WEBVTT 00:00:00.460 --> 00:00:02.560 Welcome to you. We are glad that we get to do 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:04.339 this together. Glad that we get to walk through 00:00:04.339 --> 00:00:06.240 life. Those of you on the online community, wherever 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:08.359 you happen to be, however you happen to be hearing 00:00:08.359 --> 00:00:10.779 this, we're just glad that we do life together. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:13.839 Those of you in the room, welcome. If you are 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:16.739 new to this space or either our online spaces 00:00:16.739 --> 00:00:20.359 or either of those locations, just extra special 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:23.539 welcome to you. Don't take it lightly that you 00:00:23.539 --> 00:00:27.640 would step into an arena like this, a space like 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:33.289 this, where you go. I'm here because I'm trying 00:00:33.289 --> 00:00:35.609 to figure something out. I'm here because I want 00:00:35.609 --> 00:00:38.229 to know more about. I'm here because I just need 00:00:38.229 --> 00:00:41.130 something in my life. Like that's a space that 00:00:41.130 --> 00:00:44.229 as you enter, just know that we don't take that 00:00:44.229 --> 00:00:46.869 lightly. Like that's a big deal to us. And so 00:00:46.869 --> 00:00:49.270 we're just grateful for that. You notice how 00:00:49.270 --> 00:00:52.929 things come back. You notice that? Like Pastor 00:00:52.929 --> 00:00:56.780 Todd's got a stash. It's back. I saw him this 00:00:56.780 --> 00:00:58.939 morning, and first thing I said is, must be November, 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:03.020 right? Like, here we go. And, you know, Aaron 00:01:03.020 --> 00:01:05.159 Rodgers, he just keeps coming back. He's like 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:08.000 an old penny you can't get rid of. But hopefully 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:11.819 he continues to stay healthy and lead the Steelers 00:01:11.819 --> 00:01:14.939 into good spaces in the future. Bradshaw right 00:01:14.939 --> 00:01:19.219 here, I see it. I see it. And, you know, and 00:01:19.219 --> 00:01:21.680 then there's songs. Some of you are like, wow, 00:01:21.739 --> 00:01:24.379 that was a great new song. I got to let you know 00:01:24.379 --> 00:01:27.280 that song is not new. And if you've been around 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:28.980 church for a while, you've been singing it for 00:01:28.980 --> 00:01:31.480 a while. And here's what's beautiful. I don't 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:36.659 want to miss the moment of kind of what that 00:01:36.659 --> 00:01:40.560 song means and how it really leans forward. And 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:43.280 here's what I mean. That years and years and 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.719 years ago, somebody decided that they were going 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:49.379 to take the gift that God had given them. And 00:01:49.379 --> 00:01:52.359 that was the ability to write music, write song. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.920 And they were going to put that song on paper 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:59.659 and essentially birth it into our time and our 00:01:59.659 --> 00:02:03.439 space. What I also love is the person that wrote 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:06.019 it isn't the one that you know it recorded by 00:02:06.019 --> 00:02:08.400 if you know that song. That there was another 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:10.979 group of people that went, you know what? We've 00:02:10.979 --> 00:02:14.039 got, we like this song. We love what it's about. 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:16.560 Is that a Dodger shirt? Is that what I see back 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:26.860 there? Rocha, I see you. I see you. You're in 00:02:26.860 --> 00:02:28.560 church today because you were praying hard last 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:33.479 night, let me tell you. Pastor Todd said it's 00:02:33.479 --> 00:02:35.159 the worst day of the year after the Dodgers win. 00:02:35.340 --> 00:02:38.280 So there you go. What were we talking about? 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.219 Songs. Okay, so there's, but here's what I love. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:44.960 Another group of people recorded it, right? And 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:48.099 you may remember it for that. If you're old school 00:02:48.099 --> 00:02:50.520 Heights family, you may remember being in the 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:53.580 event center in Prescott Valley, singing that 00:02:53.580 --> 00:02:56.580 song on Easter, right? Like it depends on where 00:02:56.580 --> 00:02:58.400 you've been on this journey. But here's what 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:01.669 I love. That people along the way were faithful 00:03:01.669 --> 00:03:04.830 to take truth and take their lives and the creativity 00:03:04.830 --> 00:03:08.229 and what God had given them. And they used it 00:03:08.229 --> 00:03:11.169 for the kingdom, which still today, some of you 00:03:11.169 --> 00:03:12.810 are going, that was new. Some of you are going, 00:03:12.909 --> 00:03:15.169 man, I miss this song, right? Like wherever you 00:03:15.169 --> 00:03:17.050 happen to be on that spectrum, somebody used 00:03:17.050 --> 00:03:20.969 their gifts. And in using their gifts, they have 00:03:20.969 --> 00:03:25.590 impacted a whole group of people. But here's 00:03:25.590 --> 00:03:29.449 what the beauty of this is. When Jeannie Lee 00:03:29.449 --> 00:03:32.490 Riddle, which none of you know, wrote that song 00:03:32.490 --> 00:03:36.150 that is now very, very popular and has been for 00:03:36.150 --> 00:03:38.629 a lot of years, when she wrote that song, she 00:03:38.629 --> 00:03:40.750 was just using the gifts that God had given her. 00:03:40.849 --> 00:03:43.810 She was just being faithful. What could God do 00:03:43.810 --> 00:03:47.509 with your faithfulness? Like, what could God 00:03:47.509 --> 00:03:49.610 do with you just going, God, you give me gifts, 00:03:49.689 --> 00:03:51.110 you give me talents, you give me creativity, 00:03:51.330 --> 00:03:54.129 you put me in a time and place and space, and 00:03:54.129 --> 00:03:57.400 I'm just gonna be faithful there. You don't know 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.300 if in 20 years people are still talking about 00:04:00.300 --> 00:04:02.699 what you did because you were just using your 00:04:02.699 --> 00:04:06.580 gifts. It kind of leans into where we're heading 00:04:06.580 --> 00:04:08.580 over the next little while with this idea of 00:04:08.580 --> 00:04:11.699 a generous life. You know, if we took this mic 00:04:11.699 --> 00:04:13.900 and we kind of handed it out and went, okay, 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.800 tell us what you want out of life. I highly doubt 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:19.199 that we would hear anybody go, I want to live 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:24.819 a stingy life. I want my life to be smaller. 00:04:25.709 --> 00:04:29.370 than God intended it to be. I don't want to live 00:04:29.370 --> 00:04:34.029 a life larger. I highly doubt that if we were 00:04:34.029 --> 00:04:37.970 talking about your funeral and people standing 00:04:37.970 --> 00:04:39.930 up and speaking at your funeral, that anybody 00:04:39.930 --> 00:04:42.050 goes, what I really want them to say, you guys, 00:04:42.189 --> 00:04:47.029 is they were just so greedy. Nobody wants that, 00:04:47.250 --> 00:04:51.430 right? Because instinctively inside of us, we 00:04:51.430 --> 00:04:55.060 know that we were built for more. Instinctively 00:04:55.060 --> 00:04:57.680 inside of us, we know that God created us for 00:04:57.680 --> 00:04:59.779 this life that is larger than what we are living 00:04:59.779 --> 00:05:04.819 today. That he built us for this kingdom that 00:05:04.819 --> 00:05:07.300 he is building and he wants to use your life. 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:10.759 But here's the thing, if you do not have a generous 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:15.719 soul, you will never have a generous life. The 00:05:15.719 --> 00:05:18.220 outcome, and there's parts of this that we're 00:05:18.220 --> 00:05:20.180 gonna build over the next weeks of what does 00:05:20.180 --> 00:05:22.500 it look like to have a generous life? What does 00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:25.160 it need? What are the building blocks, if you 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:27.519 like, that you need to have a generous life? 00:05:27.620 --> 00:05:29.560 And here's what I would say. We're gonna spend 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:32.300 time in Luke chapter 10 all the way through Luke 00:05:32.300 --> 00:05:34.899 chapter 12 over the next weeks. These are the 00:05:34.899 --> 00:05:37.079 words of Jesus, right? Like if you have an old 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:40.959 school Bible, they're in red. So if you are offended 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:44.430 over the next four weeks, You can be mad at Jesus 00:05:44.430 --> 00:05:47.730 because they're his words. Like we're going to 00:05:47.730 --> 00:05:49.110 leave it on Jesus. We're going to put it on him 00:05:49.110 --> 00:05:52.170 this week. Right. And the idea of this generous 00:05:52.170 --> 00:05:55.129 life is hopefully what happens is as we build 00:05:55.129 --> 00:05:57.170 through this and we work towards what we call 00:05:57.170 --> 00:06:00.689 Thanksgiving. Right. That what we get to is that 00:06:00.689 --> 00:06:03.790 that God has designed you. He's designed me for 00:06:03.790 --> 00:06:08.610 a generous life. Now we're in week one and in 00:06:08.610 --> 00:06:11.949 week one, I need you to know something. We are. 00:06:12.649 --> 00:06:17.689 launching today a New Heights vision. We got 00:06:17.689 --> 00:06:20.649 a New Heights mission going on. Here's what we 00:06:20.649 --> 00:06:24.089 are hoping for. By the end of today, by the end 00:06:24.089 --> 00:06:29.709 of services today, we will have 144 people signed 00:06:29.709 --> 00:06:32.790 up for this mission. What is the mission, you 00:06:32.790 --> 00:06:36.589 ask? We are sending people, 144, we are sending 00:06:36.589 --> 00:06:39.629 them off this afternoon to Northern Arizona. 00:06:40.980 --> 00:06:44.819 Now, there are parameters to this mission. You 00:06:44.819 --> 00:06:50.540 cannot take a car. Right there, 50 of you just 00:06:50.540 --> 00:06:54.220 dropped out. The rest of you are like, well, 00:06:54.259 --> 00:06:56.279 I'll just take an Uber. You cannot take an Uber. 00:06:56.899 --> 00:07:00.279 You cannot take your bicycle. You are going to 00:07:00.279 --> 00:07:02.459 use the two feet that God gave you, and you are 00:07:02.459 --> 00:07:04.560 going to walk to the towns of northern Arizona. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:11.899 When you happen to go, what's gonna happen is 00:07:11.899 --> 00:07:15.120 you are going to declare a mission of God. That's 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:19.379 why you are going. Now, you also can't take any 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:24.060 money. So you can't take your wallet. You can't 00:07:24.060 --> 00:07:28.620 take your credit cards. You can't take anything 00:07:28.620 --> 00:07:30.339 that you would be able to purchase something 00:07:30.339 --> 00:07:36.019 with. On top of that, this 144, you cannot take 00:07:36.019 --> 00:07:40.709 your cell phone. We just lost 280 of you right 00:07:40.709 --> 00:07:43.970 there. You're like, I'm out. You can't take your 00:07:43.970 --> 00:07:49.509 cell phone. In fact, you can't take a bag with 00:07:49.509 --> 00:07:52.310 extra clothes or any other supplies of any sort. 00:07:52.350 --> 00:07:53.949 You can't take your backpack with your laptop. 00:07:54.050 --> 00:07:56.790 No electronics can go with you on this trip. 00:07:58.069 --> 00:08:01.310 It is a stinky mission, meaning you will wear 00:08:01.310 --> 00:08:04.209 what is on your body and you will wear it for 00:08:04.209 --> 00:08:09.189 the entire mission. As you go. And as you are 00:08:09.189 --> 00:08:12.509 on this mission, you will also not be able to 00:08:12.509 --> 00:08:17.050 take any shoes. If it is your choice, you could 00:08:17.050 --> 00:08:20.470 take a pair of flip -flops. Okay, but they're 00:08:20.470 --> 00:08:22.689 the cheap ones that you buy for like $1 .99. 00:08:24.769 --> 00:08:26.589 Probably going to break, and at some point you 00:08:26.589 --> 00:08:29.569 will be barefoot upon your journey. So what are 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:31.029 you going to do? You are going to go to each 00:08:31.029 --> 00:08:34.649 town, each dwelling, if you like, of northern 00:08:34.649 --> 00:08:38.500 Arizona. And you are going to go into a space. 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:41.120 And when you arrive, you're going to give a greeting. 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:45.360 And what you are trying to discern is, does the 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:49.720 peace of God rest on this place? If the peace 00:08:49.720 --> 00:08:51.679 of God rests there, then what you're going to 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.259 do is go, hey, can I stay? Can I stay with you? 00:08:55.940 --> 00:08:57.879 Will you provide lodging for me? Because I got 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:01.460 nowhere to stay. And then you're going to ask 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:03.240 him, well, you're already having me stay with 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:06.929 you. Can you just feed me too? And you're gonna 00:09:06.929 --> 00:09:08.870 eat whatever they give you. Whatever they put 00:09:08.870 --> 00:09:10.210 in front of you, that's what you're gonna eat. 00:09:10.269 --> 00:09:11.809 Whether you like it or not, that's just what 00:09:11.809 --> 00:09:15.110 you're gonna eat. That's what you get. Now, on 00:09:15.110 --> 00:09:19.509 top of that, when you are there, you are there 00:09:19.509 --> 00:09:24.409 to announce that Jesus is returning, that the 00:09:24.409 --> 00:09:28.289 return of Jesus is coming. Now, we're in church. 00:09:28.409 --> 00:09:30.450 That deserved at least a, yeah, that's happening. 00:09:30.610 --> 00:09:33.350 Okay, all right. Just making sure we're still 00:09:33.350 --> 00:09:37.100 Jesus people, okay? You're gonna announce that 00:09:37.100 --> 00:09:39.240 Jesus is coming. You are going to heal whatever 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:41.500 sicknesses you find, whatever ailments, whatever 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:43.740 is broke in Jesus's name, you are gonna heal 00:09:43.740 --> 00:09:46.179 those. And you are also going to announce that 00:09:46.179 --> 00:09:48.379 the kingdom of heaven has come near, tell the 00:09:48.379 --> 00:09:50.899 story of Jesus and that his return is coming. 00:09:51.500 --> 00:09:54.639 You are going to do that. However, whatever house 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:56.879 you end up in first, do not move to another house. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:59.100 You're gonna stay where you are for the entire 00:09:59.100 --> 00:10:02.179 time. Now, if you go to a town and when you get 00:10:02.179 --> 00:10:04.700 to the town, the town, you do not find peace, 00:10:04.820 --> 00:10:06.679 you know, as you're figuring it out, you are 00:10:06.679 --> 00:10:12.580 going to symbolically dust off your clothes that 00:10:12.580 --> 00:10:14.480 are now stinky and sweaty because we live in 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:18.940 Northern Arizona. Symbolically to tell them judgment 00:10:18.940 --> 00:10:22.679 and destruction is coming. Now, if this is something 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:24.620 you are interested in, you can go into the lobby 00:10:24.620 --> 00:10:26.519 post service and there will be somebody to sign 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:34.059 you up. We need 144. Anybody want to go? You're 00:10:34.059 --> 00:10:35.600 like, what are we even talking about anymore? 00:10:36.179 --> 00:10:44.179 Right? Luke chapter 10, verse 1. After this, 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:49.940 the Lord, being Jesus, appointed 72 others and 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:52.580 sent them two by two ahead of him to every town 00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:55.659 and place where he was about to go. He told them 00:10:55.659 --> 00:10:57.600 the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are 00:10:57.600 --> 00:10:59.799 few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, 00:10:59.960 --> 00:11:03.460 to send out workers into his harvest field. Go, 00:11:03.659 --> 00:11:07.159 I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:11.019 Do not take a purse or a bag or sandals and do 00:11:11.019 --> 00:11:13.740 not greet anyone on the road. When you enter 00:11:13.740 --> 00:11:17.299 a house, first say peace to this house. If someone 00:11:17.299 --> 00:11:20.080 who promotes peace is there, your peace will 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:22.539 rest on them. If not, it will return to you. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:25.159 Stay there eating and drinking whatever they 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:28.100 give you. For the worker deserves his wages. 00:11:28.179 --> 00:11:31.799 Do not move around from house to house. When 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:34.000 you enter a town and are welcomed, eat whatever 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:37.450 is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there 00:11:37.450 --> 00:11:39.830 and tell them the kingdom of God has come near 00:11:39.830 --> 00:11:43.490 to you. But when you enter a town and are not 00:11:43.490 --> 00:11:46.649 welcome, go into its streets and say, even the 00:11:46.649 --> 00:11:50.110 dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a 00:11:50.110 --> 00:11:53.509 warning to you. Yet be sure of this, the kingdom 00:11:53.509 --> 00:11:56.149 of God has come near. I tell you, it will be 00:11:56.149 --> 00:12:00.269 more bearable on that day for Sodom than for 00:12:00.269 --> 00:12:11.509 that town. Y 'all. This isn't a parable. I just 00:12:11.509 --> 00:12:14.429 need to be clear. Parable being a story that 00:12:14.429 --> 00:12:17.250 Jesus made up that had a point to it. That's 00:12:17.250 --> 00:12:23.669 not what this is. This is 72 people that answered 00:12:23.669 --> 00:12:28.529 the call of the mission you just refused. Right? 00:12:28.710 --> 00:12:33.320 That's how extreme this is. I love that it starts 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:35.659 out in verse one. After this, the Lord appointed 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:41.759 72 others, 72 others. Okay, well, in scripture, 00:12:41.940 --> 00:12:44.179 what's happened before this? Well, if you go 00:12:44.179 --> 00:12:46.639 back one chapter, what you find is there's 12 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:49.779 and Jesus sends them out the exact same way. 00:12:49.899 --> 00:12:53.019 In fact, he gives them a little more, like don't 00:12:53.019 --> 00:12:54.919 take this, don't do that, a little more specific. 00:12:56.009 --> 00:12:58.610 And he sends out 12. Why did he send out 12? 00:12:58.730 --> 00:13:02.210 Well, before that, there was who? John the Baptist 00:13:02.210 --> 00:13:05.610 that he sent out. And if you notice, it says 00:13:05.610 --> 00:13:07.870 that he sent out 72 and then it goes 72 others 00:13:07.870 --> 00:13:12.730 and sent them two by two ahead of him. Okay, 00:13:12.789 --> 00:13:14.529 so what was John the Baptist? John the Baptist 00:13:14.529 --> 00:13:17.490 was a forerunner for the person of Jesus. He 00:13:17.490 --> 00:13:21.049 was sent out by God to what? To announce that 00:13:21.049 --> 00:13:24.879 Jesus is here. The Messiah is here. 12 go out 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:27.460 and what do the 12 do? They are forerunners for 00:13:27.460 --> 00:13:30.139 Jesus. They're on mission going, hey, the kingdom 00:13:30.139 --> 00:13:32.740 of heaven has come near. We've seen the Messiah 00:13:32.740 --> 00:13:37.299 and he's coming to you. Now he sends 72 and the 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:39.879 72 go out and what are they supposed to do? The 00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:41.860 kingdom of heaven has come near. Jesus is on 00:13:41.860 --> 00:13:45.259 his way. They're forerunners for the person of 00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:49.059 Jesus. And what I find interesting is for you 00:13:49.059 --> 00:13:52.970 and me, What we have been left here, the reason 00:13:52.970 --> 00:13:55.450 you're still on planet Earth as a follower of 00:13:55.450 --> 00:13:58.049 Jesus, you know what's interesting? Jesus could 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:00.850 save you and take you. That'd be a fascinating 00:14:00.850 --> 00:14:03.649 service, huh? Okay, anybody wanna receive Jesus? 00:14:03.710 --> 00:14:05.429 And this half the room doesn't, they're gone. 00:14:06.250 --> 00:14:08.289 And the other half are like, well, I guess we 00:14:08.289 --> 00:14:12.289 got left. But he doesn't do that. Jesus saves 00:14:12.289 --> 00:14:16.730 you, puts you into family, why? Because you are 00:14:16.730 --> 00:14:21.120 now a forerunner. For what? Jesus is returned. 00:14:21.299 --> 00:14:25.600 He is coming back. Still nothing. Good. We're 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:28.940 going to keep going. He's coming back, right? 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:33.080 So you, your life is what? A forerunner, a witness 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:36.320 to that if he died on a cross and he saved me, 00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:40.620 then guess what? If that's true, then what's 00:14:40.620 --> 00:14:42.679 equally true is he's coming back. Why? Because 00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:46.179 he said he's coming back. So you're a forerunner. 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:50.559 Your life has a distinct purpose that you have 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:53.080 been. You are here with a mission, a kingdom 00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:56.419 mission that God has put you on. And just like 00:14:56.419 --> 00:15:00.799 this 72 there to go ahead of him. He sent him 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:02.740 to every town and place where he was about to 00:15:02.740 --> 00:15:06.809 go. He told them the harvest is plentiful, but 00:15:06.809 --> 00:15:08.990 the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, 00:15:09.009 --> 00:15:11.429 therefore, to send out workers into the harvest 00:15:11.429 --> 00:15:13.090 field. One of my favorite things about Global 00:15:13.090 --> 00:15:15.429 Month, it reminds me, and hopefully it reminded 00:15:15.429 --> 00:15:17.690 you, the world is really big and the mission 00:15:17.690 --> 00:15:19.590 is really big. When you hear of countries that 00:15:19.590 --> 00:15:24.429 it's only 5 % of the population know Jesus, we 00:15:24.429 --> 00:15:26.090 got a lot to do, you guys. We got a mission in 00:15:26.090 --> 00:15:30.500 front of us. The work is not done. And this verse 00:15:30.500 --> 00:15:32.759 is still true, right? Like that God would raise 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:36.100 up his people to go, hey, I am here to work in 00:15:36.100 --> 00:15:38.480 the harvest field of heaven. I'm here to work 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.480 in the kingdom mission. My life is not about 00:15:41.480 --> 00:15:45.220 me. It's about what God is doing. And so he emphasized 00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:48.600 that verse three, go, I am sending you out like 00:15:48.600 --> 00:15:52.059 lambs amongst wolves. Maybe in our context, that's 00:15:52.059 --> 00:15:55.279 like you're a poodle to a bobcat. Right? Like 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:57.740 that's kind of the feeling that you get. Now, 00:15:57.820 --> 00:16:00.620 if you're Jesus, this is not a good PR plan. 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:03.519 Right? Your mission statement, right? You're 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:05.519 going to put this, you're going to brand it like 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:07.679 I'm sending you out like lambs amongst wolves, 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:11.120 a .k .a. you are weak, you are vulnerable, you 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:14.139 are in danger, and you're helpless, and they 00:16:14.139 --> 00:16:21.139 could devour you. Go. You just read it and you 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:25.169 go, wait a minute. he's stripping out safety. 00:16:26.830 --> 00:16:29.169 He's telling them ahead of time, hey, my goal 00:16:29.169 --> 00:16:32.889 for you as you're going out, my goal for you 00:16:32.889 --> 00:16:35.090 as you follow me is not that you would be safe. 00:16:36.610 --> 00:16:40.250 My goal is not that you would build this whole 00:16:40.250 --> 00:16:42.370 thing where you can just kind of hunker down 00:16:42.370 --> 00:16:44.710 and make sure that you're safe, your family's 00:16:44.710 --> 00:16:49.789 safe, and nothing can ever get in, right? He 00:16:49.789 --> 00:16:51.149 intentionally tells them right up top, which 00:16:51.149 --> 00:16:54.549 he might need a different PR plan. He definitely 00:16:54.549 --> 00:16:56.210 needs HR, I'll tell you that, because they need 00:16:56.210 --> 00:17:00.970 a policy about this. I'm sending you out like 00:17:00.970 --> 00:17:05.990 lambs amongst wolves. Leon Morris has a quote 00:17:05.990 --> 00:17:09.609 in his commentary where he said they were in 00:17:09.609 --> 00:17:16.869 danger and they were helpless. That doesn't sound 00:17:16.869 --> 00:17:21.339 very... Western, does it? That's what I signed 00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:23.759 up. Be in danger and be helpless. No, no, no. 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:25.500 If we're going in danger, we're going to have 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:29.380 the biggest weapon. Right? But he takes their 00:17:29.380 --> 00:17:32.880 weapons away. He goes, I know I'm sending you 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:36.619 into danger, but I'm also taking away your defense 00:17:36.619 --> 00:17:41.440 mechanism. It is such an upside down kingdom 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:45.160 perspective that God would take away the thing, 00:17:45.259 --> 00:17:48.059 right? Like, what is he doing here, Jesus? Like, 00:17:48.119 --> 00:17:52.000 what's the plan? Well, the plan is, verse four, 00:17:52.180 --> 00:17:54.880 do not take a purse. So don't take any money. 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:58.019 Don't take any way to kind of be self -reliant. 00:17:58.460 --> 00:18:03.140 Don't take any way to pay your way. Or a bag, 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:06.140 meaning don't take any supplies. Don't pack any 00:18:06.140 --> 00:18:09.559 food. Don't pack any extra clothes. Don't pack 00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:13.119 anything you might need for this journey. And 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:14.740 sandals. Sandals is interesting because they 00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:17.920 think that they, some say, no, they went barefoot. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:19.900 Some say, no, they went in sandals, but those 00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:22.460 sandals were likely to break just because of 00:18:22.460 --> 00:18:24.680 the rigors of the travel and the walk and all 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:26.660 of that. So at some point they were going to 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:29.900 end up barefoot. That was part of the point in 00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:34.140 going. And do not greet anyone on the road, which 00:18:34.140 --> 00:18:35.960 if you're here and you're like, you know Jesus 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:37.119 a little bit and you're like, well, that doesn't 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:39.380 sound very Jesus -like. I thought he was kind 00:18:39.380 --> 00:18:42.279 and gracious. He is. But the idea of not greeting 00:18:42.279 --> 00:18:44.140 on the road is when they would go on the road, 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:47.299 what would happen is the greeting was long. And 00:18:47.299 --> 00:18:49.980 so as they greeted somebody, they would get distracted 00:18:49.980 --> 00:18:52.660 by what was in front of them. And he's going, 00:18:52.740 --> 00:18:55.400 don't get distracted. In our context, it's leave 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:58.059 your cell phone at home. Because if you could 00:18:58.059 --> 00:18:59.960 go out into the middle of nowhere and have your 00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:01.819 cell phone and you're distracted from everything 00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:03.859 that's there, right? He's going, don't get distracted. 00:19:04.140 --> 00:19:06.700 What this is speaking to is the urgency of the 00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:10.759 mission. You guys, there is an urgency to your 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:16.220 faith. There is an urgency to our life. There 00:19:16.220 --> 00:19:18.900 is an urgency to the mission that God has put 00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:23.799 in front of us. And we get so, and when I say 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:28.779 we, me, I can get so distracted by what? A simple 00:19:28.779 --> 00:19:33.119 piece of whatever metal in my hand with glass 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:39.509 that lights up. And in the meantime, I miss the 00:19:39.509 --> 00:19:42.009 kingdom mission that God has. And he's saying 00:19:42.009 --> 00:19:43.869 the same thing. When you go down the road, don't 00:19:43.869 --> 00:19:47.690 talk to him. Which we're like, well, that doesn't 00:19:47.690 --> 00:19:53.029 sound very nice. Don't be distracted. Verse five, 00:19:53.109 --> 00:19:56.250 when you enter a house, first say to the house, 00:19:56.369 --> 00:20:00.529 or first say peace to this house. If someone 00:20:00.529 --> 00:20:02.150 who promotes peace is there, your peace rule. 00:20:03.130 --> 00:20:05.349 rest on them. If not, it will return to you. 00:20:05.390 --> 00:20:07.250 Anybody else just feel like stress for them? 00:20:08.349 --> 00:20:10.210 Like I just got, every time I teach this, I'm 00:20:10.210 --> 00:20:11.390 just stressed for them. Why? Because they're 00:20:11.390 --> 00:20:13.329 supposed to go to a house, right? Which was a 00:20:13.329 --> 00:20:16.049 household of people and do the normal greeting, 00:20:16.130 --> 00:20:18.589 like the peace greeting. And if the greeting 00:20:18.589 --> 00:20:21.230 came back and it resonated with them, then they 00:20:21.230 --> 00:20:24.390 were supposed to stay there. That sounds terrifying. 00:20:24.509 --> 00:20:29.670 Like, hey, what's up? God be with you. I don't 00:20:29.670 --> 00:20:32.470 know if I feel it or not. Am I supposed to stay 00:20:32.470 --> 00:20:34.009 here or am I not? Can you imagine? Like, we'd 00:20:34.009 --> 00:20:35.329 be such a mess. Like, I don't know if I'm supposed 00:20:35.329 --> 00:20:37.289 to. I guess I'm supposed to ask you this. Can 00:20:37.289 --> 00:20:45.970 I stay here? Verse 7, stay there. So if the peace 00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:48.410 returns, stay there eating and drinking whatever 00:20:48.410 --> 00:20:51.809 they give you. That's so stressful for these 00:20:51.809 --> 00:20:54.809 early believers. You know why? Because they're 00:20:54.809 --> 00:20:59.430 going to towns that are Samaritan villages and 00:20:59.430 --> 00:21:02.660 towns. Now, who are the Samaritans? You pick 00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:05.440 your worst enemy. That is who the Samaritans 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:09.200 were to these Jewish boys, right? And what does 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:13.119 that also multiply to? When you go into a house 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:15.460 and now you're staying there and they put food 00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:18.000 on that table, you eat whatever is in front of 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:20.200 you. What is eating with a Samaritan? What are 00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:22.460 you actually doing? You are building a relationship 00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:24.819 and you are in fellowship with, you're saying 00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:27.700 I'm in community with you. That was a huge no 00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:30.640 and look down on. And Jesus is going, go do it. 00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:33.279 Why? Because in Jesus's economy, in a kingdom 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:36.460 mission, there are no lines, you guys. There's 00:21:36.460 --> 00:21:40.269 no lines. We keep creating lines as a church. 00:21:40.349 --> 00:21:42.750 There are no lines. There are only people that 00:21:42.750 --> 00:21:50.109 need Jesus. And it is our job. It is our job 00:21:50.109 --> 00:21:53.509 to what? To go across lines and build relationships. 00:21:53.509 --> 00:21:57.269 What's crazy in this sense is they would have 00:21:57.269 --> 00:22:00.210 sat down with really rigid, strict religious 00:22:00.210 --> 00:22:04.529 rules around what they could eat and dietary 00:22:04.529 --> 00:22:08.700 options. And they're supposed to sit down and 00:22:08.700 --> 00:22:10.359 eat what's ever in front of them. Now you're 00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:13.160 violating your religious. Why? Because if you've 00:22:13.160 --> 00:22:15.880 got rules to your religion that stop you from 00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:18.359 taking the good news of Jesus and the kingdom 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:20.920 of Jesus to people, you have mixed up the whole 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:24.220 thing. Right? It's not about all these rules 00:22:24.220 --> 00:22:26.420 and regulations. It's about you need Jesus and 00:22:26.420 --> 00:22:29.519 I will go across this so that you find Jesus. 00:22:30.900 --> 00:22:34.190 Why? Because he's coming back. Eternity's on 00:22:34.190 --> 00:22:35.670 the line. You know that, right? Like eternity 00:22:35.670 --> 00:22:38.470 is on the line. And so the mission really, really 00:22:38.470 --> 00:22:45.160 matters. Stay there eating and drinking whatever 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:47.299 they give you for the worker deserves his wages. 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:49.200 Do not move around from house to house. I love 00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:51.700 this one. This is like human nature at its finest. 00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:53.660 So you go to the first place and you're like 00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:55.720 super nervous, like, oh, the peace rested. And 00:22:55.720 --> 00:22:58.900 you're like, yeah, I got a place to stay. And 00:22:58.900 --> 00:23:00.059 then you look at the neighbor's house and you're 00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:02.259 like, wow, that house is so much nicer than this 00:23:02.259 --> 00:23:05.980 house. And their food is within the dietary restrictions. 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.779 He goes, don't move. Don't try and better your 00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:14.329 comfort. Don't try and better your circumstances. 00:23:15.349 --> 00:23:18.569 Don't let your eyes, look at, look at, don't 00:23:18.569 --> 00:23:22.109 let your eyes go to all the things we're trying 00:23:22.109 --> 00:23:24.529 to build and gain that make us feel comfortable 00:23:24.529 --> 00:23:26.569 and safe and secure. He goes, don't do that. 00:23:31.769 --> 00:23:33.789 Verse eight, when you enter a town and are welcome 00:23:33.789 --> 00:23:35.970 to eat whatever is offered to you, they needed 00:23:35.970 --> 00:23:40.410 to hear that twice. Heal the sick who are there. 00:23:40.990 --> 00:23:43.549 and tell them the kingdom of God has come near 00:23:43.549 --> 00:23:46.329 to you. But when you enter a town and you are 00:23:46.329 --> 00:23:49.390 not welcome, go into its streets and say, even 00:23:49.390 --> 00:23:53.130 the dust of your town, we wipe from our feet 00:23:53.130 --> 00:23:55.710 as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this, the 00:23:55.710 --> 00:23:58.529 kingdom of God has come near. I tell you, it 00:23:58.529 --> 00:24:02.009 will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than 00:24:02.009 --> 00:24:07.039 for that town. How? Like those of you that have 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:09.319 the biblical narrative, you know who Sodom is, 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:12.819 you know what happened to the town of Sodom, 00:24:12.819 --> 00:24:17.640 right? Like how? That's absolutely terrifying. 00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:22.160 That it will be more bearable for Sodom on that 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:25.200 day? All that does for me is it talks about the 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:27.420 importance of the mission that God has given 00:24:27.420 --> 00:24:34.660 us. The level that he raises it to is vital. 00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:44.980 Your life is so vital that your life is one that 00:24:44.980 --> 00:24:50.279 is lived being given away. But you will only 00:24:50.279 --> 00:24:56.099 live giving life away if you live a generous 00:24:56.099 --> 00:25:01.380 life. So what is, Jesus, what are you doing? 00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:04.880 What is this all about? What is the point of 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:11.500 all this? Well, He strips away security, right? 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:14.819 The things that made them safe, their community, 00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:20.660 their swords, their people, their ethnicity. 00:25:21.940 --> 00:25:26.019 He strips all of that away. Then he takes away 00:25:26.019 --> 00:25:28.680 what? They could depend on money. So even if 00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:30.279 I get there and it doesn't go well, well, I got 00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:33.920 a credit card. He takes that away. There's no 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:38.099 dependability on themselves. Well, if nothing 00:25:38.099 --> 00:25:40.299 else, I can look a certain way. No, you can't 00:25:40.299 --> 00:25:41.859 because that was stripped away because all you 00:25:41.859 --> 00:25:45.279 got is your stinky clothes. There's nothing that's 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:47.259 going to attract people to you because of the 00:25:47.259 --> 00:25:49.559 way you look and especially the way you smell. 00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:55.359 Well, at least I got sandals. No, you don't because 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:57.000 you broke them on the way and now you're barefoot 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:59.920 and it hurts. It's painful. There's a physical 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:03.740 toll to this. Jesus is stripping away everything. 00:26:05.919 --> 00:26:11.019 everything that they can depend on, everything 00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:12.660 that they would have had trust in. Think about 00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:17.299 it, you guys. This is not so far -fetched. What 00:26:17.299 --> 00:26:20.960 do we spend our lives trying to collect? Comfort 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:25.960 and safety. I can be self -reliant. I don't need 00:26:25.960 --> 00:26:30.000 anybody. We spend our whole lives trying to build 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:33.420 this thing, and then when I got it all in place, 00:26:34.890 --> 00:26:39.269 Then Jesus, I'll take up the mission. No, you 00:26:39.269 --> 00:26:42.890 won't. Because you never learned how to trust 00:26:42.890 --> 00:26:46.410 him. What was this whole thing about? That they 00:26:46.410 --> 00:26:54.650 would trust him. Why? Because you will never 00:26:54.650 --> 00:26:57.390 live a generous life if you don't trust everything 00:26:57.390 --> 00:27:10.410 to God. You won't. Luke chapter 22. This came 00:27:10.410 --> 00:27:12.509 out of our teaching prep meeting on Tuesday this 00:27:12.509 --> 00:27:15.549 week. Somebody said, hey, it reminds me of how 00:27:15.549 --> 00:27:19.849 this ends. Luke 22, verse 35. Then Jesus asked 00:27:19.849 --> 00:27:24.529 them, when I sent you without purse, bag, or 00:27:24.529 --> 00:27:28.569 sandals, did you lack anything? Wait a minute. 00:27:28.630 --> 00:27:33.109 When I stripped everything away. Did you lack 00:27:33.109 --> 00:27:37.250 anything? What's the answer? Sorry, I can't hear 00:27:37.250 --> 00:27:40.650 you. I'm kind of hard to hear. Still can't really 00:27:40.650 --> 00:27:44.470 hear you. Hey, this is important. I need everybody 00:27:44.470 --> 00:27:49.109 in this room to say nothing. Why is it important 00:27:49.109 --> 00:27:51.829 that you say nothing? Because one thing for me 00:27:51.829 --> 00:27:54.750 to read verses and it just gloss over you, it's 00:27:54.750 --> 00:27:56.329 another thing for you to go, wait a minute, the 00:27:56.329 --> 00:27:59.009 people that he sent out with nothing, the people 00:27:59.009 --> 00:28:02.160 that he sent out vulnerable, like what? Poodles 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:07.319 to your bobcat. The people he sent out, they 00:28:07.319 --> 00:28:12.500 respond, we lacked what? Nothing. Why is that 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:15.039 important? Because Psalm 23, verse one says, 00:28:15.140 --> 00:28:18.599 the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd, 00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:22.880 therefore I lack nothing. So let me ask you, 00:28:22.940 --> 00:28:31.279 the Lord is what? We lost about. 75 % of the 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:36.640 room. The Lord is my shepherd. Why is it important 00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:38.559 that the Lord is your shepherd? Because therefore 00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:41.880 you what? Like nothing. So stop trying to live 00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:45.839 your life gaining everything. Stop trying to 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:48.339 give your life to have comfort, security, safety. 00:28:48.660 --> 00:28:51.160 That's the point. The point of what he's getting 00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:53.420 at is when you were out and you were vulnerable 00:28:53.420 --> 00:28:56.160 and you had nothing and you thought you would 00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:03.680 die, what did you lack? nothing. You lack nothing. 00:29:05.579 --> 00:29:09.680 They had to learn to trust God and God alone. 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:16.079 I wonder how many of you God is just stripping 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:19.279 away right now. You know that friend that you 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:21.740 thought you'd always have? You don't have that 00:29:21.740 --> 00:29:26.539 friend no more? Or maybe it was that nice house 00:29:26.539 --> 00:29:28.599 that you thought would be like, when I get there. 00:29:29.860 --> 00:29:32.859 And you don't have no more. Or maybe it's a car. 00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:35.099 You've been saving up. I got this car, right? 00:29:35.240 --> 00:29:38.579 And I got the car. And then this always happens. 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:40.660 You get the car, and then somebody hits it, like, 00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:42.779 in the first week of having it. Like, it's inevitable 00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:45.160 because God goes, it's not about the car, slugger. 00:29:47.059 --> 00:29:49.220 Or maybe it's your kids. Like, you just got little 00:29:49.220 --> 00:29:51.940 bubbles around your kids, you know? And you're 00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:53.920 going to keep them as safe as you can. And so 00:29:53.920 --> 00:29:55.359 you're creating all this. I'm not saying don't 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:57.279 keep your kids safe. Like, don't mistranslate 00:29:57.279 --> 00:30:00.710 this. But it can easily become your focus where 00:30:00.710 --> 00:30:02.470 you think you keep them safe. Here's what's really 00:30:02.470 --> 00:30:05.109 interesting about safety, by the way. Later today, 00:30:05.230 --> 00:30:08.549 you guys will go to sleep, hopefully. When you 00:30:08.549 --> 00:30:10.329 close your eyes and go to sleep and you hit that 00:30:10.329 --> 00:30:16.130 REM sleep, who's holding it all together? It 00:30:16.130 --> 00:30:21.049 sure ain't you. Because you're unconscious. Your 00:30:21.049 --> 00:30:26.450 snoring says so. Right? Isn't it interesting 00:30:26.450 --> 00:30:30.400 that... I went to my itty bitty little lock on 00:30:30.400 --> 00:30:33.660 my door and I latched it before I went to sleep. 00:30:33.940 --> 00:30:38.859 I'll save. Your lock ain't doing nothing. The 00:30:38.859 --> 00:30:41.319 God who's all powerful, who lacks nothing is 00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:46.180 the one holding you. And until we learn to trust 00:30:46.180 --> 00:30:47.859 that, we will not live a generous life. Why? 00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:50.980 Because I'm collecting for me because I need 00:30:50.980 --> 00:30:53.039 all these things. Instead, what God is trying 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:56.099 to teach them and trying to teach us is that 00:30:56.099 --> 00:30:58.240 you can let go of all that stuff. Why? Because 00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:03.220 he's got you. And when you learn that he's got 00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:05.980 you, here's what happens. Next verse says this. 00:31:06.039 --> 00:31:09.019 He said to them, but now if you don't have a 00:31:09.019 --> 00:31:12.519 purse, take it. And also a bag. And if you don't 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:16.099 have a sword, sell. Sorry, now if you have a 00:31:16.099 --> 00:31:19.200 purse, take it. And also a bag. If you don't 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:21.180 have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Wait, 00:31:21.259 --> 00:31:23.140 wait, that's the opposite of what he told him 00:31:23.140 --> 00:31:25.240 before. Why is he telling them now to take their 00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:28.460 stuff? Because they've learned to what? Trust 00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:31.460 him and not their stuff. And now what does their 00:31:31.460 --> 00:31:34.519 stuff become? Their stuff becomes things that 00:31:34.519 --> 00:31:37.400 he wants to use for the mission. He wants to 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:40.259 use to give away. Why? Because he knows he can 00:31:40.259 --> 00:31:42.440 trust them because they trust him, not their 00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:44.609 stuff. See how this works, right? What is God 00:31:44.609 --> 00:31:46.930 doing in your world? He's maybe stirring up your 00:31:46.930 --> 00:31:49.589 trust. Maybe he's taking some stuff away. Maybe 00:31:49.589 --> 00:31:52.109 he's showing you today that you're building this 00:31:52.109 --> 00:31:54.289 kingdom and trying to get this. When in reality, 00:31:54.349 --> 00:31:56.829 what he wants to do is you trust him. And then 00:31:56.829 --> 00:31:59.289 everything you have is about how can he get it 00:31:59.289 --> 00:32:00.769 through you? Because that's what the generous 00:32:00.769 --> 00:32:04.630 life is, is that I trust him so much I'm not 00:32:04.630 --> 00:32:07.630 attached to stuff anymore. I had a moment this 00:32:07.630 --> 00:32:09.170 week. I was actually preparing for this meeting. 00:32:10.750 --> 00:32:12.549 I was in a coffee shop, barista comes up and 00:32:12.549 --> 00:32:14.349 he goes, hey man, you drive that car out there? 00:32:14.410 --> 00:32:18.970 I'm like, yeah, somebody just hit your car. And 00:32:18.970 --> 00:32:23.289 it was such a beautiful moment because John of 00:32:23.289 --> 00:32:25.369 20 years ago would have gone out there and been 00:32:25.369 --> 00:32:29.869 so worked up about my car. And I got to walk 00:32:29.869 --> 00:32:34.049 out there and I got to meet somebody. And I got 00:32:34.049 --> 00:32:39.029 to just be kind. And it was such a moment for 00:32:39.029 --> 00:32:41.049 me because I'm studying this where God goes, 00:32:41.150 --> 00:32:43.329 you've learned, you've learned, you're in the 00:32:43.329 --> 00:32:47.569 process of learning. Am I got this down? Not 00:32:47.569 --> 00:32:51.029 even close, you guys. I'm an emotional wreck 00:32:51.029 --> 00:32:57.470 on stuff. But in this instance, it was like, 00:32:57.509 --> 00:33:04.269 God, it's just a car. It doesn't matter. You 00:33:04.269 --> 00:33:07.019 know what part of that is? You'll live long enough. 00:33:08.180 --> 00:33:09.880 You'll live long enough. And especially those 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:11.779 of you that are from Wisconsin or back that way, 00:33:11.900 --> 00:33:13.740 you'll live long enough. And what do they all 00:33:13.740 --> 00:33:18.359 do? They all rust. That's what they do. They 00:33:18.359 --> 00:33:22.000 all become old. Nobody wants them anymore. And 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.980 yet we can get so sidetracked and distracted 00:33:23.980 --> 00:33:26.519 to hold on, right? Look at this. One last thought 00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:31.349 and then we're done. Back in chapter 10. Verse 00:33:31.349 --> 00:33:33.630 16, whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever 00:33:33.630 --> 00:33:36.529 rejects you rejects me, but whoever rejects me 00:33:36.529 --> 00:33:38.970 rejects him who sent me. What that means is this, 00:33:39.089 --> 00:33:41.130 when you go to somebody and you're like, hey, 00:33:41.150 --> 00:33:43.910 can I pray for you? Because I just feel like 00:33:43.910 --> 00:33:46.609 God told me and they go, no, don't take it personal. 00:33:47.690 --> 00:33:49.549 When you share the gospel with somebody and they 00:33:49.549 --> 00:33:51.569 get mad at you, don't worry about it. They didn't 00:33:51.569 --> 00:33:54.109 get mad at you, they get mad at who? Hey God, 00:33:54.289 --> 00:33:56.009 they get mad at Jesus. They're rejecting him, 00:33:56.130 --> 00:33:58.269 not rejecting you. Don't take it so personal. 00:34:00.140 --> 00:34:07.140 Verse 17, the 72 returned. Sorry, 72. How many 00:34:07.140 --> 00:34:14.860 went out? 72. So not 71 came back. Jesus wasn't 00:34:14.860 --> 00:34:19.139 like, we didn't like that guy anyways. All 72 00:34:19.139 --> 00:34:21.260 came back. Why is this so important? God will 00:34:21.260 --> 00:34:24.420 not lose what is his. He won't lose what's his. 00:34:25.099 --> 00:34:29.579 You can trust him. 72 came back. And how did 00:34:29.579 --> 00:34:32.639 they come back? With joy. And said, Lord, even 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:36.000 the demons, even demons submit to us in your 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:37.920 name. So they come back. Now think about it. 00:34:38.199 --> 00:34:40.960 Humanize for a second. They went out on the mission 00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:44.280 that all of you didn't sign up for. They went 00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:46.719 out, right? Going, man, we don't have anything. 00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:50.079 Everything's been taken away. This is scary. 00:34:50.280 --> 00:34:52.260 We are vulnerable. We're in a space we don't 00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:56.579 like. We're dependent on other people. And it 00:34:56.579 --> 00:35:00.340 says that they came back with joy. They came 00:35:00.340 --> 00:35:04.440 back with a spiritual fruit that they got to 00:35:04.440 --> 00:35:09.599 experience. It doesn't make human sense. Verse 00:35:09.599 --> 00:35:13.519 18, he replied, I, Jesus, saw Satan fall like 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:16.059 lightning from heaven. I have given you authority 00:35:16.059 --> 00:35:18.619 to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome 00:35:18.619 --> 00:35:21.960 all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm 00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:27.300 you. However. Do not rejoice that the spirits 00:35:27.300 --> 00:35:32.639 submit to you, but rejoice that your names are 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:48.280 written in heaven. You guys, creator God, heavenly 00:35:48.280 --> 00:35:53.619 father who is perfect. the one that holds the 00:35:53.619 --> 00:35:58.719 very stars, the one who is the essence of love, 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:11.539 knows your name. You are seen today. And your 00:36:11.539 --> 00:36:17.219 name, those of you who have gone, man, my trust 00:36:17.219 --> 00:36:24.179 is in Jesus. In spite of everything else, Jesus, 00:36:24.300 --> 00:36:31.320 you gotta save me. Your name, your name, when 00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:35.179 you put your trust in Jesus, your name is written 00:36:35.179 --> 00:36:41.519 in heaven. So not only is it known, but in the 00:36:41.519 --> 00:36:43.559 book of life that Revelation talks about, your 00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:50.409 name is written into the book of life. So you 00:36:50.409 --> 00:36:59.309 are known by God, but you are kept by God. Which 00:36:59.309 --> 00:37:02.730 leads me to this. You should receive one of these 00:37:02.730 --> 00:37:09.789 on your way in. What is this? Jesus says it's 00:37:09.789 --> 00:37:14.389 a reminder. What is it a reminder of? Well, that 00:37:14.389 --> 00:37:19.719 God showed up, that God took on human form. That 00:37:19.719 --> 00:37:22.820 God went to a cross where he was mocked and he 00:37:22.820 --> 00:37:27.760 was beaten and he was put to shame. And on that 00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:32.400 cross, your very worst day, your very worst moment, 00:37:32.500 --> 00:37:35.039 your worst sin that you try and bury as deep 00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:36.860 as you possibly can because you can't believe 00:37:36.860 --> 00:37:38.559 that you were the one that did it, that one, 00:37:38.739 --> 00:37:44.440 it was put on him. And he chose to pay for your 00:37:44.440 --> 00:37:49.219 sin. He chose to take your sin and bury it in 00:37:49.219 --> 00:37:52.260 a grave. And when he rose from the dead, your 00:37:52.260 --> 00:37:57.460 sin and your worst and your brokenness was left 00:37:57.460 --> 00:38:00.619 in the grave. And what was raised out of that 00:38:00.619 --> 00:38:03.320 grave was you with Jesus to newness of life. 00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:06.260 That shame would not be your story. That grace 00:38:06.260 --> 00:38:09.800 would be poured on you. And maybe just a word 00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:13.409 on grace. That when you feel like you have done 00:38:13.409 --> 00:38:15.510 something that's too much, you just go, there's 00:38:15.510 --> 00:38:17.489 grace for that. How do you know? Because the 00:38:17.489 --> 00:38:19.929 God who is infinite poured out so much grace 00:38:19.929 --> 00:38:23.329 that it's like an ocean that you can't help but 00:38:23.329 --> 00:38:28.250 drown in. That mercy, what is mercy? That the 00:38:28.250 --> 00:38:32.610 God took mercy on you. That instead of putting 00:38:32.610 --> 00:38:35.630 what you deserve on you, he withheld it and put 00:38:35.630 --> 00:38:40.070 it on Jesus. That's what this is. Why? Why all 00:38:40.070 --> 00:38:43.380 of that? so that your name, your name could be 00:38:43.380 --> 00:38:48.480 written in heaven today. So what does it make 00:38:48.480 --> 00:38:50.860 this moment? This isn't a sad moment of memory. 00:38:51.719 --> 00:38:53.920 This isn't a moment when we get super reflected. 00:38:53.980 --> 00:38:56.519 This is your own personal celebration party. 00:38:57.619 --> 00:39:01.800 This is your own personal thank you. Thank you, 00:39:01.820 --> 00:39:03.900 God, for showing up. Thank you, Jesus, for taking 00:39:03.900 --> 00:39:06.739 my place. Thank you that because of that, my 00:39:06.739 --> 00:39:09.000 name is written in heaven. Thank you, thank you, 00:39:09.019 --> 00:39:13.889 thank you. I can't thank you enough for what 00:39:13.889 --> 00:39:20.050 you've done because I don't deserve it. But our 00:39:20.050 --> 00:39:22.730 trust has to be here if we're ever gonna live 00:39:22.730 --> 00:39:26.409 a generous life. It has to be in the person of 00:39:26.409 --> 00:39:28.630 Jesus. So here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna 00:39:28.630 --> 00:39:30.449 pray for you and then we're gonna have a time 00:39:30.449 --> 00:39:33.030 of reflection where you just get to thank God. 00:39:33.510 --> 00:39:35.670 Thank God that your name is written in heaven 00:39:35.670 --> 00:39:38.269 because of Jesus. And then we'll sing together. 00:39:38.349 --> 00:39:42.190 God, we come before you. As a collective family, 00:39:42.369 --> 00:39:47.309 we come before you. As ones you have rescued. 00:39:52.110 --> 00:39:55.789 As ones you died for. As ones whose names are 00:39:55.789 --> 00:39:57.809 written in heaven. God, I pray over anybody in 00:39:57.809 --> 00:40:00.550 this room, anybody outside of this room, anybody 00:40:00.550 --> 00:40:02.630 under the sound of this microphone that does 00:40:02.630 --> 00:40:04.969 not cross screens, wherever, does not know you, 00:40:05.030 --> 00:40:08.239 God, I pray that today is a day of rescue. I 00:40:08.239 --> 00:40:10.199 pray today is the day that for the first time 00:40:10.199 --> 00:40:12.800 in this reflection, they just go, Jesus, I give 00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:19.239 you my life, save me. God, for those who have 00:40:19.239 --> 00:40:21.360 declared, Jesus, I give you my life, save me. 00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:23.780 For those that have put their trust in you, their 00:40:23.780 --> 00:40:27.400 faith in you. God, we recognize that because 00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:32.099 of your sacrifice, we, we, for all of eternity. 00:40:35.920 --> 00:40:39.440 are written, our names are written in your book 00:40:39.440 --> 00:40:43.800 of life. Our names are written in heaven and 00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:48.599 we just say thank you. Thank you for being kind. 00:40:48.699 --> 00:40:52.539 Thank you for being generous to us. Thank you. 00:40:53.320 --> 00:40:55.800 Thank you. Thank you.