WEBVTT 00:00:02.279 --> 00:00:04.080 We're in the series, the good life 00:00:04.370 --> 00:00:12.349 And in the series, the good life we're talking about how to achieve this thing that everybody is really seeking for and, and desiring. 00:00:12.351 --> 00:00:21.980 And that's this, this thing called the good life, a life that is good in as many ways as we can achieve this, uh, level of goodness. 00:00:21.981 --> 00:00:25.699 And in fact, I've never met anybody, looking for the bad life. 00:00:25.730 --> 00:00:27.980 Everybody's looking for the good life. 00:00:27.981 --> 00:00:31.879 And last week we talked a little bit about how people define the good life. 00:00:31.881 --> 00:00:35.359 Some people define it by location or, or environment. 00:00:35.360 --> 00:00:40.939 And we even in our own family got me to thinking about Sylvania and how cool it is to live in the Toledo Metro area. 00:00:41.149 --> 00:00:46.640 In that we were talking in our family over the day, just, Hey, what do you see when you see the good life? 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:47.600 What do you imagine? 00:00:47.780 --> 00:00:57.520 And one of our children said, I see the good life is living in Sylvania for the rest of my life and this area. 00:00:57.710 --> 00:00:58.820 Cause I really liked this area. 00:00:58.820 --> 00:00:59.899 And I was like, that's awesome. 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:07.370 And so then another one said that they see it living in a city somewhere and I give him 20 minutes of that. 00:01:07.370 --> 00:01:10.010 And then I think he'll change his mind, but you know, you never know. 00:01:10.280 --> 00:01:13.280 And so he said, I see this over here. 00:01:13.281 --> 00:01:17.000 And then Christie and I are talking about it and you know, what's the good life. 00:01:17.001 --> 00:01:25.670 And we just felt very blessed to be able to say that being right here in this moment, in this time with you is just a, really a real blessing in our life. 00:01:25.671 --> 00:01:29.959 We feel like we're doing what we're called to do with the right people in the right situation. 00:01:29.960 --> 00:01:32.689 And it's a, it's an exciting time to be in. 00:01:32.691 --> 00:01:44.659 We feel like we're living the good life at this particular point, but some people have, regardless of how you define the good life, everybody has a few things that are in common in their definition. 00:01:44.930 --> 00:01:47.719 One is that they're happy in the good life. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:49.489 They're not sad and miserable. 00:01:50.329 --> 00:01:52.489 Another is that they're satisfied in the good life. 00:01:53.010 --> 00:01:55.790 There there's, there's, there's good stuff happening there. 00:01:55.790 --> 00:01:57.290 And they feel at peace about it. 00:01:58.069 --> 00:01:59.780 Uh, they're respected in the good life. 00:01:59.900 --> 00:02:01.790 They're supplied in the good life. 00:02:02.030 --> 00:02:08.870 When people described the good life, nobody says that I'm stressed out and I'm full of anxiety and depression and worry. 00:02:08.871 --> 00:02:14.750 And I'm just, you know, I don't know how I'm going to and things make the ends meet in the good life. 00:02:14.780 --> 00:02:16.310 That's not what's going on. 00:02:16.430 --> 00:02:20.150 And the good life it's things are good in the good life. 00:02:20.509 --> 00:02:25.430 And your definition of the good life may be simple or it may be more complicated. 00:02:25.639 --> 00:02:48.169 But in I in any situation or condition you of have the good life or definition of the good life, there is this thing called enough, you have enough, you have enough respect, you have enough supply, you have enough resource, you have enough of whatever it is that you need in order to experience that happiness, that satisfaction, et cetera, that's the good life. 00:02:48.530 --> 00:02:53.719 And so the world consistently pushes against or challenges this idea of the good life. 00:02:53.721 --> 00:02:57.860 It says, do you, are you good enough to get what you're trying to get? 00:02:57.860 --> 00:02:59.530 And if you're good enough, get it. 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:01.659 Are you good enough to keep it? 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:07.449 And once you have it, will it really be enough to satisfy you ongoing? 00:03:07.450 --> 00:03:09.879 And can it really be the good life? 00:03:09.909 --> 00:03:13.840 Can you really experience the good life for real? 00:03:14.169 --> 00:03:18.039 And so we do a lot to, to pursue the good life we would. 00:03:18.069 --> 00:03:32.729 A lot of our life actually is focused on trying to achieve this thing called the good life, but it's, it's fleeting and it's relative because it's, once you arrive at one particular place that you say, well, that's the good life. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:36.900 Then you realize that there's other things that come along with that there's responsibilities. 00:03:36.901 --> 00:03:41.520 There's there's management, there's there's relationships. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:46.650 There's everything that was in your previous existence, exists in your current existence. 00:03:46.860 --> 00:03:54.539 In fact, some people think, well, if I could just move to the most beautiful place in the world, then I will have arrived at the good life. 00:03:54.540 --> 00:04:01.229 It really doesn't matter what I do at that point, because every, everyday I walk out of my house and I'm in this beautiful place and that will change everything. 00:04:01.230 --> 00:04:06.060 And so when we lived in Hawaii, a lot of people moved to Hawaii for that particular purpose. 00:04:06.061 --> 00:04:08.669 They say, if I could just get to Hawaii. 00:04:08.670 --> 00:04:13.349 And so they get there and they think, well, I'm going to, I'm going to live the good life in Hawaii. 00:04:13.350 --> 00:04:20.670 But the average person moving from the mainland to Hawaii is there for about four to five years at the most. 00:04:20.939 --> 00:04:24.899 And then they're back wherever they came from or moving on from Hawaii. 00:04:25.110 --> 00:04:28.740 Because what they discover is it doesn't matter how beautiful the place is. 00:04:28.980 --> 00:04:31.980 If you're there, all your problems are there, they're with you. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:35.430 They didn't stop at the gate. 00:04:35.699 --> 00:04:36.360 TSA. 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:37.709 Didn't screen them out. 00:04:38.579 --> 00:04:43.139 No they're there and they're with you and you're still having to deal with you. 00:04:43.141 --> 00:04:47.279 Except now you're in a place that you're not as familiar with. 00:04:47.281 --> 00:04:53.550 And so we, we pushed for, but when you ask somebody, Hey, how much is enough in your life? 00:04:54.209 --> 00:04:55.649 How much is enough in your life? 00:04:55.800 --> 00:04:58.079 Enough finance enough, relationship enough. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:04:59.850 What's enough to you. 00:05:00.209 --> 00:05:06.060 Most people will answer that by saying, I just want to be comfortable. 00:05:06.930 --> 00:05:09.870 I'm not looking to be a billionaire. 00:05:09.870 --> 00:05:13.019 I'm not looking to be, you know, super famous. 00:05:13.050 --> 00:05:16.439 I'm just, I'm just looking to be comfortable. 00:05:17.220 --> 00:05:32.699 But if you look at the statistics in our world, we find that the good life, even the good life in extreme luxury, doesn't bring total satisfaction and happiness because you have people who are living good life. 00:05:33.029 --> 00:05:36.959 They're, they're, they're wealthy and they're famous and they're powerful. 00:05:37.110 --> 00:05:41.370 And yet they're still having some of the same problems that you and I do. 00:05:41.370 --> 00:05:44.670 The difference is you read about their problem in the news. 00:05:45.089 --> 00:05:51.600 You hear about their suicide in the news, you read about their failure in the news. 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:55.050 And, and suddenly the one who seems like they're living the good life. 00:05:55.589 --> 00:06:00.110 Maybe it's not quite as good as they thought it was going to be in. 00:06:00.139 --> 00:06:03.800 But that's the question today, how good is good enough to be comfortable? 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:06.620 How good is good enough to be comfortable? 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:11.120 What do you have to have in order to be comfortable in life? 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.149 And there's a guy in scripture that we're told about. 00:06:14.151 --> 00:06:20.569 That seems like he had pretty much everything necessary to be comfortable in life, to have a comfortable life. 00:06:20.571 --> 00:06:26.899 He's he was actually a citizen of two different locations, two different places at the same time. 00:06:27.170 --> 00:06:32.120 And one of them was, he was a citizen of the city, city, state of Tarsus. 00:06:32.509 --> 00:06:43.610 And as a citizen of the city, state of Tarsus, number one, it was a powerful city state, number two, in order to become a citizen of that city state, you had to pay a fee in order for us to gain citizenship. 00:06:43.610 --> 00:07:03.769 And so his family had to have enough resource to, to gain, to, to be able to pay the fees for citizenship in that city state, number two, he was a citizen of Rome and everything that came with it, all of the benefits and values that came with being part or a citizen of the Roman empire. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:09.050 So he is a Jew from Tarsus and he is a citizen 00:07:09.459 --> 00:07:10.389 Of Rome. 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:13.600 His family was prosperous enough 00:07:14.050 --> 00:07:25.540 That while living in Tarsus, they had the ability to pay for him, to travel to Jerusalem and sit under the teaching of whether the most revered rabbis of their day. 00:07:26.769 --> 00:07:26.769 Emilio. 00:07:29.050 --> 00:07:32.319 This rabbi sat in the Sanhedrin, which was 00:07:32.649 --> 00:07:36.399 Like the Supreme court, if you will, of their culture. 00:07:37.300 --> 00:07:39.850 And so he's a very powerful man and he's teaching. 00:07:39.850 --> 00:07:44.860 And this young man has the privilege of going there and sitting at his feet and being taught by him. 00:07:45.069 --> 00:07:49.360 And it wasn't like it is today where you can get some loans and you can work out the financing. 00:07:49.569 --> 00:07:58.930 No, if you couldn't afford to sustain life and do what need to be done, if your family couldn't afford to pay the fees and so on and so forth, then you didn't get to do it at all. 00:07:58.930 --> 00:08:03.399 And so their family had to have enough money in order to be able to make this thing happen. 00:08:03.610 --> 00:08:06.040 It seemed like he was pretty comfortable. 00:08:06.040 --> 00:08:07.269 He was in the right place. 00:08:07.271 --> 00:08:09.220 He was in the right circles of people. 00:08:09.339 --> 00:08:11.680 He had the right resources available to him. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.779 It seemed like everything about life could be comfortable for this man 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:19.329 Until one day 00:08:19.779 --> 00:08:22.180 He's exercising the authority that he has. 00:08:22.180 --> 00:08:25.240 He's, he's operating in the relationships that he has. 00:08:25.240 --> 00:08:30.519 And he he's, he's utilizing everything that this comfortable life seemed to afford him. 00:08:30.730 --> 00:08:32.769 He's making his way up the ladder. 00:08:32.770 --> 00:08:33.129 If you 00:08:33.129 --> 00:08:33.789 Will. 00:08:34.450 --> 00:08:35.409 And on the road to 00:08:35.409 --> 00:08:43.179 Damascus, he's not down by the power of Jesus and Jesus reveals himself to this 00:08:43.179 --> 00:08:43.600 Man. 00:08:44.740 --> 00:08:45.190 Now, maybe 00:08:45.190 --> 00:08:46.539 You have somebody in your life. 00:08:46.541 --> 00:08:47.889 I know that I do in mine. 00:08:48.009 --> 00:08:48.820 You would like them. 00:08:49.179 --> 00:08:59.940 You would like for them to experience a knocked down Jesus moment where you're like, Jesus just knocked them down on the road, wherever they may be and get their attention. 00:08:59.941 --> 00:09:01.889 And that's exactly what happened to this man. 00:09:02.669 --> 00:09:07.799 He met Jesus in a very supernatural and beautiful way, a beautiful moment. 00:09:07.801 --> 00:09:22.799 And Jesus begins to reveal himself to this man, even as this man was fighting against the cause of Christ, the reason that he was on the road in the first place was to go kill the Christians in other places. 00:09:24.590 --> 00:09:36.889 And in that moment, any comfort that he had in life scene cash, it seemed like the good life was over for this guy because now he's a follower of Christ. 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.120 He's not in the right circles anymore. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:43.970 He's not in the powerful people anymore. 00:09:43.970 --> 00:09:45.830 Now he's following Jesus. 00:09:45.831 --> 00:09:49.009 And not only that, he's the lowest of the, on the totem pole. 00:09:49.129 --> 00:09:53.539 Not only that, he is the guy who just was killing them 20 minutes ago. 00:09:53.659 --> 00:09:58.159 Now he's one of them today and they don't know that. 00:09:59.539 --> 00:10:01.279 And they don't all like that. 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:11.179 So there's some stuff he's got to work through in order to be able to gain any kind of traction at this particular point. 00:10:12.110 --> 00:10:18.620 And then if you follow his life, the life of the apostle Paul was not extremely easy and simple. 00:10:19.490 --> 00:10:27.440 In fact, in a list of things that he went through, some struggles that he had, he tells us that he's been shipwrecked. 00:10:27.441 --> 00:10:28.700 He tells us he's been beaten. 00:10:28.850 --> 00:10:30.860 He's tells us that he's been imprisoned. 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:33.799 He tells us all of these things that he has experienced. 00:10:33.801 --> 00:10:40.279 And yet when writing about these situations, he says I've experienced plenty and I've experienced lack. 00:10:40.940 --> 00:10:50.690 But then he says, not that I speak in regard to need for, I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. 00:10:52.070 --> 00:10:56.419 He said, it doesn't matter if things are going like that gangbusters and everything's positive. 00:10:56.899 --> 00:11:01.009 Or if I'm in prison, I've learned to be content. 00:11:01.580 --> 00:11:07.820 It doesn't matter if my belly is full or if my belly is empty, I've learned to be content. 00:11:08.509 --> 00:11:10.070 What does that word content to mean? 00:11:10.071 --> 00:11:12.590 It means to be satisfied. 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:15.440 It means to have enough. 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:19.970 It means to be in a state of peaceful happiness. 00:11:20.940 --> 00:11:20.940 What? 00:11:20.941 --> 00:11:44.120 I don't know, Paul, if that's legit, how can you, how can you be peaceful and have happiness and have enough if you're in these bad situations in these bad times and moments, he follows up verse 11 of Philippians four with verse 13, he says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 00:11:45.769 --> 00:11:55.779 Now this verse of scripture is used poorly often in Christianity, because it is often used to say that it doesn't matter what you're going through. 00:11:55.780 --> 00:11:57.759 You can do everything you set your mind to. 00:11:57.879 --> 00:11:59.409 You can do all things through Christ. 00:11:59.410 --> 00:12:05.919 And it is true that if you have Christ in your life, then the limits of natural life have are lifted in your life. 00:12:05.921 --> 00:12:06.490 That's true. 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:12.580 I agree with that 100%, but it doesn't mean that because I have Christ in my life, I can dunk a basket. 00:12:12.629 --> 00:12:18.149 Well, just doesn't mean that. 00:12:18.929 --> 00:12:19.289 Okay. 00:12:19.470 --> 00:12:38.580 And so Paul is saying in this in the times, what I've had plenty, I've had enough and that the times where I've been lacking I've had enough and what it is, what the, the, the reason why I've been able to have enough in both conditions is because Christ is within my life. 00:12:38.850 --> 00:12:40.320 And he strengthens me. 00:12:40.409 --> 00:12:42.720 So when I've got enough, I'm feeling good. 00:12:42.721 --> 00:12:54.929 But when I have a little, he bolsters the little I have, and he makes it enough in a way that I cannot do in the natural way it's done with, from within. 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:55.610 And so in. 00:12:55.610 --> 00:13:14.250 Ultimately what he's saying is real lasting comfort comes from the Holy spirit, living within you, living within me, Hollywood Disney would say, if you look within yourself, you'll find everything you need. 00:13:14.850 --> 00:13:18.539 Most often I've looked at within myself and only found myself 00:13:18.929 --> 00:13:20.580 And I've disappointed myself, 00:13:21.809 --> 00:13:28.139 But when I've looked within and I wasn't looking for me, but I was looking for the one who dwells within me. 00:13:29.490 --> 00:13:32.850 That's whenever fulfillment and happiness and contentment came. 00:13:33.149 --> 00:13:34.769 And so here's our big idea today. 00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:47.970 The Holy spirit empowers you empowers you to work from the comfort zone in every circumstance to work from the comfort zone in every circumstance. 00:13:49.139 --> 00:13:59.789 Now, when I say the word comfort zone, and I say that the Holy spirit allows us or empowers us to work within the comfort zone in every circumstance, some of us immediately go. 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:04.889 In fact, I did, whenever it first hit me that this is what Paul is talking about. 00:14:05.429 --> 00:14:08.970 I went in why, because we're taught often in today's world. 00:14:09.149 --> 00:14:20.370 And then today's culture that the comfort zone, if you have a comfort zone and we all know that we do, then we really, if we're trying to achieve anything in life, we need to avoid this thing called the comfort zone. 00:14:20.490 --> 00:14:24.059 Like the plague run away from it, push out of it. 00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:26.909 Don't stay in it, make sure you get away from it. 00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:28.590 Get out of your comfort zone. 00:14:28.591 --> 00:14:42.090 That is a challenge that we hear regularly from leadership concepts to, in, in, in development concepts and coaches and teachers and, and everybody around us will encourage us to get out of our comfort zone. 00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:52.460 It's an encouragement to reach for more, to stretch beyond what we already know, what we already have, and it's become a mantra or, or a catchphrase. 00:14:52.461 --> 00:14:53.330 If you will. 00:14:54.139 --> 00:15:03.679 The leaders and coaches and parents, and all kinds of people use to try to encourage us to reach beyond what we already have and what already exists. 00:15:03.681 --> 00:15:13.639 Then it's broad enough to where it can cover almost anything without addressing anything, specifically, get out of your comfort zone. 00:15:13.640 --> 00:15:15.980 And we've even talked about it in Christianity. 00:15:16.129 --> 00:15:24.590 We'd say, if you're a believer, get out of your comfort zone, let the Holy spirit use you in new ways and unique ways and, and develop you in ways that you've not been developed before. 00:15:24.591 --> 00:15:25.879 Get out of your comfort zone. 00:15:25.880 --> 00:15:33.889 But today I want to tell you that God desires us to work and to live from within his comfort zone, his comfort zone. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:36.919 I have three thoughts for us today and thought, number one is this. 00:15:37.309 --> 00:15:40.580 The calling of Jesus always stretch 00:15:40.809 --> 00:15:41.409 As the believer. 00:15:42.190 --> 00:15:43.750 It always stretches the believer. 00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:50.320 Anytime you look at Jesus, dealing with people, he deals with us from a place that we are, and he says 00:15:50.500 --> 00:15:51.190 No further. 00:15:51.850 --> 00:15:56.529 He says, I'm meeting you here, but I'm calling you to F two more. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:57.789 I'm going to meet you, 00:15:58.029 --> 00:15:59.440 The journey that you're on. 00:15:59.441 --> 00:16:01.960 And then I'm going to call you to a greater 00:16:01.990 --> 00:16:02.440 Journey. 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:04.059 I think 00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:13.840 One of the things that we do in Christianity today to our own detriment is that we tell people, Hey, it's so easy to be saved, just come to Christ, accept him as your Lord and savior. 00:16:14.049 --> 00:16:15.789 And then things are going to be good. 00:16:15.791 --> 00:16:24.429 And that's about as far as we expect people to go, just get saved, just come to church every once in a while, just, you know, get around some good people. 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:30.220 And basically we say, be where you're at, have the life that you have, and just add a little Jesus to 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:30.370 It. 00:16:31.769 --> 00:16:32.440 Just sprinkle a little 00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:33.250 Jesus in there. 00:16:33.250 --> 00:16:35.230 And then whenever you die, you're going to go to heaven. 00:16:35.529 --> 00:16:36.610 And you're good. 00:16:36.610 --> 00:16:39.070 We've done our job because we got you there to Jesus. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:44.500 And outside of that, you know, let's not worry about it too much, but that's never been the call 00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:45.250 Of Christ. 00:16:46.330 --> 00:16:46.779 It's never 00:16:46.779 --> 00:16:47.620 Been the call of Christ. 00:16:47.620 --> 00:16:52.419 He's always calling us to go someplace else to, to move someplace else. 00:16:52.421 --> 00:16:55.750 And the issue with the comfort zone is that it's comfortable. 00:16:56.980 --> 00:16:57.220 It's 00:16:57.220 --> 00:16:57.759 Comfortable. 00:16:57.970 --> 00:16:59.049 We have what we need. 00:16:59.051 --> 00:17:02.049 We, we feel good about it, where we're comfortable there. 00:17:02.051 --> 00:17:03.519 And so it's satisfying. 00:17:04.150 --> 00:17:06.640 There's no compelling reason to move out, 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:09.490 Come comfort zone and reach for more. 00:17:10.119 --> 00:17:10.390 But 00:17:10.990 --> 00:17:15.819 Hey, in the comfort zone, it can cause complacency where we're just like, well, this is 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:19.559 Good enough or laziness where we say, 00:17:19.859 --> 00:17:23.289 I just, I just don't want to get up and do anything else. 00:17:23.529 --> 00:17:25.630 Um, I'm where I want to be. 00:17:25.631 --> 00:17:28.089 And, and I'm going to be lazy about it. 00:17:28.090 --> 00:17:30.910 Now we lack ambition in the comfort 00:17:30.910 --> 00:17:33.039 Zone, but it can have, 00:17:33.220 --> 00:17:37.119 It can have emotional and mental effects on us as well. 00:17:37.121 --> 00:17:41.799 If we stay in the comfort zone too long, it can cause depression. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:43.420 It can cause 00:17:43.670 --> 00:17:48.339 Third G to rise in our life and it limits the potential of any life. 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:56.970 Any, any family, it limits you artificially limits you and reduces growth. 00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:01.759 And so if you're trying to progress in life, you don't want to stay in the comfort zone. 00:18:02.089 --> 00:18:07.940 You want to keep pushing forward, but there are some issues with not being in the comfort zone as well. 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:15.559 I know people, I just told you about people that moved from one place to Hawaii or one place just anywhere else on the planet that you want to go to. 00:18:15.560 --> 00:18:18.140 And they say, well, if I get there, I will be happy. 00:18:18.141 --> 00:18:19.039 I will be comfortable. 00:18:19.040 --> 00:18:19.849 It will be right. 00:18:19.851 --> 00:18:29.240 And then they discover that is not true because when you're outside of your comfort zone, Oh, on one hand in your comfort zone, you have all the relationships that you've ever had. 00:18:29.990 --> 00:18:37.220 And while those relationships can be irritating at times, at least you have them in the new place. 00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:38.839 You have to build them all over again. 00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:45.380 You don't have five years worth of knowledge, 15 years worth of knowledge, 30 years worth of knowledge. 00:18:45.380 --> 00:18:46.640 You don't know where everything is. 00:18:46.641 --> 00:18:48.829 Everything's new, everything's fresh. 00:18:48.900 --> 00:18:51.619 And it's, you're off balance. 00:18:52.730 --> 00:18:58.279 You can be uncertain when you step out of your comfort zone, suddenly you don't know where you're going anymore. 00:18:58.460 --> 00:19:05.450 You don't know where that store is or that restaurant, you don't know what's good, or what isn't, you don't know who you should talk to or who you shouldn't talk to. 00:19:05.630 --> 00:19:08.029 You're out of your area of knowledge and expertise. 00:19:08.030 --> 00:19:17.329 And so it automatically makes you feel less effective because you're trying to reach for knowledge that you don't really have and, and use expertise that you don't have achieved just yet. 00:19:17.330 --> 00:19:21.380 And so, and so when you're out of your comfort zone, it really sets you up 00:19:22.190 --> 00:19:23.420 For failure, 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:26.960 Increases the likelihood of failure quite a bit. 00:19:27.950 --> 00:19:31.069 In fact, I, I have a shirt on that says, made to make a difference. 00:19:31.070 --> 00:19:32.480 It's something we say around here, 00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:35.599 And you know, 00:19:35.750 --> 00:19:37.880 So you can make two kinds of differences. 00:19:38.750 --> 00:19:43.160 You can make a positive difference and you can make a negative difference. 00:19:45.019 --> 00:19:45.769 I've been, 00:19:45.829 --> 00:19:54.529 I've been the negative difference maker at a time or two where people were just wishing I would get out of the picture so that the picture would get better. 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:56.480 Stop thinking that 00:19:57.109 --> 00:19:57.109 Now, 00:20:00.769 --> 00:20:06.230 You know, I jumped into something that I think I know what I'm doing, but everybody around says no, 00:20:07.369 --> 00:20:08.450 Or I'm trying. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:13.849 And they're saying, Hmm, you don't really know what you're doing here in Hawaii. 00:20:14.390 --> 00:20:23.210 You could always tell the tourists because number one, they were driving down these windy mountain roads at about 15 miles an hour. 00:20:24.019 --> 00:20:25.279 And there's no way to pass them. 00:20:25.940 --> 00:20:28.250 A local person is driving at least 65. 00:20:28.250 --> 00:20:28.670 Come on. 00:20:28.700 --> 00:20:29.509 You know, what's coming. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:35.420 Number two, they were always trying to pronounce names. 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:41.210 They were trying to get to Waikiki, Lowy, Whoah. 00:20:43.670 --> 00:20:44.059 You knew 00:20:44.059 --> 00:20:49.539 The tourists because they weren't familiar with the language that was around there. 00:20:50.710 --> 00:20:54.130 We're called to make a difference, a positive difference in the world. 00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:58.299 And that's not done by just kind of fumbling around. 00:20:58.300 --> 00:21:00.369 And so we don't want to be that person. 00:21:00.371 --> 00:21:03.039 We want to be the positive difference maker. 00:21:03.040 --> 00:21:07.420 And so we're called to be outside of our comfort zone, but there's a danger. 00:21:08.049 --> 00:21:09.940 And then I have to ask the simple question. 00:21:11.230 --> 00:21:17.680 Isn't that how God works though, does God call us to be always out of our comfort zone? 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:25.509 You think about how God worked from the very beginning and he's never let mankind or humanity be within our comfort zone. 00:21:25.690 --> 00:21:30.549 He's always called us to more, whether it be Noah, Hey Noah, you're, you're a good guy. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:32.259 I'm going to save you and your family. 00:21:32.380 --> 00:21:39.819 So I preach to everybody that it's gonna rain and then build an Ark that's outside of the comfort zone. 00:21:46.230 --> 00:21:49.799 Moses, I'm going to talk to you out of a Bush. 00:21:49.859 --> 00:21:51.509 That's on fire, but not burning. 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:57.210 And then I'm going to call it, tell you a shepherd in the wilderness to go talk to Pharaoh. 00:21:57.390 --> 00:22:02.309 One of the most powerful people on planet earth and command him to do a few things. 00:22:02.819 --> 00:22:06.269 And if he doesn't, don't you worry, I'm gonna take care of it. 00:22:08.069 --> 00:22:10.289 Not in the comfort zone. 00:22:11.700 --> 00:22:11.700 Okay? 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:17.160 Jesus says, leave all you have and come follow me. 00:22:18.509 --> 00:22:20.099 Not the comfort zone. 00:22:21.930 --> 00:22:23.880 Jesus says live righteous. 00:22:24.029 --> 00:22:24.420 Okay. 00:22:24.421 --> 00:22:25.319 How many in here? 00:22:25.349 --> 00:22:29.309 Righteous living is well within the boundaries of your comfort zone. 00:22:30.569 --> 00:22:32.339 You do it all right all the time. 00:22:32.340 --> 00:22:33.420 And you're comfortable with that. 00:22:34.829 --> 00:22:37.529 I'm glad we don't have any liars in this service, pastor Benton. 00:22:38.819 --> 00:22:39.210 It's good. 00:22:40.829 --> 00:22:44.339 God has never called us to stay within the comfort zone. 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:50.880 And so could it be that modern ideas and ideals align with God's calling 00:22:52.589 --> 00:22:57.720 Maybe except for number two, 00:22:58.589 --> 00:23:02.309 The calling of Jesus always promises, comfort and rest. 00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:07.109 So he calls us out of our comfort zone. 00:23:07.111 --> 00:23:15.930 He calls us to do things that seem out of this out of the ordinary and way outside of what should be normal and right, and, and comfortable for sure. 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:20.519 But then he says, then he says, I promise you comfort. 00:23:20.520 --> 00:23:29.190 And rest Matthew 1128, pastor David read it today, come to me all who labor and are heavy Laden. 00:23:29.339 --> 00:23:31.950 And I will give you rest. 00:23:33.089 --> 00:23:50.009 He says that whenever we come to him, that there will be a comfort that there will be a peace that comes that, that we can, we'll be able to do things that are outside our ordinary methodology and way of doing with power that we don't even have and wisdom that we did not gain. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:52.549 And all of this will happen in our lives. 00:23:52.550 --> 00:23:54.470 And so we are to be comfortable. 00:23:54.471 --> 00:23:56.390 We are to rest in him. 00:23:56.509 --> 00:23:59.029 We are to relax in his presence. 00:23:59.030 --> 00:24:13.099 And so, and so it seems like God is calling us to stretch for more and, and reach for greater while telling us to experience peace and, and even comfort in every situation. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:15.349 And how can it be both. 00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:27.289 You might want to write this down or take a picture of the screen as a believer, God, didn't create you to be comfortable in a position, a place or provision God. 00:24:27.290 --> 00:24:30.079 Your comfort level is tied to 00:24:30.430 --> 00:24:33.460 A person, a person. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:36.849 So Saul 00:24:37.930 --> 00:24:49.450 Bombing the apostle Paul in the same chapter where he gets saved, acts chapter nine, verse 31 says then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and were edified. 00:24:49.451 --> 00:24:49.809 Why? 00:24:49.990 --> 00:24:51.819 Because Paul wasn't trying to kill them. 00:24:53.619 --> 00:24:54.609 That helps, 00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:58.450 But it goes even further than that, it says. 00:24:58.660 --> 00:25:02.920 And, and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort, 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:06.460 The Holy spirit, they were multiplied. 00:25:07.480 --> 00:25:07.480 So 00:25:07.829 --> 00:25:36.250 Just like Saul or Paul's wrote to us and said, I can do all things through Christ and I can find I can be have enough and be satisfied and be comfortable even in difficult moments because Christ working in me, the new Testament church found comfort in the Holy spirit, their respect for God grew and simultaneously their comfort was gained through their relationship with the Holy spirit, their world wasn't easy. 00:25:36.490 --> 00:25:38.650 Paganism was still in charge. 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:51.609 The Sanhedrin still didn't like them, that everybody in the natural world that was in charge of, of life and, and government and culture, none of them were on their side, but they still had 00:25:53.319 --> 00:25:55.240 In the Holy spirit. 00:25:56.470 --> 00:26:08.529 And I believe that there are people in our world right now, maybe in this room, maybe watching us online, joining us right now that you, you are fighting to retain a high level of faith in a difficult time in this world. 00:26:08.710 --> 00:26:09.009 Why? 00:26:09.010 --> 00:26:29.920 Because, because you prayed for some things you believe for some things and, and you don't have the financial resource that you thought you would, or you don't have the healing that you expected to have, or the politics didn't work out the way that you wanted them to, or the situation and culture has got you all twisted up and you don't know, you know, what's good now and what's bad now. 00:26:29.921 --> 00:26:38.980 And so you begin to, to fight a fight of faith, trying to, trying to discover where should I be comfortable? 00:26:39.220 --> 00:26:40.720 What can I find comfort in? 00:26:40.721 --> 00:26:42.069 I can't find it in my finances. 00:26:42.070 --> 00:26:46.019 I can't find it in my, I can't find it in the political system. 00:26:46.020 --> 00:26:46.740 I can't find it. 00:26:46.859 --> 00:26:51.420 So how am I supposed to relax with all of this stuff going on around us? 00:26:51.539 --> 00:26:57.420 And I would encourage you today that you are trying to find your comfort in the wrong place. 00:26:59.190 --> 00:26:59.700 Your comfort 00:26:59.700 --> 00:27:06.599 Level is not meant to be in a position or a condition it's in the Holy spirit. 00:27:07.289 --> 00:27:17.789 And that brings us to the thought number three God's comfort zone is relational, not situational, it's relational, not situational. 00:27:17.790 --> 00:27:19.259 And I kind of liken it this way. 00:27:20.039 --> 00:27:24.900 When I was a kid growing up, we went to, we moved all the time and it seemed like we moved all the time. 00:27:24.930 --> 00:27:27.900 I went to 15 elementary and junior high schools. 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:29.549 I went to four different Heights 00:27:30.380 --> 00:27:30.380 Schools. 00:27:31.069 --> 00:27:34.609 And you might say, well, you know, didn't that freak you out as a kid? 00:27:35.329 --> 00:27:35.930 Well, truthfully, 00:27:35.930 --> 00:27:37.460 I never knew anything different, 00:27:38.690 --> 00:27:40.400 But I will tell you this. 00:27:41.059 --> 00:27:50.720 I did not find my comfort in the state that we lived in, in the church that we attended or in the school that I went to, my comfort level came from. 00:27:50.721 --> 00:28:03.349 When I came home from any of those places I walked in and I saw my father and my mother, my sister, and my brother, and the relationship there was where I found peace and comfort. 00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:06.049 The relationship 00:28:06.049 --> 00:28:10.640 That you have with the Holy spirit is what's supposed to bring you and I, what provides you? 00:28:10.641 --> 00:28:16.279 And I comfort if we tap into it, John chapter 14, Jesus speaking, he said, and I will ask the father. 00:28:16.460 --> 00:28:18.259 Now he will give you another helper. 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:22.940 Paraklete toasts that were pair Cletus means advocate or comforter. 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:27.470 In fact, some translations will translate that word comforter to be with you forever. 00:28:27.471 --> 00:28:36.589 Even the spirit that's Numa or Holy spirit, the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him or knows him. 00:28:36.859 --> 00:28:37.759 It doesn't see him. 00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:43.130 It doesn't know him, but you know him for, he dwells with you and he will be in you. 00:28:43.880 --> 00:28:44.750 He dwells with you. 00:28:44.750 --> 00:28:54.049 How does he well with them that the disciples they're following Jesus, Jesus at his baptism, the Holy spirit descended like a dove and it rested upon him. 00:28:54.589 --> 00:28:57.920 And now the Holy spirit begins to empower the ministry of Jesus. 00:28:58.099 --> 00:28:59.539 The Holy spirit was around them. 00:28:59.540 --> 00:29:00.920 He was talking to them. 00:29:00.921 --> 00:29:02.210 He was working with them. 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:06.049 The disciples were constantly in connection with the Holy spirit. 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:07.009 They knew him. 00:29:07.400 --> 00:29:12.109 They just didn't know how they knew him, but he would be, be in them. 00:29:12.589 --> 00:29:16.309 Then he says, I will not leave you orphans that were orphans. 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:18.950 That word can be translated. 00:29:18.951 --> 00:29:20.660 I will not leave you comfort 00:29:20.660 --> 00:29:21.410 Less. 00:29:22.369 --> 00:29:23.000 I will come 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:23.539 To you. 00:29:24.049 --> 00:29:29.329 Then in verse 26, to wrap it all up, just in case, we're confused about what Jesus is saying. 00:29:29.450 --> 00:29:37.130 He says, but the helper, the Holy spirit, whom the father will send in my name, remember that word helper all the way back to the beginning. 00:29:37.131 --> 00:29:38.000 Pair of clique dose. 00:29:38.089 --> 00:29:39.650 So same word there. 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:43.210 The helper, the Holy whom the father will send in my name. 00:29:43.211 --> 00:29:46.089 He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance. 00:29:46.299 --> 00:29:54.579 All that I've said to you, he's telling them the Holy spirit will provide comfort to you when I'm not here anymore. 00:29:54.670 --> 00:29:58.059 You know him, he's been with you and he will be in you. 00:29:59.170 --> 00:30:02.200 So what he's telling you, and what he's telling me is your relationship. 00:30:02.410 --> 00:30:08.529 Our relationship with the Holy spirit is the comfort zone that God calls us to live within. 00:30:09.579 --> 00:30:27.730 It's a powerful reality, and it can, it can, we can be stretched and comfortable when our comfort zone is based on who's with us, not in our position, not in our place or our position filled with the Holy spirit. 00:30:27.730 --> 00:30:29.710 The apostle Paul was able to set. 00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:38.680 I say, I have learned to be content enough in every state I've been in, in every state I've been in. 00:30:40.059 --> 00:30:44.019 So here's the truth that you and I must hold on to today. 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:50.170 My comfort level in life is equal to my confidence level in Christ 00:30:52.210 --> 00:30:52.420 Where 00:30:52.420 --> 00:30:54.430 My comfort level is low. 00:30:54.609 --> 00:31:03.160 Then it's probably, if I'm a believer, it's probably because my confidence level in Christ as low as dropped, and I need to reconnect 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:03.819 To that. 00:31:05.319 --> 00:31:07.299 And there's some values of the comfort zone. 00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:10.619 Foster Benton come help me 00:31:12.660 --> 00:31:13.799 In the comfort zone. 00:31:14.819 --> 00:31:16.440 We can make good decisions. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:20.640