WEBVTT 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:01.062 Galatians, chapter 6. 00:00:01.062 --> 00:00:04.987 How many of you guys have ever been to the South before, ever been in the South before? 00:00:04.987 --> 00:00:06.780 Okay, so many of you guys. 00:00:06.780 --> 00:00:08.303 All my family. 00:00:08.303 --> 00:00:15.252 They grew up on the East Coast, they were in the East Coast and my mom's family they were in the South. 00:00:16.039 --> 00:00:23.254 Now, if you've been to the South, you know the South is very different than Solano County. 00:00:23.254 --> 00:00:30.943 I mean, for one, everybody talks weird out there For some reason. 00:00:30.943 --> 00:00:34.310 For some reason they think that we talk weird. 00:00:34.310 --> 00:00:35.893 I mean, go figure, you know. 00:00:35.893 --> 00:00:44.051 I mean they got, they got Waffle House out there, they got Shoney's out there. 00:00:44.051 --> 00:00:51.133 You know, when they say, when they say barbecue, like we're going to a barbecue place, it's a whole different definition than how we define that. 00:00:51.133 --> 00:00:54.162 I mean I'm telling you what they got all these meats and all. 00:00:54.162 --> 00:00:54.984 I mean all kinds of stuff. 00:00:55.045 --> 00:01:13.453 It's crazy and I'd go out there and and one of the things that was really different for me at least where my grandparents lived in the country, is nobody had any fences in their backyards and as an eight-year-old kid I was like what happens when your dogs run away? 00:01:13.453 --> 00:01:19.466 And they would say, ah, they always come back. 00:01:19.466 --> 00:01:21.310 What if they don't? 00:01:21.310 --> 00:01:33.960 You know, growing up in the suburbs, you had backyards with fences around them and there is this clear boundary of their yard, my yard, right their front yard, my front yard. 00:01:33.960 --> 00:01:38.131 They were responsible to mow their yard, we were responsible to mow our yard. 00:01:38.131 --> 00:01:38.832 Take that back. 00:01:38.832 --> 00:01:47.256 I was responsible to mow our yard as a kid and it was very clear what the boundaries were. 00:01:47.977 --> 00:01:57.683 We understand that when it comes to property, but in other places in our lives sometimes it's hard to know where boundaries are or where to set boundaries. 00:01:57.683 --> 00:02:03.694 You know what I'm saying, especially when it comes to people. 00:02:03.694 --> 00:02:09.651 Especially when it comes to people, because we care about people, we love people. 00:02:09.651 --> 00:02:26.645 Thankfully, scripture actually speaks into this and we're going to be in a place in Galatians 6 that's going to be incredibly refreshing to so many of us, because this is what you're going to see today, right from Scripture when and how do we set boundaries with people? 00:02:26.645 --> 00:02:34.288 And even if you don't need this message right now, I promise you're going to need this message at some point in your life. 00:02:35.330 --> 00:02:40.209 Now this begs the question talking about boundaries, how can we articulate what a boundary is? 00:02:40.209 --> 00:02:41.812 Here's what a boundary is. 00:02:41.812 --> 00:02:54.883 A boundary is a line you set between your responsibility and their responsibility, between your responsibility with some things and their responsibility with things. 00:02:54.883 --> 00:03:04.554 Now here's what's so hard about setting boundaries with people is, at times, setting boundaries feels like we're being unloving. 00:03:04.554 --> 00:03:22.109 Setting boundaries feels like we're being unloving, especially when the person we're trying to set boundaries with, either directly or indirectly, says things like well, if you love me, then you would, or if you cared about me, then you would. 00:03:22.109 --> 00:03:31.133 And they say things like you're being unloving or you're not being Christianly, and we get guilted or we get pressured. 00:03:31.133 --> 00:03:41.328 We feel like we should do more and, before we know it, when we don't have clear boundaries, our lives get a little off kilter. 00:03:41.328 --> 00:03:43.293 Or our lives get a little out of whack. 00:03:43.293 --> 00:03:49.195 A little off kilter, or our lives get a little out of whack. 00:03:49.195 --> 00:03:50.020 You may have felt this before. 00:03:50.020 --> 00:03:55.040 You may be there right now. 00:03:55.040 --> 00:03:55.382 So what do we do? 00:03:55.401 --> 00:04:24.081 Well, as Jesus followers, we go to scripture to find answers, to get wisdom for these things, and I honestly I don't say this all the time, but I really say this today I cannot implore you enough to lean in to God's word this morning, because what we're going to see in God's word is going to save you a lot of energy, a lot of pain, a lot of unnecessary guilt and, frankly, probably a lot of money that you'd spend in a counselor's office where they would talk to you about setting boundaries, when we're going to see it in scripture today. 00:04:24.081 --> 00:04:28.002 So we're going to pick it up in Galatians, chapter 6, verse number 1. 00:04:28.002 --> 00:04:30.024 And if you're ready for the word, would you say amen. 00:04:30.024 --> 00:04:31.545 That's what he says. 00:04:31.545 --> 00:04:41.632 He says brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, this means if somebody has sinned, if somebody has broken God's law. 00:04:41.632 --> 00:04:44.494 By the way, let's just kind of get on the same playing field real quick. 00:04:44.494 --> 00:04:46.334 How many of you have ever sinned before? 00:04:46.334 --> 00:04:47.415 Go and raise up your hand. 00:04:47.415 --> 00:04:48.697 Okay, thank you. 00:04:48.697 --> 00:04:50.218 Did anybody not raise their hand? 00:04:50.218 --> 00:04:54.387 All right, we've all sinned, we've all broken God's law. 00:04:54.786 --> 00:05:03.730 If anybody's overtaken by a wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, all that means is those of us that are depending on the Holy Spirit. 00:05:03.730 --> 00:05:09.581 Living our lives led by the Spirit doesn't mean somebody that's like self-righteous and I'm—no no, it's not that I'm living my life depending on the Holy Spirit. 00:05:09.581 --> 00:05:11.745 I am to restore a person. 00:05:11.745 --> 00:05:24.584 So when a person sins, if they have a repentant spirit and they come to us, we are to restore them, watching out for yourselves so that you won't be tempted. 00:05:24.584 --> 00:05:32.031 If somebody has a repentant spirit hey, I did wrong, I messed up we are to receive that person back, and what we're to do for all of us. 00:05:32.071 --> 00:05:37.014 Verse number two is we're to carry one another's burdens. 00:05:37.014 --> 00:05:40.677 That way, you fulfill the law of Christ. 00:05:40.677 --> 00:05:42.781 Now, what's a burden? 00:05:42.781 --> 00:05:46.588 A burden is something of excess of Christ. 00:05:46.588 --> 00:05:47.250 Now, what's a burden? 00:05:47.250 --> 00:05:48.355 A burden is something of excess. 00:05:48.355 --> 00:05:59.120 A burden is something that's too big for one person to carry alone. 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:01.201 Burden might be a season of grief and suffering that's just an excess. 00:06:01.201 --> 00:06:04.283 It might be a season of temptation and anxiety that's in excess. 00:06:04.283 --> 00:06:07.365 It might be a job loss that's in excess. 00:06:07.365 --> 00:06:13.689 It could be a whole host of things that's just too big for one person to carry alone. 00:06:14.870 --> 00:06:23.177 And the verse says that when we carry each other's burdens, that we fulfill the law of Christ, which is to love God and to love others. 00:06:23.177 --> 00:06:37.461 So something that's very foundational and important to know when we have this conversation about boundaries is number one we are called to carry other people's burdens. 00:06:37.461 --> 00:06:40.985 We are called to carry each other's burdens. 00:06:40.985 --> 00:06:57.574 When life gets too heavy and things get too hard and people are carrying this load that they just can't carry on their own that, you and me, we're called to carry each other's burdens. 00:06:58.939 --> 00:07:02.050 If we refuse to carry each other's burdens, verse 3 says something about us. 00:07:02.050 --> 00:07:08.012 It says If anybody considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 00:07:08.012 --> 00:07:12.444 You ever met somebody that thought they were something when they weren't? 00:07:12.444 --> 00:07:16.612 Have you ever thought you were something when you weren't? 00:07:16.612 --> 00:07:20.464 Hey, here's the deal. 00:07:20.464 --> 00:07:26.302 If we think that we're too important to help carry somebody else's burdens, no, I don't have time for you. 00:07:26.302 --> 00:07:27.045 No, I'm too busy. 00:07:27.045 --> 00:07:27.848 No, I'm too this. 00:07:27.848 --> 00:07:28.629 No, I'm too that. 00:07:28.629 --> 00:07:37.428 We would be what my mom says a little too big for your britches, that we are to think of ourselves as more important than somebody else. 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:39.882 Paul says walk in humility. 00:07:39.882 --> 00:07:43.646 And then he introduces something that's really important when it comes to this. 00:07:43.646 --> 00:07:50.255 He introduces something, this idea, this truth of personal responsibility. 00:07:50.255 --> 00:07:53.267 Personal responsibility in verse 4. 00:07:53.267 --> 00:07:56.430 That we all are to have personal responsibility. 00:07:56.430 --> 00:07:57.904 This is what he says. 00:07:57.904 --> 00:08:01.290 He says let each person, you know who each person is. 00:08:01.290 --> 00:08:02.946 That is each person. 00:08:02.946 --> 00:08:04.927 It's me, it's you, all of us. 00:08:04.927 --> 00:08:07.127 We're to examine our own work. 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:16.831 And then he take pride in himself alone and not compare himself with someone else. 00:08:16.831 --> 00:08:19.665 You ever compared yourself with somebody? 00:08:19.665 --> 00:08:24.471 Isn't it hard not to in this social media saturated world. 00:08:24.471 --> 00:08:35.441 You know, it's so easy to compare where you live to where they live, to their job, to your job, to what they drive, to compare to what you drive to where they go on vacation, to where you're like all I'm going to do is a staycation this year. 00:08:35.441 --> 00:08:37.866 You know to what they look like. 00:08:37.866 --> 00:08:43.322 It's just so easy to compare ourselves, paul says. 00:08:43.322 --> 00:08:46.014 But everybody should take pride in himself alone. 00:08:46.014 --> 00:08:48.100 Pride I thought pride was bad. 00:08:48.783 --> 00:08:52.392 This pride here is not saying I'm better than you or self-focused, this is what it is. 00:08:52.392 --> 00:09:02.134 It's me saying I look at my life and my responsibilities and the things that I'm called to carry and I take pride in the fact that I'm fulfilling my role. 00:09:02.134 --> 00:09:06.148 Now here's what's easy for me to do, and probably easy for you to do. 00:09:06.148 --> 00:09:12.388 It's for me to pick up the binoculars and for me to look at everybody else and look at their shortcomings. 00:09:12.388 --> 00:09:14.426 Oh, you messed up there. 00:09:14.426 --> 00:09:16.386 Oh, you have a shortcoming there. 00:09:16.386 --> 00:09:19.365 They're not a very good parent there. 00:09:19.365 --> 00:09:20.904 Oh, I can't believe they. 00:09:20.904 --> 00:09:22.724 This is normal. 00:09:22.724 --> 00:09:23.888 This is what Paul says. 00:09:23.888 --> 00:09:25.642 Put the binoculars down. 00:09:25.642 --> 00:09:38.690 Oh, pick up a mirror and look at yourself and look at your responsibilities and ask yourself am I carrying my load? 00:09:38.690 --> 00:09:44.725 And look at the fruits of my life and say are the fruits of my life what they should be? 00:09:44.725 --> 00:09:54.525 And the reason I should look at my own life is because I need to make sure what the next verse says is actually happening. 00:09:54.525 --> 00:09:59.634 It says let each person carry his own load. 00:10:01.758 --> 00:10:07.335 Now, depending on the translation that you have a lot of translations it uses the word carry his own burden. 00:10:07.335 --> 00:10:14.875 So verse two it says we're to carry each other, we're to bear one another's burden, and then verse five says we're to carry our own burden. 00:10:14.875 --> 00:10:16.658 It's a contradiction. 00:10:16.658 --> 00:10:19.552 The YouTube TikToker was right. 00:10:19.552 --> 00:10:21.270 The Bible's filled with contradictions. 00:10:21.270 --> 00:10:23.993 Pastor Nate, you just pointed out, I just saw it. 00:10:23.993 --> 00:10:25.009 I don't believe any of it. 00:10:25.009 --> 00:10:31.955 Okay, time out, hold on, let's look at where these words come from. 00:10:31.955 --> 00:10:37.587 Okay, verse two the word burden comes from the word Greek word baros. 00:10:37.587 --> 00:10:39.934 The New Testament was written in Greek, so that's how we translate it. 00:10:39.934 --> 00:10:43.110 That word means something of excess. 00:10:43.110 --> 00:10:50.875 In verse five, the word load or burden comes from the word fortune, which means something to be carried. 00:10:50.875 --> 00:10:52.802 So there's a difference. 00:10:52.802 --> 00:10:54.547 There's a distinction between these words. 00:10:54.547 --> 00:10:56.312 Now, this is why I bring this up. 00:10:56.732 --> 00:11:06.006 Oftentimes, a very simple Bible study, like we just did in the last 60 seconds, can bring to surface and bring clarity to some supposed contradictions. 00:11:06.006 --> 00:11:11.859 And God gave you and God gave me a mind to reason and to think and to study. 00:11:11.859 --> 00:11:13.932 And God is not scared of your questions. 00:11:13.932 --> 00:11:17.429 God's not sitting in heaven with his knees knocking saying I hope they don't doubt me. 00:11:17.429 --> 00:11:19.371 I hope God's not worried about that. 00:11:19.371 --> 00:11:27.596 God welcomes your questions and when you study scripture we can see here exactly what it's saying. 00:11:27.596 --> 00:11:31.613 And in the verse, verse five, it says we're to carry our own load. 00:11:31.613 --> 00:11:35.912 So I kind of want to illustrate this so we can kind of get a picture of what does it mean to carry our own load? 00:11:36.284 --> 00:11:37.610 So I brought something with me today. 00:11:37.610 --> 00:11:42.275 I brought a good old fashioned backpack. 00:11:42.275 --> 00:11:45.890 Now I want y'all to notice something about this backpack. 00:11:45.890 --> 00:11:53.467 Come on, y'all already know this is SF. 00:11:53.467 --> 00:11:57.037 This is not LA Mason's a Dodgers fan. 00:11:57.037 --> 00:11:58.125 Let's pray for that guy right now. 00:11:58.125 --> 00:11:59.128 Moment of prayer. 00:11:59.128 --> 00:12:02.775 Okay, this is the Giants. 00:12:02.775 --> 00:12:04.748 We're not going to talk about how good the Dodgers are. 00:12:04.748 --> 00:12:06.673 We're not going to talk about where we're at in the standings, we're just. 00:12:06.673 --> 00:12:08.746 We're not going to do that because we're a place of peace. 00:12:08.746 --> 00:12:10.149 We're a unified group of people. 00:12:10.149 --> 00:12:11.269 We are better than me here. 00:12:11.269 --> 00:12:20.360 So I brought this backpack and we are all supposed to carry our own load. 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:26.745 So we could say we are all called to carry our own backpack. 00:12:26.965 --> 00:12:34.719 Now here's what I mean by that Is there are responsibilities that you have that you are to carry in your backpack of your life. 00:12:34.719 --> 00:12:42.979 So, for example, in the backpack, your load, one of the things in there is your behavior. 00:12:42.979 --> 00:12:46.187 That is your responsibility. 00:12:46.187 --> 00:12:48.010 That's your load. 00:12:48.010 --> 00:12:50.575 That's not my load to carry. 00:12:50.575 --> 00:12:51.636 Your behavior that's you. 00:12:51.636 --> 00:12:58.254 Here's something else the words that come out of our mouth that's your load. 00:12:58.254 --> 00:13:00.198 That's your responsibility. 00:13:00.198 --> 00:13:14.585 Here's something else how we handle our finances, whether we make $100 a week or $10,000 a week, we are responsible for how we handle what God has put in our hand a week. 00:13:14.585 --> 00:13:16.006 We are responsible for how we handle what God has put in our hand. 00:13:16.006 --> 00:13:18.812 Here's something else that's in our load Our emotions and how we express our emotions. 00:13:18.812 --> 00:13:22.256 That is our load. 00:13:22.256 --> 00:13:24.504 And what Paul says here. 00:13:24.504 --> 00:13:29.154 Paul says is every person needs to carry their own load. 00:13:29.154 --> 00:13:34.647 And we could go on and on and on, and I could ask you what is your personal responsibility? 00:13:34.647 --> 00:13:36.890 That you know is your role. 00:13:36.890 --> 00:13:39.095 That's what you are to carry. 00:13:39.095 --> 00:13:41.907 It is in your backpack to brush your teeth. 00:13:41.907 --> 00:13:43.230 That's not my responsibility. 00:13:43.230 --> 00:13:49.350 Parents are looking at their kids like, hey, yeah, this is you. 00:13:49.450 --> 00:13:58.000 Right Now, there's a difference between a burden, a backpack, a load, a backpack and a burden. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:59.529 There's a difference between those. 00:13:59.529 --> 00:14:00.373 Right, this is a load. 00:14:00.373 --> 00:14:02.745 There's a difference between that and a burden. 00:14:02.745 --> 00:14:05.714 A burden would be like a boulder. 00:14:05.714 --> 00:14:07.828 In fact, we have a picture up on the screen. 00:14:07.828 --> 00:14:11.710 See that Now that guy looks pretty tough. 00:14:11.710 --> 00:14:15.907 But I don't care how tough that dude is. 00:14:15.907 --> 00:14:18.052 Eventually, eventually, he ain't gonna be. 00:14:18.052 --> 00:14:19.596 He ain't gonna be able to carry that very long. 00:14:19.596 --> 00:14:26.307 He could even be Arnold Schwarzenegger and he can't carry that very long. 00:14:26.326 --> 00:14:27.106 Now, some of y'all are making jokes. 00:14:27.106 --> 00:14:28.668 Some of y'all are like Pastor Nate, that could be you up there. 00:14:28.668 --> 00:14:29.909 You know, whatever, okay, I'm the head of the game. 00:14:29.909 --> 00:14:30.730 I'm the head of the game. 00:14:30.730 --> 00:14:35.495 Okay, it doesn't matter, this is a boulder. 00:14:35.495 --> 00:14:42.022 And if this person doesn't get help with this boulder, you know what's going to happen to him. 00:14:42.022 --> 00:14:56.806 Next picture this is a burden. 00:14:56.806 --> 00:14:57.767 This is not a load, this is not a backpack. 00:14:57.767 --> 00:14:59.909 He needed help, or else he got crushed. 00:15:01.913 --> 00:15:08.768 Now, kind of side note, he needs to tell somebody that he's carrying a burden, because not everybody knows. 00:15:08.768 --> 00:15:15.519 Side note, if other people don't know he's carrying a burden, other people can't help him. 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:25.094 And we could say this is that a burden is like a boulder, but a load is like a backpack. 00:15:25.094 --> 00:15:40.096 So to be very clear God calls us to help carry other people's burdens, their boulders, but we are responsible to carry our own backpack. 00:15:40.096 --> 00:15:57.585 So number two each person must take personal responsibility for their load, their load. 00:15:57.585 --> 00:16:17.761 And when I choose to carry somebody else's backpack, to carry their load that God has designed them to carry, I am robbing robbing them of the personal responsibility that God has given them to carry their own load. 00:16:17.761 --> 00:16:24.976 And sometimes we think we're helping when we're actually enabling. 00:16:24.976 --> 00:16:30.749 Okay, sometimes I'm helping this person. 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:49.148 No, because that's their own load, because there's people that we can give and we can give and we can give to, and they keep making bad decisions and saying hurtful things and engaging in unhealthy behavior and we think will they ever get it? 00:16:49.148 --> 00:16:51.350 How much more do I have to do? 00:16:51.350 --> 00:16:52.653 Ever get it? 00:16:52.653 --> 00:16:55.456 How much more do I have to do? 00:16:55.456 --> 00:16:56.698 Probably experienced some people like that. 00:16:56.698 --> 00:17:06.185 You might be kind of wrestling through that right now with somebody and what scripture says? 00:17:06.205 --> 00:17:08.567 Super strong scripture calls these people fools and it says they're acting foolishly. 00:17:08.567 --> 00:17:19.662 In Proverbs, chapter 14, it says A wise person is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool is easily angered and is careless. 00:17:19.662 --> 00:17:21.750 They're just like sure. 00:17:21.750 --> 00:17:22.934 They're careless with their words. 00:17:22.934 --> 00:17:27.352 Well, that's what I was thinking, so I just said it. 00:17:27.352 --> 00:17:29.116 They were careless with their behavior. 00:17:29.116 --> 00:17:34.192 Well, I just felt like I wanted to do it, so I just did it. 00:17:34.192 --> 00:17:37.308 Careless with their life, not considering things. 00:17:37.308 --> 00:17:42.465 And it says in verse, chapter 23 of Proverbs and Proverbs speaks a lot about this. 00:17:42.465 --> 00:17:46.315 It says don't speak to a fool, for he will. 00:17:46.315 --> 00:17:50.328 Balcony, tell me, balcony, tell me, wake up up there, just kidding, for he will. 00:17:50.328 --> 00:17:57.250 That's right, he'll despise, he'll despise the insight of your words. 00:17:57.250 --> 00:17:59.318 So you go to somebody who's acting foolishly. 00:17:59.318 --> 00:18:01.226 You're like I try to tell them and they won't get it. 00:18:01.226 --> 00:18:02.188 Of course they won't get it. 00:18:02.188 --> 00:18:05.474 That's what Proverbs says. 00:18:05.474 --> 00:18:08.607 In fact, they despise what you're saying anyways. 00:18:10.472 --> 00:18:29.076 Someone that refuses to take personal responsibility, somebody that's constantly blaming other people for their circumstances around them, somebody that refuses to change their behavior to meet the demands of life and instead they expect the world around them to accommodate, to change so they can live how they want to live. 00:18:29.076 --> 00:18:34.234 People that refuse to carry their own backpack, their own load, are acting foolishly. 00:18:34.234 --> 00:18:39.011 And you know what we need to do with those people at that place. 00:18:39.011 --> 00:18:41.037 We need to create a boundary. 00:18:41.037 --> 00:18:45.009 So when do we set it? 00:18:45.009 --> 00:18:45.753 This is where we set it. 00:18:45.753 --> 00:18:49.628 We set a boundary between what is a burden and what is a load. 00:18:49.628 --> 00:18:53.597 We set a boundary between what is a burden and what is a load. 00:18:53.597 --> 00:18:56.708 This isn't something of excess, dude. 00:18:56.708 --> 00:18:57.669 This is your backpack. 00:18:57.669 --> 00:19:01.294 Oh, that's a burden. 00:19:01.294 --> 00:19:05.641 Okay, I'm here, I'm going to help you for that, but that I'm not doing that. 00:19:07.986 --> 00:19:19.133 Somebody I know and love many years ago had made some choices in their adult life that had caused them to go to a place where they needed to go back home and restart. 00:19:19.133 --> 00:19:28.586 And they had come to a place where they had thankfully, they had hit rock bottom and they had had some significant challenges. 00:19:28.586 --> 00:19:39.113 And over a period of years, some things had happened in this person's life that had some from their choices that had some damaging effects. 00:19:39.113 --> 00:19:50.993 And this person's parents graciously said hey, you can come back Like you can live at home, like we want to be here for you. 00:19:50.993 --> 00:19:58.492 And this person was willing to do that and there were burdens that this person coming back home. 00:19:58.492 --> 00:20:05.365 They were coming home because this person had burdens that they could not carry on their own, like there was no way this person could do it. 00:20:05.365 --> 00:20:10.688 Part of it was from their choices, some of it was not, but nonetheless there were burdens this person could not carry. 00:20:10.688 --> 00:20:28.151 And they came home and mom and dad said okay, their mom and dad said you can come home, but you've got to go to counseling, you have to be clean and sober, you have to get a job. 00:20:28.151 --> 00:20:35.051 Now they didn't expect you to get a full-time job, because this person was not in a place where they could get a full-time job, but you can work like one day a week. 00:20:35.051 --> 00:20:43.137 You have to go to church on Sundays because what you need most is God in your life right now. 00:20:43.137 --> 00:20:46.513 And they set these very clear boundaries. 00:20:46.513 --> 00:20:53.516 There were other burdens this person could not carry and the parents very willingly helped carry their burdens. 00:20:56.445 --> 00:20:58.971 Now that was five years ago. 00:20:58.971 --> 00:21:01.056 Now fast forward five years to today. 00:21:01.056 --> 00:21:03.221 This person is clean and sober. 00:21:03.221 --> 00:21:08.053 This person owns a business, started a business, owns a business that is thriving. 00:21:08.053 --> 00:21:10.887 Needless to say, this person is now out on their own again. 00:21:10.887 --> 00:21:13.092 This person is engaged in their local church. 00:21:13.092 --> 00:21:16.358 This person has met somebody and is going to be getting married very soon. 00:21:16.785 --> 00:21:21.276 This person has never been more hopeful about their future than they are right now. 00:21:21.276 --> 00:21:22.337 Why? 00:21:22.337 --> 00:21:31.284 Because there were some people their parents that said I love you enough to help carry your burdens and I love you enough to not carry your backpack. 00:21:31.284 --> 00:21:34.612 And I love you enough to not carry your backpack. 00:21:34.612 --> 00:21:44.237 And I know that's not the outcome of every story, but I tell you that because it's really important to know that unconditional love necessitates conditional assistance. 00:21:44.237 --> 00:21:50.916 That unconditional love necessitates conditional assistance. 00:21:50.916 --> 00:21:52.704 It doesn't mean that you're giving up on somebody. 00:21:52.704 --> 00:21:58.173 It just means you're letting somebody feel their mistakes so they'll see the need to change. 00:21:58.173 --> 00:22:01.892 Because until they feel their mistakes, you know what's probably not going to happen. 00:22:01.892 --> 00:22:03.089 They're probably not going to change. 00:22:03.089 --> 00:22:05.949 And this is hard to do. 00:22:06.832 --> 00:22:11.516 And when you set boundaries, it's as much for you as it is for them. 00:22:11.516 --> 00:22:20.675 I'll give you an example Something that all of us have in our backpack is our own personal spiritual, emotional and mental health. 00:22:20.675 --> 00:22:23.509 Like this is my load I need to carry. 00:22:23.509 --> 00:22:26.017 I need to be spiritually healthy, emotionally healthy. 00:22:26.017 --> 00:22:37.553 There are people in my life that I have set an unapologetic boundary with, because I will not be able to be spiritually, emotionally healthy unless I set a boundary with this individual, with these people. 00:22:37.553 --> 00:22:49.229 So what I've done, because this is my load, I have set a boundary here and it is my responsibility to do what God wants me to do so I can be who God wants me to be. 00:22:49.229 --> 00:23:00.905 And here's the deal when you set boundaries with people and you have boundaries in your life, eventually there will be fruit from this, which is what the last three verses of this section talk about. 00:23:01.808 --> 00:23:02.770 It says don't be deceived. 00:23:02.770 --> 00:23:13.817 Verse seven God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows, he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap. 00:23:13.817 --> 00:23:14.459 What's that word? 00:23:14.459 --> 00:23:17.691 Will reap Destruction from the flesh. 00:23:17.691 --> 00:23:21.570 The one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 00:23:21.570 --> 00:23:26.634 Let us not get tired of doing good, man. 00:23:26.634 --> 00:23:29.088 It's tough sometimes, isn't it? 00:23:29.088 --> 00:23:37.726 For we will reap at the proper time If we this is me, this is you if we don't give up. 00:23:37.726 --> 00:23:48.692 There's this undeniable principle in scripture of sowing and reaping, this undeniable principle of sowing and reaping. 00:23:48.692 --> 00:23:52.125 God's designed a world where we are to take personal responsibility. 00:23:52.125 --> 00:23:53.509 God's designed a world where we are to take personal responsibility. 00:23:53.509 --> 00:23:54.854 Our actions have consequences. 00:23:57.765 --> 00:24:06.675 Now, spiritually, we understand in the gospel that Jesus took our punishment on the cross for all of our sin and the moment we turn to Jesus, we turn away from our sin. 00:24:06.675 --> 00:24:08.394 We turn to Jesus by faith. 00:24:08.394 --> 00:24:13.875 We are completely forgiven because he took all of our sin and put it on himself. 00:24:13.875 --> 00:24:19.108 And if you will trust in Jesus Christ to be your savior, you trust in him. 00:24:19.108 --> 00:24:23.551 You have the forgiveness of your sins, which is a glorious thing. 00:24:23.551 --> 00:24:24.990 We have a new identity. 00:24:24.990 --> 00:24:34.255 But there's a distinction between having forgiveness of sins and the natural consequences of our actions. 00:24:34.255 --> 00:24:37.068 There's a distinction between these two. 00:24:37.068 --> 00:24:41.018 We could say this okay, so much of life is connected. 00:24:41.018 --> 00:24:50.109 There's a relationship between our actions today and what we'll experience tomorrow and next week and next month and next year and five years from now. 00:24:51.392 --> 00:25:13.570 For example, if I spend my financial resources, if I spend all of them, all my financial resources, every dollar I have on frivolous things like Michael Jordan tennis shoes, and I can't pay my mortgage, somebody tell me, if I don't pay my mortgage, what's going to happen? 00:25:13.570 --> 00:25:17.978 Kick it out, get out of here, you're done. 00:25:17.978 --> 00:25:23.794 Why the mortgage company is victimizing me. 00:25:23.794 --> 00:25:26.373 No, bro, you used your money on frivolous things. 00:25:26.373 --> 00:25:36.147 Bro, that would be consequences for my poor financial stewardship, and I understand financial situations are different for everybody, but you know what I'm saying. 00:25:36.147 --> 00:25:39.836 You get what I'm saying right In this text here. 00:25:40.424 --> 00:25:50.205 Paul says if we sow to the flesh by constantly doing things that are putting things in my mind that are contrary to the promises of God and who God is and God's ways we're going to reap some things. 00:25:50.205 --> 00:25:58.185 But, on the contrary, if we sow to the Spirit, we will reap some things if we don't give up. 00:25:58.185 --> 00:26:02.976 So a few years ago I was at Panera Bread with a friend of mine. 00:26:02.976 --> 00:26:06.849 We were talking about this verse and I was a little bit discouraged. 00:26:06.849 --> 00:26:09.396 I just honestly I was kind of discouraged with the church. 00:26:09.396 --> 00:26:14.884 It was right COVID had been going on for a few months and I'm just like, oh my goodness, it was right COVID had been going on for a few months and I'm just like, oh my goodness. 00:26:14.884 --> 00:26:24.416 And it was tough and he was encouraging me with this verse and he said something and I said, hold on, can you say that again? 00:26:24.416 --> 00:26:28.080 I didn't get that and I said, hold on. 00:26:28.484 --> 00:26:36.085 I took out my iPhone notes and I was like I'm going to write this down notes. 00:26:36.085 --> 00:26:36.987 And I was like I'm going to write this down. 00:26:36.987 --> 00:26:44.140 And he said if you do the right things, the right way for the right length of time, eventually you get the right results. 00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:49.833 Now, like you are right now, I was trying to process it. 00:26:49.833 --> 00:27:02.576 If you do the right things for the right way, for the right reasons, for the right length of time, eventually you get the right results. 00:27:02.576 --> 00:27:07.390 Now, if you're like me, I want immediate payoff whenever I do anything good. 00:27:07.390 --> 00:27:11.843 I went to the gym one time I didn't drink a soda with dinner. 00:27:11.843 --> 00:27:15.862 I went to the gym one time I didn't drink a soda with dinner. 00:27:15.862 --> 00:27:21.632 I want to be a lean, mean muscle machine Doesn't work that way. 00:27:21.632 --> 00:27:22.895 Paul says listen, listen, listen. 00:27:22.895 --> 00:27:35.285 Paul says hey, hey, hey, if you don't give up, you'll reap. 00:27:39.531 --> 00:27:40.295 Verse nine proper time. 00:27:40.295 --> 00:27:46.250 How many of you know God's time is rarely our time, man, there's a song that I've been repeating. 00:27:46.250 --> 00:27:46.953 It's a song called On Time, god. 00:27:46.953 --> 00:27:49.968 You know, I have to repeat that all the time because I have to remind myself that God's timing is better than my timing. 00:27:49.968 --> 00:27:51.311 That's what I have to do. 00:27:51.311 --> 00:27:52.536 God's time isn't always my time. 00:27:52.536 --> 00:27:56.465 My timing, that's what I have to do. 00:27:56.465 --> 00:27:57.106 God's time isn't always my time. 00:27:57.106 --> 00:27:57.407 But we'll reap. 00:27:57.428 --> 00:28:11.269 And, to use Paul's planting analogy, sometimes we pray that God will give us trees, but God asks us to plant and water seeds. 00:28:11.269 --> 00:28:16.558 We should pray in faith, believing that God is going to bring trees in our life, and we pray that God will do great things. 00:28:16.558 --> 00:28:33.084 But what God asks you to do is to plant seeds seeds of faithfulness, seeds of obedience, seeds of doing the right thing even when the right thing is the hard thing. 00:28:33.084 --> 00:28:35.473 Seeds of sowing to the spirit when your flesh is screaming at you. 00:28:35.473 --> 00:28:40.519 Seeds of saying hey, in our family, this is what we're going to do. 00:28:40.519 --> 00:28:43.288 We're going to seek God first when the kids are like I don't want to. 00:28:45.653 --> 00:28:47.659 Seeds of patience, endurance. 00:28:47.659 --> 00:29:12.335 One of the things I pray over our church family I have like eight or nine prayers I pray over you in your life just about every day is that God will give you the power and the strength to have endurance, patience and joy, because the Christian life is a life of planting seeds and being faithful and being obedient and in proper time, god will grow the trees. 00:29:12.335 --> 00:29:19.535 And if we don't give up, fam, the trees are coming. 00:29:19.535 --> 00:29:29.638 If you don't give up, the trees are coming the trees in your life and the trees in the life of the people that you set boundaries with. 00:29:29.638 --> 00:29:30.663 Can I pray for you?