WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:02.799 Well, good morning. 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:06.000 Happy Super Bowl Sunday to you. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:13.199 I was hey, you can tell the true football fans by the ones who cheer and applaud when you talk about that. 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:17.199 Um I actually have to brag on Pastor Hunter this morning. 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:26.960 And it's funny, Jack, he was talking about he accidentally said my name, but Hunter's the one who visits people in the hospital and and ministers to Jack and does all the good stuff, you know. 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:35.359 Um but I was uh I was in preparation for this message, and Thursday night I worked on it, and I'll be honest with you, I woke up and I had nothing. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:37.280 And Friday, Hunter calls me. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:39.439 He says, Hey, what are you gonna preach about this Sunday? 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:41.200 And I said, I have no idea. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:46.000 He goes, Well, you know, I was thinking you should talk about the Super Bowl. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:49.439 And then he just lays out my whole sermon for me pretty much. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.719 Uh and I go, wow, that was awesome. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.479 So if uh if you're going, how did he come up with this? 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:58.560 It's good to have good friends who are led by the Spirit. 00:00:58.640 --> 00:00:58.960 Amen. 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:00.320 Amen. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:03.119 But um yeah, happy Super Bowl Sunday. 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:06.799 You know, uh, we've had a great time with Hunter over the past two months. 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:14.159 My wife, every time we hang out with him, she walks up and she says, Hey, she says, Have they chosen who's going to the Super Bowl yet? 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.760 And Hunter responds with, they don't choose. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:19.680 And it makes his eye twitch. 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:28.480 It's fun to hang out with real football people when your wife is not a real football person because when she does that, they all do that. 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:35.120 Uh it's fun, but if we're honest, they don't choose who goes to the Super Bowl, right? 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:40.879 There's there's a lot of prep and there's a lot of work that goes into who goes to the Super Bowl. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:49.840 People wake up and every day, not just during the season, but every day they wake up and they go, I'm gonna work towards a Super Bowl this year. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:02:01.840 And they have to put in all this work and all these, um, they do all this lifting and all this conditioning, and and then they they they look at all of their plays, they do all of these things to get there. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:12.080 And if you're here this morning, we're gonna talk a little bit about that today in the Christian life too, because Jesus says in Mark 8:34 to take up your cross daily. 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:22.560 You see, the Christian life isn't a thing that happens on Sundays and Wednesdays, it's not a thing that happens when you go to small groups, it's a thing that happens every day of your life. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.560 And so Jesus admonishes us to take up our cross daily. 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:30.960 And in the passage we're gonna study today, the apostle Paul does the same thing. 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:36.240 We are gonna be studying Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1 through 16. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:41.039 And if you're going, that sounds familiar, it's because Chris preached the last half of that chapter last week. 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:46.159 Uh, we're gonna be in Ephesians chapter 4, 1 through 16, but I need to ask you a question. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:48.479 Why would you listen to this message? 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:51.360 If you're sitting out there and you're going, what am I gonna get today? 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:59.439 Well, number one, if you've ever wondered what the goal of the Christian life is, the win, so to speak, this message is for you. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:07.919 If you've ever wondered how the Bible defines Christian maturity or what traits the mature Christian has, then this message is for you. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:17.520 This message is important because if you don't have a target to aim for, you'll either hit nothing, or even worse, you'll hit the wrong thing. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.319 And both of those can be detrimental to your faith and the faith of others around you. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:28.960 And so today, if you are here, I implore you, lock in because it's gonna be a good message. 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:31.840 Would you stand to your feet this morning in honor of the reading of the word? 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:37.039 We are in Ephesians chapter 4, starting in verse 1. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:46.319 And it says this it says, I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:54.879 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:01.919 There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:09.520 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:14.479 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:20.399 Therefore it says, when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:22.800 In saying he ascended, what does it mean? 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:27.120 But that he had also descended into the lower regions of the earth. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:33.279 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:54.319 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:55.839 Let's pray. 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:57.680 Father, thank you for your word. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:02.000 May it do in us that which you want to do. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:04.639 Would it change us forever and more in Jesus' name? 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:05.279 Amen. 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:06.399 You may be seen. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:20.639 So this passage it starts out, and he says, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:28.480 That term calling is one of those things that, at least when I was younger, it was something that was kind of spoken of like this magical thing, right? 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:30.319 The calling, right? 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:31.839 Oh, you're a Christian now. 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:32.879 What's your calling? 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:34.720 Are you called to be a pastor? 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:35.759 Are you called to be an evangelist? 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:37.600 Are you called to what's your calling? 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:43.839 But here's the thing about calling that the Bible tells us this morning the Christian life is a calling. 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:55.279 The Christian life isn't something that, again, we do on Sundays, but rather the calling is something that we do for God every day. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:02.480 He says, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:07.920 With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.759 See, if if you take the football analogy just a little bit further, our Christian life is calling. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:16.800 But with that calling, there comes certain fundamentals. 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:27.360 When you hang out with football people, particularly football people who coach, what you hear over and over and over again, Jerry, is that the fundamentals are off. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:29.519 I've heard that so many times. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:30.720 They just arm tackle. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:34.319 I can't tell you how many times I've watched the game of Jerry, and he's yelled that at the TV. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:44.560 He talks about the fundamentals and the Christian life, though it is a calling, has certain fundamentals that we must practice. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:51.439 Certain fundamentals that if we'll do more and more, we'll be more and more like Jesus. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:53.920 And so, what does Paul say about some of those fundamentals? 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:54.959 He's going to give us some. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:07:10.480 Again, he says that we have been called with all humility, gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:15.199 We have fundamentals that Jesus exemplified with his life. 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:16.720 That's why they are fundamentals. 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:22.959 Tell me, of all the people you can think of throughout history, who was more humble than Christ? 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:29.680 Tell me, of all the people in history, who had more gentleness and patience. 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:47.120 If you think about some of the stories of the disciples, one of my favorites is the story where Jesus, he's got the disciples, and they go to, I believe it was Samaria, and they go into this town, and Jesus sends the apostles out, start telling people, hey, Messiah's coming. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.079 And as he sends them out, they reject him completely. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:53.519 And James and John, they come to Jesus and they're like, We've got it. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:54.480 We've got to figure it out. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:08:00.079 What we're gonna do is we're gonna call down fire from heaven like Elijah, and it's gonna burn all these people up. 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:02.560 Can you imagine being Jesus in that moment? 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:07.680 You're just like, you've been with me this long, and that's your solution, you know? 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:11.360 But Jesus in his humility doesn't burn them up. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:20.560 Jesus in his gentleness, though he also tells the truth in love there, um, doesn't react in the way that the apostles would choose to react. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:29.279 In his patience, he bears with their misguided thoughts and he bears with them in love, and how often does he do that with us? 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:35.039 How often does he look at the times when we screw up? 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:42.240 And speaking from my own personal experience, how often do I come to the Lord and I repent of something in the next week? 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:46.799 It seems like I fall right back into that thing, thinking that the Lord bears with me in love. 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:57.519 And how often should we, as the people of God, look at those who do us wrong over and over and bear with them in love? 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:07.759 Reminds me of a passage where again the disciples they come to Jesus and they say, Jesus, how often should we forgive? 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:09.840 Up to seven times? 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:12.720 Look how spiritual I am, seven times. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:23.200 And the Lord says, No, 70 times, seven times, not as just a number, but rather as a forgiveness that goes on and on and on. 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:29.600 Jesus bears with us in love, and how often should we bear with one another in love? 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:38.559 Last week, Chris was preaching about forgiveness, and one of my favorite things that he talked about was absorbing the debt. 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:44.320 How often does Jesus absorb our debt, and yet we're not willing to absorb the debts of others? 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:49.679 One way that I think the Bible talks about that is to bear with one another in love. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:58.720 And so we have fundamentals that Christ sets forth in his life. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:18.559 If you read Philippians 2, 5, it says, Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:27.440 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:39.679 Mark 10, 45, for even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for many. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:45.200 Jesus calls us to practice the fundamentals of the Christian faith. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:46.639 And so should we. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:48.799 The Bible goes on from there. 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:57.600 And it says, verse 4, there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:05.360 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:18.799 You see, not only do we need to practice the fundamentals, but we have to realize that we also have one team with one aim. 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:19.440 Amen. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.000 With one purpose. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:23.600 We have one team. 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:28.320 If you uh if you're a football fan, or if you're not, hey, I tell you what, if you're not, let me help you out. 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:29.120 This will help you. 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:31.440 Today, there are two teams that are gonna play in the Super Bowl. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.240 It is the Seahawks, they're from Seattle. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:37.279 That's why I'm wearing my Seahawks colors today. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:42.000 And there are uh Patriots who are from New England. 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:47.279 Now, good job. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:48.639 Let it go, football people. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:55.519 Um I am rooting for the Seahawks today only because they helped me have a sermon illustration. 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:59.600 But um if you look at the Seahawks, there's a guy on the Seahawks. 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:02.240 Thank you again, Hunter Deal, for all of your good information. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:05.279 Because I like football, but I'll be honest, I'm not a football guy. 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:08.960 I don't know the names of the quarterbacks until today because I know who Sam Darnold is. 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.200 He's the quarterback of the Seahawks. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:16.559 And if you look at the life of Sam Darnold, here's what happens: he was a great player. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:20.960 But even the best players don't get the Super Bowls a lot. 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:25.440 Sam Darnold, he uh just so you know, he played for USC. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:27.759 Uh and he was a redshirt freshman. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:32.080 I didn't know this, but a redshirt freshman turns out a lot of times, those are your best players. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:43.840 And the reason why they redshirt them as a freshman is because they can't play them in more than four games a year, because that way they can save their eligibility for when all of their better players start to graduate out and they need this guy for later. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.399 So he comes in as a redshirt freshman at USC. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:50.080 And I read this article about him from his second string quarterback. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:54.799 His uh second string quarterback said that that USC has a culture of competition. 00:12:55.039 --> 00:13:01.200 They are a culture of people who, if there's somebody else that's better than you, they're gonna take your job. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:05.679 And so they fight and they struggle all the time to be the best. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:12.879 And he said the weird thing about Sam Darnold was when he came in, he was always asking people, hey, what do I do to be better? 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.360 Hey, how do you read this defense? 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:16.559 You've been here longer than I have. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:18.080 Hey, what about this? 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:24.960 I don't know about you, but in a culture of competition, I would never go to my enemy and ask them for help. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:27.360 And yet that's what Sam Darnold does. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:31.440 You see, he did that because he realized he had a team around him. 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:34.080 And so you think, man, this guy's so good. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:36.320 No wonder he's in the Super Bowl. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:38.240 But let me tell you about his NFL career real quick. 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:43.840 Uh, 2016, he uh he becomes the starting quarterback for USC. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:45.360 He wins a Rolls Bowl. 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:47.919 He's the first freshman to win the Archie Griffin Award. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:52.720 2018, he's a first-round draft pick and third overall pick in the NFL draft. 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:53.440 That's him. 00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:56.559 2018, he gets drafted to the New York Jets. 00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:57.679 New York Jets. 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:01.679 Um, his first season with the New York Jets, four and twelve. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:04.240 That means they won four games and lost 12. 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:05.440 Bad day. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:11.679 But hey, hey, second season, hey, they were seven and nine. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:12.559 Still bad. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.519 Third season, oh man, you think they bring it out? 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:17.120 No, two and fourteen. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:21.360 And that's when they he left the New York Jets. 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:23.840 Um, probably not because he wanted to. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.240 2021, he goes to the Carolina Panthers. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:29.519 You think, all right, this is gonna turn itself around 5-12. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.440 Last in AFC South. 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:35.039 Um, he was also out after game 10 with an injury. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:36.480 That's Sam Darnold. 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:40.399 He's the guy who's the quarterback for one of the teams in the Super Bowl today. 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:43.919 And Sam Darnold had two choices at that point, right? 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:44.720 Just like I was. 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:52.559 Sam Darnold could get better and do the work that it takes to get back in the game, or he can quit. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:54.159 Let me tell you something. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:59.679 Some of you all today, and I felt this strongly from the Lord, some of you all today are sitting out there and you're injured. 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:02.080 You feel like quitting. 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:15.919 I was talking to a lady on Wednesday, and my heart still hurts for her because she talked about the fact that so often it feels like she wants this faith thing, and yet she just keeps falling back into sin and and and she it's a struggle. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:23.120 Here's the thing about Sam Darnold, and here's the thing about you today. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:27.519 If you're here, sometimes you just need a team to come around you. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:29.600 So so many times we try to get it all on our own. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:30.240 Come on. 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:37.759 So many times, man, we sit on our own and we try to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps because we're Americans, right? 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:39.120 And that's what we do. 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:43.039 But nobody goes to a Super Bowl alone. 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:44.639 You need a good team. 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:46.000 That's what happens. 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:50.799 You see, Stan Donald, he goes from those teams and he ends up with the 49ers. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.039 And man, the 49ers had it going on. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:56.159 Um, did it so much better. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:01.039 Uh, he this is his first year when the Seahawks goes to a Super Bowl. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.519 Nobody does it all on their own. 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:10.559 So if you're here today and you're going, man, I'm playing injured and I need help, the church is the place to find that. 00:16:11.120 --> 00:16:18.559 Jesus is gonna go on from that, and he's gonna say that he gave apostles and prophets and evangelists and shepherds and teachers. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:19.759 Why does he say all that? 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:24.879 Because sometimes we need good coaches, we need people to help us in Christian book. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:30.720 Christian faith is never alone. 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:33.279 And so he goes on. 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:38.240 Verse 7, it says, But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:43.840 Therefore it says, When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:50.399 And saying he ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions of the earth? 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:55.679 He who descended is the one who has also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:59.039 Now, when you read this passage, people get into debates about this passage all the time. 00:16:59.200 --> 00:16:59.919 What does this mean? 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:01.679 Here's what I can tell you we all agree on. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:05.920 What we all agree on is Jesus came from heaven to earth and was a man. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:08.960 And here's what you can know for sure. 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:11.599 Jesus came for you. 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:18.720 Some of you aren't playing hurt because you're not playing at all. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:23.920 There's some of you out there who are not Christian, and you're going, man, I'm so miserable. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:32.559 I have done everything that I think it takes, and every time, it just seems like everything falls apart. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:33.759 What is going on? 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:38.480 Why is life struggle and pain? 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:42.720 And I can tell you, you when you come to Christ, struggle and pain don't go away. 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:46.559 But here's what does happen you have a God in heaven who helps you. 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.640 There is a God in heaven who loves you and came for you. 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:53.680 He descended into the earth for you. 00:17:54.559 --> 00:18:03.680 One of the ways that you can interpret this passage that I read was that Jesus didn't just descend to the earth, but he also died for your sins. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:11.680 If you're sitting out there today and you want to know what the gospel of Jesus Christ is, it's this we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:19.119 We couldn't meet God's perfect standard, but he didn't leave us in that state. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:22.480 Not only did we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, but guess what? 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:27.920 He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, to be this thing called propitiation. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:36.640 It means that God gave his son so that he could pay the sacrifice, the price for us because we were his enemies. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:40.799 And yet Christ came so that he could die in our place. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:45.440 So that we could be justified, made just as if we never sinned. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:48.960 That is for you today, if you will call on the name of the Lord. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:51.440 Let me tell you something. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:56.480 It's the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and it could be the greatest thing that ever happened to you, but it's not easy. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:58.400 If you want easy, you go sell ice cream. 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:00.079 I've been telling everybody that lately. 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:06.400 You want easy, the Christian walk isn't always easy, but it is always great. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:10.720 And if you want something great in your life, today is the day. 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:14.559 Chris said, you've got to count the cost, and he's absolutely right. 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:18.000 If you're sitting out there today and you're going, well, what does this Christian like? 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:18.960 That sounds great. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:21.440 I want, I want cupcakes and rainbows and awesomeness. 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:23.920 But let me tell you, it could require things of you too. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:28.799 There could be times in your life when somebody doesn't like what you have to say, family members and friends. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:31.920 And what the Bible says is you have to count Christ as more important than that. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:32.400 That's right. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.799 As more precious than that. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:37.519 It could mean any number of things. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:46.799 It could mean going to the ends of the earth and selling all of your possessions and going where no person has gone yet to preach the gospel. 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:49.920 What it could mean is any number of things. 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:50.799 Are you willing? 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:53.440 Is Christ the most important thing in your life? 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:55.599 Some of you need a team. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:58.400 But what some of you need really is to switch teams. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:02.240 Some of you have been on the devil's team for too long and you're miserable and you know it. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:04.480 Today's the day. 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:08.160 Today is the day to be saved. 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:10.400 So who do you serve? 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:12.720 Do you serve sin or righteousness? 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.319 Romans 6, 1 and 2. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:22.640 It says this. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:23.839 It says, What shall we say then? 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:27.039 Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:28.160 By no means. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:32.720 How can we who died to sin still live in? 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:41.200 If I can go back for just a moment and talk to the Christian who's injured, one of the things that we do so often is we think that we're okay. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:43.279 We think that we can beat this thing on our own. 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:47.359 We think that even sometimes we're bound to this thing. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:54.240 That this sin, whatever it is, is stuck on us like glue. 00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:57.680 That it's just who we are, and there's nothing we can do about it. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:59.839 What I can tell you is this. 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:04.960 Romans 6 again says, Shall we continue in sin? 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:05.759 By no means. 00:21:05.920 --> 00:21:09.279 How can we who died to sin still live in it? 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:18.319 If you want some good homework this week, go read Romans chapter 6 and read about the fact that it tells us how we've died to our old selves, our old sins, and we've been raised to newness of life. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:23.759 1 Corinthians 10 13 says, No temptation is overtaking you that is not common to man. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:27.359 God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:32.480 But with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it. 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:35.200 You do not have to be bound in sin forever. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:38.880 Now, we can debate, does that mean you'll never sin again? 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:39.759 I no, no. 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.200 That's not what we're here to talk about. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.640 What we're here to talk about is you don't have to be a slave to sin. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:47.519 You can be freed by the blood of Christ. 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:55.279 And so the Lord He calls us to practice fundamentals. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:59.759 He gives us a team to help us and good coaches to help us along the way. 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:08.079 He gives us a church and he gives us these offices. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:11.039 Let me read them one more time because I'm going to read you what the purpose of them is. 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:15.759 He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers to do what? 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:16.720 Two things. 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:22.720 To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:27.039 Remember how I said that the Christian life is a call? 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:31.440 Christian life is a call to every Christian to do the work of ministry. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:34.799 I love what my brother said about the one. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:38.000 I'm an action guy. 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:40.480 There are different personality types. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.119 I'm one of those people that, like, if you say, hey, you want to go hang out? 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:44.400 I'm probably going to say yes. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:45.920 My wife's always getting on to me. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.519 Hey, you need to stop that. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:48.640 I'm an action guy. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.359 I'm one of those people that wants to do the thing, right? 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:58.480 Um I'm one of those people that when I see something to jump on, I jump on it. 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:01.920 But here's what you need to know. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:12.880 We have apostles and prophets and evangelists and teachers and all that to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:23.440 Some of you will have all of these things that you want to do as an action person where you're like, I can reach this person and this person and this person and I can go and do all of these things. 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:28.079 And then because you get so enamored with everything, you do nothing. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:31.680 Y'all, the Christian life is a call to reach the one more. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:34.559 Who's the one in your life that God has placed close to you? 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:36.960 The one that really needs Jesus. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:39.599 Who's the one? 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:46.559 You see, we're equipped for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ. 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:52.079 Who's the one that's close to you that is a Christian who just needs that word of encouragement today? 00:23:53.920 --> 00:24:04.000 The Christian life is a calling, and all are called to bring others to Christ, to give people the same hope that verse 4 talked about, and all of us are called to build each other up. 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:07.279 How long do we do this calling? 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:24.079 Well, to close, verse 13 says until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.