WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.800 will be in First John this morning, First John 00:00:01.800 --> 00:00:07.839 chapter two. Or as we continue to go through 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.439 the book of First John together, we're in week 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:16.519 three. Give you time to turn there. Sina and 00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:22.899 I have been to New York several times throughout 00:00:22.899 --> 00:00:26.300 our marriage together. We've been all over that 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:29.079 city. We've experienced most of what it has to 00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:34.329 offer. We've had a good time. There is this section 00:00:34.329 --> 00:00:39.210 in New York. I'm sure if you've been there, I'm 00:00:39.210 --> 00:00:41.070 sure you know it. There's a section in New York 00:00:41.070 --> 00:00:45.750 City called Times Square, where there is every 00:00:45.750 --> 00:00:48.909 kind of billboard and advertisement that you 00:00:48.909 --> 00:00:59.520 can imagine. Sounds like I'm in a hole. I blame 00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.399 Matthew. Don't be looking back. It's not Brandy, 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:16.319 it's Matthew. Keep talking. You know how to make 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:19.400 the situation better? Everybody turn around and 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:26.239 look at Matthew right now. Just fixes everything. 00:01:28.189 --> 00:01:30.629 So in Times Square, I'm just gonna deal with 00:01:30.629 --> 00:01:32.950 it. You are as well. All right, let them figure 00:01:32.950 --> 00:01:37.329 this out But in Times Square, there is every 00:01:37.329 --> 00:01:40.510 kind of billboard advertisement imaginable I'm 00:01:40.510 --> 00:01:42.909 sure you've heard the stories where like to rent 00:01:42.909 --> 00:01:45.769 one of those things to advertise in Times Square 00:01:45.769 --> 00:01:49.349 It's a exorbitant amount of money to advertise 00:01:49.349 --> 00:01:52.150 in that part of the city But companies are going 00:01:52.150 --> 00:01:55.469 to pay it They're gonna fork over the money because 00:01:55.469 --> 00:01:58.760 they want to get your attention Now, I don't 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:01.420 like Times Square, personally. It's stimulation 00:02:01.420 --> 00:02:03.540 overload for me. There's way too many people 00:02:03.540 --> 00:02:07.500 in a small space. Everything seems to be more 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:09.979 expensive in that area. If your shop is in Times 00:02:09.979 --> 00:02:14.139 Square, it's going to be more expensive. And 00:02:14.139 --> 00:02:15.680 what we've experienced when we've eaten down 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:17.740 there or shopped down there, it's really not 00:02:17.740 --> 00:02:19.740 any better than anywhere else. It's actually 00:02:19.740 --> 00:02:24.090 probably worse. Now, I would prefer to never, 00:02:24.090 --> 00:02:27.990 ever live in New York, but if I had to live in 00:02:27.990 --> 00:02:39.710 New York... Are we good? I'm about to turn it 00:02:39.710 --> 00:02:44.810 off, which would affect our live stream. If I 00:02:44.810 --> 00:02:48.270 had to live in New York, I would not want to 00:02:48.270 --> 00:02:50.490 live by Times Square. I would not want to live 00:02:50.490 --> 00:02:53.289 in that part of the area. It's just not who I 00:02:53.289 --> 00:02:58.150 am. I prefer a different kind of life. Not as 00:02:58.150 --> 00:03:01.830 flashy, not as appealing to the masses probably. 00:03:02.050 --> 00:03:05.849 Now, there are so many songs and movies about 00:03:05.849 --> 00:03:09.770 New York that people begin to think that living 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:12.789 there is the goal. Achieving what you can have 00:03:12.789 --> 00:03:15.580 there is the goal, right? We hear songs about 00:03:15.580 --> 00:03:18.819 it. It's the concrete jungle, right, where dreams 00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:22.800 are made of. Those streets will make you feel 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:28.560 brand new. I want to be a part of it. New York, 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:32.740 New York. That is the American dream that has 00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:35.400 been built into our culture so that even though 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:38.520 we might not actually live in New York, we still 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:42.039 spend our time and our energy chasing things 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:44.979 that we think are going to bring us success or 00:03:44.979 --> 00:03:50.819 joy. We spend so much time chasing things. chasing 00:03:50.819 --> 00:03:54.379 success, chasing acceptance or security, comfort 00:03:54.379 --> 00:03:57.479 or pleasure. That's what we spend so much time 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:01.379 and energy doing. But John reminds us that not 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:04.719 everything we chase is worth the cost. Some things 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:09.900 will simply not last. Some loves are misplaced. 00:04:10.259 --> 00:04:14.360 Some devotions are destructive to us. So as we 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:17.779 read this passage together, Let's focus on what 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:21.319 John is telling us and how we should live and 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:23.300 what we should love. All right, so we're gonna 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:25.680 start in first John chapter two. We're gonna 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.980 read, start in verse 12. If you're willing and 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:30.399 able, we'd love for you to stand as we honor 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:38.720 the Lord's word together. I am writing to you 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:40.740 little children because your sins are forgiven 00:04:40.740 --> 00:04:44.490 for his namesake. I am writing to you. fathers 00:04:44.490 --> 00:04:47.209 because you know him who is from the beginning. 00:04:48.129 --> 00:04:51.129 I am writing to you young men because you have 00:04:51.129 --> 00:04:54.250 overcome the evil one. I write to you children 00:04:54.250 --> 00:04:57.910 because you know the father. I write to you fathers 00:04:57.910 --> 00:05:00.810 because you know him who is from the beginning. 00:05:01.350 --> 00:05:04.290 I write to you young men because you were strong 00:05:04.290 --> 00:05:07.290 and the word of God abides in you and you have 00:05:07.290 --> 00:05:10.709 overcome the evil one. Do not love the world 00:05:10.709 --> 00:05:13.350 or the things in the world. If anyone loves the 00:05:13.350 --> 00:05:15.730 world, the love of the Father is not in him. 00:05:16.829 --> 00:05:18.810 For all that is in the world, the desires of 00:05:18.810 --> 00:05:22.370 the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride 00:05:22.370 --> 00:05:25.470 of life is not from the Father, but it is from 00:05:25.470 --> 00:05:29.069 the world. And the world is passing away along 00:05:29.069 --> 00:05:32.250 with its desires, but whoever does the will of 00:05:32.250 --> 00:05:36.430 God abides forever. Let's pray. Father, as we 00:05:36.430 --> 00:05:39.500 look at this text, As we navigate through it, 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:42.060 as we understand it, I pray that you will open 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:45.100 up our hearts and ears to hear from you. Help 00:05:45.100 --> 00:05:48.379 us see how we should live our lives. Help us 00:05:48.379 --> 00:05:50.879 see what we need to be chasing. Help us see what 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.680 matters most in this world. I pray all these 00:05:53.680 --> 00:06:01.939 things in Jesus' name. Amen. So if you look at 00:06:01.939 --> 00:06:05.259 this text, you'll notice pretty quickly that 00:06:05.259 --> 00:06:09.089 John is writing to three distinct groups of people. 00:06:09.170 --> 00:06:12.490 He's writing to children. He's writing to fathers 00:06:12.490 --> 00:06:15.689 and he's writing to young men. Now, I don't want 00:06:15.689 --> 00:06:17.610 you ladies to check out and think that this has 00:06:17.610 --> 00:06:19.750 nothing to do with you. He's only writing to 00:06:19.750 --> 00:06:21.750 the male gender. That's that's not what's happening 00:06:21.750 --> 00:06:24.230 in this text. Instead, I want you to think about 00:06:24.230 --> 00:06:27.790 all these groups of people as a various stage 00:06:27.790 --> 00:06:32.009 of our spiritual walk with the Lord. And we all 00:06:32.009 --> 00:06:35.290 fit into one of these three categories. All right. 00:06:35.430 --> 00:06:38.079 And so Listen to see which group you fit in. 00:06:38.100 --> 00:06:41.579 Let's look at the first group and John Verses 00:06:41.579 --> 00:06:44.720 12 and 13 John writes that the little children 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:48.040 have their sins forgiven and that they know the 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:51.819 father This is where it all begins. This is the 00:06:51.819 --> 00:06:55.639 starting point forgiveness and relationship If 00:06:55.639 --> 00:07:00.139 you're in Christ your sins are forgiven not because 00:07:00.139 --> 00:07:03.980 you earned it, but John says for his name's sake 00:07:04.300 --> 00:07:08.339 If you are in Christ, that's who you are. That's 00:07:08.339 --> 00:07:11.000 grace. You are forgiven. Not because of anything 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:14.319 you've done. That's the gospel. You are known. 00:07:14.420 --> 00:07:17.019 You are understood. You are loved. This is where 00:07:17.019 --> 00:07:20.560 we have to start. Some of us fall into this category 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:25.060 because we are new to the faith. We are new to 00:07:25.060 --> 00:07:28.560 Jesus. And we might not know much. We might not 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:30.740 know all these intricacies of different doctrines 00:07:30.740 --> 00:07:33.779 and theologies, but this is where we are. We 00:07:33.779 --> 00:07:37.600 are new creations in Christ. Now, I remember, 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:39.339 some of you might relate to this, I remember 00:07:39.339 --> 00:07:41.560 when Sina and I first started having babies, 00:07:42.060 --> 00:07:44.769 I was just... Proud. For no reason at all. I 00:07:44.769 --> 00:07:48.589 was just so proud. I would say things about my 00:07:48.589 --> 00:07:51.389 children like, this is my daughter. Like I am 00:07:51.389 --> 00:07:53.449 so proud of her. I'm holding her in my hands 00:07:53.449 --> 00:07:57.269 like this. Or this is my son. I just love him 00:07:57.269 --> 00:08:01.850 so much. Now as a parent, you understand exactly 00:08:01.850 --> 00:08:05.670 what I mean. You understood the reality of that. 00:08:06.790 --> 00:08:10.290 Thankfully, nobody ever asked me why I was so 00:08:10.290 --> 00:08:12.699 proud. Because the reality is they had never 00:08:12.699 --> 00:08:15.120 done anything. Like the only thing that they 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:18.199 were good at was spitting up on me or pooping 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:21.399 their pants. Like I'm not necessarily proud of 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:24.500 that aspect of it. That's not a lot to brag about. 00:08:25.100 --> 00:08:29.139 But I was proud of my children because they were 00:08:29.139 --> 00:08:33.179 mine. They didn't have to do anything to earn 00:08:33.179 --> 00:08:37.360 my love except be in existence. That's who they 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:40.480 are. Now since they've gotten older and they 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:44.279 have for sure done things, said things, or handled 00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:48.600 situations that have made me proud of them, but 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:51.039 it didn't change my love for them at all. If 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:54.320 they get all A's or they fail every class, that 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:56.980 doesn't change my love for them. If one of them 00:08:56.980 --> 00:08:59.980 gets nominated for Student of the Week and the 00:08:59.980 --> 00:09:02.940 other doesn't, it does not change my love for 00:09:02.940 --> 00:09:05.620 them. I love my children because they are mine. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:09.000 That is what we all have to understand about 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:12.980 God. We don't earn his love. He gives it to us 00:09:12.980 --> 00:09:16.620 because we are his Now I do hope that my life 00:09:16.620 --> 00:09:19.279 I live my life in such a way that I make him 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:22.700 proud as a father But it doesn't change my identity 00:09:22.700 --> 00:09:27.360 of who I am in Christ And I think sometimes we 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:31.919 think God views us the same way we view we were 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.340 viewed as children or maybe even how we raise 00:09:35.340 --> 00:09:39.000 our own children. We think we have to do things. 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:42.879 We have to accomplish things. We need to not 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:46.360 embarrass the family. We need to make good decisions 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:49.279 or go get awards or go earn accomplishments and 00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:52.000 get all this recognition. And what happens is 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:56.919 we build our entire identity in doing and accomplishing 00:09:56.919 --> 00:10:00.120 in order to be accepted. And I think sometimes 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:02.240 we view God that way, that we have to accomplish 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:04.299 things in order for Him to love us. But that's 00:10:04.299 --> 00:10:08.000 not how God operates. Our starting point with 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:11.899 Him is acceptance because of what Jesus has done 00:10:11.899 --> 00:10:15.120 for us on the cross. So if you are a believer 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:18.620 in Jesus, this is where we start. This is the 00:10:18.620 --> 00:10:21.519 foundation. This is what makes us His children, 00:10:22.019 --> 00:10:26.320 that we know that our sins are forgiven. and 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:30.299 because we know who God is. But then there's 00:10:30.299 --> 00:10:32.200 this second group of people that John addresses, 00:10:32.659 --> 00:10:36.059 and it's this group of fathers. Now both times 00:10:36.059 --> 00:10:39.080 that he mentions fathers in this text, he says 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:41.919 it's because they have known him from the beginning. 00:10:42.620 --> 00:10:45.360 They've known him from the beginning. Now typically, 00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:49.240 a father has some maturity to him. Not in all 00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:51.740 cases, but a lot of times, a father has some 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:55.399 maturity to him. There's a depth of relationship 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:59.500 that comes with time and it comes with faithfulness. 00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:02.879 These believers that he's referring to as fathers 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:07.120 have walked with God long enough to know his 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:10.500 unchanging character. They know that he is faithful. 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:13.720 They've seen storms throughout their life and 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:16.879 yet they still know that God is faithful. This 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.179 role would be where we want to end up in our 00:11:20.179 --> 00:11:22.940 Christian walk before God takes us home. This 00:11:22.940 --> 00:11:26.100 should be our goal in our Christian journey. 00:11:26.220 --> 00:11:30.100 We should have a desire to be steady in our faith 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:32.879 and not be swayed by whatever circumstances are 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:36.200 coming our way. There's this show that Cena and 00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:39.379 I have watched many times, and in this show there's 00:11:39.379 --> 00:11:43.120 this one scene, and his family is driving in 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.419 a car, and it's late at night, and everyone is 00:11:46.419 --> 00:11:48.919 asleep in the car except the dad, obviously, 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:51.960 because he's driving. This is before Tesla's. 00:11:54.319 --> 00:11:57.379 And they're driving down this dark road through 00:11:57.379 --> 00:12:00.860 this forest, and you can barely see in front 00:12:00.860 --> 00:12:02.940 of the car, maybe 10, 15 feet with the headlights 00:12:02.940 --> 00:12:06.100 on. You can barely see what's going on. In the 00:12:06.100 --> 00:12:09.720 back seat, one of the kids wakes up and is scared 00:12:09.720 --> 00:12:11.519 because he can't see what's in front of him. 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:14.440 He doesn't know what's going to happen. He then 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:16.940 looks at his dad. His dad doesn't say anything, 00:12:16.980 --> 00:12:20.139 but his dad just had this calm demeanor, didn't 00:12:20.139 --> 00:12:25.220 seem nervous at all, just steady, driving forward. 00:12:25.960 --> 00:12:29.960 The dad's calm demeanor brings peace to his boy. 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:32.960 You can tell the dad's done this before. He's 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:36.940 driven this road before. Now later on, the dad 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:40.000 confesses that he was nervous too, but there 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:42.340 was this sense of peace that came about him because 00:12:42.340 --> 00:12:45.120 he had done this enough times and he had experience. 00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:49.399 Now, if you drive enough roads or you live enough 00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:52.259 life, there is a wisdom that comes from that. 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.399 There's a wisdom in understanding that. Could 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:57.639 a deer jump out in the middle of the road at 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:00.980 any moment and cause a tragedy? Yes. The Father 00:13:00.980 --> 00:13:04.100 can't keep tragedies from happening. But there's 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:06.740 still this peace that comes from walking in this 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:09.919 experience. Someone that has walked with the 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:13.720 Lord for a period of time just has this overwhelming 00:13:13.720 --> 00:13:16.799 sense of peace because they know that God has 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:19.570 been faithful to them since the beginning. that 00:13:19.570 --> 00:13:22.990 God is never changing. A father has experienced 00:13:22.990 --> 00:13:26.429 tragedy. He's experienced hard situations. He's 00:13:26.429 --> 00:13:29.570 experienced loss. At the same time, he's experienced 00:13:29.570 --> 00:13:32.669 all the good that comes from life as well. So 00:13:32.669 --> 00:13:36.710 when something goes wrong in your life, a father 00:13:36.710 --> 00:13:40.049 is there to help you walk through it and be that 00:13:40.049 --> 00:13:42.750 steady voice of wisdom, be that steady voice 00:13:42.750 --> 00:13:45.610 of calming, reminding you who God is and that 00:13:45.610 --> 00:13:49.269 he's faithful. We should all strive to be spiritually 00:13:49.269 --> 00:13:52.110 mature in our walk with the Lord, just like John 00:13:52.110 --> 00:13:54.509 talks about with these fathers. Now the third 00:13:54.509 --> 00:13:57.379 group that John mentions is young men. And he 00:13:57.379 --> 00:14:00.220 says that they are strong and have overcome the 00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:03.000 evil one. This is how he describes them. The 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:06.320 way you become a father is first you have to 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:10.080 go through the process of maturity. Young believers 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:13.539 who are growing in their faith are learning how 00:14:13.539 --> 00:14:18.220 to fight real spiritual battles. John says, you've 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:22.159 overcome the evil one. That's a win. He says, 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:25.250 because the word of God abides in you. It's not 00:14:25.250 --> 00:14:29.690 your strength, it's God's truth that strengthens 00:14:29.690 --> 00:14:32.470 you. That's how you're able to overcome. Now 00:14:32.470 --> 00:14:35.889 when I was younger, you know, a teenager or whatever, 00:14:37.009 --> 00:14:41.789 I knew that I wanted to be a dad someday. I wanted 00:14:41.789 --> 00:14:45.129 to be able to raise a family. I wanted to experience 00:14:45.129 --> 00:14:48.470 the joy that comes from seeing children grow. 00:14:49.079 --> 00:14:51.840 But thank goodness. I wasn't I didn't have children 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:53.860 when I was 14 or 15 years old that would have 00:14:53.860 --> 00:14:57.460 ended badly for all of us right I had a lot of 00:14:57.460 --> 00:14:59.779 life to learn before I started having children 00:14:59.779 --> 00:15:03.159 So it was a desire of mine to have children But 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:05.720 but I wouldn't have known what I was doing at 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:07.580 that time some days I don't know what I'm doing 00:15:07.580 --> 00:15:10.120 now So it would have been much worse back in 00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:13.919 the day now as a young believer as a young man 00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:19.039 in this text, there's all kinds of battles that 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:22.139 you have to learn how to fight. There's all kinds 00:15:22.139 --> 00:15:24.899 of things that you have to learn in order to 00:15:24.899 --> 00:15:27.960 gain wisdom. There's all these kinds of trials 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:30.960 and triumphs that you have to learn how to navigate 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:34.379 and how to walk through. So when Sina and I first 00:15:34.379 --> 00:15:37.580 got married and we moved to Ohio to start our 00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:40.559 first church, we'd been married about six months 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:44.399 at the time. We were both 23 years old and we 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:46.440 thought, hey, this seems like a good idea. Let's 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:48.679 go move to a part of the country away from our 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:51.500 family and start a church in a kind of a difficult 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:56.320 area. And so that that was lacking wisdom. Right. 00:15:56.899 --> 00:15:58.419 But some good things happen. But here's what 00:15:58.419 --> 00:16:00.179 I learned pretty quick about that situation. 00:16:00.659 --> 00:16:05.139 I was unable to really help people when they 00:16:05.139 --> 00:16:08.799 came to me for marriage advice. I for sure couldn't 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:10.899 help them at all when it comes to to raising 00:16:10.899 --> 00:16:12.679 kids and parenting because I didn't have any. 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:15.840 Now I could tell them what the Bible said about 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:18.200 raising children, about marriage, but it didn't 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:22.000 carry as much weight because I didn't have the 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.639 experience behind it. Cena and I were still in 00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:27.600 our honeymoon phase for the most part. You remember 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:32.259 those days? We hadn't had any major blow -ups 00:16:32.259 --> 00:16:36.100 at that point. Nobody had slept on the couch 00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:39.500 yet, if you will. We hadn't really been tested 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:42.500 yet It only been six months and so when somebody 00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:45.299 came to me asking for marriage advice because 00:16:45.299 --> 00:16:47.500 they were on the verge of divorce The only thing 00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:50.600 I could really offer them was to say well God 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:54.259 hates divorce Right because that's all I had 00:16:54.259 --> 00:16:58.179 that it's true But it wasn't necessarily what 00:16:58.179 --> 00:17:02.179 they wanted to hear in that moment, but now Over 00:17:02.179 --> 00:17:05.400 19 years in, I don't know if I've ever had a 00:17:05.400 --> 00:17:08.079 marriage discussion with someone who was seeking 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.940 help where I haven't been able to relate to what 00:17:10.940 --> 00:17:12.900 they are going through. I haven't been able to 00:17:12.900 --> 00:17:15.460 offer some sort of advice on how we navigated 00:17:15.460 --> 00:17:20.140 a situation. I am now able to use my experience 00:17:20.140 --> 00:17:24.079 with God's Word and it carries a lot more weight 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:28.279 as we minister to people because I've lived through 00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:32.670 it. I can testify to the fact that God's Word 00:17:32.670 --> 00:17:36.230 is true in regards to how I treat my wife. God's 00:17:36.230 --> 00:17:38.609 Word is true in regards to how I am supposed 00:17:38.609 --> 00:17:42.690 to love her and lead her in that way. But to 00:17:42.690 --> 00:17:45.210 be honest, and not to scare anybody away, this 00:17:45.210 --> 00:17:49.230 stage, this spiritual stage on your walk is the 00:17:49.230 --> 00:17:54.009 most difficult stage. This is the stage where 00:17:54.009 --> 00:17:57.069 more people throw in the towel because it's difficult. 00:17:58.519 --> 00:18:03.460 Learning life lessons is hard. Sanctification 00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:07.259 is hard. Now I've seen so many people over the 00:18:07.259 --> 00:18:10.240 years come to faith and the Lord just completely 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.940 changes their life. It's like night and day difference. 00:18:13.059 --> 00:18:14.900 The Lord just completely changes their life. 00:18:15.220 --> 00:18:17.539 But when it comes to growing in knowledge, when 00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:19.680 it comes to pursuing the Lord, when it comes 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:23.700 to navigating life, they tend to quit because 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:26.700 the world seems so much better. The world seems 00:18:26.700 --> 00:18:30.359 so much easier. So here in this text, John is 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:32.940 giving us a pep talk. Those of us that are in 00:18:32.940 --> 00:18:36.019 the young men category, he's giving us a pep 00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:39.079 talk. He says, you have overcome the evil one. 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:43.200 Meaning you've heard a call from God, you've 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:45.900 received salvation because of your faith in him. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:50.619 That is the number one thing the evil one is 00:18:50.619 --> 00:18:53.160 trying to stop from happening. And he's saying, 00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:56.240 you've overcome him. You've heard the Lord's 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:58.920 voice. This is something that we need to remember 00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:02.279 in that daily struggle of walking with the Lord. 00:19:02.539 --> 00:19:05.019 And I don't think we dwell on that reality enough. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:08.099 I don't think we understand what happens at the 00:19:08.099 --> 00:19:11.039 moment of salvation. There was a moment where 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:13.900 you surrendered your life to the Lord and he 00:19:13.900 --> 00:19:18.299 changed it forever. I mean, that's a huge victory. 00:19:18.460 --> 00:19:21.819 That's a huge moment. I don't care how old or 00:19:21.819 --> 00:19:25.539 how young you were when it happened. It's a massive 00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:29.460 win. You overcame the evil one. So John reminds 00:19:29.460 --> 00:19:32.039 the young believers that they are strong, that 00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:35.190 the word of God abides in them. Now, when we 00:19:35.190 --> 00:19:38.349 think about God's Word being in us, it means 00:19:38.349 --> 00:19:41.470 that His teachings have taken root. It's taken 00:19:41.470 --> 00:19:45.390 root in our hearts. This goes well beyond just 00:19:45.390 --> 00:19:48.529 knowing the difference between right and wrong. 00:19:48.809 --> 00:19:51.869 It means that as we follow the Holy Spirit's 00:19:51.869 --> 00:19:54.410 direction, we know not only what is right and 00:19:54.410 --> 00:19:57.569 wrong, but we also know the path towards abundant 00:19:57.569 --> 00:20:00.950 life. We know where he's taking us. It means 00:20:00.950 --> 00:20:04.390 that just because something is legal doesn't 00:20:04.390 --> 00:20:07.869 mean that it will necessarily honor God. For 00:20:07.869 --> 00:20:12.089 instance, you can legally have an affair. No 00:20:12.089 --> 00:20:15.089 one's going to throw you in jail for that. You 00:20:15.089 --> 00:20:18.210 can legally get sloppy drunk in your basement 00:20:18.210 --> 00:20:20.650 on a Tuesday night. Nobody's going to throw you 00:20:20.650 --> 00:20:24.490 in jail for that. You can legally have sex outside 00:20:24.490 --> 00:20:27.630 of marriage. You can legally treat your spouse 00:20:27.630 --> 00:20:30.509 like trash, and there's not a thing the cops 00:20:30.509 --> 00:20:33.670 are going to do to you. But as you walk with 00:20:33.670 --> 00:20:37.069 the Lord, as you grow closer to Him, as you submit 00:20:37.069 --> 00:20:40.329 to His will for your life, there's something 00:20:40.329 --> 00:20:44.009 in you that realizes that your behavior does 00:20:44.009 --> 00:20:47.930 not honor Him. And those are the lessons that 00:20:47.930 --> 00:20:50.849 make it difficult when we are growing in Christ. 00:20:51.900 --> 00:20:54.660 But John says, remember you were strong. You 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:58.660 can do it. Remember you've already won a major 00:20:58.660 --> 00:21:02.019 battle against the enemy. And then you kind of 00:21:02.019 --> 00:21:03.920 learn how to tune out all the other things so 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:06.880 that you can hear the Lord's voice as he's leading 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:10.880 you to abundant life. So what's the common thread? 00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:12.799 There's all these different groups of people. 00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:15.440 There's these three different groups of people 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:18.200 on their journey. But here's what I need you 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:21.880 to know. Each group is defined by their relationship 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:25.319 with God. John reminds us that our identity is 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:29.220 secure. We are forgiven. We know the Father. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:32.640 We are victorious through Christ. This assurance 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:35.579 is the foundation of our faith. We don't have 00:21:35.579 --> 00:21:39.200 to earn anything. No matter where you are, in 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:41.819 your spiritual journey, whether you're new to 00:21:41.819 --> 00:21:44.079 the faith, whether you're growing in strength, 00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:48.059 whether you're seasoned in wisdom, God's grace 00:21:48.059 --> 00:21:51.759 covers you. Your sins are forgiven, not because 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:54.900 of your works, but because of Jesus' sacrifice. 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:57.839 That's our starting point, and it's a truth that 00:21:57.839 --> 00:22:02.220 we must hold fast. So that's the encouragement 00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:05.619 part of this passage. But then John shifts, in 00:22:05.619 --> 00:22:09.829 verse 15, he shifts to a warning. He says not 00:22:09.829 --> 00:22:12.170 to love the world or the things in this world. 00:22:13.369 --> 00:22:15.369 And so he's saying this is your identity in Christ. 00:22:16.190 --> 00:22:18.890 This is who you are. You are forgiven. You are 00:22:18.890 --> 00:22:21.809 strong. You are victorious. This is who you are. 00:22:22.109 --> 00:22:25.109 And so he says because of that, don't love the 00:22:25.109 --> 00:22:28.309 world. Don't love the things of this world. Now 00:22:28.309 --> 00:22:31.289 this isn't about hating creation because we know 00:22:31.289 --> 00:22:34.190 that God's world is good. John is talking about 00:22:34.190 --> 00:22:39.450 don't love the world system. Don't pursue values 00:22:39.450 --> 00:22:43.009 and desires that oppose God's kingdom. He lists 00:22:43.009 --> 00:22:46.369 three temptations. The first one is the lust 00:22:46.369 --> 00:22:51.390 of the flesh. Now I think when we hear the word 00:22:51.390 --> 00:22:54.369 lust, we automatically go straight to sexual 00:22:54.369 --> 00:22:58.910 sin. Now that's a part of it for sure, but what 00:22:58.910 --> 00:23:01.369 he's talking about is all those things that aren't 00:23:01.369 --> 00:23:06.690 good for us. It's the pursuit. of instant gratification 00:23:06.690 --> 00:23:10.230 and a lack of self -control. I mean, how many 00:23:10.230 --> 00:23:14.730 of us have used the phrase, just this once for 00:23:14.730 --> 00:23:16.789 something? How many times have we used that? 00:23:18.069 --> 00:23:21.849 Like, I shouldn't have this piece of cake, but 00:23:21.849 --> 00:23:23.970 just this once, it's not gonna hurt anything, 00:23:24.829 --> 00:23:28.730 or whatever it is we use to justify it. And the 00:23:28.730 --> 00:23:30.569 next thing you know, you've finished the piece 00:23:30.569 --> 00:23:32.670 of cake, and you feel bad about you and all the 00:23:32.670 --> 00:23:34.150 decisions you've made the rest of the day, right? 00:23:36.099 --> 00:23:38.940 Now I'm not a very good fisherman, but I have 00:23:38.940 --> 00:23:42.359 learned a few things If you just throw a hook 00:23:42.359 --> 00:23:46.140 into the water the chances of a fish Biting it 00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:49.859 are pretty slim So what you have to do is you 00:23:49.859 --> 00:23:52.619 have to cover the hook somehow You put a worm 00:23:52.619 --> 00:23:55.960 on it or you put some sort of lure on it and 00:23:55.960 --> 00:24:00.000 the goal The goal is for the fish to not be able 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:02.819 to tell That if they were to bite down on that 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:05.480 worm or bite down on that lure it could end their 00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:07.480 life We don't want the fish to recognize that 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:09.859 or realize that. Now, most of the time, when 00:24:09.859 --> 00:24:12.720 we catch a fish, we unhook it, and then we throw 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:17.059 it back in the water. It still lives. But it 00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:19.240 probably has a good scar on its mouth or on its 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:23.500 gill. It receives some sort of damage. Or in 00:24:23.500 --> 00:24:25.180 my case, when my children are holding it and 00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:26.880 they can't hold it, it flops all over the ground. 00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:29.180 It probably has some sort of severe brain damage. 00:24:29.220 --> 00:24:32.200 I don't know how that works with fish. But but 00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:34.920 hopefully we get it back in the water and it's 00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:38.460 it continues to live That that is how lust of 00:24:38.460 --> 00:24:42.200 the flesh work That they are appealing but but 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:45.440 they are going to leave some scar tissue at minimum 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:49.440 Or at worst they're going to destroy your life 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:53.599 We don't see the dangers in it we just see something 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:56.819 that's shiny now I've learned that the hard way 00:24:56.819 --> 00:25:03.269 I have to be protective of what I look at, because 00:25:03.269 --> 00:25:05.509 it's led me down a rabbit hole many times that 00:25:05.509 --> 00:25:09.329 I didn't plan on going down. So now I know there 00:25:09.329 --> 00:25:11.829 are certain shows, there are certain movies that 00:25:11.829 --> 00:25:14.809 I know if I watch them, it's not gonna go well 00:25:14.809 --> 00:25:19.309 for me. They might seem harmless, but my wisdom 00:25:19.309 --> 00:25:21.869 has shown that that's proven to be dangerous. 00:25:22.170 --> 00:25:24.990 If I engage in that activity, it's going to be 00:25:24.990 --> 00:25:28.190 dangerous for me. The warning here from John 00:25:28.190 --> 00:25:32.950 is to be very wary of anything that offers instant 00:25:32.950 --> 00:25:36.329 gratification because it's most likely a lure 00:25:36.329 --> 00:25:38.750 that the enemy is waving in front of you to get 00:25:38.750 --> 00:25:41.529 your attention. Anything that brings instant 00:25:41.529 --> 00:25:44.930 gratification is most likely not from the Lord. 00:25:45.509 --> 00:25:48.690 Then he addresses the lust of the eyes. This 00:25:48.690 --> 00:25:53.319 is essentially coveting what we see. So many 00:25:53.319 --> 00:25:58.500 people are like my nine -year -old. We don't 00:25:58.500 --> 00:26:01.279 like taking him to the store. Because if we walk 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:03.940 him through a store, he wants everything. Even 00:26:03.940 --> 00:26:06.819 if he already has one back at home. He wants 00:26:06.819 --> 00:26:09.279 everything. It doesn't matter that he has one 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:13.240 at home, he wants a new one. And then if you're 00:26:13.240 --> 00:26:17.200 like my nine -year -old, you'll begin to rationalize 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:21.240 why it's... The one he has at home is no longer 00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:25.700 any good, and he needs a new one. It's a constant 00:26:25.700 --> 00:26:29.799 cycle that we are trying to break him of. Now, 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:32.299 he's also the baby of the family, so he has each 00:26:32.299 --> 00:26:34.400 and every one of us wrapped around his finger, 00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:38.079 so it's proven to be difficult. But if we don't 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:41.920 get a handle on this, if we don't work and pray 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:43.839 that God would change his heart, he's going to 00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:49.240 be chasing something his entire life. The lust 00:26:49.240 --> 00:26:54.460 of the eyes, as John describes, it's that craving 00:26:54.460 --> 00:27:00.359 for what we see. Things that glitter. Things 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:02.299 that have empty promises. They have no lasting 00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:06.700 value. And it's not just material goods, it's 00:27:06.700 --> 00:27:08.859 the envy we have when we're scrolling through 00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:11.480 social media. It's seeing somebody's vacation 00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:13.819 pictures. It's seeing somebody's perfect family 00:27:13.819 --> 00:27:16.180 portraits. It's seeing that they got a promotion, 00:27:16.420 --> 00:27:19.339 or they bought a new house, or whatever it is. 00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:22.619 And we forget that all that stuff is filtered 00:27:22.619 --> 00:27:25.619 through at whatever, right? I wish I looked young 00:27:25.619 --> 00:27:29.660 like her, not realizing that she's probably gone 00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:32.160 through 14 different filters before she posts 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:37.339 that thing, right? It's envying that family portrait, 00:27:37.539 --> 00:27:40.380 not understanding that behind the scenes, their 00:27:40.380 --> 00:27:43.559 life is a wreck. We envy these things. It's like 00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:47.039 a mirage in the desert. It looks like it's gonna 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:49.819 satisfy, but it pulls us away from the truth 00:27:49.819 --> 00:27:53.000 of God's word. They're temporary, they're fleeting. 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:56.319 John says they're from the world and not from 00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:59.579 the Father. And the third warning is to avoid 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:04.119 the pride of life. So this is who you are in 00:28:04.119 --> 00:28:06.259 Christ the third warning is do not have pride 00:28:06.259 --> 00:28:11.440 in life Now I used to work at a large national 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:16.240 bank My job was to sell financial products in 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:19.920 hopes of making the customers more loyal to the 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:23.200 bank So if I could get you into a checking account, 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:25.539 that's okay But it would be even better if I 00:28:25.539 --> 00:28:27.440 could also get you into a savings account or 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:30.380 maybe a credit card or or even better a mortgage 00:28:30.380 --> 00:28:33.869 Because if I got you into more products that 00:28:33.869 --> 00:28:35.750 would make it less likely that you would leave 00:28:35.750 --> 00:28:39.329 our bank and go to another one. Now, my first 00:28:39.329 --> 00:28:43.450 quarter, after I got the hang of the system and 00:28:43.450 --> 00:28:46.750 how this all worked, my first quarter I was number 00:28:46.750 --> 00:28:51.349 three in the nation in sales. It was a proud 00:28:51.349 --> 00:28:55.049 moment. It was a good thing. But after that quarter 00:28:55.049 --> 00:28:58.150 I set my eyes to become number one the next quarter. 00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.740 And so I got focused and I set a goal that anybody 00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:04.680 that was to come and sit at my desk, even if 00:29:04.680 --> 00:29:06.960 you were just coming to argue a charge on your 00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:10.259 debit card, my goal was to get you to walk away 00:29:10.259 --> 00:29:13.220 with some other product. And so every single 00:29:13.220 --> 00:29:16.720 person that came to my desk, I tried to convince 00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:19.380 them that they needed this account or they needed 00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:23.420 this line item or whatever it was. At the end 00:29:23.420 --> 00:29:26.460 of that quarter, I was number one in sales across 00:29:26.460 --> 00:29:32.079 the entire company. I was pumped. I could see 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:35.079 the promotions coming. I could see the bonus 00:29:35.079 --> 00:29:37.200 that was headed my way. I could see that I was 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:41.240 gonna get a brand new, bigger office. I wanted 00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:43.359 all of those things because I'd worked really 00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:45.559 hard to get them. But do you know what I got? 00:29:47.259 --> 00:29:50.839 I got a certificate and some encouragement to 00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:55.640 do even better the next quarter. I mean, it crushed 00:29:55.640 --> 00:30:01.660 me. It took all the wind out of my sails. My 00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:05.460 entire identity was being the best in the company 00:30:05.460 --> 00:30:09.519 and it lasted for less than a week. This is the 00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:11.619 pride of life that John is warning us about. 00:30:12.440 --> 00:30:15.640 The desire to boast in our achievements, to boast 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:17.920 in our status, to make others look at what we 00:30:17.920 --> 00:30:21.740 have built as if it defines our worth. It's the 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:25.200 temptation to measure our value. by job titles 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:28.900 or bank accounts or size of house or whatever. 00:30:30.059 --> 00:30:34.259 Maybe it's flaunting a new car. Maybe it's name 00:30:34.259 --> 00:30:37.339 dropping connections or running our picture through 00:30:37.339 --> 00:30:39.240 a bunch of filters so that we look younger or 00:30:39.240 --> 00:30:42.460 more athletic than we are. Scripture says that 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:46.000 that's like a house built on sand. It looks pretty. 00:30:46.640 --> 00:30:49.240 It looks like it's okay. But once it comes under 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:51.019 any sort of pressure, it's going to crumble. 00:30:51.420 --> 00:30:56.650 It's fleeting. It's not from the Father. God 00:30:56.650 --> 00:31:00.029 calls us doesn't matter which category you're 00:31:00.029 --> 00:31:06.869 in God calls us to live in a different way True 00:31:06.869 --> 00:31:15.410 worth comes from knowing that we are his Love 00:31:15.410 --> 00:31:19.589 not for what we do, but we are loved for who 00:31:19.589 --> 00:31:26.230 he is When we let go of the of the need to boast 00:31:26.230 --> 00:31:30.329 in ourselves and instead find our identity in 00:31:30.329 --> 00:31:35.329 Christ, we discover a security that no applause 00:31:35.329 --> 00:31:38.930 or recognition can shake. As John reminds us, 00:31:39.009 --> 00:31:43.329 the world's pride passes away, but those who 00:31:43.329 --> 00:31:47.309 do God's will live forever. So I want to close 00:31:47.309 --> 00:31:49.690 by reminding us that this world is not going 00:31:49.690 --> 00:31:55.250 to last forever. John tells us in verse 17 that 00:31:55.250 --> 00:31:58.289 the world is passing away with all of its desires, 00:31:58.349 --> 00:32:01.269 but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 00:32:02.309 --> 00:32:04.650 Now according to Paul in first Timothy, it is 00:32:04.650 --> 00:32:09.829 the desire of God that all men be saved and come 00:32:09.829 --> 00:32:14.750 to the knowledge of the truth. Doing God's will 00:32:14.750 --> 00:32:18.869 isn't always easy. It means saying no to the 00:32:18.869 --> 00:32:21.539 world's temptations. It means saying yes to the 00:32:21.539 --> 00:32:25.319 commands of God. It means loving others sacrificially. 00:32:25.559 --> 00:32:28.259 It means forgiving others even when it's hard 00:32:28.259 --> 00:32:33.299 and seeking his kingdom first. But the reward 00:32:33.299 --> 00:32:37.480 is unmatched. It can't be touched. It's a life 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:41.039 that echoes into eternity. That's the reward. 00:32:42.420 --> 00:32:45.880 And so as we close, let's hold true to those 00:32:45.880 --> 00:32:49.980 facts. This is who we are in Christ. Now, I don't 00:32:49.980 --> 00:32:52.180 know what category you fall into. I guess there's 00:32:52.180 --> 00:32:55.900 four in reality. There's those that are just 00:32:55.900 --> 00:32:58.240 completely unaware of who God is. Maybe you're 00:32:58.240 --> 00:33:00.980 here just searching and seeking, and we're so 00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:04.539 glad you're here. Maybe others of you are in 00:33:04.539 --> 00:33:09.480 that young children part of your spiritual journey. 00:33:09.619 --> 00:33:13.799 You're just coming to know Him. You don't know 00:33:13.799 --> 00:33:15.960 much, but you know you love God. You know He's 00:33:15.960 --> 00:33:21.329 called you. It's a great place to be. Maybe you're 00:33:21.329 --> 00:33:25.190 in the young men category and it seems like every 00:33:25.190 --> 00:33:28.329 single day is a battle on your spiritual journey 00:33:28.329 --> 00:33:32.730 Be reminded that you were strong be reminded 00:33:32.730 --> 00:33:37.369 that you've overcome the evil one And maybe there's 00:33:37.369 --> 00:33:39.069 some that are just have been fortunate enough 00:33:39.069 --> 00:33:41.890 to live life long enough where you just seasoned 00:33:41.890 --> 00:33:46.529 in wisdom And it is now your responsibility to 00:33:46.529 --> 00:33:49.710 help guide those little children help guide those 00:33:49.710 --> 00:33:53.589 young men into spiritual maturity, to show them 00:33:53.589 --> 00:34:00.170 the faithfulness of God, to be that steady, steady 00:34:00.170 --> 00:34:06.589 voice that points them back to Jesus. Our identity 00:34:06.589 --> 00:34:11.110 is in Christ. It's who we are. He saved you because 00:34:11.110 --> 00:34:14.050 He loves you. He's proud of you because you're 00:34:14.050 --> 00:34:19.329 His. So many of us are like infants and we've 00:34:19.329 --> 00:34:21.090 done nothing to make Him proud, but He still 00:34:21.090 --> 00:34:28.170 loves us. And if you walk out of here with nothing 00:34:28.170 --> 00:34:31.650 else, I hope you'll hear me say that. You are 00:34:31.650 --> 00:34:36.769 loved because you are His. And so I'm gonna invite 00:34:36.769 --> 00:34:39.210 the worship team back up. We're gonna have time 00:34:39.210 --> 00:34:42.130 to respond to the Lord's word tonight, this morning. 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:49.599 So as I pray for us and as we sing one more song, 00:34:55.340 --> 00:34:59.000 may you figure out which category you're in. 00:35:00.679 --> 00:35:04.500 What stage of journey are you on? Are you living 00:35:04.500 --> 00:35:09.699 a life that honors him? Have you failed this 00:35:09.699 --> 00:35:13.739 week? It's a perfect opportunity to confess those 00:35:13.739 --> 00:35:17.019 things before Him, to make a commitment that 00:35:17.019 --> 00:35:18.659 I'm going to change my life this week. I'm going 00:35:18.659 --> 00:35:21.280 to stop one bad habit this week, and I'm just 00:35:21.280 --> 00:35:24.280 going to pursue Him with everything I have. I'm 00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:26.260 going to remind you that we have communion available, 00:35:26.699 --> 00:35:30.519 and I encourage you to participate in that. Remember 00:35:30.519 --> 00:35:33.980 our risen Savior and what He did for us on the 00:35:33.980 --> 00:35:37.099 cross. And as we hold that bread and that juice, 00:35:37.239 --> 00:35:39.099 remember His broken body and spilled blood for 00:35:39.099 --> 00:35:44.000 you. Puts things in perspective for us. So let 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:48.340 me pray for us and Just trust the Lord the Lord 00:35:48.340 --> 00:35:52.420 moves in this place father. I thank you. I Thank 00:35:52.420 --> 00:35:57.300 you for our church I Thank you for how you move 00:35:57.300 --> 00:36:00.739 and I pray father that your voice will be heard 00:36:00.739 --> 00:36:03.519 louder than mine I pray that your voice will 00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:07.960 be heard louder than the music. I Thank you for 00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:11.679 who we are because of Jesus that we are found 00:36:11.679 --> 00:36:15.059 safe and secure in you. We are forgiven because 00:36:15.059 --> 00:36:19.219 of what Jesus has done for us. And so God, I 00:36:19.219 --> 00:36:21.880 pray that you help us understand where we are 00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:24.079 in our spiritual journey. I pray for those young 00:36:24.079 --> 00:36:26.659 children and I give you praise that you continue 00:36:26.659 --> 00:36:30.480 to save and redeem. And we give you praise for 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:34.019 the salvation that comes. I pray over those young 00:36:34.019 --> 00:36:36.960 children that are in that journey. or the young 00:36:36.960 --> 00:36:38.440 men that are in the journey, I pray, God, that 00:36:38.440 --> 00:36:40.380 you continue to empower them and strengthen them 00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:43.739 with the knowledge of your word. And God, give 00:36:43.739 --> 00:36:46.519 those of us that are a little more seasoned in 00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:50.019 wisdom, give us the courage and obedience to 00:36:50.019 --> 00:36:54.300 help disciple and navigate and show what it means 00:36:54.300 --> 00:36:57.980 to walk in faithfulness to you. So I gotta pray 00:36:57.980 --> 00:37:00.940 that you speak to us as we worship you. It's 00:37:00.940 --> 00:37:08.010 in Jesus' name I pray, amen. Thank you for listening 00:37:08.010 --> 00:37:11.489 today to 563 Church, a production of Cornerstone 00:37:11.489 --> 00:37:14.070 Church, Eldridge, Iowa. For more information 00:37:14.070 --> 00:37:16.110 about our church or just getting right with God, 00:37:16.690 --> 00:37:20.170 please visit us at 563church .com. You can also 00:37:20.170 --> 00:37:22.909 find us on Facebook and Instagram. Have a great 00:37:22.909 --> 00:37:23.210 week.