WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.980 There's a grace to mixing things up. You know, 00:00:02.980 --> 00:00:06.000 this morning, you know, sometimes things become 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:09.699 so familiar, we become complacent in them. We 00:00:09.699 --> 00:00:12.380 lose sight of what's important. You know, speaking 00:00:12.380 --> 00:00:15.539 of familiarity, there's a saying of Jesus that 00:00:15.539 --> 00:00:18.339 has been a source of contention for me personally 00:00:18.339 --> 00:00:22.359 during my entire Christian walk. It's likely 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:23.879 that you're familiar with it as well. It was 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:26.719 our call to worship today and it appears in some 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:30.620 form in all four gospel accounts. And essentially 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:34.200 it's this, Jesus is telling us, if we want life, 00:00:34.460 --> 00:00:38.960 we have to lose it. And the trouble with that 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:41.060 familiar statement, it's that juxtaposition, 00:00:41.100 --> 00:00:43.880 life versus death. And it's a bit confusing if 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:45.500 you think about it. It's like saying, if you 00:00:45.500 --> 00:00:47.560 really want something, you want to lay hold of 00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:52.840 it, you have to let it go. That's hard for us 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:56.399 to comprehend and to understand. How does it 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:00.030 make any sense? Now I was raised in an evangelical 00:01:00.030 --> 00:01:03.170 church. I've wrestled with the concept of losing 00:01:03.170 --> 00:01:05.329 your life for Christ in order to gain it many 00:01:05.329 --> 00:01:07.730 times. Over the years, I've thought I've gained 00:01:07.730 --> 00:01:10.150 insight at various points and learned what it's 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:11.750 meant, but that happens over and over again. 00:01:12.489 --> 00:01:14.609 I keep learning what it means more and more. 00:01:14.810 --> 00:01:16.609 So I'll confess to you this morning, I haven't 00:01:16.609 --> 00:01:19.549 mastered the meaning or the application of it, 00:01:19.609 --> 00:01:22.290 but this past month when I was traveling with 00:01:22.290 --> 00:01:24.750 Christian brothers and sisters through South 00:01:24.750 --> 00:01:26.670 Africa and Zimbabwe, I learned it some more. 00:01:27.260 --> 00:01:30.299 And I think it's worth it to share it with you 00:01:30.299 --> 00:01:33.120 today because there's a connection, I think, 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:37.379 with where we've been in 1 Corinthians. One theme 00:01:37.379 --> 00:01:40.480 that kept sticking out to me is that in losing 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:44.920 our lives for the sake of Christ, risk is involved. 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:49.519 In losing our lives for Christ, risk is involved. 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:54.959 Living for Christ is not safe. Let me say that 00:01:54.959 --> 00:02:00.659 again. Living for Christ is not safe, but it's 00:02:00.659 --> 00:02:03.879 always secure. And we're gonna try to understand 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:06.719 the difference between those two concepts today. 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:09.819 To set the stage, I wanna read today's passage 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:11.919 in Matthew chapter 10. So if you have your Bibles, 00:02:11.939 --> 00:02:15.120 go ahead and turn there or tap there, Matthew 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.520 chapter 10. And let me set the context for you. 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:20.659 The context of that passage in Matthew 10 is 00:02:20.659 --> 00:02:24.219 the sending of the 12 disciples. during Jesus' 00:02:24.419 --> 00:02:26.039 earthly ministry, what we would come to call 00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:29.539 the apostles. And chapter 10, verse 1 makes it 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:33.020 clear, this is directly to those 12, verses 2 00:02:33.020 --> 00:02:37.259 through 4, name them specifically. It's important 00:02:37.259 --> 00:02:39.039 for our sake because sometimes, you know, we 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:41.240 come to the Bible and we're reading and we're 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:43.560 wanting to get a word from the Lord, and sometimes 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:45.439 we just miss the specific context. We've got 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:48.439 to recognize here, he is speaking to the 12, 00:02:48.699 --> 00:02:51.810 but there are timeless principles. for us to 00:02:51.810 --> 00:02:53.669 learn, even though that was a particular time 00:02:53.669 --> 00:02:56.689 in Jesus' ministry. So here, Jesus is instructing 00:02:56.689 --> 00:02:59.550 the 12 really regarding their apostolic authority. 00:03:00.370 --> 00:03:02.689 If you look at verse one, it speaks of them having 00:03:02.689 --> 00:03:06.750 authority to cleanse spiritually and physically. 00:03:07.169 --> 00:03:09.870 And that's something unique to apostolic authority 00:03:09.870 --> 00:03:15.009 that today's believers do not receive. And we 00:03:15.009 --> 00:03:17.729 know this because the Great Commission for all 00:03:17.729 --> 00:03:21.490 believers doesn't mention anything. about healing. 00:03:22.370 --> 00:03:25.490 It's all about gospel proclamation and teaching 00:03:25.490 --> 00:03:30.590 people to obey Jesus. Now additionally, the sending 00:03:30.590 --> 00:03:33.229 of the 12, if you look at where the target audience 00:03:33.229 --> 00:03:37.710 is, it's to all Israel and not to the Gentiles. 00:03:38.090 --> 00:03:43.120 Look at verses five and six. Now some scholars 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:45.539 have said, we're going to read later, but you 00:03:45.539 --> 00:03:47.139 can look in your text. Some scholars have said 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:49.580 Jesus was just preparing his disciples to preach 00:03:49.580 --> 00:03:54.539 before his death and resurrection. That they 00:03:54.539 --> 00:03:55.960 were to go through all the towns of Israel and 00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:58.159 proclaim that the kingdom has arrived. And it's 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:00.659 possible that that's the case, but I would not 00:04:00.659 --> 00:04:02.800 limit the instruction that Jesus gives here to 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.900 the apostles simply to prior to his death and 00:04:05.900 --> 00:04:08.219 resurrection. It's really their overall priority 00:04:08.219 --> 00:04:10.800 in ministry and even after Jesus' ascension. 00:04:11.659 --> 00:04:13.879 The message there to bring, according to verse 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:17.120 7, is the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:18.920 they've been waiting for, what the Israelites 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:22.680 have been waiting for, has arrived. But Jesus 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:25.180 warns his disciples of coming persecution, that 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:28.319 pain and difficulty are going to come, and yet 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.139 that the Spirit will speak through them in their 00:04:31.139 --> 00:04:34.100 hours of trial. This, again, I would say is proof 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:37.439 of the instruction being not just pre -crucifixion, 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:41.149 but also post his ascension. Because the spirit 00:04:41.149 --> 00:04:46.389 comes later at Pentecost. And what else? Well, 00:04:46.410 --> 00:04:48.750 the persecution that Jesus' followers face come 00:04:48.750 --> 00:04:52.709 after his departure. Some of you are familiar 00:04:52.709 --> 00:04:54.769 that church history holds that most of the 12 00:04:54.769 --> 00:04:59.290 had absolutely brutal deaths because of their 00:04:59.290 --> 00:05:03.790 allegiance to Christ. Jesus told them persecution 00:05:03.790 --> 00:05:07.269 would come to them specifically. And it did. 00:05:08.490 --> 00:05:10.310 And at the end of this warning is where we're 00:05:10.310 --> 00:05:12.529 picking up for this morning. If you don't mind 00:05:12.529 --> 00:05:14.149 just to stretch your legs because we're outside, 00:05:14.310 --> 00:05:19.509 let's stand for the reading of God's word. I'm 00:05:19.509 --> 00:05:23.209 going to read Matthew chapter 10 verses 34 through 00:05:23.209 --> 00:05:31.029 39. 24 through 39, sorry. A disciple is not above 00:05:31.029 --> 00:05:34.240 his teacher nor slave above his master. It's 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.319 enough for the disciple that he becomes like 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:39.560 his teacher and the slave like his master. If 00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:41.959 they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, 00:05:42.100 --> 00:05:45.779 how much more the members of his household. Therefore 00:05:45.779 --> 00:05:48.439 do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed 00:05:48.439 --> 00:05:51.160 that will not be revealed and hidden that will 00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:54.040 not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, 00:05:54.060 --> 00:05:56.120 speak in the light, and what you hear whispered 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.540 in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. And 00:05:59.540 --> 00:06:02.360 do not fear those who kill the body, but are 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:05.899 unable to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who 00:06:05.899 --> 00:06:08.939 is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:13.500 Are not two sparrows sold for an Assyrian? And 00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:15.899 yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart 00:06:15.899 --> 00:06:19.379 from your father. But the very hairs of your 00:06:19.379 --> 00:06:24.220 head are all numbered. So do not fear. You are 00:06:24.220 --> 00:06:28.230 more valuable than many sparrows. Therefore, 00:06:28.269 --> 00:06:30.790 everyone who confesses me before men, I will 00:06:30.790 --> 00:06:33.970 also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. 00:06:34.569 --> 00:06:37.269 But whoever denies me before men, I will also 00:06:37.269 --> 00:06:41.129 deny him before my Father who is in heaven. Do 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:43.170 not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. 00:06:43.209 --> 00:06:46.149 I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For 00:06:46.149 --> 00:06:48.449 I came to set a man against his father and a 00:06:48.449 --> 00:06:50.269 daughter against her mother and a daughter -in 00:06:50.269 --> 00:06:52.949 -law against her mother -in -law. And a man's 00:06:52.949 --> 00:06:55.250 enemies will be the members of his household. 00:06:56.139 --> 00:07:00.160 He who loves father or mother more than me is 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:03.879 not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:08.879 more than me is not worthy of me. And he who 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:12.139 does not take his cross and follow after me is 00:07:12.139 --> 00:07:17.660 not worthy of me. He who has found his life will 00:07:17.660 --> 00:07:20.959 lose it. And he who has lost his life for my 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:33.139 sake will find it. You can be seated. Now, I 00:07:33.139 --> 00:07:36.300 was in Africa a couple weeks ago for Children's 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:38.399 Hunger Fund to gather with all of our partners 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:41.860 across the continent. We had nine different nations 00:07:41.860 --> 00:07:45.819 represented from Ethiopia in the north all the 00:07:45.819 --> 00:07:49.120 way to South Africa and even east to Madagascar. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:52.459 And those partners represented about 200 churches 00:07:52.459 --> 00:07:55.319 that work with us to practice biblically faithful 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:58.610 mercy ministry. And the goal Some of you have 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:00.930 heard this before, but it never hurts to share. 00:08:01.209 --> 00:08:04.329 The goal is to use compassionate gifts of food 00:08:04.329 --> 00:08:08.170 to build gospel relationships for evangelism, 00:08:08.189 --> 00:08:10.790 for discipleship, and that is all within the 00:08:10.790 --> 00:08:15.389 context of the local church. These partners, 00:08:15.509 --> 00:08:18.290 they're also leaders in many respects, from Bible 00:08:18.290 --> 00:08:21.329 college founders and pastoral seminary trainers 00:08:21.329 --> 00:08:23.970 to medical ministry and self -sustainability 00:08:23.970 --> 00:08:28.019 visionaries and everything in between. While 00:08:28.019 --> 00:08:30.839 I spent time listening to their latest life and 00:08:30.839 --> 00:08:34.259 ministry updates, one thing was clear. These 00:08:34.259 --> 00:08:39.320 men knew the meaning of Matthew 10, 39 better 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:45.139 than I do. Their lives, their ministries, are 00:08:45.139 --> 00:08:48.860 marked by consistent sacrifice, duty to the Lord, 00:08:48.899 --> 00:08:52.659 and a seemingly never -ending drive to do more 00:08:52.659 --> 00:08:56.360 for the kingdom that is at hand. There's nothing 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:59.340 safe about the challenges that they face. Some 00:08:59.340 --> 00:09:01.080 of their testimonies involve personal hardship, 00:09:01.379 --> 00:09:04.820 persecution from governments and gangs, even 00:09:04.820 --> 00:09:08.559 familial attacks, family members being attacked 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:12.019 via physical health or spiritual health. Yet 00:09:12.019 --> 00:09:16.379 as much as these men risk, and even their wives 00:09:16.379 --> 00:09:19.000 risk, and they embrace this risk as much as they 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:22.940 do, you'd have to be a fool to call their faithfulness 00:09:22.940 --> 00:09:28.049 foolish. Now, to some of us, we might be risk 00:09:28.049 --> 00:09:32.269 averse. And to the risk averse person, a zeal 00:09:32.269 --> 00:09:34.450 to serve in the face of danger may appear to 00:09:34.450 --> 00:09:37.309 be unwise. It may even appear to be arrogant 00:09:37.309 --> 00:09:40.509 in a zeal to serve the Lord. And surely, sometimes 00:09:40.509 --> 00:09:44.190 people can be absolutely foolish in serving the 00:09:44.190 --> 00:09:46.129 Lord. They can think themselves to be the Savior 00:09:46.129 --> 00:09:48.370 rather than focusing on the Savior. They can 00:09:48.370 --> 00:09:51.769 rush into situations without thinking and considering, 00:09:51.950 --> 00:09:55.059 without preparing. Sometimes people can neglect 00:09:55.059 --> 00:09:57.679 sound counsel and they can isolate themselves 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:00.080 in immaturity and take on unnecessary risks. 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:03.879 That's all true. But those I spent time with 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:06.639 in South Africa were anything but unwise. They 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:10.399 were anything but immature. Their testimonies 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:12.759 of faithfulness through hardship, they showed 00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:16.279 that no earthly caution outweighs the reality 00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:20.440 of risky living for Christ. And on the heels 00:10:20.440 --> 00:10:23.179 of considering rewards for service unto the king, 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:26.740 I think this is something pertinent for us to 00:10:26.740 --> 00:10:29.480 consider. Now, I know some of you here today 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:32.799 are gonna bring a first objection, say, but what 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:37.500 about dangers? Should we not care? Should we 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:39.539 not care about the dangers? Shouldn't we try 00:10:39.539 --> 00:10:43.299 to be safe? I know that's a common objection. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:48.259 Now, wisdom says, don't be a fool. Some of you 00:10:48.259 --> 00:10:51.480 were here in the sermon a couple months ago, 00:10:51.539 --> 00:10:54.600 I guess, Ecclesiastes chapter 10. Solomon said 00:10:54.600 --> 00:10:57.820 only a fool would crash through a wall without 00:10:57.820 --> 00:11:01.620 considering what's on the other side. Ecclesiastes 00:11:01.620 --> 00:11:04.100 10b says the fool crashes through a wall only 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:07.539 to be bitten by a snake, right? He's unwise. 00:11:07.539 --> 00:11:10.620 He doesn't consider the risk. Now, a wise person, 00:11:10.659 --> 00:11:14.340 they don't embrace danger for no reason. Neither 00:11:14.340 --> 00:11:16.960 do they disregard it. If you know a snake is 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:19.519 behind a wall, you want to use wisdom to deal 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:22.519 with it. Think about it. Remove some high bricks 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:25.080 so you can gain a vantage point. Feed a mouse 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:27.740 to it so it gets distracted. Maybe make another 00:11:27.740 --> 00:11:29.519 exit so it doesn't come after you. There are 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:32.919 ways to deal with it. Wisdom doesn't avoid the 00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:37.220 problem. Wisdom navigates it, addresses it in 00:11:37.220 --> 00:11:40.620 a manner that minimizes the danger and secures 00:11:40.620 --> 00:11:45.039 a good outcome. When we think about risky living 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.059 as believers today and the call of Matthew 10, 00:11:48.100 --> 00:11:51.639 39 to lose our life for the sake of Christ, we 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:55.559 need to consider a couple things. First, we need 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:57.419 to look for opportunities to give up our lives 00:11:57.419 --> 00:12:01.360 for Christ. The first part of verse 39 states 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.820 that he who thinks he has found his life is going 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:10.779 to lose it. What do you think that means? Here's 00:12:10.779 --> 00:12:14.419 what I think it means. If your best life is now, 00:12:14.580 --> 00:12:18.340 if your security is in your earthly finances, 00:12:18.779 --> 00:12:23.639 your retirement account, your investments, if 00:12:23.639 --> 00:12:25.879 your hope and your longing is in your vacations, 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:30.220 your enjoyable experiences, if your trust is 00:12:30.220 --> 00:12:34.120 in your ability to get through each day, your 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:38.200 confidence is in your flesh, if you think that 00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:41.179 your happiness and your joy are bound up in this 00:12:41.179 --> 00:12:43.950 world, then you're gonna lose it all in the end. 00:12:45.090 --> 00:12:48.289 That's what Jesus is teaching. He's saying this 00:12:48.289 --> 00:12:52.750 life is going to come to an end. Your hope and 00:12:52.750 --> 00:12:55.809 your trust, if they are not in Christ, you will 00:12:55.809 --> 00:12:59.889 lose everything. Everything, everything that 00:12:59.889 --> 00:13:03.450 you thought life was about, you will lose it. 00:13:04.570 --> 00:13:06.929 Now, a few verses earlier, Jesus pits family 00:13:06.929 --> 00:13:09.269 against one another. And moms, I know, I'm sorry. 00:13:09.590 --> 00:13:12.610 It's Mother's Day, but you gotta hear this. And 00:13:12.610 --> 00:13:15.169 there's no really better time to hear this, to 00:13:15.169 --> 00:13:19.049 hold the tension line the right way. Jesus teaches 00:13:19.049 --> 00:13:23.009 in verse 37, his followers cannot love earthly 00:13:23.009 --> 00:13:28.070 family more than him. That's what he says very 00:13:28.070 --> 00:13:30.070 clearly. I know it's painful to hear, but it's 00:13:30.070 --> 00:13:33.809 only truly painful if we have the wrong focus. 00:13:35.529 --> 00:13:40.389 Jesus is not teaching you to actively hate your 00:13:40.389 --> 00:13:44.740 family. That's not what he's teaching. He's teaching 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:50.899 us to not love our family more than we love him. 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:55.299 And we sing a song often that's called The First 00:13:55.299 --> 00:13:58.559 Place. And it's about how Christ should be the 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:02.460 first place in all things, even when it comes 00:14:02.460 --> 00:14:07.039 to family. Now, when it comes to risky living 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:09.039 for Jesus, you have to think about what are you 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:13.200 afraid to lose? What are you afraid to give up? 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:17.659 What would keep you from going all in on serving 00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:22.240 the Lord? And maybe it's family. But could you 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:25.019 also be like that rich young ruler who was told 00:14:25.019 --> 00:14:27.860 to sell everything and yet he was troubled? Why? 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:35.600 Because he had many possessions. Now the opportunities 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.600 for you to give up your life for Christ are going 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:40.940 to be evident when you consider what you struggle 00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:46.259 most with giving up. If comfort is your king, 00:14:46.419 --> 00:14:50.799 then Christ isn't. If financial security is your 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:55.700 king, then Christ isn't. If family identity is 00:14:55.700 --> 00:15:00.820 your king, then Christ isn't. To gain your life 00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:04.139 in Christ, you have to give up a life For yourself. 00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:08.340 So you have to always ask this question to yourself. 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:12.279 What's holding you back? What's holding you back 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:16.179 from giving Christ the first place in all things? 00:15:17.460 --> 00:15:20.379 What's holding you back? That needs to be a regular 00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:23.460 question of your own heart. The second thing 00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:26.820 in living in light of Matthew 10, 39, is that 00:15:26.820 --> 00:15:29.639 we should consider the known dangers. Don't be 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:32.590 a fool. We're not called to walk blindly in the 00:15:32.590 --> 00:15:34.889 face of danger, but danger is ahead whether we 00:15:34.889 --> 00:15:37.529 want it or not. Earlier, I said that living for 00:15:37.529 --> 00:15:41.090 Christ is not safe, but it is secure. That's 00:15:41.090 --> 00:15:45.250 not an Adamism. It's a truism. Living for Christ 00:15:45.250 --> 00:15:48.990 is not safe. Danger is there. Security, though, 00:15:49.029 --> 00:15:51.710 in Christ is what we're promised. Now, some dangers 00:15:51.710 --> 00:15:53.490 we see before they come upon us, and we'd be 00:15:53.490 --> 00:15:56.710 wise to pay attention. Jesus tells his disciples 00:15:56.710 --> 00:15:59.029 in that passage in Matthew 10 that persecution 00:15:59.029 --> 00:16:01.730 is coming. that they are going to be a sheep 00:16:01.730 --> 00:16:03.950 amongst wolves. And that is a dangerous position 00:16:03.950 --> 00:16:06.929 to be in because sheep are hunted by the wolves. 00:16:07.210 --> 00:16:09.870 He did not want the disciples to think that they 00:16:09.870 --> 00:16:12.889 were going out as sheep amongst other sheep. 00:16:15.649 --> 00:16:17.929 It's something that bothers me about many self 00:16:17.929 --> 00:16:19.830 -professed evangelists and missionaries today. 00:16:20.809 --> 00:16:24.389 They speak about unbelievers as those who earnestly 00:16:24.389 --> 00:16:27.950 want to know Christ. They just need the messenger. 00:16:28.759 --> 00:16:30.980 And they confuse these different principles in 00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:34.259 God's word. Some of you may think of that passage 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:37.279 in Romans chapter 10. Yes, verses 14 and 15, 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:39.200 they tell us, the believer, how are they going 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.340 to know unless they hear? The believer should 00:16:41.340 --> 00:16:43.919 have the impetus to go and to preach the word 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:46.399 because people need to hear the good news in 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:49.120 order to believe. That is a true statement. But 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:51.580 if you pay attention to that passage in Romans 00:16:51.580 --> 00:16:54.090 chapter 10 and to this one. In Matthew chapter 00:16:54.090 --> 00:16:57.350 10, you know that Israel is a stubborn and obstinate 00:16:57.350 --> 00:17:01.450 people who will hear and yet still not believe. 00:17:02.870 --> 00:17:06.190 And don't forget, who put Jesus on the cross? 00:17:08.309 --> 00:17:11.609 Yeah, it was under Roman rule, but it was the 00:17:11.609 --> 00:17:17.470 Jewish leaders who sought his death. Romans 3, 00:17:17.589 --> 00:17:21.910 verses 10 through 18, teach us that no one, no 00:17:21.910 --> 00:17:26.140 one, seeks after God. And that godless people, 00:17:26.339 --> 00:17:30.819 they shed blood without remorse. To bring the 00:17:30.819 --> 00:17:32.759 good news to those who are perishing is a good 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:36.500 thing, but don't forget this, friends. Those 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:39.420 who are disobedient to God, they have no desire 00:17:39.420 --> 00:17:44.640 to hear such good news unless God changes hearts. 00:17:45.859 --> 00:17:48.480 That doesn't negate the responsibility to preach, 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:53.039 but it sets your expectation rightly. The unbeliever 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:57.819 doesn't want to hear. So when you bring the gospel 00:17:57.819 --> 00:18:01.619 to unbelieving people, it involves risk. It involves 00:18:01.619 --> 00:18:04.779 risk of your own safety because the world hates 00:18:04.779 --> 00:18:08.619 God and the world hates his son. And Jesus says, 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:11.480 if they hated me, how much more are they gonna 00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:15.839 hate you? Now persecution's not only for the 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:18.789 apostles. It's also for us. You may not be crucified. 00:18:18.950 --> 00:18:21.069 It's not a practice today, like so many of the 00:18:21.069 --> 00:18:23.109 apostles had happened to them, but you might 00:18:23.109 --> 00:18:26.990 be rejected. In bringing the gospel to unbelievers, 00:18:27.109 --> 00:18:30.390 you might lose that job opportunity. You might 00:18:30.390 --> 00:18:33.829 lose the promotion. You might upset family members 00:18:33.829 --> 00:18:38.009 by calling sin, sin. You might limit fields of 00:18:38.009 --> 00:18:41.390 work for yourself. You might lose friends because 00:18:41.390 --> 00:18:44.369 you're unashamed of the gospel of Christ. That's 00:18:44.369 --> 00:18:47.170 all a reality. The world is not going to love 00:18:47.170 --> 00:18:50.809 you if you love the Lord. But note that that 00:18:50.809 --> 00:18:54.890 doesn't mean that you're unloving. But like Jesus, 00:18:54.970 --> 00:18:58.490 you have to be willing to suffer loss in service 00:18:58.490 --> 00:19:01.250 to the Father. That's the principle that he's 00:19:01.250 --> 00:19:04.230 teaching us. Let me ask you a couple questions 00:19:04.230 --> 00:19:07.750 for you to think about here. What dangers are 00:19:07.750 --> 00:19:11.730 you okay with in terms of gospel service? And 00:19:11.730 --> 00:19:16.180 what dangers are you not okay with? That's a 00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:18.839 question for your own heart. Are you willing 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:20.799 to serve the king as long as it doesn't cost 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:24.259 you your job? Are you willing to serve the king 00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:28.420 as long as it doesn't cost you friends? Are you 00:19:28.420 --> 00:19:30.420 willing to serve the king as long as your family 00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:35.240 is protected from any hardship? Now, I know these 00:19:35.240 --> 00:19:37.079 are hard questions, but we have to take the words 00:19:37.079 --> 00:19:39.880 of our Lord seriously. The encouragement is that 00:19:39.880 --> 00:19:42.559 he gives us confidence that even in the face 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:45.950 of known dangers, known persecutions that people, 00:19:46.029 --> 00:19:48.750 they can kill the body, but they cannot kill 00:19:48.750 --> 00:19:53.049 the soul. That's what's secure. The value that 00:19:53.049 --> 00:19:55.210 the father places on his children, it's immensely 00:19:55.210 --> 00:19:58.329 more than you and I can fathom. Scripture tries 00:19:58.329 --> 00:20:00.809 to help us understand this. If you've grown up 00:20:00.809 --> 00:20:02.410 hearing sermons on this passage, you know that 00:20:02.410 --> 00:20:04.789 there's that coin that's mentioned in verse 29, 00:20:05.049 --> 00:20:08.309 that Assyrian, it's the smallest Roman coin, 00:20:08.450 --> 00:20:11.279 like a penny. And he says two sparrows are sold 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:13.619 for one. That's the ancient world's two for one 00:20:13.619 --> 00:20:18.420 deal, right? He says not even one of these creatures, 00:20:18.619 --> 00:20:22.579 which is barely worth anything to humans, not 00:20:22.579 --> 00:20:24.619 even one of them is gonna fall to the ground 00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:29.599 apart from the Father. That's what he teaches. 00:20:31.380 --> 00:20:35.240 If God cares for the cheapest bird, the cheapest 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:39.970 animal, how much more? Is he going to care for 00:20:39.970 --> 00:20:45.170 those whom he loves? If he knows the number of 00:20:45.170 --> 00:20:48.809 hairs on your head, and some of us, our hairs 00:20:48.809 --> 00:20:54.809 are reducing. It shows his intimate knowledge 00:20:54.809 --> 00:20:59.710 and his care. So the question is, why would we 00:20:59.710 --> 00:21:03.769 value anything here on earth more than him? Why 00:21:03.769 --> 00:21:07.170 would we pursue things that moth and rust destroy? 00:21:08.269 --> 00:21:10.670 If we are so dearly loved that even the numbers 00:21:10.670 --> 00:21:14.690 of hairs on our head is remembered by him, is 00:21:14.690 --> 00:21:17.630 known by him, then do you really have any earthly 00:21:17.630 --> 00:21:23.529 worry when it comes to living for his sake? So 00:21:23.529 --> 00:21:25.650 you ask your heart the question again, what dangers 00:21:25.650 --> 00:21:29.750 hold you back from seeking the greatest treasure? 00:21:31.849 --> 00:21:34.630 Friends, I'd encourage this, that our allegiance 00:21:34.630 --> 00:21:37.769 to the Lord would not have any self -imposed 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:42.539 Don't tell the Lord, I will serve you up to this 00:21:42.539 --> 00:21:46.079 point. Don't make those handshake deals with 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:50.420 him in your heart. Commit to serve him wherever, 00:21:50.599 --> 00:21:54.660 with all people, in all circumstances, in all 00:21:54.660 --> 00:22:00.079 aspects of your life, in all situations, without 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:05.039 compromising. I can imagine some of you here, 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:07.099 if you've grown up, In churches, you've heard 00:22:07.099 --> 00:22:09.160 sermons and encouragements like this, and you 00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:10.960 might just be saying, Adam, so what do I need 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:13.740 to do next? Give me the list, right? Well, let 00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:16.140 me give that word of caution here. The goal here 00:22:16.140 --> 00:22:18.799 is not to give you a to -do list. That's not 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:20.680 what I'm trying to do. I'm not trying to tell 00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:22.799 you here's five ways to holy living that you 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:26.160 need to follow. Our goal when we preach every 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:30.099 single Sunday is to see the Spirit conform your 00:22:30.099 --> 00:22:33.339 daily habit of life according to God's word. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:37.079 That's what our goal is. I'll tell you this, 00:22:37.099 --> 00:22:38.819 though. The reality for many Christians today, 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:41.160 many Christians, and you might find yourself 00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:43.680 as one of these, is that our lives are too comfortable, 00:22:43.859 --> 00:22:51.680 too busy, too us -focused. And it makes it hard 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:56.119 to take Matthew 10, 39 seriously. We wrestle 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:58.640 with losing our life because we actually found 00:22:58.640 --> 00:23:02.180 a life that we kind of enjoy. We don't want to 00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:05.309 lose it. So in light of that, let me share a 00:23:05.309 --> 00:23:08.450 testimony from Zimbabwe. And this is a chance 00:23:08.450 --> 00:23:10.609 when I'll let you go ahead and pull out your 00:23:10.609 --> 00:23:12.430 phones if you haven't already. You get an open 00:23:12.430 --> 00:23:16.450 church center, please and thank you. I posted 00:23:16.450 --> 00:23:18.390 some photos and some of you might say, why didn't 00:23:18.390 --> 00:23:20.750 you put it on one sheet? Well, I tried, but church 00:23:20.750 --> 00:23:23.730 center has a limit of 50 megabytes. And so I 00:23:23.730 --> 00:23:25.809 didn't want a blurry photo. That does no good. 00:23:25.869 --> 00:23:28.210 The whole purpose is to look at it. So I wanted 00:23:28.210 --> 00:23:29.789 to give you clear photos. So it's under church 00:23:29.789 --> 00:23:32.859 resources, all church resources. There's four 00:23:32.859 --> 00:23:36.240 photos that are there. In the first photo, you're 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.960 going to see a photo of a man who's playing bottle 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:42.779 flip with my son. That man's name is Thomas Hodsey. 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:47.740 He's a husband. He's a father. He's a pastor. 00:23:47.859 --> 00:23:49.759 He's a church planter. He's a Bible trainer. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:53.460 He's an entrepreneur. He's a self -taught farmer. 00:23:54.380 --> 00:23:57.160 He's quite good at bottle flip, by the way. Don't 00:23:57.160 --> 00:24:00.099 know how that happened. As a smiling guy, though, 00:24:00.140 --> 00:24:02.160 you can see he's just a great guy. Thomas was 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:04.759 born in Zim. By God's providence, he came to 00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:06.619 the Master's University, then the Master's College, 00:24:06.779 --> 00:24:08.859 around the time when my wife and I were there. 00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:11.579 He went on to the seminary after getting his 00:24:11.579 --> 00:24:13.960 undergrad degree. He excelled as a student. He's 00:24:13.960 --> 00:24:16.160 a brilliant man. He was a faithful member of 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:18.319 Church of the Canyon. Some of you here got to 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:22.240 know him there. Thomas' dream, along with his 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:24.839 sister Ruth, was to see the next generation of 00:24:24.839 --> 00:24:27.460 Zimbabweans prepared for ministry, to see the 00:24:27.460 --> 00:24:31.069 church, grow in a country that is wrought with 00:24:31.069 --> 00:24:35.250 strife, difficulty, compromise. Now he didn't 00:24:35.250 --> 00:24:37.089 know what that would look like when he wanted 00:24:37.089 --> 00:24:38.930 to start that organization or how it would happen. 00:24:39.029 --> 00:24:40.750 He just wanted to go back to his country and 00:24:40.750 --> 00:24:44.049 help. He wanted to serve Christ. And so he set 00:24:44.049 --> 00:24:45.809 up a nonprofit with his sister and it's called 00:24:45.809 --> 00:24:50.329 Christ of First Importance Ministries. Christ 00:24:50.329 --> 00:24:56.490 of First Importance. Now he encountered risks 00:24:56.490 --> 00:24:59.720 all along the way. First, he married a woman 00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:02.839 that is a German citizen, and he was constantly 00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:06.299 outcast by fellow Zimbabwe churches who expected 00:25:06.299 --> 00:25:09.859 him to be married to a black African. His children 00:25:09.859 --> 00:25:12.220 were then mixed, so it means that to this day, 00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:14.140 they're constantly treated different by other 00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:17.680 kids. His wife has had health trouble after health 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:20.299 trouble, and it's meant constant trips to hospitals 00:25:20.299 --> 00:25:23.779 around the world to diagnose and to deal with 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:27.900 her ailments. He's worked He's done a lot of 00:25:27.900 --> 00:25:30.539 ministry work in a Muslim -controlled area that 00:25:30.539 --> 00:25:32.400 has threatened his life on more than one occasion. 00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:35.579 Some corrupt authorities have also threatened 00:25:35.579 --> 00:25:37.539 his life, wrongly jailed him, and at times even 00:25:37.539 --> 00:25:41.559 brought physical violence to him. Now, the nonprofit 00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:43.420 he's set up, they've gone through bouts of lacking 00:25:43.420 --> 00:25:46.220 adequate resources over the years, as they all 00:25:46.220 --> 00:25:48.579 do. There's seasons of blessing and seasons of 00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:51.119 burden. He's been tempted by weaker believers 00:25:51.119 --> 00:25:53.960 in his country to compromise on biblical principle 00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:58.599 to make money. to make more money. If he just 00:25:58.599 --> 00:26:01.220 opens up his allegiance to God's word here, he 00:26:01.220 --> 00:26:05.519 can gain more finances. Now I could go on and 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:07.539 on about the risks that he's faced over the years 00:26:07.539 --> 00:26:10.380 and how God has been so faithful to him and to 00:26:10.380 --> 00:26:11.720 those that he's served with, but the testimony 00:26:11.720 --> 00:26:13.500 I wanted to give you today is, it's actually 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:16.160 not about his personal risk. The testimony I 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:17.779 wanted to give you today was embraced by faithful 00:26:17.779 --> 00:26:20.319 believers in a small town in the middle of nowhere, 00:26:20.619 --> 00:26:23.619 Zimbabwe. As some of you remember the picture 00:26:23.619 --> 00:26:25.980 a couple weeks ago, it's the second photo. that's 00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:31.019 included on Church Center. It's a picture of 00:26:31.019 --> 00:26:35.240 not a town, but a place, a place in that town. 00:26:35.660 --> 00:26:37.839 In that town, though, Thomas was able to purchase 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:40.220 a small plot of land and began building a training 00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:43.059 institute. His desire was to teach men and women 00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:45.299 how to study God's word, to train men to be pastors. 00:26:45.950 --> 00:26:48.769 to give men and women various skills for life, 00:26:48.789 --> 00:26:52.130 like carpentry and welding and cooking and horticulture 00:26:52.130 --> 00:26:54.589 training, animal husbandry, nutrition science, 00:26:54.829 --> 00:26:57.490 sewing, and more, all within a biblical framework. 00:26:58.349 --> 00:27:00.509 Now, to provide classes like this, he would need 00:27:00.509 --> 00:27:03.089 laborers. He would need workers. He wasn't going 00:27:03.089 --> 00:27:05.130 to teach all of those things himself. He would 00:27:05.130 --> 00:27:06.990 need groundskeepers for the campus and more. 00:27:07.490 --> 00:27:10.490 So Thomas set out to provide jobs for qualified 00:27:10.490 --> 00:27:13.329 individuals, all professing believers, who caught 00:27:13.329 --> 00:27:16.059 on to Thomas' vision. and desired to pour into 00:27:16.059 --> 00:27:19.799 the next generation. And the picture that you 00:27:19.799 --> 00:27:23.079 see of that tree and the sunlight coming in from 00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:26.519 sunrise, it's a picture from the exact spot that 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:29.079 he stood, that he kneeled, that he prayed in 00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:32.359 when he was asking the Lord, how is this all 00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:37.180 gonna be possible? It was an early Sunday morning 00:27:37.180 --> 00:27:39.200 for him when he was out there before the church 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:41.559 plant launched, when he was asking the Lord, 00:27:41.619 --> 00:27:45.759 is this possible? How can we do this? That's 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:48.960 been many years and we were able to see incredible 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:51.619 faithfulness from the Lord throughout those years, 00:27:51.720 --> 00:27:54.279 but it's not without hardship. Every believer 00:27:54.279 --> 00:27:57.480 is gonna face hardship in life no matter where 00:27:57.480 --> 00:27:59.619 you are, whether you're in Zimbabwe or Santa 00:27:59.619 --> 00:28:03.099 Clarita, you're gonna face the cost of discipleship. 00:28:04.920 --> 00:28:07.559 I remember earlier I said he had to hire individuals 00:28:07.559 --> 00:28:11.119 to work the campus, right? Men and women of various 00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:13.839 trades. Some moved from other areas into that 00:28:13.839 --> 00:28:17.339 town. to be able to serve. During the day, they 00:28:17.339 --> 00:28:19.299 would need to send their kids off to school. 00:28:19.380 --> 00:28:21.740 There was a local school that was in town, and 00:28:21.740 --> 00:28:24.240 he would send them there. There's no buses. It's 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:27.160 rural Zimbabwe, so the kids need to walk. So 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:30.160 kids as young as four or five years old would 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:33.779 be walking on their own to school. Then their 00:28:33.779 --> 00:28:35.799 parents would walk the other direction to the 00:28:35.799 --> 00:28:39.299 edge of town and go to this campus to serve. 00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:43.960 About a year ago, Thomas and the other leaders, 00:28:44.509 --> 00:28:47.349 heard of the most tragic and heartbreaking situation. 00:28:49.289 --> 00:28:52.250 It was discovered that one of the young girls 00:28:52.250 --> 00:28:54.390 who had been walking to school was physically 00:28:54.390 --> 00:28:57.890 assaulted several times on her way to school 00:28:57.890 --> 00:29:02.109 over the course of a couple months. Now the parents 00:29:02.109 --> 00:29:03.930 were crushed, as you can imagine, when they learned 00:29:03.930 --> 00:29:06.890 this. They wept as they came to Thomas and the 00:29:06.890 --> 00:29:10.289 other leaders. Thomas was crushed when he heard 00:29:10.289 --> 00:29:12.630 this. He couldn't help but feel responsible. 00:29:13.419 --> 00:29:16.059 because he felt like he put the family in harm's 00:29:16.059 --> 00:29:19.720 way. He invited them out to this area to serve. 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:21.400 They were essentially missionaries that he brought 00:29:21.400 --> 00:29:24.259 in. And Thomas went home that night absolutely 00:29:24.259 --> 00:29:28.240 devastated. He was trying to do good, to serve 00:29:28.240 --> 00:29:30.799 the Lord, to progress the gospel, and yet here 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:33.160 evil was showing its face, and not just to an 00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:37.440 adult, but to a child. He fell to his knees in 00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:41.289 prayer, and after a few days of praying, considering 00:29:41.289 --> 00:29:43.170 and seeking counsel with some other ministry 00:29:43.170 --> 00:29:45.869 friends, he came up with a plan to try to address 00:29:45.869 --> 00:29:49.309 this teenage perpetrator along with his parents. 00:29:50.029 --> 00:29:52.589 So Thomas and another leader, they did just that. 00:29:53.089 --> 00:29:55.710 But the response was almost as heartbreaking 00:29:55.710 --> 00:29:58.890 as the initial situation. He got to sit down 00:29:58.890 --> 00:30:01.269 with the parents and as Thomas explained what 00:30:01.269 --> 00:30:06.650 happened, they dismissed his concerns. They told 00:30:06.650 --> 00:30:09.569 him, we went through the same thing growing up. 00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:15.319 So did our parents. This is how things are. You 00:30:15.319 --> 00:30:20.359 can't change it. Thomas and the other leader, 00:30:20.420 --> 00:30:25.720 they left with heavy hearts, downcast eyes. Not 00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:28.279 even appealing to the other parents would help. 00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:32.640 That was Romans 3 on display for them. There 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:35.079 is no one righteous, no, not one. No one who 00:30:35.079 --> 00:30:38.829 seeks after God. Now in response, Thomas and 00:30:38.829 --> 00:30:40.930 the parents, they resolved to accompany the kids, 00:30:41.049 --> 00:30:43.829 to not let them walk alone to school each day 00:30:43.829 --> 00:30:45.730 to ensure that nothing like that would happen 00:30:45.730 --> 00:30:49.109 in the future. But Thomas was still so burdened. 00:30:49.950 --> 00:30:53.089 He felt sick to his stomach. These parents had 00:30:53.089 --> 00:30:55.049 put their kids at risk each and every day and 00:30:55.049 --> 00:30:59.779 he had no idea. Now he was aware this wasn't 00:30:59.779 --> 00:31:02.319 just an isolated problem. This was a reality 00:31:02.319 --> 00:31:05.240 of life among an unsafe population. And if that's 00:31:05.240 --> 00:31:07.460 a problem there in the middle of nowhere Zimbabwe, 00:31:07.539 --> 00:31:10.039 how much greater could the problem be throughout 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:13.319 the whole entire country? Even the whole entire 00:31:13.319 --> 00:31:17.859 continent. As Thomas met with the parents again, 00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:21.119 he asked for their forgiveness for putting their 00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:23.079 children at risk. And he wanted to brainstorm 00:31:23.079 --> 00:31:24.819 what to do in the future. And the response of 00:31:24.819 --> 00:31:28.839 the parents, These faithful Christians who love 00:31:28.839 --> 00:31:31.900 Jesus, who serve him with zeal, with integrity, 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:35.579 it astounded him. They told him that though they're 00:31:35.579 --> 00:31:39.720 devastated by the sin, they've been praying for 00:31:39.720 --> 00:31:42.539 the perpetrator, for the young teen boy, and 00:31:42.539 --> 00:31:48.380 for his parents to come to know the Lord. They 00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:49.960 shared with him that amidst their prayers for 00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:53.059 their daughter, that she has limited memory of 00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:55.980 anything that happened, almost as if God is shielding 00:31:55.980 --> 00:31:58.670 her. from the evil deeds that were done to her. 00:32:00.009 --> 00:32:02.369 Now they didn't know the risks ahead of time. 00:32:02.430 --> 00:32:05.549 The parents didn't know. But once the danger 00:32:05.549 --> 00:32:07.890 presented itself, they appealed to the Lord for 00:32:07.890 --> 00:32:10.809 help. They found their hope in him. They didn't 00:32:10.809 --> 00:32:14.789 find their hope in changed circumstances. Now 00:32:14.789 --> 00:32:18.150 you and I, sitting here today, we might hear 00:32:18.150 --> 00:32:22.579 that testimony and in our rage, against that 00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:25.279 perpetrator in our rage against the nature of 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:28.880 sin and brokenness, we might be prone to call 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:31.079 those parents foolish for ever even allowing 00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:33.980 them to walk alone in the first place. But I 00:32:33.980 --> 00:32:38.420 would severely caution you from doing so. See, 00:32:38.460 --> 00:32:40.740 the parents, they didn't put their children in 00:32:40.740 --> 00:32:43.859 harm's way knowingly. They weren't aware of that 00:32:43.859 --> 00:32:46.420 particular risk before they moved to the town. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:49.000 And once that danger was known, once that danger 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:51.859 was seen, They didn't allow it to happen again. 00:32:53.579 --> 00:32:55.619 But what they did evidence in their response 00:32:55.619 --> 00:33:00.579 was a trust in a savior through the risks and 00:33:00.579 --> 00:33:03.140 the dangers and even through their own heartache. 00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:06.720 Now, after Thomas heard of these parents' faith 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:10.019 and their willingness to see sinners come to 00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:12.980 faith, sinners who sinned against them, he decided 00:33:12.980 --> 00:33:15.890 it was time for him to risk. Now with limited 00:33:15.890 --> 00:33:17.589 funding, without much to work with, he committed 00:33:17.589 --> 00:33:20.269 to building a small primary school on that campus 00:33:20.269 --> 00:33:23.549 so that the kids of those who are working there 00:33:23.549 --> 00:33:25.730 can just come with their parents. They don't 00:33:25.730 --> 00:33:27.170 have to walk somewhere else. They just come with 00:33:27.170 --> 00:33:29.089 their parents and they can be taught a biblical 00:33:29.089 --> 00:33:31.750 worldview in a safe environment. And within two 00:33:31.750 --> 00:33:34.930 months of this whole situation beginning, he 00:33:34.930 --> 00:33:37.410 had two teachers and he was able to start a preschool 00:33:37.410 --> 00:33:40.390 kindergarten class along with an early education 00:33:40.390 --> 00:33:44.880 primary school class. Now that third photo, that 00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:47.559 you see on Church Center, that third photo of 00:33:47.559 --> 00:33:51.579 the school children, one of those is the little 00:33:51.579 --> 00:33:55.960 girl that I just told you about. And here's the 00:33:55.960 --> 00:34:00.920 praise. She's doing so well. She has no memory 00:34:00.920 --> 00:34:04.700 of the incidents. She's loving school. She's 00:34:04.700 --> 00:34:07.160 loving coming to the campus with her parents, 00:34:07.220 --> 00:34:09.460 and she's loving her teacher and her classmates. 00:34:11.150 --> 00:34:13.469 Now her parents, they still see the teenage boy 00:34:13.469 --> 00:34:17.510 and his parents around town. And every time they 00:34:17.510 --> 00:34:20.590 do, they pray for them to come to know the Lord. 00:34:22.010 --> 00:34:26.190 They are actively ready to minister to them should 00:34:26.190 --> 00:34:30.110 the Lord open the door. Thomas never planned 00:34:30.110 --> 00:34:32.389 to open a school. He hasn't raised money to even 00:34:32.389 --> 00:34:34.309 do so. It's not even highlighted on the website. 00:34:34.510 --> 00:34:36.969 If you go looking at his nonprofit, it's not 00:34:36.969 --> 00:34:39.960 something that he's promoting because It's not 00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:42.099 the main thing that they've been doing, but he 00:34:42.099 --> 00:34:45.019 was so burdened that he even gave of their own 00:34:45.019 --> 00:34:48.619 finances to be able to support this school so 00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:50.500 the parents wouldn't have to risk their children. 00:34:52.139 --> 00:34:56.079 In light of the parents' faith, he was challenged. 00:34:57.320 --> 00:35:00.420 What is he willing to risk? What wouldn't he 00:35:00.420 --> 00:35:03.440 do to serve the Lord? Financial support isn't 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:08.420 king. Jesus is king. And in light of thinking 00:35:08.420 --> 00:35:10.659 about rewards in the Bema Seat, I wanted to encourage 00:35:10.659 --> 00:35:12.840 us about the risk. You know, the world always 00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:16.059 talks about this, big risk, big reward. You've 00:35:16.059 --> 00:35:19.480 heard that before, right? They always think it's 00:35:19.480 --> 00:35:22.380 a gamble though. That's what the world thinks, 00:35:22.500 --> 00:35:25.440 that risk is a gamble. But let me reframe that 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:28.280 for you in light of Matthew chapter 10. There's 00:35:28.280 --> 00:35:31.300 no gamble when you serve the Lord. There's no 00:35:31.300 --> 00:35:35.019 gamble. The risk is intrinsic because you're 00:35:35.019 --> 00:35:38.949 not of this world. The risk is unavoidable because 00:35:38.949 --> 00:35:42.030 the world hates your master and it hates you. 00:35:42.550 --> 00:35:47.449 The risk is embraced with wisdom because living 00:35:47.449 --> 00:35:50.869 for Jesus is not about temporary safety. It's 00:35:50.869 --> 00:35:56.010 about eternal security. The key to finding life 00:35:56.010 --> 00:35:59.929 in Christ is loosening your grip of this momentary 00:35:59.929 --> 00:36:03.710 life. That's the key. The tighter you hold on 00:36:03.710 --> 00:36:06.619 to this world, the more likely you're gonna gain 00:36:06.619 --> 00:36:10.320 this world. And as Mark said, Mark chapter eight, 00:36:10.739 --> 00:36:15.559 you'll forfeit your soul. On the fourth photo, 00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:18.880 you're gonna see just a photo of a Bible in the 00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:22.960 hands of a man. That man is Nazan. He's a faithful 00:36:22.960 --> 00:36:24.960 brother. He teaches at the Bible Institute. He 00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:28.239 manages finances. He disciples young men. And 00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:30.179 we were able to bring him a Bible from the States, 00:36:30.219 --> 00:36:32.599 a special edition of the Legacy Standard Bible, 00:36:32.780 --> 00:36:35.000 a shepherd's Bible. that was donated from the 00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:37.980 publisher. And when we gave it to him, he had 00:36:37.980 --> 00:36:41.460 the biggest smile on his face and hugged us in 00:36:41.460 --> 00:36:45.079 gratitude. He said it was the best gift that 00:36:45.079 --> 00:36:47.500 we could have ever given him, that it would be 00:36:47.500 --> 00:36:51.440 the most treasured possession that he has. And 00:36:51.440 --> 00:36:54.559 he said he never expected such a gift. As we 00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:57.099 sat in chapel one morning and he opened that 00:36:57.099 --> 00:36:59.619 new Bible with a big grin on his face, that's 00:36:59.619 --> 00:37:02.539 when I took the picture. I couldn't help but 00:37:02.539 --> 00:37:07.420 wonder from my own heart. Do I treasure God's 00:37:07.420 --> 00:37:13.639 word as much as he does? Have I been gripping 00:37:13.639 --> 00:37:18.559 onto this world too much? Have I been finding 00:37:18.559 --> 00:37:22.239 a life here and not hoping in the life to come? 00:37:24.460 --> 00:37:26.920 Now the daily cure for losing your life for the 00:37:26.920 --> 00:37:29.420 sake of Christ is identifying the things you're 00:37:29.420 --> 00:37:32.340 prone to love more than the Lord. That's the 00:37:32.340 --> 00:37:36.519 cure. Identify what you are prone to love more 00:37:36.519 --> 00:37:39.500 than the Lord. And if you're a believer, here's 00:37:39.500 --> 00:37:41.960 the thing. Those things are likely gonna be good 00:37:41.960 --> 00:37:44.699 things. They're gonna be good things, but they 00:37:44.699 --> 00:37:48.059 become bad because they rule and they reign in 00:37:48.059 --> 00:37:52.559 your heart, and then Christ doesn't. Now, if 00:37:52.559 --> 00:37:55.300 you're an unbeliever here today, the things that 00:37:55.300 --> 00:37:58.039 rule and reign in your heart, they're likely 00:37:58.039 --> 00:38:00.960 gonna be bad because the Spirit is not directing 00:38:00.960 --> 00:38:03.119 your steps. So the things that rule your heart 00:38:03.119 --> 00:38:06.619 are selfish desires. But my appeal for everyone 00:38:06.619 --> 00:38:09.079 here today is that in light of Matthew 10, that 00:38:09.079 --> 00:38:11.360 we would not be misled into thinking that following 00:38:11.360 --> 00:38:15.960 Jesus is safe. That we would understand following 00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:18.239 Jesus means letting go of our grip on this life. 00:38:20.079 --> 00:38:22.780 Holding loosely even to the people that we love 00:38:22.780 --> 00:38:26.239 and the people that we care for. Not hating them, 00:38:26.380 --> 00:38:29.260 but not loving them more than we love the Lord. 00:38:30.960 --> 00:38:33.940 We need to remember the truest treasure is found 00:38:33.940 --> 00:38:36.360 in Christ. It's life eternal in him. It's life 00:38:36.360 --> 00:38:39.760 eternal with him. So friends, ask yourselves 00:38:39.760 --> 00:38:42.179 these questions. What aren't you willing to lose? 00:38:44.019 --> 00:38:46.039 What would be a struggle for you to lose and 00:38:46.039 --> 00:38:50.539 to let go of? What would hold you back from full 00:38:50.539 --> 00:38:53.559 allegiance to him? What aspect of life is the 00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:59.159 hardest for you to yield to him in? Is your job 00:38:59.159 --> 00:39:02.280 or your family or your likability or your earthly 00:39:02.280 --> 00:39:05.360 treasures or any of those impeding your allegiance 00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:11.639 to him? How are you planning each day to let 00:39:11.639 --> 00:39:16.420 go of yourself so you can cling to him? If you're 00:39:16.420 --> 00:39:18.860 not thinking about that, you're missing what 00:39:18.860 --> 00:39:24.579 Jesus taught in Matthew 10. Let me give one encouragement 00:39:24.579 --> 00:39:27.530 though for everyone here as a wrap up. You know, 00:39:27.550 --> 00:39:30.289 today, there's a big push in Christian nationalism 00:39:30.289 --> 00:39:36.030 to just see Americans, Californians, leave the 00:39:36.030 --> 00:39:38.670 state, go to Idaho, right? That's the dream. 00:39:39.170 --> 00:39:41.730 Not messing with you if you're from Idaho, I'm 00:39:41.730 --> 00:39:44.449 sorry. But the dream is get out of California, 00:39:44.630 --> 00:39:48.090 wicked government, leave LA, such a bad culture, 00:39:48.309 --> 00:39:51.849 go start up a new commune over in a very peaceful 00:39:51.849 --> 00:39:53.570 place where you can bring the kingdom to you 00:39:53.570 --> 00:39:58.070 today. Friends, I wanna commend those of you 00:39:58.070 --> 00:40:01.090 who have made this your home and at least encourage 00:40:01.090 --> 00:40:04.590 you that in one way, you have not yielded to 00:40:04.590 --> 00:40:07.550 this earthly treasure because it'd be very easy, 00:40:07.690 --> 00:40:10.869 it'd be very easy to just give up on any sense 00:40:10.869 --> 00:40:14.210 of ministry or life here in Los Angeles. It'd 00:40:14.210 --> 00:40:16.769 be very easy to go to start that commune or go 00:40:16.769 --> 00:40:19.489 to Moscow, Idaho and join those Christian nationalists. 00:40:19.530 --> 00:40:22.050 It'd be very easy to live your best life now 00:40:22.050 --> 00:40:25.030 and to find all of your security in a safe environment. 00:40:26.349 --> 00:40:28.389 But that is not what the Lord has called us to. 00:40:28.989 --> 00:40:31.909 So for those of you that have embraced the difficulty 00:40:31.909 --> 00:40:34.750 of living in California, I will not name any 00:40:34.750 --> 00:40:37.329 politics. For those of you who have embraced 00:40:37.329 --> 00:40:40.329 the ministry difficulty of living in the LA area, 00:40:40.530 --> 00:40:43.250 for those of you who have said, yes, life could 00:40:43.250 --> 00:40:45.929 be easier somewhere else, but the Lord has me 00:40:45.929 --> 00:40:50.630 here serving, I wanna say amen. I wanna commend 00:40:50.630 --> 00:40:53.329 you and encourage you to continue pressing on 00:40:53.329 --> 00:40:55.739 for the sake of the Lord. That doesn't mean it's 00:40:55.739 --> 00:40:57.539 evil if the Lord ends up moving you somewhere 00:40:57.539 --> 00:41:00.760 like Idaho. Talk to an elder before you do is 00:41:00.760 --> 00:41:04.599 what I would encourage. But I do want to commend 00:41:04.599 --> 00:41:06.840 this church body for committing to living here 00:41:06.840 --> 00:41:11.880 and living uncomfortably. We don't have a building. 00:41:13.380 --> 00:41:18.019 Our home is not found within four walls. We set 00:41:18.019 --> 00:41:22.320 up every single Sunday. We ask a lot of you to 00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:26.059 be members. On purpose. Because we're convicted 00:41:26.059 --> 00:41:28.559 and we think that the Lord has commanded us to 00:41:28.559 --> 00:41:31.539 live life together. And that's a good thing. 00:41:32.500 --> 00:41:35.260 So in my close today, I don't want this to come 00:41:35.260 --> 00:41:37.780 across as a finger wagging that all of you need 00:41:37.780 --> 00:41:39.980 to move to Zimbabwe. Please, that's not my call 00:41:39.980 --> 00:41:42.480 for you. That's not my encouragement. But my 00:41:42.480 --> 00:41:44.000 encouragement is that each of us would evaluate 00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:46.619 our own hearts to consider what are those things 00:41:46.619 --> 00:41:48.989 that we're unwilling to let go of. What are those 00:41:48.989 --> 00:41:51.650 things that limit or hinder us from giving our 00:41:51.650 --> 00:41:53.530 full allegiance to the Lord? What are the things 00:41:53.530 --> 00:41:57.449 we say, Lord, I'll serve you up to here and let's 00:41:57.449 --> 00:42:01.269 test our heart and let's yield to him and let's 00:42:01.269 --> 00:42:04.110 let go so that we can gain life in him. Amen? 00:42:04.889 --> 00:42:12.869 Amen. Would you pray with me? Father, we're grateful 00:42:12.869 --> 00:42:15.550 for our time together this morning under the 00:42:15.550 --> 00:42:19.260 sun being reminded that our Even our place of 00:42:19.260 --> 00:42:21.699 gathering is not where we find our security and 00:42:21.699 --> 00:42:25.019 where we find our comfort. We recognize that 00:42:25.019 --> 00:42:30.199 our security is found in Christ. And so we ask 00:42:30.199 --> 00:42:32.099 you this morning, would you help us to understand 00:42:32.099 --> 00:42:38.360 risky living for your sake? Not as unwise people. 00:42:38.519 --> 00:42:41.820 So we pray, help us to identify the dangers in 00:42:41.820 --> 00:42:45.400 following after Christ. Help us to wisely navigate. 00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:49.380 even the unknown risks when they present themselves. 00:42:50.400 --> 00:42:52.900 But please, Father, help us to let go of this 00:42:52.900 --> 00:42:55.300 life appropriately. Help us to cling to Christ 00:42:55.300 --> 00:42:57.440 for our eternal hope. And we pray that you would 00:42:57.440 --> 00:43:00.320 grow our obedience and our willingness to lose 00:43:00.320 --> 00:43:04.579 our lives for his sake, to get a sunburn for 00:43:04.579 --> 00:43:10.980 his sake, to let go of fame for his sake, to 00:43:10.980 --> 00:43:15.989 let go of likability for his sake. To let go 00:43:15.989 --> 00:43:18.070 of all of our earthly comforts and treasures 00:43:18.070 --> 00:43:23.210 that we may be found in him. So we pray, break 00:43:23.210 --> 00:43:26.170 us. Break us of ourselves. Help us to see the 00:43:26.170 --> 00:43:28.849 things that we cling to that are not of you, 00:43:28.929 --> 00:43:31.369 from you, and for you. And would you strengthen 00:43:31.369 --> 00:43:34.730 us by your spirit? Convict us by your word to 00:43:34.730 --> 00:43:38.829 help us go a good way. That every day we would 00:43:38.829 --> 00:43:42.070 be denying ourselves, picking up our cross, following 00:43:42.070 --> 00:43:47.260 after you more and more. less of us and more 00:43:47.260 --> 00:43:50.840 of you, that we would decrease and that you would 00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:53.360 increase. So help us even now in this moment 00:43:53.360 --> 00:43:56.179 that our mouths would profess that Christ is 00:43:56.179 --> 00:43:58.880 king and that leaving here today, our lives also 00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:03.340 would show that Christ is our king. We pray this 00:44:03.340 --> 00:44:04.579 in his name, amen.