WEBVTT 00:00:01.259 --> 00:00:05.620 Welcome to 563 Church, a production of Cornerstone 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:08.740 Church, Eldridge, Iowa. This week we welcome 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:11.699 Pastor Daniel Reese back to the pulpit and you 00:00:11.699 --> 00:00:14.820 back to our sermon series podcast after a 12 00:00:14.820 --> 00:01:05.689 week hiatus. Welcome. Good morning. It's been 00:01:05.689 --> 00:01:11.629 12 weeks since I was able to stand in front of 00:01:11.629 --> 00:01:16.450 you and share what the Lord has put on my heart. 00:01:18.310 --> 00:01:22.510 In the first several weeks of that time, I didn't 00:01:22.510 --> 00:01:27.209 miss it. I didn't miss it. I took it as a break. 00:01:27.329 --> 00:01:31.989 But as the weeks went on, The desire to serve 00:01:31.989 --> 00:01:34.370 the Lord in that way came back stronger than 00:01:34.370 --> 00:01:41.010 it ever has before It isn't a desire to be seen 00:01:41.010 --> 00:01:44.349 It isn't a desire to seem important. It's it's 00:01:44.349 --> 00:01:49.030 a desire that's burning in me to point you to 00:01:49.030 --> 00:01:55.569 Christ To make the most of every opportunity 00:01:55.569 --> 00:02:01.739 that I have This is and never has been about 00:02:01.739 --> 00:02:06.420 me and I will never forget that it is a privilege 00:02:06.420 --> 00:02:11.099 to declare his truth to this body. The last couple 00:02:11.099 --> 00:02:14.939 months have not been a vacation for me. It has 00:02:14.939 --> 00:02:19.000 been a time that I've used to work on my relationship 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.979 with the Lord. It has been a time where the only 00:02:21.979 --> 00:02:25.360 thing that I could offer this church was my prayers. 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:31.460 I understand more fully the words of Paul that 00:02:31.460 --> 00:02:35.060 he writes to the church in Colossians where he 00:02:35.060 --> 00:02:38.439 says that he hasn't stopped praying for them. 00:02:39.659 --> 00:02:42.819 Paul wasn't with the church all the time, but 00:02:42.819 --> 00:02:46.419 they remained in his heart and on his mind. And 00:02:46.419 --> 00:02:50.219 for the last couple of months, I have felt that 00:02:50.219 --> 00:02:54.819 weight that he probably felt. It has been a healing 00:02:54.819 --> 00:02:58.659 time for me. and I'm grateful for the Lord for 00:02:58.659 --> 00:03:01.960 how He has grown me through this season. I'm 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:05.520 thankful to be back here with you and I am truly 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:08.759 looking forward to what God is going to do through 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:19.939 this church and this community. One thing that 00:03:19.939 --> 00:03:24.080 I've been burdened by lately is the fact that 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:28.699 time is fleeting. It seems to move a lot faster 00:03:28.699 --> 00:03:32.719 for me now than it did when I was a kid. Especially 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:35.740 now that I have kids, they are growing up too 00:03:35.740 --> 00:03:37.120 fast. You always hear people say your kids grow 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.280 up too fast. I'm absolutely living that reality. 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.969 I have always counted the summers. that I have 00:03:45.969 --> 00:03:49.569 left with my children before they graduate. So 00:03:49.569 --> 00:03:53.909 every summer is a good reminder to me that to 00:03:53.909 --> 00:03:57.229 make the most of the time that I have with them 00:03:57.229 --> 00:04:00.530 while they are still under my roof. And after 00:04:00.530 --> 00:04:03.669 this summer, I have one left with my daughter. 00:04:05.350 --> 00:04:08.430 But time is not just moving fast for me. The 00:04:08.430 --> 00:04:12.129 reality is we are all closer to death or closer 00:04:12.129 --> 00:04:15.909 to the return of Christ than we were before we 00:04:15.909 --> 00:04:20.129 walked in here this morning. James tells us when 00:04:20.129 --> 00:04:25.329 he says that life is a vapor. Let's hear one 00:04:25.329 --> 00:04:29.860 minute, gone the next. Ecclesiastes tells us 00:04:29.860 --> 00:04:32.939 that there is a time for everything and a time 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:36.779 for every activity under heaven. In chapter three 00:04:36.779 --> 00:04:39.339 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes, there is a time 00:04:39.339 --> 00:04:42.720 to be born and a time to die. Now, those of us 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:44.779 in this room, we have all accomplished half of 00:04:44.779 --> 00:04:50.079 that verse. Congratulations. There is a time 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.279 to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted. 00:04:54.259 --> 00:04:58.209 My wife is really good at both of those. She 00:04:58.209 --> 00:05:00.310 has recently gotten better about not having to 00:05:00.310 --> 00:05:02.689 do those two things so close together. She's 00:05:02.689 --> 00:05:05.009 doing better about keeping things alive for longer, 00:05:05.009 --> 00:05:09.709 so that's fantastic. Then he says there is a 00:05:09.709 --> 00:05:14.589 time to kill and a time to heal. My sincere hope 00:05:14.589 --> 00:05:19.610 and prayer is that we are entering into a season 00:05:19.610 --> 00:05:23.529 of healing that will lead to new life in our 00:05:23.529 --> 00:05:26.879 church. And at the end of verse three, he says 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:29.920 there is a time to break down and a time to build 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:33.839 up. I've learned this lesson the hard way, unfortunately. 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:39.040 It's much easier to tear down than build something 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:43.699 new. It's much easier to do demolition than construction. 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:46.360 That is one of the areas where I feel like the 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:51.420 Lord is growing me by reminding me to use my 00:05:51.420 --> 00:05:56.709 words to build. as opposed to tear down. Time 00:05:56.709 --> 00:06:02.069 matters. And how you and I spend our time is 00:06:02.069 --> 00:06:07.230 a kingdom issue. One day, I will stand before 00:06:07.230 --> 00:06:10.250 the Lord and give an account for how my time 00:06:10.250 --> 00:06:13.050 was spent on this earth. Did I make the most 00:06:13.050 --> 00:06:17.610 of it? How many days of my life will I have to 00:06:17.610 --> 00:06:20.689 account for for just scrolling through my phone? 00:06:21.420 --> 00:06:26.579 or binging a TV show. So what do I do? What do 00:06:26.579 --> 00:06:31.319 you do with the time that we have left? What 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:35.160 do we do with the time that we have in our lives 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:38.899 and the opportunities I take or don't take? Those 00:06:38.899 --> 00:06:42.540 things matter because eventually for me and eventually 00:06:42.540 --> 00:06:47.759 for you, time will be no more. We're all on the 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:51.060 same page in regards to that. For a lot of us 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:56.800 time matters more to us than even money I'm guilty 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:58.459 of this. I was having this discussion the other 00:06:58.459 --> 00:07:01.459 day With a group of people here at the church 00:07:01.459 --> 00:07:04.139 where I said I would rather spend some money 00:07:04.139 --> 00:07:08.420 in order to save time Right. We use the phrase 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:15.199 time is money But a generation ago My parents 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:18.259 and my grandparents would rather spend some time 00:07:18.259 --> 00:07:22.620 to save a buck Things have changed our our worlds 00:07:22.620 --> 00:07:25.540 are busy and and what I have seen is that we 00:07:25.540 --> 00:07:29.680 value our free time Because it's far more valuable 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:33.540 to us than even working overtime Now most of 00:07:33.540 --> 00:07:35.240 us don't think that we're going to die tomorrow 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:39.319 And and I believe that is why we don't give much 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:44.420 thought to how we spend our days We procrastinate 00:07:44.420 --> 00:07:49.620 We hope somebody else will do it Psalm 90 tells 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:52.899 us to ask the Lord to number our days so that 00:07:52.899 --> 00:07:59.300 we may get a heart of wisdom. By reminding myself 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:05.060 that I have one summer left with Adélie before 00:08:05.060 --> 00:08:09.699 she becomes an adult. Or three summers left with 00:08:09.699 --> 00:08:16.920 Asher. Or five summers left with River. or nine 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:20.060 summers left with Ryker. When I think about those 00:08:20.060 --> 00:08:22.480 things, it puts things into perspective for me. 00:08:22.620 --> 00:08:27.019 So when I get asked to go book shopping or throw 00:08:27.019 --> 00:08:31.860 the ball around or go fishing or play a game, 00:08:32.059 --> 00:08:34.840 I try to do those things because there's going 00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:36.840 to be a time where they stop asking me to do 00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:40.720 them. But by thinking in those terms, I hope 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.860 that it has helped me become a better dad to 00:08:43.860 --> 00:08:47.570 my children. Now obviously no one knows how much 00:08:47.570 --> 00:08:51.429 time we have left. So it is impossible to actually 00:08:51.429 --> 00:08:56.769 number our days. That would be weird. But if 00:08:56.769 --> 00:09:00.409 you were told that you were going to die next 00:09:00.409 --> 00:09:02.830 week, I would bet that you wouldn't have a hard 00:09:02.830 --> 00:09:05.850 time concentrating on the things that really 00:09:05.850 --> 00:09:09.259 matter. It is living what Psalms is telling us 00:09:09.259 --> 00:09:12.019 is it's living with that mindset of making sure 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:16.379 that every day counts Every opportunity matters. 00:09:16.379 --> 00:09:21.580 It is me Realizing that I have lost 12 weeks 00:09:21.580 --> 00:09:25.220 of opportunities to encourage you in your faith 00:09:25.220 --> 00:09:30.120 To remind you of the gospel 12 weeks of me not 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:35.519 operating in my gifting Too many days of throwing 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:40.860 a pity party for myself. I want to gain a heart 00:09:40.860 --> 00:09:44.980 of wisdom and use this as an opportunity because 00:09:44.980 --> 00:09:49.500 I never know which one is gonna be my last. I 00:09:49.500 --> 00:09:53.460 never know if this is another person's last opportunity 00:09:53.460 --> 00:10:00.860 to hear from God's word. So my prayer has been 00:10:00.860 --> 00:10:06.720 to the Lord to help me. Number my days Help me 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.580 number my days My hope is that it will become 00:10:10.580 --> 00:10:15.179 your prayer as well Now if there's anybody besides 00:10:15.179 --> 00:10:20.139 Jesus That made the most of his time in the world 00:10:20.139 --> 00:10:24.460 it would have been Paul Paul is credited in the 00:10:24.460 --> 00:10:27.519 book of Acts for planting 14 churches over a 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:35.179 period of 13 years No technology No books because 00:10:35.179 --> 00:10:39.460 he hadn't written them yet. No car to get around. 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:42.519 Paul took advantage of every opportunity that 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.940 he could to spread the gospel. Nothing stopped 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:49.600 him from his calling. Not shipwrecks, not beatings, 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:53.299 not prison, not distance. Nothing stopped Paul 00:10:53.299 --> 00:10:56.100 from the calling that God had on his life. He 00:10:56.100 --> 00:11:00.379 was martyred for the same faith in Jesus that 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:04.940 he used to kill others for. He invested in people 00:11:04.940 --> 00:11:08.120 and he helped build churches into a beacon of 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:12.620 hope that eventually made its way here to Iowa. 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:17.379 Towards the end of his life, he wrote one final 00:11:17.379 --> 00:11:25.220 letter to his protege, Timothy. Now Timothy eventually 00:11:25.220 --> 00:11:28.559 took over as the leader of the church in Ephesus, 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:33.289 which Paul had started several years ago. And 00:11:33.289 --> 00:11:39.230 as Paul's life comes to an end, he seems to be 00:11:39.230 --> 00:11:42.509 concerned about the same things that most people 00:11:42.509 --> 00:11:44.470 are concerned about when they know they're going 00:11:44.470 --> 00:11:49.029 to die. He's concerned about people. He wants 00:11:49.029 --> 00:11:51.870 to see the people that he has been in relationship 00:11:51.870 --> 00:11:54.889 with. And so he spends the final few verses of 00:11:54.889 --> 00:11:58.490 2nd Timothy chapter 4 just commenting on these 00:11:58.490 --> 00:12:01.049 people that he has done life with, that he's 00:12:01.049 --> 00:12:03.330 done ministry with, that he's served with, these 00:12:03.330 --> 00:12:06.570 people that he loves. His final letter doesn't 00:12:06.570 --> 00:12:11.509 close with a list of his accomplishments. Look 00:12:11.509 --> 00:12:14.629 at how many churches I started. Look at how many 00:12:14.629 --> 00:12:17.190 people came to faith because of me. Look at how 00:12:17.190 --> 00:12:21.029 many miles I've walked. Look at how much money 00:12:21.029 --> 00:12:24.070 I've accumulated. That's not what he says he 00:12:24.070 --> 00:12:27.129 is longing to be greeted by those he has done 00:12:27.129 --> 00:12:30.350 life with Those who have remained faithful to 00:12:30.350 --> 00:12:32.750 the churches in which he started this is same 00:12:32.750 --> 00:12:37.649 for every this is true for every person I've 00:12:37.649 --> 00:12:45.009 ever met and stood beside their deathbed They 00:12:45.009 --> 00:12:47.929 I've never heard somebody asked me to see Instagram 00:12:47.929 --> 00:12:53.259 one more time They've never asked how much money 00:12:53.259 --> 00:12:56.919 is left in my bank account. They just want to 00:12:56.919 --> 00:13:01.440 be surrounded by those that they love. But Second 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:04.179 Timothy 421 has stuck with me the last few weeks. 00:13:05.100 --> 00:13:09.399 Paul asked Timothy to come see him again. He 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:12.399 says, I'm sure we've all made those kinds of 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:14.899 requests throughout our life to people, things 00:13:14.899 --> 00:13:18.559 like, I hope to see you soon. Next time you're 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.379 around in the neighborhood come and see me like 00:13:20.379 --> 00:13:23.539 we've made those types of requests Paul's request 00:13:23.539 --> 00:13:25.879 is different than those types of requests because 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:29.820 there is an urgency to it He asked Timothy to 00:13:29.820 --> 00:13:35.419 come see me before winter Come before winter 00:13:35.419 --> 00:13:40.340 Now by the time this letter reached Timothy And 00:13:40.340 --> 00:13:42.899 considering the amount of time that Timothy would 00:13:42.899 --> 00:13:46.120 need to get from Ephesus down to Rome, this is 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:48.419 one of those things that Timothy would have had 00:13:48.419 --> 00:13:52.440 to do immediately. Traveling in the winter causes 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:55.860 tremendous difficulty. It's hard to get a ship. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:59.559 It's hard to deal with the elements. And sometimes 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:03.019 because of the weather, it's almost impossible 00:14:03.019 --> 00:14:06.700 to travel outside your immediate circle. Nearing 00:14:06.700 --> 00:14:11.139 the end of his life, and confined in a Roman 00:14:11.139 --> 00:14:15.259 prison, Paul was aware that his days were numbered. 00:14:15.460 --> 00:14:17.559 He was aware that he probably wasn't getting 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:20.200 out of this thing alive. He wanted to see his 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:23.679 friend one more time, not only for personal support, 00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:26.960 not only for encouragement, but to advance the 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:32.879 mission of the gospel. The urging of to come 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:37.610 before winter underscores that life's opportunities 00:14:37.610 --> 00:14:42.190 often come with a deadline. God calls us to act 00:14:42.190 --> 00:14:45.549 in specific moments. He calls each and every 00:14:45.549 --> 00:14:48.190 one of us that have proclaimed faith in Jesus 00:14:48.190 --> 00:14:53.470 to act in certain moments, whether to proclaim 00:14:53.470 --> 00:14:59.509 the gospel, to heal a broken relationship, to 00:14:59.509 --> 00:15:04.269 step boldly in faith, and we must respond without 00:15:04.269 --> 00:15:08.570 delay. I mean, how often do we postpone, assuming 00:15:08.570 --> 00:15:12.950 that we will have some time later? When we hesitate, 00:15:13.850 --> 00:15:19.570 that can cause us to miss opportunities to serve 00:15:19.570 --> 00:15:25.049 God and those around us. In February of 2021, 00:15:26.129 --> 00:15:31.490 we were living in Texas. We had recently remodeled 00:15:31.490 --> 00:15:35.600 our kitchen, which was an ordeal. And part of 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:39.720 that remodel was to move the water heater because 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:44.600 it was in a horrible place in the kitchen. My 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:49.059 house was built before water heaters were invented. 00:15:49.179 --> 00:15:50.720 And so they just kind of had to stick it somewhere. 00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:56.299 We decided to get a tankless water heater. Some 00:15:56.299 --> 00:15:58.600 of you all have those. They're fantastic. We 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:01.850 decided to get a tankless water heater. And because 00:16:01.850 --> 00:16:05.049 of the way the house was built, we weren't able 00:16:05.049 --> 00:16:07.350 to move the plumbing very far without spending 00:16:07.350 --> 00:16:11.330 an obscene amount of money. And so really, our 00:16:11.330 --> 00:16:14.750 one option was to move our water heater to just 00:16:14.750 --> 00:16:16.690 on the opposite side, which happened to be an 00:16:16.690 --> 00:16:19.909 exterior wall. By doing that, it allowed us to 00:16:19.909 --> 00:16:22.470 open up the kitchen the way that Sina wanted. 00:16:23.789 --> 00:16:27.470 Now, Texas winters are not like Iowa winters, 00:16:27.470 --> 00:16:30.629 if you didn't know that. It gets cold, but very 00:16:30.629 --> 00:16:32.950 rarely does it get into the single digits, and 00:16:32.950 --> 00:16:35.110 even more rarely does it ever get below zero. 00:16:35.570 --> 00:16:40.330 But in February of 2021, Texas got hit with a 00:16:40.330 --> 00:16:43.330 massive cold front and the state wasn't prepared 00:16:43.330 --> 00:16:47.389 for it because it never happens. We called it 00:16:47.389 --> 00:16:50.950 Snowvid, because it was right after COVID, right? 00:16:53.210 --> 00:16:55.750 People were without power all across the state 00:16:55.750 --> 00:16:59.190 for weeks at a time. They would do these rolling 00:16:59.190 --> 00:17:01.649 blackouts throughout the day to conserve energy. 00:17:02.309 --> 00:17:04.650 For well over a week, the temp did not get above 00:17:04.650 --> 00:17:08.589 zero. And for weeks, it did not get above freezing. 00:17:10.150 --> 00:17:12.910 Now if you go back to a few months prior, the 00:17:12.910 --> 00:17:15.210 spring prior, when we had our water heater installed 00:17:15.210 --> 00:17:16.990 on the outside of the house in the early spring, 00:17:17.250 --> 00:17:20.890 they told me, you should probably insulate that 00:17:20.890 --> 00:17:25.309 thing pretty good in case it goes freezing for 00:17:25.309 --> 00:17:31.960 a long period of time. Did I do it? No. No. Because 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:35.460 it wasn't urgent. It never gets that cold for 00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:39.519 that long. I wasn't prepared. Do you know what 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.519 else I learned during that time? I wasn't the 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:45.480 only one. Because when I ran to the store to 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:48.099 get some heated tape and some insulation for 00:17:48.099 --> 00:17:53.369 my pipes, sold out. Sold out so so I got what 00:17:53.369 --> 00:17:55.990 I could and and I would spend time five minutes 00:17:55.990 --> 00:17:58.910 at a time ten minutes at a time In the cold with 00:17:58.910 --> 00:18:02.509 a heat gun or a blow dryer trying to get my water 00:18:02.509 --> 00:18:06.309 heater to kick on I Got it to work, but it would 00:18:06.309 --> 00:18:10.630 have been so much easier If I did it when it 00:18:10.630 --> 00:18:13.230 was installed. I shouldn't have delayed. I didn't 00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:19.089 sense the urgency But I wish I had What is your 00:18:19.369 --> 00:18:24.930 come before winter request. Has God called you 00:18:24.930 --> 00:18:28.069 to something and you keep thinking, I'll get 00:18:28.069 --> 00:18:31.890 to it when I have more time. I need to think 00:18:31.890 --> 00:18:35.069 about it for a few days and those days have turned 00:18:35.069 --> 00:18:38.849 into years. Has he called you to serve? Has he 00:18:38.849 --> 00:18:41.930 called you to share your faith? Has he placed 00:18:41.930 --> 00:18:44.910 a burden on you that you have been ignoring? 00:18:45.539 --> 00:18:48.599 Don't don't wait for the right time. This is 00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:53.099 a call to act quickly without hesitation The 00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:57.140 reality is that we don't know if if Timothy actually 00:18:57.140 --> 00:19:01.059 viewed this call from Paul is urgent We don't 00:19:01.059 --> 00:19:04.400 know if he made it to Rome before Paul was beheaded 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:07.559 Now if you tend to follow through things quickly, 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:09.160 you might think yeah, of course he made it who 00:19:09.160 --> 00:19:13.579 doesn't do things quickly If you're a procrastinator 00:19:14.269 --> 00:19:15.690 Then you're like, oh, there's no way he made 00:19:15.690 --> 00:19:17.990 it. Something distracted him, something happened, 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:22.210 whatever. But here's what I know. I believe that 00:19:22.210 --> 00:19:27.130 if Timothy did make it to Paul, if he took him 00:19:27.130 --> 00:19:29.750 out his word and came urgently, if he made it 00:19:29.750 --> 00:19:31.710 before winter, it would have been one of those 00:19:31.710 --> 00:19:35.529 moments that it was worth it for him. And he 00:19:35.529 --> 00:19:39.509 would have been so glad that he did. If he hesitated, 00:19:40.299 --> 00:19:42.880 and didn't make it until spring, I believe it 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:45.700 would have been one of those things that he regretted 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:49.000 for the rest of his life. I should have left 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:57.779 sooner. Regrets are almost always preceded by 00:19:57.779 --> 00:20:04.279 procrastination. They're always preceded by hesitation. 00:20:05.689 --> 00:20:07.630 I hear it all the time. I'm sure you do too. 00:20:07.710 --> 00:20:10.029 I wish I would have spent more time with my kids. 00:20:12.230 --> 00:20:14.009 I wish my wife and I would have gone to counseling 00:20:14.009 --> 00:20:19.130 sooner. I wish I'd made peace with my loved one 00:20:19.130 --> 00:20:24.269 before they passed away. I wish I had that conversation 00:20:24.269 --> 00:20:26.650 about the Lord with my friend because now I have 00:20:26.650 --> 00:20:31.349 no idea where they stand. I wish I would have 00:20:31.349 --> 00:20:33.730 insulated my water heater before winter came. 00:20:36.490 --> 00:20:38.470 And I know that we're all guilty of putting things 00:20:38.470 --> 00:20:44.049 off until the situation seems better. I'll slow 00:20:44.049 --> 00:20:45.910 down and spend time with my kids once I get that 00:20:45.910 --> 00:20:49.390 promotion. I'll reach out when I know they aren't 00:20:49.390 --> 00:20:53.410 so busy. I'll do some research and make sure 00:20:53.410 --> 00:20:56.789 I have all my answers figured out and then I'll 00:20:56.789 --> 00:21:01.309 share my faith. I'll serve somewhere when something 00:21:01.309 --> 00:21:05.630 worth my while comes available. C .S. Lewis writes 00:21:05.630 --> 00:21:10.609 a story about Satan and his apprentices in his 00:21:10.609 --> 00:21:14.190 book, The Screwtape Letters. The story is told 00:21:14.190 --> 00:21:17.789 of three apprentice devils who were coming to 00:21:17.789 --> 00:21:21.670 earth for their first assignment. They met with 00:21:21.670 --> 00:21:24.250 Satan who asked them what strategy they planned 00:21:24.250 --> 00:21:27.990 to follow. The first one said, I will tell people 00:21:27.990 --> 00:21:32.549 that there is no God. That will not work, said 00:21:32.549 --> 00:21:35.660 Satan. because in their heart of hearts, they 00:21:35.660 --> 00:21:39.740 know that there is a God. I will tell them, said 00:21:39.740 --> 00:21:43.200 the second, that there is no hell. That won't 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:46.680 work, because there is so much evil on the earth, 00:21:47.220 --> 00:21:51.480 they know there must be hell. Satan replied, 00:21:52.140 --> 00:21:54.440 and then the third apprentice devil thought for 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:56.980 a moment, and then he said, I will tell them 00:21:56.980 --> 00:22:05.289 that there is no hurry. Go. said Satan, tell 00:22:05.289 --> 00:22:10.730 them that, and you will ruin them by the millions. 00:22:11.930 --> 00:22:16.750 There is no hurry. How true is that of us? We 00:22:16.750 --> 00:22:19.990 might have good intentions, but if we don't follow 00:22:19.990 --> 00:22:24.769 through and act urgently, we could end up with 00:22:24.769 --> 00:22:29.150 a lot of regrets. James tells us in chapter four, 00:22:29.309 --> 00:22:31.789 verse 13, come now, you who say today or tomorrow. 00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:34.240 We will go into such and such a town and spend 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:37.019 a year there and trade and make a profit. Yet 00:22:37.019 --> 00:22:41.599 you do not know what tomorrow will bring. You 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:43.720 don't know what tomorrow will bring. It would 00:22:43.720 --> 00:22:47.380 be foolish. It would be foolish of all of us 00:22:47.380 --> 00:22:50.940 to think that you control what will happen in 00:22:50.940 --> 00:22:56.579 your life tomorrow. That's why it's imperative 00:22:56.579 --> 00:23:00.849 that when you feel the call from God, When you 00:23:00.849 --> 00:23:04.970 feel a call from God, you pursue it with urgency 00:23:04.970 --> 00:23:09.230 because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. What 00:23:09.230 --> 00:23:18.230 if, what if as adults, as children, what if we 00:23:18.230 --> 00:23:23.009 lived with urgency in regards to the things of 00:23:23.009 --> 00:23:28.750 God? What if we stopped praying for opportunities 00:23:28.750 --> 00:23:34.700 to serve? that fit what we want. And we just 00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:39.359 serve because the Bible tells us to. On Tuesday, 00:23:39.539 --> 00:23:41.299 Cena and I will celebrate 19 years of marriage. 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:46.099 I don't know if you remember that. 19 years of 00:23:46.099 --> 00:23:50.500 marriage. The Lord has been so good to me to 00:23:50.500 --> 00:23:53.980 give me a wife that is patient and gracious. 00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:58.359 Like any marriage, we have had our fair share 00:23:58.359 --> 00:24:02.839 of highs and lows. And within this last year 00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:05.579 or so, we've had a season of growth that has 00:24:05.579 --> 00:24:09.480 made us stronger than before. The reason we had 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:13.059 a season of growth is because there was an urgency 00:24:13.059 --> 00:24:17.019 in us to not tolerate the way things were going. 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:21.180 Our communication needed improving. Our decision 00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:24.920 -making needed some work. So instead of being 00:24:24.920 --> 00:24:27.819 content with how things were going, we sought 00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:30.079 help. And I'll be real honest with you, I did 00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:34.039 not enjoy it. In fact, I was pretty mad about 00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:38.079 it. Because going into it, I said what many of 00:24:38.079 --> 00:24:41.019 you have probably said, we have a good marriage, 00:24:41.140 --> 00:24:42.980 why mess it up by talking about our problems, 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:48.500 right? Why do we want to mess it up by bringing 00:24:48.500 --> 00:24:55.069 these things up? We would leave a session angry 00:24:55.069 --> 00:24:58.529 at each other. And I thought, why in the world 00:24:58.529 --> 00:25:04.549 are we doing this? Eight months later, I'm so 00:25:04.549 --> 00:25:13.589 glad that we did. What I was reminded of is that 00:25:13.589 --> 00:25:16.430 God doesn't tend to grow me when things are going 00:25:16.430 --> 00:25:21.170 well. He grows me in difficulty because it makes 00:25:21.170 --> 00:25:26.589 me stop and clear the things away in my life 00:25:26.589 --> 00:25:30.670 that are hindering growth. Through the difficulty, 00:25:30.670 --> 00:25:34.309 it causes me to look in the mirror and reflect 00:25:34.309 --> 00:25:38.150 on what needs to change in my life. I had to 00:25:38.150 --> 00:25:40.089 stop looking at Cena. She had to stop looking 00:25:40.089 --> 00:25:43.230 at me trying to fix each other. Well, you don't 00:25:43.230 --> 00:25:44.829 communicate well. Well, you don't communicate 00:25:44.829 --> 00:25:48.980 well. Well, that was a stupid decision. Well, 00:25:48.980 --> 00:25:53.859 yours is a stupid decision. God, what do you 00:25:53.859 --> 00:25:57.460 want from me in this moment? Now, anytime there's 00:25:57.460 --> 00:26:01.059 two sinners together, there's going to be an 00:26:01.059 --> 00:26:04.960 opportunity for some conflict. But there's also 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:09.279 an opportunity for growth. You can imagine the 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:13.339 same would be true of the church. Anytime you 00:26:13.339 --> 00:26:16.490 put a bunch of sinners like this together, and 00:26:16.490 --> 00:26:18.490 you put us in a relationship with one another, 00:26:18.849 --> 00:26:22.650 there's going to be opportunities for conflict. 00:26:24.670 --> 00:26:27.349 But there's going to be great opportunities for 00:26:27.349 --> 00:26:32.890 growth as well. As the head of my family, as 00:26:32.890 --> 00:26:36.089 the leader of my family, it is my responsibility 00:26:36.089 --> 00:26:40.049 to pursue growth and not be content with how 00:26:40.049 --> 00:26:44.539 things have been going. My prayer has been to 00:26:44.539 --> 00:26:50.980 daily ask the Lord, how do you want me to respond 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:54.680 to this situation? What are you trying to teach 00:26:54.680 --> 00:27:00.299 me through this? How do I honor you with my words 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:05.400 and my actions in my marriage? As the head of 00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:09.359 this church, it is my responsibility to pursue 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:13.920 spiritual growth for this church. That burden 00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:18.980 is on me. And there have been times that I have 00:27:18.980 --> 00:27:22.519 failed in that responsibility. Please forgive 00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:25.900 me for that. I wish I could tell you that I will 00:27:25.900 --> 00:27:29.180 never disappoint you again. I wish I could tell 00:27:29.180 --> 00:27:30.859 you that I will always handle things the right 00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:34.599 way, but I can't. But here is what I am willing 00:27:34.599 --> 00:27:40.259 to promise you. I will keep pursuing the Lord 00:27:40.259 --> 00:27:44.259 and asking him to make me more like Jesus. I 00:27:44.259 --> 00:27:48.019 will keep looking in the mirror and reflecting 00:27:48.019 --> 00:27:54.079 on the areas in which I can grow. That's my call 00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:59.180 to action. That's for me. But what about you? 00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:03.660 Is the Lord making a come before winter request 00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:10.210 to you? Is there something in you that you have 00:28:10.210 --> 00:28:13.910 been putting off? Has the enemy been telling 00:28:13.910 --> 00:28:16.609 you, there's no hurry. You got tomorrow, you 00:28:16.609 --> 00:28:21.970 got next week. I am so thankful for those of 00:28:21.970 --> 00:28:29.369 you who have stepped in to serve our church over 00:28:29.369 --> 00:28:32.849 the last couple of months. I am so grateful for 00:28:32.849 --> 00:28:38.869 the men who faithfully stood behind this pulpit 00:28:38.869 --> 00:28:44.390 in my absence. You have taken on extra responsibilities, 00:28:44.789 --> 00:28:48.109 you've gone above and beyond, and I am unbelievably 00:28:48.109 --> 00:28:52.890 grateful to the Lord for you. However, it revealed 00:28:52.890 --> 00:28:55.329 some things in our church that almost every church 00:28:55.329 --> 00:28:58.930 deals with. Every church deals with this almost. 00:28:59.329 --> 00:29:01.650 20 % of the members doing the work of the church. 00:29:04.660 --> 00:29:06.819 I believe with everything in me that this is 00:29:06.819 --> 00:29:10.519 a new season for our church. A season where God 00:29:10.519 --> 00:29:14.680 is gonna do unbelievable work through us. That 00:29:14.680 --> 00:29:19.539 will happen if we all work together. We need 00:29:19.539 --> 00:29:23.920 you. We need you, we need you to serve. We need 00:29:23.920 --> 00:29:26.160 you to use the gifts that God has given you. 00:29:26.500 --> 00:29:28.980 Now some things might seem small, that's no big 00:29:28.980 --> 00:29:32.660 deal, but they will be significant when it comes 00:29:32.660 --> 00:29:36.259 to operating. within the body of the church. 00:29:37.900 --> 00:29:39.579 Chuck, I think we have a QR code. Is that right? 00:29:40.259 --> 00:29:44.000 No? Yeah? Can you put it on the screen? We have 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:49.880 a QR code with a list of places that you can 00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:53.279 step in and serve. If you've wanted to get more 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:57.920 involved, but did not know how, this is for you. 00:29:58.460 --> 00:30:02.960 If you've wanted to take a step, this is for 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:09.740 you. Scan that QR code. We made a bunch of needs 00:30:09.740 --> 00:30:12.180 that we have around this church. And if one of 00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:14.819 those needs, one of your gifts isn't listed, 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.180 then send me an email, send Sandy an email, send 00:30:18.180 --> 00:30:20.380 one of us an email, and let us know, catch us 00:30:20.380 --> 00:30:24.220 after the service. We want to help you take the 00:30:24.220 --> 00:30:29.319 step of serving the Lord in this place. Don't 00:30:29.319 --> 00:30:31.279 wait till after this message. If the Lord is 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:33.440 calling you to come before winter and serve this 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:39.549 church, Just do it now. Do it now. Maybe the 00:30:39.549 --> 00:30:42.450 Lord is calling you to be a part of something 00:30:42.450 --> 00:30:44.950 that's bigger than you. Maybe you've just been 00:30:44.950 --> 00:30:47.769 coming here on Sundays, but you don't quite belong 00:30:47.769 --> 00:30:55.250 yet. You haven't connected yet. Next Sunday, 00:30:55.289 --> 00:30:58.049 we'll have a new members class where we will 00:30:58.049 --> 00:31:01.289 walk you through what it looks like to be a part 00:31:01.289 --> 00:31:05.700 of what God is doing at Cornerstone. I'd encourage 00:31:05.700 --> 00:31:08.900 you to attend. We need you. We need you to plug 00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:13.019 in here. Christianity, following the Lord is 00:31:13.019 --> 00:31:17.400 not a spectator sport. It takes every single 00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:19.559 one of us operating in the gifts that God has 00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:22.819 given us to accomplish what only he can accomplish 00:31:22.819 --> 00:31:27.160 through us. We need you. Is God calling you to 00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:31.660 be obedient to him and be baptized? In two weeks, 00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:34.480 we'll have a big celebration. It's one of my 00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:36.640 favorite weekends of the year. We'll go down 00:31:36.640 --> 00:31:39.920 to the Wapsi and would love to walk with you 00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:45.480 as you take that step of obedience. I would love 00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:47.920 to speak with you. I'd love to help you determine 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:50.440 if that's the right step for you to take. Is 00:31:50.440 --> 00:31:52.660 God calling you to walk in obedience and be baptized? 00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:58.279 We want to celebrate with you. Or maybe you are 00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:00.079 hearing the most urgent of calls from the Lord 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:05.200 and that's to trust in Him. You've gone your 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:09.140 entire life trying to fill the void that only 00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:12.880 He can. Scripture says that God has put eternity 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:16.279 into our hearts, which means that there is something 00:32:16.279 --> 00:32:19.619 greater than anything we could ever experience 00:32:19.619 --> 00:32:23.420 on this earth. There is a longing in us that 00:32:23.420 --> 00:32:26.339 no amount of money, no personal relationship, 00:32:26.660 --> 00:32:30.059 no career goal, no new toy will ever be able 00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:34.940 to fill. Our hearts can only be satisfied by 00:32:34.940 --> 00:32:38.500 a relationship with an eternal God who created 00:32:38.500 --> 00:32:43.380 you and loves you. He is a father who longs to 00:32:43.380 --> 00:32:47.720 see his children trust him and come to him. There's 00:32:47.720 --> 00:32:51.920 a story in the book of Exodus where God splits 00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:57.470 open the Red Sea. We just think about it. And 00:32:57.470 --> 00:33:00.410 so he opens the Red Sea so that his people can 00:33:00.410 --> 00:33:03.609 flee from their enemies and cross on dry land. 00:33:03.869 --> 00:33:05.849 If you grew up in church, you know the story. 00:33:07.450 --> 00:33:09.950 What you might not know is that early Jewish 00:33:09.950 --> 00:33:14.710 writings suggest that the sea didn't open up 00:33:14.710 --> 00:33:20.589 until people trusted that God would do it. There 00:33:20.589 --> 00:33:23.490 are stories that say that if you walked out into 00:33:23.490 --> 00:33:27.470 the sea, in full confidence that the Lord would 00:33:27.470 --> 00:33:30.930 save them. Even as the waves crashed over their 00:33:30.930 --> 00:33:33.869 heads, they trusted that God would provide a 00:33:33.869 --> 00:33:38.450 way, and he did. The sea opened up, thousands 00:33:38.450 --> 00:33:41.750 of people walked through because some were bold 00:33:41.750 --> 00:33:47.029 enough to trust that God would do it. Maybe the 00:33:47.029 --> 00:33:49.950 Lord is calling you to take the step into the 00:33:49.950 --> 00:33:55.490 water. so that He can show you the miraculous 00:33:55.490 --> 00:34:00.089 things He can do in your life. You are a sinner, 00:34:00.930 --> 00:34:05.609 unable to save yourself, unable to be righteous, 00:34:05.650 --> 00:34:09.349 which is why God sent His Son to die for our 00:34:09.349 --> 00:34:11.909 sin so that we could have His righteousness. 00:34:12.909 --> 00:34:16.210 So when God looks at me now, as messed up as 00:34:16.210 --> 00:34:20.050 I am, as flawed as I am, He doesn't see my errors. 00:34:20.250 --> 00:34:24.489 He doesn't see my mistakes. He sees Jesus. He 00:34:24.489 --> 00:34:28.849 sees His righteousness. He can do the same for 00:34:28.849 --> 00:34:30.769 you. The Bible says that all we have to do is 00:34:30.769 --> 00:34:35.409 come to realize that we are sinners. Understand 00:34:35.409 --> 00:34:38.909 that we are flawed people, that we are messed 00:34:38.909 --> 00:34:43.559 up, that we walk in sin daily. that we then believe 00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:48.139 that Jesus is the savior of the world, the perfect 00:34:48.139 --> 00:34:52.539 sacrifice for a just and holy God. We gotta believe 00:34:52.539 --> 00:34:58.059 that and then confess our sins before him. You 00:34:58.059 --> 00:35:01.360 can't earn salvation. You just have to accept 00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:06.710 it. That is the good news of the gospel. that 00:35:06.710 --> 00:35:10.909 we are redeemed sinners saved by grace. If we 00:35:10.909 --> 00:35:13.630 trust in not only that Jesus died for our sin, 00:35:14.010 --> 00:35:17.289 but he offers us abundant life in him because 00:35:17.289 --> 00:35:21.190 he not only died, but he was raised back to life 00:35:21.190 --> 00:35:24.650 so that he could show the world that he and he 00:35:24.650 --> 00:35:29.010 alone has power over sin and death. That's who 00:35:29.010 --> 00:35:32.530 we trust in. That's who we proclaim. This is 00:35:32.530 --> 00:35:36.969 why he is able to say that he is the only way 00:35:36.969 --> 00:35:41.610 that we can get to the Father. He's the only 00:35:41.610 --> 00:35:44.670 way. This is why I believe C .S. Lewis is correct 00:35:44.670 --> 00:35:47.349 in his book. Satan doesn't try to convince you 00:35:47.349 --> 00:35:51.590 there isn't a heaven or hell, because deep down 00:35:51.590 --> 00:35:56.590 in your soul you know that there is. Even the 00:35:56.590 --> 00:35:59.210 great theologians A .C .D .C. and Led Zeppelin 00:35:59.210 --> 00:36:07.070 know this. They agree with Jesus. There's a highway 00:36:07.070 --> 00:36:12.230 to hell, and a lot of people are on it. And there's 00:36:12.230 --> 00:36:19.349 a stairway to heaven, and few will find it. That 00:36:19.349 --> 00:36:25.309 isn't unloving. It's just. And anyone who calls 00:36:25.309 --> 00:36:32.139 upon the name of the Lord will be saved. So what's 00:36:32.139 --> 00:36:36.940 your come to winter request? I believe with everything 00:36:36.940 --> 00:36:41.539 in me that God's Spirit is alive and active in 00:36:41.539 --> 00:36:45.940 this church. I believe with everything in me 00:36:45.940 --> 00:36:52.099 that if you will ask Him, He will speak to you. 00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:56.059 He will make that request. He will put a burden 00:36:56.059 --> 00:36:58.539 on your heart. He will call you to obedience. 00:36:59.400 --> 00:37:04.010 We've wasted a lot of time. We've wasted a lot 00:37:04.010 --> 00:37:10.710 of time and that's my fault. But not anymore. 00:37:12.489 --> 00:37:17.750 It's time to go. It's a new season. If you are 00:37:17.750 --> 00:37:22.570 new here, this is your first Sunday, man. What 00:37:22.570 --> 00:37:25.710 a great Sunday to be here. What a great Sunday 00:37:25.710 --> 00:37:31.920 to be here. So glad that you are here. I'm gonna 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:35.460 ask you to join us. Join us as we chase the Lord. 00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:39.539 I'm gonna pray for us and then we'll celebrate 00:37:39.539 --> 00:37:42.539 communion together. Father God, I pray right 00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:45.719 now that your spirit will fall heavy on all of 00:37:45.719 --> 00:37:57.539 us. Father, my prayer is that you will find me 00:37:57.539 --> 00:38:05.570 faithful as we declare this truth. Father, I 00:38:05.570 --> 00:38:09.969 pray that you will, your voice, your guiding 00:38:09.969 --> 00:38:14.829 voice will echo in our hearts this morning. That 00:38:14.829 --> 00:38:17.849 we will know without a shadow of a doubt what 00:38:17.849 --> 00:38:25.650 you were calling us to. We pray for salvation 00:38:25.650 --> 00:38:29.929 to come to this room. There's no amount of words 00:38:29.929 --> 00:38:31.949 in the right particular order that I can convince 00:38:31.949 --> 00:38:38.000 anybody. But you can. Thank you for listening 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:41.480 today to 563 Church, a production of Cornerstone 00:38:41.480 --> 00:38:44.039 Church, Eldridge, Iowa. For more information 00:38:44.039 --> 00:38:46.099 about our church or just getting right with God, 00:38:46.659 --> 00:38:50.159 please visit us at 563church .com. You can also 00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:52.900 find us on Facebook and Instagram. Have a great 00:38:52.900 --> 00:38:53.179 week.