WEBVTT 00:00:09.699 --> 00:00:13.300 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.539 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.539 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.979 --> 00:00:40.399 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:49.859 --> 00:00:50.259 Amen. 00:00:50.659 --> 00:00:53.600 Uh, well, it's great to see, uh, it's great to see you all. 00:00:53.880 --> 00:01:06.500 Um, we've got a lot of, a lot of new faces and, uh, the reason for that is there's going to be, I sent an email to, you know, if you're on the church email list and you already know there's going to be actually a baby dedication, uh, right after service. 00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:08.900 Uh, and so we're very excited for that. 00:01:08.980 --> 00:01:12.859 Uh, before we get there, we, there, there's a lesson that I want to share with you all. 00:01:13.180 --> 00:01:27.599 And I think there's going to be some connection that we're going to make even in our lives, even this week, uh, to God and even, uh, in the last few, few weeks, we've been working up to, to get to this, this spot and we've been having some really good conversations. 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:50.719 I think on a one-on-one basis, I think we've had great conversations in house churches and maybe, you know, in a group setting as well, we, we've been talking about, uh, getting our, ourselves to a spot of reengaging with God and not that we were totally off of the wall, but without a focus on reengaging, it's, it's, it's difficult to, to, to stay engaged. 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:52.480 You guys have perhaps been there. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:58.200 And so we're building up to that point, the, the lesson this morning is, is resolve. 00:01:58.299 --> 00:02:01.019 Uh, and so the, over the last, yeah, yeah. 00:02:01.060 --> 00:02:07.219 Change up here over the last few weeks, first, we looked at, uh, the, the call that we need to reflect. 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.560 And then we said, we need to be refreshed last week. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:22.879 And then, uh, this morning we're talking about, uh, being resolved, uh, you know, the idea of making resolutions is, is one that's, it's familiar to all of us. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:29.120 And, uh, and, and so we're talking about that to some extent, but I really, there's a couple of, there's a couple of spaces. 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:33.219 There's a couple of spots that we're going to go, go to before we get to these, these resolutions. 00:02:33.479 --> 00:02:39.639 Uh, if you will, you guys can open up to Matthew five, we're going to be in the book of Matthew predominantly for this lesson. 00:02:44.610 --> 00:02:50.210 First point that I have is that we have to resolve before we resolve. 00:02:50.990 --> 00:02:51.870 What am I talking? 00:02:51.969 --> 00:02:53.830 What am I, what am I talking about here? 00:02:54.509 --> 00:02:54.870 Okay. 00:02:54.990 --> 00:03:00.409 If I lost you already, uh, well then you're, you're, you're in luck cause I'll, I'm going to make sense of it in a moment. 00:03:00.469 --> 00:03:01.810 You got to resolve before you resolve. 00:03:02.189 --> 00:03:06.830 Uh, the Bible says in Matthew five, this is Jesus preaching. 00:03:07.449 --> 00:03:09.349 This is kind of his, his manifesto. 00:03:09.409 --> 00:03:17.530 This is my, this is what I want the world to understand about why, what I'm doing is totally different than everything that you have learned to be appropriate. 00:03:17.789 --> 00:03:25.349 Uh, he says in, in verse 21, you have heard, it was said to the people long ago, you shall not murder. 00:03:25.349 --> 00:03:28.629 And anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. 00:03:28.629 --> 00:03:35.129 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. 00:03:35.129 --> 00:03:40.870 And anyone who says to a brother or sister, Raqqa is answerable to the court. 00:03:40.870 --> 00:03:46.349 And anyone who says you fool will be in danger of the fire of hell. 00:03:46.349 --> 00:03:47.610 Let's keep reading. 00:03:48.150 --> 00:03:59.289 It says, therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there, remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. 00:03:59.750 --> 00:04:02.150 First go and be reconciled to them. 00:04:02.469 --> 00:04:07.469 Then come offer your gift, settle matters quickly with your adversary who was taking you to court. 00:04:07.610 --> 00:04:16.170 Do it while you are still together on the way or your adversary may hand you over to the judge and the judge may hand you over to the officer and you may be thrown in prison. 00:04:16.170 --> 00:04:19.310 Truly, I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:37.899 You know, this this is not the easiest scripture to hear because it says that if you even if you say anything poorly about somebody, you're in trouble, basically, you know, this this this is is really it's a difficult passage. 00:04:37.899 --> 00:04:41.459 And I don't know if you were to identify in your life. 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:46.959 Maybe there are people in this room right now where you feel like, yeah, we just don't see eye to eye. 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:52.759 And the Bible says, to be very clear, you've got to resolve matters with them. 00:04:53.779 --> 00:05:02.160 But but also there's there's something else here that this this first, it says anyone will be subject to judgment. 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:07.860 Then it says anyone is answerable to the court and then it says anyone's in danger of the fire of hell. 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:09.300 This is these are three. 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:12.600 They're different phrases and they're all like they're building on one another. 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:21.120 Jesus is saying that we basically on this earth, you're going to be in trouble, but then you're going to have to answer to God in danger of the fire of hell. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:24.600 This is it's a it's a difficult teaching. 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:32.360 You know, maybe maybe you would look at your life and maybe you say, you know, I don't hate anybody. 00:05:32.579 --> 00:05:38.600 I remember I remember hearing lessons similar to this when I was when I was younger and just feel like I don't really hate anybody. 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:41.240 But that was because I didn't have conflict with anyone because I didn't do much. 00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:47.180 You know, I like that was I mean, the most I did was play video games, but that was before you could go online and play video games. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:49.800 So I was I mean, I was just playing against the computer. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:57.879 Like the only conflict that I had was with my sister and with the computer and sometimes with my players because the computer animations didn't work right in Madden. 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:01.939 That was that was the extent of my frustrations and my my. 00:06:04.250 --> 00:06:13.970 But the older you get, the more you might realize, well, I I've got I've got stuff that I've built up over the course of days, weeks, months and years of I don't hate anybody. 00:06:14.110 --> 00:06:16.449 I of course, you know, let's assume you don't hate anybody. 00:06:16.670 --> 00:06:16.910 Fine. 00:06:17.970 --> 00:06:30.529 But I heard a preacher give his church the challenge just for one day, don't say anything bad about anybody at all, just for one day. 00:06:30.709 --> 00:06:34.149 And then you might say, well, I don't say anything bad about anybody. 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:35.250 Well, under your breath, you do. 00:06:38.990 --> 00:06:43.550 We think think about it and we're taught this is OK and it's appropriate. 00:06:44.290 --> 00:06:45.430 You speak badly. 00:06:45.589 --> 00:06:47.470 You think poorly of people every day. 00:06:50.029 --> 00:06:50.470 Politics. 00:06:51.889 --> 00:06:52.610 Sports. 00:06:54.129 --> 00:07:05.069 Celebrities, your friends, the people who are driving you, you think negatively, your co-workers, you think negatively about people every single day. 00:07:05.170 --> 00:07:06.509 And I do, too. 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:13.920 This this this call, it says, I find maybe you don't hate anybody. 00:07:13.939 --> 00:07:16.560 And we if we were in the Old Testament times, we'd be OK with that. 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:19.319 Jesus came and he and he died and he rose from the dead. 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:21.300 We don't have the opportunity to say, I just I don't hate. 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:21.759 So I'm good. 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:23.920 I want to give us all a challenge. 00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:24.439 What? 00:07:24.819 --> 00:07:29.120 Don't think don't think or say anything negative about somebody just for the rest of the day. 00:07:29.660 --> 00:07:56.779 And if you if you if you try to take captive your thoughts, I sincerely even preparing this lesson and and, you know, even last night and then this morning, like kind of like organizing all of this, I felt like, man, in the moments that I'm writing this lesson, I'm like, ah, you know, there's something or last night, you know, I know you you guys know, it's like the Packers lost the game and in the and in the middle and in the middle of that, I know what I'm preaching about less than 24 hours. 00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:00.399 And yet I'm still thinking negative thoughts about this. 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:05.000 This guy playing a foolish or a dumb sport, you know, it makes no difference. 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:19.420 You know, I bet if you decided I'm not going to say or say anything bad about somebody at all, I bet we'd probably say a lot less things in general. 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:19.680 Right. 00:08:19.899 --> 00:08:20.339 Yeah. 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:21.300 Yeah. 00:08:24.829 --> 00:08:29.209 And then and then it says, if there's if there's any issue that we have here, we've got to resolve it. 00:08:29.310 --> 00:08:32.649 That's it makes it extremely clear there's a there's a connection. 00:08:32.649 --> 00:08:34.210 And we'd love to say this isn't true. 00:08:34.509 --> 00:08:40.629 There's a connection between the way that we interact with people and the way that we interact with God so much. 00:08:40.730 --> 00:08:42.730 So God says you can't divorce the two. 00:08:42.889 --> 00:08:44.529 You can't say, I love God. 00:08:44.590 --> 00:08:45.529 I'm good with God. 00:08:45.570 --> 00:08:51.990 But with the with people, you know, you know, people are messed up and I have this issue and they're but it's me and God are good. 00:08:52.129 --> 00:08:52.970 You cannot say that. 00:08:53.250 --> 00:09:10.990 He says he says your worship of God is so closely related to your relationship with people that if you are going to bring God and do something amazing and good for God and if you're going to give yourself to him, but if you still have a conflict with somebody and says, don't even don't give this to God, leave it there, go back to it. 00:09:11.330 --> 00:09:13.289 But you've got to go resolve your conflict first. 00:09:17.350 --> 00:09:19.590 There's there's an urgency here. 00:09:19.649 --> 00:09:23.070 And this is I found maybe you you've not found this way. 00:09:23.129 --> 00:09:36.769 I found that conflict is often it's something maybe this is sincerely maybe it's just America or maybe it's just, you know, I think it might be even unique to the Midwest American culture of what's conflict. 00:09:36.990 --> 00:09:39.210 You know, I don't mind them, whatever, you know, bless their heart. 00:09:39.330 --> 00:09:41.330 And then you just kind of go go about your day. 00:09:41.429 --> 00:09:44.129 You know, somebody does something to you, bless their heart. 00:09:44.210 --> 00:09:46.289 And you just kind of you look down on them and you go about your day. 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:51.210 We can't do this in general, we certainly can't do this in the church. 00:09:55.070 --> 00:10:05.470 I wonder if we've if we've thought this far and we might say, well, I know that I've got to resolve conflict, I wonder if we've done it with the urgency that the Bible talks about here. 00:10:05.830 --> 00:10:12.970 It says on the way to to you getting in, you know, having to talk to somebody about your conflict, go ahead and resolve it. 00:10:13.090 --> 00:10:15.330 Make make every effort to resolve it as you're worshiping. 00:10:15.409 --> 00:10:18.409 I go ahead, make every effort right away to resolve it. 00:10:18.929 --> 00:10:20.230 It's good to get advice. 00:10:20.490 --> 00:10:21.230 It's good. 00:10:21.289 --> 00:10:24.029 It's good to get advice about I've got this issue. 00:10:24.029 --> 00:10:24.909 Am I wrong? 00:10:24.970 --> 00:10:25.690 Where am I wrong? 00:10:25.769 --> 00:10:27.009 I don't see that I'm wrong. 00:10:27.070 --> 00:10:30.529 Please help me out and show me that I'm wrong in this in this matter. 00:10:30.529 --> 00:10:39.629 But if you just get advice about a conflict and you're not urgent to resolve it, that's that's called gossip, that's gossip and slander is what that's called. 00:10:40.909 --> 00:10:46.840 You know, conflicts, you don't understand, they start they start so small. 00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:47.120 Right. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:51.600 I was this this when I read it, I thought this there's no way this could be true. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:57.720 There's a man who up until 2016, he'd been married to his wife for like 40 years. 00:10:57.799 --> 00:11:02.759 But for the last 23 years of his marriage, they didn't speak a single word about it. 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:03.899 Not a single word to one another. 00:11:05.259 --> 00:11:05.659 Absurd. 00:11:05.820 --> 00:11:05.919 Right. 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:08.080 Like and people were interviewing him. 00:11:08.179 --> 00:11:09.000 How did you do this? 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:10.720 How did you not speak to your wife for 23? 00:11:10.860 --> 00:11:13.360 You didn't say yes or no or what? 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:16.460 And what he said, no, I just responded in grunts. 00:11:19.460 --> 00:11:21.559 It's it's absolutely absurd. 00:11:24.779 --> 00:11:28.980 I the point we bring it up, they asked him, well, how did this conflict begin? 00:11:30.620 --> 00:11:34.539 He said, well, I just felt slighted by my wife for a whole week. 00:11:34.539 --> 00:11:36.419 She was really serving the children. 00:11:36.620 --> 00:11:39.799 And I didn't I she wasn't asking me how my day was. 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:41.559 So I decided I'm just not going to talk to her. 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:48.120 Something small, these guys are my friends, OK, I'm not saying like I. 00:11:49.539 --> 00:11:52.539 But we did just say, don't think negatively about anybody, didn't we? 00:11:58.090 --> 00:11:59.049 He felt neglected. 00:11:59.129 --> 00:12:05.889 So for 23 years, he decided he's not going to talk to his wife, the person who he decided, I'm going to marry you and we're going to become become one. 00:12:05.889 --> 00:12:06.250 Wow. 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:11.879 And we don't do that as as Christians, as followers of God, we don't do that. 00:12:11.980 --> 00:12:15.139 But what we what we could do is maybe similar to I don't know. 00:12:15.580 --> 00:12:21.799 I don't know how you guys grew up, but I grew up and, you know, me and Bianca, we've been in the ministry since we've been married. 00:12:22.139 --> 00:12:27.679 And we started out just as interns in in the ministry, campus ministry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:32.019 And so we didn't have an awful lot of money and we were not forced. 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:34.159 We chose to live near campus. 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:39.240 And our first apartment living was it was on the surface. 00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:41.500 Like when you go through, if you guys have you guys have probably done it. 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:48.700 I've been in probably a half dozen different apartments and probably visited about 20 different ones to see, should we live in this place? 00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:51.820 And you might walk in and you're like, well, it looks nice enough. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:52.679 You know, it's kind of good. 00:12:52.779 --> 00:12:55.659 I'm only here for a year and then I can go somewhere else. 00:12:55.740 --> 00:12:56.059 You know what? 00:12:56.179 --> 00:12:58.419 You know, you you kind of do this this dance. 00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:03.519 And then when you move in, then you really see all of the issues with with this apartment, don't you? 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:13.379 Uh, one of the biggest issues that that we found in Milwaukee is that all of the landlords, instead of fixing things, they just painted over things. 00:13:14.379 --> 00:13:18.620 And so you you end up and again, you paint over and it looks fresh. 00:13:18.779 --> 00:13:19.679 It looks good. 00:13:19.740 --> 00:13:20.320 It looks decent. 00:13:20.379 --> 00:13:21.299 It doesn't look that bad. 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:27.779 But as you get closer to it, you start to see the flaws and you start to see the cracks and you're like, well, I wonder. 00:13:27.980 --> 00:13:29.960 I wonder how many times this thing is painted over. 00:13:30.019 --> 00:13:38.240 And then when it chips, it's it's really ugly because you see this thick layer of paint that is just that's been caked on and caked on and caked on. 00:13:38.440 --> 00:13:38.539 Yeah. 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:45.340 I hope we don't we don't do this as followers of Jesus, though. 00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:49.059 There's conflicts, there's issues, there's little things. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:51.139 Let's just paint over it. 00:13:51.179 --> 00:13:52.360 No big it's no big deal. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:53.440 I'm just going to paint over it. 00:13:53.500 --> 00:13:54.299 And it's no big deal. 00:13:54.340 --> 00:13:55.240 I'm just going to paint over it. 00:13:55.240 --> 00:13:59.120 And somebody from the outside might come in and think, wow, what a great group. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:10.059 Just like we might walk into the Bummy apartment and think, well, what a great what a great apartment until you move in and you start to see, well, there's there's a little bit more here than I than I bargained for. 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:18.039 As we're as we're talking about the call to to resolve or make resolutions. 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:23.000 Let's let's put first the call to to become resolved with one another. 00:14:23.139 --> 00:14:25.899 And this is not and I want to this quick caveat. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:30.740 I'm not there's not any if there was a major thing, I think I would just speak honestly about it. 00:14:30.740 --> 00:14:34.919 I hope I but there might be stuff in your heart that you feel like I I've got to say this to somebody. 00:14:35.059 --> 00:14:36.919 I don't know how I can, but I've got to. 00:14:37.080 --> 00:14:38.139 Go ahead and do it then. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:38.360 Amen. 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:39.039 Amen. 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:46.399 And so let's say we're resolved or as we become resolved with with one another, then we've just got to be resolved to change. 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:48.779 This is, again, in Matthew seven. 00:14:57.870 --> 00:14:59.929 It says in verse twenty four. 00:15:01.649 --> 00:15:08.830 Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 00:15:09.029 --> 00:15:13.009 The rain came down, the streams rose, the wind blew and beat against that house. 00:15:13.389 --> 00:15:16.970 Yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. 00:15:17.110 --> 00:15:24.509 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 00:15:24.830 --> 00:15:31.490 The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. 00:15:34.370 --> 00:15:40.730 This this parable is it it might be it might have been one of the first ones that you learned in Kingdom Kids class. 00:15:40.769 --> 00:15:46.090 It's one that just this week, me and me and my four year old, about to be four year old, we're talking about it. 00:15:46.190 --> 00:15:48.009 And she could understand it right away. 00:15:48.049 --> 00:15:51.769 OK, she said, hey, you want to build on on rock, right? 00:15:51.789 --> 00:15:52.509 Because it's solid. 00:15:52.649 --> 00:15:53.789 And yeah, you're right. 00:15:54.129 --> 00:15:55.830 And then I said, do you want to build on sand? 00:15:55.909 --> 00:16:00.830 And she says, no, anything that I build when I go to the beach, anything I build on sand, it actually washes away really quick. 00:16:00.850 --> 00:16:01.750 So I don't want to do that. 00:16:02.129 --> 00:16:02.929 It's not good. 00:16:02.929 --> 00:16:04.389 And so we understand. 00:16:04.470 --> 00:16:06.809 And I think on the surface, we all we all realize this is true. 00:16:06.909 --> 00:16:07.690 It's something you learned. 00:16:07.769 --> 00:16:09.289 And I can read it and explain it. 00:16:09.330 --> 00:16:10.330 But but you guys know it. 00:16:11.330 --> 00:16:13.370 But this is the end of this. 00:16:13.570 --> 00:16:18.370 Again, I said this amazing this is why Christianity is different is what Jesus is saying. 00:16:18.490 --> 00:16:21.350 All of what happens in Matthew five, six and seven. 00:16:21.649 --> 00:16:24.169 This this amazing lesson, he he shares it. 00:16:24.250 --> 00:16:28.169 And then it's going to be the frame by which we can see the rest of the book of Matthew. 00:16:28.250 --> 00:16:30.789 And we see him living out every one of these. 00:16:30.789 --> 00:16:33.850 And he takes that the commandments, the ten commandments. 00:16:33.929 --> 00:16:36.889 And he says, you just like you, you know, you heard it was said, don't murder. 00:16:37.129 --> 00:16:40.070 Actually, you can't even say anything bad about anybody. 00:16:40.429 --> 00:16:44.169 And he and he takes adultery and he says, you heard, don't commit adultery. 00:16:44.230 --> 00:16:45.250 That's what the Bible says. 00:16:45.509 --> 00:16:50.009 But he says, but if you even look at a woman lustfully, you've committed adultery in your heart and whatever. 00:16:50.389 --> 00:16:52.929 He brings things to the highest level. 00:16:52.950 --> 00:16:54.950 And this is how he lived his life. 00:16:55.049 --> 00:16:56.950 So then he says at the end of all of this. 00:16:58.009 --> 00:17:04.250 He says, it's great that you that you heard what I said, but if you don't put it into practice, you're a fool. 00:17:13.660 --> 00:17:16.420 You know, if you ask anybody, do you prefer to be wise or foolish? 00:17:16.598 --> 00:17:17.940 Everyone everyone knows the answer. 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:20.299 You know, I'm hey, who prefers to be wise? 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:20.740 Raise your hand. 00:17:20.838 --> 00:17:21.740 Everyone's raising their hand. 00:17:22.140 --> 00:17:24.480 Nobody would said I'd prefer to be a fool. 00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:28.480 But but we know a tree by its fruit. 00:17:28.599 --> 00:17:28.819 Right. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:38.539 And so you can see you look at the life of many people and you can see, well, they're not living a life that that is preparing for the future, that is setting themselves up well for the future. 00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:42.180 I. 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:52.380 One of my one of my friends in one of my friends in school, I remember when I first started to come to the faith and really I'd grown up in church, but I hadn't really invested an awful lot into it. 00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:55.339 It was like a 50 50 investment, one foot in, one foot out. 00:17:55.500 --> 00:18:00.500 And then I remember being a beginning of my sophomore year of college. 00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:03.279 And I had, you know, I, you know, shared my faith a little bit. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:06.240 And I was talking to one of my buddies and he was on like my prayer list. 00:18:06.299 --> 00:18:08.619 And I'm like, man, I'm going to pray for this guy every single day. 00:18:08.660 --> 00:18:10.000 And I remember talking to him. 00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:16.220 And I remember saying, hey, in First Corinthians 1311, it just says when I was a child, I talked like a child. 00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:16.960 I thought like a child. 00:18:16.980 --> 00:18:17.920 I reasoned like a child. 00:18:18.259 --> 00:18:21.880 When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 00:18:22.339 --> 00:18:26.180 And I said, Johnny, I'm trying to put the way the childhood behind me. 00:18:26.259 --> 00:18:27.480 Don't you want to do the same thing? 00:18:28.299 --> 00:18:34.480 And and I remember distinctly, we were walking to go to the gym and he just said, dude, I kind of still want to be a kid. 00:18:35.660 --> 00:18:36.440 Nineteen year old. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:40.200 And he just said, I still I don't want to be a grown up yet. 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:41.420 Wow. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:43.500 You know, nobody, nobody. 00:18:43.740 --> 00:18:45.940 And I felt like you went on one hand. 00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:47.799 There's not there's no response I can give to that. 00:18:48.059 --> 00:18:49.619 You know, if that's your decision, that's your decision. 00:18:50.740 --> 00:18:52.859 But there ought to be some consideration. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:57.740 Are we doing things that are setting ourselves up for eternity and for a better life? 00:18:57.819 --> 00:18:59.779 Are we doing things just to get by? 00:19:05.180 --> 00:19:19.519 I bet you if you're a homeowner, then I bet you you have stories or I bet you you inherited stories of those who made the home or came before you and how they they might not have done everything to the fullest extent. 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:21.180 Maybe they cut corners a little bit. 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:24.059 We don't want to be like that with our faith. 00:19:24.180 --> 00:19:25.619 This is this is what the Bible is saying. 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:28.759 It says it's more difficult to build on a solid foundation. 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.480 It takes more time to build on a solid foundation. 00:19:31.859 --> 00:19:35.539 It's going to take more money to build on a solid foundation. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:38.279 But it's always going to be worthwhile in the end. 00:19:38.420 --> 00:19:38.660 That's right. 00:19:41.289 --> 00:19:47.490 You talk to somebody who's immature and you say you just show them the building itself and you say, which is a better building? 00:19:47.750 --> 00:19:49.789 The one on the rock or the one on the sand? 00:19:50.849 --> 00:19:53.130 I don't think I don't think they'd be able to speak to it. 00:19:53.190 --> 00:19:53.509 Right there. 00:19:53.769 --> 00:19:57.369 If you if I showed my daughter, my four year old right now, and I said, which which building is better? 00:19:57.750 --> 00:20:02.170 She she might actually say, hey, the one on the sand, because then you can kind of you can you can play in the sand. 00:20:03.269 --> 00:20:03.930 Oh, yeah. 00:20:04.069 --> 00:20:10.730 And so but somebody who's mature is able to to to look at the foundation on the surface, all of this stuff, it looks good. 00:20:10.809 --> 00:20:12.690 Any any church you go to, it's going to look good. 00:20:13.130 --> 00:20:14.390 But where's the foundation? 00:20:14.529 --> 00:20:15.970 And if it isn't in Christ, then amen. 00:20:16.069 --> 00:20:19.230 And if it just says it's in Christ, then then we should question it. 00:20:20.130 --> 00:20:26.950 You know, the the the Bible says you can actually stay in in Matthew because then we're going to close up there in just a moment. 00:20:26.950 --> 00:20:31.910 But but the Bible says don't merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself. 00:20:32.390 --> 00:20:33.410 Do what it says. 00:20:33.509 --> 00:20:41.970 Anyone who listens to the word but doesn't do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 00:20:42.609 --> 00:20:52.829 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it, they will be blessed in what they do. 00:20:52.829 --> 00:21:02.460 You know, as we as we seek to make resolutions, how are we going to change for twenty twenty four? 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:03.380 How are we going to change? 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:04.460 What decisions are we going to make? 00:21:04.579 --> 00:21:07.259 Maybe not only for twenty twenty four, but for the rest of our lives. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:14.380 We ought to be more focused on on looking good according to God and looking good according to everybody else. 00:21:17.579 --> 00:21:23.980 And the last the last thing last topic I want to cover is to to resolve with with Jesus. 00:21:23.980 --> 00:21:41.319 And so, again, we're in Matthew seven says when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching because he taught as one who had authority and not as their teachers of the law. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:52.480 Jesus preaches the most most amazing sermon that we ever have have had recorded in human history. 00:21:53.500 --> 00:22:00.400 The people imagine being someone in the crowd who hears Jesus speaking these these words. 00:22:01.099 --> 00:22:07.000 And I can I can only imagine the the energy that would be in the group. 00:22:07.099 --> 00:22:08.740 I would I could only imagine. 00:22:09.819 --> 00:22:11.619 Feeling like, did he really say that? 00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:12.980 Did he he said that? 00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:14.359 Oh, my goodness. 00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:19.099 And then and then you might be feeling like, man, he knows what's going on in my life right now. 00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:26.000 And then you might even consider, wow, this is this is different than anything I've ever heard before. 00:22:27.099 --> 00:22:40.900 Says that Jesus is someone who taught with with authority, not as teachers of the law, these teachers of the law were those who some sincere and some insincere basically communicated what what was supposed to be done. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:45.880 But Jesus is the one who's different. 00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:49.420 He's he's the he's the only hope for lasting change. 00:22:49.420 --> 00:22:53.039 We should look at the same Jesus and we should marvel at him. 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:55.359 Do we do that? 00:22:56.319 --> 00:22:57.480 Good question, bro. 00:22:57.980 --> 00:22:59.579 Do you marvel at Jesus? 00:22:59.819 --> 00:23:07.019 I, you know, the teacher of the law are spoken spoken of negatively a lot in the Bible. 00:23:09.400 --> 00:23:19.259 And in some ways, you could look at me like a teacher of the law, if you're going to say it that way, like I'm repeating a lot of what the Bible teaches, I'm adding a little twist on it. 00:23:19.259 --> 00:23:21.039 And that's that's about it. 00:23:21.259 --> 00:23:24.240 And so I want to challenge you guys. 00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:25.519 But do you actually do you read the Bible? 00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:30.099 Like, do you look look at the word or do you just come on Sunday and you just I want to hear it? 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:32.559 And I heard the word from a teacher of the law. 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:34.400 And that's all I've got to do. 00:23:35.859 --> 00:23:45.960 If you sit with Jesus, if you interact with Jesus, there's a promise that you're going to leave being absolutely amazed and understanding that this guy teaches with authority that we've never heard before. 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:46.460 Wow. 00:23:50.710 --> 00:23:54.430 We can't look at Jesus and Christianity as a means to an end. 00:23:54.650 --> 00:23:56.509 And this is difficult. 00:23:56.690 --> 00:23:58.210 It seeps into everything that we do. 00:23:58.269 --> 00:24:01.150 Man, I'm following Jesus because he's going to bless me. 00:24:01.730 --> 00:24:03.710 I'm a Christian for the security. 00:24:03.950 --> 00:24:06.529 I'm a Christian so that I can just I can gain knowledge. 00:24:06.589 --> 00:24:09.170 I'm a Christian so I can be seen highly. 00:24:09.329 --> 00:24:13.670 I'm a Christian so that I can be a part of this community of people that are going to they're going to help me. 00:24:13.789 --> 00:24:15.250 And that's why I'm a Christian. 00:24:15.430 --> 00:24:16.990 That's that's not the right reasons. 00:24:17.690 --> 00:24:32.309 The that's not the most mature reasons, I would say, are the that's that's a means by following Jesus or being a Christian to an end of receiving something, some prosperity or some some knowledge or some some security in this world. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:36.359 The most mature place to be. 00:24:36.440 --> 00:24:38.980 And this is the place that we're we're calling everybody to. 00:24:39.059 --> 00:24:45.859 This is a place that we have to make decisions to do every single day or to get to every single day is to follow Jesus because of who he is. 00:24:46.140 --> 00:24:46.619 Yeah. 00:24:52.630 --> 00:24:59.750 You know, there's so many there's so many reasons there's so many reasons that you can be a that you can be a Christian or that you can show up to church. 00:25:00.809 --> 00:25:04.630 The most mature place to follow Jesus for who he is. 00:25:07.539 --> 00:25:11.420 If you don't have a relationship with him, then you're not going to be able to say who he is. 00:25:11.619 --> 00:25:11.980 Wow. 00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:17.440 You don't understand this. 00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:22.339 If I have to ask you your best friend, I say, well, who who is your best friend? 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:23.519 Will you share their name? 00:25:24.019 --> 00:25:33.940 And then I said, if I have to describe your best friend, you you would describe your best friend, but you you wouldn't probably say, oh, they have they have, you know, blonde hair. 00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:37.640 And they're they're they're really they have a really they have nice teeth. 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:38.880 They have a really nice smile. 00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:40.339 And oh, my best friend. 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:43.220 Oh, he's studying over at at this university. 00:25:43.220 --> 00:25:46.039 And you would probably talk about your interactions with that friend. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:46.400 Right. 00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:48.920 You would share this is why is he your best friend? 00:25:48.940 --> 00:25:49.839 Or why are they your best friend? 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:50.660 Describe them to me. 00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:53.660 And you talk about, well, man, he's he's always there for me. 00:25:53.660 --> 00:25:56.720 And he's just he's he's the one I can count on. 00:25:56.819 --> 00:25:58.859 I know it's three a.m. and I call him up. 00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:00.180 He's answering the phone. 00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:02.579 And you'd you'd say, well, we've been through it. 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:07.519 And I was in a difficult time and I didn't want to reach out to him, but he decided I'm going to give this guy a call anyways. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:09.460 And I'm going to walk with him. 00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:14.380 And he he sacrificed for me when I was on my my lowest day. 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:16.519 He decided to drive however long he drove. 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:18.259 And he he just prayed with me. 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:19.099 He was there for me. 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:23.240 He he waited in these difficult waters of life with me. 00:26:23.240 --> 00:26:29.500 And you would share, I bet, about those things more than you'd share about him, you know, having having a nice smile. 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:30.319 Yeah. 00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:46.299 The people who are who are closest to us, we're able to describe and we're able to feel connected to and and and then we're actually able to feel a sense of of where we're able to marvel at them, not not the extent of them, but but parts of them. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:48.299 Wow, I can't believe this guy does this so well. 00:26:50.259 --> 00:26:57.339 Consider Jesus, if you if you get close to Jesus, you'll be able to marvel at everything he does. 00:26:57.779 --> 00:27:05.200 There's nothing that you're going to look at in the Bible and understand about Jesus where you'll say, wow, I don't that there's there's nothing there. 00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:05.880 I don't get it. 00:27:06.019 --> 00:27:08.000 It didn't doesn't do it for me. 00:27:08.039 --> 00:27:10.500 If you actually walk with Jesus, there's a promise. 00:27:10.579 --> 00:27:12.619 You're not going to be able to say he just doesn't do it for me. 00:27:14.799 --> 00:27:22.220 Every characteristic, every aspect of his life, you'll be able to say, well, I can I I am impressed and I'm amazed at him by him. 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:23.380 Right. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:23.960 Yeah. 00:27:24.500 --> 00:27:30.720 And so as we as we we're going to close up this lesson and then then Josh is going to share a communion thought. 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:36.299 And then after Josh shares communion thought, there's a few announcements and then there'll be the baby dedication. 00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:44.700 But I I want us to consider a few things when I want us to consider where where you're at with with your relationship with people. 00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:47.460 And or maybe I bet you there's somebody maybe there's a couple of people. 00:27:47.460 --> 00:27:51.819 But who is it at the top of your heart when I say, hey, who do you have conflict with immediately? 00:27:52.019 --> 00:27:52.559 You say nobody. 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:52.960 I don't know. 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:58.099 But then when you think about it, maybe that person, if the Bible is clear, go ahead and resolve with that person. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:09.180 As you as you decide to make resolutions and you decide to resolve, then make it about more about how God views you than about how everybody else sees you. 00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:22.359 And then lastly, in involved in these in these resolutions, look, look at Jesus, be amazed by him and be amazed at what he's doing and what he's done in your life and in the lives of others. 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:22.680 Amen. 00:28:23.059 --> 00:28:23.259 Amen. 00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:25.160 Josh, you can come up and share. 00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:27.299 Come on, Josh. 00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:36.799 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:28:37.460 --> 00:28:40.480 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:28:40.740 --> 00:28:48.099 Please go to Kalamazoo dot church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:50.740 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week. 00:28:52.200 --> 00:29:05.059 So busy saving souls.