Taking the Test

Intro: Mark 12:30-31 | 1 John 3:10-24

1. Study Failure: Heart of Cain (1 John 3:10-15)
2. Study Success: The Heart of Christ (1 John 3:16-18)

   3 Aspects to Loving Like Christ

   1. The Love of Christ is Willing (1 John 3:16)
   2. The Love of Christ is Fueled by Compassion (1 John 3:17)
   3. The Love of Christ is Driven to Action (1 John 3:18)
3. Take the Test: Is My Heart like Cain or Christ (1 JOhn 3:19-24)
4. Pass the Test: Gain a Heart of Confidence (1 John 3:23-24)

Galatians 5:14 - For sthe whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

• Audio Transcript

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:26-00:32

  I remember walking into Chick-fil-A and Justin and Michelle were both dressed like cows.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:33-00:37

  Because it was dress like a cow, get free Chick-fil-A day, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:38-00:48

  So I walk in, here's this new, exciting, really fun young couple from church that pastor's gonna sit down and meet, and I walk in there and they are both dressed like cows.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:48-01:00

  And I knew from that moment, I said, "I like these people." Justin is a profoundly deep thinker and he's a great communicator and we're really privileged to be having him bringing us God's Word today.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:00-01:03

  So Justin, let's hear from the Lord today, shall we?

  Justin Cady:

  01:03-01:04

  Thank you very much, Pastor Jeff.

  Justin Cady:

  01:05-01:06

  Good morning, everyone.

  Justin Cady:

  01:06-01:10

  It is an honor to be with you here this morning sharing the Word.

  Justin Cady:

  01:11-01:12

  Let's say a quick prayer.

  Justin Cady:

  01:12-01:14

  Lord God, I thank you for this day.

  Justin Cady:

  01:14-01:16

  I thank you for this church.

  Justin Cady:

  01:16-01:18

  I thank you for the people that are gathered here today.

  Justin Cady:

  01:19-01:24

  I pray that right now, God, as we discuss your word, that that would be the focus.

  Justin Cady:

  01:24-01:28

  And God, you would just use your word to speak to us this morning.

  Justin Cady:

  01:29-01:30

  Please bless this time in Jesus' name.

  Justin Cady:

  01:31-01:31

  Amen.

  Justin Cady:

  01:32-01:35

  How many people here have ever taken a test?

  Justin Cady:

  01:36-01:43

  I'm talking about a written exam, you know, the pop quiz, filling in the circles with the number two pencils.

  Justin Cady:

  01:44-01:45

  Most of us have done that, right?

  Justin Cady:

  01:46-01:51

  How many of us here have taken a test that we did not study for?

  Justin Cady:

  01:52-01:52

  Is it just me?

  Justin Cady:

  01:52-01:53

  Okay, all right.

  Justin Cady:

  01:54-01:56

  I was worried, but thank you for the honesty in this room.

  Justin Cady:

  01:57-02:01

  This happened to me way back when in AP US History.

  Justin Cady:

  02:02-02:05

  And what do we typically do in these situations?

  Justin Cady:

  02:06-02:07

  We sort of talk ourselves into it, right?

  Justin Cady:

  02:08-02:12

  I'm thinking, "How bad can this be?" You know, I've been to every class.

  Justin Cady:

  02:13-02:15

  I've read some of the chapters.

  Justin Cady:

  02:15-02:16

  I live in the United States.

  Justin Cady:

  02:17-02:18

  I should be able to do all right here.

  Justin Cady:

  02:20-02:21

  And then what happens next?

  Justin Cady:

  02:21-02:29

  Of course, teacher hands out the test, and I look at the first page, and I'm like, "I have never heard of that guy." I turn the page.

  Justin Cady:

  02:29-02:31

  Yeah, I've never seen any of this in my life.

  Justin Cady:

  02:31-02:32

  Has anyone been there?

  Justin Cady:

  02:33-02:38

  So now, reality is setting in, and sweat starts coming down the brow.

  Justin Cady:

  02:38-02:41

  I'm not even really reading the questions on the test.

  Justin Cady:

  02:41-02:46

  I'm just thinking, "How many times in a row do you think C is going to be the multiple-choice answer.

  Justin Cady:

  02:46-02:49

  So needless to say, I did not do well on that test.

  Justin Cady:

  02:50-03:00

  I'm sure many of us here probably have similar stories, or maybe recurring dreams, but what a feeling of panic and dread in that moment.

  Justin Cady:

  03:01-03:02

  And why do you think we have that?

  Justin Cady:

  03:03-03:09

  I think it's because when we take a test, we're trying to prove whether or not we know something.

  Justin Cady:

  03:09-03:13

  If you didn't study, it's super unlikely that you're going to know.

  Justin Cady:

  03:13-03:16

  And today, we're going to take a test together.

  Justin Cady:

  03:16-03:18

  Don't worry, we're going to study first.

  Justin Cady:

  03:19-03:24

  The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13, 5 that we are to examine ourselves and test ourselves.

  Justin Cady:

  03:25-03:30

  And today, we're going to test ourselves on if we're loving the way that God calls us to.

  Justin Cady:

  03:30-03:35

  Now, at hearing that, the first reaction might be, well, sure, I love God.

  Justin Cady:

  03:36-03:36

  I love people.

  Justin Cady:

  03:36-03:37

  I should be fine.

  Justin Cady:

  03:38-03:41

  And I think on the surface, we can say that.

  Justin Cady:

  03:41-03:44

  But today, we're really going to have to dig deep.

  Justin Cady:

  03:45-03:48

  And that's because the Bible teaches that God is love.

  Justin Cady:

  03:48-03:54

  And the commandment that Jesus gives to us, above all others, is to love.

  Justin Cady:

  03:55-03:58

  And we see that in Mark 12, verses 30 and 31.

  Justin Cady:

  03:58-04:03

  Jesus here is asked which commandment is the greatest, the most important.

  Justin Cady:

  04:03-04:05

  And this is how he responds.

  Justin Cady:

  04:05-04:11

  "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.

  Justin Cady:

  04:12-04:16

  The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

  Justin Cady:

  04:17-04:28

  There is no other commandment greater than these." So in light of Jesus' response there, testing ourselves on the way that we love seems pretty important, doesn't it?

  Justin Cady:

  04:28-04:37

  And actually, the test that we're going to take together today is the most important thing that you're ever going to evaluate about yourself.

  Justin Cady:

  04:38-04:44

  First off, I think we need to clarify a little bit, what do we even mean when we say, "I love people"?

  Justin Cady:

  04:45-04:59

  Culturally, today, the first thing that comes to your mind might be, "We're all sitting in a circle, holding hands, singing kumbaya, everybody's accepting everything that everyone else does, it's all cool." That's not love.

  Justin Cady:

  05:00-05:07

  At its core, love is putting the needs of someone else ahead of your own needs.

  Justin Cady:

  05:08-05:09

  That's the essence of love.

  Justin Cady:

  05:11-05:16

  So if you'll turn with me to 1 John 3, we're going to see more about that.

  Justin Cady:

  05:16-05:20

  It's towards the end of your Bible, and it's going to be the guide for our test today.

  Justin Cady:

  05:21-05:31

  And of course, as we hopefully learned from my experience in US history so long ago, we need to study first, and then we're going to take the test.

  Justin Cady:

  05:32-05:38

  And in this passage, John is going to give us two examples that we can study in preparation.

  Justin Cady:

  05:40-05:44

  So 1 John 3, and we're going to pick it up in verse 10.

  Justin Cady:

  05:45-05:51

  It says, "By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil.

  Justin Cady:

  05:52-05:59

  Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

  Justin Cady:

  05:59-06:05

  For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

  Justin Cady:

  06:06-06:10

  We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother.

  Justin Cady:

  06:11-06:12

  And why did he murder him?

  Justin Cady:

  06:12-06:15

  Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.

  Justin Cady:

  06:16-06:19

  Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

  Justin Cady:

  06:20-06:26

  We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers.

  Justin Cady:

  06:27-06:29

  "Whoever does not love abides in death.

  Justin Cady:

  06:30-06:42

  Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." So John laid out our test in verses 10 and 11.

  Justin Cady:

  06:42-06:43

  Did you see that?

  Justin Cady:

  06:43-06:50

  He said, "Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

  Justin Cady:

  06:51-06:57

  For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." That is the test.

  Justin Cady:

  06:58-07:00

  To be children of God, we must love.

  Justin Cady:

  07:00-07:07

  And John is writing to his brothers and sisters in the church here, reminding us that we've heard this from the beginning.

  Justin Cady:

  07:07-07:10

  He's referring back to Jesus' response that we just saw.

  Justin Cady:

  07:11-07:13

  So we know what the test is.

  Justin Cady:

  07:13-07:16

  But before we take the test, we have to study.

  Justin Cady:

  07:16-07:18

  And that brings us to our first point today.

  Justin Cady:

  07:19-07:22

  Study failure, the heart of Cain.

  Justin Cady:

  07:23-07:26

  So the first example John describes for us in this passage is Cain.

  Justin Cady:

  07:27-07:34

  Way back near the beginning of your Bible, and actually near the beginning of time, there were two brothers, Cain and Abel.

  Justin Cady:

  07:35-07:38

  Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd.

  Justin Cady:

  07:39-07:43

  To make a long story short, both of them brought an offering to the Lord.

  Justin Cady:

  07:44-07:47

  Abel's offering pleased God, but Cain's did not.

  Justin Cady:

  07:48-07:58

  And rather than listening to God and changing his ways, Cain became jealous of his brother Abel and how God was pleased with him, and he killed him.

  Justin Cady:

  07:59-08:01

  It was actually the first murder in history.

  Justin Cady:

  08:02-08:10

  So what does John, writing through the Holy Spirit here, want us to learn from the example of Cain as we study how to love others?

  Justin Cady:

  08:11-08:19

  Well, of course, Cain is provided as the exact opposite of the way that we're supposed to love, and literally, because he's an example of hatred.

  Justin Cady:

  08:20-08:22

  And certainly we know that we're not supposed to hate.

  Justin Cady:

  08:24-08:31

  It's important to know how did Cain get to the point of hatred, to the point of killing his own brother.

  Justin Cady:

  08:32-08:34

  It started with jealousy.

  Justin Cady:

  08:35-08:44

  Cain was jealous of Abel's approval from the Lord, and that jealousy grew into resentment, and that resentment led him to murder.

  Justin Cady:

  08:45-08:55

  And today, we don't get jealous over sacrifices of animals or crops, But we still have plenty of opportunity to repeat Cain's mistake.

  Justin Cady:

  08:56-09:00

  We can see the other person at work getting the promotion that we think we should get.

  Justin Cady:

  09:01-09:05

  Or we see our friend driving a brand new car that we would want to drive.

  Justin Cady:

  09:06-09:10

  And in those little moments, a seed of jealousy gets planted.

  Justin Cady:

  09:10-09:17

  And as we saw in the case of Cain, sometimes we get jealous even when the other person is doing everything right.

  Justin Cady:

  09:18-09:21

  maybe especially when the other person is doing everything right.

  Justin Cady:

  09:21-09:26

  And over time, that jealousy grows into a resentment of that person.

  Justin Cady:

  09:27-09:44

  You think, "You know, he's never been the same since he got that promotion, or since he started driving that new car, but really, who has changed?" And that resentment turns into hatred, and you can see just how quickly we can fall into that same spiral of jealousy before we even know it.

  Justin Cady:

  09:45-09:50

  But still, you might be saying to yourself, "Okay, I get it. Cain is a bad example.

  Justin Cady:

  09:51-09:53

  But this is pretty extreme, right?

  Justin Cady:

  09:53-10:00

  I mean, even if I've been a little jealous of a co-worker or a friend, I've never killed anyone. I'm not a murderer.

  Justin Cady:

  10:01-10:11

  So, if we're taking a test, can I just mark the 'not a murderer' checkbox, and we can keep studying something else?" And the answer is no.

  Justin Cady:

  10:12-10:17

  You see, God has a higher standard for loving the people around us than just not killing them.

  Justin Cady:

  10:18-10:33

  And it ties into that last verse that we just read, where it said, where John wrote, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." The immediate reaction to that is, "Wait a second.

  Justin Cady:

  10:33-10:38

  Does that mean that God can't forgive murderers?" No.

  Justin Cady:

  10:39-11:41

  You see, there's heroes of the Bible, like David, who committed murder and had to face the consequences on earth, but repented and was forgiven by God. And remember that Jesus himself, while he was on the cross, prayed for his murderers to be forgiven when he said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." So no, that's not what John's talking about here. What he's talking about is having the heart of a murderer, a heart that's marked by hatred. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 that those who hate will be liable to the same judgment as murderers. So John is echoing those words of Jesus here, saying, "By hating someone, it's the same to God as if you had killed them." So the example of Cain is here to remind us that yes, we should not murder like Cain, but also we must not hate like Cain. So back to the test.

  Justin Cady:

  11:41-11:48

  We've now studied an example of someone who failed, but we want to pass, right?

  Justin Cady:

  11:49-12:35

  And the next example that John provides is someone who passed the test so hard he became the answer key. I think you'll see what I mean. Let's pick it back up in verse 16. "By this we know, love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. That brings us to our second point today, Study success, the heart of Christ.

  Justin Cady:

  12:36-12:42

  In these verses, John is referring to Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for us. Amen?

  Justin Cady:

  12:43-12:57

  With the example of Christ, we're definitely at the other end of the spectrum now, and it really is striking to look at just how opposite of an example Christ is from what we read about Cain. Cain's heart was full of hatred.

  Justin Cady:

  12:57-13:01

  Christ's heart was the truest love that's ever walked on the earth.

  Justin Cady:

  13:02-13:07

  Verse 12 said that Cain was of the devil, but we know that Jesus was the son of God.

  Justin Cady:

  13:08-13:22

  Verse 14 said that hatred like Cain's leads to death, but we know that the love of Jesus leads to life. Cain took a life in committing a murder. Jesus sacrificed himself.

  Justin Cady:

  13:23-14:07

  So these two examples really are polar opposites. Cain's example shows us what we should avoid in our heart. Jesus' example shows us what to strive to change our heart into. Well, Christ's love is infinite and it could be the subject of every sermon from now until the end of time. There are three specific aspects of Christ's love that we can pull out of this passage. So here are the three aspects we see here of loving like Christ. Number one, in verse 16 we see that the love of Christ is willing. Jesus willfully made the decision to lay down his life for us. Love starts with a choice.

  Justin Cady:

  14:08-14:26

  That's what love is. You have to choose to love. Jesus didn't just show up at the cross and decide right then and there, "I guess I'll sacrifice myself." No, the whole reason that he came was that He had already chosen to love us, and He wanted to rescue us through His sacrifice.

  Justin Cady:

  14:27-14:32

  And there's a very common place that we remind ourselves of love beginning with a choice.

  Justin Cady:

  14:34-14:34

  Wedding vows.

  Justin Cady:

  14:34-14:52

  When you're at a wedding, and you hear the bride and groom say, "In sickness and in health," you can directly translate that to, "I am choosing to love you, whether we are sick or healthy." "I am choosing to love you whether we are richer or poorer.

  Justin Cady:

  14:54-15:17

  "I am choosing to love you when our circumstances are better "and when they're worse." And those words stem from Jesus looking at all of us and saying, "I am choosing to love you "no matter what you've done "and no matter what it costs me." What an incredible choice Jesus made.

  Justin Cady:

  15:18-15:21

  Number two, the second aspect we see here.

  Justin Cady:

  15:21-15:27

  In verse 17, we see that Christ's love is fueled by compassion.

  Justin Cady:

  15:29-15:50

  It says, "But if anyone has the world's goods "and sees his brother in need, "yet closes his heart against him, "how does God's love abide in him?" You see, Jesus made the choice to love not just because God said so, though that would be enough, but because he saw our need and he felt compassion.

  Justin Cady:

  15:51-16:02

  And the Bible even specifically records in Matthew 9.36 and 14.14, and in many other places, that Jesus had compassion on the crowds that were following him.

  Justin Cady:

  16:04-16:14

  And we likewise need to love people not just because God said so, though again, that is enough, but because we care about them.

  Justin Cady:

  16:15-16:18

  And as I was thinking about this, I thought about the dentist.

  Justin Cady:

  16:19-16:26

  And the reason I say that is, it was just before Michelle and I were getting married, and I needed to find a new dentist.

  Justin Cady:

  16:26-16:29

  So I did what I thought was a sensible thing to do.

  Justin Cady:

  16:30-16:33

  I googled and scheduled an appointment with one of them.

  Justin Cady:

  16:34-16:45

  And to be fair to them, maybe they were just having an off day, but have you ever been at the dentist and they're a little bit too cavalier with that minty buzzsaw that they have.

  Justin Cady:

  16:46-16:52

  And so not only do your teeth get polished, but everything in the near vicinity is getting hit.

  Justin Cady:

  16:52-17:00

  And then after that, the dentist comes back and I just, I've never met this person before and I just said, "Yeah, so how's everything looking?

  Justin Cady:

  17:00-17:04

  What's the plan?" And he said, did not look up at me.

  Justin Cady:

  17:05-17:10

  "Well, I'm going to look through your teeth and try to find holes, and if I find some, I'm going to fill them up.

  Justin Cady:

  17:12-17:14

  That's dentistry." "OK!"

  17:15-17:15

  (Laughter)

  17:16-17:16

  So

  Justin Cady:

  17:16-17:25

  I told Michelle about this, and she said, "Well, why don't you just come to my dentist?" So the next time, when my next appointment was up, I did just that.

  Justin Cady:

  17:26-17:31

  And let me tell you, maybe it was because of the first experience, but the second one was completely different.

  Justin Cady:

  17:33-17:36

  The chair was comfortable and luxurious.

  Justin Cady:

  17:37-17:40

  People were just complimenting my teeth as I walk in.

  Justin Cady:

  17:40-17:44

  They were careful and precise with that buzzsaw.

  Justin Cady:

  17:44-17:45

  It was completely different.

  Justin Cady:

  17:46-17:55

  Now, I know that technically, both of those offices did the exact same procedure to my teeth, didn't they?

  Justin Cady:

  17:55-17:57

  Technically, they did the same thing.

  Justin Cady:

  17:58-18:09

  But what a difference it made when someone was carefree and not super concerned about my needs, and someone who was extremely caring and careful.

  Justin Cady:

  18:09-18:16

  And in the same way, we can tell when someone's helping us and their heart's not really in it, can't we?

  Justin Cady:

  18:16-18:21

  When they're just going through the motions, we cannot be like that.

  Justin Cady:

  18:22-18:34

  We not only need to help people, but do it out of a true compassion for them. They can tell the difference and it makes a huge difference, like at the dentist.

  Justin Cady:

  18:35-18:55

  The third aspect we see about loving like Christ from these verses is in verse 18. We see that Christ's love is driven to action. After first choosing to love us and then being fueled by his compassion for us, Christ didn't just talk about making the ultimate sacrifice. He did it.

  Justin Cady:

  18:57-19:34

  And we need be the same way. Love without action isn't love. I tried really, really hard to come up with another way to say this, but loving like Christ is not talking the talk, it's walking the walk. That's exactly right. We can't just talk about loving. We have to be like Christ and actually walk it out like He did. So we see from the example of Christ that we should first choose to love, then be fueled by compassion for the people that God has placed in our lives, and then do something about it.

  Justin Cady:

  19:36-19:41

  So now that we've studied both examples, it's time to actually take the test.

  Justin Cady:

  19:42-19:44

  And that's point number three for today.

  Justin Cady:

  19:45-19:46

  Take the test.

  Justin Cady:

  19:46-19:48

  Is my heart like Cain or Christ?

  Justin Cady:

  19:49-19:51

  Let's pick it back up in verse 19.

  Justin Cady:

  19:53-20:04

  By this, meaning loving like Christ in the verses that we just read, by this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him.

  Justin Cady:

  20:05-20:10

  For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and he knows everything.

  Justin Cady:

  20:11-20:23

  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.

  Justin Cady:

  20:25-20:34

  And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He has commanded us.

  Justin Cady:

  20:34-20:38

  Whoever keeps His commandments abides in God, and God in him.

  Justin Cady:

  20:39-20:51

  And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." So there's a lot to unpack in this text, but I want to focus on verse 19.

  Justin Cady:

  20:52-20:57

  By loving like Christ, we shall know that we are of the truth.

  Justin Cady:

  20:58-21:08

  And so, I want you to ask yourself, and you can just limit it to the last week, have I been willfully choosing to love people, or am I choosing to ignore them?

  Justin Cady:

  21:09-21:14

  Does seeing their need fill me with compassion, or do I not care at all?

  Justin Cady:

  21:15-21:19

  Do I go from seeing that need to actually loving and helping them?

  Justin Cady:

  21:19-21:26

  Or do I just talk about loving and helping people with words that end up hollow because I don't do anything about it?

  Justin Cady:

  21:28-21:31

  We talked at the beginning about academic experiences.

  Justin Cady:

  21:32-21:34

  Do you remember what it feels like when you fail a test?

  Justin Cady:

  21:35-21:38

  The teacher is handing each one back.

  Justin Cady:

  21:39-21:41

  Yours goes face down on the desk.

  Justin Cady:

  21:41-21:42

  They just keep walking.

  Justin Cady:

  21:43-21:43

  There's no eye contact.

  Justin Cady:

  21:44-21:50

  And after a few minutes, you finally get the courage to turn it over and see what the damage is.

  Justin Cady:

  21:51-21:52

  Doesn't feel good, does it?

  Justin Cady:

  21:54-22:00

  Maybe answering those questions about how you've been loving people might have brought back some of those feelings.

  Justin Cady:

  22:01-22:08

  And if so, I can promise you, you are not alone, because I've felt that so much while studying this text.

  Justin Cady:

  22:10-22:17

  But the unique thing about testing yourself on loving like Christ is there's not a single other person on the planet who can give you a grade.

  Justin Cady:

  22:18-22:22

  The only people who know your true heart are you and God.

  Justin Cady:

  22:24-22:24

  That's the end of the list.

  Justin Cady:

  22:26-22:29

  And sure, people who know you can make a really educated guess.

  Justin Cady:

  22:30-22:34

  They can look at the fruit of your life and how you act when you're in front of them.

  Justin Cady:

  22:35-22:43

  But ultimately, only you and God know if, like we just read, your heart is condemning you or not.

  Justin Cady:

  22:44-22:52

  Only you and God know what your heart really looks like when you're driving and someone cuts you off and slams on their brakes.

  Justin Cady:

  22:54-22:56

  Do you feel the hatred like Cain in that moment?

  Justin Cady:

  22:58-23:10

  Only you and God know what your heart really looks like when your coworker messes up in the exact same way for the fifth time this week.

  Justin Cady:

  23:11-23:17

  Do you have compassion and try to get to the root cause and try to help them?

  Justin Cady:

  23:17-23:20

  Or do you just gossip about them behind their back?

  Justin Cady:

  23:21-23:30

  Only you and God know what your heart really looks like when you see someone struggling and you have the means or the skills to help them.

  Justin Cady:

  23:30-23:35

  Is your first reaction to help or is it to come up with excuses not to?

  Justin Cady:

  23:36-23:49

  And we have to understand that John's writing here is starkly black and white, total hatred or total love, and even at our best, we're not going to achieve the perfection that Christ did.

  Justin Cady:

  23:49-23:50

  We're not.

  Justin Cady:

  23:51-24:04

  But we need to take a long, hard look inside and ask ourselves, "Am I focused on imitating Christ and I'm stumbling here and there, but getting back up and getting back on track?

  Justin Cady:

  24:05-24:11

  Or is the truth that I haven't looked at Christ's example in a long time?

  Justin Cady:

  24:12-24:16

  And my heart is so bitter now that I don't even recognize it.

  Justin Cady:

  24:17-24:18

  I don't know your heart.

  Justin Cady:

  24:20-24:21

  Only you and God do.

  Justin Cady:

  24:22-24:31

  But I do know that all love comes from God, and so a habitually loveless person does not know Him.

  Justin Cady:

  24:32-24:33

  It's straight from the text.

  Justin Cady:

  24:34-24:44

  "Whoever does not love abides in death." A habitually loveless person does not know him, even if you think you do.

  Justin Cady:

  24:46-24:52

  But the beauty of this passage is that it doesn't end there, and it doesn't just remind us of failing.

  Justin Cady:

  24:53-24:59

  Do you remember studying hard for a test and passing, getting an A+?

  Justin Cady:

  25:00-25:01

  You studied so hard.

  Justin Cady:

  25:02-25:07

  the work, all that you put into it, and you did it, you passed.

  Justin Cady:

  25:08-25:14

  What a sense of calm and relief, the weight being lifted off your shoulders, the peace.

  Justin Cady:

  25:15-25:22

  And the feeling of passing an exam is amazing, but it's nothing compared to what John writes here.

  Justin Cady:

  25:23-25:28

  When we are walking in love, we have complete assurance in the Lord.

  Justin Cady:

  25:29-25:31

  And that's our final point for today.

  Justin Cady:

  25:32-25:36

  Point number four is pass the test and gain a heart of confidence.

  Justin Cady:

  25:38-26:06

  Verse 19 says, "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him." Verse 24, "By the Spirit whom He has given us, we know that He abides in us." Verse 21, "We have confidence before God." Verse 22, "We keep His commandments and do what pleases Him." You see, when you take the test and you do see the love of Christ flowing out of your life, there's only one explanation.

  Justin Cady:

  26:07-26:12

  You know the Lord and His Spirit is working through you to love others.

  Justin Cady:

  26:13-26:22

  What a feeling of peace and confidence comes from the fact, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you know Him and you're an active participant in His plan.

  Justin Cady:

  26:23-26:45

  And as you love others around you, the power of love is not only are you blessing that person, but you yourself are being reassured, "My walk with God is real." You have a confidence that Christ is molding you and shaping you, and you will see him one day, and you know it without a shred of doubt.

  Justin Cady:

  26:47-26:52

  in a lot of areas in our lives, we have a tendency to overcomplicate things, don't we?

  Justin Cady:

  26:53-26:58

  We can get wrapped up in the details and miss the bigger picture.

  Justin Cady:

  26:59-27:05

  So don't miss this foundational truth about our call to love others.

  Justin Cady:

  27:05-27:07

  It's right there in verse 23.

  Justin Cady:

  27:08-27:19

  And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and we love one another just as He has commanded us.

  Justin Cady:

  27:20-27:37

  Galatians 5.14 also speaks about how Jesus has commanded us, saying, "For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

  Justin Cady:

  27:38-27:48

  Those words of Jesus are so often repeated, twisted and mixed up and we hear them all the time in some form.

  Justin Cady:

  27:49-27:52

  May we never become numb to them.

  Justin Cady:

  27:53-28:16

  Those words are mind-blowing because they're so simple and at the same time condensing thousands of years of teaching into one statement and even at the same time asking us to do the single most difficult thing that we will ever be asked to do, to die to ourselves.

  Justin Cady:

  28:17-28:31

  But by following his supreme commandment of love, we serve Christ, we serve others like he has called us to, and we gain complete confidence in our relationship with him.

  Justin Cady:

  28:33-28:35

  That is passing the test.

  Justin Cady:

  28:36-28:41

  So as we close for today, John's call to us here is clear.

  Justin Cady:

  28:42-29:02

  We need to study the examples and not be like Cain and fall into jealousy and resentment and hatred, but instead study Christ and follow his example of choosing to love through compassion and with action.

  Justin Cady:

  29:04-29:12

  And we need to take the test and remember that today should not be the only day that you do, because we're all going to stumble.

  Justin Cady:

  29:14-29:23

  But rather than dwelling in it, we're going to retake the test and refocus ourselves, our lives, on loving like Christ.

  Justin Cady:

  29:24-29:30

  And that'll lead us to pass the test and have complete assurance of our standing with God.

  Justin Cady:

  29:31-29:33

  And maybe you've stumbled.

  Justin Cady:

  29:35-29:41

  But today can be the day that you can refocus and take the test and get back on track.

  Justin Cady:

  29:42-29:47

  Or maybe you're here today and you don't have the assurance that I was talking about.

  Justin Cady:

  29:48-29:55

  And you know that it's not because you've just stumbled, but it's because you don't yet know the Lord.

  Justin Cady:

  29:57-30:05

  And if that's you, you need to let Christ into your life, because without Him, you cannot pass the test.

  Justin Cady:

  30:06-30:12

  Today can be your day, and you can get that confidence that we're talking about.

  Justin Cady:

  30:13-30:15

  You can pass the test.

  Justin Cady:

  30:17-30:17

  Let's pray.

  Justin Cady:

  30:19-30:21

  Father God, I thank you for our time today.

  Justin Cady:

  30:22-30:23

  I thank you for your word.

  Justin Cady:

  30:25-30:30

  I thank you that you sent your Son, and He first loved us.

  Justin Cady:

  30:33-30:45

  I pray, God, that all of us here would focus our hearts on imitating the example of love that Christ was for us.

  Justin Cady:

  30:48-30:57

  God, let us continually be transformed by His love and pass that love through ourselves on to others, God.

  Justin Cady:

  31:02-31:11

  God, I pray that everyone here would pass the test, Lord, and you would continue to mold us and shape us to be more like your Son.

  Justin Cady:

  31:13-31:15

  Thank you for His sacrifice.

  Justin Cady:

  31:16-31:18

  In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read 1 John 3:10-24

1. How can we guard ourselves against falling into the spiral of jealousy*/resentment/hatred?
    

2. What challenges do we face in loving others the way that Christ does?
    

3. How can we build the habit of testing our hearts in order to avoid bitterness?
    

4. Beyond assurance of our own faith, what benefits can we gain from complete confidence in our relationship with God?

Breakout:
Pray for each other

Seeking Wisdom During Trials

Introduction (Job 28:20-28)

Seeking Wisdom

1. Wisdom cannot be found Apart from God. (Job 28:20-27)
2. Wisdom is found with God. (Job 28:28a)

Proverbs 9:10 - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight"

James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him"

2 Ways to Fellow with God and His Word during Trials

1. Utilize Small Groups
2. Pray the Bible

Seeking Wisdom

3. Wisdom brings us Closer to God. (Job 28:28b)

Michael Wolski - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North A/V Ministry Leader

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

• Audio Transcript

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:28-00:37

  If you're visiting with us today, my name is Jeff, and I serve as the pastor here at Harvest Bible Chapel, Pittsburgh North, but I am not preaching this month.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:38-00:43

  We have four wonderful speakers that we'll be introducing the next one here in just a minute.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:45-00:45

  So what am I doing?

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:46-00:52

  Well, this week I will be working on the preaching calendar for the next year.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:53-01:01

  I pre-prepare the messages from October to September is when our preaching calendar runs.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:01-01:09

  So I would greatly appreciate your prayers for this week as I seek the Lord on direction for preaching.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:10-01:13

  And I just thought I'd open up the floor now if anybody has any suggestions.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:15-01:16

  Any suggestions?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:17-01:18

  Jay, I know what you're gonna say.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:19-01:20

  Amos, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:21-01:22

  Okay, noted.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:22-01:23

  And I appreciate the suggestion.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:23-01:24

  Anybody else?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:25-01:26

  Joshua?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:27-01:28

  Anyone else?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:30-01:31

  I'll tell you what, think about it.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:31-01:32

  What's that?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:33-01:33

  Romans!

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:35-01:37

  The whole book in one year.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:38-01:39

  In one sermon.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:43-01:44

  Yeah, thanks for that, Mark.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:46-01:47

  I appreciate that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:48-01:48

  All right.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:49-01:57

  If you get any big brainstorms or any big revelations, just go ahead and shoot me an email for that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:57-02:01

  But I'd like to introduce our preacher for today, Mike Wolski, if you would make your way up.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:03-02:11

  As I said, years past, we would basically hire some preacher friends of mine to come in during July and they give the word.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:12-02:17

  And this year, the word will be brought by four men from our congregation.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:17-02:20

  And today we're privileged to have Mike Wolski.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:20-02:27

  Now, usually Mike is delivering the word of God back in the AV booth with his team.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:28-02:30

  Mike heads up our AV ministry.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:30-02:36

  So all of the words and the pretty pictures and all of those kinds of things, Mike is the head of that ministry.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:36-02:42

  So today he's going to be delivering the word on this side of the room.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:42-02:52

  And I have been real excited to have Mike come because Mike and I are in small group together.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:52-02:57

  And this is gonna be just unapologetically, this is going to be a shameless plug for small groups.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:57-03:05

  But one of the things I appreciated about small groups so much was I really got to know Mike and Jessica.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:05-03:09

  I got to see their heart for the Lord, their heart for their family.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:10-03:17

  And also through that, as it pertains to preaching this morning, I really got to see Mike's heart for God's word.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:18-03:21

  And that happened through small groups.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:21-03:22

  That's where relationships are made.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:22-03:24

  That's where accountability happens.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:24-03:31

  And if you're here, if you consider this your church home and you're not part of a small group, you need to sign up.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:32-03:37

  And just email smallgroups@harvestpittsburghnorth.org and say, sign me up for small groups.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:37-03:41

  And Ryan and Sarah Stroop would love to get you plugged in to small group.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:41-03:51

  But I not only had the privilege of getting to know Mike through small group ministry, but at DeMar's Home for Youth, was that last year when you got up and gave your testimony?

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:52-03:56

  I get to hear Mike speak and he did a fantastic job.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:56-04:02

  And I thought this guy, this guy's got a heart for the Lord and a heart to give a message from the Lord.

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:02-04:06

  So today, without any further ado, give a warm Harvest welcome to Mike Wolski.

  Mike Wolski:

  04:16-04:22

  You know, one thing you might not know about the A.V. ministry is that everybody that joins is required to be an expert in puns.

  Mike Wolski:

  04:25-04:35

  Peter when he was promoting Harvest Got Talent, he did that week after week because today what I wanted to say is I feel like a pony today because my voice is a little hoarse.

  Mike Wolski:

  04:37-04:41

  That has nothing to do with the sermon by the way, just circumstances.

  Mike Wolski:

  04:42-04:51

  So turn with me to Job chapter 28, and while you're doing that, I want you to think of the smartest person that you know.

  Mike Wolski:

  04:52-04:55

  And it doesn't have to be somebody that you know personally either.

  Mike Wolski:

  04:55-05:00

  Almost anyone in the entire world, whether alive or dead.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:01-05:11

  When I first thought about that and asked myself that question, my first instinct was to go towards an inventor or a scientist, like Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:12-05:17

  These are men who refined scientific principles and have had a profound impact on our lives today.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:18-05:22

  Thinking about somebody more recently, Elon Musk.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:22-05:27

  He's the guy that is head of SpaceX and Tesla Automotive.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:27-05:31

  He's making autonomous cars and he's sending rockets in outer space.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:31-05:35

  All three people, very smart in their respective fields and studies.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:36-05:43

  But taking it a step further in a slightly different direction, I want you now to think of the wisest person you know.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:44-05:45

  There's a subtle difference there.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:46-05:57

  If you look up wisdom in Merriam-Webster dictionary, they define it as the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships, or accumulated philosophical or scientific learning.

  Mike Wolski:

  05:58-06:05

  That definition aside, I think we can all chalk up wisdom as being a combination of knowledge and experience.

  Mike Wolski:

  06:07-06:09

  But let's get more specific with our definition.

  Mike Wolski:

  06:10-06:12

  What kind of wisdom am I talking about today?

  Mike Wolski:

  06:13-06:18

  Well, there's the worldly wisdom we get from doing our everyday hobbies and tasks.

  Mike Wolski:

  06:19-06:22

  Those are tips and tricks we learn along the way to make those activities easier.

  Mike Wolski:

  06:23-06:35

  So for instance, if you work on your own car, the more you do it, the more pieces and components fix or replace, the more knowledge and experience you have with that, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  06:35-06:37

  The more car fixing wisdom you have.

  Mike Wolski:

  06:39-06:48

  I mean, I remember working on a car, Jessica and I have, and I had to do work that went beyond just oil change or simple brake pad replacements.

  Mike Wolski:

  06:49-06:53

  I had to venture into new grounds by working on the suspension and on the exhaust system.

  Mike Wolski:

  06:55-07:05

  I can laugh about it now, but there are numerous barriers and struggles I had that made what I thought would be a relatively easy repair into a weeks-long hair-pulling fun.

  Mike Wolski:

  07:07-07:12

  All the reading that I did up on how to do the fix didn't compare to my experience I had actually doing it.

  Mike Wolski:

  07:13-07:20

  But now I'm glad that I did because I was able to add a plus one to my car-fixing wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  07:21-07:27

  But while worldly wisdom is valuable, in the grand scheme of things, it's optional.

  Mike Wolski:

  07:29-07:33

  Knowing how to fix a car, cook a steak medium rare, or plumb a toilet isn't going to change your life.

  Mike Wolski:

  07:35-07:38

  Now the wisdom I'm talking about today is biblical wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  07:39-07:45

  Applying the word of God to every aspect of your life to answer the big questions.

  Mike Wolski:

  07:46-07:49

  For example, how can I be a good witness?

  Mike Wolski:

  07:51-07:53

  What should my role be in relation to my spouse?

  Mike Wolski:

  07:55-07:57

  How can I share my faith with a co-worker?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:00-08:02

  What values should I instill in my children?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:04-08:07

  Getting deeper here, what about questions we have during our trials?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:09-08:11

  How do I forgive someone who's hurt me?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:12-08:14

  I just lost my job. What do I do?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:16-08:20

  I don't think I can pay my bills on time. Who can I turn to?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:22-08:25

  I lost my child to a drunk driver. Why would God allow this?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:28-08:31

  We live in a fallen world, and with that comes deep and painful trials.

  Mike Wolski:

  08:32-08:35

  Each one has its own set of questions and answers we seek.

  Mike Wolski:

  08:37-08:40

  How to handle and react to the situation, defuse tension, or just heal?

  Mike Wolski:

  08:41-08:56

  Circling back to my first two questions and those two folks that you chose for being both smart and wise, I mentioned Thomas Edison, and he's credited with inventing the light bulb, so clearly a very smart and wise person in his scientific field.

  Mike Wolski:

  08:57-08:59

  But did you know he was an atheist?

  Mike Wolski:

  09:00-09:02

  Well, he called it being a free thinker.

  Mike Wolski:

  09:03-09:36

  But when you make statements like, and I'm paraphrasing quotes of his here, heaven and hell don't exist, there is no afterlife, all religion is bunk, you get the idea where he stands. The reason I mention this is because the people we look to as being smart and wise aren't necessarily wise when it comes to biblical wisdom. So with that said, those two people you identified in your life, would you go for them to counsel? Would you go for them for counsel? Could they provide biblical wisdom when you're going through a trial?

  Mike Wolski:

  09:38-09:45

  The title of the sermon today is "Seeking Wisdom During Trials." And coming to the text, we're in Job 28.

  Mike Wolski:

  09:46-09:50

  Now Job 28 is a little more than halfway through the book of Job, the entire book of Job.

  Mike Wolski:

  09:51-09:58

  And at this point, Job, a man righteous in God's eyes, has had his entire life turned upside down by Satan.

  Mike Wolski:

  09:59-10:01

  He's lost all his possessions and even his good health.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:02-10:09

  And his friends, they've come to comfort him, but instead they're arguing back and forth, accusing him of wrongdoings.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:10-10:15

  You know, Job is arguing that he's innocent, but Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar believe he must have sinned.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:16-10:20

  For all this bad stuff to happen to him, there's something deeper here that needs exposed.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:22-10:27

  And leading up to this chapter, Job is arguing back and forth within himself on God and His justice.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:28-10:30

  Is God being just with him?

  Mike Wolski:

  10:30-10:33

  Now wait a minute, I thought this sermon was on seeking wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:34-10:36

  Where does God's justice fit into all this?

  Mike Wolski:

  10:36-10:37

  Where did this come from?

  Mike Wolski:

  10:39-10:39

  Well hear me out here.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:41-10:47

  So when you're going through a trial or facing a difficult situation, you're probably wondering, what can I do about it?

  Mike Wolski:

  10:49-10:54

  Even if it's beyond your control, you still want to know what's the best way to handle what's being thrown at you.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:56-10:57

  What you're doing is seeking wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  10:58-11:32

  what Job was doing. He had no explanation as to why he was suffering, so him and his friends were pouring out their wisdom upon one another to try to come to some sort of conclusion. And chapter 28 is all about finding true wisdom. You know, each person had their own answers and understanding of God, but this gets to the core of where you and I can find wisdom. Let's pick it up in verse 20. "From where then does wisdom come, and where It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.

  Mike Wolski:

  11:33-11:39

  Abaddon and Death say, "We have heard a rumor of it with our ears." God understands the way to it, and He knows its place.

  Mike Wolski:

  11:40-11:43

  For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.

  Mike Wolski:

  11:44-11:53

  When He gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure, when He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then He saw it and declared it.

  Mike Wolski:

  11:54-11:56

  He established it and searched it out.

  Mike Wolski:

  11:56-12:08

  And he said to man, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and a turn away from evil is understanding." Not really what Merriam-Webster said, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  12:09-12:12

  You know, I thought wisdom could be found in any sagely person.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:13-12:18

  I thought wisdom would give me the answers right away and allow me to solve all my problems.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:19-12:23

  Well, God's definition is a bit contrary to ours.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:24-12:26

  This brings me to my first point.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:28-12:33

  My first point to be made about seeking wisdom in trials is that it cannot be found apart from God.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:34-12:36

  Look at verses 20-27.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:38-12:47

  And just as a side note, if you read the book of Job and especially this chapter, the poetry and the imagery in it is just very beautiful and I would encourage you to read the whole thing.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:48-12:53

  kind of what stuck out to me and why I wanted to use this passage for my sermon.

  Mike Wolski:

  12:54-13:04

  But it starts out asking the question, "Where then does wisdom come and where is the place of understanding?" It's a pretty straightforward question.

  Mike Wolski:

  13:05-13:19

  But in the following verses it says, "Both are hidden and even death does not know, but God knows it because he's created it, established it, and searched it out." So how can we say we found biblical wisdom apart from God?

  Mike Wolski:

  13:21-13:22

  Honestly, we can't.

  Mike Wolski:

  13:23-13:27

  I think we try to say we have based on, you know, the advice or experiences we've gone through.

  Mike Wolski:

  13:28-13:31

  But how can we say we know true wisdom when we aren't the Almighty?

  Mike Wolski:

  13:32-13:36

  To say we have intimate knowledge of the world around us on the same level as God.

  Mike Wolski:

  13:38-13:40

  And to understand our trials the same way God does.

  Mike Wolski:

  13:42-13:50

  There are plenty of times I've gone through turmoil and thought, "You know what? I can figure this out." Right? Let me Google it.

  Mike Wolski:

  13:52-13:56

  You know, let me Google what other people have said or ask some friends.

  Mike Wolski:

  13:57-14:01

  Isn't that the 21st century solution to everything? Google it. Google knows.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:02-14:04

  Or rather, something Google shows you knows.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:05-14:10

  Well, Google was telling me a few months back that eating Tide Pods is all the rage.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:11-14:17

  And that this sore throat that I have could be a common cold, or Ebola.

  14:18-14:19

  (Laughter)

  Mike Wolski:

  14:20-14:25

  So for all the information we have at our fingertips, there's a lot of garbage out there.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:26-14:34

  A lot to sift through, and a lot that is deceptively wrapped in a pretty present to tickle our ears or to bolster our self-righteousness.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:34-14:41

  Pages and videos of echo chamber rhetoric that takes the lens to others in the world rather than to yourself.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:44-14:48

  A lot of the wisdom I've sought in my life and received, God's hand wasn't in it.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:49-14:51

  So really you could say it wasn't wisdom at all.

  Mike Wolski:

  14:53-14:59

  You know, one thing I think we can all relate to is working through difficulties at our jobs, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  14:59-15:09

  And not just the person commuting back and forth to Pittsburgh or wherever, you know, there's mothers and caretakers, They all have important jobs, you know, take care of families, raising children.

  Mike Wolski:

  15:09-15:10

  So all of us.

  Mike Wolski:

  15:12-15:18

  But you know that bad day or week that you have makes you want to throw the towel and start searching around for something else.

  Mike Wolski:

  15:19-15:25

  I mean, I've had some really trying weeks that make me second-guess if I did the right thing in taking my current position.

  Mike Wolski:

  15:26-15:29

  Why would I leave my job that I like to go to this new position?

  Mike Wolski:

  15:31-16:01

  You can imagine it's easy to find advice online. That's how to handle job related stresses You see articles about your job satisfaction and how you deserve to be happy at your job You don't feel appreciated find a new role and tell your boss to pound salt Maybe that's not what God's plan is for you Maybe there's some character refinement or lesson to be learned from your struggles Like in Job, we don't always get a definitive reason as to why we're getting put through our trials.

  Mike Wolski:

  16:02-16:06

  But we can't expect to find wisdom in our trials apart from God.

  Mike Wolski:

  16:08-16:15

  This leads me to the next point. So if wisdom isn't found apart from God, then obviously wisdom is found with God.

  Mike Wolski:

  16:16-16:18

  Let's look at the first part of verse 28.

  Mike Wolski:

  16:19-16:44

  "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom." You know this verse is so profound because it's so contrary to what we define wisdom to be in the worldly sense You see Biblical wisdom has its foundation in fear of the Lord Not purely on our personal experience and knowledge And I say foundational because yes biblical wisdom can be gleaned from others, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  16:44-16:58

  It's not like you fear the Lord and suddenly, you know get through your trial Right. There's still knowledge and experience that goes along with it But that fear of the Lord is just such a vital difference between biblical wisdom and worldly wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:00-17:04

  God's definition puts our reliance for wisdom entirely upon Him first.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:07-17:20

  Proverbs 9 10 is actually closely paralleled saying, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." So we know this is an established truth in God's Word. It's His definition.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:22-17:27

  So now we see what wisdom is, but what is this fear of the Lord?

  Mike Wolski:

  17:27-17:29

  Why would that be required for wisdom?

  Mike Wolski:

  17:30-17:35

  Well, fear here is not being scared of God, like He's going to smite you on a moment's notice.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:36-17:38

  Rather, it's reverence towards God.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:39-17:42

  It's what allows us to be receptive to God's wisdom and insight.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:44-17:45

  What He's teaching us during a trial or struggle.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:47-17:54

  You know, if we're not reverent towards God, then how do we expect to seek or gain wisdom from Him?

  Mike Wolski:

  17:55-17:56

  I mean, think about it this way.

  Mike Wolski:

  17:57-18:03

  He's the Almighty, Creator of the universe, who can number the grains of sand on the beach and knows the number of hairs on your head.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:05-18:08

  You can't fully submit to His authority and be reverent towards Him.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:09-18:10

  You're not gonna glean from His wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:11-18:21

  Like, has there ever been a time or times when you're seeking advice from somebody, You know, somebody even biblically rooted, like a Christian, the best people to get advice from, actually.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:23-18:47

  You hear what they say and you're like, "Yeah, that's good. I totally understand that. That makes sense." Then they say that one thing that you're like, "Ugh, no, you can keep that one. I'll take those first two points, that last one. No." You might be getting some of the best godly advice from that person, somebody who has fear of the Lord and understanding from God, So your reverence towards that person isn't fully baked.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:48-18:51

  You're allowing your feelings and thoughts to override that wisdom you're receiving.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:53-18:54

  I mean, I do it all the time.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:55-18:56

  It's hard to fully submit under authority.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:57-18:59

  Our pride always gets in the way.

  Mike Wolski:

  18:59-19:02

  In the end, we think we know what's best for us.

  Mike Wolski:

  19:05-19:50

  You see, if you believe in the Bible, if you believe it's God's book, and what he wrote is perfect, and exactly the message he wanted to convey to the world, then you can't pick and choose of his wisdom. It's all or nothing. To say you agree with a few pieces and disagree with others, you might as well just throw it all away, go back to Google and eating Tide Pods. I'm joking. I hope I'm clear here. Don't eat Tide Pods. Serious medical conditions, results. But God's wisdom is unparalleled. We can't even begin to compare what we think we know with what God already knows. So when you're seeking wisdom during a trial, it has to be found in God. What better source than Him?

  Mike Wolski:

  19:51-20:11

  Well, how do I do that? I am reverent towards God and I want to understand what He has for me. How do I glean wisdom from Him? Well, I've got good news. God has a book. You ever wonder why the Bible is so over 31,000 verses across 1,200 pages. It's chock full of wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  20:12-20:18

  And as Christians, we've got a 24/7 prayer hotline direct to the Almighty Creator of the universe.

  Mike Wolski:

  20:20-20:33

  The wonderful thing about both those sources is that God's Word does not return void, a truth that's been established in Isaiah 55 11, and that He listens to all prayers, another truth he's established in Matthew 7.

  Mike Wolski:

  20:36-20:41

  So when you're struggling and seeking wisdom from God, you can rest assured that He will provide.

  Mike Wolski:

  20:42-20:46

  In fact, God comes out and tells us His truth very blatantly and obviously.

  Mike Wolski:

  20:47-21:06

  In James 1.5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without approach, and it will be given him." Now I can't say exactly how or if it's going to be the answer that you want.

  Mike Wolski:

  21:07-21:08

  I mean that's the challenge, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  21:08-21:14

  If we knew how God is going to respond, then there'd be no point in seeking wisdom, seeking Him for His wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  21:16-21:28

  But to give a practical application of this, here's two ways that we can fellowship with God and His Word during trials, ways that we can get more and more of His wisdom while we're going through struggles.

  Mike Wolski:

  21:30-21:33

  The first one is utilize small groups.

  Mike Wolski:

  21:35-21:40

  See here at Harvest Bible Chapel, Pittsburgh North, we have church on Sundays and small groups the rest of the week.

  Mike Wolski:

  21:41-21:50

  You know, these are breakout groups held across Beaver, Butler, and Allegheny County where we as a church congregation can get a little smaller but much closer together as individuals.

  Mike Wolski:

  21:52-22:06

  You know, I've been going to the Murphy's, now Howell small group for, my wife's been going for about four years now and the amount of wisdom that we've been able to pour out on one another is just absolutely incredible.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:07-22:12

  You know, as an individual, your understanding and lens on your trial is one-sided.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:14-22:21

  There might be a facet or a biblical truth that you aren't aware of or you're blinded to because you're just anxious or you're stressed out.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:23-22:27

  You know, for me, job stress has always been a big thing with me.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:27-22:31

  And it might just be because that's how I am as a person.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:31-22:34

  But I don't deal well with multitasking.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:34-22:38

  If five people asking the same thing, stress goes through the roof.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:38-22:45

  But all the men in my small group can probably agree with me that that's the biggest thing I ask wisdom for week in and week out.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:47-22:52

  But you see, I know I can go there because the wisdom I get from small group is biblically rooted.

  Mike Wolski:

  22:53-22:56

  It's not just someone's opinion or Google search, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  22:57-22:58

  is tested against God's Word.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:00-23:07

  And in the situations where you're overwhelmed or sometimes just frozen in place, you need that person to come alongside, to pick you up, to encourage you.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:08-23:10

  That's what small groups are all about-- fellowship.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:11-23:16

  Pray as a small group about our trials and send each other scripture verses and ask questions.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:17-23:20

  And then when someone else is going through difficulties, hey, that's my time.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:21-23:23

  It's my time to encourage that person.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:24-23:29

  So it's really a key thing I use because we as Christians need to use one another.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:31-23:35

  The second way you can fellowship with God and His Word during a trial is pray the Bible.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:37-23:41

  This might sound a little weird, but, you know, and I'm totally stealing this from Jeff.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:42-23:50

  He brought this up in the last prayer meeting we had as a congregation, and even before that there was another time that is, you know, job stress, you know, old story.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:51-23:53

  But he told me about this method.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:53-23:54

  What we can do is pray the Bible.

  Mike Wolski:

  23:56-24:03

  And it's phenomenal that not only will you fellowship deeply with God, but this is a way to potentially change your prayer life.

  Mike Wolski:

  24:04-24:16

  The idea is that you take a passage or a verse or a chapter, say Psalms, and you read verse by verse, and after each verse, you take that truth that God's revealed to you and you pray about it.

  Mike Wolski:

  24:16-24:25

  So for instance, Psalm 23, the first verse is, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Something we, most of us are familiar with, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  24:27-24:34

  But imagine you're in a situation when you're under financial stress or you're eager about some incoming layoffs you heard about at your job.

  Mike Wolski:

  24:35-24:39

  Well, you can pray something like this, "Lord, you are my shepherd.

  Mike Wolski:

  24:40-24:41

  You provide everything I need.

  Mike Wolski:

  24:42-24:47

  I'm anxious about my finances or my job, but thankful that you've blessed me thus far with work.

  Mike Wolski:

  24:50-24:57

  And I know you will provide despite things not looking well, and I ask you to still my anxiety." You know, something like that, something simple.

  Mike Wolski:

  24:58-25:00

  And then you go on to the next verse, and so on and so forth.

  Mike Wolski:

  25:01-25:02

  And it's a double whammy.

  Mike Wolski:

  25:02-25:05

  You're gleaning wisdom from God, and you're praying about it at the same time.

  Mike Wolski:

  25:08-25:09

  This leads me to my final point.

  Mike Wolski:

  25:12-25:36

  wisdom brings us closer to God. The second part of verse 28 is, "And to turn away from evil is understanding." You see, we can seek God's wisdom in our trials, read scripture and pray about it. But if we don't submit to His wisdom, take it to heart and act upon it, it's just head knowledge. In this verse, it explicitly mentions turning away from evil as being understanding.

  Mike Wolski:

  25:38-25:44

  In the early verse in Proverbs 9.10, understanding is the knowledge of the Holy One.

  Mike Wolski:

  25:46-25:50

  Basically, it comes down to God's character, understanding and mimicking that.

  Mike Wolski:

  25:51-25:56

  Once we have some biblical wisdom, what would cause us to turn away from evil?

  Mike Wolski:

  25:58-25:59

  Well, it's part of God's character, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  26:00-26:02

  He is holy, and he abhors sin and evil.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:04-26:09

  And we can know that because as we're revering God, we gain wisdom into His character.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:09-26:19

  As we glean more and more from God and His wisdom, we'll understand more and more on how to act in and outside of trials.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:19-26:22

  How we can put on His righteousness daily in our lives.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:23-26:30

  I can speak for myself that when I turned my life over to Christ, my understanding of God grew exponentially.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:31-26:35

  what He was like, what He's commanded me to do, how I should act.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:36-26:37

  All wisdom from Him.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:39-26:42

  Most importantly, I drew closer to Him.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:43-26:49

  And I would urge you that if you haven't trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, a lot of this won't make sense.

  Mike Wolski:

  26:51-27:03

  Because 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:14, Paul talks about how we have a new heart in Christ, That Christ is the wisdom of God.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:03-27:07

  That His Spirit that dwells in us is what reveals God's wisdom to us.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:09-27:13

  So how can you get God's wisdom or draw closer to Him if you don't have that?

  Mike Wolski:

  27:14-27:18

  You might look to the Bible for advice or throw some prayers out.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:20-27:25

  But if you want a relationship with your Creator, you need to submit to Him, revere Him.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:26-27:30

  Only then will you have biblical wisdom and understanding of God's character.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:33-27:37

  I know getting started with seeking wisdom during a trial is a hard thing.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:38-27:42

  It's natural to feel deflated, beaten up, and tired.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:43-27:45

  Like what's the point?

  Mike Wolski:

  27:45-27:46

  Or here we go again.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:46-27:47

  Why now?

  Mike Wolski:

  27:47-27:48

  Why is this repeating?

  Mike Wolski:

  27:49-27:53

  For some of you, it can get to a point where you don't even know if God cares.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:55-27:56

  Job was at that point.

  Mike Wolski:

  27:57-28:00

  He had a really hard time understanding if God truly loved him.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:01-28:05

  I think when we're starting out, it's easy to push blame on God.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:06-28:08

  We look at Him as He's an almighty deity.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:08-28:11

  How could He possibly understand our plights? He doesn't need money.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:12-28:16

  There's a lot of things on this earth that don't even apply to God, right?

  Mike Wolski:

  28:18-28:21

  Well, He does understand our plights. He does understand our trials.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:22-28:27

  He came to this earth as a man, being fully God and fully man.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:28-28:34

  You know, Jesus experienced every bit of humanity we have-- pain, compassion, happiness, sorrow.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:36-28:39

  And he underwent the ultimate trial, quite literally.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:40-28:47

  He was sold out, taken without reason, sentenced to die, mocked, beaten, spat upon, and crucified.

  Mike Wolski:

  28:50-28:58

  And while we look to his death as a terribly painful, horrendous event, nothing compares to the trial he faced being separated from the Father.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:00-29:05

  To have God turn away his face from him while he bore the entire weight of sin upon himself.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:06-29:09

  That is a trial none of us could face.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:11-29:12

  And he did that for us.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:13-29:14

  So does God care?

  Mike Wolski:

  29:15-29:16

  Does he understand our plights?

  Mike Wolski:

  29:17-29:18

  Of course he does.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:20-29:25

  You know, Amanity has been sinning since the dawn of time, constantly rejecting God for generations.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:26-29:32

  I have a daughter who's a little over three years old now, and there are times when she can be the sweetest little girl.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:33-29:38

  You know, just watching her grow up, just things click in her brain, her understanding of the world.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:40-29:41

  And I love those times.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:42-29:47

  But there's other times where she's rebellious, mannered and just...

  Mike Wolski:

  29:48-29:54

  And I think every parent who's ever lived or people who have been around little kids know how fiendish they can be.

  Mike Wolski:

  29:56-30:08

  But when you think you're having a trial with your kid or your kids, what about God? He has 8 billion kids that all act that way. So yeah, even God the Father understands our trials.

  Mike Wolski:

  30:10-30:15

  You know, for Job and his friends, understanding this, that was a hard lesson for them.

  Mike Wolski:

  30:16-30:21

  His friends were giving Job the wrong counseling because their wisdom was not speaking the truth about God.

  Mike Wolski:

  30:22-30:27

  God even condemns them later on in chapter 42, verse 7, saying the same things.

  Mike Wolski:

  30:27-30:35

  "You're not speaking truth about me." They had a wrong view about Job, the situation, God's character, and his justice.

  Mike Wolski:

  30:36-30:37

  Their wisdom was faulty.

  Mike Wolski:

  30:40-30:44

  At the beginning I asked you all, who's the smartest person you know and who's the wisest person you know?

  Mike Wolski:

  30:46-30:50

  And again, reflecting back on that wise person, is their wisdom biblical?

  Mike Wolski:

  30:51-30:52

  Would you say it matches God's definition?

  Mike Wolski:

  30:53-31:02

  Do they seek wisdom apart from God or do they fear the Lord, revere Him, and understand their wisdom must foundationally lie within Him?

  Mike Wolski:

  31:03-31:06

  Those are the people we need to draw towards in trials.

  Mike Wolski:

  31:08-31:39

  You know, I said the best source for wisdom himself. That's true, but there are also many Christians who fear the Lord and have gleaned God's wisdom. They're a great source for counseling and advice, and they align with God's biblical standards. You know, here at Harvest we have elders and a prayer team. Those folks are exactly like that. They're fearful and reverent of the Lord. And I would encourage you to speak with them after service and use their wisdom to bolster your own.

  Mike Wolski:

  31:41-31:44

  If you're going through a trial right now, why continue to waste time on Google?

  Mike Wolski:

  31:45-31:49

  Or asking the world what they think about your trial?

  Mike Wolski:

  31:50-31:58

  And if you're not plugged into a small group, you can find all the information about the locations, the times, and the leaders online at our website.

  Mike Wolski:

  31:59-32:00

  And I urge you to take that step.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:02-32:05

  Life happens during the remaining 167 hours in the week.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:07-32:09

  When you're praying, try praying the Bible.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:10-32:13

  See how the verses come alive and directly impact you during a trial.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:14-32:19

  How biblical truths can calm your heart and encourage you that God is with you and He does care.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:21-32:23

  Seeking wisdom during a trial can be a tough thing.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:25-32:28

  Many of those big questions I mentioned earlier can be life changing.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:29-32:33

  We'd like to hear things that comfort us, but it might not be what we need.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:35-32:37

  I hope this message encourages you to seek God for your wisdom.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:38-32:40

  It cannot be found apart from Him.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:41-32:42

  It is only found in Him.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:44-32:47

  And as you glean from His wisdom, you'll draw closer to Him.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:48-32:49

  Let's pray.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:50-32:53

  Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:53-32:55

  We thank You for the church body.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:55-32:57

  We thank You for our congregation.

  Mike Wolski:

  32:58-33:01

  and all the wisdom that is contained within your Scriptures.

  Mike Wolski:

  33:03-33:13

  We thank You that You have Your Word and that we as Christians can turn to You in prayer and in Scripture to understand Your wisdom more and more.

  Mike Wolski:

  33:14-33:20

  That during our trials, we have a strong comfort in You and in Your Son Jesus Christ.

  Mike Wolski:

  33:22-33:40

  And I thank You for Harvest just the different groups, small groups, prayer team, our elders, all just full of your biblical wisdom that we can turn to and seek during our trials, Lord.

  Mike Wolski:

  33:41-33:47

  We might not always understand why You're putting us through a difficult situation.

  Mike Wolski:

  33:48-33:51

  Even years after, we might not understand.

  Mike Wolski:

  33:52-33:55

  But we know that we can seek wisdom from you, Lord.

  Mike Wolski:

  33:57-34:00

  That it can't be found apart from you, that it's only found with you.

  Mike Wolski:

  34:01-34:05

  And as we strive more and more towards you, that we will get closer to you.

  Mike Wolski:

  34:07-34:10

  We thank you especially for your son, Jesus Christ, and the redemption through him, Lord.

  Mike Wolski:

  34:13-34:23

  And that you've defined Jesus Christ as wisdom, that his spirit that dwells in us reveals Your wisdom to us.

  Mike Wolski:

  34:24-34:28

  We're just so humbled to be surrounded by these truths, Lord.

  Mike Wolski:

  34:30-34:31

  We thank You, God.

  Mike Wolski:

  34:31-34:33

  We pray this in Your Son Jesus' name.

  Mike Wolski:

  34:33-34:34

  Amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Job 28:20-28

1. Where do you typically go first for your 'wisdom' during a trial?

2. Why do you think Christians struggle with seeking God for wisdom first?

3. What’s the worst advice you’ve received? Now applying biblical wisdom, how would that advice change [i.e. slight alteration, 180-degrees]?

4. What has been the most difficult piece of biblical wisdom you’ve received? [i.e. forgiveness, just waiting, etc.]

5. What is your go-to verse, chapter, book, etc. in God’s Word that has helped you out the most during a trial? What about that particular passage gives you comfort, guidance, etc.?

6. What fellowship activities with God and His word have worked best for you during a trial?

7. (For the sliding scale fans) On a scale of 1 <-> 10, how much do you enjoy sliding scale questions?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.

The Last Jesus

Introduction (Mark 10:31, 35-45)

"But many who are first will be last, and the last first." - (Mark 10:31)

1. Only One can be First (Mark 9:33-35 | Luke 22:24-27).
2. The First are Killers (Luke 9:52-55 | Matt 5:21-22).
3. The Last are Servants .
1. The Transforming power of being last.
2. First, Adjust our Attitudes (Phil 2:3-11).
3. Second, Adjust our Actions (John 13:1-5, 15-17).

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. - (John 13:1-5 NIV)

"For I have given you an example..." - (John 13:15)

Rich Sprunk - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North (Elder)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

• Audio Transcript

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:25-00:29

  And if you're visiting with us and you're like, "What's this church about?" Simple. We're about four things.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:30-00:33

  Number one is proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:33-00:35

  We believe that God wrote a book.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:35-00:40

  And we're not shy about telling you what God said in His book.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:41-00:44

  The second pillar is lifting high the name of Jesus in worship.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:44-00:50

  As you've seen over this past, oh, half hour, we're pretty serious about lifting high the name of Jesus Christ in worship.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:51-00:53

  Our third pillar is believing firmly in the power of prayer.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:54-01:04

  Prayer is at the beginning and end, and during everything that we do at Harvest Bible Chapel here, small groups, outreaches, we believe that when God's people pray, God moves.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:04-01:08

  And our fourth pillar is sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:09-01:30

  And as it pertains to the first pillar, proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology, we do place an extremely high premium at Harvest Bible Chapel on preaching, Because preaching is the God-ordained method of getting the message out, speaking the Word of God through a man of God.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:30-01:37

  And years past in this church, in July, we would bring in other preachers to share the Word, but we're not going to do that this year.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:38-01:45

  We realize that even among our own people here, we have some men who have a message from God's Word.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:45-01:50

  And over the next four weeks, we're going to be having four men from our church sharing God's Word.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:51-01:52

  It's going to be fantastic.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:53-01:55

  Our first preacher is Rich Sprunk.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:55-01:58

  Rich serves as an elder here at Harvest Bible Chapel.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:58-02:00

  And you've been an elder, what, for almost a year now, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  02:01-02:02

  I think about eight months.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:02-02:03

  About eight months? Okay.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:03-02:08

  Something maybe a lot of people don't get to see and appreciate that I do.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:08-02:09

  Rich has a shepherd's heart.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:10-02:13

  And he loves the Lord, he loves God's Word, he loves his family.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:14-02:15

  But Rich loves his church.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:16-02:18

  It just happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:18-02:26

  I had a couple that was visiting came to me and they said, "Do you know, after church, the nicest couple came and just prayed with us.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:26-02:39

  And we were just kind of hurting a little bit and this really nice couple came and prayed and I said, 'Was it Rich and Bethany Sprunk?' 'Yes, that was it!' And I'm like, 'How did I know that?'" Because that's just the kind of people Rich and Bethany Sprunk are.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:39-02:42

  They have a great love for God and for God's people.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:42-02:44

  Rich is going to be bringing the Word today.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:45-02:46

  Let's just pray for Rich.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:47-02:50

  Father in Heaven, we are about to turn to Your Word.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:50-02:52

  And I pray, Father, You would speak through this man.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:52-02:56

  And I pray that the rest of us have ears to hear what You're going to speak through this man.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:57-02:58

  Do what only You can do.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:58-03:00

  We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

  Rich Sprunk:

  03:01-03:02

  Good morning, everyone.

  Rich Sprunk:

  03:03-03:12

  I have a $10 bill for anyone who can name three of the linemen from the 2008 Detroit Lions.

  Rich Sprunk:

  03:13-03:33

  Anyone? Once? Twice? No? Of course not. We don't know anything about the 2008 Detroit Lions as they finished absolute dead last. Since the advent of the 16-game season, the Detroit Lions were the first team to finish 0-16. Absolute last.

  Rich Sprunk:

  03:34-04:15

  See, we don't care about people who are last or things that are last. We want to first. When I was a kid we would test ourselves against one another. We'd wrestle and play games and sometimes fight. Now I didn't like to fight. I was not a fighter. I was a coward. But somehow one day in the summer I got into a contest with Johnny Van Parren. And Johnny Van Parren was bigger than me, but I got into it and the kids, the other kids are goading us on and so we're like half hard swinging at each other and pushing each other and I tackled him and I got him down on the ground and I'm straddling him but I didn't want to hit him in the face.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:16-04:31

  I didn't want to punch him. So instead I reached out and I grabbed his nose and went beep beep and he was just humiliated, absolutely humiliated. He got out from under me, he ran home crying and I didn't see Johnny Van Perren for a few weeks because he went off to summer camp.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:31-04:39

  I think he was gone most of the summer and one day towards the end of summer I heard all the kids outside making noise and playing.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:39-04:40

  I'll go out and join my friends.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:40-04:43

  And I go out there and there's Johnny Van Perren.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:43-04:45

  Except now he's John Van Perren.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:45-04:46

  And he's about this big.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:47-04:49

  And you all know where this is going, don't you?

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:50-04:53

  Next thing you know, I'm on my back, on the ground, and what does Johnny Van Perren do?

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:54-04:58

  Beep, beep, I was completely, thoroughly humiliated.

  Rich Sprunk:

  04:58-04:59

  And I ran in the house.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:00-05:02

  Yeah, we don't like to be last.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:02-05:04

  We don't like to be on the bottom rung.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:05-05:06

  We want to be first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:06-05:08

  We want to be the best at everything.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:08-05:09

  We want the best grades.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:09-05:11

  We want to be recognized in school.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:11-05:13

  We want to be recognized at work.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:13-05:15

  We want people to notice us, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:15-05:16

  That's why we have social media.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:16-05:19

  Look, look it, look it, look, I got the best house.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:19-05:22

  Look at my kids, kindergarten graduate, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:23-05:24

  My kids are better than your kids.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:24-05:25

  My cat's better than your cat.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:26-05:28

  My dog's better than your dog and he doesn't even eat kennel ration, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:29-05:30

  Look at my feet on the beach.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:30-05:32

  My life is better than your life.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:32-05:35

  And if we can't be first personally, what do we do?

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:36-05:39

  And we identify with those that we think are champions, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:39-05:40

  We identify with the best.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:41-05:43

  That's why we love the Steelers and the Penguins.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:43-05:48

  That's why we love the stars who dance and the survivors and the idols, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:49-05:50

  We know who all those people are.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:50-05:53

  We know who won the Academy Award and the Emmy and the Tony.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:54-05:54

  They're first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:54-05:57

  And we buy their merchandise and we talk about them all the time.

  Rich Sprunk:

  05:58-05:59

  That's why we worship Jesus, isn't it?

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:00-06:00

  Because He's our champion.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:01-06:04

  He's absolutely first, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:04-06:05

  He's first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:05-06:07

  He's our Savior, our King.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:07-06:11

  He stands at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:11-06:14

  He's given us salvation and we owe Him everything.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:14-06:16

  It's why we love Him.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:16-06:23

  But what we also do, church, is we identify with the privileges and rights that accrue only to our risen King.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:24-06:26

  You see, we all want the first Jesus, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:26-06:31

  We all want the Jesus who can do for us whatever we ask and we enjoy.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:31-06:34

  We are entitled to the benefits of being children of God.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:35-06:36

  We're adopted into his family.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:36-06:37

  We're loved by him.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:38-06:42

  We're filled with his powerful spirit, the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:42-06:43

  He's at work in us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:44-06:51

  But when we start thinking we're able to exercise the rights that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ alone, we go astray.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:51-06:57

  See, in going directly to the first Jesus and identifying with him, we neglect the last Jesus.

  Rich Sprunk:

  06:58-07:03

  What would our congregation be like if we had sought to identify with this last Jesus?

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:03-07:13

  humbling ourselves below others, forgiving one another, falling all over each other in an attempt to get to the end of the line, the last place, so to speak, where the last Jesus is standing.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:14-07:23

  A place where instead of seeking to be great, we do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:23-07:23

  Let's pray.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:24-07:31

  Gracious Father, I'm venturing out into dangerous territory here to think that I can preach the Word of God.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:31-07:33

  But this is not my word, This is your Word.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:34-07:35

  This is your truth.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:35-07:38

  Father, just make me the vessel.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:39-07:41

  You convey the message to our hearts this morning.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:41-07:52

  I pray we would all have listening ears, attentive hearts, that we would recognize, Father, we're not just here to sit passively in some seats and hear somebody talk.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:53-07:57

  No, we are gathered together around your Word, which is living and powerful.

  Rich Sprunk:

  07:58-08:04

  We are gathered around your word to continue worship, for to speak and to think about your word is worship.

  Rich Sprunk:

  08:05-08:14

  I pray you unite our hearts as one, that we would understand we are ushered into your presence at the throne to hear from you.

  Rich Sprunk:

  08:15-08:17

  Transform our lives, I pray, through your word.

  Rich Sprunk:

  08:18-08:20

  It is healing and strength for our bones.

  Rich Sprunk:

  08:21-08:26

  It is life, and we thank you for this in your great name, Jesus, amen.

  Rich Sprunk:

  08:27-08:54

  In Mark chapter 10, after Jesus talked to the rich young ruler and told him, "Sell everything you've got and give it to the poor and follow me." And after he had told his disciples, "We're going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man is going to be crucified and he's going to be turned over to the Gentiles and be crucified by the religious leaders." Immediately after he tells them he's going to die, two of his disciples approach him, James and John.

  Rich Sprunk:

  08:55-09:03

  And Jesus says, "Many who are first will be last, and the last first." And if you want to follow along with me, I'm in Mark 10, verses 35-45.

  Rich Sprunk:

  09:04-09:21

  And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.

  Rich Sprunk:

  09:21-09:35

  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?' And they said to him, 'We are able.' And Jesus said to them, 'The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.

  Rich Sprunk:

  09:35-09:46

  But to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.' And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

  Rich Sprunk:

  09:47-09:55

  And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers "and their great ones exercise authority over them.

  Rich Sprunk:

  09:55-09:57

  "But it shall not be so among you.

  Rich Sprunk:

  09:58-10:03

  "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, "and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:04-10:13

  "For even the Son of Man came not to be served, "but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." You see, only one can be first, only one, and that's Jesus Christ.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:13-10:17

  But James and John, they had the audacity to ask for first place.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:17-10:20

  And this wasn't the first time that this subject had come up.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:20-10:31

  In Mark chapter 9, verses 33 through 35 we read, "And when he was in the house, he asked them, 'What were you discussing on the way?' But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:32-10:40

  And he sat down and called the twelve, and he said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last, and servant of all.'" This topic comes up again at the Lord's Supper.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:41-10:46

  After the supper, a dispute arises among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:46-10:53

  "And Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles "exercise lordship over them, "and those in authority over them "are called benefactors.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:53-10:54

  "But not so with you.

  Rich Sprunk:

  10:55-10:59

  "Rather, let the greatest among you "become as the youngest, "and the leader as the one who serves.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:00-11:03

  "For who is the greater, "the one who reclines at table, "or the one who serves?

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:03-11:05

  "Is it not the one who reclines at table?

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:05-11:14

  "But I am among you as one who serves." You look at this in the scriptures, and you'll see every time Jesus tells his disciples, "The Son of Man is going up to Jerusalem.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:14-11:15

  "He's gonna be crucified.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:16-11:23

  "I'm going to die." Immediately, the disciples come back and they're arguing about who's the greatest, who's the best, who's first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:24-11:26

  You know, what's going on in the minds of the disciples?

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:27-11:30

  Are they thinking, "Well, if Jesus is going to die, somebody's got to take over.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:31-11:32

  Might as well be me." Right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:33-11:36

  I don't know what they're thinking, but it's deja vu all over again.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:37-11:42

  Three times, he tells them, "I'm going to be killed." And three times, somebody wants to be first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:42-11:47

  And Jesus says to remind them, "You've got to be servants of all." The disciples don't get it.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:47-11:51

  James and John are so bold as to go to Jesus and ask first place.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:51-11:52

  We want first place.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:52-11:55

  But they have not got a clue what they're asking for.

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:56-11:59

  And Jesus flips all their expectations upside down, doesn't He?

  Rich Sprunk:

  11:59-12:09

  "To be great, one must be a servant. To be first, you must be last of all." Jesus says, "Look at me. I'm among you as a servant, a slave." Where are you getting your ideas about greatness?

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:10-12:15

  Some people see Christianity as a gateway to getting ahead, to having the best earthly life, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:15-12:24

  A life with abundant material possessions, perfect health, holy ghost power that sets them apart from less spiritual Christians.

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:25-12:30

  Some even see it as a means to having respect and a good name and a reputation for good character.

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:30-12:32

  Through Christ, they get power for living.

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:32-12:34

  They become unshakable and fearless.

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:34-12:41

  They become purpose-driven warriors of the light, killing metaphorical lions and conquering all their enemies.

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:42-12:51

  I listened to a podcast not long ago where the pastor was just exulting about, "I just love this conqueror theology." Who are we conquering?

  Rich Sprunk:

  12:51-13:06

  In response to our, "We want you to do for us whatever we ask," Jesus replies, "Be a servant." In response to, "My faith is all about me first," Jesus says, "Be a slave, be last." So we're gonna turn to the stark differences between being first and the last.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:07-13:12

  And I will tell you that those who want to be first, humanly speaking, those who want to be first are killers.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:12-13:14

  And there's a multitude of ways to kill.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:15-13:16

  Now that might seem like an overstatement.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:17-13:27

  But consider, not too long before they asked to be first, James and John wanted to turn an entire city in Samaria into crispy critters, because they rejected Jesus.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:28-13:35

  See, Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and they were going to go through a town of Samaria, and he sent messengers ahead to let them know he was coming.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:36-13:48

  And when the Samaritans found out he was going to Jerusalem, they were like, "We want nothing to do with you, Jesus." And when James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:49-13:51

  Do we do this when we see people rejecting Jesus?

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:53-13:54

  Yeah, yeah we do.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:55-13:57

  But this goes back even further, all the way to the beginning of time.

  Rich Sprunk:

  13:58-14:02

  Because, you see, Satan wanted, Satan still wants to be first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:03-14:09

  And Jesus said of him, "He was a murderer from the beginning." And what did he use to bring down Adam and Eve?

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:09-14:13

  Question, words, doesn't take weapons to kill.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:14-14:16

  Cain wanted to be first, and he just brought some fruit.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:17-14:18

  God be happy with this.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:19-14:20

  God was not pleased.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:21-14:21

  Cain got angry.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:22-14:29

  Cain wanted to justify himself, and he couldn't get his hands on God, but he could get his hands on Abel, the one whom God favored.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:29-14:30

  And what did he do to his brother?

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:31-14:32

  He killed him.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:33-14:41

  Lamech, we read in Genesis, killed others for injuring him, and proclaimed that if Cain is avenged seven times, Lamech 77 times.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:41-14:53

  Moses, raised in the palace, but he knew he was a Hebrew, and so he goes out among the Hebrews, fancies himself the deliverer of his people, and he sees an Egyptian beating an Israelite.

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:53-14:54

  What does Moses do?

  Rich Sprunk:

  14:55-14:58

  "Hey, you two, don't fight anymore." No, he kills the Egyptian.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:00-15:02

  This impulse affects even people who profess love for God.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:03-15:04

  Look at the life of David.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:05-15:15

  When Nabal humiliated and embarrassed David after David and his men had protected Nabal and all his goods, David got angry. He was going to kill him.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:15-15:18

  He was going to go kill Nabal, but for Abigail intervening.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:19-15:25

  And we know he did kill Uriah the Hittite to cover up his sin with Bathsheba and maintain his first place.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:26-15:32

  James points out that our passions are at war within us and that we desire and do not have, so we murder.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:34-15:37

  After the Passover, Jesus' disciples pulled out a couple of swords.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:37-15:39

  They were ready for insurrection in Jesus' name.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:39-15:43

  They were willing to kill people for the name of Jesus.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:44-15:46

  Peter even cut off the servant of the high priest there.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:47-15:56

  Jesus said, "Enough of this." The ultimate example of those who would be first among God's people committing murder is the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

  Rich Sprunk:

  15:57-16:02

  They plotted Jesus' death for years until they finally got what they wanted.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:04-16:06

  And if we think, "Well, that's not me.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:06-16:19

  "I wouldn't kill anybody. I wouldn't do those kinds of things." In Matthew 5, 21-22, Jesus reminds us that murder starts in our hearts, and it's in our hearts where we desire to have supremacy over other people.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:20-16:23

  We would do well to remember that there are many ways to kill others.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:24-16:34

  Harsh and cutting words, gossip and innuendo, condescending attitude, emotional and physical neglect, silence, verbally shutting down.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:35-16:38

  At the time of my marriage, I was shut down on my wife and I wouldn't talk to her.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:39-16:45

  I was killing my marriage. I was killing my wife. Jealousy, bitterness, anger.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:46-16:50

  We nurse grudges against people and think we're justified in doing it.

  Rich Sprunk:

  16:52-16:59

  Unforgiveness and refusing to be reconciled. It's a refusal to love as Jesus Christ loves us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:00-17:03

  And as a result of these things, marriages die.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:04-17:05

  Families split up.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:06-17:06

  Children run away.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:07-17:07

  People leave churches.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:08-17:09

  Churches divide.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:10-17:15

  See, the real problem with being first is someone else is going to be last.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:15-17:17

  Someone else is going to be put down.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:17-17:19

  They're going to be put into a difficult and painful place.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:20-17:24

  We all have known people who build themselves up by tearing other people down.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:26-17:30

  They exalt themselves by denigrating and insulting others.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:30-17:33

  Look at our country. We're tearing ourselves apart.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:33-17:36

  Tearing ourselves apart, one tweet at a time.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:37-17:39

  One post, one insult at a time.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:40-17:42

  Maybe we do this in the church too.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:42-17:46

  There's no patience, there's no love, no long suffering for the unsaved.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:46-17:50

  We look with contempt on people who are different, who espouse different ideas.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:51-17:57

  We pass judgment and sinners who have never heard the gospel are nevertheless despised and criticized because they don't obey God.

  Rich Sprunk:

  17:58-18:00

  Of course they can't because they're dead.

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:01-18:06

  How can you expect someone to obey the commands of God when they're dead in their sins and trespassing?

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:07-18:09

  How do self-respecting Christians treat each other?

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:10-18:17

  Why, what happens when there are two or more people who want to be first about some matter of doctrine or style of music, style of preaching?

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:17-18:18

  How about the color of the chairs?

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:19-18:21

  We fight and argue about colors of chairs and carpet.

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:21-18:26

  Or maybe somebody has a ministry and they've been doing it for years and somebody else wants to join in.

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:27-18:31

  And it's like, "No, no, this is mine. Mine, mine, you can't touch it, can't be part of it.

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:31-18:52

  You can do what I tell you to do, but my minister." Yeah, those self-respecting Christians, they do what every self-respecting Christian would do. They fight. We fight about it. Or better yet, we don't talk about it at all. We just walk away from one another. And one or both sides nurses hard feelings. We have deep wounds and broken hearts. And someone thinks they're justified.

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:52-18:54

  I'm right, they're wrong.

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:55-18:56

  I don't have to forgive them.

  Rich Sprunk:

  18:57-19:00

  Or maybe there's an expression of forgiveness, but there's no true reconciliation.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:01-19:04

  So perhaps the person who can't be first, they go somewhere else.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:04-19:06

  They probably go somewhere else and pick a fight.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:07-19:08

  Person who stays, they stay put.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:09-19:13

  And in their self-justification, they become a cancer in the church and wreck it.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:14-19:17

  Or maybe instead of a church imploding, people just kind of slip away.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:18-19:20

  Nothing said, there's no conflicts.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:20-19:23

  the congregation just kind of slowly wastes away and die.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:23-19:26

  I've seen these things. I've lived through them.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:26-19:28

  To my shame, I've done some of them.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:30-19:31

  So you see, those who want to be first are killers.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:32-19:34

  And there's a multitude of ways to kill.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:35-19:37

  But the last, the last are servants.

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:38-19:50

  If I were to ask you, at the beginning I asked you, "Does anybody know anything about the 2008 Detroit Lions?" Nobody knew anything. But if I asked you something about 2018 Super Bowl champions, somebody could name the quarterback, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  19:50-20:10

  Anybody? Nick Foles. Nick Foles. Everybody knows about Nick Foles. Nick Foles' Cinderella story of winning the Super Bowl is a study of perseverance and faith. You know, a few years ago, he thought he was washed up. He was ready to retire. He was going to pack it in, but he just patiently persevered. And when opportunity knocked, he answered in a big way, didn't he?

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:11-20:18

  See, we approve of guys like Nick Foles, right? A seemingly humble, hardworking believer. Oh, Oh, he just happens to be first, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:18-20:20

  He's a winner, but he's a servant leader.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:21-20:22

  We'd follow a guy like that anywhere.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:23-20:24

  But would you really?

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:24-20:25

  Would you gear up?

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:25-20:36

  Would you get out on the field with Nick Foles and run a play and throw a sacrificial crossbody block on that 300 pound outside linebacker charging straight at Nick?

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:36-20:37

  Yeah, I don't think.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:37-20:39

  I wouldn't.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:40-20:42

  I don't think in that case I'd take one for the team.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:43-20:43

  But you know what, beloved?

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:44-20:46

  This is what Jesus asks us to do.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:46-20:46

  Be a servant.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:47-20:48

  Be a slave.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:49-20:50

  Lay down your life.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:50-20:51

  Put to death the sin of pride.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:52-20:54

  Put selfish ambition to death.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:54-20:55

  Put self to death.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:55-20:56

  Put to death your self-interest.

  Rich Sprunk:

  20:57-20:59

  You see, in the body of Christ, we don't get to be first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:00-21:01

  And we don't even get to be second.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:02-21:03

  We have the high task of being last.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:04-21:07

  So let's look at the transforming power of being last.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:08-21:11

  During His earthly ministry, Jesus did everything the opposite of the world.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:11-21:15

  He did everything opposite of what you would expect a Messiah to do.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:15-21:17

  He didn't insert His power or His prerogatives.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:18-21:23

  Unlike Adam and Eve, He didn't grasp at equality with God, but He showed us true humility.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:24-21:30

  In His earthly ministry, He did not assert His first rights, but He made Himself least and last of all.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:31-21:31

  He was poor.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:31-21:32

  He was homeless.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:32-21:33

  He was despised.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:35-21:38

  The challenge of being last begins with changing how we view ourselves as disciples.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:39-21:41

  It begins by adjusting our attitude.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:42-21:51

  We should, as Paul says in Philippians 2, verses 3-11, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:52-21:56

  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

  Rich Sprunk:

  21:57-22:17

  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grabbed, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

  Rich Sprunk:

  22:18-22:22

  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.

  Rich Sprunk:

  22:23-23:20

  So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." We see that Jesus was obedient, pursuing identity not in the success and material trappings of this world. But in conforming himself to the will of his Father alone, we should notice that he was exalted to the highest place precisely because he made himself nothing. Precisely because he made himself last. You see, in this earth, we worship first Jesus, we worship the Son of God, and one day we will be like Him in glory. We will be like Him and we will see Him as He is. But right now, where we walk, we need to imitate the Son of Man. We walk like the Son of Man. So we need to adjust our actions. That's the next thing. We need to adjust our actions. Look with me at John 13, verses 1-5 and 15-17.

  Rich Sprunk:

  23:20-23:42

  "Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.

  Rich Sprunk:

  23:43-24:43

  He laid aside his outer garments and, taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. And then down further, 'You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If then I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." I'd like to look at this part of this passage in the New International Version. It says that Jesus knew the Father had put all things under his power and that he'd come from God and was returning to God. So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with a towel that was wrapped around him." I want to focus on some particular words in this passage.

  Rich Sprunk:

  24:43-24:53

  Read this, "Jesus had all power, so he began to wash his disciples' feet." Jesus had all power, and he began to wash his disciples' feet.

  Rich Sprunk:

  24:54-25:02

  Say that, "Jesus had all power, and he began to wash his disciples' feet." You see, Jesus has always been first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:02-25:07

  And unlike us who quarrel and kill and fight to be first, what does he do with all his firstness?

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:08-25:09

  What does he do with his power?

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:10-25:12

  He becomes a menial slave.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:12-25:17

  He becomes a doulos, the lowest, most menial slave in the Roman economy.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:18-25:21

  Beloved, this ought to pierce our hearts.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:21-25:25

  We ought to look on this scene and cry out, "Woe to me! I am ruined.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:25-25:29

  I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:29-25:32

  And my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:33-25:35

  How then should we respond to God's word?

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:36-25:37

  I return to my opening question.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:37-25:51

  What would our families, our homes, our church be like if we sought to identify with this last Jesus, humbling ourselves below others, forgiving one another, falling over each other in an effort not to get to first place, but to last.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:53-25:54

  Let's look at a couple applications.

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:54-25:55

  How about the world?

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:56-25:56

  How about the world?

  Rich Sprunk:

  25:57-25:59

  What do you do when you encounter somebody different?

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:00-26:05

  Different color, different clothes, different ideas, you pass judgment.

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:06-26:10

  I can't associate with this person because they have fill in the blank.

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:11-26:14

  I'm not going to have anything to do with this person because they're fill in the blank.

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:15-26:16

  I do this.

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:17-26:19

  God forgive me when I do this.

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:19-26:21

  What are you going to do when the world hurts you?

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:22-26:26

  What are you going to do when the world does what the world does to you?

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:26-26:36

  When somebody takes away your job, what are you going to do when someone hurts you, wrecks your stuff, and you got a lawsuit you could bring? What are you going to do when someone hurts your family?

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:37-26:40

  When someone nearly kills you, what are you going to do? You're going to go get vengeance?

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:41-26:45

  You're going to seek revenge? Are you going to seek to forgive? Are you going to show mercy?

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:46-26:54

  Beloved, what are we going to do in the church? Some mornings I come in here and the pain is I see it in people's faces.

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:55-26:57

  Our brothers and sisters are hurting.

  Rich Sprunk:

  26:58-27:00

  Their marriages stink.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:02-27:02

  They're in pain.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:03-27:04

  What are we going to do?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:04-27:06

  Are we going to give them mindless little platitudes?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:07-27:09

  Or are we going to enter into their pain with them?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:09-27:10

  Are we going to pray with them?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:11-27:12

  Are we going to be compassionate towards them?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:13-27:19

  Or are we just going to, "Oh, God knows what he's doing." "The Lord has something better for you." Are we going to get into their pain?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:19-27:22

  and we're gonna get down into the place where our brothers and sisters are at.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:23-27:27

  Get down into that last place with them and love them.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:27-27:29

  When we're wronged in the church, are we gonna forgive?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:30-27:35

  Are we gonna do everything in our power to try to be reconciled with that person?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:36-27:37

  Are we gonna hold onto our pride?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:37-27:39

  Are we gonna seek to justify ourselves?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:39-27:40

  What are you gonna do?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:41-27:43

  Because Christian, that's where the rubber meets the road.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:44-27:46

  That's the litmus test of your belief.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:46-27:51

  What you do when you're wrong, What you do towards your brothers and sisters who are hurting.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:52-27:54

  I'd like to talk a little bit about families.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:54-27:57

  Husbands, do you serve your wives?

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:57-27:58

  You need to.

  Rich Sprunk:

  27:59-28:01

  If you've got little ones, you better be serving your wife.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:02-28:18

  "Honey, you've been in the kitchen all day. I'll do the dishes. I'll take care of this." "You go do something else you want to do." "Honey, you've been with the kids all day. I know they're sick. It's been a hard day." "You go get ready for bed. Go unwind." and I'll get the kids ready for bed.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:18-28:21

  I'll bathe them, I'll read to them, I'll pray with them, we'll get them to bed.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:21-28:22

  I'll take care of the kid.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:23-28:26

  Husbands, if you don't do this stuff for your wives, nobody else is.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:26-28:29

  And she wants you to do these things for her.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:29-28:31

  Do you spend time with your wife?

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:31-28:38

  Do you make time out of every day, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, sit down and talk with your wife?

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:38-28:39

  Listen to what she has to say.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:40-28:45

  I read somewhere, women have so many thousands of words they gotta speak a day, and man, we got like 100.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:45-28:47

  We come home from work and we're all talked out.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:47-28:48

  We're done talking.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:48-28:49

  Your wife is just getting started.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:50-28:51

  She needs somebody to talk to.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:52-28:53

  And you need to listen to her.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:54-28:56

  When she needs your help, husbands.

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:57-28:58

  What?

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:58-28:59

  What do you want now?

  Rich Sprunk:

  28:59-28:59

  I'm busy.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:00-29:01

  I'm watching the football game.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:01-29:04

  Just, I tell you, wait, let me finish this level, right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:05-29:05

  No.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:06-29:07

  Put your controller down.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:08-29:09

  Yes, honey, what can I do for you?

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:10-29:11

  How can I help you?

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:12-29:13

  Not, give me 15 minutes.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:14-29:18

  No. Your wife is you. Right?

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:18-29:20

  Your wife is you. You are one.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:22-29:23

  Wives, what can you do for your husbands to serve them?

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:24-29:24

  Some simple thing.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:25-29:26

  Respect your husband.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:27-29:28

  You may not think he's worthy of respect.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:29-29:31

  Maybe he's doing things that you don't respect him for.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:31-29:32

  But respect him.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:33-29:37

  And don't go out talking trash about him to your girlfriends or other people.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:38-29:43

  Now ladies, I'm not talking about a husband who abuses you, who hurts you physically.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:43-29:45

  You need to get out of that.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:47-29:54

  But if you've got a husband, even if he's just kind of a lump, you've still got to respect him and love him and bring him along.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:54-29:56

  My wife was patient with me.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:57-29:58

  It took me 31 years.

  Rich Sprunk:

  29:59-30:00

  Spend time with your husband.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:01-30:02

  Find out what he likes to do.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:03-30:04

  And just be there.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:04-30:07

  You might not have to help him with what he's doing, but just be around him.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:07-30:11

  I read one guy, he said, you know, my wife, I like to work on cars.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:11-30:17

  and my wife, she'll just come out and she'll pull up a chair and she'll sit there and she'll do her nails while I'm changing the oil.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:17-30:18

  He loved that.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:19-30:21

  He loved that his wife was just there with him.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:22-30:24

  That's how she respected her husband and loved her husband.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:25-30:28

  These are some simple things, beloved, simple things.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:28-30:29

  There's more that could be said.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:30-30:34

  I wish I could say I do all the things that I've just talked about.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:34-30:35

  I don't.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:35-30:36

  I fail.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:38-30:59

  But I don't go around hangdog and (groans) of failure. No, I realize, and all of you should realize, God has begun a good work in us and He is faithful to complete it. And it's our job to walk and work out our faith with fear and trembling, not give up, but to put the death, the desire to be first.

  Rich Sprunk:

  30:59-31:03

  We should remember that those who are last, those who seek to be last, are not losers.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:05-31:14

  We're the real overcomers of the world. And it's there where we find true victorious living, And it's precisely there where real fellowship with Jesus exists.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:15-31:16

  None of us here wants to be a killer.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:16-31:19

  We want to be imitators of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:19-31:22

  We want to be imitators of the Son of Man.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:22-31:23

  He has set us an example.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:24-31:26

  Beloved, it's time to gear up and get in the game.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:27-31:27

  Let's pray.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:28-31:32

  Our gracious Father, we thank you for your patience and long-suffering with us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:33-31:36

  You didn't look at us and say, "Oh, look at that miserable sinner.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:37-31:45

  I'm not going to save him or her." No, while we were yet enemies, while we were still enemies, Christ died for us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:46-31:50

  He loved us with steadfast love.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:51-31:52

  You served us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:53-31:54

  You still serve us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  31:55-32:01

  Father, we ask that You help us to be imitators of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.

  Rich Sprunk:

  32:02-32:11

  To treat others with the same love and compassion and generosity that you have lavished on us.

  Rich Sprunk:

  32:11-32:19

  And it's for the name of Jesus and in the glorious name of Jesus that we ask these things.

  Rich Sprunk:

  32:20-32:20

  Amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read a selection of the passenges above...

1. Why was it necessary for Jesus to come in poverty rather than power in His first advent?

2. In what ways do we seek to be first in the world?  In the Church?

3. If we should not seek to be first in the Church, how should one lead?

4. Is it an exaggeration to say those who seek to be first are killers?
   Consider these verses:

   1. Luke 9:53-55

   2. John 8:44

   3. Genesis 4:3-8

   4. Genesis 4:23-24

   5. Exodus 2:11-15a

   6. 1 Samuel 25:10-13, 21-22

   7. 2 Samuel 11:14-17

   8. James 4:1-4

   9. Matt 5:21-22

   10. Luke 22:36-38, 49-51

   11. Mark 10:33-34

5. What are some ways people serve?  Are we susceptible to involving ourselves in “activities” as a substitute for serving?

6. Why, in God’s economy, are the last not losers?  Why, in the world’s eyes, might we look like losers?

   1. What are some ways we can adjust our attitudes?  About who and what do we need to adjust our attitudes?

   2. What are some ways we can adjust our actions?

   3. Will our actions matter if we have not first adjusted our attitudes, i.e., the motives of our hearts?

“For I have given you an example….”

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.

Questions from the Congregation - Part 9

Note: The time signatures [00:00] below indicate the start of a question if you'd like to skip to a particular one of interest in the audio file.

1. [02:50] - Q: What's the point of praying for something if God is going to do what he wants either way?
   A: See James 5:16 - The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.  |  Matthew 7:7-11   | Hezekiah in Isaiah 38
    

2. [06:55] - Q: What is your view on the teaching of Joel Osteen?
   A: Acts 4:12
    

3. [11:00] - Q: "Racial and cultural differences (and subsequent discrimination) seem to be becoming an increasingly important and controversial topic in our world. As a church body and as individuals, how can we show and share Christ's love (race doesn't matter) in a region and church body that lacks diversity?"
    

4. [16:04] - LIVE TXT Q: In the Bible it talks about the four corners of the Earth (Isaiah 11:2 and Revelation 7:1), what exactly are the four corners of the Earth? What does that resemble?
    

5. [18:01] - LIVE TXT Q: What does the Bible say about what our political response to "illegal" immigration should be?
    

6. [20:23] - Q: Can you give me some background re-Hezekiah's tunnel (2 Kings 20:20)?
   A: 2 Chronicles 32  |  John 9 (the pool of Siloam)
    

7. [25:51] - Q: Is there a difference between Hell and the Lake of Fire?
   A: See Luke 16:23-24   |  Revelation 20:15
    

8. [27:23] - Q: Rev 20:12 - "And I saw the dead, great and small standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." Besides the "Book of Life", what are the names of the other "Books" being referred to?
   A: See: Daniel 7:10  |  Romans 8
    

9. [29:31] - Q: If people kill themselves, do they go to hell? Explain the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
   A: The only sin that sends anyone to Hell (condemn a person), is to reject Jesus Christ
    

10. [32:52] - LIVE AUDIENCE Q: I have friends that are constantly on social media and claim to be Christians but are in an open same sex marriage situation. What does the bible say about that and how should we respond to them when talking to them about that and their life choices?
    A: 1 Cor 6  |  As Christians, we need to speak the truth in love, and that applies to any type of sin. Re-listen to Jeremiah Canfield's message from last summer, The Bible's and My Response to Homosexuality.
     

11. [36:05] - Q: In Ezekiel 9, what is the significance of the writer's case? And the man carrying it? Thank you. It is interesting how God says "son of man" and "this is what the sovereign Lord says..." very interesting book. Very very deep.
    A: Romans 1:18-32
     

12. [38:30] - Q: What is the motivation to joining the church, as opposed to just regularly attending?
    A: It says that I belong here and that I'm responsible for what happens here. It says that this is a place of accountability for you and that you're committed. For a pastor it means that you want to serve the Lord and His Kingdom.
     

13. [39:52] - Q: Could you please address Prov. 26:4-5?
     

14. [41:56] - Q: What if you accepted Jesus but you still sin. You try your best not to but you're still doing it. What does God think about it?
    A: See: Romans 7:15-20  |  1 John 1:9  |  2 Cor 5:21
    
    Any question that was missed due to time constraints during the service Pastor Jeff will address the answer in a blog posting on the website.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

• Audio Transcript

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:28-00:29

  There's Q&A day, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:30-00:31

  All right, ladies and gentlemen, Mark Orr.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:33-00:33

  So how are you?

  Mark Ort:

  00:34-00:36

  I'm fantastic today, how are you?

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:37-00:38

  I'm not as good as I'm going to be.

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:39-00:46

  So if you're visiting with us and you're wondering what's going on, we do this, what, like twice a year?

  Pastor Jeff:

  00:48-01:04

  So if you're visiting with us, we take questions that the congregation submitted, either here or online over the past month and a half or whatever, And we're going to answer as many of them as we can in how much time?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:04-01:06

  How much time should we set the timer?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:07-01:08

  90 minutes?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:09-01:15

  There's somebody like, "I done visited the wrong church today." I don't know, what do we usually do?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:15-01:17

  You'd think I'd know this as many times as we've done it.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:18-01:20

  What do you want me to set the timer for? Go ahead, let's start the bidding.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:22-01:24

  45, 45, do I hear 50?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:25-01:26

  50, do I hear 60?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:28-01:29

  40?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:30-01:41

  Okay, the man who does our audio podcast says 40, so maybe Maybe we should listen to that guy. All right, 40. All in favor?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:43-01:43

  Opposed?

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:45-01:49

  All right, 40 minutes. And I'm not starting it until you ask the first question.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:50-01:51

  Okay, well there are a couple rules.

  Pastor Jeff:

  01:52-01:55

  The first one is we're answering, Jeff

  Mark Ort:

  01:55-01:59

  is going to answer the questions as he understood the question that was submitted.

  Mark Ort:

  02:00-02:13

  Your your intent might have been different, but somehow you interpret things differently. So we're going to answer the question as it was as we understand it to be and it's the short version.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:13-02:16

  You're right, right. You could do a sermon on every one of these questions.

  Mark Ort:

  02:17-02:17

  So I'm going to give the short

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:17-02:18

  version.

  Mark Ort:

  02:21-02:27

  And end up on the blog. Jeff will blog answers on the Harvest website.

  Pastor Jeff:

  02:28-02:49

  And there's a fourth one that, a fourth rule that was added. We will be taking some live questions with the microphone and you can also text your question in as somebody has done already. You can text your question in. All right, I'm going to start the timer. Let's get to it, Mark.

  Mark Ort:

  02:50-02:58

  Okay, first question, Jeff, and as usual, the questions are, they're thought-provoking and great questions, so yeah, it's gonna be good.

  Mark Ort:

  02:59-03:00

  Oh yeah, great questions.

  Mark Ort:

  03:02-03:08

  What is the point of praying for something if God is going to do what He wants to do either way?

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:10-03:13

  That is a really good question, and that's actually a question that I get asked a lot.

  Pastor Jeff:

  03:14-04:02

  You know, there are people that, you know, say, well, God already has His mind made up what he's going to do. So why does prayer matter? And look, it gets down, we talked about this earlier, it all gets down to view of Scripture, right? If you read the Bible, the Bible clearly teaches that prayer matters, that prayer changes things, and that when God's people pray, God moves. For example, James 5.16 says, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. So the Bible would clearly indicate that prayer matters. Again, Matthew 7, we talked about this in the sermon in January on prayer, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:03-04:14

  But Matthew 7, Jesus said, "Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you for everyone who asks, receives, and the one who seeks fines and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:14-04:18

  So, the Bible clearly teaches that prayer does make a difference.

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:19-04:28

  And if you're looking for a biblical example of that, I always think of Hezekiah, you know, from the book of Isaiah.

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:30-04:33

  And it's clear, Hezekiah was ill.

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:33-04:35

  And you remember the story, Mark, we were talking about that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:36-04:43

  But he was ill and God says, "You are not going to recover." and he cried out and he prayed, and then what did God say?

  Mark Ort:

  04:44-04:44

  15 more years.

  Mark Ort:

  04:44-04:44

  Yeah,

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:45-04:55

  God's like, "Okay, 15 more years." And the question is, did Hezekiah's prayer change his life expectancy?

  Pastor Jeff:

  04:56-04:58

  From what I can see in the Bible, the answer is yes.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:00-05:03

  So God does what he wants either way.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:03-05:04

  I just, I don't see that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:06-05:07

  I don't see that in the Bible.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:07-05:20

  What I do see though, is sometimes God doesn't give us what we want for the same reason that we as parents don't always give everything that our children ask for.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:20-05:28

  Like for those of you that have kids, how often do your children know what is best for them?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:28-05:29

  How often?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:30-05:31

  Do your children really know what is best for them?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:32-05:33

  How often does that happen?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:34-05:34

  Seldom?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:36-05:37

  Do I hear a never?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:39-05:42

  No parent gives their kid everything they're asking for.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:42-05:44

  And we had an issue like this last month.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:45-05:50

  I'm not going to name which child it was, but it rhymes with arcade.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:51-05:54

  But do you remember that?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:54-05:55

  Okay, we know.

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:55-05:57

  But, okay, do you remember this last month?

  Pastor Jeff:

  05:57-06:00

  You were pretty angry with me because you wanted a credit card.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:01-06:02

  Yes, he was.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:02-06:04

  Are you still mad at me for that?

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:05-06:06

  No, he's not mad anymore.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:07-06:09

  He was very angry with me because he wanted a credit card.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:10-06:16

  Look, in his mind, think of all the wonderful things that can happen if he had a credit card, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:17-06:19

  Online shopping, and right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:19-06:23

  All the wonderful world of opportunities if he had a credit card.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:24-06:27

  And here comes mean old dad, you can't have a credit card.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:28-06:31

  Now see, sometimes in that equation, we're like Cade.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:32-06:38

  talking to God, like, "God, look at all the good that could come if you just do this." And God's like, "No, it's not good for you.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:38-06:48

  I'm not gonna give you that." So just like sometimes our children don't know what's best for them, I think sometimes when we pray, we don't always know what's best for us.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:49-06:50

  And God says no sometimes.

  Pastor Jeff:

  06:52-06:55

  But prayer moves the hand of God if you read the Bible straightforward.

  Mark Ort:

  06:56-07:05

  It does, and one of the things that I love about prayer is that it's our participation in our intimacy with God.

  Mark Ort:

  07:05-07:05

  Right.

  Mark Ort:

  07:06-07:11

  He's communicating to us through his word and we're communicating back to him in our prayers.

  Mark Ort:

  07:12-07:13

  So you ready for question number two?

  Mark Ort:

  07:14-07:15

  I'm ready.

  Mark Ort:

  07:16-07:19

  What is your view, Jeff, on the teaching of Joel Osteen?

  Pastor Jeff:

  07:21-07:28

  You know what I appreciate about this question was it didn't ask what is my view on Joel Osteen because I don't know him.

  Pastor Jeff:

  07:28-07:37

  He might be the nicest guy in the world, he might be the most generous, he certainly has some of the nicest teeth, but I don't know him.

  Pastor Jeff:

  07:37-07:48

  But I appreciate this question asked what my view was on the teaching of Joel Osteen, and I didn't go back through his, you know, I didn't print out his doctrinal statement and study it.

  Pastor Jeff:

  07:48-07:57

  But, you know, I remember looking at one of his books, I think it was Your Best Life Now or something like that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  07:58-07:59

  And there was a statement.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:00-08:07

  He said, "God wants you to think more of yourself." Now, how does that gel with the Bible?

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:08-08:09

  How does that gel with experience?

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:09-08:10

  Because you know what my problem is?

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:11-08:12

  My problem is I already think too much of myself.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:13-08:17

  And he's coming along saying, "God wants you to think more of yourself." That's just a lie.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:18-08:21

  We need to think less of ourselves.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:22-08:32

  And if this is your best life now, then that's a pretty sorry state of affairs, if this is your best life now.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:32-08:45

  Because you know what I see in this life is disease and suffering and death and disappointment and heartache, all these things that God promises someday He's going to do away with all these things.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:46-08:49

  And He's saying this is your best life now.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:51-08:56

  Look, his messages are little more than pep talks about being nice.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:56-08:57

  He doesn't talk about sin.

  Pastor Jeff:

  08:57-08:59

  He doesn't talk about repentance.

  Pastor Jeff:

  09:00-09:08

  Nothing about getting a deeper understanding of the Word of God or the God who wrote the Word.

  Pastor Jeff:

  09:08-09:13

  So, the short answer is I don't think very much of his teaching.

  Pastor Jeff:

  09:13-09:15

  I don't know him personally, but I don't think very much of his teaching.

  Mark Ort:

  09:16-09:18

  And I certainly don't know him personally either.

  Mark Ort:

  09:19-09:22

  I have looked into some of the things that he's taught and watched.

  Mark Ort:

  09:23-09:35

  I've actually watched pieces of sermons and things, and the one thing I saw that struck me was he said that 99.9 % of the people are not bad people.

  Mark Ort:

  09:37-09:39

  They have a good heart.

  Mark Ort:

  09:40-09:42

  And the Bible teaches something different.

  Pastor Jeff:

  09:42-09:44

  What does the Bible say about that?

  Pastor Jeff:

  09:44-09:44

  In

  Mark Ort:

  09:44-09:46

  Romans 3.12, it said that there's no one good.

  Mark Ort:

  09:47-09:58

  And in Jeremiah 17, 9, it says, "The heart is deceitfully wicked." And so those are a couple of things, and you guys can research this stuff also on YouTube.

  Mark Ort:

  09:58-10:07

  And there's a video of him on Larry King, multiple videos of him on Larry King and different programs like that.

  Mark Ort:

  10:07-10:12

  And on Larry King, Larry King offered up softballs to Joel Osteen.

  Mark Ort:

  10:13-10:16

  You mean to tell me that Jesus is the only way?

  Mark Ort:

  10:17-10:38

  And a perfect opportunity for someone to say, "Jesus is the only way because the Bible teaches that in John 14, 6 or in Acts 4, 12, that there's only one name given by which we must be saved." And he didn't do that, he didn't take the opportunity, the golden opportunity laid before him in front of millions of people to articulate the gospel.

  Mark Ort:

  10:39-11:05

  And our jobs as Christians, and certainly if you're a pastor of a church, is to clarify the gospel not to make it more confusing. And so that's something that bothers me about Joel Osteen. He either is confused on the gospel or he doesn't know it, period, and being outright deceitful about it. And so I would agree with you, Jeff, I don't have a high view of his teaching as well.

  Mark Ort:

  11:07-11:18

  Okay, next question. Racial and cultural differences and subsequent discrimination seem to be becoming an increasingly important and controversial topic in our world.

  Mark Ort:

  11:18-11:30

  As a church body and as individuals, how can we show and share Christ's love, i.e. race doesn't matter, in a region and church body that lacks diversity?

  Pastor Jeff:

  11:32-11:43

  Well, I would absolutely love to see more diversity in this church because I think diversity better reflects the gospel.

  Pastor Jeff:

  11:43-11:47

  You know, the Bible talks about how the gospel has, you know, it tears down the walls.

  Pastor Jeff:

  11:48-12:01

  They're speaking specifically of Jews and Gentiles, but really every tribe, nation, people, you know, diversity better reflects the gospel, but diversity also better reflects the reality of heaven.

  Pastor Jeff:

  12:01-12:10

  When you think you have all people from all nations and backgrounds and, you know, worshiping, you know, the living God.

  Pastor Jeff:

  12:11-12:19

  I would absolutely love to see more diversity in the church, but specifically this question is asking how does that happen?

  Pastor Jeff:

  12:20-12:25

  Well I would say it's the same way no matter what the ethnic background is.

  Pastor Jeff:

  12:26-12:53

  That you love people, you look for ways to bless people, you invite people to church, share the gospel with people, you know, whatever skin color, ethnic background, whatever, look for ways to bless people and invite them, you know, something that I personally have done, the cleaning crew in this building are of a different ethnic background than I am.

  Pastor Jeff:

  12:54-13:02

  And I have just tried over the time that we've been in this building to, you know, have a giant bowl of candy in the office, I'll invite them to come and take a handful.

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:03-13:05

  I'll take them bottles of water while they're working.

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:05-13:21

  There's even been times that I'm like, "Hey, can I go down to Sheetz and get you something?" And they'll be like, "Oh yeah, that'd be great." And just ways of making inroads to the point now that when they see that I'm here, they'll stop in the office and they'll talk about their kids, about their dog, about...

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:21-13:29

  We had one particular person, she's been coming for prayer because she has family back in Nicaragua.

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:29-13:31

  There's so much political unrest there.

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:31-13:33

  But I'm just saying that didn't happen overnight.

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:34-13:37

  That happened over time of relationship building.

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:38-13:48

  And I would love to see them come and worship with us here, but right now that's, these were people of a different ethnic background than me that the Lord has put in my life to seek to bless.

  Pastor Jeff:

  13:48-13:50

  And those are just some of the things that I'm doing.

  Mark Ort:

  13:51-13:56

  Yeah, and Jeff, we have opportunities from our missions team also.

  Mark Ort:

  13:57-14:03

  Yesterday, a team of us went to Pittsburgh and worked with an organization called Off the Floor.

  Mark Ort:

  14:03-14:21

  And it was a beautiful day to do this, a little bit of rain here and there, but Off the Floor is a furniture bank and people who are in a situation where they're needy or starting over in life, a couple of the ladies, their house is burned down and so they have nothing.

  Mark Ort:

  14:22-14:36

  And so the furniture bank, They sign up and volunteers like the ones who went yesterday take this stuff and deliver it and set it up and pray with the people and chat with them.

  Mark Ort:

  14:36-14:41

  And yesterday we had three black women who had nothing.

  Mark Ort:

  14:43-14:48

  Different racial makeup and different backgrounds and things like that.

  Mark Ort:

  14:48-14:53

  And we were able to rub shoulders with them for the morning and bless them that way.

  Mark Ort:

  14:53-15:00

  And nothing's more rewarding to me, Jeff, than, OK, we were hot, and we were sweaty, and we were carrying heavy stuff.

  Mark Ort:

  15:01-15:06

  But the one lady, she hadn't slept on a mattress for two months.

  Mark Ort:

  15:07-15:11

  And she walked over to the mattress, and she was a little grouchy when we first got there, it seemed.

  Mark Ort:

  15:12-15:14

  No smile, no emotion, really.

  Mark Ort:

  15:15-15:19

  And when she got this mattress, she's over there feeling it, like this.

  Mark Ort:

  15:20-15:22

  She's feeling this mattress and a big grin on her face.

  Mark Ort:

  15:23-15:25

  Like, that makes the whole effort worth it.

  Mark Ort:

  15:26-15:37

  And so we can do things like that and rub shoulders with people who aren't like us, skin color wise or background wise, and just share the love of Christ with them.

  Mark Ort:

  15:37-15:54

  We never even said, "Hey, why don't you come to church with us?" We just shared the love of Christ with them and encouraged them to get into a church around them, a Bible-believing church where people would help them and support them, pray for them, and help them out.

  Mark Ort:

  15:54-15:55

  And I think they appreciate that.

  Mark Ort:

  15:56-15:56

  Absolutely.

  Pastor Jeff:

  15:58-15:59

  Do we have any questions coming in for the text?

  Pastor Jeff:

  15:59-16:01

  I have some show up on my phone.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:01-16:02

  I don't know how this technology stuff works.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:03-16:05

  So, what came in?

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:05-16:06

  What do you got for me, Mike?

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:08-16:11

  In the Bible it talks about the four corners of the earth.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:12-16:14

  What exactly are the four corners of the earth?

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:14-16:15

  What does that resemble?

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:17-16:20

  Isaiah 11.2, Revelation 7.1.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:22-16:22

  Go ahead, Mark.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:23-16:24

  We're listening.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:25-16:27

  I haven't studied the four corners of

  Mark Ort:

  16:27-16:40

  the earth recently, but stuff that I had learned in the past - and maybe you can correct me if I'm wrong - that four corners of the earth is kind of a reference to like comprehensiveness.

  Mark Ort:

  16:41-16:43

  It's referring to - - North, south, east, and west.

  Mark Ort:

  16:43-16:45

  Right, it's like on the compass.

  Mark Ort:

  16:47-16:48

  This is everywhere.

  Mark Ort:

  16:50-16:52

  It's not just in one location.

  Mark Ort:

  16:52-16:54

  It's not just to the north or whatever.

  Mark Ort:

  16:54-16:55

  It's everywhere.

  Mark Ort:

  16:55-16:55

  Right.

  Mark Ort:

  16:55-16:56

  That's the way I always read that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:57-16:59

  And the Bible says that the earth is a sphere.

  Pastor Jeff:

  16:59-17:04

  You know, the Bible says in Isaiah that God, you know, sits on the sphere of the earth.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:04-17:11

  So the Bible certainly isn't on one hand saying the earth is cube shaped, and on the other hand, it's shaped like a ball.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:12-17:14

  You know, the Bible certainly says that the earth is a sphere, but yeah.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:15-17:22

  Four corners of the Earth, my understanding in reading that has always been it's just a figure of speech for North, South, East, and West.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:22-17:25

  It's an expression that we still use, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:25-17:28

  We use expressions that we know aren't scientifically accurate.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:30-17:32

  Look at that pretty sunset.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:32-17:34

  Like, well, actually, the sun's not setting.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:34-17:37

  The Earth is rotating, and that's why it looks like the sun is setting.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:38-17:39

  Yeah, OK, thank you, Galileo.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:41-17:43

  But-- yeah, it's a beautiful Earth revolving.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:43-17:44

  Yeah, doesn't that sound nice?

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:44-17:45

  Put that on a Hallmark card.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:47-17:50

  I wanna grow old with you and watch the earth revolve.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:52-17:53

  We have another one come in, Mike.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:53-17:54

  That's a good question.

  Pastor Jeff:

  17:55-18:01

  What does the Bible say about what our political response to illegal immigration should be?

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:02-18:02

  Wow.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:04-18:06

  Look at that, we are out of time.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:07-18:07

  (laughing)

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:08-18:09

  All right, you are loved.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:10-18:11

  Come on, play something, Darren.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:14-18:30

  This is such a multifaceted issue that I believe certainly the United States should do everything that we can to accommodate people that are hurting, running from oppressive regimes and things like that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:30-18:36

  But I do think there has to be some common sense vetting for people that are coming in.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:39-18:45

  You know, I think the problem with this is I think people so gravitate towards the extremes on every issue.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:45-18:59

  People so gravitate towards the extremes that there's people that are like, "Move it along, don't let anybody in!" And then you have the people on the other end that are like, "Everybody come!" And I don't think both of those are right.

  Pastor Jeff:

  18:59-19:13

  I think that, yes, we should be a place of refuge, but at the same time, I think just because of the nature of the world that we live in now, I think that we need to be smart about the way that we do it.

  Mark Ort:

  19:14-19:14

  Yeah, I agree.

  Mark Ort:

  19:15-19:19

  And you know, God, I mean, he's a God of laws.

  Mark Ort:

  19:19-19:23

  I mean, there are laws that we need to obey.

  Mark Ort:

  19:23-19:25

  The 10 commandments are pretty good laws.

  Mark Ort:

  19:26-19:27

  You know, you don't wanna kill anybody.

  Mark Ort:

  19:27-19:28

  You don't wanna commit adultery.

  Mark Ort:

  19:28-19:29

  Yeah, those are good laws.

  Mark Ort:

  19:29-19:30

  They're good laws.

  Mark Ort:

  19:31-19:34

  And, you know, as a country, we need to have laws to maintain order.

  Mark Ort:

  19:35-19:39

  And so do we want immigrants?

  Mark Ort:

  19:39-19:41

  I mean, we love immigrants.

  Mark Ort:

  19:41-19:46

  We're a country of immigrants, but we probably need to do it legally.

  Mark Ort:

  19:46-20:01

  And we could head down a political path on that, but in any case, illegal or legal, our job as Christians is to, I believe, is to love these people the best way that we know how,

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:01-20:02

  within the bounds of the law.

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:03-20:04

  Absolutely.

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:05-20:06

  Do you want to take one with a live mic?

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:08-20:10

  They may have a question here you'd like answered on the spot right now.

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:12-20:13

  All right, keep thinking then.

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:14-20:16

  Let's go to the next one on our list here.

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:16-20:21

  Can you give me some background regarding Hezekiah's tunnel, 2 Kings 20.

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:21-20:22

  Thank you.

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:23-20:25

  We actually did plan on...

  Pastor Jeff:

  20:28-20:32

  Mark just taught an apologetics class and talked about Hezekiah's tunnel, so why don't you address that?

  Mark Ort:

  20:33-20:39

  I'm going to open up my Bible to that scripture, and if you have your Bible you can do that too.

  Mark Ort:

  20:40-20:43

  It's in 2 Kings 20.

  Mark Ort:

  20:44-21:05

  It says, "Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might, and how he made the pool and the conduit, and brought the water into the city, are they not all written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?" And if you flip over to 2 Chronicles, I believe it's chapter 32, there's some more detail on that.

  Mark Ort:

  21:06-21:09

  King Hezekiah was a good king.

  Mark Ort:

  21:10-21:21

  We have a slide, we have actually a couple slides, I think, and we talked about this in our class, and I promised my wife I was going to be like two minutes on this question because I could spend hours on this.

  Mark Ort:

  21:21-21:24

  I love this kind of stuff, history and archaeology.

  Mark Ort:

  21:24-21:32

  And so the Assyrians back in the day, they were governed by a king called Sennacherib.

  Mark Ort:

  21:32-21:35

  And Sennacherib was going to attack Jerusalem.

  Mark Ort:

  21:36-21:50

  And Hezekiah caught wind of this, and he said, "Hey, why don't we take this river, this Gihon Spring, outside of the city and reroute the water?" Why would he want to do that?

  Mark Ort:

  21:51-22:02

  "Well, if you have water outside the city, and you have enemies coming, one of the reasons would be to route the water away from your enemies, so that they don't have water.

  Mark Ort:

  22:03-22:09

  And then, when you bring it through your city, then now you have water." So what he did was he assembled a crew of people.

  Mark Ort:

  22:11-22:26

  One part of the crew started on this end, outside the wall, and built this tunnel, started digging underground under the city, and another group started over on this side by this pool over here, which we're going to talk about in a second.

  Mark Ort:

  22:27-22:33

  And they started digging the way that the rock was formed in the ground.

  Mark Ort:

  22:33-22:34

  And that's why it's not straight.

  Mark Ort:

  22:34-22:35

  That's why it's kind of crooked.

  Mark Ort:

  22:36-22:37

  And they met in the middle.

  Mark Ort:

  22:38-22:39

  It's actually an engineering marvel.

  Mark Ort:

  22:40-22:44

  And you can actually go there today and tour that.

  Mark Ort:

  22:44-22:51

  You can go in the Hezekiah's Tunnel, And you can walk through that, and the water in some places is like waist deep.

  Mark Ort:

  22:52-22:58

  And if you go on TripAdvisor, TripAdvisor has this on there, and it only has a 4.5 rating, which surprised

  Pastor Jeff:

  22:58-22:58

  me.

  Mark Ort:

  22:58-22:59

  Out of what? - Out of five.

  Mark Ort:

  23:00-23:03

  So there are some people that didn't really like their tour for some reason.

  Mark Ort:

  23:03-23:03

  Maybe you

  Pastor Jeff:

  23:03-23:11

  should take like a little canoe through there or something, like a romantic, like, take your sweetheart on the Tunnel of Love through Hezekiah's Tunnel.

  Mark Ort:

  23:11-23:13

  Like who wouldn't give it a 5.0 rating?

  Mark Ort:

  23:13-23:18

  I mean, you're walking in water, hip deep, and for 1,800 feet, It's pretty long.

  Mark Ort:

  23:19-23:22

  But anyway, you can go there and tour this place.

  Mark Ort:

  23:22-23:24

  And these other places on here, it looks like a pool.

  Mark Ort:

  23:25-23:29

  This is, this bottom one is the Pool of Siloam.

  Mark Ort:

  23:30-23:33

  Well, you read about the Pool of Siloam in John chapter nine.

  Mark Ort:

  23:34-23:51

  In John chapter nine, Jesus healed a guy and said, "Hey," a blind guy, and he said, "Hey, I want you to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash, and you're gonna be healed." And so this pool of, it's called the Pool of Siloam, You can see that today, and the upper one is kind of the runoff from that.

  Mark Ort:

  23:51-23:54

  It's down a little bit further, several hundred feet away.

  Mark Ort:

  23:55-23:55

  It's like a runoff.

  Mark Ort:

  23:56-24:08

  Now, archaeologists are divided over this, and they think that the Pool of Siloam, spoken of in John chapter 9, is actually underneath this stuff that's there now.

  Mark Ort:

  24:08-24:14

  And there's no hard proof of that, but just different things that they've studied.

  Mark Ort:

  24:14-24:15

  they think it's kind of underneath that.

  Mark Ort:

  24:16-24:19

  And other archeologists say, no, this is the Pole of Siloam spoken of.

  Mark Ort:

  24:20-24:34

  In any case, it's pretty neat how God used Hezekiah to, I look at this story, and there's a couple of verses in the Bible, as God's sovereignty in preserving the Jewish people at the time.

  Mark Ort:

  24:34-24:40

  It's kind of a neat story, or a neat thing that we could probably gloss over quickly.

  Mark Ort:

  24:41-24:54

  But archaeologically and historically, we can look at this thing right here, right now today, and say, "Hey, there's something from the Bible." One of those building blocks in proving that the Bible really is God's Word.

  Pastor Jeff:

  24:56-24:56

  Absolutely.

  Pastor Jeff:

  24:56-25:08

  That was, wasn't that sort of rediscovered like in the 1800s, but it was still full of a bunch of rubble and stuff from Jerusalem, and it wasn't cleared out until like 1904 or something like that, yeah.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:09-25:09

  Yeah.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:09-25:14

  All right, there's a group of questions here about hell.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:14-25:15

  Let's go through these quickly.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:16-25:17

  It seems that...

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:17-25:25

  All right, I thought after the series on Nahum, people would want to stop talking about judgment and hell for a week, but we got a lot of questions regarding that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:25-25:26

  So let's...

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:26-25:27

  Yeah, Jeff,

  Mark Ort:

  25:27-25:29

  is there a difference between hell and the lake of fire?

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:29-25:30

  Yes, there is.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:31-25:35

  If you look at Luke chapter 16, Jesus tells the account of the rich man and Lazarus.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:37-25:43

  The Lazarus went to heaven, and the rich man went to a place of suffering.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:43-25:49

  He was in such anguish, he asked, "Dip your finger in water and touch my tongue." And such anguish.

  Pastor Jeff:

  25:50-26:10

  And we know that that wasn't the lake of fire yet, because Revelation chapter 20 says, "At the end of the age, at the last judgment, "everyone who's rejected Jesus Christ "is thrown into the lake of fire, "including death and Hades, thrown into the lake of fire." So, yeah, there is a difference.

  Pastor Jeff:

  26:10-26:17

  There's a place of suffering now, according to Jesus, and then ultimately, the lake of fire is the last judgment, the second death.

  Mark Ort:

  26:18-26:21

  And we're all about the Gospel here because we don't want to see people go there.

  Mark Ort:

  26:21-26:23

  I mean, who would want to go there?

  Mark Ort:

  26:24-26:30

  People will say, "Well, all my friends are going to be there." It's not a place where we're playing cards and drinking beer.

  Mark Ort:

  26:30-26:33

  I mean, you're not hanging out with your buddies in hell.

  Mark Ort:

  26:33-26:51

  It's a place of eternal - punishment. Okay, so the next one, Revelation 20 12, it says this, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened.

  Mark Ort:

  26:52-27:05

  Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." Besides the book of life, what are the names of the other books being referred to here?

  Pastor Jeff:

  27:06-27:46

  We don't know the name of the book, but this verse tells us what is in the books. It says, "The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." And whatever that book is, we don't know the name, but these books have every sinful thought, attitude, word and action. And try to wrap your brain around that. God in his sovereignty is recording everything that you say, think, do. He has these books. And on Judgment Day, that's evidence.

  Pastor Jeff:

  27:47-28:03

  You know, when somebody stands before God and says, "I wasn't really a bad person." And God says, "Well, according to this record of your life that I've kept, you've been a But see, that's the beautiful thing about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:04-28:11

  Romans 8 says, "There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Who will bring a charge against God's elect?

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:11-28:17

  When you receive Jesus Christ, He takes that evidence and He just says, "Not guilty.

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:18-28:25

  You are not guilty." And He pronounces you free and forgiven in Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:25-28:26

  So you have a choice there.

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:27-28:34

  When you appear in court, you're either going to be pronounced guilty or not guilty, and the difference is what you do with Jesus, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:34-28:39

  But this is God's evidence for the person that rejects Christ but still thinks they're a good person.

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:41-28:43

  This is God's evidence that you're not.

  Mark Ort:

  28:44-28:45

  Okay, thanks for the answer to that, Jeff.

  Mark Ort:

  28:46-28:49

  And one last one on that topic.

  Mark Ort:

  28:50-28:53

  If people kill themselves, do they go to hell?

  Pastor Jeff:

  28:53-29:01

  You know, there are some churches that teach that, that if you commit suicide, that you go to hell, and that's just, that's not true biblically.

  Pastor Jeff:

  29:02-29:09

  There's really only one sin that condemns a person to hell, and that's the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  29:10-29:26

  That's the sin of God saying, "Hey, here's my son whom I love, who I gave as a sacrifice for your sin." And you say, "I don't want Jesus, I don't have anything to do with Jesus." That's really the only sin that will ultimately condemn you, because every other sin in Christ can be forgiven.

  Pastor Jeff:

  29:28-29:37

  But see, some people think that hell is a condemning sin because it's like you end your life on a sin.

  Pastor Jeff:

  29:37-29:44

  And how can I ask for forgiveness if my life ends while committing an act of sin?

  Pastor Jeff:

  29:45-29:54

  And you know, the truth is when Jesus died on the cross, how many of your sins were in the future?

  Pastor Jeff:

  29:55-29:56

  All of them, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  29:57-30:02

  So when you receive Christ, when you receive God's forgiveness in Christ, all your sins are forgiven.

  Pastor Jeff:

  30:02-30:10

  The ones you've done in the past, the ones that you're going to do today, and the ones that you are surely going to do tomorrow, they're all forgiven in Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  30:11-30:15

  So, you know, suicide is not the unforgivable sin.

  Pastor Jeff:

  30:15-30:25

  Is it possible that a true believer in Christ can get to such a point of despair and despondency and hurt that they take their own life?

  Pastor Jeff:

  30:25-30:27

  I believe that that's possible even for a Christian.

  Pastor Jeff:

  30:29-31:04

  But I would like to say, you know, it's a horrible thing, you know, when you think about the wake of just devastation that you leave for family and friends that you're leaving behind. And if there's somebody, maybe the person that asked this question, if this is something that you've been thinking about, I would really strongly encourage you to come and talk to me. Or get one of our leaders in our church. We have some ladies here. If it's a lady that wrote this, you want to talk to a lady. It is a horrible thing for those left behind.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:08-31:10

  If you need to talk, we have people here that would love to talk to you.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:12-31:15

  And blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the same thing as rejecting Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:15-31:29

  See those people that Jesus was preaching to, they saw everything that God was doing by the power of the Holy Spirit through His Son, they saw all of that and they're like, "Eh, he does it by the power of Beelzebub." So that's what they did.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:29-31:31

  They wholesale rejected Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:31-31:35

  And that's what Jesus called blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and I think we can still be guilty of that today.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:36-31:45

  We see everything that God had accomplished in Christ, which is revealed to us through the Word, through the enlightening of God's Holy Spirit, and we reject it.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:45-31:49

  I believe, that's a really great question, Keith, but I believe that's the same sin.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:49-31:53

  Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the wholesale rejection of Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  31:54-32:02

  Seeing everything that God did through His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit, and just being, "Eh, not interested." That's what the religious leaders did.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:02-32:06

  "Eh, eh, the power of Beelzebub, he casts out demons." Like really?

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:07-32:07

  Really?

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:07-32:08

  That's your answer?

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:09-32:12

  Like you get to that point, you're gone, man.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:13-32:13

  Yeah, there's nothing

  Mark Ort:

  32:13-32:14

  else he can do at that point.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:14-32:15

  No, there's nothing else you can do.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:17-32:18

  Yeah, let's take another from the audience.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:19-32:20

  Anybody have one live?

  Questioner 1:

  32:22-32:31

  So I have some friends that are constantly on social media and claim to be Christians but are in an open same-sex marriage situation?

  Questioner 1:

  32:32-32:39

  What does the Bible say about that and how should we respond to them when talking to them about that in their life choices?

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:39-32:42

  Did you say open same-sex relationship?

  Questioner 1:

  32:42-32:44

  Like they're married to a same-sex partner.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:45-32:45

  Oh, okay.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:45-32:49

  So they're in a married homosexual, right.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:50-32:55

  I really, I think it was John Piper that said this and I really appreciated this.

  Pastor Jeff:

  32:55-33:07

  He said that as the church, we need to lovingly tell people in that situation, "Look, I love you, but this is wrong." And I think we talked before about the extremes.

  Pastor Jeff:

  33:07-33:11

  I think that's been the problem with the church in our day is the extreme.

  Pastor Jeff:

  33:11-33:26

  Because you have some churches that are just like, "Hey, God loves everybody, and it doesn't matter what your sin is, whether you're an adulterer or a homosexual or a thief, it doesn't It doesn't matter.

  Pastor Jeff:

  33:27-33:30

  And then you have the other extreme.

  Pastor Jeff:

  33:30-33:39

  We have like those knuckleheads from Westboro, you know, that are picketing and they have their signs, "God hates," you know, really derogatory term.

  Pastor Jeff:

  33:39-33:47

  And, you know, it's really hateful and aggressive and that's not the answer either.

  Pastor Jeff:

  33:47-34:00

  You know, 1 Corinthians chapter 6, Paul gives a list of some of the sins that Corinthians were involved in, including homosexuality, and he says, "And such were some of you." And he says, "That's not who you are anymore.

  Pastor Jeff:

  34:00-34:01

  You were washed.

  Pastor Jeff:

  34:01-34:10

  You were regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit." And it's taking those opportunities, Kaylee, to say, "Look, I love you.

  Pastor Jeff:

  34:11-34:16

  I love you in the Lord, but I want you to understand that the Bible says this is wrong."

  Mark Ort:

  34:17-34:21

  And we're not really doing them any favors by concealing the truth.

  Mark Ort:

  34:22-34:32

  We need to be bold but loving, speaking the truth in love, and say, like Jeff said, this is what the Bible says, point them to certain scriptures, and they may disagree with that.

  Mark Ort:

  34:33-34:40

  But as Christians, whether it's that sin or any other sin, we're not doing people favors by kicking it under the carpet.

  Pastor Jeff:

  34:41-34:57

  Right, and it's, again, it's, I have friends who are homosexual, people that I used to work with, and still stay in contact with me, and they know where I stand on that, but I don't feel the need to try to slap them down every time they talk to me.

  Pastor Jeff:

  34:57-34:59

  Like, you know what the Bible says about that?

  Pastor Jeff:

  34:59-35:01

  And yeah, they know, we've had that conversation.

  Pastor Jeff:

  35:02-35:05

  They need to know, look, I love you, but what you're doing is wrong.

  Pastor Jeff:

  35:05-35:08

  And that translates really to any sin that somebody's involved in, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  35:08-35:17

  Somebody can be involved in a heterosexual, adulterous relationship, like, look, I love you, but what you're doing right now, what you're doing is wrong.

  Mark Ort:

  35:18-35:22

  Yeah, when Jeremiah Canfield was here, it was a pretty convicting message.

  Mark Ort:

  35:22-35:29

  And as a church, we need to learn how to love these people instead of looking at them as outcasts.

  Mark Ort:

  35:30-35:33

  We need to learn how to love them, but to share the truth with them.

  Mark Ort:

  35:34-35:34

  Right.

  Mark Ort:

  35:35-35:36

  Okay, next question, Jeff.

  Mark Ort:

  35:37-35:43

  In Ezekiel 9, what is the significance of the writer's case and the man carrying it?

  Mark Ort:

  35:43-35:43

  Thank you.

  Mark Ort:

  35:45-35:51

  It is interesting how God says, "Son of man," And this is what the Sovereign Lord says.

  Mark Ort:

  35:51-35:54

  A very interesting book, very, very deep.

  Mark Ort:

  35:54-35:55

  And so what do you say about that?

  Pastor Jeff:

  35:56-35:59

  I had to do a little research on this man with clothed in linen.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:00-36:04

  And apparently this one man in particular was sort of highlighted above the other ones.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:04-36:06

  And was he an angel?

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:06-36:14

  Was, sometimes in the Old Testament, when it talks about the angel of the Lord, sometimes that's a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:14-36:24

  But interestingly, his job was to go through Jerusalem and to mark the people that actually were faithful to God.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:24-36:29

  And God says that those people were going to be spared from death when the Babylonians came through.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:29-36:30

  He was marking them.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:32-36:38

  And an interesting thing in that chapter, the Bible says that God's glory was leaving the temple.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:39-36:50

  And it's a very sad thing that God dwelt with His people, and His people persistently rejected Him, persistently to the point that you get to Ezekiel 9, God's like, "I'm leaving.

  Pastor Jeff:

  36:51-37:35

  You obviously don't want to worship Me, you don't want Me in your midst, I'm gone." The significance of that is so in our faces today because Romans chapter 1 teaches the exact same thing. That when people abandon God, God abandons people. You know, you read Romans chapter 1, just mark that, starting in verse 18, over and over it talks about how God gives people over to their sin. Like, they've suppressed the truth for a lie, and they started worshipping the creature rather than the Creator, and they've abandoned natural relations for unnatural ones, and over and over and over in Romans chapter 1, it's just them up.

  Pastor Jeff:

  37:36-37:36

  God's like, "You want to sin?

  Pastor Jeff:

  37:36-37:37

  Okay.

  Pastor Jeff:

  37:38-37:45

  Okay." And that's a terrifying thing when God, you know, allows you to be so hard-hearted.

  Pastor Jeff:

  37:46-37:47

  He's like, "Okay, you know what?

  Pastor Jeff:

  37:47-37:47

  You want to sin?

  Pastor Jeff:

  37:47-37:56

  Go ahead." So, I think that's the significance that's happening in this passage in Ezekiel chapter 9, same thing we're dealing with here.

  Mark Ort:

  37:57-37:59

  All right, thank you for your insight on that, Jeff.

  Mark Ort:

  37:59-38:00

  And how about this one?

  Mark Ort:

  38:01-38:05

  What is the motivation to joining the church as opposed to just attending regularly?

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:07-38:08

  That is a really good question.

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:08-38:12

  Membership in the church says, it says a lot of things.

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:12-38:17

  It says, "I belong here." And it says, "I'm responsible for what happens here." Right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:18-38:31

  It's one thing to like come to a church and kind of sit and take it in, and it's real easy to be, "Well, I've been going to this church, but I don't like this and I don't like that." member of this church, that means you're responsible for what happens here.

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:32-38:36

  And that also says, this is a place of accountability for me.

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:36-38:40

  And I've been a pastor now for 20-some odd years, and I've seen that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:40-38:49

  Somebody doesn't want to join a church, and as soon as they're involved in sin and we have to lovingly confront them about that, it's like, "Well, I'm just going to go to the church across the street or whatever.

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:49-38:54

  I'm not even a member here anyways." And but being a member says, "Look, I'm committed here.

  Pastor Jeff:

  38:55-39:01

  This is where I belong, and this is where I'm accountable, and I'm part of what's happening here.

  Pastor Jeff:

  39:01-39:22

  And for a pastor, it tells me the people that are saying, "Look, I'm on the team, I'm here to serve, I want to get involved, you can call on me to be involved in the advancement of the kingdom ministry that you're doing here at Harvest Bible Chapel." That's what membership to a church communicates.

  Mark Ort:

  39:23-39:29

  Okay, let me read a passage from Proverbs 26, and this is the next question.

  Mark Ort:

  39:30-39:35

  The passage says, "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him.

  Mark Ort:

  39:36-39:43

  Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he may not be wise in his own eyes." And the question is, could you please address this?

  Mark Ort:

  39:43-39:48

  It appears—we covered this in our apologetics class, but I want to hear what you have to say.

  Mark Ort:

  39:48-39:50

  It appears almost like that's a contradiction.

  Mark Ort:

  39:50-39:53

  Are we going to answer a fool or are we not going to answer a fool?

  Pastor Jeff:

  39:54-39:56

  Right, and these two verses, they're meant to go together.

  Pastor Jeff:

  39:57-40:00

  And when you take them together, it's how to answer a fool.

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:01-40:06

  And when it talks about a fool, it's not talking about somebody of lower intelligence.

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:06-40:13

  When the Bible talks about a fool, it's speaking specifically to someone who is rebellious against God's truth.

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:13-40:15

  Like they don't want to hear what God has to say.

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:16-40:17

  That's a biblical definition of a fool.

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:18-40:24

  who rejects the wisdom of God. So what's the first? Read the first one again.

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:24-40:25

  Proverbs 26.4.

  Mark Ort:

  40:26-40:30

  "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him."

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:31-40:48

  Okay. It's saying you don't agree with the fool. When a fool is speaking foolishness, you don't agree with him. You don't answer him on his level, like you're coming alongside and agreeing with him. You don't do that, but verse 5 says what you should do. Read verse 5 again.

  Mark Ort:

  40:48-40:56

  "Answer, O fool, as his folly deserves, that he may not be wise in his own eyes." Verse 5 says you need to

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:56-40:59

  point out his error.

  Pastor Jeff:

  40:59-41:07

  You need to answer him or rebuke him on the basis of his foolish stance.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:08-41:13

  You're supposed to use the truth to show someone how foolish their foolishness is.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:14-41:16

  So those two verses go together.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:17-41:21

  Don't get on his level. Use the truth to show him how foolish he's being.

  Mark Ort:

  41:22-41:24

  I do have one more question for you.

  Mark Ort:

  41:24-41:27

  What if you accepted Jesus but you still sin?

  Mark Ort:

  41:28-41:32

  You try your best not to sin, but you are still doing it.

  Mark Ort:

  41:33-41:34

  What does God think about it?

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:36-41:37

  That is a really good question.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:38-41:41

  And I wanted us to make sure that we got to this one.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:42-41:47

  Romans chapter 7, verses 15 through 20, you can jot that down.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:47-41:52

  But it's a common experience that even the apostle Paul went through.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:52-41:56

  You're born again, you're regenerated, you are a partaker of the divine nature.

  Pastor Jeff:

  41:57-42:00

  And even Paul said, "Why do I do the things I don't want to do?

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:00-42:03

  I recognize the law is good and I want to do it and I don't do it.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:03-42:05

  I'm like, I'm not going to sin and I go right out and sin.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:06-42:16

  Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?" Like, that's such a common experience that sometimes I read Romans 7 and I'm like, "Did I write this?" You know?

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:18-42:21

  And the battle with temptation and sin is never going to end.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:21-42:22

  It's not going to end.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:24-42:31

  And you have to fight it a day at a time, a moment at a time, with the resources that God gave you.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:31-42:32

  See, God didn't leave us without resources.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:32-42:34

  We have the armor of God.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:34-42:35

  We have the Word of God.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:35-42:38

  We have God's Holy Spirit indwelling us.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:38-42:43

  But the fight against temptation and sin isn't going to end.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:44-42:47

  So what does God think of a believer in sin?

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:47-42:48

  That's the question.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:49-42:53

  And He loves you based on the blood of Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  42:55-43:03

  God's love for you, whoever wrote this and whoever else is thinking this, God's love for you is not based on your performance.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:04-43:08

  And I think a lot of times in life, we're sort of conditioned that way.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:10-43:12

  That we feel like our parents love us when we do good.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:13-43:16

  Or our boss likes us when we do good.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:18-43:20

  Or our spouse likes us when we do good.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:20-43:21

  Then we translate that to God.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:21-43:23

  God likes me when I do good.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:24-43:27

  But God's love for you is not based on your performance.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:27-43:29

  And we just can't seem to get that out of our head.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:29-43:33

  God's love for you is based on what His Son accomplished for you.

  Pastor Jeff:

  43:34-44:26

  love for you is based on the blood of Jesus Christ. So you see when I pray I might have had the worst day, been the worst husband, worst father, that I could say, "Well I probably shouldn't pray because God's mad at me." God's not mad at me because I was a knucklehead at home. God loves me because his Son died in my place and granted me forgiveness and eternal life and God sees me through the lens of his Son so I can boldly go to God in prayer, not based on my performance because if that was the case, I think I'd be qualified to pray maybe once every three years if it was based on my performance, but I can come to God and be loved and accepted by God because of what His Son did on my behalf.

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:27-44:27

  Amen, he

  Mark Ort:

  44:27-44:30

  even wants us to come.

  Mark Ort:

  44:30-44:37

  I have a note written down here that 1 John 1.9, if you confess your sin, what

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:37-44:40

  happens if you confess your sin according to that passage?

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:40-44:43

  He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:43-44:45

  Yes, he wants to cleanse us.

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:45-44:47

  Who doesn't want to be cleansed?

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:47-44:50

  And he's, in Christ, he's already done that.

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:50-44:51

  The work is done.

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:52-44:57

  So shall we continue to sin so that grace may abound?

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:57-44:58

  Absolutely not.

  Pastor Jeff:

  44:58-45:01

  We should still be fighting sin, fighting temptation.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:01-45:05

  You know, God's goal for every believer, He has the same goal for everyone.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:06-45:07

  It's Romans 8.29, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:07-45:09

  He wants to conform you into the image of His Son.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:10-45:17

  And that's a process called sanctification that happens a day at a time, a moment at a time.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:17-45:33

  So the fight is always going to be happening, but we can't let setbacks or, "Okay, I failed today." We can't let that make us think that God looks at us differently, because He doesn't.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:34-45:44

  Our salvation was not based on our performance, and our continual right standing with God is not based on our performance.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:44-45:49

  It's based on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:49-45:50

  2 Corinthians 5.21.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:51-45:57

  God took him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

  Pastor Jeff:

  45:57-46:00

  God gave us the righteousness of Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:00-46:01

  That's how he deals with it.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:02-46:04

  So the rest of the questions, we had a bunch of them.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:05-46:06

  You're gonna blog those, right?

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:06-46:09

  Yeah, we got up, yeah, we had like, I had like three and a half pages here.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:09-46:11

  Did we get a bunch more in the text?

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:12-46:13

  Okay, Mike says we did.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:13-46:17

  So we'll have like enough blogs until like what, Christmas looking like.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:18-46:18

  All right.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:19-46:22

  We might not even have to solicit questions for the next Q&A day.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:24-46:39

  So I wanted to end with this one because this whole, this whole fighting sin thing, you know, next month, it's actually starting next week, we have four guest speakers.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:41-46:44

  This is a new thing for us as a church.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:44-46:58

  But I wanted to take some guys that I knew, so I found these rock solid guys that love the Lord, love His word, and are passionate.

  Pastor Jeff:

  46:58-47:02

  And I'm like, let me get some of the best guys that I can.

  Pastor Jeff:

  47:02-47:04

  And so I got them and I also got Ryan Stroop.

  Pastor Jeff:

  47:05-47:22

  And they're going to be speaking, they're going to be speaking next month, You know, four guys have never preached, and they're gonna be giving the word, but actually Ryan is going to be addressing this very subject in his sermon.

  Pastor Jeff:

  47:23-47:37

  So if that was you that asked that question, he's going to be talking about what it means to make every effort to pursue the Lord and the effect that that has on your battle with sin.

  Mark Ort:

  47:37-47:39

  And we're totally looking forward to these four guys.

  Pastor Jeff:

  47:39-47:46

  You know what, they've been rehearsing, they've been working hard, and I have been completely blown away.

  Pastor Jeff:

  47:46-47:51

  Their sermons aren't good by the standard of, well, they're not preachers.

  Pastor Jeff:

  47:52-47:54

  Their sermons are good by preacher standards.

  Pastor Jeff:

  47:55-48:16

  I've heard a lot of pastors, and these guys, their sermons just blew me away, how well put together and prayed and presented, And I am really looking forward to the word that these guys are giving next month and all of you should be too, because it is going to be fantastic.

  Pastor Jeff:

  48:18-48:28

  I'm just like excited for the church, knowing the awesome things that these guys are gonna be giving over this next month.

  Pastor Jeff:

  48:28-48:30

  So our timer went up a while ago.

  Pastor Jeff:

  48:30-48:35

  So let me pray and then we'll close up our time with worship.

  Pastor Jeff:

  48:36-48:40

  Father in heaven, we thank You that Your Word has the answers that we seek.

  Pastor Jeff:

  48:41-48:44

  And Father, I thank You that this is a place where we can answer questions.

  Pastor Jeff:

  48:45-48:51

  And I know there were a bunch presented today and there were a bunch that had been submitted over the last few weeks that we did not get to today.

  Pastor Jeff:

  48:51-48:58

  And I just, Father, I just pray that the people that are seeking answers from Your Word are not discouraged.

  Pastor Jeff:

  49:00-49:06

  I feel that some of these questions that have come in have been from a position of maybe Maybe hurt, maybe disappointment.

  Pastor Jeff:

  49:08-49:13

  But you are the same God who still says, "Everyone who asks, receives.

  Pastor Jeff:

  49:13-49:14

  The one who seeks, finds.

  Pastor Jeff:

  49:14-49:24

  And the one who knocks, it will be opened." So Father, let us boldly go to Your throne of grace, not because of us, not because of our righteousness, but because of You.

  Pastor Jeff:

  49:24-49:27

  Because of what You've accomplished through Jesus Christ.

  Pastor Jeff:

  49:28-49:38

  And we ask that You would reveal and manifest Your glory in a mighty way person seeking you. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):

Review the questions submitted above. Discuss any of these that stuck out to you, or that maybe your group finds particularly interesting.

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another!

God's Judgment: WHY and HOW, Part 4

Review / Introduction:

Judgment is Inescapable for the Unsaved. Someday It Will Be Too Late... (Nahum 3)

1. Judgment IS going to Happen. (Nahum 3:1-7)
2. It's been too late for Others. (Nahum 3:8-11)
3. Your Resources won't matter. (Nahum 3:12-18)
4. There is NO coming Back won't matter. (Nahum 3:19)

Hebrews 9:27 - And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment...

Hebrews 6:4-6 - For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding Him up to contempt.

Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

• Audio Transcript

  00:43-00:47

  Open up your Bibles to the book of Nahum, chapter 3.

  00:49-01:04

  As we conclude today our series, entitled, "God's Judgment - Why and How." I'm going to be completely honest with you, this is not the servant series I was looking forward to this year.

  01:06-01:14

  It's fun to talk about grace and love and marriage and parenting.

  01:16-01:30

  It's not the most fun thing to talk about, but like the Apostle Paul told the Ephesian elders, "I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." And I feel it's my responsibility as a pastor to give you the whole story.

  01:31-01:35

  We're not going to shy away from uncomfortable subjects.

  01:36-01:37

  Right? Right?

  01:38-01:39

  Yeah, you know.

  01:40-01:40

  You know.

  01:43-01:44

  So, let's pray.

  01:44-01:51

  Father in heaven, as we turn to Your Word right now, this is something people don't want to talk about, God.

  01:51-01:57

  People want to think that this stuff isn't real, but it is.

  01:58-02:01

  It's as real as heaven.

  02:02-02:10

  We're mindful that when Jesus talked about hell, He said it lasts as long as heaven lasts, and it's eternal.

  02:12-02:17

  We think of judgment and hell, "Father, we should be stirred up that real people are really going there.

  02:19-02:20

  People that we work with.

  02:22-02:23

  People in our families.

  02:25-02:31

  Maybe somebody sitting here or listening to this message online later, shake us out of our apathy.

  02:34-02:35

  Let your Word be clear, Father.

  02:37-02:45

  I pray in Jesus' name, that all of God's people said, "Amen." We are talking about God's judgment.

  02:47-02:48

  What is judgment?

  02:48-02:59

  Well, judgment is - simplest definition I could come up with - identifying sin and condemning sinners.

  02:59-03:00

  That's judgment.

  03:01-03:13

  God says, "This is sin. This is wrong." And those who persist in living this lifestyle without turning from their sin, without receiving My grace, they are condemned.

  03:14-03:15

  That's judgment.

  03:16-03:22

  In the book of Nahum, this little prophet in the Old Testament is a book all about God's judgment.

  03:23-03:34

  was judging a city called Nineveh, which was the capital of Assyria, for her violence and for her pride.

  03:34-03:35

  We've talked about that.

  03:36-03:46

  Nineveh, they were violent people, building monuments out of corpses and skulls, skinning people alive, taking people and chopping off hands and feet.

  03:46-03:49

  They were brutal, brutal, brutal people.

  03:49-03:50

  Wicked.

  03:51-03:52

  And they were proud.

  03:53-04:05

  You can't even touch us. We're unstoppable." And the Lord says, "We'll see about that." We saw our messages week one, judgment is fueled by God's jealousy.

  04:06-04:10

  The reason God brings judgment is because He loves His people.

  04:11-04:12

  Judgment is fueled by jealousy.

  04:13-04:16

  Then week two, we saw judgment is a response to man's pride.

  04:16-04:18

  God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

  04:18-04:23

  You're going to get God's attention one way or the other, through your pride or through your humility.

  04:25-04:25

  Choose wisely.

  04:27-04:30

  And last week, we talked about hell.

  04:32-04:34

  And we see that God's judgment is horrific.

  04:35-04:35

  It's horrific.

  04:38-04:41

  Being Father's Day, I was thinking about some things that parents do.

  04:43-04:48

  And not condemning, not pointing fingers, because I think every parent at some point has done this.

  04:48-04:50

  You don't have to raise your hand and confess.

  04:50-04:52

  If you want to, that makes you feel better, you can.

  04:53-04:55

  How many parents have ever done this thing?

  04:56-05:05

  I'm gonna count to three, and if you don't stop doing that, you ever done that, don't raise your hand, but I think we all have.

  05:07-05:11

  Actually, my parents didn't count to three, they counted to one, right?

  05:13-05:14

  It's like, I'm gonna count, boom!

  05:17-05:22

  That's not politically correct or whatever today, but I'm gonna count to three, I'm gonna count to three.

  05:22-05:24

  I gotta tell you the thing that cracks me up about it.

  05:24-05:36

  One of the things that cracks me up about that is I've heard parents threaten to take something away from the kids that I'm like, I wanna jump in and say, kid, there's no way your parents not gonna give that.

  05:36-05:41

  Like I've heard parents say something like, I'm gonna count to three, if you don't put that down, we're not going to Disney World next week.

  05:43-05:45

  Like, come on, really?

  05:46-05:48

  Really, if he doesn't put it down, you're gonna...

  05:49-05:54

  the plane tickets and the park tickets and all your plans, your vacation, yeah, yeah, yeah.

  05:54-05:56

  Yeah, that's what you're gonna do, that's your plan.

  05:56-06:02

  Or if you don't put that down, I'm not gonna feed you this week.

  06:04-06:06

  Somebody call CYS.

  06:07-06:08

  Like that's not gonna happen, right?

  06:09-06:12

  But we, and then they get to the actual counting, right?

  06:13-06:14

  All right, I'm gonna count to three.

  06:14-06:18

  One, two, two, two, two and a half.

  06:19-06:23

  Come on, I'm gonna count one, two, you've heard parents do that, right?

  06:23-06:25

  And some of us have done that.

  06:28-06:29

  This is not a message about parenting.

  06:33-06:35

  But some people think God is like that.

  06:36-06:38

  Some people think God is like that.

  06:38-06:54

  You better stop sinning because you're making me mad and I'm gonna count one, two, stop sinning, two, stop, put that down, stop sinning, one, two, and then not bring judgment, right?

  06:56-06:59

  Go to Disney World anyways, give you heaven anyways.

  06:59-07:11

  Some people think God is like that constantly counting, threatening parent that we know is never going to come through with the actual punishment.

  07:13-07:17

  And I gotta tell you, I wish that were true.

  07:18-07:20

  I wish that that was what the Bible said.

  07:20-07:29

  I wish that what the Bible said about judgment just wasn't in there, but it is.

  07:31-07:32

  It's absolutely true.

  07:32-07:36

  And it absolutely should shake you down to the marrow in your bones.

  07:37-07:40

  Chapter 3 we're looking at today is just like chapter 2.

  07:40-07:45

  There's no instruction, there's no call for repentance, there's just a declaration of judgment.

  07:45-07:53

  That's what makes Nahum a hard book to read and to study and to preach from.

  07:53-07:59

  Like, "Well, wait a second, it doesn't sound like God to not offer repentance.

  08:00-08:14

  Why isn't God offering repentance?" Well, this passage, and really the whole book of Nahum, screams a biblical truth that flies in the face of a lie that most people believe.

  08:14-08:15

  And here's the lie.

  08:17-08:18

  And this is what we're addressing today.

  08:20-08:28

  The lie is, I will always have another chance to get right with God later.

  08:29-08:30

  I'll always have another chance.

  08:31-08:37

  Yeah, I'm in sin now, but I'll repent later.

  08:39-08:46

  And the book of Nahum is in God's Word to remind us that you're not always going to have later.

  08:47-08:49

  There's going to come a point that it's too late.

  08:50-08:54

  "I'll get serious about God later. I'll repent later.

  08:54-09:02

  I'll stop living this way later." That is the procrastination of the worst kind because it can cost you eternity.

  09:03-09:04

  And none of us learn.

  09:05-09:15

  And we're going to learn today there comes a point when it's too late, and when it's too late, judgment is inescapable." So let's look at the text. In the name of chapter 3, are you there?

  09:17-09:19

  Drawing notes down.

  09:20-09:22

  Someday it will be too late. Okay?

  09:23-09:24

  Someday it will be too late.

  09:24-09:28

  Number one, judgment is going to happen. Okay?

  09:29-09:30

  Judgment is going to happen.

  09:32-09:34

  Look at verses 1 through 7.

  09:35-09:40

  Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder.

  09:40-09:43

  No end to the prey." Again, nasty, wicked people.

  09:46-09:52

  Verses 2 and 3 talk about the sounds of the destruction that's coming.

  09:52-09:57

  Verse 3 talks about the sights of destruction that's coming.

  09:57-09:59

  This is what it's going to sound like, this is what it's going to look like.

  09:59-10:04

  The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariots.

  10:04-10:06

  You kind of hear that in your head?

  10:07-10:21

  Well, here's what it looks like, verse 3, "Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end, they stumble over the bodies.

  10:23-10:36

  And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings and people with her charms.

  10:37-10:54

  God says, "You're like a prostitute. Not only are you wicked, but you're enticing other people into wickedness with you." Verse 5, the Lord says, "Behold, I am against you." He said that in 2:13. Everybody saw that.

  10:56-10:57

  The most chilling thing God can ever say, right?

  10:58-11:13

  "Behold, I am against you." declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face, and I will make nations look at your nakedness, and kingdoms at your shame.

  11:15-11:28

  I will throw filth at you, and treat you with contempt, and make you a spectacle." It's going to be humiliating.

  11:29-11:30

  Judgment is going to be humiliating.

  11:33-11:34

  Nineveh, hey, you're getting what you gain.

  11:35-11:36

  Right?

  11:37-11:41

  God says, and no one's going to care, by the way.

  11:42-11:42

  No one's going to care.

  11:42-11:43

  Look at verse 7.

  11:44-11:49

  "And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, 'Wasted is Nineveh!

  11:49-11:50

  Who will grieve for her?

  11:51-12:00

  Where shall I seek comforters for you?'" Like Nineveh, you're going down and it's going to be shameful, There's not a person that's going to give a rip.

  12:01-12:04

  There's going to be a giant funeral for you, and not one person is going to show up.

  12:06-12:08

  You see, Nineveh repented when Jonah preached.

  12:08-12:09

  Do you remember that?

  12:10-12:13

  But a little more than 100 years later, they were worse than ever.

  12:13-12:15

  And through Nahum, God is saying it's enough.

  12:16-12:18

  Repenting is not on the table anymore.

  12:18-12:20

  Judgment is the only thing on the table.

  12:20-12:21

  It's too late. It's over.

  12:22-12:36

  I'd like to remind you that someday And you don't know if God's going to allow you one more decade on this earth, if He's going to allow you one more year, one more week, or one more hour.

  12:38-12:46

  I'd like to remind you not to ever, ever presume upon God's patience.

  12:47-12:49

  Just because God's waited doesn't mean that He'll wait forever.

  12:51-12:54

  We've already covered that. Let's look at number two here.

  12:54-12:56

  So judgment is going to happen.

  12:56-12:58

  Someday it will be too late, number two.

  12:59-13:00

  It's been too late for others.

  13:00-13:07

  Verses 8 through 11, God's giving a case study of another city.

  13:07-13:08

  It's interesting.

  13:08-13:20

  This other city called Thebes, also called Neumann, was another city that was mighty and vicious and proud and actually was situated on a river and thought they were unstoppable.

  13:21-13:23

  So God gives a case study.

  13:24-13:34

  God says, "You better than Thebes?" That sat by the Nile with water around her, her rampart a sea and water her wall.

  13:35-13:43

  Cush was her strength, Egypt too, and that without limit, put, and the Libyans were her helpers.

  13:44-14:02

  So Thebes was actually the capital of South Egypt, and they fell to the Assyrians in 663 They had the water as natural barrier, they had alliances with Put and the Libyans, and God here is saying, "Oh, you think you're better than them.

  14:02-14:04

  Do you remember them? Do you remember the Thebes?

  14:06-14:19

  You're going to fall just like they did." Verses 10 and 11, "Yet she became an exile, she went into captivity, her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street.

  14:19-14:26

  For her honored men lots were cast, but all her great men were bound in chains.

  14:28-14:41

  You also will be drunken, you will go into hiding, you will seek refuge from the enemy." History is riddled with mighty nations, with people who have come and gone.

  14:44-14:46

  If you're taking notes, I want you to just jot down a little list here.

  14:47-14:57

  Write out names of people that you know, heard of, read about, that cheated death.

  15:00-15:04

  Write down the names of the people that you know of that figured out a way to avoid God.

  15:05-15:08

  Who was the person who managed to sidestep judgment?

  15:11-15:15

  Name the empire that was mighty enough to withstand the Lord Almighty.

  15:16-15:17

  Are you writing them down?

  15:20-15:22

  History is proof. That's what God's saying here.

  15:23-15:23

  History is proof.

  15:25-15:26

  You're not too big to fall.

  15:28-15:31

  You're not too mighty to withstand the Almighty.

  15:33-15:35

  Time is up for everyone at some point.

  15:37-15:41

  Number three, someday it will be too late, and your resources won't matter.

  15:43-15:44

  Resources won't matter.

  15:46-15:47

  Look at verses 12 and 13.

  15:47-15:52

  "All your fortresses are like fig trees, with first-ripe figs.

  15:53-15:58

  If shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater." What a picture.

  15:59-16:01

  God says, "You know these fortresses you think are so mighty?

  16:02-16:02

  You know how tough they are?

  16:03-16:25

  It's like a fig tree that somebody just goes up and opens their mouth and shakes the tree and the figs just fall in." He's like, "That's how tough you are." Not impressive. Everybody say, "Not impressive." Verse 13, "Behold, your troops are women in your midst." That is so not politically correct, Lord.

  16:28-16:30

  I'm sure God's not losing any sleep over that.

  16:30-16:32

  If He slept, He's not losing any sleep over that.

  16:32-16:34

  You understand the picture here, right?

  16:34-16:35

  You understand the picture.

  16:35-16:40

  Like you think your soldiers are a bunch of Darren Millers.

  16:40-16:41

  what you think they are.

  16:43-16:45

  God says, "You know what your soldiers are to me?

  16:45-16:51

  They're Livy-orts. That's what they are to me." No offense, but there's obviously a difference there, right?

  16:52-16:54

  Right? Right?

  16:55-16:59

  Okay. Come on. I hope.

  17:01-17:02

  Livy, that didn't offend you, did it?

  17:02-17:04

  Okay, you understand the picture.

  17:04-17:10

  You see, you're little and cute, And we're not scared of you.

  17:12-17:13

  And that's a good thing.

  17:15-17:18

  That's God's point here, because you think you're this and you're that.

  17:21-17:24

  "The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies.

  17:24-17:33

  Fire has devoured your bars." God says, "You're weak and defenseless." Verse 14, here comes more mocking.

  17:35-17:42

  God says, "Draw water for the seeds, strengthen your forts, go into the clay, tread the mortar, take hold of the brick mold.

  17:43-17:44

  There the fire will devour you.

  17:45-17:53

  The sword will cut you off, it will devour you like the locusts." Multiply yourselves like the locusts. Multiply like the grasshopper.

  17:55-17:59

  God says, he's mocking him, he says, "Your efforts are useless.

  17:59-18:06

  The numbers don't matter." He says, "You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens.

  18:07-18:09

  The locust spreads its wings and flies away.

  18:10-18:17

  Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in the day of cold.

  18:17-18:20

  When the sun rises, they fly away. No one knows where they are.

  18:21-18:24

  Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria.

  18:25-18:26

  Your nobles slumber.

  18:27-18:35

  Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them." God's saying, "First of all, your commerce will not make a difference.

  18:36-18:40

  I don't care how big your economy is." Again, not too big to fail.

  18:42-18:55

  God says, "Your commerce, your merchants, they're not going to make a difference." He says, "Your government can't stop me." And He says, "Your important people are gone." Do you see that? Look again, verse 18.

  18:56-19:06

  "Your shepherds are asleep, your nobles slumber." And you know, I was thinking about that a lot this week, because how does something like that translate to our day?

  19:06-19:12

  Like if God was giving this message in our day, who would be the nobles?

  19:13-19:16

  I thought who would be considered the important people?

  19:19-19:20

  You know who that is, right?

  19:20-19:23

  It's the celebrities, right?

  19:23-19:24

  It's the celebrities.

  19:27-19:42

  These celebrities, they're very good at what they do, But they make a living pretending to be something else, and all of a sudden they're the expert in all matters of morality and theology and politics.

  19:45-19:49

  And church, it absolutely floors me that anybody gives a rip what a celebrity says.

  19:49-19:50

  Absolutely floors me.

  19:52-19:56

  A couple of recent examples where people were just...

  19:56-19:58

  Christians were just so shocked and outraged.

  19:59-20:10

  You remember recently Joy Behar mocked Christians on The View, saying, you know, "It's a mental illness." Did you see that?

  20:12-20:13

  I'm sorry, who?

  20:15-20:31

  I was like, I heard that, I'm like, "Who the heck's Joy Behar?" Follow-up question, "Why do I care what she said?" So are we that shocked that a godless person made a godless comment?

  20:31-20:32

  (gasps)

  20:33-20:36

  I would have been more shocked if she'd get on the view reading scripture.

  20:38-20:40

  That would have shocked me.

  20:42-20:46

  You know, whoopie, what do you think about Revelation 19 or whatever?

  20:49-20:58

  If these celebrities get on there, they're the nobles, they're the important people of our day and everybody just hangs on their every tweet.

  21:00-21:01

  Maybe we should pray for her.

  21:03-21:11

  Going back a couple years prior, Kathy Griffin in accepting an award said Jesus had nothing to do with it.

  21:13-21:14

  She says people get up and thank Jesus.

  21:16-21:17

  Jesus had nothing to do with this.

  21:17-21:24

  She then told Jesus to quote suck it and said that the Emmy was her God.

  21:26-21:27

  Well, she's going to be in for a surprise.

  21:29-21:31

  Maybe we should pray for her.

  21:33-21:34

  But that's the point here.

  21:36-21:37

  It doesn't matter.

  21:39-21:48

  When judgment is coming, that day when it's too late for the Joy Behars and the Kathy Griffins, Any of them.

  21:50-22:04

  When judgment is coming, it doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't matter who your friends are, it doesn't matter your position at work, it doesn't matter how much kale you've eaten, and it doesn't matter how many burpees you've done.

  22:04-22:09

  When it's too late, your resources are not going to grant you an extension.

  22:10-22:12

  Not now, God, I'm in for a promotion.

  22:13-22:15

  Not now, God, do you know how much money I make?

  22:15-22:20

  He doesn't care, because someday it's going to be too late.

  22:23-22:25

  And that's the point that he's making here in Nahum.

  22:25-22:38

  "Oh, your merchants are like locusts and grasshoppers, so multiplied and so busy and so..." God's like, "At the end of the day, you're a group of insects.

  22:40-22:49

  Someday it will be too late." Number four, someday it will be too late, and there is no coming back.

  22:51-22:53

  All of that that I said to this point was the introduction.

  22:55-22:56

  This is the sermon.

  22:57-22:58

  And it's all in verse 19.

  23:00-23:01

  Look at this with me closely.

  23:02-23:06

  God says, "This is how Nahum ends, okay?

  23:09-23:10

  There is no easing your hurt.

  23:12-23:13

  Your wound is grievous.

  23:15-23:19

  All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you.

  23:21-23:28

  For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?" Nahum closes with the message, "Someday it will be too late.

  23:29-23:30

  There's no coming back.

  23:31-23:36

  It's all over." Back to where we started right there.

  23:37-23:38

  There's a point of no return.

  23:40-23:42

  Remember I said the lie that people believe?

  23:42-23:43

  You will not always have the chance to repent.

  23:43-23:45

  I'll repent later. I'll repent later.

  23:45-23:47

  You will not always have the chance to repent.

  23:47-23:49

  I know I've shared this story before.

  23:49-23:53

  In this instance, it certainly bears repeating, but I think about this guy often.

  23:53-23:58

  One time in the prison ministry, we go into Butler County and have Bible study.

  23:58-24:38

  I had a guy one time, some of you guys heard this story, but this guy, he said, "I have a question." I said, "Yeah, what's your question?" He said, "So are you telling me that if I was on my deathbed, And I pray and receive Jesus then, I'll go to heaven." And I'm like, "Oh, I know where this is going." And I said, "Yeah, technically that's true." He goes, "Well, I'll just do that. I'll just do that." And I said, "No, you won't." He's like, "What do you mean, 'No, I won't'? Why won't I?" I said, "Well, there's two reasons you're not going to do that. Two reasons.

  24:39-24:44

  Number one, you might not have a deathbed, right?

  24:46-24:48

  Oh, wouldn't it be great if that's how we all died?

  24:48-25:09

  We all live to be 120, and we're in our deathbed, in our homes, and our families surrounding us and holding our hands, and they're singing, you know, "Will the circle be unbroken" very softly to us, and we just fall asleep and we don't wake up.

  25:10-25:12

  Wouldn't it be nice if we all had that?

  25:14-25:16

  Do you know how often that actually happens?

  25:18-25:19

  Hardly ever, right?

  25:20-25:26

  How many of us could get up here and tell stories of people who have died way too soon, unexpectedly?

  25:28-25:32

  accidents, heart attacks, strokes.

  25:35-25:41

  So you might not have a deathbed, but there's even a worse problem.

  25:42-25:49

  Well, I told the guys, I said, hypothetically, let's pretend here, hypothetically, you have a deathbed experience.

  25:49-25:50

  I'm gonna give you that.

  25:51-25:56

  You live to be 120 and you're on your deathbed, your family's surrounding you, will the circle be unbroken, all that stuff, right?

  25:57-25:58

  And I'm gonna give you that.

  25:58-26:06

  I'll grant you that." There is no way, there is no way in that moment you will receive Jesus Christ.

  26:06-26:07

  Why not?

  26:08-26:22

  I said, "Because leading up to that point, you will have spent decades saying no to God, shutting God out, ignoring God." And you know what the Bible calls that?

  26:22-26:24

  The Bible calls that hardening your heart.

  26:25-26:29

  How hard do you think your heart is going to be after decades of hardening it?

  26:29-26:30

  How hard do you think it's going to be?

  26:30-26:32

  It's going to be rock solid.

  26:33-26:40

  And the chances of the Word of God penetrating a heart that has said no for decades, it is not going to happen.

  26:41-26:43

  Not because the fault's on God's end, oh no, no.

  26:43-26:49

  The fault's on your end, because you have committed yourself to a lifetime of saying no to Jesus Christ.

  26:51-26:59

  So don't think that there's going to come a point where you've chosen to say no for decades and then magically you're interested in the things of God.

  27:01-27:02

  So there's no coming back.

  27:02-27:05

  You're like, "Do you mean after you die?" Yeah, yeah.

  27:05-27:09

  Okay, clear teaching of the Bible, this life is your opportunity, right?

  27:10-27:24

  Hebrews 9.27 says, "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." That is absolutely true. This life is your opportunity.

  27:27-27:30

  But I want you to listen very closely to this.

  27:32-27:37

  You can lose the opportunity to get saved.

  27:38-27:41

  You can go past the point of no return.

  27:41-27:46

  You can be in a position where you are unable to repent.

  27:47-27:53

  you can cross a line that you can't come back from in this life.

  27:55-27:59

  Again, it's not that God is unable to reach you.

  28:01-28:08

  But in this life, you can harden yourself to the point that you cannot be reached.

  28:08-28:10

  And I want you to look at this passage with me.

  28:11-28:15

  This is from Hebrews 6. We're just going to look at a couple of verses here.

  28:17-28:23

  It says, "For it is" - do you see that word? - "impossible." Do you know what that word means?

  28:25-28:26

  Not possible. Right?

  28:27-28:59

  "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding Him up to contempt." Let's keep this passage up here.

  28:59-29:15

  This passage clearly teaches that someone can be around Christians, can be around the Holy Spirit, can be around the church, but never receive Christ.

  29:16-29:21

  You see, there's some people that teach this passage is talking about a Christian who loses their salvation.

  29:22-29:26

  Absolutely not. This is not teaching that whatsoever.

  29:26-29:28

  Because look, look at the language that's being used.

  29:29-29:38

  It doesn't say the person who is born again, the person who is regenerate, the person who is fully committed to following Christ.

  29:38-29:41

  That's not the language used in this passage at all.

  29:41-29:42

  Look at the words that are used.

  29:42-30:08

  It says, "They've been enlightened, they know something." "They've tasted the heavenly gifts." It doesn't say, "They possess the Holy Spirit." It says, "They've shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God." This is clearly talking about somebody that's around Christians, around the work of the Holy Spirit.

  30:09-30:16

  Notice a couple of times he says "tasted." So if you're still not convinced, here's what I want you to do.

  30:16-30:29

  I want you to invite me to lunch after service, and whatever you order, you're going to get a taste of it, and then I'm going to take it away from you.

  30:31-30:35

  And then you'll understand there's a big difference between tasting something and consuming something.

  30:36-30:45

  Right? These people haven't fully embraced and consumed Christ like Jesus calls you to in John 6.

  30:45-30:56

  They've simply been around long enough to get some of the overflow of what it is like to be around somebody that has the Holy Spirit.

  30:57-31:00

  Right? They get a knowledge of the gospel, they get a taste of what it's like.

  31:01-31:07

  It's the guy or the girl that visits church, they seem to like going to church, They go to small groups, and the people seem nice in small groups.

  31:07-31:10

  And they feel good about being around them.

  31:10-31:15

  They appreciate them, and they even get a taste of the benefits of being in the family of God.

  31:16-31:31

  That's why it says, "Tasted the goodness of the word of God, and the powers of the age to come." You can be in this church and not be saved, but still get a little sample of heaven, because this is what heaven is going to be like.

  31:31-31:34

  God's people, God's truth, worshipping God, praising God all about Jesus.

  31:35-31:42

  So you're getting like this taste of it all, but never receiving Jesus Christ personally.

  31:44-31:50

  And he said, "If they then fall away," meaning this.

  31:51-31:53

  I know this passage says a lot, but here's the point.

  31:53-32:05

  When you get to the point that you truly understand who Jesus is, You truly understand what Jesus Christ has done, then you walk away.

  32:07-32:10

  It's impossible to get such a person back to them.

  32:12-32:14

  This is one of the scariest things in the Bible church.

  32:16-32:24

  You can get to the threshold, and you understand in your head, "I see who Jesus is. It makes sense to me now.

  32:24-32:26

  I understand why He died for me.

  32:27-32:30

  I understand it's the love of God that spared not His own Son.

  32:31-32:34

  And I understand He rose from the dead. I understand it.

  32:37-32:41

  But I'm not receiving.

  32:42-32:44

  My sin is more important to me.

  32:44-32:46

  My selfish lifestyle is more important to me.

  32:47-32:51

  See, this passage is saying you can't get the person back to that place.

  32:53-32:54

  They were before.

  32:56-32:59

  Now look, I don't know when that is for each person, okay?

  32:59-33:01

  I can't see your heart. Only God can see your heart.

  33:01-33:06

  Only God knows when that actually happens in a person's life.

  33:06-33:13

  So I don't know when it happens in a person, but here's the thing, church, I know that it does happen.

  33:16-33:22

  So the point is, the whole "I'll wait till later," that is the worst idea ever.

  33:22-33:36

  Because like Mr. Deathbed's plan, If you keep hardening your heart, you get to the place where it is impossible to get that person to repent. Impossible.

  33:38-33:40

  That should scare you like nothing else.

  33:42-33:44

  The person that says, "Oh, I'll repent later.

  33:45-33:48

  After this season of my life, I know I'm kind of involved in sin now.

  33:48-33:51

  I'm going to get serious about God later. I'm going to repent later.

  33:51-33:52

  I'll give my life to Jesus later.

  33:53-33:57

  I'll always have a chance to repent." No, you won't.

  34:00-34:04

  Hebrews 3-4, don't turn there.

  34:05-34:11

  Got that down there. Hebrews 3-4, five times it says, "Today." Today, today, today, today, today.

  34:11-34:15

  Today, if you hear God's voice, do not harden your heart.

  34:17-34:22

  Isaiah 55-6, again, look at this.

  34:22-34:29

  "Seek the Lord while he may be found." You know what that verse tells us?

  34:31-34:34

  There's going to come a time that God's not going to be found.

  34:36-34:45

  There's going to come a time that maybe you want to search for God, but it's been too late.

  34:47-34:55

  Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near." Lots of bad news today.

  34:57-34:58

  This is good news.

  35:00-35:06

  "Call upon Him while He is near." You know what the good news is? Right now, He is near.

  35:07-35:08

  He is near right now!

  35:11-35:15

  And it doesn't matter who you are, and it doesn't matter what you've done.

  35:18-35:33

  Today, today, if God's Holy Spirit is stirring something in your heart with this message, this isn't something to chew on and think about, maybe possibly down the road, today.

  35:35-35:37

  Because someday it might be too late.

  35:40-35:46

  Someday it will be too late, if you keep putting it off.

  35:47-35:48

  I want you to bow your heads with me.

  35:49-35:51

  The worship team is going to make their way forward.

  35:51-35:56

  But I want you to bow your heads, as we close this series, church.

  35:56-35:57

  The day of judgment is coming.

  36:00-36:02

  But today is the day of grace.

  36:02-36:06

  Today is the day that we can call upon God while He is near.

  36:08-36:10

  I'm going to lead us in a prayer.

  36:10-36:21

  Now listen, if you're sitting here today and you are born again, you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I want you to pray for someone who needs to take that step.

  36:24-36:35

  But if you're listening to this, if you're sitting here, and you have been putting Him off, putting Him off, I'll repent later." And now you realize, "You know what? I might not have later.

  36:36-36:42

  Someday it is going to be too late for me." I want you to pray something like this.

  36:43-36:49

  I'm going to give you some words and some phrases here, and it's not a matter of just repeating them, right?

  36:52-37:04

  It's understanding these concepts and personalizing them, and praying them from your own heart to say, "Yes, I agree with these things, And God, I'm crying out to You personally.

  37:06-37:08

  I'm going to give you the opportunity right now.

  37:09-37:17

  First of all, pray something like this, "God, I realize that I am a sinner." Like one of our elders said this morning, "We are all sinners.

  37:17-37:24

  We've all fallen short of the glory of God." And step one in coming to Jesus Christ is acknowledging that.

  37:24-37:26

  Acknowledge that right now before the Lord.

  37:28-37:36

  Next, pray something like this, I understand that Jesus Christ died in my place, and He rose to give me eternal life.

  37:39-37:53

  And then pray, God, I believe, and I receive Him, because receiving Him makes me a forgiven child of God.

  37:58-38:04

  God, I know You want none to perish. You want everyone to come to the truth.

  38:05-38:09

  God, You love us and spared no expense.

  38:11-38:16

  You spared not even Your own Son, but delivered Him up for us all.

  38:17-38:23

  God, You let Your Son be brutally executed to pay the penalty for all the wrong things that I've done.

  38:27-38:43

  Pray, "Today, Father, I cry out to You, and receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior." Pray, "God, I know I cannot put it off.

  38:45-38:48

  Today, I want to give my life to You.

  38:50-38:57

  Let Your Holy Spirit come into my life and transform me.

  39:00-39:00

  Pray that.

  39:03-39:06

  Father, as there are people praying that right now, I lift them up before You.

  39:07-39:13

  God, I thank You that Your Word tells us, "You do not delight in the death of the wicked.

  39:13-39:20

  It is Your will that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Your Word tells us that you desire that all men would be saved.

  39:22-39:26

  And again, God, Your Word tells us that You spared not Your own Son, but You delivered Him up for us all.

  39:27-39:31

  You did everything, Father, so that our sins could be forgiven.

  39:34-39:38

  Father, I lift up the person right now who, maybe they've been confused about that.

  39:38-39:43

  Maybe they still are. Maybe they're struggling with understanding all of this.

  39:47-39:54

  Let your Holy Spirit and your Word do the work that you do, in the way that only you can do it.

  39:56-39:58

  Let salvation spring up from the ground.

  40:01-40:02

  Let righteousness rain down.

  40:04-40:08

  Let more children be adopted into your family today.

  40:10-40:10

  Today.

  40:12-40:14

  Because someday it will be too late.

  40:16-40:18

  Thank You, Father, for Your mercy and Your grace.

  40:19-40:21

  We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Nahum 3

1. Read Nahum 3:5-7. Why does God make the judgment so shameful?

2. Why did God mention what happened to Thebes (No amon, Nahum 3:8-11)?

3. When was the last time you have warned someone about God's judgment? Why are we so reluctant to do so?

4. What was your big "take-away" from this passage / message? What was your big "takeaway" from the series?

Breakout Questions:

Pray for one another.