 and that's awesome, 663 00:30:17,020 --> 00:30:19,620 because I'm like, oh, you're the one. 664 00:30:19,620 --> 00:30:23,380 All of these sermons are for me, selfishly, they are, 665 00:30:23,380 --> 00:30:26,420 but if you get something out of them, praise the Lord. 666 00:30:26,420 --> 00:30:31,220 But for those 43 of you, what God might be saying is, 667 00:30:32,940 --> 00:30:35,100 it's time to get to work. 668 00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:36,940 I've called you to something more 669 00:30:36,940 --> 00:30:39,240 than what you're doing right now. 670 00:30:40,300 --> 00:30:43,220 Now, for some of you, you are looking forward 671 00:30:43,220 --> 00:30:45,300 to the finish line of the ministry year, 672 00:30:45,300 --> 00:30:49,140 that you have worked tirelessly and that is fantastic. 673 00:30:49,140 --> 00:30:50,980 Lisa, I'm looking at you, right? 674 00:30:50,980 --> 00:30:52,260 You do a lot of things. 675 00:30:52,260 --> 00:30:54,580 It's okay to say amen, that, you know, 676 00:30:54,580 --> 00:30:56,500 it makes sense why you go on vacations. 677 00:30:56,500 --> 00:30:59,820 And so understand that when you've done the race, 678 00:30:59,820 --> 00:31:01,100 you've done all of those things, 679 00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:02,820 it's okay to take a break. 680 00:31:02,820 --> 00:31:05,660 Lisa, and we give you a break, we give you seven weeks, 681 00:31:05,660 --> 00:31:07,860 and then it's right back into it. 682 00:31:09,580 --> 00:31:12,060 Seven, because it's the number of completion, okay? 683 00:31:12,060 --> 00:31:14,020 But understand that there are some of you 684 00:31:14,020 --> 00:31:17,460 that you are doing stuff, your faith is producing, 685 00:31:17,460 --> 00:31:21,900 you are doing good works, and way to go, I love that. 686 00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:25,300 But we've gotten into this mentality in the Western church 687 00:31:25,300 --> 00:31:29,300 that at certain seasons of life, I'm just gonna be done. 688 00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:34,340 Right, for some of you, I deal with little kids at home, 689 00:31:34,340 --> 00:31:37,940 so I do not wanna do nursery in this season of life. 690 00:31:37,940 --> 00:31:41,260 I totally get that, and I'm feeling that glare 691 00:31:41,260 --> 00:31:43,820 from my wife right now, as I'm saying it, 692 00:31:43,820 --> 00:31:45,780 so I'm going over here where it's safe. 693 00:31:46,620 --> 00:31:49,540 But understand, after that season of life, 694 00:31:49,540 --> 00:31:51,740 maybe you're called to get back into the nursery. 695 00:31:52,780 --> 00:31:54,820 And so just understand that there are these, 696 00:31:54,820 --> 00:31:57,980 not only these seasons, but that God is going to call you 697 00:31:57,980 --> 00:32:00,060 the way, guess what, God wants to call you. 698 00:32:01,500 --> 00:32:03,860 And here's the thing, and I'm gonna land here today, 699 00:32:03,860 --> 00:32:05,700 because we're gonna pick it up next week. 700 00:32:05,700 --> 00:32:08,180 He may be calling you to do something 701 00:32:08,180 --> 00:32:10,700 that you have no idea how to do. 702 00:32:12,540 --> 00:32:15,260 He may be growing a gift in you right now. 703 00:32:15,260 --> 00:32:17,340 And I know, because some of you have taken a break 704 00:32:17,380 --> 00:32:20,620 gift inventory, shameful plug, we have updated a lot of that. 705 00:32:20,620 --> 00:32:22,020 Is it ready to go? 706 00:32:22,020 --> 00:32:25,780 That if you do it, you will get a video sent to you 707 00:32:25,780 --> 00:32:28,420 of how to break it down, so it's not all of a sudden 708 00:32:28,420 --> 00:32:29,620 you have to meet with me right away, 709 00:32:29,620 --> 00:32:32,140 but please still meet with me, because it's a lot of fun 710 00:32:32,140 --> 00:32:33,700 to talk about where we can get involved, 711 00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:36,500 but we have made some, Mike has done phenomenal work 712 00:32:36,500 --> 00:32:39,700 on that, and it is live, ready to go on our website. 713 00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:43,500 But you're all called, and guess what, you're all gifted. 714 00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:47,660 But he may be calling you to a place where you have to fully depend 715 00:32:47,660 --> 00:32:48,660 on him in the moment. 716 00:32:48,660 --> 00:32:49,660 And we know that when he calls us to it, 717 00:32:49,660 --> 00:33:04,660 he's gonna bring us through it. 718 00:33:04,660 --> 00:33:05,660 We know that about God, we can bank on that. 719 00:33:05,660 --> 00:33:06,660 But where does it start? 720 00:33:06,660 --> 00:33:09,660 It starts by meeting the physical needs of people. 721 00:33:09,660 --> 00:33:14,660 Guess what, the church doesn't know that you care. 722 00:33:14,660 --> 00:33:16,660 How do I do this? 723 00:33:16,660 --> 00:33:20,660 The world doesn't know, stop, rewind, 724 00:33:20,660 --> 00:33:23,660 let me see if I got this right, this is what happens 725 00:33:23,660 --> 00:33:24,660 when I go off the cuff. 726 00:33:24,660 --> 00:33:27,660 The world doesn't care what the church knows 727 00:33:27,660 --> 00:33:32,660 until the world knows that the church cares. 728 00:33:32,660 --> 00:33:35,660 So how are we doing in that? 729 00:33:35,660 --> 00:33:40,660 And where does it start? 730 00:33:40,660 --> 00:33:43,660 It starts by meeting the physical needs of people. 731 00:33:43,660 --> 00:33:46,660 And where does it start? 732 00:33:46,660 --> 00:33:49,660 The church doesn't know that you care. 733 00:33:49,660 --> 00:33:50,660 How do I do this? 734 00:33:50,660 --> 00:33:53,660 The world doesn't know, stop, rewind, 735 00:33:53,660 --> 00:33:56,660 let me see if I got this right, this is what happens 736 00:33:56,660 --> 00:33:57,660 when I go off the cuff. 737 00:33:57,660 --> 00:34:00,660 The church doesn't know that you care. 738 00:34:00,660 --> 00:34:01,660 How do I do this? 739 00:34:01,660 --> 00:34:04,660 The church doesn't know that you care.