Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]: Hey. Good morning, everybody. Great to see your smiling faces. And especially on 4th July weekend, I hope you get to get a little more time to relax. coming in the middle of the week here. I did wanna mention though about next week a little bit and you know, Pastor Esther's gonna be pretty straight about some of the things that are going on where she lives. And so if you ever wondered what it's like to live in a place where persecution is something theoretical. It's not something that happened a long time ago. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:31]: It's what, to be honest, there are many believers around the world that are still experiencing this. She's gonna be pretty clear. But because of that that we need to make sure that there's a safety measure for her So if you're watching online, we're not quite sure if we'll be able to show the message online because if we cannot kinda scrub to things, clean up certain things. To be honest, it's pretty clear that she probably just get arrested, interrogated, and then probably tortured and killed. So and what they would do is they would do it with the whole kinda that circle. That's that's the way that they traffic there. And so you should be able to you'll be able to hear it very clearly in in house but again, if you guys are online, we can't promise that we'll have a message for that next week but hey, we'll see you the next week. But but we will try do our best. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:22]: And so again, this would be something big, great time. If you wanna join us at Saturday or 8 o'clock, there'll be always much more space as well. So, hey, this morning though, we're gonna change gears, we're gonna you guys ready to jump into the message this morning. You know, we're in the series right that short stories for with good news and we're looking at the shortest book in the bible. How many of you guys like hey, pass this message gonna be extra today. Well, I can't promise that. No. But but it's the shortest book in the bible. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:51]: But it sort of reminds me this message is the first time I ever went to church, maybe you can think back, first time you ever went to church, but I remember thinking this that when I went to church, I know I wanted to go because I wanted to get to know God better but I was a brand new Christian really just coming out of the world and this was my impression of church, that church was filled with goody goodies and I wasn't one of them. Right? As a result, when I parked in the parking lot, to go from the parking lot to get inside was the longest fuck of my life. It was short, you know, physically but just that that to traffic, it was hard. And then this is the thing that I found out that when I started to get involved in the church, a, as that the person who, you know, the other people that church, they got just as much problems as me. Right? They they they are just regular human beings who are trying to follow Jesus. God has made a in their life but they're not perfect. There's just in the process of being perfected. And so sometimes there's this tension that we have this expectation that when we go to church it's like at church this is where you know, it's not like the world and it isn't but it's not heaven. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:11]: Right? There's only one place where everybody's gonna be perfect and that's in heaven. Right? So in this life that even in the church that you're gonna make people in the whole process of transformation. Some more so, some less so, some who should be but they're not. Right? And we'll talk about that a little bit this morning. Some who should be and appear to be but when you rub against them, you really kinda get that chafing. And so, John gives us this letter to kinda how to deal that how we live in the kingdom with imperfect people. Because how many of you guys that your life is still the imperfect people? Right? Oh, well, you guys are lucky then because mine is filled with imperfect meatball. Right? And you know what? My many will say, their lives are filled with imperfect people, right? And so here's what we're gonna look at is part of that instruction. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:04]: Hey, could we borrow heads this parade this morning. Father this morning, we're so thankful that that there is a place where one day we will experience with perfect harmony with a perfect peace. But Lord, in this life we experience it in measure. In this life we know it clearly, we know it sincerely but we also know it imperfectly because Lord, we're in the process of transformation. We're in the process of change. And so is everyone around us? We are so thankful that the only one that we worship is you. You're the only one who's perfect, you're the only one who's holy, But Lord, we wanna change. We wanna grow and this morning's message is part of that process as well. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:47]: How to live, Lord. Teaching us Lord, would you open our eyes? How to live in this journey of the kingdom, even among imperfect people. In Jesus' name, Amen. So if we wanna know the context, last week we talked about second shortest book of the bible of 2nd John, and it was a letter to some churches because John the Apostle, right, they didn't have streaming, didn't have this stuff so that they would write letters. And so he wrote a letter to the churches. He wrote a letter to his church out it's a distance away that letter was circulated and it was received in this one church and in that church there was a man, a godly guy. His name has Guys, we're gonna see it. He's not the pastor of the church. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:31]: He is a leader though. And and Paul knows of my him, hears about his faith, and so he's giving him some instruction because the message that was shared in 2nd John is like it's not received evenly. How many of you guys know that you can we can all sit in a room hear the exact same message and we hear something a little different. every one of us. Right? because it's how it's received as much as how it's it's delivered. And so, there's an unevenness in this reception That's kind of the context of this thing. And so we're gonna read the opening together. We're gonna not read the actually the whole book even. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:06]: So you guys getting a little never break. Now, but we're we're gonna read starting in verses 1 to 3. Would you stand in reverence for God, reverence for his word? Let's read this out loud together. And this is how it starts. Ready? Let's read. This letter is from John the Elder. I'm writing to diet, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are healthy in body and you are strong in spirit. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:36]: Now in this greeting, he's saying, you know, guys, you're you're you're a close friend. You're a dear friend. I value you. But this says whom I love in the truth. Last week we talked about the truth has a who, it has a what, and it has a how, it's like the person is Jesus. Right? He's the way the truth life but then there's a corpus of doctrine. There's the scripture. There's there's there's this belief there that's the that we believe. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:59]: And then it's just the way that we walk it out. Now when says truth here, my whom I love in the truth. This is a little bit more of a synonym. It's saying whom I love in the faith. Right? That we're brothers and and the faith that we're we're family in the faith. That's what he's saying in this because we're both walking in the truth with Jesus. Right? And so, and then he just has some blessing for him. Right? So he's saying, I hope that you're well We'll get into this in a little bit. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:25]: But would you do me a favor before you're seated and it says, hey, would you be turning your neighbor before you're seated? He says, hey, I I hope at your blessed today as a result. Right? That being here. Right? And then you can have a seat. Right? We blast one another. Now this is a typical greeting in terms of like, you know how you guys ever write a letter and then you say, hey, how are you doing? everything's well there like I have an uncle that while he since passed away, but he wrote to my mom and dad so he said hey, dear Clayton and Charlotte, I hope you're all well. As for me, I almost died. So he had a mean transition. That was that transitional statement. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:05]: Right? But so it's not just simply that short here but I I think although it is a transitional statement, it is a greeting. There's some things that that we to be aware of. It says this. He says, I hope all is well with you and that you are healthy in body as you are strong in spirit and he's saying this. He's saying that my blessing is for you. I know that you're a strong person in the faith but you know what, would you know that God wants to also bless your physical health as well. And and some people will say this, this is the kind of the name it, claim it, health, and prosperity gospel, you know, that kind of a thing. Hey, we're sons of the king and because we're sons of the king that makes us princes or daughters of the king that makes us princesses. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:49]: Now some of you act like princes or act like princess is but that's a different thing. Right? That's a but here's the thing that we're not saying as a result of this that we're gonna drive Mercedes, have the giant house on in Waile Iki. That that will be for some of us. And if that's some of you guys, then just invite me over and then we're all good. Right? But because I don't mind going but I can rejoice in the good fortune of others. But here's here's what it's saying. It's saying that God's concerned about your whole life. He's concerned about your spiritual life, but he's concerned about your health. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:22]: He's concerned some of us, we have to learn how to pay attention to a physical health. You're good in developing your spiritual health but the reality is you only get one body in this life. Right? You get one body in this life. When you turn this body in, right, then then we're in next life. And so he's saying this, he's saying, you know what, would you know that God, just as much as God wants to bless your spiritual life, he also wants to bless your physical life. And one of the things we do in communion is when we we take communion it says that by his stripes, by his sacrifice, it says this, that are healed. And for some of us, this is the thing whether you have a emotional thing like you have a depression or anxiety or you you have some physical thing, you you have an ailment, you have a disease, you have a sickness that he's saying this, that by the power of the cross by his stripes. He says, you know what, healing, he says is available. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:23]: We've seen this many, many times And so, if you're hearing this, would you know that God has healing for you? Sometimes it's emotional. And sometimes it's sometimes it could be relational. Right? How many of us have had a relationship healed? But I'm we've we've been we're we're praying for a husband. We're praying for a wife praying for a sibling, we're praying and we've seen emotional, we've seen relational healing, we've seen financial healing for people. We've had people come in like several bankruptcies. And and then at the next time we know that you know, God has a renewal for them. So God is concerned control a concern with your whole life. And so that where the blessing needs to rest with God's blessing rests on you but especially in the place that you need it. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:07]: Right? That there's this aspect of that. Now, I do wanna ask this, it's like, what are you known for? And another way to say it is, what what do you think your reputation is? Just stick a stock. for yourself. If if someone were to describe you who doesn't know you to someone else, how do you think there describe you. Right? Oh, he's the he's the funny guy. Oh, or he's the smart guy or or some of us. He's a lazy guy. Right? I mean, I don't know. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:40]: Right? I don't know what the reputation. But all of us, you have a reputation don't you? You have a reputation. Now last week, Tim, our mission director wanted to kinda highlight something that that about me. Maybe I have a reputation and then like we have a brother very very tall tall than Tim and he says, hey, come. Let's take a picture together because they're all like up here and I'm like down here. Right? And I've had pictures like that. I'm standing with like for tall friends. The guys are like 64, six five two guys and we're standing like this. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:13]: Right? And our heads are all the same, but my feet not touching the ground. Right? So That's part of the reputation. I don't care. Like it doesn't doesn't bother me. I just was it's just life. Right? So but the the thing is that you have a reputation. I have a reputation. Right? And sometimes it's a flaw. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:30]: Sometimes it's a a thing. Right? Sometimes it's the way, you know, like my dad had friend. His name was Blacky because he was like super dark. That was before people would say, that name is like racist or that's that's that's not appropriate. That's just how they grew up. Right? So ever the case that you have, you have some freedom physical attributes. Sometimes it's an experience. Right? So you know something half in and so you tell a funny story and then that becomes like the way that's your reputation. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:59]: Right? So people tell all these things. But what we're to find is that your reputation is something that you cultivate and for some of us, it's something we wanna change. Right? Because sometimes, you know, we have a past, sometimes we have a history, sometimes even after becoming a believer, we we have mistakes. But you know that you don't have to be defined by that mistake. And this is what we see in the next verses. They're John verse 3. He says this, some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you have been that you are living according to the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:43]: So he's talking to Gaius, right? The guy he's not the pastor, right? But what does he know about Gaius? Gaius, you know man. That's what he's saying. Right? Man, I hear I hear it that you're walking in the tree truth. You you have a solid faith. You have a great reputation, but you know what we don't know. We don't know what Gaia's old life was. It doesn't tell us that. Right? You know, guys could have been the party guy. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:11]: Right? Guys could have been the rebel. Gaia could have been the guy who was living on the edges what John is saying. He's just saying, this is what I know about you now that you're living in the truth. You see what you do today can change the reputation that you had from yesterday. In in the scriptures that says this in in 1st Corinthians chapter 6, not in your notes, But he says this, he goes, now, you know, there's, you know, there's all kinds of ways that people have lived. And he says, some indulge with sexual sin and worship idols or commit adultery or in practice homosexuality or thieves or greedy people or junkers or abusive or cheat people. Right? And this what he says later, verse 11. And some of you were just like that. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:07]: Right? In other words though, he says, in that all of us we have an old life. Right? And it might not be what he described. He's just naming a number of things, but this is what he's saying that nobody he knows you as that today because you've been through this process of growth. You've been in this process of walking with Jesus. If you wanna to change your reputation. Change how you think because how you think will determine how you live and they will determine what you say. Because no matter what your reputation now, if you change the way that you think and you change the way that you and you change the way that you speak, right? Because some of us were like super negative. Like I have a tendency towards sarcasm. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:52]: Anybody else? Right? You guys wanted to raise your hand, but you didn't want me to ignore it. Right? So I I just we're honest. I have a tendency sarcasm. So if I'm joking around, You know, like with friends, we tend to rip on each other a little bit. I'd make jokes and I hopefully it's just all in fun. Right? But how many of you guys have ever said something and it was funny till it wasn't funny. Right? I that that's I had like a reputation before of being very cutting. Right? Like among like old friends. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:27]: that I would say the stuff that other people wouldn't say. And so that was not pleasant sometimes. And But today, you know, I'm trying to bring my tongue. I've been trying to bring my tongue under the the lordship of Jesus. Right? So time to be fun and just joke around we can laugh. But sometimes I just I need to renew my mind because sometimes I would say it because I needed to say it. Nobody needed to hear it. I just needed to say it. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:00]: Right? And this is how it sometimes became so apparent. The thing I said, you could tell. Nobody needed to hear that, but it was something inside of me that drove me to do it. You see, when I change my my it becomes much easier for Jesus to change my heart. And then I didn't want to hurt people, and then I didn't want to you know, you know, make people pay if they said something. I didn't have to do it like that. And so I think my reputation has changed considerably in that. But don't ask my kids. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:28]: So and and so we we such a corona lot at home. And so but here's the thing. You need to cultivate that. How does that work? He says, because the truth is more than a set of beliefs. The truth is a person. So when you walk with Jesus, you get to know him. You know he's in your life. You're listening to his voice. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:48]: You're filling your your mind with his word. You know what will happen? His start speaking to your heart. The spirit the spirit of God uses the word of God, right, to to speak to us and God wants you then to live that out. That's all he wants. He wants you to experience him. And so in communion, that's one of the things that we're reminded. Did you know that when Jesus sees you like communion. Some of us we think, communion is to make us feel guilty and just confess our sin. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:16]: If you have sin which all of us do, then sure of course you confess sit at communion, right? But you know what? This is what it reminds you. God doesn't see you because of your sin, he sees you through the blood of Jesus. And he's saying, you know the cross is enough for you. The cross is enough for you. Whatever it is that you're going through. Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and says the cross is enough for you. You are shortcomings are not greater than the cross. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:42]: Your weakness is not greater than God's ability to redeem you. Right? It's not the case. You might have had some successes, you might have had some setbacks, but here's the thing. It doesn't matter what your setback, it matters if you're walking in the truth, you'll get a new reputation. You'll get a new reputation. Now some of us have heard the name Alfred Nobel. Anybody hear that name before? What is that normally associated with? The peace eyes. Right? So that's how most of us know Alfred Nobel. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:15]: But Alfred Nobel was deeply affected by something that happened in 18 88. He lied his brother, his brother died suddenly, his brother Ludwig. But the the thing about it was when it hit a newspaper, the newspaper mistakenly thought because it was the brother of Alfred Nobel, right? Ludwig Nobel passed away whatever but they got mistaken so they thought Alf it died and so they wrote the obituary as if it was Alfred's obituary and the title of it was the merchant of death is dead. That was the the title of it. You know why? Because what we forget many of us is that Alfred Nobel was the inventor of dynamite. Right? And so dynamite has great peaceful applications, right, like in construction. We still use it today. In construction, make roadways, you can't make tunnels. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:09]: I mean they do they have different kinds of drills now but like in the old days you used it a lot in construction. And so but what else is the other application? Munitions in war. Right? And so this is what happened. His invention was used all over the world. It made Alfred Nobelle like the Bill Gates of the day. Right? So this is what it said in the merchant of death. It says, Alfred Nobel who created weapons of mass destruction for the annihilation of mankind. Fred Nobel read that, he says, this is my reputation. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:53]: Is this what I known for and it bothered him and such a way that he said, this is not what I'm gonna be known for. Right? And so he took his resources, he took his wealth and he said this, I'm gonna I'm gonna find people who are doing the best because I cannot, you know, I'm not a doctor, I'm not a he said, he was a chemist. But I'm not a doctor in medical. He said, we're gonna find the people who are doing the best in the medical field and we're gonna give them a pride for peace. Right? We're gonna take people in chemistry. So we're doing something and that we're gonna give them a prize for peace. Or we're gonna take somebody in politics. So we're gonna take somebody in different fields and we're gonna reward these people because we wanna promote peace. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:37]: And today, who talks about, hey, you ever heard about Alfred Nobel guy who's the creator of weapons of mass destruction for the annihilation of mankind, nobody talks about that. Right? You know that if you get the Nobel Priestpires right away, get a lot of money. Yeah. You get you get big chunk of change. Some of you guys need to work hard. Now, but so but here's the thing. We don't think about it that way because it's not what you did. Right? It's it's not where you've been. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:07]: It's it's where you're living now. It's where you're headed now. If you need to change your reputation, fill your mind and your heart with the truth, start walking in that, it'll change what comes out of your mouth it will change you. Right? And so this is why we see Gaius. Gaius had a pass just like us. Guys was a regular person, but he walked changed. You and I can walk changed. Right? And so then he goes on, he says, dear friends, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:44]: even though they are strangers to you. So what was happening is that people would go on these mission trips just like even today Right? But but of course no plane. Right? They're just walking. They're doing caravan. Sometimes they get on a boat. They they sail across the oceans and people come through. And so sometimes there were existing churches, sometimes there were no churches. If there were existing churches and these guys who were on a missionary journey, they're there to preach the gospel come true, people would give place to stay because we talked about last week. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:18]: There wasn't, you know, there wasn't Hilton, there wasn't holiday in Express. There than any of that stuff so people would stay in people's houses. They would feed them. They would welcome them. And in that process, they're strengthening them along the way. She said, they have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:47]: So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. And he's saying there's this aspect that we ought to partner with people who are promoting the truth. We ought to partner with people who wanna promote the name of Jesus. And so he's just saying in this part, be continue to be faithful to promote the name of Jesus. You know, like, this Friday we had a marriage night in here. Right? How many us were here on marriage night. How many of you guys were you guys encouraged? You guys blessed? Yeah. And so thank you for the team that made that possible there was a team definitely a team of people who made that possible. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:29]: But some of you guys know that Doctor. Brian Mysaka came and and he spoke to us, and he is. He's a psychologist. Right? He has his doctorate in psychology, but I am meeting Brian in California when I was going to seminary and, you know, it's just like you guys ever been walking in the mainland and then you just see this other person and you go like, poor brother, that guy is from Hawaii. Right? You can tell. Right? Sometimes, you know, it's because It's because the tan, some of it's like because they're wearing t shirts and shorts and, you know, whatever the case and rubber slipper everybody else is just different. No. But we saw each other and we say hey, are you from Hawaii and you know that kind of a thing. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:09]: So what's first thing he said, hey, what high school you in? No. Right? So oh, Lily whoa. Oh, me too. Right? Well, you're from Iowa. Well, yeah, me too. Right? And I said, what year are you? And he's like years younger than me. And so I said, oh okay. But he said his name was Misaka. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:24]: You know Randall, Misaka. He go, oh that's my brother. That's your brother. oh, I remember like, Randall and I, we used to do we're in a social club together. Right? We had we did stuff together and so the thing I knew is that we were having lunch with Randall because Randall had moved to California and was living and working, got married, the whole thing, but Brian had a different motive. You know what Brian's motive was? He wanted his brother to hear the gospel. And so he wanted him to say, hey, remember that guy used to do all that dump stuff with like he knows Jesus now. He's gonna be a pastor or whatever and so we had lunch because Brian's heart was his brother would hear about Jesus. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:07]: And at that moment, he wasn't like the most open, but you know, I got to share my testimony, we got to hang out some, right? And he didn't accept the Lord that day but he did lay with his brother because his brother kept sharing the gospel. Right? And so he told me that story because I asked him, hey, how's Randell? and you know, he said what he said that's unfortunately he just passed away actually a few months ago, but he knew the Lord. Right? And then he he asked me, you remember Stan I go, oh yeah of course he was in the group too. Right? So like I had the worst accident in my life when Stanley was driving but He said, yeah. I mean, you know, because I know he's he's traveled along. He's been in the military. He's been all over the world. And he said, hey, Stanley came to know the Lord too, you know it. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:51]: And I said, oh, how did that happen? He says, because I let him to the Lord. I how do you know Stanley from Randall? Because Rand when he came to know Jesus, you know what his desire was, that his friend would come to know Jesus. So he said, we were having lunch at Nikos at the table, and he was just open. And he said, we got to pray together. You know what? Brian is a skilled psychologist but he's a man with a heart for God and that he has he's Amanda that wants people to know Jesus. We ought to support people like that. Right? But you know what? You can change the world by just telling your friend and telling your family members about Jesus. Because how many of to be honest, hell's a real place. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:41]: We don't talk about it a whole lot. Right? That's not my greatest motivation. I want them to know Jesus, right? But here's the thing, that it is a real thing. Right? And so we need to say that we I never wanna let anybody go to hell without getting a chance at least to respond to the grace because that's the it wasn't for for somebody who told me. That's not how was raised. I never heard of it. I thought I was an intelligent person and educated, but nobody told me. Right? And so you know what? People need you to tell them about Jesus. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:20]: But here's thing. We wanna promote the name of Jesus. Right? Now, if in church, this is the thing that we have to be careful. When we start going to change process that we start seeing parts of our life that we go like, oh that was so stupid. I never wanna live that again but you also wanna tell other people. not to do what you did. Anybody there? Right? It's like you don't have to make we come in, we have scars. We're glad to be in the kingdom but there's people out there. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:49]: I hope you don't make that. And so that's why sometimes we go, hey, you know what? That's why we shouldn't legalize recreational drugs. Right? because a lot of us here, we did a lot of recreation. Right? And so but you realize, you know, that, man, that would that totally I'm glad it didn't derail me for the long run but you know what? I mean, it definitely you carry some scars from that. Right? Some people, it's like, hey, you know other things that to be honest, you've been through certain things. Now one of those things I'm gonna say I don't mean it in a political way. I'm just saying it up in a way that's from from a God perspective. we think that all life is precious. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:32]: Right? Don't we? The all life is precious. If that's really true, that when when a child is conceived, that's already a life. Right? It's already a life. It's already a human being. Might not be able to think, might not able to get around and walk or whatever but it's a human life. As a result, that life is precious. Sometimes the search is known as anti abortion people. Right? But here's the thing is that we gotta be known not for what we're against but we're for. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:04]: Right? I'm for people everybody having a shot. I'm for everybody being able to to live peacefully because somebody doesn't take out their opportunity for life. And so I wanna be pro life. I don't wanna be anti abortion. You know what that means? We we gotta sometimes figure out what we can do to support people in that process maybe in a hard situation that they didn't envision but that what we can do to support them. Right? Through that. That that's that's kind of our heart. Right? because today, in a long time ago, one party used to say this, a boy should be safe, legal, and rare. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:45]: Today they say totally something different. Right? You could be up to 9 months you should be able to that's a woman's right. Some people are even even after the baby is born. they wanna have the capacity to terminate that life. That's the infanticide. Right? Now somebody has to defend somebody who cannot be defend cannot defend themselves. Right? So here's the thing. We wanna have a reputation not for what we're against but what we're for. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:14]: And to be the reason is because I I'm for Jesus. Right? I I'm pro Jesus because I know that I cannot change anybody but I know God can. I cannot meet everybody's need but I know God can. Right? I cannot be every place and everywhere at the same time. I'm so glad God can. Right? If God is the only one that says there's only one name under heaven by which we must be saved that Jesus, let's not keep that name from people. Right. Sometimes we love people but we don't tell them. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:47]: And you know what? Don't let them walk just thinking you're a nice person. You're not that nice. No. I'm just kidding. But I see gotta work on my tongue. No. It's kidding. But but sometimes the reason why we're nice is Jesus, and people ought to know that. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:02]: Because that's the that's the person that's gonna change them. That's the person that's gonna help them. Because sometimes this is what they think if you don't tell them Oh, you know, Glenn, he's just a nice guy. And what are we thinking? Well, you don't know my past. You don't know what he deliver me from. You know you know what? It's not me. It's Jesus and me. That's what you're seeing because I'm not that good. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:25]: Yeah? If people ask me. I I'm straight with that. Right? I'm I'm grateful they see Jesus to some degree but I wanna give them the real not just the story of Jesus. Right? Do me a favor. Turn your neighbor says, we need to give people the real Jesus. because he changes people's lives. Right? He touches something and things change. Right? Now, so here the thing. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:49]: He's saying, let's promote people who do that and so that's one of the reasons why you wonder why we have all those pictures on the wall because we're we're supporting that stuff. Some of it is the missions that we do, right? Like to Myanmar and Fiji which is our more recent things. Japan the past and still to be honest every time I go, it's vacation but I'm always doing something. I'm always partnering with my friends in Japan, right? In support or wherever it is that I go. Or, you know, in missions in China, in in working with house churches, Indonesia, reaching unreached people literally who would only even have a bible in their own language. They were working on it while we were there. We got to lead someone to Christ in that situation. Right? So we're doing stuff. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:37]: We we support right now that when you give, would you know that every month we support people who are taking people out of sex trafficking in Thailand, mystery called Zoe Ministries, and Gino is less yeah. All of a sudden, I'm thinking about the football coach. But again, all of a sudden, but there in Myanmar and some of them are preventing these these kids, boys and girls by the way from being sold into sex, the trades, sometimes there's that intervention beforehand. Sometimes it's literally coordinating with police taking kids out of active sex trade. We to support people like that. You guys think that's worth supporting. Right? Because what happens is when they get taken out from that, they they love them with the love of Jesus. Right? And you know what else? They need deliverance. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:31]: Those kids need there's like there's deliverance they need. The the enemy just gets a root in people's lives. You during things like that, Because the devil is not attracted because you're evil. You know what he's attracted to? It could be that. but he's attracted to your pain and your hurt. And so if you don't give you don't you know, like we took communion, you should also be inviting Jesus into your pain and your hurt. You know why? Because they'll heal it. If not, you know who else is attracted to devils attracted to it. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:01]: And so there's deliverance. They'll do all that stuff. Am I equipped to rescue kids in Thailand to do that? I'm not. So we're supporting folks who are doing that. Right? So we're supporting we supported folks in Kyrgyzstan, supported folks in in Japan, missionary So those are the things that we're doing. So we wanna support that. But here's the principle. You know what? That when you support somebody who's doing that, this is what God says in the Kingdom. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:31]: You get the same reward. God will bless you even if you'd goal. Some of us we think this, I'll never go on a mission trip. Right? because for some of you, you go like, I hear where you guys go I don't wanna go that roughly. Somebody said this, do they have a Hilton over there? No, we're not staying in Hilton, you know. and said like, oh, okay. Maybe I maybe I won't gold. And but here's here's the thing. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:58]: You can pray for them, can't you? Your prayers matter. Your prayers matter. Literally, your prayers matter. It empowers the work there. It changes hearts. What about serving? What about helping people in the prep. It matters. Because to be honest, it's not just all that the guy who goes matters. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:18]: It's if we don't the support from the home team, the away team cannot do it. Right? The next week we're doing a fundraiser for the Esther project. You guys not hearing out about it because it's not targeted to folks in the church. But you know what, without the support of a team, that fundraiser wouldn't happen. Why why are we raising funds? Because we haven't said no to any child who wanted to be part of the Esther project. That's it 600 now. But we wanna make sure that we can keep saying yes. Right? So that's why that's why we're doing it. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:53]: But if not for that team, there's no way that we could do that. So you could you could pray, you could serve, you could give, or you could go. But we ought to promote people who declare the name of Jesus. And this is the good news. Whatever part you play, whether you pray, whether you serve or you give or you go, God says this. If you're doing it with a heart to serve me, I bless with the same reward. Because he says this, if you welcome a prophet in the name of a prophet, you get a prophet's reward. That's what Jesus said. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:29]: You might not be a prophet to give a message but you welcome them so he can give the message. You know what he says? I bless you just like I bless the prophet who spoke the word of God. Right? How many of you wanna be blessed? Just support the things that God wants to do. And he says this, I'll bless you. Here's the last thing. Here's the last thing. That we talked about imperfect people, right? We talked about this change process, but sometimes people will into leadership positions, and to be honest, they either go backward or they haven't quite worked out of something else that it was in their past and they lead out of their weakness, they lead out of their undevelopedness and the the church pays. Right? So this is what happens in verse 9. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:16]: I wrote to the church about this, but diatcha let's say that word, diotrophies, as in nay, who loves to be the leader refuses to have anything to do with us. So this guy, He is the pastor of the church. Right? But he loves being in charge. He loves the power. He loves being 1st. And he says this, but because of that, this there's a There's insecurity. He needs the approval of people. He needs to be in control. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:49]: So it's not that he's just exercising his leadership. He's actually kinda indulging his weakness in his character. And so that's how he's leading out of the weakness of his character. How do we know because he says when I come, I'll report some of the things he's doing and the evil accusations he's making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome traveling teachers, the missionaries, he also tells others not to help them. What does he get out of that? What does he get out of that? There's he doesn't get anything. except exercising his control. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:28]: And so the apostle John who walked with Jesus, who was part of the group that fed the 5000, who saw Jesus when he was sophied, who saw him after the resurrection, who went and helped preach the gospel, that about the living Jesus, who writes the a revelation, writes the gospel of John. This guy, Dyatrophes says this. No, no, no, I get him. No, no. I only listen to you, right? I'm not under your, you're not better than me, right? So he wants control. He cannot he's unteachable. When we find people like this, this level of insecure leader, they're generally unteachable. They generally if they didn't come up with the eye idea, then they don't wanna exercise the idea. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:18]: Now this is the difficult part. Some of us have been under the leadership and have to be a pastor. You could be a small group leader, you could be, you know, whatever it is. You But you just have some measure influence. Some of us have been under the leadership of a diatrophes. If you've been in that, would you know that's not God's heart for you, right? God's heart is to build you up not tear you down. Right? And and some of us we get wounded but this is the thing he's saying to us is we need to understand sometimes this is gonna happen. You get people in the process, right? They're they're a rough thing. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:53]: But this is what we notice what he doesn't say. He doesn't call diatrophes a false prophet. He doesn't call diatrophes the Antichrist. These are words he used in second John. Right? Because the people who actually oppose the opposed the gospel. This guy he probably loves Jesus. He just thinks that he ought to be number 1 all the time. He needs to develop his character. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:22]: And so here's the thing. So it's not that we rag on this guy. This guy needs this guy needs prayer. He needs correction, but he he needs prayer. If you've been under the the leadership of a diatrogen, pray for them. Don't curse them. I know you've probably been wounded. Just come into a place that that won't do that to you. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:48]: Right? And And so this is we have to understand that. This part of the deal at times, it happens. Now here's the reason why it's important. because you cannot really steward spiritual authority without yourself being under authority. Right? So how many of you guys know that like you have spiritual authority. You have authority over the devil. You have authority over the devil. Do you guys believe that? Now, the devil is more powerful than you. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:20]: So how do you have authority over him? He's powerful than me. But it's because Jesus gave me authority. But you cannot use your authority unless you are under authority. What do you call a person who's not under authority? A rebel. Right? So if I stand against the enemy. And I'm not under authority. You know what the devil does? I don't need to listen to you because you're not listening to somebody else. Right? You're not listening to I don't have to listen to you. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:49]: I can pray all I want, nothing will happen. Because I need to be under authority This is a spiritual principle. If you're not under authority, you're not qualified to Stuart Authority. And so he says it like this in James 47. Submit yourselves then to who to god, resist the devil, and he'll flee from you. Hey, but Glenn, he's only five four what? The devil has to listen to him. Yeah. It doesn't matter your size. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:15]: Right? Doesn't matter your personality. Doesn't matter how long you've been a Christian. Doesn't matter how much you know the bible. It's like if you're submitted to God, you have spiritual authority. Over the enemy, you have the capacity to pray for people. You know what? God will touch people through your prayer. You don't need my prayer. I'll I'll gladly join in that process, but God uses your prayer. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:39]: But you have to be under authority. So he makes this then this this next step. So then he writes this. But so in verse 11. So dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Don't pick up his habits. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children and those who do evil pro prove that they do not know God. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:01]: Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius why Because he has a good reputation. As does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him and you know we speak the truth. So this is what he's saying. He's saying, you're gonna rub up against people who maybe they do something, they don't do it well. they haven't they're not submitted themselves, they're pushing their weight around, right? They're doing all of that. And and then he says this, he says, but but you're not like that. guys. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:31]: And I noticed this demetrius. None of these guys are pastors. They're just folks in the search. Because it's you guys it's you guys that will change the world. It's you guys that would change the world. What world are you gonna change? The world around you. The world around you. When you renew your heart, you get the truth, then you you start renewing your mind. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:56]: You start living it out. You start speaking differently. And you know what? What happened? People start Jesus in the midst of that. But sometimes you gotta be willing to change your reputation. I just wanna close with this. Anybody here Any basketball fans? Any basketball fans here? Well, you're in for a basketball story. It doesn't matter. So so just kinda heads up. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:20]: So, hey, 1992, there was a basketball team of like the best NBA players the time. And it was like Michael Jordan, you guys remember this Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson Charles Barclay, right? David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, they called those guys the dream, what? Team team. Dream team. Yeah. And they they smashed everybody in the 92 Olympics because they made this change in the ruling that you could have now professional athletes participating paid for their country. They never used to do that. They was all amateur but then people made the argument like, look at the Russian guys the Cuban guys. That's all they do. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:01]: They get paid by the government so, you know, they said, okay, that's true so anybody can can go. You can represent your your country and they play they play those games as amateurs. Right? So that's what happened in 92 and it it set the Dynasty. Well, there had already been a basketball dynasty but there were some upsets with the Soviet Union. And then when the dream team came along, they just were in everybody out crazy for the next 3 Olympics. Right? For the next 3 Olympics. And then something happened 2004 is that USA, with the best players on the planet lost the Olympics. We lost to Argentina. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:46]: How many of you guys say? Basketball Powerhouse, Argentina. I don't know me, but But what happened? They had the best players in the planet. But you know, guys noticed this that when you have people that that they're the star player, sometimes this is what instance, you got 5 individuals with extreme talent but you don't have a what? A team. Right? That's what happened to them. They didn't know how to play as a team. They didn't know how to play as stars. Right? And so they pulled these other guys together and maybe some of these guys that you probably know, even if you're not a basketball player, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James. Right? Those were the 2 superstars. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:26]: The Colby First, to be honest, he was like the man, but LeBron James was coming up. He was playing for the cavaliers still. He hadn't gone to the heat, he hadn't done all that stuff. Right? But he's coming up. So peep they were talking about that. when when they came in, they're they're being pulled together for the next team to win back the title, and they're calling there's a show on Netflix called the Redeem team. I noticed because my son was watching and I watched it when I came home. And And when we when I watched this thing, Kobe was known as always a intense player. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:01]: And when the guys met him, like this this one guy Carmelo Anthony, says that when he saw Kobe. He said, hey, Kobe, and it's like, you just kinda had the orders. What's up? Like, just totally, you know, like super intense. And so he leans over. There was a report over there. Man, I wonder how he asked to his friends and his thing and the the reporter aft because he said this. Kobe doesn't have friends. That's his reputation. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:29]: He's just the intense guy. Right? Who not super friendly and LeBron James was the opposite. LeBron James is like the hey, you're making teasing people, comments, talking all the time and Kobe is just a guy. He just grinder kind of, you know, and he he's known as playing. Right? But but when the they got together with the the head coach. The head coach said this. Hey, how many of you guys, you know, everybody's from a professional team. Right? So what are you guys gonna who you represent? And there's silence. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:05]: He says, you know what? You you're not You don't represent the Lakers. You don't represent Cleveland. Right? You don't represent Houston. You don't represent You know what? You represent USA. Team USA. You're not gonna be out there for your team. You're not gonna be out for your glory but we are one team because this is it's a privilege to represent your nation. Right? He says, you'll find it like when you stand out there and you're wearing those sweats and it's that I hope that you have this privilege. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:40]: You see this thing to represent something greater than yourself. And, you know, the next practice that they had, he said when they were playing in a in a practice and there was a loose ball. The next thing you know, it's it's Colby is diving headfirst for the ball. You know what? Stars generally don't do that. They let the scrubber No. They let the other guys do that. That's not their their their thing is you get me the ball, and I'll show you what to do with the ball. But Kobe was just diving for those things. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:11]: They would go out night, some of those guys and they were party professional athletes and known kinda like for a big lifestyle. So they go out, get decked out, go 4 o'clock, 4:30 in the morning. They come back to the hotel and they see Colby in his sweats with his with his weight lifting gloves on and he say, where you He says, I'm gonna lift weights. What? Are you serious? He goes, yeah. I gotta get in shape and he's he's like, he's gonna lift weights and then I'm gonna eat breakfast and then we're gonna practice. And some guys were like, oh my gosh. I don't get at 4:30 in the morning for anything. But the next day, was Kobe the only guy in the gym? No. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:53]: Other guys came. other guys follow. And and the thing is that Kobe became kinda the heart of the team, and he brought the team together. You know why? Because he didn't play to his own power. He didn't play for his own glory. And you know what? He changed his reputation. And so all of a sudden, they played not as stars, but they played as a team. As a result, they won the 2008 Olympics. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:25]: That's the redream team. That's the name of the show. And and and then they began this second half of the dynasty. Right? Now, guess what? You and I We represent a we don't you don't just represent you. You represent the kingdom. You represent Jesus. That's a great privilege. And here's the thing. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:53]: Like whatever your reputation, you can change it. Colby could change it. Alfred could change it. Right? And many of us, we've changed our reputation. Right? We've changed our reputation already. But maybe there's something else. But you just gotta press into god, press into god, get his word in you get it? Learn what it means to to walk in the spirit. And then you know what will happen? It'll change the way that you live. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:20]: It'll change the way that you speak. I'll change your reputation. It makes sense? This baller heads will close at him. We're the prayer. Father, I thank you that there's no Superman in the world. There's just regular human beings. But I thank you that when regular human beings, regular men and women, whether they're in the church or out of the church, when they submit themselves to you. Lord, that things begin to change. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:50]: When they come to encounter you and know you and they experience you, Lord, that we find is that that their guilt and their shame don't drive them. It's it's something that they get they get healed in their life. They get removed in their life. And father that I thank you that you don't want to see us through you don't see us all of our failures. That's what your word told us. And regardless if we were thieves or junkers or or sexually immoral or do doing whatever. says that's not how you see us. You see us through the cross. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:26]: And lord, thank you that our reputation in heaven is different. But finally, we want a reputation here, Lord, to for us to in in a greater way to experience that. If you're here this morning and you're saying, managers some things I just if you just think about, what is your reputation? Some of us are saying, I need to change some things. If that's you today, this is not a guilt thing. This is a thing that you're just saying, God, I wanna just invite you into this part of my life. because I don't just wanna be known as that. I don't wanna just be known as the party guy. I don't wanna just be known as the guy who's, like, cutting corners all the time. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:06]: I don't wanna be known as the guy who's always looking for the easy way out. Whatever the case. If that's you today, would you just raise your hand to the Lord? Say, Lord, that that's me today. Would you know that he's he He's been waiting for that. Father, I thank you that whenever we open ourselves to you, whenever when we recognize we need you, Lord, there's there's rejoicing in heaven. I I'm praying, lord, that father, would you just enter into these places? And would you help my friends to experience you in this place in this place, Lord. It's acknowledged Lord. It's this is not our place of strength. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:44]: It's a place of weakness in many ways. But, father, thank you. There's a grace for that. And would you renew our minds in this area? Would you strengthen us in our spirit on this area? Father in such a way that maybe it's not in a day. Maybe it's not in a week or a month, but lord, that we want to walk with you and walk in the truth. And that, lord, we don't wanna just change. We wanna be transformed to be more like you. and follow when that happens, in ex expressed in every one of its ways, reputations change. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:18]: Will we be known as men and women of grace and truth, of love, and of power? of strength and dignity. Father, that's what we're praying for covering for our friends today. And with our heads bowed eyes closed, if you've never said yes to Jesus today, would you know this? He loves you just like Just like my friend, Randall. Just like my friend, Stanley. It's never too late. It's never too late. If you've never suggested to Jeans, would you know the all all it means is you just acknowledge that you haven't been living for him, and that you've been doing your own thing. But that today, you're saying, God that you wanna know him, that you want to have this connection and his relationship with God. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:10]: If that's you, today? Would you know, he wants you. He wanted you from before. But when you turn to him, this is what you'll find. He's waiting there for And we're gonna pray a real simple prayer if that's you today. And if that's you, would you pray along with me? Might be the first time for some of or maybe it's a renewal for for others of us. Let's pray together. Lord Jesus. Thank you that you really know me. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:40]: everything about me and that you still love me. It's a hard thing to understand, but we're grateful. So today, I acknowledge that I haven't always been living for you. I've been rebellious, but I turn away from what I know is wrong. Would you come live inside me today? Fill me today. Forgive me today. I receive your grace and mercy in Jesus. And would you help me to grow in you? To know your voice and your presence, to know your word and your will, to know what it means to to live in a community that is encouraging me to follow the truth. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:37]: and accepts me with all of my weakness. And lord, would you help me to help others one day? strengthen me, lead me, and guide me today. I need you. Thank you. I receive Jesus. In his name I pray, Amen. Amen? Hey, let's say congratulations to those folks. God bless you guys. Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:05]: Have a great 4th July day off. Hopefully, day to celebrate our freedom and we're gonna close together.