WEBVTT 00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:12.660 We are so glad you're here. Whether you're listening 00:00:12.660 --> 00:00:15.460 on your morning commute, at the gym, or relaxing 00:00:15.460 --> 00:00:18.120 with a cup of coffee, thanks for spending part 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:20.960 of your day with us. If today's message encourages 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:23.559 you and you'd like to get connected with everything 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:26.539 happening at Hub City Vineyard, head over to 00:00:26.539 --> 00:00:30.719 htv .church slash connect. We'd love to meet 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:33.420 you and help you find your place here. Want to 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:35.859 know what's coming up, discover ways to serve, 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.960 or stay in the loop on upcoming events? Check 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:43.179 out hcv .church slash what's up for everything 00:00:43.179 --> 00:00:47.039 happening around HCV. Now turn it up, lean in, 00:00:47.140 --> 00:00:49.200 and get ready for what God has for you today. 00:00:49.399 --> 00:00:52.280 We hope this message encourages you, challenges 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:54.640 you, and reminds you that you are deeply loved. 00:00:54.939 --> 00:00:58.920 Now let's hear the message. Hey, good morning 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:03.549 everyone! So good to hear you here, and I am 00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:05.849 back and excited to share with you. If you're 00:01:05.849 --> 00:01:08.069 joining us from home, thank you for welcoming 00:01:08.069 --> 00:01:11.269 us into your space. At first, just want to take 00:01:11.269 --> 00:01:13.810 a second to thank all those that stepped in for 00:01:13.810 --> 00:01:17.010 me in my absence. I want to thank Rudy and Rhett 00:01:17.010 --> 00:01:19.430 and Carl and Steven. I heard they did a great 00:01:19.430 --> 00:01:21.790 job. I haven't had an opportunity to listen to 00:01:21.790 --> 00:01:24.489 their talk yet, but I'm planning on doing it 00:01:24.489 --> 00:01:27.930 this week. But our family had the opportunity 00:01:27.930 --> 00:01:30.209 to spend 10 days away at the beach and just kind 00:01:30.209 --> 00:01:33.530 of rejuvenate and refresh. And a few things you 00:01:33.530 --> 00:01:36.819 may not know. Our family has experienced a lot 00:01:36.819 --> 00:01:39.579 of change in the last two weeks. We actually 00:01:39.579 --> 00:01:43.079 sent our two youngest off to school. We left 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:46.819 Lily down in Boca Raton, Florida at the University 00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:50.560 of Florida Atlantic, where she's starting college. 00:01:50.819 --> 00:01:54.719 And Nolan is now boarding at St. James. So we're 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:57.540 moving our youngers out of the house, which leaves 00:01:57.540 --> 00:02:03.030 us with Phoenix. If anybody wants to open their 00:02:03.030 --> 00:02:05.290 door for them, you know, we can. I'm just kidding. 00:02:06.989 --> 00:02:08.789 So it was interesting. I had an opportunity to 00:02:08.789 --> 00:02:10.729 take a walk with Lily on the beach. I had an 00:02:10.729 --> 00:02:14.909 opportunity to share with Nolan on his way down 00:02:14.909 --> 00:02:18.189 to move him into St. James. And something that 00:02:18.189 --> 00:02:20.990 is kind of on my heart that I share with my kids 00:02:20.990 --> 00:02:24.810 quite often is that in whatever you're doing, 00:02:24.969 --> 00:02:27.949 whether they're going to pitch or play soccer 00:02:27.949 --> 00:02:30.909 or whatever they're about to do, I always challenge 00:02:30.909 --> 00:02:35.069 them with two words, and I say, be great. When 00:02:35.069 --> 00:02:37.069 you go out here and you do these things, and 00:02:37.069 --> 00:02:38.990 they may be new and they may be intimidating, 00:02:39.270 --> 00:02:43.930 be great. Because you have Jesus inside of you. 00:02:44.729 --> 00:02:47.590 Now, we live in a culture that teaches us to 00:02:47.590 --> 00:02:50.409 chase greatness. From an early age, we learn 00:02:50.409 --> 00:02:53.469 that being great means being first. Get the best 00:02:53.469 --> 00:02:56.949 grades. Get the promotion. Make more money. Have 00:02:56.949 --> 00:03:00.629 more followers. Drive the nicer car. Build a 00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:03.960 bigger platform. Have the perfect house. Be recognized. 00:03:04.020 --> 00:03:06.979 Be respected. Be successful. And see, there's 00:03:06.979 --> 00:03:09.159 nothing wrong with wanting to do something significant 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:12.479 in your life. But here's the problem. The world's 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:15.819 definition of greatness and God's definition 00:03:15.819 --> 00:03:19.139 of greatness are not always the same. And in 00:03:19.139 --> 00:03:21.979 Matthew chapter 20, James and John's mother comes 00:03:21.979 --> 00:03:25.319 to Jesus with her quest. See, she wants her sons 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:29.639 to have the positions of greatest honor in God's 00:03:29.639 --> 00:03:33.099 kingdom. One sitting at his right hand and the 00:03:33.099 --> 00:03:36.219 other at his left. In other words, she's asking 00:03:36.219 --> 00:03:39.340 Jesus, can you make my boys, can you make my 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:42.400 sons great? And what's interesting is that the 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:45.060 other disciples aren't even upset because they 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:48.020 think the request is wrong. They're upset and 00:03:48.020 --> 00:03:49.900 frustrated because they didn't ask it first. 00:03:50.659 --> 00:03:54.900 They wanted the same position. Everybody wanted 00:03:54.900 --> 00:03:58.460 to be great. And Jesus doesn't tell them, stop 00:03:58.460 --> 00:04:02.139 denying greatness. Stop pursuing greatness. He 00:04:02.139 --> 00:04:04.819 never says that. Instead, Jesus teaches them 00:04:04.819 --> 00:04:08.840 how to become great God's way. He says in verse 00:04:08.840 --> 00:04:11.400 26, whoever wants to become great among you must 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.080 be your servant. And see, friends, that's an 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:17.120 upside -down definition of greatness. The world 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:21.160 says greatness is found in being served. Jesus 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:25.040 says greatness is found in serving. The world 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:29.079 says climb the ladder, earn more. Jesus says 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:32.310 lower yourself. The world says, make a name for 00:04:32.310 --> 00:04:36.649 yourself. Jesus says, use your life to lift someone 00:04:36.649 --> 00:04:42.029 else up. So the question this morning is simple. 00:04:43.209 --> 00:04:48.449 Church, are you chasing the wrong things? Because 00:04:48.449 --> 00:04:50.649 in the kingdom of God, greatness isn't measured 00:04:50.649 --> 00:04:54.029 by how many people serve you. It's measured by 00:04:54.029 --> 00:04:58.269 how many people you're willing to serve. So let's 00:04:58.269 --> 00:05:00.920 ask the Holy Spirit to come. Be a part of this 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:04.639 gathering and use me. Because I don't want it 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:07.959 to be my words. I want it to be his words that 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:09.939 challenges all of us to change. Holy Spirit, 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:13.800 come. We welcome you here, God. We're grateful 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:18.079 that your presence is here with us. Silence, 00:05:18.100 --> 00:05:21.680 distractions, in Jesus' name. Open our ears, 00:05:21.720 --> 00:05:23.800 our minds, and our hearts to receive your truth 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:27.839 this morning. We pray this all in Jesus' name. 00:05:28.060 --> 00:05:31.189 Amen. All that leads us to our first thought. 00:05:31.269 --> 00:05:34.209 You see, Jesus wants his followers to pursue 00:05:34.209 --> 00:05:37.069 greatness. We're going to start in Matthew chapter 00:05:37.069 --> 00:05:39.829 20, verses 18 through 19. Listen, he said, we're 00:05:39.829 --> 00:05:42.310 going up to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will 00:05:42.310 --> 00:05:44.810 be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers 00:05:44.810 --> 00:05:48.009 of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 00:05:49.689 --> 00:05:51.610 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to 00:05:51.610 --> 00:05:53.529 be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. 00:05:53.610 --> 00:05:56.149 But on the third day, he will be raised from 00:05:56.149 --> 00:05:59.970 the dead. So Jesus had just shared the gospel 00:05:59.970 --> 00:06:03.490 with the disciples. He wanted them and us to 00:06:03.490 --> 00:06:07.629 know exactly why he came to earth. See, even 00:06:07.629 --> 00:06:09.509 though he was a teacher, he did not primarily 00:06:09.509 --> 00:06:13.029 come to teach us lessons about who God was and 00:06:13.029 --> 00:06:17.149 how we should act. Even though he performed miracles, 00:06:17.350 --> 00:06:21.189 he was not primarily a miracle worker. He came 00:06:21.189 --> 00:06:25.000 for the redemption of all mankind. So Jesus clearly 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:27.920 communicated to the disciples that he would die 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:30.920 and on the third day be raised from the dead. 00:06:31.600 --> 00:06:35.480 Churches is good news. This is the gospel. This 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:38.939 is Easter. But we must remember the religious 00:06:38.939 --> 00:06:41.879 people all expected the Messiah to show up and 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:46.990 flex his power. They expected... That if he was 00:06:46.990 --> 00:06:49.850 the Messiah, the Son of God, the serpent crusher, 00:06:49.949 --> 00:06:53.110 the one that the Old Testament pointed to, he 00:06:53.110 --> 00:06:55.589 would come and take over by exercising his power 00:06:55.589 --> 00:06:58.629 and authority. And see, Jesus doesn't fit into 00:06:58.629 --> 00:07:01.670 the religious boxes and instead shows his true 00:07:01.670 --> 00:07:03.810 strength by being obedient to death on a cross. 00:07:04.730 --> 00:07:08.430 Jesus completely redefines greatness for them 00:07:08.430 --> 00:07:12.879 and us. See, in our society, in our culture, 00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:17.779 if your desire is to be great, awesome. But unfortunately, 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:20.699 success is most often defined by possession, 00:07:20.899 --> 00:07:26.600 position, and power. And in the very next section, 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.259 right after Jesus shares the gospel, think about 00:07:29.259 --> 00:07:31.959 this. He just shares the good news, the reason 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:36.920 he came. He says, pay attention, everyone. We're 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:38.339 going to Jerusalem. I'm going to be arrested, 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:42.139 crucified, killed, buried, and on the third day 00:07:42.139 --> 00:07:44.740 be resurrected from the grave. And in the midst 00:07:44.740 --> 00:07:46.800 of that conversation, have you ever been in a 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:49.519 conversation with someone and in your mind you're 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:51.879 thinking about your response while the person's 00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:53.860 talking? So essentially you see their lips moving 00:07:53.860 --> 00:07:56.139 like this, but you're thinking about your response 00:07:56.139 --> 00:07:57.980 because it's so important about what you want 00:07:57.980 --> 00:08:00.399 to say. You've never done that before, right? 00:08:04.589 --> 00:08:07.769 I believe we can all acknowledge we do that regularly. 00:08:09.810 --> 00:08:13.250 But there's a mom who does that very thing to 00:08:13.250 --> 00:08:16.689 Jesus. Jesus had just shared the gospel, the 00:08:16.689 --> 00:08:18.430 truth of what would happen to him over the course 00:08:18.430 --> 00:08:20.889 of the next few days, and she literally says, 00:08:21.029 --> 00:08:25.850 enough about you. I have a question. Not even 00:08:25.850 --> 00:08:28.970 a question, I have a request. And for many of 00:08:28.970 --> 00:08:32.970 us, we're thinking, how could she? What is she 00:08:32.970 --> 00:08:37.049 thinking? But here's the reality. There's so 00:08:37.049 --> 00:08:39.070 many people that gather in churches every single 00:08:39.070 --> 00:08:42.610 Sunday, including our own, with the same attitude. 00:08:44.330 --> 00:08:46.570 See, church, this gathering is not about you. 00:08:46.769 --> 00:08:49.070 It's not about me. It's not about this stage. 00:08:49.129 --> 00:08:51.169 It's not about the music, the lights, or even 00:08:51.169 --> 00:08:54.409 the live stream. This gathering is about lifting 00:08:54.409 --> 00:08:56.909 up and glorifying the name that is above every 00:08:56.909 --> 00:09:02.940 other name. This gathering is all about Jesus, 00:09:03.299 --> 00:09:06.000 his glory, his power, his love, his grace, and 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:09.320 his authority. That's what it's about. Yet so 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:11.320 many times people walk into these gatherings 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:14.700 with a checklist and say, well, I didn't get 00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:17.299 anything out of that gathering. I didn't like 00:09:17.299 --> 00:09:24.840 that song. That action step offended me. My response 00:09:24.840 --> 00:09:30.799 to you is this. What did you bring to it? What 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:35.120 are you offering to the gathering? So right after 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:37.139 Jesus shares the gospel, their response should 00:09:37.139 --> 00:09:39.740 have been, tell me more. But instead, this is 00:09:39.740 --> 00:09:42.259 what we read. Then the mother of James and John, 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.559 the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:48.799 She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. Jesus 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:51.440 says, what is your request? Or in other words, 00:09:51.539 --> 00:09:55.179 what do you want? Let's be honest. He knows her 00:09:55.179 --> 00:10:00.169 heart. He knows our hearts. She replied, in your 00:10:00.169 --> 00:10:02.190 kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places 00:10:02.190 --> 00:10:04.870 of honor next to you, one on your right and the 00:10:04.870 --> 00:10:07.470 other on your left. And remember, she thinks 00:10:07.470 --> 00:10:10.309 when Jesus kicks out the Romans and restores 00:10:10.309 --> 00:10:12.809 Israel to the superpower it was meant to be, 00:10:13.009 --> 00:10:17.149 then he will be in charge and her sons would 00:10:17.149 --> 00:10:23.330 become senior VPs of Jesus Incorporated. This 00:10:23.330 --> 00:10:27.250 is the original helicopter parent. You know that 00:10:27.250 --> 00:10:30.440 mom or dad? It's always around to make sure little 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:34.220 Johnny is the best or the greatest. You know, 00:10:34.299 --> 00:10:36.340 little Johnny didn't make an all -star team, 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:40.360 so I'll just start a travel team. I'll have my 00:10:40.360 --> 00:10:44.200 own team. And that way, little Johnny will be 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:48.940 great. And what's interesting is that both her 00:10:48.940 --> 00:10:54.179 sons wanted to be great. They wanted to experience 00:10:54.179 --> 00:10:57.759 greatness. And again, Jesus never scolds them 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.759 for wanting to be great. He doesn't say, how 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:05.940 dare you for wanting to be great. So let me ask 00:11:05.940 --> 00:11:11.600 you a question. Do you want to be great? Yeah, 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:15.519 I hope so. It's not a trick question. I want 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:18.320 you to be great. Just like I tell my kids through 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:21.179 texts and messages, be great. I want you to be 00:11:21.179 --> 00:11:23.639 a great dad, a great man, a great leader, a great 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:26.320 husband. I want you to be a great woman, a great 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:29.580 mom, a great athlete, a great student. I want 00:11:29.580 --> 00:11:31.899 you to become a great musician. I want you to 00:11:31.899 --> 00:11:34.379 be even a greater employee and a better friend. 00:11:35.820 --> 00:11:39.159 In fact, God wants you to be great. How do I 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:41.000 know that? Well, Ephesians 2, 8 through 10 says, 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:42.740 God saved you by his grace when you believed. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.860 It's not about you. You can't take credit for 00:11:45.860 --> 00:11:49.240 it. It's a gift. Salvation is not a reward for 00:11:49.240 --> 00:11:51.039 good things we have done, so none of us can boast 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:55.240 about it. For we are God's masterpiece. And the 00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:59.179 last time I checked, masterpieces are great. 00:11:59.960 --> 00:12:03.919 They're set apart. They're acknowledged. And 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:07.559 they stand the test of time. And if you're in 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:09.779 a relationship with Jesus, God doesn't want you 00:12:09.779 --> 00:12:13.159 to be average. He doesn't want you to be like 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:15.720 everyone else. He doesn't want you to fit in. 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:19.419 He wants you to be special, unique. He wants 00:12:19.419 --> 00:12:21.639 you to be a masterpiece that's set apart, that 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:25.769 stands out. And not just stands out, but stands 00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:29.590 up for others. Remember, Jesus never scolded 00:12:29.590 --> 00:12:31.850 the mom or the sons for wanting to be great. 00:12:32.090 --> 00:12:35.490 He simply goes on to redefine and redirect what 00:12:35.490 --> 00:12:38.570 greatness is in the kingdom of God. And see, 00:12:38.629 --> 00:12:42.350 greatness is not about possession, position, 00:12:42.629 --> 00:12:46.809 and power. None of that means anything in the 00:12:46.809 --> 00:12:48.669 kingdom of God. Greatness in the kingdom of God 00:12:48.669 --> 00:12:51.590 means we are leveraging our strength, not for 00:12:51.590 --> 00:12:55.600 ourselves, but in the service of others. So hear 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.399 me out. This talk is only for people that want 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.620 to be great. That's it. So if you don't want 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:04.860 to be great, take a nap or you're free to leave. 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:09.740 Because Jesus desires that we make a difference 00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:14.019 in this world. He says, don't be average. Don't 00:13:14.019 --> 00:13:18.120 let time pass you by. Be great. Which leads us 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:20.299 to discuss how to be great in God's kingdom. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:23.559 Five simple steps that if we apply to our lives 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:25.419 every single day, I believe we will turn this 00:13:25.419 --> 00:13:28.399 world upside down through the Spirit living inside 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:30.820 of us. And the first is this. We need to surrender 00:13:30.820 --> 00:13:34.720 to Jesus. Matthew 20, 20. Then the mother of 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:37.080 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:39.679 Jesus with her sons. And remember, I talked about, 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:42.700 oh, she wasn't listening, but notice what she 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:46.100 did do. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 00:13:46.649 --> 00:13:49.330 So even though this mom had impure motives, which 00:13:49.330 --> 00:13:52.809 Jesus knew, she doesn't understand kingdom economics. 00:13:52.809 --> 00:13:55.929 She does understand the authority that Jesus 00:13:55.929 --> 00:13:59.029 had because she kneeled before him. She understands 00:13:59.029 --> 00:14:02.129 success isn't determined by what you produce. 00:14:02.549 --> 00:14:04.990 It is determined by how close you are to Jesus. 00:14:06.049 --> 00:14:09.190 See, this is a big deal. Because if we're not 00:14:09.190 --> 00:14:11.470 willing to bend our knee before Jesus, then we 00:14:11.470 --> 00:14:13.929 can gain the whole world and yet forfeit our 00:14:13.929 --> 00:14:17.600 soul, losing everything that matters. So let 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:20.519 me ask all of you a question. Is Jesus first 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.899 in your life? Is he the number one priority when 00:14:24.899 --> 00:14:28.879 it comes to who you are? And don't answer too 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.120 quickly because we're gathered at HCV on a Sunday. 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:37.179 Right? We just sung three powerful songs. We 00:14:37.179 --> 00:14:40.340 know something is different in this place. We're 00:14:40.340 --> 00:14:42.279 connecting to the Spirit of God. We're connecting 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:45.159 with others. So right now, you might feel like 00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:48.100 Jesus is number one. but feelings are irrelevant. 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:54.200 Is this your life? Matthew 22. Love the Lord 00:14:54.200 --> 00:14:56.139 your God with all your heart, all your soul, 00:14:56.360 --> 00:15:00.820 and all your mind. Not just on Sunday, but on 00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:03.039 Wednesday when the stress of the work week has 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.320 escalated to a point where you're about to have 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:11.320 a nervous breakdown. And listen, church, it's 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:12.940 really easy to take an account for your life 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:15.639 to see what's first in your life. Just take a 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:18.220 look at three simple things. First is your time. 00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:22.360 Is he first? First thing in the morning, what 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:24.519 do you grab? You grab this? Oh, I gotta check 00:15:24.519 --> 00:15:27.000 in. Gotta make a video. Gotta let everyone know 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:33.240 I woke up today. Or do you give the beginning 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:36.100 of your day to the one that should be first in 00:15:36.100 --> 00:15:39.009 your life? I mean, the reason we gather on Sundays 00:15:39.009 --> 00:15:40.690 is because it's the first day of the week and 00:15:40.690 --> 00:15:43.090 Jesus followers gather to declare that Jesus 00:15:43.090 --> 00:15:44.870 is Lord of their lives. That's why we're here. 00:15:45.490 --> 00:15:47.750 Do you prioritize Sunday gatherings? Is that 00:15:47.750 --> 00:15:50.889 a part of your time? Or are there other things 00:15:50.889 --> 00:15:56.830 that come and get in the way of it? Where's your 00:15:56.830 --> 00:15:59.070 time spent? Another way to look is your bank 00:15:59.070 --> 00:16:04.389 accounts. Oh, Chris is back. Is Jesus first? 00:16:06.059 --> 00:16:09.080 Do you bring him your first and your best? I 00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:11.200 mean, Jesus did say, not my words, where your 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:14.039 treasure is, there your heart will also be. Or 00:16:14.039 --> 00:16:15.620 you're one of those people that try to navigate 00:16:15.620 --> 00:16:18.759 and justify how the New Testament tithing isn't 00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:22.259 biblical. Well, Jesus never told it. It's an 00:16:22.259 --> 00:16:26.679 Old Testament requirement. Simply proving to 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:28.299 yourself and everyone else that you can keep 00:16:28.299 --> 00:16:31.379 everything in your pockets, but still say he's 00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:36.220 first in your life. Simply not true. Finally, 00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:39.059 take a look at your affections. When we worship, 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:41.399 when we gather together, when we lift holy hands, 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:44.059 when we shout the name of Jesus, are you more 00:16:44.059 --> 00:16:46.519 concerned about what he thinks or are you more 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:49.340 concerned about who's gathered around you? Oh, 00:16:49.379 --> 00:16:57.200 they might smell my odor. I mean, you heard Trinity 00:16:57.200 --> 00:16:59.659 mention today's baptism Sunday, our summer baptism. 00:17:00.570 --> 00:17:02.330 We're going to have our summer baptism pool party 00:17:02.330 --> 00:17:05.470 at 530 at Potterfield Pool. We have 50 people 00:17:05.470 --> 00:17:07.410 already signed up to be baptized. We're excited 00:17:07.410 --> 00:17:10.109 about it. We're expecting. Oh, don't clap. No, 00:17:10.130 --> 00:17:14.170 no, no, I'm not done yet. And I hear all the 00:17:14.170 --> 00:17:16.509 time, well, I want to get baptized, Chris, but 00:17:16.509 --> 00:17:18.730 I don't want to get baptized at church in the 00:17:18.730 --> 00:17:21.009 pools. I don't want to get baptized in a pool. 00:17:21.190 --> 00:17:27.609 I need nature. I need the river. Like, okay. 00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:29.819 after the third gathering, which is our next 00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:34.400 gathering, we're going to the river. So for all 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:39.599 of you that need the river, show up at 1 .30. 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:44.880 Show us, show God that Jesus is first in your 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:50.880 life. I'm tired of the excuses. Is he first in 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:55.380 your life? And this question is so crucial. To 00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:57.200 the follower of Jesus. It goes all the way back 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.359 to creation. Before sin even entered into the 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.880 world. God established this idea called Sabbath. 00:18:03.619 --> 00:18:06.500 And in the Old Testament it's a law. In the New 00:18:06.500 --> 00:18:08.779 Testament it's a principle. And please understand. 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:13.420 Sabbath is not necessarily about a day. Because 00:18:13.420 --> 00:18:15.480 Jesus is our Sabbath rest. That's what the Bible 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:18.559 tells us. The idea of a Sabbath is not even totally 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.259 about rest. Here's why. When you read the creation 00:18:22.259 --> 00:18:26.269 account. Adam and Eve were created on the sixth 00:18:26.269 --> 00:18:30.130 day. Have you ever thought about why God took 00:18:30.130 --> 00:18:33.089 six days to create everything? I mean, God is 00:18:33.089 --> 00:18:36.049 never in a hurry. He didn't really need six days. 00:18:36.069 --> 00:18:38.089 He could have just spoke everything into existence. 00:18:38.130 --> 00:18:40.269 He could have just said everything, and it's 00:18:40.269 --> 00:18:45.009 there. Could have, but he didn't. Because God 00:18:45.009 --> 00:18:47.609 wanted us to see that he is a person of rhythm 00:18:47.609 --> 00:18:50.710 and order. Think about it. The first three days, 00:18:50.730 --> 00:18:53.029 God created the environment, and then he fills 00:18:53.029 --> 00:18:55.950 them up on the following three days. On the sixth 00:18:55.950 --> 00:18:58.549 day, he creates his image bearers and says, everything 00:18:58.549 --> 00:19:01.789 is good. But then for the first time ever, he 00:19:01.789 --> 00:19:06.789 says, oh, it's not good. Adam is alone. And it's 00:19:06.789 --> 00:19:08.609 not good for man to be alone, so he creates Eve. 00:19:09.309 --> 00:19:11.369 Then he gives them a bunch of commands on what 00:19:11.369 --> 00:19:14.009 to do. There's only one don't, right? Don't eat 00:19:14.009 --> 00:19:16.009 from the tree, which of course we know they messed 00:19:16.009 --> 00:19:19.809 up. But God tells them, subdue, cultivate, be 00:19:19.809 --> 00:19:23.170 fruitful, multiply. Now, please understand, this 00:19:23.170 --> 00:19:25.769 isn't in the Bible. It's just an example, okay? 00:19:26.970 --> 00:19:30.250 Imagine the conversation Adam had with God the 00:19:30.250 --> 00:19:33.789 Father. Okay, so if I were Adam, I've been alive 00:19:33.789 --> 00:19:35.890 for maybe 10 hours. The Bible didn't really tell 00:19:35.890 --> 00:19:37.930 us, but let's just say I've been alive for 10 00:19:37.930 --> 00:19:40.210 hours. Hey, Dad, it's nearing the end of the 00:19:40.210 --> 00:19:42.509 day. I'm kind of tired. What are we going to 00:19:42.509 --> 00:19:45.390 do tomorrow? You know, you told me we have a 00:19:45.390 --> 00:19:48.089 lot to do. We have this garden to tend, right? 00:19:48.130 --> 00:19:50.569 We got to name these animals. We have to be fruitful 00:19:50.569 --> 00:19:52.269 and multiply. I'm really looking forward to that. 00:19:52.609 --> 00:19:56.789 What happens tomorrow? Are we going to get busy 00:19:56.789 --> 00:20:00.190 working? Are we going to do the stuff? God says, 00:20:00.230 --> 00:20:01.910 this is what we're going to do tomorrow. This 00:20:01.910 --> 00:20:02.950 is what we're going to do tomorrow, Adam. We're 00:20:02.950 --> 00:20:09.529 going to Sabbath. Okay, what's that? Well, we're 00:20:09.529 --> 00:20:12.890 reading Genesis. God blessed the seventh day 00:20:12.890 --> 00:20:14.849 and declared it holy because it was the day when 00:20:14.849 --> 00:20:20.250 he rested from all his work of creation. Imagine 00:20:20.250 --> 00:20:23.049 Adam. He's like, rest from what? I'm not even 00:20:23.049 --> 00:20:25.630 tired. I just got created. I didn't even do anything. 00:20:27.089 --> 00:20:30.150 Well, see, the point of the Sabbath is not that 00:20:30.150 --> 00:20:33.450 a person rests from work. It's resting for work. 00:20:34.670 --> 00:20:37.569 It's not just about rest. It's about orienting 00:20:37.569 --> 00:20:41.880 our entire life. In making God first. That's 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:45.200 what it's about. And here's the reality. If God 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:47.539 is not first in your life, then your entire life 00:20:47.539 --> 00:20:49.160 is out of order. And you're never going to be 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:53.559 great. You're never going to be great. And unfortunately, 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.400 busyness has become a greeting in our culture. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:01.400 How you doing today, busy? I'm busy. And you 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:03.440 know I've used a quote that said, if the devil 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:05.500 can't make you bad, he's going to make you busy. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:10.099 And that's why God is orienting the Sabbath for 00:21:10.099 --> 00:21:14.160 us. Because it makes Jesus, it makes God the 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:17.579 priority so that we surrender to him so that 00:21:17.579 --> 00:21:21.240 we can then be great when we work. Romans 12 00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:23.000 .1, and so dear brothers and sisters, I plead 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:25.559 with you, give your bodies to God because of 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:27.180 all he has done for you. Let them be a living 00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:29.099 and holy sacrifice, the kind we find acceptable. 00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:33.769 This is the way we worship him. See, it's all 00:21:33.769 --> 00:21:36.269 about making Jesus first in every area of our 00:21:36.269 --> 00:21:39.309 life. Have you surrendered to Jesus, which leads 00:21:39.309 --> 00:21:41.170 us to our next step. Church, we're going to have 00:21:41.170 --> 00:21:44.730 to endure hardships. If you want to live a comfortable, 00:21:44.890 --> 00:21:48.609 carefree life, be a person that everyone likes, 00:21:48.809 --> 00:21:53.309 go work in an ice cream stand. You know what 00:21:53.309 --> 00:21:55.390 I mean? There's never a mean person in an ice 00:21:55.390 --> 00:21:58.329 cream line. They're excited about the sugar rush 00:21:58.329 --> 00:22:01.750 they're about to get. But following Jesus means 00:22:01.750 --> 00:22:04.170 we will experience some pain. How do I know that 00:22:04.170 --> 00:22:06.470 again? Matthew 20, 22. But Jesus answered by 00:22:06.470 --> 00:22:08.730 saying to them, you don't know what you're asking. 00:22:09.049 --> 00:22:11.609 Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of 00:22:11.609 --> 00:22:13.529 suffering I'm about to drink? Oh, yes, they replied. 00:22:13.670 --> 00:22:16.970 Yes, we are. And that cup that Jesus is talking 00:22:16.970 --> 00:22:19.690 about is the pain he will endure on the cross. 00:22:20.630 --> 00:22:23.690 He is talking about the cup of the wrath of God 00:22:23.690 --> 00:22:27.450 that will be poured out on sin and sinners. And 00:22:27.450 --> 00:22:29.819 we know this. From reading ahead, Matthew 26. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:32.400 He went a little farther, bowed his face to the 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:34.279 ground, praying, my father, if it is possible, 00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:37.619 let this cup of suffering be taken away from 00:22:37.619 --> 00:22:42.160 me. Yet I want your will be not mine. See, Jesus 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:44.380 is talking about the judgment of God against 00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:48.559 sin. Jesus is literally asking God a question 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.500 that people in our culture ask all the time. 00:22:52.279 --> 00:22:55.339 You mean to tell me that Jesus is the only way 00:22:55.339 --> 00:22:59.079 to go and to get into heaven? He's the only way 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:02.480 to reconnect with the Father. Aren't all religions 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:05.779 a way to get to God? And listen, I didn't say 00:23:05.779 --> 00:23:10.660 it. Don't judge me. Jesus said it. John 14, 6. 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:12.619 I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No one 00:23:12.619 --> 00:23:15.799 come to the Father except through me. But in 00:23:15.799 --> 00:23:20.019 the garden, when facing the hardships and the 00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:22.799 pain that was coming his way, he's asking, is 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:26.420 it necessary for me to die on a cross? Is there 00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:28.859 any other way for sinful humanity to reconnect 00:23:28.859 --> 00:23:31.839 with you? But then notice what he said. Not my 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:36.440 will, but yours be done. And church, if we're 00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:37.900 ever going to be great in the kingdom of God, 00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:41.019 we have to endure pain. And that's terrible news 00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:44.519 for a culture that pursues comfort. We love to 00:23:44.519 --> 00:23:48.079 be comfortable. We want everything to be lined 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:50.359 up and to be the way we want it. I mean, one 00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:52.319 of the reasons we have to endure pain in this 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:54.619 world is because we have to take responsibility 00:23:54.619 --> 00:23:58.359 for actions. If you're in a relationship with 00:23:58.359 --> 00:24:02.740 Jesus, listen, stop blaming others. Stop pointing 00:24:02.740 --> 00:24:06.140 fingers. It's not their fault. Be responsible 00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:11.619 for your life and what you've been given. And 00:24:11.619 --> 00:24:15.950 stand up and be accountable. And not only are 00:24:15.950 --> 00:24:17.410 we called to be accountable for our actions, 00:24:17.490 --> 00:24:19.470 we're called to support each other and pray for 00:24:19.470 --> 00:24:22.309 each other because we are now a family of God. 00:24:23.509 --> 00:24:25.750 We're not individuals. When you're in a relationship 00:24:25.750 --> 00:24:27.890 with Jesus, we're a family of God. And therefore, 00:24:28.009 --> 00:24:30.710 Galatians 6 tells us, share each other's burdens 00:24:30.710 --> 00:24:33.990 and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you 00:24:33.990 --> 00:24:35.710 think you're too important to help someone, you're 00:24:35.710 --> 00:24:38.329 fooling yourself. You're not that important. 00:24:40.230 --> 00:24:43.809 Jesus did say. If you follow me, the whole world 00:24:43.809 --> 00:24:48.529 will hate you. Why? Why would he say that? Because 00:24:48.529 --> 00:24:50.730 when a person stands on God's truth and not their 00:24:50.730 --> 00:24:53.269 own feelings, then society's gonna have a problem 00:24:53.269 --> 00:24:55.890 with it. And if you're gonna follow Jesus, we 00:24:55.890 --> 00:24:58.809 have to learn to endure pain. How much pain? 00:24:59.130 --> 00:25:01.849 Proverbs 24 says, the godly may trip seven times, 00:25:01.990 --> 00:25:04.710 but they're gonna get up again. See, we're not 00:25:04.710 --> 00:25:07.990 gonna be perfect. It means that we need to persevere 00:25:07.990 --> 00:25:11.640 through the pain. Theologian A .W. Tozer said 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:14.680 this, it is doubtful whether God can bless a 00:25:14.680 --> 00:25:24.059 man greatly until he has hurt him deeply. Jesus 00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:28.299 said, you want to follow me? And if the answer 00:25:28.299 --> 00:25:30.420 is yes, he doesn't say, come to church every 00:25:30.420 --> 00:25:32.319 now and then when it's convenient, say a prayer, 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:34.700 sing a few songs, and maybe give a tip on the 00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:39.200 way out. He doesn't say that. This is what he 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:43.279 says. If any of you wants to be my follower, 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:46.940 you must give up your own way, take up your cross, 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:51.000 and follow me. That's crucifixion. That's crucifixion 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:53.440 of self, crucifixion of sin, crucifixion of ego, 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:56.460 crucifixion of flesh, crucifixion to our own 00:25:56.460 --> 00:26:00.900 will. That's what it means to follow Jesus. And 00:26:00.900 --> 00:26:03.400 the thing that makes you great is not that you 00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:06.000 are going to experience pain. Welcome to earth. 00:26:06.569 --> 00:26:08.369 We're humans, and we're going to human. We're 00:26:08.369 --> 00:26:10.950 going to hurt other people. It's called sin. 00:26:12.089 --> 00:26:13.809 If you want to be great in the kingdom of God, 00:26:13.890 --> 00:26:17.170 pain is coming your way. Don't try to avoid it. 00:26:17.990 --> 00:26:21.190 Persevere through it. And let others see your 00:26:21.190 --> 00:26:23.009 light shine, which leads us to our third step. 00:26:23.369 --> 00:26:26.789 Practice humility. And this is counterculture 00:26:26.789 --> 00:26:29.829 to our society because everyone wants to make 00:26:29.829 --> 00:26:32.750 a name for themselves. Everyone wants the platform. 00:26:33.990 --> 00:26:37.049 Matthew 20, 23, Jesus told him, You will indeed 00:26:37.049 --> 00:26:40.970 drink from my bitter cup, but I have no right 00:26:40.970 --> 00:26:43.529 to say who will sit on my right or my left. My 00:26:43.529 --> 00:26:45.509 Father has prepared those places for the ones 00:26:45.509 --> 00:26:48.450 he has chosen. Think about it. Jesus is the Son 00:26:48.450 --> 00:26:51.650 of God, second person of the Trinity. The Bible 00:26:51.650 --> 00:26:55.109 says that the fullness of God was pleased to 00:26:55.109 --> 00:26:59.069 dwell in his Son, Jesus. The Bible tells us that 00:26:59.069 --> 00:27:01.490 he created all things by him, for him, through 00:27:01.490 --> 00:27:05.269 him, and to him. And the first time Jesus came 00:27:05.269 --> 00:27:08.170 to earth, he came as a meek and mild baby in 00:27:08.170 --> 00:27:10.450 a manger. But that's not his current existence. 00:27:12.529 --> 00:27:16.150 Even though we laugh and we make fun about Ricky 00:27:16.150 --> 00:27:20.069 Bobby praying to baby Jesus, that's not the way 00:27:20.069 --> 00:27:23.589 he is anymore. Right now, Jesus is king of kings 00:27:23.589 --> 00:27:26.230 and lord of lords. He's sitting at the right 00:27:26.230 --> 00:27:28.809 hand of God the Father and it is by his power 00:27:28.809 --> 00:27:31.089 that we have breath in our lungs and the world 00:27:31.089 --> 00:27:35.079 is spinning on its axis. And Jesus is anticipatively 00:27:35.079 --> 00:27:37.779 waiting for the moment that God the Father taps 00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:40.220 him on the shoulder and he says, hey, go get 00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:44.119 mine and bring them home. And church, when Jesus 00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:47.240 returns, he's coming in power. The trumpet will 00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:49.980 blast, the heavens will be torn apart, and Jesus 00:27:49.980 --> 00:27:52.720 is coming back on a war horse with fire in his 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:55.599 eyes, a sword coming out of his mouth and tattoos 00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:59.380 on his quads. Don't tell me the tattoos aren't 00:27:59.380 --> 00:28:04.309 right. And he's coming back to judge the earth. 00:28:04.529 --> 00:28:06.829 And the Bible tells us that he'll be dressed 00:28:06.829 --> 00:28:10.170 in white for the final fight. And I don't know 00:28:10.170 --> 00:28:12.789 about you, but anybody that wears white to a 00:28:12.789 --> 00:28:14.529 fight means they know they're going to win and 00:28:14.529 --> 00:28:19.990 it won't take long. So Jesus is coming back as 00:28:19.990 --> 00:28:23.549 king and in charge. And the mom asked for her 00:28:23.549 --> 00:28:26.470 sons to get a promotion. And Jesus responds by 00:28:26.470 --> 00:28:31.099 saying, that decision is over my pay grade. That's 00:28:31.099 --> 00:28:34.660 humility. And Jesus consistently submits to the 00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:37.420 authority of the Father. You want to be the greatest? 00:28:37.960 --> 00:28:41.740 Humble yourself. Submit to authority. Sit under 00:28:41.740 --> 00:28:44.900 people over you and allow them to pour into you. 00:28:45.420 --> 00:28:48.039 Matthew 18, 4, so anyone who becomes as humble 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:52.200 as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom 00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:54.819 of heaven. Right? We read that verse. So many 00:28:54.819 --> 00:28:57.960 of you have memorized that verse. But yet I get 00:28:57.960 --> 00:28:59.920 back from vacation and the first thing I hear 00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:03.160 is, Chris, we need more teachers. We don't have 00:29:03.160 --> 00:29:06.160 enough teachers in the kids' wing. I'm just like, 00:29:06.259 --> 00:29:13.140 I'm praying for our church. I'm praying for our 00:29:13.140 --> 00:29:16.759 church. Because we shouldn't be begging people 00:29:16.759 --> 00:29:19.380 to want to teach in the kids' wing. There shouldn't 00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:21.160 be a Sunday, a gathering that goes by that people 00:29:21.160 --> 00:29:23.420 aren't lining up to teach little kids. Because 00:29:23.420 --> 00:29:26.680 when we teach kids, what happens? we become great. 00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:32.980 Because we're pouring into their life. Matthew 00:29:32.980 --> 00:29:34.900 23, the greatest among you must be a servant. 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:36.640 Those who exalt themselves to be humbled are 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:40.799 those who humble themselves to be exalted. Many 00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:42.559 of you don't know the only reason this church 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:44.460 is in existence today is because of a man named 00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:47.339 John Elmer. He took a chance on a 28 -year -old 00:29:47.339 --> 00:29:50.660 young man with a family that was a punk and thought 00:29:50.660 --> 00:29:53.710 he knew it all. I was on fire for God, gave my 00:29:53.710 --> 00:29:55.650 life to Jesus and told everybody everything they 00:29:55.650 --> 00:30:03.490 were doing wrong. But he took me in and he humbled 00:30:03.490 --> 00:30:10.589 me. And he made my wife a janitor. And I had 00:30:10.589 --> 00:30:14.250 to take care of a building. And I had to clean 00:30:14.250 --> 00:30:18.160 up vomit. And I had to shovel a flat roof because 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:20.140 our roof was leaking so bad we couldn't even 00:30:20.140 --> 00:30:22.680 have Sunday gatherings because we had 168 inches 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:27.000 of snow that year. I learned what humility was. 00:30:27.700 --> 00:30:31.039 And it was in humility that in 2006 I was then 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:35.819 sent out to start this church. See, are you constantly 00:30:35.819 --> 00:30:38.839 self -promoting? Or do you trust God to promote 00:30:38.839 --> 00:30:41.460 you? Because hear me out, I don't need this stage. 00:30:41.539 --> 00:30:44.240 I don't want this stage. The only reason I'm 00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:46.039 standing on this stage is because God called 00:30:46.039 --> 00:30:48.559 me to it and I'm just being obedient to his will 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:52.180 in my life. Which leads us to our fourth step 00:30:52.180 --> 00:30:55.859 you need to serve. Matthew 20, 24 to 28, when 00:30:55.859 --> 00:30:58.440 the 10 other disciples heard what James and John 00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:01.539 had asked, they were indignant. I think it's 00:31:01.539 --> 00:31:03.039 funny there. They were probably thinking we should 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:07.039 have invited mom. Right? They're all fired up. 00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:08.819 I wanted to be great. I should have brought mom 00:31:08.819 --> 00:31:14.029 along. But Jesus called them together and said, 00:31:14.190 --> 00:31:16.190 you know that the rulers in this world lorded 00:31:16.190 --> 00:31:18.490 over their people, and officials flaunt their 00:31:18.490 --> 00:31:20.970 authority over those under them. But among you 00:31:20.970 --> 00:31:24.170 will be different, church. Whoever wants to be 00:31:24.170 --> 00:31:25.789 a leader among you must be your servant, and 00:31:25.789 --> 00:31:27.630 whoever wants to be first among you must become 00:31:27.630 --> 00:31:34.369 your slave. Slave. For even the Son of Man came 00:31:34.369 --> 00:31:36.410 not to be served, but to serve others and give 00:31:36.410 --> 00:31:39.730 his life as a ransom for many. So just reflect 00:31:39.730 --> 00:31:41.289 on your own life. What do you do when you're 00:31:41.289 --> 00:31:45.890 in charge? Because at some point, all of us are 00:31:45.890 --> 00:31:49.509 in charge. How do you respond? Do you flex your 00:31:49.509 --> 00:31:51.609 authority? Do you throw tantrums or do you serve? 00:31:53.309 --> 00:31:57.390 Is serving beneath you? Because if serving is 00:31:57.390 --> 00:32:00.130 beneath you, then leadership and greatness is 00:32:00.130 --> 00:32:04.069 beyond you in the kingdom of God. See, a man 00:32:04.069 --> 00:32:06.109 that I consider great here at HCV is a young 00:32:06.109 --> 00:32:09.119 man named Christian Rand. Many of you don't even 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:12.420 know who he is. Some of you may know him as the 00:32:12.420 --> 00:32:15.500 keyboard player on our worship team, or some 00:32:15.500 --> 00:32:17.519 of you teenagers know he's one of our youth leaders. 00:32:18.940 --> 00:32:21.160 Yes, I know he does those things, but I know 00:32:21.160 --> 00:32:23.740 him as a young man that is willing to empty the 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:26.059 trash in our vegetables every single Sunday. 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:30.259 See, I don't know if you know this or not, but 00:32:30.259 --> 00:32:32.259 there's a lot of people that gather here on a 00:32:32.259 --> 00:32:36.779 Sunday, well over 1 ,200 people. And when you 00:32:36.779 --> 00:32:39.079 bring that many people together over three gatherings, 00:32:39.259 --> 00:32:41.640 guess what? There's a lot of mess. There's a 00:32:41.640 --> 00:32:46.200 lot of trash. And just let me remind you, this 00:32:46.200 --> 00:32:50.420 is God's house. This isn't Chris's house. This 00:32:50.420 --> 00:32:54.380 isn't the staff's house. This is our house because 00:32:54.380 --> 00:32:58.900 it's God's house. And dare I say, we need to 00:32:58.900 --> 00:33:01.460 be accountable to God and clean up after ourselves. 00:33:02.410 --> 00:33:05.170 The last thing I need to hear on a Tuesday when 00:33:05.170 --> 00:33:07.930 I get back from vacation at a staff meeting is, 00:33:07.970 --> 00:33:10.009 Chris, we need a clean team. We need a clean 00:33:10.009 --> 00:33:12.109 team. There's too many messes. There's coffee 00:33:12.109 --> 00:33:14.470 spilled and there's cups everywhere and there's 00:33:14.470 --> 00:33:17.589 trash and there's paper. Listen, I don't care 00:33:17.589 --> 00:33:19.930 if you're in a recovery house. I don't care if 00:33:19.930 --> 00:33:23.009 you don't know Jesus. I don't care how long you've 00:33:23.009 --> 00:33:25.329 been coming to this church or how long you've 00:33:25.329 --> 00:33:27.750 been in a relationship with God. Be accountable 00:33:27.750 --> 00:33:36.750 to God and yourself and pick up your trash. You're 00:33:36.750 --> 00:33:40.529 the clean team. We have a clean team. There's 00:33:40.529 --> 00:33:44.809 500 of you. And what does that mean? Look down 00:33:44.809 --> 00:33:47.349 the rows. Look on the floors. When you leave, 00:33:47.430 --> 00:33:52.009 pick something up. It's called being a servant. 00:33:53.349 --> 00:33:57.190 It's called being willing to serve. As you leave, 00:33:57.210 --> 00:34:00.130 if the trash is overflowing, don't pile it up 00:34:00.130 --> 00:34:07.500 like Jenga. I've seen you do it. That's how I 00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:12.019 know. Like, take the lid off, pull the bag out, 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:15.780 and take it to the trash. It's not that hard. 00:34:18.219 --> 00:34:21.539 See, our world teaches us that it's a dog -eat 00:34:21.539 --> 00:34:24.119 -dog world. And Jesus says, if you want to be 00:34:24.119 --> 00:34:26.699 great in my kingdom, lower yourself and lift 00:34:26.699 --> 00:34:30.340 others up. That's what makes you great. Paul 00:34:30.340 --> 00:34:32.260 writes this in Philippians 2, don't be selfish, 00:34:32.380 --> 00:34:34.739 don't try to impress others. And I thought about 00:34:34.739 --> 00:34:37.380 that this morning. I was like, don't be selfish, 00:34:37.440 --> 00:34:40.019 don't try to impress others. If I looked at your 00:34:40.019 --> 00:34:42.079 Instagram or Facebook feeds, what would I see? 00:34:44.260 --> 00:34:46.320 See, there's a reason I'm not on social media. 00:34:46.760 --> 00:34:51.239 Yes, I check in. I know all your feeds. I may 00:34:51.239 --> 00:34:55.039 not post a lot. I know your feeds. Are you humble? 00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:57.340 Are you thinking of others as better than yourselves? 00:34:58.170 --> 00:34:59.809 Don't look out for your own interests. Take an 00:34:59.809 --> 00:35:03.769 interest in others too. Is that you? Is that 00:35:03.769 --> 00:35:07.210 what your social media feed says? That you care 00:35:07.210 --> 00:35:11.750 and love others? Or are you just fighting a political 00:35:11.750 --> 00:35:16.110 windstorm that's never going to change? See, 00:35:16.170 --> 00:35:18.489 we are to treat other people as if they're better 00:35:18.489 --> 00:35:22.190 than us. That's how we're to live. And you say, 00:35:22.230 --> 00:35:23.309 well, Chris, what does that mean? What about 00:35:23.309 --> 00:35:26.489 Tammy that works with you? You know Tammy? You 00:35:26.489 --> 00:35:28.250 know Tammy, that person that no one really likes? 00:35:29.010 --> 00:35:32.190 She smells like cats. She's got opinions. She 00:35:32.190 --> 00:35:35.050 complains all the time. She brings her lunch 00:35:35.050 --> 00:35:37.230 in Tupperware that hasn't been cleaned in three 00:35:37.230 --> 00:35:40.090 weeks. And when she opens it, it just straight 00:35:40.090 --> 00:35:42.969 up smells like dead fish. You know Tammy, right? 00:35:43.730 --> 00:35:47.190 Everyone knows Tammy? Or for some of you that 00:35:47.190 --> 00:35:49.210 are younger, maybe that classmate Stephen, you 00:35:49.210 --> 00:35:51.269 know he's a little different, and everyone picks 00:35:51.269 --> 00:35:55.000 on him. You know Stephen? Paul says, when you 00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:58.820 walk into work tomorrow, ask Tammy if you can 00:35:58.820 --> 00:36:02.119 get her some coffee. Paul says, when you go to 00:36:02.119 --> 00:36:05.360 school tomorrow, find Stephen and ask him how 00:36:05.360 --> 00:36:09.159 he's doing. Have lunch with him and hear his 00:36:09.159 --> 00:36:12.920 story. See, we are called as Jesus followers 00:36:12.920 --> 00:36:14.940 to treat them better than we treat ourselves. 00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:18.260 That's having the same attitude as Christ Jesus. 00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:23.369 Remember what he said. Though he was God, He 00:36:23.369 --> 00:36:24.969 did not think of equality with God as something 00:36:24.969 --> 00:36:26.989 to cling to. Instead, he gave up his own divine 00:36:26.989 --> 00:36:29.250 privileges and took the humble position of a 00:36:29.250 --> 00:36:32.610 slave. That is how Jesus demonstrates greatness. 00:36:33.550 --> 00:36:36.469 You want another example of greatness? We read 00:36:36.469 --> 00:36:39.070 in John 13, Jesus knew that the Father had given 00:36:39.070 --> 00:36:40.889 him authority over everything that he had come 00:36:40.889 --> 00:36:46.289 from, God, and would return to God. So he got 00:36:46.289 --> 00:36:48.510 up from the table, took off his robe, and wrapped 00:36:48.510 --> 00:36:52.000 a towel around his waist. And see, notice, in 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:54.619 this instance, Jesus didn't get up and preach 00:36:54.619 --> 00:36:57.739 a sermon to demonstrate how smart he was. He 00:36:57.739 --> 00:37:00.159 didn't get up to perform a miracle to demonstrate 00:37:00.159 --> 00:37:02.519 his power. He didn't start a political power. 00:37:02.699 --> 00:37:04.980 He didn't audition for the lead role in a movie. 00:37:05.400 --> 00:37:08.539 He gets up from the table, dresses himself as 00:37:08.539 --> 00:37:11.719 the lowest of lows in terms of servants and washes 00:37:11.719 --> 00:37:15.760 his disciples' feet. Now, for many of us, we 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:18.300 don't fully understand foot washing because our 00:37:18.300 --> 00:37:20.559 examples are often wrong. Have you ever been 00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:22.539 a part of a foot washing service, modern day? 00:37:23.619 --> 00:37:26.719 Yeah, some of you. I hate them. I absolutely 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:31.059 hate them. And here's why. Because we don't understand 00:37:31.059 --> 00:37:34.739 what it means. We have clean feet. We clean our 00:37:34.739 --> 00:37:37.519 feet two, three times a day. We scrub them. We 00:37:37.519 --> 00:37:40.659 wear socks. We wear shoes. Our feet are clean. 00:37:41.860 --> 00:37:45.300 In Jesus' day, people walked around in Jesus' 00:37:45.400 --> 00:37:50.019 sandals. This is what was on their feet. And 00:37:50.019 --> 00:37:51.940 their roads, remember there was an agricultural 00:37:51.940 --> 00:37:54.960 society, they used camels as means of transportation. 00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:58.800 And you know what they didn't use? They didn't 00:37:58.800 --> 00:38:02.880 use these. Yeah, it's still warm. They didn't 00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:05.699 do yeast. Like when we walk our dogs now, we 00:38:05.699 --> 00:38:09.139 have poop bags. And we pick up everything and 00:38:09.139 --> 00:38:12.519 we throw it all away and we're polite human beings. 00:38:13.420 --> 00:38:15.880 Well, in the first century, they didn't carry 00:38:15.880 --> 00:38:20.019 around bags to pick up camel dung. You know where 00:38:20.019 --> 00:38:23.420 the camel poop went? On the roads, which means 00:38:23.420 --> 00:38:26.440 it went on all their feet. And by the time they 00:38:26.440 --> 00:38:30.019 got to dinner, the people had to clean up. And 00:38:30.019 --> 00:38:31.980 that's where this servant, the lowest of lows, 00:38:32.199 --> 00:38:36.739 was responsible for cleaning stinky, poopy feet. 00:38:37.860 --> 00:38:41.159 And Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, he 00:38:41.159 --> 00:38:44.440 gets up, grabs a basin of water, and washes their 00:38:44.440 --> 00:38:51.250 feet. He washes the denier's feet. He washes 00:38:51.250 --> 00:38:54.170 the doubter's feet. He washes the betrayer's 00:38:54.170 --> 00:38:58.769 feet. And after washing their feet, he put his 00:38:58.769 --> 00:39:02.469 robe again and sat it down and asked, do you 00:39:02.469 --> 00:39:05.690 understand what I was doing? You call me teacher 00:39:05.690 --> 00:39:08.050 and Lord, and you are right because that's what 00:39:08.050 --> 00:39:09.949 I am. And since I, your Lord and teacher, have 00:39:09.949 --> 00:39:12.230 washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's 00:39:12.230 --> 00:39:15.150 feet. I've given you an example to follow. Do 00:39:15.150 --> 00:39:18.210 as I've done. Slaves are not greater than their 00:39:18.210 --> 00:39:20.050 master, nor is the messenger more important than 00:39:20.050 --> 00:39:23.130 the ones who sends the message. That's the gospel. 00:39:24.289 --> 00:39:26.690 See, when we serve others, that's the good news. 00:39:26.829 --> 00:39:28.690 Because remember, Jesus came down out of heaven 00:39:28.690 --> 00:39:33.389 to wash us and clean us of all our sins. And 00:39:33.389 --> 00:39:36.389 when we serve others, it's not out of guilt or 00:39:36.389 --> 00:39:39.429 manipulation. We're doing it for Jesus. Because 00:39:39.429 --> 00:39:41.949 we want to put others ahead of ourselves, which 00:39:41.949 --> 00:39:43.909 leads us to our fifth and final step. We need 00:39:43.909 --> 00:39:49.300 to be desperate. So right after, right after 00:39:49.300 --> 00:39:51.800 notice, Jesus addresses the mom and the sons. 00:39:52.300 --> 00:39:55.400 Verse 29. As Jesus and the disciples left the 00:39:55.400 --> 00:39:57.900 town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:00.159 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When 00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:01.900 they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they 00:40:01.900 --> 00:40:04.380 began shouting, Lord, son of David, have mercy 00:40:04.380 --> 00:40:09.139 on us. Be quiet. The crowd yelled at them. Society 00:40:09.139 --> 00:40:10.739 looked down on these men. They were the forgotten, 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:14.570 the outcast. But they only shouted louder, Lord, 00:40:14.630 --> 00:40:16.269 Son of David, have mercy on us. And when Jesus 00:40:16.269 --> 00:40:18.650 heard them, he stopped and called. Notice his 00:40:18.650 --> 00:40:20.409 response and how it's different from the mom. 00:40:20.550 --> 00:40:24.610 What do you want me to do for you? Lord, they 00:40:24.610 --> 00:40:27.929 said, we want to see. Jesus felt sorry for them 00:40:27.929 --> 00:40:29.230 and touched their eyes. Instantly they could 00:40:29.230 --> 00:40:32.349 see, then they followed him. See, these men were 00:40:32.349 --> 00:40:34.570 more concerned about what Jesus thought than 00:40:34.570 --> 00:40:40.650 what the crowd thought. Are you? Are you? Are 00:40:40.650 --> 00:40:42.449 you more concerned about what people think about 00:40:42.449 --> 00:40:45.750 you? See, we have an opportunity to serve men 00:40:45.750 --> 00:40:48.409 just like this at our first annual HHC Fest that 00:40:48.409 --> 00:40:50.670 I'm excited about. Right now, Jeff France is 00:40:50.670 --> 00:40:54.489 at HHC leading a group of forgotten people in 00:40:54.489 --> 00:40:58.250 a nursing home, teaching them about Jesus, sharing 00:40:58.250 --> 00:41:00.829 about what it means to be great. And we want 00:41:00.829 --> 00:41:03.690 to invade that nursing home and see every resident 00:41:03.690 --> 00:41:07.800 come into a relationship with Jesus. We want 00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:10.179 to go there and we want to have wheelchair races. 00:41:12.679 --> 00:41:14.780 And we want to have a water balloon toss. And 00:41:14.780 --> 00:41:16.460 we want to baptize people. And we want to feed 00:41:16.460 --> 00:41:18.519 them and cut their hair. And we want to serve 00:41:18.519 --> 00:41:20.699 them. And we don't want to just serve those that 00:41:20.699 --> 00:41:23.099 are in the church gathering right now. We want 00:41:23.099 --> 00:41:28.300 to serve every single resident. And you say, 00:41:28.340 --> 00:41:32.300 well, why, Chris? Because we'll never be great 00:41:32.300 --> 00:41:34.119 in the kingdom of God if we care about what the 00:41:34.119 --> 00:41:37.719 crowd thinks. I deal with this all the time. 00:41:38.760 --> 00:41:40.460 I deal with this all the time because listen, 00:41:40.619 --> 00:41:44.139 if you're a pastor and you lead a church that's 00:41:44.139 --> 00:41:46.539 healthy and growing and you teach the Bible for 00:41:46.539 --> 00:41:49.539 a living, guess what? Social media gets mad at 00:41:49.539 --> 00:41:54.960 you. They get real mad at you. And I know that 00:41:54.960 --> 00:41:59.360 Jesus called me to do this. Not them and not 00:41:59.360 --> 00:42:02.219 you. And I will continue to listen to his voice 00:42:02.219 --> 00:42:04.820 and his leading as I pastor and lead this church. 00:42:05.369 --> 00:42:07.769 And that's why I stand on Galatians 1 .10. Obviously, 00:42:07.809 --> 00:42:09.449 I'm not trying to win the approval of people, 00:42:09.550 --> 00:42:11.929 but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, 00:42:11.989 --> 00:42:17.190 I would not be Christ's servant. In a world where 00:42:17.190 --> 00:42:20.369 greatness is defined by power, position, and 00:42:20.369 --> 00:42:23.210 possession, in the kingdom of God, greatness 00:42:23.210 --> 00:42:25.969 is all about humility and prayer. Just like those 00:42:25.969 --> 00:42:28.230 two men, and in their desperation, they were 00:42:28.230 --> 00:42:32.619 healed and set free. And hear me out. We did 00:42:32.619 --> 00:42:35.119 a 24 -7 prayer, a week of 24 -7 prayer at the 00:42:35.119 --> 00:42:36.940 start of the year. I was excited about it. We 00:42:36.940 --> 00:42:39.619 filled every spot and we did it. God has been 00:42:39.619 --> 00:42:41.800 doing supernatural things all year up to this 00:42:41.800 --> 00:42:46.059 point. And then you, you said, oh, we got to 00:42:46.059 --> 00:42:49.800 do that again. It was so much fun. God did so 00:42:49.800 --> 00:42:52.280 much. So we said, okay, we'll do it again. And 00:42:52.280 --> 00:42:54.820 we have a signup sheet out there and no one's 00:42:54.820 --> 00:43:00.159 names are on it. I didn't want to do it. You 00:43:00.159 --> 00:43:03.320 wanted to do it. So for all you that wanted to 00:43:03.320 --> 00:43:05.380 do 24 -7 prayer, get your name on the sign -up 00:43:05.380 --> 00:43:09.099 sheet. Because we're doing it now. We're stepping 00:43:09.099 --> 00:43:12.539 out in faith and doing it again. But for all 00:43:12.539 --> 00:43:14.539 you that loved it and experienced it and wanted 00:43:14.539 --> 00:43:16.719 to do it, get your name on the sheet. Because 00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:19.480 it starts next week. And we want every spot filled. 00:43:20.440 --> 00:43:24.800 And tomorrow, when your day starts, have a desire 00:43:24.800 --> 00:43:27.360 to be great. Because Colossians 3 says, work 00:43:27.360 --> 00:43:30.059 willingly at whatever you do. as though you were 00:43:30.059 --> 00:43:33.960 working for the Lord rather than people. If you 00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:36.320 have that attitude, you will make a difference 00:43:36.320 --> 00:43:38.599 in your workplace and your schools. You will 00:43:38.599 --> 00:43:43.659 become great as you serve others. But my question 00:43:43.659 --> 00:43:47.260 to all of you is this. Will you surrender? I'm 00:43:47.260 --> 00:43:48.760 gonna pray a simple prayer. It's my first time 00:43:48.760 --> 00:43:52.300 back in a couple weeks. And I'm gonna offer you, 00:43:52.340 --> 00:43:55.639 if you've never decided to follow Jesus, right 00:43:55.639 --> 00:43:58.099 now is your time. And we're all gonna pray it 00:43:58.099 --> 00:44:00.030 with you. And I don't care where you are in your 00:44:00.030 --> 00:44:05.110 walk of life. This is your opportunity. Let's 00:44:05.110 --> 00:44:09.230 pray together. Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full of 00:44:09.230 --> 00:44:15.469 doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change me. Forgive 00:44:15.469 --> 00:44:20.889 me. I believe you're God's son. I believe you 00:44:20.889 --> 00:44:25.949 died for me. I believe you're alive today. Make 00:44:25.949 --> 00:44:30.099 me new. Set me free. Fill me with your spirit. 00:44:31.059 --> 00:44:34.960 Help me, God, to serve others. In Jesus' name, 00:44:35.119 --> 00:44:37.960 amen. Now listen, if you prayed that prayer, 00:44:38.139 --> 00:44:40.059 if you prayed that prayer, get baptized after 00:44:40.059 --> 00:44:42.820 the third gathering. If you don't know if you 00:44:42.820 --> 00:44:44.500 need to get baptized, there was a question on 00:44:44.500 --> 00:44:46.900 our thing. Well, I was baptized as a kid, but 00:44:46.900 --> 00:44:48.480 I was forced to get baptized. I'm not sure if 00:44:48.480 --> 00:44:50.059 I can get baptized. Just get baptized again. 00:44:50.940 --> 00:44:54.719 If there's any question, get baptized. Because 00:44:54.719 --> 00:44:56.619 you're just declaring that Jesus is a prior in 00:44:56.619 --> 00:44:59.280 your life. Okay, I went long. I'm sorry. My wife's 00:44:59.280 --> 00:45:03.500 going to be mad at me. That's okay. I think it 00:45:03.500 --> 00:45:07.780 was good. It was worth it, right? All right. 00:45:07.800 --> 00:45:09.440 Now listen, I'm going to go through these quick. 00:45:09.619 --> 00:45:11.980 Prayer team, get up here. There's prayer on the 00:45:11.980 --> 00:45:14.420 left and the right. Literally, when I read these, 00:45:14.599 --> 00:45:17.820 it will cover all of you. So be ready. There's 00:45:17.820 --> 00:45:21.219 like 18 of them. Okay, you've got a sinus tract 00:45:21.219 --> 00:45:24.579 blockage. You have infertility issues. You have 00:45:24.579 --> 00:45:27.400 an inner ear infection. You have lower left side 00:45:27.400 --> 00:45:30.179 of your stomach in your intestines is painful. 00:45:31.039 --> 00:45:33.760 You have a big toe that's swollen and hurting. 00:45:34.239 --> 00:45:36.679 You have muscular pain on the inner side of your 00:45:36.679 --> 00:45:38.539 right hand. Behind the small finger, you have 00:45:38.539 --> 00:45:41.619 hip pain. You have infection on one side of your 00:45:41.619 --> 00:45:44.079 right nostril. There's someone here named Phillip 00:45:44.079 --> 00:45:47.219 that needs prayer. You have an ear infection. 00:45:47.340 --> 00:45:49.059 We already said that, I think. Yeah, we did. 00:45:50.090 --> 00:45:52.730 Many with anxiety and depression. You have a 00:45:52.730 --> 00:45:55.469 painful muscle knot between your neck and shoulder. 00:45:56.349 --> 00:45:59.150 You have a broken tendon right behind your wrist. 00:45:59.469 --> 00:46:01.989 You're struggling with migraines because of arthritis. 00:46:02.570 --> 00:46:05.849 The left side of your hip has pain when you lift 00:46:05.849 --> 00:46:08.590 it. You have a broken collarbone. You have a 00:46:08.590 --> 00:46:12.769 painful tailbone. There you go. If any of those 00:46:12.769 --> 00:46:16.909 are you, don't high -five me and say, that word 00:46:16.909 --> 00:46:18.500 was for me. Because you know what I'm going to 00:46:18.500 --> 00:46:20.059 tell you? I'm going to grab your hand and bring 00:46:20.059 --> 00:46:22.559 you back here. So if you need prayer for anything 00:46:22.559 --> 00:46:24.980 or one of those, God bless you. Get up here and 00:46:24.980 --> 00:46:27.599 get some prayer. Next week, we kick off our Daniel 00:46:27.599 --> 00:46:30.579 series, Chameleon. It's going to be a great September. 00:46:30.619 --> 00:46:56.449 God bless you guys. More than life and us I think 00:46:56.449 --> 00:46:58.010 we gotta look to the man above