1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Howdy. 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:07,840 Well, it's good to be able to see people today. So yes, even you Bob, it's okay. I'm glad to see you too. 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,120 One of the things that I find fascinating whenever 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:19,120 listening to anything that Lutheran preachers or churches come up with is 5 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:25,000 that it always seems like they make things harder than they have to make them. It just always seems to be the case. 6 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:30,960 There was a video I was watching and on the video they ended up asking the question 7 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:36,200 would a Lutheran say that we believe in Jesus? 8 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,680 Now I want you to just pause for a moment. 9 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,360 What's the answer? 10 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:50,160 Yes, okay. Thank you. Okay, literally this entire video. I'm just sitting there like why is this so and they went on to this whole 11 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:57,520 spiel. Okay, this whole thing about how well it's that God has come to us and revealed himself and that 12 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:04,440 well, there was a person in a movie one time that was asked if they believe in Jesus and he said well, I go to church and I 13 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:09,360 was baptized and and then they're saying but yeah, but that wasn't the question and then the 14 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,880 pastors on this video are like, yeah, but that's kind of sort of the right answer and it's like 15 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:20,040 No, no, literally the answer is just yes, it does not need to be this difficult 16 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:21,480 and 17 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:27,520 the reason why I find it so interesting is that oftentimes the person asking the question 18 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,760 They're revealing more about themselves than the person answering 19 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,800 the thing is is that I 20 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,720 think in many ways is that there are a lot of times where 21 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:45,000 our own people that are trying to proclaim who God is 22 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,600 Sometimes they're struggling in many ways themselves 23 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,920 The thing is is that we as the Lutheran church 24 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:59,280 We actually have one of the smallest percentages of young people out of all the denominations in America 25 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:07,480 We have and you know and not to be cruel in any way shape or form, but we also have the highest of 26 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:11,880 People 65 and up just to be completely honest 27 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,440 So it's it's it's great to have you it's guys right? Yeah 28 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,480 With it though is realizing that in many ways is because 29 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:27,160 The younger generation doesn't know how to connect with us and when we do things like this. Can we blame them? 30 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:35,040 And moments like this where you try to say what is it that you're trying to get at and 31 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,560 And 32 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:43,920 When over where I was looking at the at the gospel passage that we have okay this part in Matthew and and as we're looking at 33 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:47,440 This section is to realize that the people who are here 34 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,520 They're not actually asking a real question 35 00:02:52,600 --> 00:03:01,000 They're deliberately trying to trip up the person that they're asking they're trying to make Jesus get into trouble around them 36 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:06,040 I and you know in case we're not sure what that might be like imagine any 37 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:12,840 Single political debate you've ever heard in your entire life if one person is asking another person a question 38 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:14,840 They're not actually wanting an answer 39 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:21,760 They're trying to see that whatever the person says is somehow going to make them lose points in people's favor 40 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:29,880 And the reality is that Jesus knew this he could I mean and I don't even think he needed to be God himself 41 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,040 To know this I mean come on you know whenever somebody's trying to trip you up 42 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:40,960 Okay, you know whenever somebody is deliberately gearing a conversation in such a way that they're gonna try to get you whatever you say 43 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:46,320 You see the thing is is that whatever Jesus answer could have been in their eyes 44 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,640 Man it would have led right into 45 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:54,040 What they wanted if Jesus were to say yes, it is lawful 46 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,560 It is good to give taxes to Caesar 47 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:02,200 Then the Pharisees that would have been there the ones who have such a big issue 48 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:04,080 with Rome 49 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,400 They would have them been like see he's just a government puppet 50 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,240 He's just doing whatever it is that the government wants him to do. He's not a real Jew 51 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,640 And of course that's not fair because let's be honest 52 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:24,000 As much as there were a lot of things about the Roman government that were not enjoyable at the same time 53 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,080 They built roads they had irrigation you could actually have plumbing 54 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:32,760 There was a less disease than there would have been previously in the Roman times 55 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:39,240 There actually would have been homes and places to live the taxes while there were those who were corrupt 56 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,720 In general they were actually doing good 57 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,640 But then what about the other side what if Jesus were to say no 58 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,640 What if Jesus were to say no 59 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,640 It's not good to give taxes to Caesar 60 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,640 It mentions the Herodians 61 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:58,640 The Herodians were the ones who were Jewish people 62 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,640 But they actually connected in their minds with Herod 63 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:09,640 Herod was like this governor that was over the area where the Jewish community was living 64 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,640 And he was set up by Rome to do so 65 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,640 But you see some of the Jewish community that called themselves Herodians 66 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:23,640 If you said anything bad about the Roman government oh they would turn you in 67 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:29,640 And that's the thing is that man that would have made their lives as Pharisees a whole lot easier 68 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,640 If they could have just been done with Jesus 69 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:34,640 But notice what he says 70 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:39,640 Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's give unto God what is God's 71 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:44,640 Now in reality is that this whole situation wasn't even necessary in the first place 72 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,640 Why? Because the question wasn't necessary 73 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,640 Yes you pay taxes no you don't worship Caesar 74 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,640 It is not a difficult question in the first place 75 00:05:55,640 --> 00:06:00,640 Your money goes to Caesar because it's supposed to pay for the things around you 76 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:05,640 Your heart belongs to God because he's the one who loves you and made you 77 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:11,640 The thing is that what Jesus is saying is actually not all that complicated 78 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:18,640 But what it is is that he's making sure that it's clear that he knows where their heart is 79 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:24,640 And he has no interest in trying to make any one group happy 80 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,640 But you see that's the thing about when something is obvious 81 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:36,640 When something is obvious we sometimes still struggle with whether or not we're supposed to answer it 82 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:45,640 Imagine that you're at the top of the waiting line for getting onto this new roller coaster 83 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:52,640 Really scary really huge and imagine that you're at the top of that after waiting the whole time 84 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:59,640 And the person right there about to let you on says do you really want to get on this ride? 85 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:09,640 Now obviously if you've waited the entire time then probably the answer is going to be yes yes I would 86 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:14,640 Now the other side of it is if you don't do you really need this person to ask you that 87 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:21,640 No you're going to walk all the way back which I may or may not have done that a few times when I was at Disney World 88 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:29,640 Now I'm not going to pretend there were a few of those rides I'm like I know I'm going to this my lunch will be out 89 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:35,640 It will not be good yeah the Guardians of the Galaxy ride did not go on 90 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:46,640 But there might be other things where we're also pausing and saying why would this be something that you need to even ask in the first place 91 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:51,640 But isn't that also true about our faith? 92 00:07:51,640 --> 00:08:00,640 See the thing is is that in our epistle lesson Paul starts off with this whole description about the Thessalonians 93 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:09,640 And the fact that he doesn't have to worry about whether they did or didn't believe it is so obvious from everything they have said 94 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:20,640 Everything they have done who they are no longer were they worrying about whether or not they had demonstrated to God 95 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:25,640 Whether or not they were good enough because it had already been done by Jesus 96 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:32,640 Were they now worried that there was death and nothing else afterwards? No they were anticipating a resurrection 97 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:42,640 Were they willing to just leave people in their misery and struggles in life? No they were willing to get out there and serve and help the people that were around them 98 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:53,640 Anything and everything about their lives was demonstrating that they truly did believe the gospel that Paul had shared 99 00:08:53,640 --> 00:09:00,640 But you see they didn't have to come up with this themselves why? Because they'd seen all of that already in Paul 100 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:05,640 Paul and the other teachers in the church had done the exact same thing 101 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:11,640 They were not afraid of standing in the middle of a marketplace and telling people this is the truth 102 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:18,640 This is what has happened God has given his son there is life after death 103 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:23,640 At a time whenever people were playing politics not only among the Romans but also among the Jews 104 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:28,640 These were people that were not willing to pander to one or the other 105 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:32,640 They were just willing to be truthful about what God had done 106 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:40,640 And more than that is that they weren't spending their time trying to become the richest or the wealthiest the best in the community 107 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,640 Instead they were spending their time trying to figure out how do we help everybody else? 108 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,640 How do we do what is needed for the people in our community? 109 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:51,640 The Thessalonians didn't have to figure this out for themselves why? 110 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:56,640 Because they saw it straight from Paul 111 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:07,640 And that's what worries me whenever I see videos from other pastors where they're just trying to somehow prove a point 112 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:13,640 And they're trying to make things so difficult and why? 113 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:18,640 Are they trying to convince everybody to stop going to the other churches and come to all the Lutheran churches? 114 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:22,640 Well hey that's a foregone conclusion they're going to go wherever they're going to go 115 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:34,640 But more than that is what is the younger generation going to want when all they see from us is that we're just trying to prove that we're better than others? 116 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:42,640 Or even more than that is that we can't just be so simple and straightforward in what we believe and what we do with it 117 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,640 That they can't just see it and live into it 118 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,640 Why is it not so obvious from us? 119 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:57,640 You see that's the thing that we end up seeing here is that when it speaks in Paul's letter and says 120 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:05,640 We know that God has chosen you because our gospel came to you in word, in power, in spirit with full conviction 121 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:11,640 What it is to be following after Christ 122 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:21,640 You see the thing is that with those people that were out there with Jesus asking him is it lawful to give taxes to Caesar? 123 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:26,640 That's pretty obvious where their heart was 124 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,640 Where's yours? 125 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,640 What is it that you are the most consumed with? 126 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:42,640 Are you consumed with making sure that the family down the street that you know is struggling in different ways knows that there is someone looking out for them? 127 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:50,640 Are you consumed with knowing that when people are spending so much time trying to prove how great that they are that they know that it's okay to step back? 128 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:56,640 You don't have to live up to every status symbol that the world has given you 129 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:01,640 When those who know that they have messed up in their lives don't know how to forgive themselves 130 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:08,640 Are you consumed with letting them know that they are truly forgiven? 131 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,640 Are those the things that consume you? 132 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,640 Are those the things that others see consume you? 133 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:24,640 You see we spend a lot of time wondering what about our world? What about our community? How is it that we can change our community? 134 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:29,640 How is it that we can be there for our friends? What is it that we're doing for the next generation? 135 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:34,640 How is it that we can make sure that they come to have faith in Christ and want to live it out? 136 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,640 What are they seeing in us? 137 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:49,640 And that's a hard place to be in because the hardest person to look at is always ourselves 138 00:12:49,640 --> 00:13:02,640 And I'll pause and someone will say who's your favorite artist and everything and there are musicians who are supposed to list out 139 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:09,640 Well yes, obviously I'm a fan of Journey, that's clear, Genesis, absolutely Phil Collins is the man 140 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:14,640 I wish he were in better health because I'd love to go see him in concert 141 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:18,640 Fleetwood Mac, you've got to throw in there somewhere 142 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:25,640 And then off to the side where nobody can ever hear me saying this is that yes I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan 143 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:32,640 Absolutely, I'm sorry ever since the second album, the first one, I don't know why she had teardrops in her guitar 144 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,640 But nobody cared, sorry Taylor 145 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:40,640 But after that one from there forward it was like oh my gosh and it's like who is this young lady? 146 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,640 She has captured my heart, oh my word I wish I could see her 147 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:49,640 But what's the obvious answer to whether or not Pastor Jason has ever gone to see Taylor Swift in concert? 148 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:56,640 What's the obvious answer? No, because I'm a 43 year old man who does not have a wife or kids 149 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:01,640 I have no reason to go except if I were a weirdo, I am not going to go and do that 150 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:08,640 But the thing is that there are a lot of things that should be obvious about Christians that are not 151 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:17,640 Would a Christian actually laugh in the face of someone who doesn't have a job and say they deserve it? 152 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:27,640 Would a Christian throw someone out because they are struggling with the addiction they've had for decades? 153 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:37,640 Would a Christian ignore someone in need? Would a Christian speak words of hatred and harm because somebody's politics is different from their own? 154 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:43,640 Would a Christian care more about their own comfort than they would about the health and safety of other people? 155 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:50,640 Would a Christian be more concerned about making a point than making the gospel known? 156 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:58,640 And that's the hard part, is that while the answer should be obvious it's that it's not 157 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:11,640 And that's where we find ourselves, is that we can't change anything out there if we haven't paused to ask what's being changed in here 158 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:21,640 We can't ask anything about that world until we've paused to say what is it that God is doing in my life? 159 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:33,640 Are you in the word? Are you spending time with other believers not just to hang out and have fun but to actually encourage them to speak life into them? 160 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:43,640 The times when you know they're struggling the most, are you spending two or three minutes over donuts or are you actually saying let's go talk, let's go figure out what's going on? 161 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:50,640 And if you need more than just talking how can I actually help? What is it that we're spending time on? 162 00:15:50,640 --> 00:16:06,640 I miss one of the Astros games and people are flabbergasted, oh my word you didn't see that game and it was like I was literally cleaning up stuff and putting things away over at family point 163 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:12,640 I'm sorry I didn't catch that one game, I'm still rooting for them it's okay 164 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:30,640 We can be so upset when we've missed one thing from something that's fleeting and yet when was the last time that we went out to a place where people needed us? 165 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:51,640 When was the last time that we were less concerned about what was happening with our stocks or our ski trip to Vale, wherever people go I don't know, then we were about how many people are actually hungry or hopeless or stuck in something? 166 00:16:51,640 --> 00:17:11,640 But you see that's the thing about the Gospel, is that I'm not saying this because I've never done it, I've been there, I've spent way too long on contest of champions on my phone, I've spent way too much time being obsessed with whether or not someone does or doesn't like me 167 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:21,640 I've been obsessed with whether or not I have managed to get everything looking just right or whether or not enough people came to hang out my house one day 168 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:38,640 But what I also know is that this world is not hopeless and that somehow this random flawed person in front of you is still meant to be out there changing the world by starting with me 169 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:57,640 So a lot of the things that we promote to you, asking you where is your heart, where is your mind, where is your perspective, what is your energy going toward, it's not because I've got nothing better to do, I've got three degrees, I could find something else to do, I'm sure it would be fine 170 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:09,640 But rather is because I believe you want the world to be different and I believe that you are the place for that to start 171 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:20,640 So when I say that to you, it is because the obvious answer is not enough but in Christ Jesus we can 172 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:39,640 My question to you is how are you showing the gospel in your life, not because the answer is yes I've got it all perfect or no I'm not going to do it but rather is yes in Christ Jesus I can and will do more 173 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:54,640 So as we finish up today, that's my question for you, not one for you to come up to me and to answer at this moment but rather is because the obvious answer comes from your life 174 00:18:54,640 --> 00:19:02,640 How is it that God has changed you so that you go out to change the world? 175 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:12,640 Thanks be to God