WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.359 You know, I want to talk just a little bit about 00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:04.960 how this season, we're talking about during Lent, 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:08.619 the idea of what we may be sacrificing during 00:00:08.619 --> 00:00:10.419 Lent. Now I'm kind of curious a little bit. Is 00:00:10.419 --> 00:00:12.519 anybody sacrificing anything during the season 00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:15.019 of Lent? Anybody letting anything go? Okay, a 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:16.960 few of you, a few of you. Alright, the rest of 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:18.519 you heathens, y 'all need to get on the ball, 00:00:18.699 --> 00:00:21.780 okay? What? Oh, okay. No, no, no. The reason 00:00:21.780 --> 00:00:24.579 why I wanted to talk about that is that to try 00:00:24.579 --> 00:00:27.940 to explain a bit about what this season is meant 00:00:27.940 --> 00:00:31.239 for. is what is really trying to get us to realize 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:35.679 the idea of what cravings are really about in 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:39.479 our life because if we're being honest cravings 00:00:39.479 --> 00:00:43.179 in our life do not actually fill the real needs 00:00:43.179 --> 00:00:46.299 that we may have let me explain a bit so like 00:00:46.299 --> 00:00:49.560 for example let's say that you are having certain 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:52.820 cravings or desires for things and your body 00:00:52.820 --> 00:00:55.729 is telling you that you want one thing but it 00:00:55.729 --> 00:00:58.229 may be actually wanting something else. So for 00:00:58.229 --> 00:01:01.649 example, let's say that it is Valentine's Day, 00:01:02.049 --> 00:01:04.290 and you are really looking forward to that box 00:01:04.290 --> 00:01:07.489 of chocolates that your sweetheart is going to 00:01:07.489 --> 00:01:09.510 give you. And if not your sweetheart, then I 00:01:09.510 --> 00:01:12.810 guess your spouse. Oh, but a bunch. Ah, bad jokes. 00:01:12.969 --> 00:01:16.629 But let's say that you're realizing that you 00:01:16.629 --> 00:01:19.390 really want chocolate, but in reality, you're 00:01:19.390 --> 00:01:23.840 actually having a magnesium deficiency. So what 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:26.420 it might mean is that your body really wants 00:01:26.420 --> 00:01:30.379 some green leafy vegetables. So at Valentine's 00:01:30.379 --> 00:01:32.980 Day you need to tell your sweetheart that instead 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:35.099 of a box of chocolates you would like a box of 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:37.659 some green leafy vegetables. Does that sound 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:40.359 pretty good? I think we're on a great roll now. 00:01:40.459 --> 00:01:44.219 Or let's say you're really craving sodas. You'd 00:01:44.219 --> 00:01:48.120 really like a good Coke or a Dr. Pepper and those 00:01:48.120 --> 00:01:50.579 are the only two sodas that exist in Texas so 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:52.920 that's what we're drinking. It may turn out you 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:56.640 actually have a calcium deficiency. So when you're 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.060 going to get your burger and fries instead of 00:01:59.060 --> 00:02:01.260 getting a large coke, you should get a large 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:05.000 serving of kale. I'm sure that would be amazing. 00:02:05.420 --> 00:02:08.500 When you want salty foods, you could still go 00:02:08.500 --> 00:02:12.020 after celery, but what about coffee? How many 00:02:12.020 --> 00:02:14.360 people have to start your day with coffee every 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:16.780 morning? Oh, okay. See, there you go. Lots more 00:02:16.780 --> 00:02:19.180 hands this time. You might actually be having 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:22.599 a salt deficiency which you could actually satisfy 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:25.680 with apple cider vinegar. So you go over to the 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:27.960 office and make sure you ask Starbucks, I would 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.759 like a big grande apple cider vinegar. See if 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:33.900 they'll put foam on top of it for you. It'll 00:02:33.900 --> 00:02:37.099 be great. You know, I personally struggle with 00:02:37.099 --> 00:02:40.560 the sugary sweets. I could definitely fill it 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.159 with sweet potato, but if I have a sulfur deficiency, 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:46.780 it's actually asparagus that I need. And don't 00:02:46.780 --> 00:02:49.620 even get me started on beer nights whenever we're 00:02:49.620 --> 00:02:52.740 going out every second Friday of the month to 00:02:52.740 --> 00:02:55.500 go to local brewery. It turns out that maybe 00:02:55.500 --> 00:02:58.099 some of us guys actually should be just eating 00:02:58.099 --> 00:03:01.699 a bunch of turnip greens instead. So we've got 00:03:01.699 --> 00:03:05.020 at least one saying no over here. food is that 00:03:05.020 --> 00:03:07.259 it's not even just that sometimes we're trying 00:03:07.259 --> 00:03:11.000 to satisfy the physical cravings we have but 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:13.840 that oftentimes we're also trying to satisfy 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:18.539 our emotional cravings as well and you can oftentimes 00:03:18.539 --> 00:03:20.620 tell the difference between emotional hunger 00:03:20.620 --> 00:03:23.419 and physical hunger because if you really are 00:03:23.419 --> 00:03:26.819 physically hungry the hunger is slowly going 00:03:26.819 --> 00:03:29.699 to turn up a little bit at a time over the course 00:03:29.699 --> 00:03:32.939 of the day but if it's emotional then it hits 00:03:32.939 --> 00:03:35.659 you abruptly. and you're like all of a sudden 00:03:35.659 --> 00:03:38.819 feeling this desire, this hunger for food but 00:03:38.819 --> 00:03:42.000 there might be times where you're hungry and 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:43.860 you could be very happy and everything's good 00:03:43.860 --> 00:03:47.020 but there are times whenever we might feel guilt 00:03:47.020 --> 00:03:51.180 or shame and that can cause us to eat at that 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:54.819 moment or times whenever we feel that we've eaten 00:03:54.819 --> 00:03:58.509 enough and we're ready to stop. But whenever 00:03:58.509 --> 00:04:01.270 it's our emotions, it can oftentimes be harder 00:04:01.270 --> 00:04:05.229 to stop eating at those times. But even the things 00:04:05.229 --> 00:04:08.750 that we crave can betray what our emotions are. 00:04:09.129 --> 00:04:11.909 Because sometimes we crave sugar when we are 00:04:11.909 --> 00:04:15.110 depressed. Sometimes we crave salty foods when 00:04:15.110 --> 00:04:19.430 we're feeling stress. We might want more meat 00:04:19.430 --> 00:04:22.970 and crunchy foods because we're feeling angry. 00:04:23.470 --> 00:04:25.829 or sometimes when you know that there's just 00:04:25.829 --> 00:04:29.569 too much anxiety and instead of eating part of 00:04:29.569 --> 00:04:33.449 that pint of ice cream, the whole pint is now 00:04:33.449 --> 00:04:36.990 gone. And that's the thing about this is that 00:04:36.990 --> 00:04:40.610 oftentimes our cravings are just trying to fill 00:04:40.610 --> 00:04:44.449 things that might actually need something else 00:04:44.449 --> 00:04:47.899 instead. It turns out that whenever we are looking 00:04:47.899 --> 00:04:50.360 at fasting from something, I don't want to remind 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:52.420 you that we're not just saying that you're not 00:04:52.420 --> 00:04:54.879 going to eat at all, but also times when you're 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.300 saying you're going to fast from something specific. 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:00.420 I'm not going to have this thing for a period 00:05:00.420 --> 00:05:03.220 of time. It can actually be to try to help us 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:06.079 to refocus. There are four big reasons why we 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:09.899 might do that. One of them might be because we're 00:05:09.899 --> 00:05:11.980 realizing we need to practice self -control. 00:05:12.430 --> 00:05:14.589 We need a chance to be able to learn what it 00:05:14.589 --> 00:05:19.269 means to say no. Because if we can't say no to 00:05:19.269 --> 00:05:21.670 something that we clearly don't actually need, 00:05:21.730 --> 00:05:23.910 what about the times whenever it's something 00:05:23.910 --> 00:05:26.589 that we've struggled with for a long time? Or 00:05:26.589 --> 00:05:30.009 maybe we need time to talk with God and to ask 00:05:30.009 --> 00:05:33.209 God to give us discernment and to show us what 00:05:33.209 --> 00:05:36.149 it is that he's trying to teach us, but also 00:05:36.149 --> 00:05:39.269 maybe we're asking God to be more involved in 00:05:39.269 --> 00:05:42.920 our lives. Or even times whenever we're meant 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:47.639 to confess our sin, maybe we're not willing to 00:05:47.639 --> 00:05:50.540 admit the sins that we've struggled with the 00:05:50.540 --> 00:05:53.199 most. And not just us as people, individuals, 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:57.259 but even our whole community. Because how many 00:05:57.259 --> 00:06:00.519 things do we see in our world that we know are 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:04.160 not pleasing to God? And as we take time in prayer 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:07.379 and fasting, we're asking God to help us see 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:12.410 our part and how God be the one to move and to 00:06:12.410 --> 00:06:13.930 change us. And that's something that we're trying 00:06:13.930 --> 00:06:16.629 to look at here, is to try to understand a better 00:06:16.629 --> 00:06:21.050 fulfillment of ourselves and our lives than the 00:06:21.050 --> 00:06:23.430 cravings that we have. And that's what's on our 00:06:23.430 --> 00:06:26.629 mind when we hear Paul saying to us today, their 00:06:26.629 --> 00:06:30.379 God is their belly. When Paul is saying their 00:06:30.379 --> 00:06:33.600 God is their belly and we've got this idea that's 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:37.360 on here is that it's a very very minor very small 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:39.939 part of what we end up seeing Paul talking about 00:06:39.939 --> 00:06:43.879 because Paul is actually talking about earthly 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:48.079 things as a whole. It's the idea that it's not 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:51.459 just the things physically in our belly. We do 00:06:51.459 --> 00:06:54.199 look oftentimes at gluttony but then also we 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:56.920 might take times thinking about drunkenness as 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:01.980 well. How often is it that we may say, I need 00:07:01.980 --> 00:07:06.180 to have one drink this evening, just one. Now, 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:09.860 we also did that the night before, and the night 00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:11.800 before. We're probably going to do it again tomorrow. 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:16.879 But instead of actually enjoying it, it's now 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:21.019 such a habit that now we have to have that in 00:07:21.019 --> 00:07:25.480 order to feel calm, happy, and ready for the 00:07:25.480 --> 00:07:29.139 end of the day. But more than even just the things 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:32.000 that are satisfying the belly or the taste buds 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:35.040 is that even more than that is satisfying the 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:37.839 other cravings as well. Because it's not just 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:42.040 the food or the drink. There are plenty of other 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.980 cravings as well. How many cravings are there 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:49.959 also in our mind? And how many cravings are there 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:55.480 also in our addictions? So how many things that... 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:59.300 Well, I don't really need to have any sort of 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:03.360 anonymous group to help me, but maybe I'm not 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:06.680 willing to admit how much this habit consumes 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:10.500 me all the time. But more than what's just physical, 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:15.279 what about what's also going on in our minds? 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:21.519 How often do we realize our response to things 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:26.430 that we don't even have any control over? How 00:08:26.430 --> 00:08:29.009 often is it that we may see what other people 00:08:29.009 --> 00:08:31.810 are doing and without even realizing it we've 00:08:31.810 --> 00:08:36.909 already come to a judgment about it. We've already 00:08:36.909 --> 00:08:40.769 come to some place of deciding these are the 00:08:40.769 --> 00:08:43.629 bad people, these are the bad things and ideas. 00:08:44.289 --> 00:08:47.690 Why? Because one of the biggest cravings that 00:08:47.690 --> 00:08:52.649 we have is often times our desire for self -righteousness. 00:08:52.889 --> 00:08:57.409 Why is that? Why is self -righteousness such 00:08:57.409 --> 00:09:03.110 a craving? Because whenever we feel that we've 00:09:03.110 --> 00:09:05.090 been really good at something and everybody is 00:09:05.090 --> 00:09:07.809 not, how does that make us feel? Isn't there 00:09:07.809 --> 00:09:10.909 kind of like a warm fuzzy feeling that we get 00:09:10.909 --> 00:09:14.549 whenever we know, I'm not struggling with this 00:09:14.549 --> 00:09:18.980 thing. Other people are, but I'm not. And without 00:09:18.980 --> 00:09:21.259 even realizing it, we've already given in to 00:09:21.259 --> 00:09:23.639 a mindset and perspective we didn't even realize 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:29.340 we had. But even beyond that, whether it allows 00:09:29.340 --> 00:09:33.500 us to feel that we have achieved more than other 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:37.320 people as well. But I want to take it further 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.409 than that. Want to take it further than what 00:09:39.409 --> 00:09:42.269 Paul is saying I want to also look at what we 00:09:42.269 --> 00:09:46.090 end up hearing and seeing from Jesus as Jesus 00:09:46.090 --> 00:09:50.809 Says to those Pharisees that I must go on my 00:09:50.809 --> 00:09:53.570 way What is it that's happening and and to try 00:09:53.570 --> 00:09:55.529 to help explain this a little bit I got to go 00:09:55.529 --> 00:09:58.529 back to the food for just a second Okay, is that 00:09:58.529 --> 00:10:01.549 so when I was I was in China and while I was 00:10:01.549 --> 00:10:04.009 there there was a guy that worked with me His 00:10:04.009 --> 00:10:08.980 name was Brian Sorry, Brian You're the example 00:10:08.980 --> 00:10:12.840 today. But the thing with Brian is that he had 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:15.299 come from Boston or something like that, or Baston. 00:10:15.419 --> 00:10:17.220 I don't know how you're supposed to say it. But 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:19.820 in coming over to China, he had made himself 00:10:19.820 --> 00:10:24.860 a promise. That he was not going to eat a single 00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:29.679 dumpling. I don't know. What in the world? How 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:32.039 do you eat anything in China if you don't have 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:34.000 dumplings? Because it's like, oh, you don't like 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:36.659 this type of dumpling. No. I don't want any dumpling. 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:38.799 Well, what about this type? You realize there 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:42.399 are hundreds of types of dumpling. They're all 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:44.960 very different. No, if it's called dumpling, 00:10:45.940 --> 00:10:48.259 I won't eat it. What about a baozi? No, it's 00:10:48.259 --> 00:10:50.700 a dumpling. What about a shou mai? No, it's a 00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:53.220 dumpling. Oh my word. It's like all he could 00:10:53.220 --> 00:10:55.320 eat was sandwiches and burgers and pizza. And 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:57.940 I'm like, you just spent however long in China 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:01.480 and you are missing out. Why? Because in his 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:06.659 mind, this was his perspective And that's what 00:11:06.659 --> 00:11:09.919 made him comfortable. He was not going to go 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.299 outside of that box because it was going to make 00:11:13.299 --> 00:11:16.539 him uncomfortable. And here's the thing, is how 00:11:16.539 --> 00:11:19.340 often it is that we realize that the comforts 00:11:19.340 --> 00:11:24.019 of our body are also a sense of our comfort of 00:11:24.019 --> 00:11:27.299 what we're willing to see and view. Our point 00:11:27.299 --> 00:11:32.460 of view is oftentimes the thing that gives us 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:35.669 our warm and fuzzy feeling. more than anything 00:11:35.669 --> 00:11:38.269 else because look at the Pharisees that are coming 00:11:38.269 --> 00:11:40.649 over there to speak to him now when we hear this 00:11:40.649 --> 00:11:45.070 passage we might be thinking wow those Pharisees 00:11:45.070 --> 00:11:48.049 I thought they were all so mean these Pharisees 00:11:48.049 --> 00:11:52.269 are very very nice they're coming to warn Jesus 00:11:52.269 --> 00:11:55.590 Jesus we don't want you to be you know arrested 00:11:55.590 --> 00:12:01.350 by Herod or or put to death except is that really 00:12:01.350 --> 00:12:04.820 what they were trying to do Because what they're 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:08.159 really trying to do is say, Jesus, don't go to 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:13.080 Jerusalem. We don't want you there. Why is that? 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:18.200 The Pharisees had been so important for so long. 00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:22.139 Not just their place, not just their authority, 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:25.779 not just their power, but the way they viewed 00:12:25.779 --> 00:12:29.899 the world. Is that their way of viewing the world 00:12:29.899 --> 00:12:33.059 was about trying to show you have to live up 00:12:32.970 --> 00:12:35.990 to God's laws, not just what he told you, but 00:12:35.990 --> 00:12:38.970 also what we're telling you to do. But you know 00:12:38.970 --> 00:12:42.789 what's funny about the Pharisees? The Pharisees 00:12:42.789 --> 00:12:45.429 were really good at condemning everybody else 00:12:45.429 --> 00:12:49.549 for their issues. But the funny thing about people 00:12:49.549 --> 00:12:52.990 who know the law really well is they're also 00:12:52.990 --> 00:12:55.049 really good at figuring out the loopholes to 00:12:55.049 --> 00:12:58.330 get around it. And that was the fun part about 00:12:58.330 --> 00:13:01.669 this. is that they liked the fact that they could 00:13:01.669 --> 00:13:05.309 find every loophole so they could still satisfy 00:13:05.309 --> 00:13:09.330 whatever they wanted. At no point in time did 00:13:09.330 --> 00:13:11.649 they have to slow down long enough to ask what 00:13:11.649 --> 00:13:16.490 was happening inside of them. Because that's 00:13:16.490 --> 00:13:19.870 the thing is that Jesus knew though, Jesus knew 00:13:19.870 --> 00:13:21.529 what it was that was going on. He knew He still 00:13:21.529 --> 00:13:25.409 had to go. The thing that was so sad to Jesus 00:13:25.409 --> 00:13:28.370 is that What does he point out? I'm casting out 00:13:28.370 --> 00:13:30.789 demons. I'm curing the people who are sick. Notice 00:13:30.789 --> 00:13:32.929 he didn't say I'm bringing good news to the poor 00:13:32.929 --> 00:13:34.929 because, well, the Pharisees aren't really going 00:13:34.929 --> 00:13:37.870 to be interested in good news for the poor. But 00:13:37.870 --> 00:13:41.210 the thing with this is that instead of embracing 00:13:41.210 --> 00:13:47.490 God Himself right there, is that instead, they 00:13:47.490 --> 00:13:49.850 wanted to keep things exactly the way they saw 00:13:49.850 --> 00:13:52.710 them. That's what broke my heart so much about 00:13:52.710 --> 00:13:55.960 my friend Brian. It's not because I don't have 00:13:55.960 --> 00:13:59.480 any stocks in a dumpling restaurant or anything 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:02.620 like that. I don't get anything out of it But 00:14:02.620 --> 00:14:07.080 it made me so sad Because there were so many 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:10.279 delicious things to eat over there and he was 00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:13.000 missing out on most of them And isn't that the 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:16.179 same thing about what we end up seeing with God 00:14:16.179 --> 00:14:18.600 being here on this earth? Is that Jesus ends 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:22.179 up saying I could have taken you under my wing 00:14:22.730 --> 00:14:26.190 What would have been the most amazing thing for 00:14:26.190 --> 00:14:29.250 the Pharisees looking for the coming Messiah? 00:14:30.330 --> 00:14:35.090 To realize he's there And they were missing out 00:14:35.090 --> 00:14:38.230 Because they didn't want anything or anyone to 00:14:38.230 --> 00:14:42.279 change the way that they saw the world the way 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:45.019 their world view truly was see this is a lot 00:14:45.019 --> 00:14:47.659 of what we end up seeing today is that our world 00:14:47.659 --> 00:14:50.779 today struggles with the law of God and the gospel 00:14:50.779 --> 00:14:53.460 of God believe it or not the idea that God has 00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:55.379 expectations that we're supposed to live up to 00:14:55.379 --> 00:14:58.200 and that God is forgiving loving and merciful 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:00.720 there's always somebody who is going to have 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:04.379 trouble with one the other or both because how 00:15:04.379 --> 00:15:06.399 often is it someone is going to find a fence 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:10.059 if you tell people in the world what you're doing 00:15:10.059 --> 00:15:13.840 is wrong You should stop because it's a bad thing 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:17.080 and then what are we met with? How dare you say 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:19.320 that to me because you're hurting my self -esteem 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:23.580 Don't tell me that the thing I it doesn't matter 00:15:23.580 --> 00:15:26.600 if it's a sin or it's wrong. Don't tell me that 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:30.000 Or even the other side What if we were to say 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.740 that we need to show? Mercy grace kindness to 00:15:33.740 --> 00:15:35.580 the poor the foreigner those who are in need 00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:38.200 and then we're met with you're destroying the 00:15:38.200 --> 00:15:43.990 world and the very things that we hear from God 00:15:43.990 --> 00:15:47.129 himself, but because our point of view doesn't 00:15:47.129 --> 00:15:52.789 allow it, we want to shut it out. But more than 00:15:52.789 --> 00:15:57.429 anything, people become louder and more violent 00:15:57.429 --> 00:16:00.830 when they're not getting their way and other 00:16:00.830 --> 00:16:05.610 people don't back down. Could you imagine how 00:16:05.610 --> 00:16:08.559 many people would have never thought that the 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:10.919 Pharisees, the scribes, the chief priests would 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:14.120 all get together and would take this popular 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:19.740 rabbi and send him to his death. People are peaceful 00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:23.539 until they are not. And that's the thing about 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:27.730 this. is that Jesus is going off to Jerusalem 00:16:27.730 --> 00:16:30.649 he knows what happens to people who speak the 00:16:30.649 --> 00:16:33.789 truth to the ones who hear it just like Jeremiah 00:16:33.789 --> 00:16:36.629 because what is Jeremiah in our passage telling 00:16:36.629 --> 00:16:42.610 us today is frankly God will curse us and that's 00:16:42.610 --> 00:16:47.090 the thing about this Jeremiah was not saying 00:16:47.090 --> 00:16:51.509 anything that was wrong The people had been worshipping 00:16:51.509 --> 00:16:53.870 other gods. They had been doing practices that 00:16:53.870 --> 00:16:56.110 were terrible. There were even kings who had 00:16:56.110 --> 00:16:58.610 sacrificed their own children. There were those 00:16:58.610 --> 00:17:02.629 who were so distraught that they turned their 00:17:02.629 --> 00:17:05.230 back on God and were willing to kill each other 00:17:05.230 --> 00:17:08.069 for survival, even in their own country. They 00:17:08.069 --> 00:17:11.450 were those who were not willing to focus on God 00:17:11.450 --> 00:17:14.890 alone. And what is Jeremiah saying? We're going 00:17:14.890 --> 00:17:18.930 to suffer the consequences. Were the people around 00:17:18.930 --> 00:17:23.609 him willing to hear from God? No. It'd be easier 00:17:23.609 --> 00:17:27.349 if you just killed the guy saying it. How often 00:17:27.349 --> 00:17:31.309 is it that we'd rather attack the person speaking 00:17:31.309 --> 00:17:36.430 truth and being willing to admit what's wrong 00:17:36.430 --> 00:17:39.390 instead of dealing with where we're at? How dare 00:17:39.390 --> 00:17:42.109 you say anything bad? And that's the thing about 00:17:42.109 --> 00:17:46.069 this so funny is that he had to have people protect 00:17:46.069 --> 00:17:50.190 him It's speaking the word of God. Well, well 00:17:50.190 --> 00:17:53.769 Micah Micah said this before so, you know, it's 00:17:53.769 --> 00:17:57.410 okay It is okay for Jeremiah to say this and 00:17:57.410 --> 00:17:59.529 then it points out later in the chapter Yeah, 00:17:59.529 --> 00:18:04.809 except Uriah was killed for the same thing Is 00:18:04.809 --> 00:18:07.690 to be almost killed for declaring what is just 00:18:07.690 --> 00:18:10.730 real and what is happening around us because 00:18:10.730 --> 00:18:16.210 We crave things physically We crave things mentally 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:21.160 We crave things emotionally, but do we crave 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:25.900 what we truly need spiritually? And that's the 00:18:25.900 --> 00:18:29.099 place where we find ourselves in this season 00:18:29.099 --> 00:18:32.400 of Lent. It's a season of Lent is meant to be 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:35.460 a time for us to acknowledge the things that 00:18:35.460 --> 00:18:39.359 we give into and to confess the cravings that 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:44.079 have controlled our lives. It's to realize that 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:49.279 we our physical creatures. We're constantly looking 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:53.099 for what makes us feel good. But if we don't 00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:56.180 acknowledge it and confess those things before 00:18:56.180 --> 00:19:01.339 God, who's really going to determine our direction? 00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:04.599 What is really going to determine our direction? 00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:08.079 Because the thing that we discover is that we're 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:11.619 called to see when we pursue what we want and 00:19:11.619 --> 00:19:15.779 we're ignoring what God wants to fulfill us with 00:19:15.779 --> 00:19:21.980 See that's the thing about this We're not called 00:19:21.980 --> 00:19:27.680 to become something terrible God isn't trying 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:31.539 to say I want you to refrain from things because 00:19:31.539 --> 00:19:36.180 I'm trying to condemn you God is saying are you 00:19:36.180 --> 00:19:38.559 willing to let things go so that I can bless 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:44.220 you? Are you willing? to let me be the one to 00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:47.380 put you under my wing, to guard you, to comfort 00:19:47.380 --> 00:19:50.240 you, to bring you hope and peace. Whenever we 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:54.279 don't feel hope, peace, love, and joy, and we 00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:57.140 try to find them in the bottom of the Pringles 00:19:57.140 --> 00:20:00.420 canister, where you can't quite get your hand 00:20:00.420 --> 00:20:03.720 all the way to the bottom, but you're still going 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:08.960 to hurt your hand to try to get there, or we 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:13.460 are willing to... Scroll through what's going 00:20:13.460 --> 00:20:17.039 to depress us and anger us Or more than that 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:19.579 scroll through something that watching it might 00:20:19.579 --> 00:20:24.099 destroy our relationships Or even the times whenever 00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:26.900 we know that what somebody is saying is true, 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:30.279 but we make sure that in our mind Even if we 00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:32.119 don't do it with our mouth. We're going to make 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:37.200 sure we have the last word But what if it truly 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:40.680 means that fulfilling the true cravings that 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:45.640 we need is about coming back to Christ Jesus 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:51.000 and that's the challenge for us today are we 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:53.240 willing to ignore the things that might distract 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:56.460 us with our time our energy because I can promise 00:20:56.460 --> 00:21:01.880 you how many times if you take a step back from 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:05.299 something you don't you know you don't need how 00:21:05.299 --> 00:21:08.160 much more time money energy and everything else 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:11.500 you will have for the things you know that God 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:17.319 would want. So instead of fulfilling our belly, 00:21:18.180 --> 00:21:21.059 can we make the time to help fill someone's belly 00:21:21.059 --> 00:21:25.119 who needs it? Instead of trying to feel self 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:29.859 -righteous, what if we come back to God for His 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:34.140 righteousness? And what if instead of being threatened 00:21:34.140 --> 00:21:37.200 with our worldview that always wants to feel 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:39.980 we're in the right, What if we're willing to 00:21:39.980 --> 00:21:44.000 acknowledge that we're not? Because instead of 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:48.779 being right, we're forgiven. Because that's the 00:21:48.779 --> 00:21:51.700 truth about this, is that forgiveness is ours. 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:57.640 So why not be willing to let go of all the things 00:21:57.640 --> 00:22:00.339 that promise to make us feel good but never truly 00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:05.799 do? And instead focus on the one who always brings 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:10.589 us life everlasting. and will never leave us 00:22:10.589 --> 00:22:14.529 with an oily greasy thing on our fingers. With 00:22:14.529 --> 00:22:17.509 that, thanks be to God.