WEBVTT 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:09.839 Hey, I'm Pastor Forrest, and welcome to the Multiply Church Podcast. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:15.439 Each week we open God's word together to help you meet God and multiply good in your everyday life. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:18.879 We're so glad that you've taken time to join us for this week's sermon. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:24.160 And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media so you never miss a message. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.120 Now, let's dive into this week's sermon. 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:31.199 Well, good morning. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:34.640 I know y'all are doing good the way y'all were singing, so I won't ask you. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:37.200 I'm excited to be with you this morning. 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:39.759 Um, as they share, my name is Terrence. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:43.679 Uh, I serve at a church in Louisville, Kentucky, Northeast Christian Church. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:47.280 If you're ever in town for a weekend, come come say hi to us. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:51.520 Um, but but I'm grateful that you all are here at Multiply. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:56.719 Um, Multiply has a beautiful and bold vision that I get excited about. 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:03.359 Um, I told the nine o'clock this is a a muster seed that will impact the world. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:12.959 Um, you know, there's a bold vision to see the capital cities of this nation um experience revival and multiply wants to be a part of that. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:19.920 And so thank you for just being a part of this church and and the way that you lean in and the way that you invite people. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:22.799 You are impacting Frankfurt one day at a time. 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:25.200 So thank y'all so much for for what you do. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:28.560 Um, I'm excited to be a part of this series. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:30.159 Can I get a witness? 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:33.040 All right, all right. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:33.840 So there we go. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:34.480 Here we go. 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:35.519 All right, you know. 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:36.560 I love this series. 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:40.879 I'm excited to be jumping into week three of this series about being a witness. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:51.120 And um, Forrest has done a great job of kind of beginning the series and setting up this idea that God has called us to be witnesses everywhere that we go. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:56.879 And when I think about being a witness, uh, the first place I think about in scripture is Acts 1.8. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:08.000 Um, if you're familiar with that part of scripture, this is Jesus' last conversation uh with his disciples before he ascends into heaven after his resurrection. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:15.120 And they're all gathered, um, and and and Jesus is giving them his final instructions. 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:24.159 And they're asking this question hey, now that you've resurrected, is is now the time that the kingdom of God will be inaugurated on earth. 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:28.080 And Jesus says, Hey, now it's not for you to know that. 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:33.599 He says, but what it is for you to know and to do is to go be my witnesses. 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:37.120 And here's what it says in verse 8 of Acts chapter 1. 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:51.360 It says, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:57.120 And what I'm grateful for is that those disciples were faithful to that. 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:02.639 If you continue to read, there's an angel that says, Why y'all still standing here looking at the sky? 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:04.879 He said, Y'all need to go on to Jerusalem. 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:08.080 So they went on to Jerusalem, they went in the upper room and they waited, right? 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:20.639 And then the Holy Spirit fell, and they began to speak in all these different languages, and people were saved, and then they were scattered, and they continued to preach, and people were saved, and then those Christians were scattered and they continued to preach and people were saved. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:22.639 And look, we're all in this room. 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:36.639 So I'm grateful that this was true because there was a witness that was the beginning of your faith 2,000 years ago, and we're gonna dive into one of those witness accounts in the book of Mark this morning. 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:43.039 So if you have your Bible, you can meet me over in chapter six of the book of Mark. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:49.599 Now, Mark is one of the gospels, there's the recording of the ministry of Jesus. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:51.759 You got Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:55.520 And Mark is my favorite one because Mark moves pretty fast. 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:59.599 If you've ever read Mark, Mark skips over all the stuff that we think is boring. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.719 He's like, I ain't listen, y'all know the Christmas story. 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:04.560 Ain't no need of me telling y'all again. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:06.400 Ain't no need of me tell y'all again. 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:07.919 Okay, the genealogy. 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:09.919 All right, we got all these names that you can't read. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.319 Ain't no sense of me writing that down either. 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:16.480 Let me just tell y'all what Jesus did so y'all can believe, right? 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:17.680 And so I love Mark. 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:18.480 He moves fast. 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:21.839 You get all the stories, all the miracles, all the amazing things. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.160 And then we get to Mark chapter six. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:30.480 We're coming up right after uh Jesus has been doing some of his biggest miracles. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:37.360 Um, in chapter four of Mark, Jesus huddles up with his disciples and he gives them uh these teachings. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:43.199 He, I think he does three or four parables in that chapter where he talks about the kingdom of God. 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:45.120 And I think he talks about the mustard seed. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.160 He talks about um, you know, the parable of the sower. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:55.120 He gives all these principles about how the kingdom of God would work, that it would spread and that it would be powerful. 00:04:55.279 --> 00:04:57.279 He gives them this picture, all right? 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:02.879 But he also, in those parables, shares a little bit of the difficulty that comes with being a part of the kingdom of God. 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:07.920 Then we move to Mark chapter five, and we get these stories of miracles from Jesus. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:11.920 Like in this chapter, Jesus raises a little girl from the dead. 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:16.319 And right before he does it, the people in the house laughs at him because he says that she's only asleep. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:18.160 And they're like, huh, this dude's crazy. 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:23.439 And he said, Listen, all right, get everybody out of here, especially if they ain't got no faith, they don't need to be in here. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:30.720 And he invites his disciples in and they pray, and that little girl rises again and got to live the rest of her life. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:37.759 And we see these miracles of Jesus showing up, healing the sick and and healing, healing the blind, and all these amazing things. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:46.879 So we see the miracles, the the uh the phenomenon of Jesus was fully on display everywhere else in the region. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:51.680 And then when we get to the beginning of chapter six, Jesus decides to go home. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:57.120 And how many of you know that sometimes going home is not always a fun trip? 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:05.839 Jesus was doing all these amazing things, he was healing people, everybody was excited to see Jesus coming. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.839 When he showed up to the synagogue, people were intrigued by his teaching. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:13.279 People were being set free, demons were being cast out. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:14.959 Jesus was doing these amazing things. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:22.639 His name was becoming renowned, and then he stepped back home and he stepped into familiarity. 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:30.160 And so when we step into the scripture, I want to give us a couple of questions to ask ourselves before we read it. 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:35.120 And this is gonna help us understand what we need to extrapolate from this story with Jesus. 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:36.480 Here are the two questions. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:42.639 Uh, the first question that we need to ask ourselves today as we read is this what does this passage teach me about Jesus? 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:46.560 And can I just say, let that be your first question every time you read the Bible? 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:47.040 Right? 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:49.040 What does this passage teach me about Jesus? 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:51.199 Because he is our source, all right? 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:57.120 The second thing is this: how does this passage prepare me to witness like Jesus? 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:04.480 So, how did this passage prepare me to witness like Jesus? 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:13.040 So we're gonna pick up in Mark chapter six, and I'm gonna read verses one through six. 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:15.040 This is Jesus going home. 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:20.800 Here's what it says says he left there right after he raised the little girl from the dead. 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:26.480 He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:29.600 That could be a message right there. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:32.720 Wherever Jesus goes, you need to be going to. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:34.000 All right, here we go. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:41.279 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:44.160 Where did this man get these things? 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:44.959 They said. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:54.000 How are these miracles performed by his hands? 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:00.399 Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James? 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:05.600 Hose, I don't know how to say that name, Joseph, Hoseis. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:08.560 You tell me. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:14.959 Judas and Simon, and aren't his sisters here with us? 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:17.199 So they were offended by him. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:27.839 Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown, among his relatives and in his household. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:34.559 He was not able to do a miracle there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.919 And he was amazed at their unbelief. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:42.559 He was going around the villages and teaching. 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:45.039 Blessed arena God's word. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:51.600 This morning, our topic from this passage is gonna be the fear of familiar faces. 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:56.000 The fear of familiar faces. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:08.639 We're gonna follow Jesus' example as he went and faced a community and faces that knew him since he was a little boy. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:18.320 And we're gonna follow after Jesus because Jesus is not just our Savior, but in this passage and all of Scripture, Jesus is also our example. 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:21.440 And so we want to be asking ourselves good questions. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:25.519 What things can we learn from Jesus as we walk after his example? 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:34.879 And here's what all of us know taking our faith home is sometimes the hardest thing that we've ever been asked to do. 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:39.440 Like for some of you in the room, you literally had to do this. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:52.559 Maybe you got invited to a youth group, or maybe you went to church or a camp, or maybe you got invited to a church service, and all of a sudden you got saved and your life was different within an hour, and then you had to go back home. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:01.919 And you're stepping back into an environment that is not shaped by the gospel that has just changed your life forever. 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:15.519 In the same sense, sometimes when we have been walking with Jesus for a long time, the life change in our life can get familiar to our family, and the message that we try to share can be diluted. 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:28.480 So sometimes stepping in front of familiar faces can be intimidating, but I think Jesus helps us navigate what's intimidating towards faithfulness. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.120 So let's dive into our first question. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:38.639 The first question that we asked ourselves as we read this passage is what did this passage teach me about Jesus? 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:44.399 But the first thing I think we learn about Jesus is we learn about the identity of Jesus. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:51.919 And what we learn is this is that the identity of Jesus was a consistent thorn in people's lives. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:59.279 Like, just apart from this passage, the identity of Jesus caused so much trouble. 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:03.840 Jesus asked his disciples, Who do the people say that I am? 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:10.799 Well, some say that you are Elijah, some say that you are John the Baptist who had been beheaded. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:14.799 You don't came back to life as John the Baptist, now you're walking around again. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:17.840 But but Jesus said, Well, then who do you say I am? 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:20.559 And Peter says, We say that you are the Messiah. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:31.600 He goes into the synagogue and the religious leaders first acknowledge him as a teacher, then they tried to call him a devil. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:42.399 The identity of Jesus was a constant thorn in people's lives, and I would say the same thing is true today. 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:47.759 In the world that we live in, how many characters of Jesus exist out there? 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:53.039 I mean, some of us are still trying to get the French dude out of our head when we think about Jesus. 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:57.679 Once we found out that it was just a painting of his cousin, like, wait a minute, Jesus didn't look like that? 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:03.279 He didn't have no blunt hair, blue eyes, and a perfectly groomed beard. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:06.080 He didn't go to my barber. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:07.360 Like, no, man. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:10.159 Like, that's one picture. 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.399 That was most of our first picture of Jesus. 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:17.519 And no matter how much information we know, sometimes when we close our eyes, that still comes in our brain. 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:18.080 Right? 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:23.440 But then you get the way that the world has tried to take Jesus and make him their own, right? 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:25.440 You got other religions who claim Jesus. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:27.600 No, Jesus was just a prophet. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:32.000 No, Jesus just came to save these specific people. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:33.519 He didn't come to save everybody. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:36.159 He came to save this specific group of people. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:36.799 Right? 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:38.080 Oh no, no, no, no. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:41.759 Jesus, Jesus is just one of God's sons. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:45.279 He's not the begotten son, he's one of God's sons. 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:45.600 Right? 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:52.879 You get all these different characters of Jesus, and they're all crafted to benefit that person's personal choices. 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:57.039 Then you get the Jesus that want to go to wood start with you. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:12:59.679 Like, man, look at Jesus with that long hair. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:00.720 You know he smoked weed. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:01.840 Like, come on, bro. 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:03.440 Come on now. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:04.799 Come on now. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:07.679 Like, people can just frame Jesus however they want. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:19.279 He just wants to walk through the field and play in the flowers with you, and you know, and then you got Jesus that that wants you to hate everybody, and it there's so many pictures of Jesus. 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:25.840 And the challenge that we have to ask ourselves is this do I have an accurate picture of Jesus in my life? 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:32.639 Because if my picture of Jesus is insufficient, then the gospel that I will go and share would be insufficient. 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:40.080 I have to be willing to accept the whole Jesus because if I'm not accepting the whole Jesus, then I can't preach the whole gospel. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:45.919 And so Jesus was clear about who he was. 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:50.720 When he stepped up at home, the Bible tells us that first the people were astonished. 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:52.960 They were like, wait a minute. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:55.679 This is some good stuff you're saying, dog. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:57.919 This is crazy. 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:00.559 So you telling me, you mean to tell me what? 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:03.039 Then they're like, okay, but hold up. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:05.039 Ain't this the carpenter? 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:07.679 Ain't this a dude that works at the furniture store? 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:08.960 I bought a cash. 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:10.399 He worked at Renner Center. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:12.960 This dude tried to come repo my couch last week. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.679 Who is this dude? 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:16.639 Right? 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:17.679 Wait, wait a minute. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:18.639 I'm confused. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.799 When did you go get Edgie McKay? 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:21.919 Who are you? 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:26.320 And then from the confusion, it says that they became angry. 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:26.960 They were mad. 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:27.679 They were upset. 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:29.200 They were offended. 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:35.360 So, in a matter of seconds, what Jesus said to them felt like hope. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:41.519 And then three seconds later, it felt like accusation. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:49.120 And the issue is they didn't understand who he was to speak such things to them. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:53.039 Jesus knew who he was. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:58.159 Jesus knew that he was prophetic fulfillment. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:21.200 Jesus quotes that a prophet does not receive honor in his hometown, and he was pointing to this reality that every prophet in the Old Testament was pointing ultimately to what would happen to Jesus when he showed up on the scene, speaking the words of God, that the people would reject and rebel and kill him. 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:27.360 Jesus understood his identity. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:38.320 He understood that as I step in front of my family and these friends and these people who know me and they reject me, this has to happen. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:43.919 The scriptures say that the stone that the builders rejected would become the cornerstone. 00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:47.039 Jesus knew that he was the cornerstone. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:53.919 And so he walked in that identity, regardless of the people who stood in front of him. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.879 The identity of Jesus is so important. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:07.840 Jesus is the God who sees you. 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:11.120 Jesus is the God who redeems you. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:14.639 Jesus is the God who laid his life down for you. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:23.120 Jesus is greater than any angel and greater than any prophet and greater than any teacher. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:32.639 He's sitting at the right hand of the Father right now, interceding on your behalf. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:38.240 And Jesus came to save the whole world. 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:41.440 Anybody who would believe. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:46.320 If that's not the Jesus you have, then you don't have the whole Jesus. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:48.240 We got to know his identity. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.399 Here's the second thing we learn about Jesus. 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:53.519 We learn about the intentions of Jesus. 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:56.080 And here's what I love about Jesus. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:59.679 Jesus has the same intentions for all people. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:03.679 And it doesn't matter their status or their place in his life. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:06.000 And we know that's hard. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:12.720 Just in general, we have a hard time treating all people the same about simple stuff. 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.000 Right? 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:20.000 Like sometimes there are just certain types of cars that I like to let cut in front of me in line. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:24.319 If I see a minivan trying to get over, I'm a little sympathetic because I'm like, that's a parent. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.160 They're probably trying to get somewhere. 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:27.039 All right. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:28.000 And you know what? 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:29.039 I know what it feels like. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:29.519 It's hot. 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:32.000 I'm tired of being in these pickup lines. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.519 Traffic is bad every day at this time for some regain. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:36.319 You go ahead, come over. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:37.599 Come on, I'm with you. 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:41.200 But if I see somebody with a charger trying to get over, I'm like, get out of here. 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:44.640 Your life too good right now. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:47.440 You can buy a charger. 00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:48.240 Look at my hoop d. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:49.839 You ain't getting in front of me. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:51.119 Right. 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:54.799 We treat people differently sometimes in simple things. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:00.079 And when it comes to being a witness to Jesus, how much more could that affect us? 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:05.359 Sometimes we treat people differently because of our biases. 00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:07.680 We've been raised a certain way. 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:12.240 And so we we prefer a certain type of person more than another. 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:15.359 Sometimes we've had experiences that have shaped us. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:22.160 And so if somebody reminds us of an experience we've had, then that changes how we interact with them. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.119 And other times it's simply because we love somebody. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:34.319 And because we love somebody, we can be tempted to treat them differently than we would treat maybe a stranger, especially when it comes to sharing our faith. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:40.559 And what I love about Jesus is that when you read this passage and you read all of the gospel, it was clear. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:42.720 Jesus' intentions were simple. 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:49.440 That's it. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:57.759 When you read Jesus over and over and over again, he came to seek and save the lost, and he constantly says, I am obeying my father. 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:03.039 He says, If you see me, then you've seen the Father, because I'm so committed to the will of my Father. 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:04.720 There is nothing that I'm doing. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:08.559 Even unto death, I will obey my Father. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:12.480 That was Jesus' intentions. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:21.519 And so that challenges us as we look at Jesus to be wrestling with what intentions walk with us day in and day out. 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:27.440 Familiar faces can come with narratives. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:40.799 If I know my cousin is a hard person to deal with, then before I even get to the point of sharing my faith with my cousin, I'm gonna go ahead and disqualify myself because they ain't gonna listen no way. 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:48.480 Not knowing that the person you're trying to share your faith with at the gym is worse than your cousin. 00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:51.119 But you don't have no prior relationship. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:57.759 So there's not a story to stop you from showing up in the way that you're showing up for the stranger. 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:17.680 Sometimes we can have the history of who we are in the family determine how we interact when it comes to our faith. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:28.480 A familiar face, like a cousin or a brother or a sister, have memories with us. 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:43.680 And sometimes we know what memories they have with us, and we allow that memory to be a disqualification for our readiness to step into their life and point them to Jesus. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:50.960 Jesus had clear intentions. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:07.279 Do you know the Father? 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:11.839 Man, my heart is for you to know him. 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:13.920 To know him personally. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:17.359 That motivated Jesus every day. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:19.920 His intentions were clear. 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:23.119 Here's the third thing that we learned from Jesus. 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:26.160 We learned about the faithfulness of Jesus. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:28.079 And here's what I mean. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:34.559 The faithfulness of Jesus in our short passage remained whether people believed or not. 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:39.279 Whether they believed what he was teaching or not, he remained faithful. 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:40.880 Let's go back and reread it. 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:53.680 Here's what it says it says number one, because of their unbelief, he was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his self-he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:58.880 But then it says he was amazed at their unbelief. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:03.440 But he was going around the village's teaching. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:09.440 What we see is this is that their rejection didn't impact his responsibility. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:16.160 Jesus, if he wasn't Jesus, could have showed up. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:17.519 They started questioning him. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:18.640 He said, You know what, Dan? 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:19.359 Forget it. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:21.599 You don't want to know the truth? 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:22.720 It's on you. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:23.759 I'm out. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:27.599 Because I got people over in Judea who want to hear from me. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:28.319 Right? 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:41.519 Jesus could have succumbed to a fleshly response, but because he is who he is, he stepped towards the rejection and said, even if you don't want to hear it, you need to hear it. 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:44.480 And here's what I know. 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:58.319 Sometimes the fear of rejection, not even rejection itself, the fear of rejection can be powerful enough to pull us away from the responsibility of being Jesus to the people in our lives. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:08.160 Like if I have in my mind already that my friend is gonna reject me, then I can convince myself to not even open my mouth. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:17.839 If I have a story of rejection with somebody else, I can let the story of rejection with this person determine how I interact with this person. 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:32.880 Like if I'm afraid of the cost of what rejection might mean in my life, then all of a sudden I may start allowing my comfort to creep up there with my responsibility. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:42.160 Jesus shows us that rejection is not an out to the work that God has called you to do. 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:48.480 God has given some of you some unique ways to go forth in this kingdom right now. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:53.359 And right now, as you pursue those things, you're facing what it feels like rejection. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:58.240 And in that rejection, it is easier to take an off-ramp. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:04.799 But what if the rejection was a preparation for the work that God has for you to do on the other side? 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:18.079 Sometimes rejection is an opportunity for us to speak with better clarity. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:26.880 Sometimes rejection is an opportunity for us to redefine how people understand Jesus and how people understand the gospel. 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:29.039 How many of you ever heard somebody say this? 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:30.640 Hey man, why don't you come to church with me? 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:31.599 Man, I can't go to church. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:34.079 I'm gonna get struck by lightning if I go to church. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:35.039 Really? 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:38.400 When has that ever happened? 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:42.160 When has somebody ever got struck by lightning because they went to church? 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:42.799 Right? 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:46.640 So we know that's foolish, but some people like that is their excuse. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:49.279 And we can accept that excuse, but here's the issue. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:53.200 Underneath that excuse is a misunderstanding of the gospel. 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:58.079 Somebody only thinks that because they think they need to fix their life before they can come to God. 00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:02.720 And that is a great place for you to start with sharing the truth of who Jesus is. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:06.000 Hey, you don't have to fix yourself to come to God. 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:07.920 Who told you that lie? 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:11.599 He says, Come as you are. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:16.640 You get an opportunity to meet people right where they are with the love of God. 00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:27.279 You get to share verses with them that says, Hey, the Bible says in the book of Hebrews, approach my throne of grace in your time of need. 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:34.160 And you get to expose in people's minds that when they think about God, they think about a throne of punishment. 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:38.000 They think about a throne of destruction. 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:42.799 They fear God, but they fear God in all the wrong ways. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:52.559 And you may be in that conversation, when you push through rejection, get to be an opportunity to say, let me give you some right understanding. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:58.400 Because if I can give you some right understanding, then maybe you could actually receive this love that God has for you. 00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:02.960 Rejection can get in the way. 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:14.640 The other side of this that Jesus shows us is that difficulty of the moment didn't impact his resilience. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:22.160 Like I could be the first person to say, I wish sharing my faith was a lot easier than it is. 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:34.319 I wish that, you know, you ever seen those sci-fi moves or something where you look at people and it tells you, like, I saw something like their number, their their uh, okay, this person is a terrible person, or you can think, hear people's thoughts and stuff. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:39.440 I wish that like I could look at somebody and say, oh, they're ready for the gospel. 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:41.039 Let me go over here real quick. 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:42.000 Right? 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:47.519 Because you know, you never know where you are in the order of sharing the gospel with somebody. 00:26:47.839 --> 00:27:07.519 The Bible teaches us that when Paul was talking to uh one of the churches and they were arguing about who was the better Christian based on who who baptized them, Paul said, Listen, Apollos planted, I watered, but God causes the growth. 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:16.480 And so what that tells us is this you may be person number seven coming along watering a seed that was planted 10 years ago. 00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:20.720 You don't have to carry the weight of their salvation every time you share your faith. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:23.359 You're just called to be faithful to the moment. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:28.240 You step in understanding this is difficult, but guess what? 00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:31.759 God is the power to change somebody anyway, not me. 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:36.079 My job is to be faithful to the moment. 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:40.400 And so if you had that type of freedom, how different would those conversations be? 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:45.599 Hanging out in the car late at night, talking to your cousin, and they're opening up. 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:54.240 What things might you say different if you understood that this might just be an opportunity for me to water something that has been planted in their life years ago? 00:27:56.720 --> 00:28:00.240 It's difficult sometimes to answer people's crazy questions. 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:04.720 Sometimes people come to Christians asking questions they don't ask nobody else. 00:28:05.200 --> 00:28:06.559 Okay, all that's the truth. 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:08.480 Jesus, God love me. 00:28:08.559 --> 00:28:09.759 What about the dinosaurs? 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:11.839 What are we what are we talking about? 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:17.119 What what how do we get from God loving you to dinosaurs? 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:19.680 What you talking about? 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:20.559 Right? 00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:23.039 But but that that's kind of and it can be intimidating. 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:24.319 I don't know about the dinosaurs. 00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:26.240 I guess they was there. 00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:31.279 It don't say, it don't, when I read in Genesis, it don't say dinosaur. 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:33.200 It's like, come on. 00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:40.880 It's like, man, I want to follow God, but man, I but y'all say I can't smoke weed. 00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:42.079 Why why can't I smoke weed? 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:43.599 But you can drink coffee. 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:47.920 It's like, I mean, I don't know. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:50.640 You know, like that's that that can be your answer. 00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:56.400 Or you can say, hey, I may not have the perfect answer for you, but I know some people who can help us answer that question. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:59.119 Would you be willing to have that conversation? 00:28:59.920 --> 00:29:05.519 But we can allow difficulty of unexpected questions to even keep us from being faithful. 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:07.119 Jesus didn't. 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:09.599 He said, Yeah, I'm Mary's son. 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:11.359 Yeah, I'm a carpenter. 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:15.279 Yeah, those are my brothers and those are my sisters, but guess what? 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:16.720 God loves you. 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:20.480 He has a plan for your life. 00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:24.960 If you're willing to believe, he'll meet you right where you are. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:28.319 Jesus shows us what faithfulness looks like. 00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:31.519 Here's our second question that we were asked in this passage. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:37.119 How does this passage prepare me to witness like Jesus? 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:41.200 So we've spent time just understanding who Jesus is. 00:29:41.440 --> 00:29:44.480 Now we want to go apply this passage to our lives. 00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:53.680 And the first thing that we can learn from Jesus when it comes to being a witness like him is that we must witness from a Christ identity. 00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:55.839 Must witness from identity. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:59.839 We must be grounded in who Jesus is, not who we are. 00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:07.839 The hard thing about sharing your faith to familiar faces is that the people you love most know your sin the best. 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:16.880 They knew you before you found Jesus, and they know how jacked up you still are now that you have Jesus. 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:29.279 And what can happen is we know the gospel, but we can fall prey to the world's expectations of what it means to be a Christian and then start applying that to our lives. 00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:32.400 How many of you have ever had somebody say, You supposed to be a Christian? 00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:33.839 What you doing getting mad? 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:36.000 Who said Christians can't get mad? 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:38.240 Where y'all get this stuff from? 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:39.759 You supposed to be a Christian. 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:40.640 Give me$10. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:41.839 What? 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:43.920 What? 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:48.400 Where are these things coming from? 00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:53.599 And we can start feeling guilty, like, man, I guess I ain't a good enough Christian, man. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:55.519 I ain't giving that$10. 00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:56.960 Like, bro, come on. 00:30:57.359 --> 00:31:06.960 It's like the issue with that is somewhere along the way we forgot that the only reason we're saved is because there's a God who saved us. 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:15.279 The Bible says, even while you were still a sinner, Christ died for the ungodly. 00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:26.559 Jesus says, You didn't choose me, but I chose you as my prize possession. 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:31.359 She said, I loved you first. 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:35.359 Then you loved me. 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:45.039 And we can't get that order mixed up because in that order is the power that allows us to walk free in this world. 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:53.839