WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.439 Thank you for listening to the Kelowna Christian Center Podcast. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.080 Our desire is that today's message will be fresh and encouraging to you. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:13.599 For more information on KCC and how to connect, visit us at KCC.net. 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:22.640 Hey! It's good to be in the house of God with you today. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:26.320 How many of you like the person you're sitting beside? 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:27.839 Give them a high five. 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:29.760 Yeah, that's right. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:32.880 How many of you look good this morning? 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:36.000 This is the week after Easter. 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.359 Chocolate did not touch you one moment one bit. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:45.119 How many of you guys went out after Easter and actually bought like 50% off chocolate? 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:48.399 If you didn't good, it's more for us. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:49.200 That's right. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:52.079 For those who are attuned to the game. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:56.880 It's a good day. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:58.640 Is it a good day? 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:02.719 Not a lot flies under our radar. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.799 Some people hope it does. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:12.319 But I just wanted you to know that this week we had a special, just an incredible time just together. 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:16.799 One of the big events we had was uh Brian Grant. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:21.280 Come on, stand up, Brian. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:23.040 Turn 40. 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:35.519 Now, if you're smart, Brian, on those days, that's when you take holidays and you go away for a little while, okay? 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:47.280 Well, it's it's it's a good day because uh it he tried to keep it so quiet, but it didn't happen for very long. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:49.439 It's it's great to be celebrating. 00:01:49.519 --> 00:02:01.840 There's so much to celebrate, so much that God is doing uh in the church, so much that God is doing in our city, and uh we're just so excited um to be in this space, in this time. 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:09.759 God's put you here on purpose for a reason, and uh that reason is for your own good. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:15.680 There's a future attached to it, there's a hope attached to it, and uh it's great. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:33.520 Um Easter is always a special time, but after Easter, we find that uh it's a really good opportunity to be actually to good to actually go back and actually look at some of the building blocks that make KCC great. 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.159 That make KCC uh run at its best. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:44.800 Uh for many of you, you may be here for uh this may be a new place for you. 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:54.960 Um for some of you you may have been here in the last five years, last ten years, but KCC uh has been around for 35 years. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:58.240 That deserves a round of applause. 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:11.439 Thirty five years we've been building, started when three groups of people came together to establish a church, and those three streams just kind of flowed into one. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:16.400 And today you're living in the fruit of those three streams. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:22.000 Those three groups of people today built and envisioned this house. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:23.759 And so that's pretty exciting. 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:30.240 We grew up uh as we grew, uh Pastor Dave had a desire to see people become part of the church. 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:36.879 Many of you know Pastor Dave is my father, so I was there on the first meeting, so that's pretty cool. 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.639 And I'm here on the current current meeting. 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.000 I'm gonna say I was there at the beginning and I'm here now. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:58.240 Um, but being part of the church, he wanted people to grow, he wanted people to grow in their spiritual gifts, make a difference to the people that are around them, and a small church uh to start meeting. 00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:04.560 At first, we met at the Capri Hotel, then we upgraded to the OK Corel. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.800 Yeah, Country Western, it's in our blood somewhere. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:10.159 It's interesting. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:19.120 Sunday mornings, you don't uh there's not high demand for like there's a lot of empty space at places like that on a Sunday morning. 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:24.639 Um, but OK Corel on Kirshner, and then we moved to the strip mall on Springfield. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:30.160 Now there's a laser tag in there, and many of you may have fond memories of that space. 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:35.519 It was a tremendous start, and then in 1996, we were called to Rutland. 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:38.639 We were called to this place. 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:45.600 Rutland, and today we have our church and our schools on this property. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:05:04.079 As a church, our heart continues to beat for global missions, it continues to beat for national impact, our heart continues to beat for education and biblical mentorship, it cares for the community, uh, it's caring for the next generation. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.279 We continue to care for expressive worship. 00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:18.959 We want the church to be alive, to be charismatic, to be full of that life, that dynamic force in the community. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:22.560 Um, these are the areas where we pour our resources. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:32.319 These are the this this these values that establish this church are the place where we want to live, where we're called to live our best life. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:37.759 So when you value something, you just don't stop investing in it. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:45.120 When you value something, you don't stop investing in it. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:53.519 It doesn't stop after one year, five years, it doesn't stop after ten years, or twenty, or thirty, or thirty-five. 00:05:54.319 --> 00:06:01.199 We continue to invest into the values that were that established this church. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:11.279 Um I've had Christmas dinner uh a number of times, but I'm still looking forward to the next Christmas dinner. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:15.600 I'm not gonna stop because you know what, I've had Christmas dinner before. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:17.920 No, I look forward to Christmas dinner. 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:24.879 I you know, we've sell I've celebrated my mother on Mother's Day years before. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.560 I'm still gonna celebrate my mother on Mother's Day. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:29.920 I'm not gonna stop. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:38.000 Because you've got to keep investing into the areas that are important to you, into what you value. 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:59.279 Um, my my wife, I I invested into her uh you know 12 years ago, and I'm still investing today, and that's important because there needs to be that constant uh draw from you onto the things that you value or the people that you value. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:02.319 So there will always be pushback. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:21.519 And we we've been talking around our team because a lot of our team are new uh to us, uh new in the last year, uh, that leaders are repeaters, and that sometimes we can drift from the reality or from the space that we intend to be in, we want to live in. 00:07:21.839 --> 00:07:35.600 And what we're finding is that we're often uh we're living in a generation that is distracted by everything, we're constantly distracted. 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:49.120 If you sit down with someone for just even a coffee or something like that, the first thing that comes out is the phone and it goes on the table, and and the phone will be going off and conversation will be cut back and forth. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:59.519 We're distracted by things that are social, we're distracted by life and the pace of life and the the general space that we're living in. 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:13.519 And what I realize is is a real disappointment is that there's little to no focus at times on what God is wanting to do and share in your life in particular. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:26.639 Often we're more consumed, like the space, the time, the resource that we invest in is not the resource that's really important to us. 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:46.399 And what happens is that God wants to speak to us, and God has to work through the distractions in our lives to be able to speak to us because there's so much happening that our minds are busy, busy, busy. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:09:19.440 We've talked about this before, but the the the mental um the mental uh capacity for students even in schools right now, they're saying that they're dealing with kids dealing with depression and anxiety on a much, much, much higher level right now because of that that pressure to be constantly connected to what is happening in the world, in the neighborhood, in the family, in the community, there's just a constant connection. 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:33.120 So, this message today could be a message on time, it could be a message on priority, it could be a message on discipline, it could be a message on just obeying your convictions and being obedient to your convictions. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:43.120 But when is the last time we put things aside, put everything aside, and just allow the Holy Spirit to just speak to us? 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:55.519 There are times in our relationship, my relationship with Natalie, or perhaps your relationship with your spouse, where you just have to stop. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:09.600 Stop the busyness, stop the stop the the busyness that's connected to your life, and just connect again and show that you value that person that's in your life. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:19.679 And this can happen with co communication, this can happen with just simple affirmation, just stopping and just valuing the person that you're with. 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:29.679 Uh in church life, oftentimes, like our songs, we sang a number of them today, but you know, in the past, it was the same. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:34.799 Lord, you are more precious than silver, Lord, you're more costly than gold. 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:41.120 Lord, everything I have doesn't even compare with you. 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:45.360 And we sing those songs that God is that precious to us. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:54.720 Today we sing the songs like uh we sing songs like I need you, Lord, I need you, every hour I need you. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:11:03.440 You know, today we're talking about that desire to be connected with God on a close, close level. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:11.200 But it won't happen unless we actually separate and take the time to actually connect with God. 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:17.200 And this isn't a message on prayer, even though prayer is inclusive in this. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:29.440 It's about time, it's about your your prioritization, it's where we actually put Christ, put Jesus in our life. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:35.519 So, Jesus, we sang about him today, but to sing about him isn't enough. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:41.200 Jesus, he's precious, Jesus, he's relentless, Jesus, he mends heart. 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:58.159 Jesus, he's kind, he's lovely, Jesus, he's marvelous, he's the giver of grace, uh, Jesus, he's the keeper of promises, Jesus, he's faithful, Jesus, he's beautiful, Jesus, he's a treasure, he's rare and he's rich. 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:06.639 Jesus when you hear these words, does it connect you to the person of Jesus? 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:16.159 Jesus is the most critical message and experience within a relationship to carry ourselves and to pass on to our children. 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:21.200 That value, who do you value? 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:23.120 Who is first? 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:34.960 Not because you know make him first and everything else will be added unto you, not for the things that you can get, but who is first in your life? 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:48.720 Today we build our lives based on the firsts, are our spouse, the firsts are our investments, the firsts are our social media, the firsts are our posts, all those things are firsts. 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:52.320 Jesus needs to become our first. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:13:00.720 Jesus first, his mission, his message, Jesus first. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:10.240 This value is what we live our life on, and it's when we operate at our best, is when Jesus is first. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:13.679 Jesus, he's the name above all names. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:25.279 Jesus is he's Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus, he's the friend of all, Jesus, he's our savior, Jesus, he's merciful, Jesus, he's beyond compare. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:26.720 Jesus. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:34.559 We exist to put Jesus first, to continue his mission, to continue his message. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:37.600 We're at our best when we put Jesus first. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:42.480 So if you're a guest with us today, we're so grateful that you're here. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:45.519 We're so grateful that you found your way here. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:50.879 Um you know that you'll find a place in this community and that there is space for you. 00:13:51.039 --> 00:14:04.720 Uh, one of the things that we love about KCC is is that our heart, that the people in this place, their heart is is uh they want to carry the heart that Jesus carried. 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:07.279 And Jesus' heart was for all people. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:16.480 And his heart was that people would sense a set have that sense of belonging, that they would just be begin to belong to a place. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:28.799 So if you come with questions, if you come skeptical, if you come critical, if you come just observing from the outside and saying, you know what, I was at Easter services, I want to know what this church life is all about. 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:30.720 You're welcome here today. 00:14:30.879 --> 00:14:39.279 We're gonna continue to actually talk about the heart of God for people because God is passionate about people, amen. 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:44.320 He's passionate about you and I, and he's passionate about others. 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:49.519 But today, when we talk about Jesus, we put him over people. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:57.600 Jesus is first in our life, he's first over culture, he's first over our community. 00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:04.639 When we made Jesus our Lord, we've said, You have first priority in our life. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:19.120 So there was a church in Ephesus, uh this church of Ephesus that was mentioned in Scripture, and this church was faulted for one thing. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:29.759 They were faulted for having missed their first love, having lost their first love, having missed out on that first love. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:34.320 Now, this church was characterized with passion. 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:40.799 They embraced their salvation, they realized that they loved Christ because he first loved us. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:43.360 Isn't that the mess the message? 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:56.559 That we love him because he first loved us, he loved us first, and so now we can return in our love back to him, and our love back to him is equal to his love towards us. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:01.600 He's passionate about us, so we need to become passionate towards him. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:06.080 And that love that they had was wonderful. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:10.320 They realized that now they're alive together with Christ. 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:14.320 Speaking in Ephesians, it tells the story of this church. 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:25.519 They they moved from death to life, they moved from slavery to freedom, they moved into a place where they could celebrate and they were defined. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:33.279 Like when people talked about the church of Ephesus, it said that they had incredible joy that they lived with. 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:41.200 This joy was alive in that church because they knew of God's love towards them. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:46.320 And Jesus commends the Ephesians for their many works, their hard work. 00:16:46.559 --> 00:16:51.279 They were a hard-working church, which is admirable. 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:59.360 They tested teachers, they endured hardship, they persevered without growing weary, they didn't complain. 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:10.480 But the scripture says this their warmth for the zeal of God began to wane, it began to cool. 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:16.480 Their warmth towards God began to cool. 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:24.079 And this is uh this is something that we all have to assess in our lives. 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:29.599 Is your love for God hot or has it begin begun to cool? 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:36.480 And this cooling factor is not good for any relationship. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:44.079 For those of you who have a spouse and your love begins to cool, you gotta charge it up. 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.559 You gotta heat it up a little. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:53.599 Get it hot, put it on the burner, you gotta turn it up. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:58.880 And you gotta, it's okay to talk to your spouse and say, okay, we gotta turn the heat up a little bit here. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.119 We gotta work some passion. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:05.440 We gotta get some passion into this relationship. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:13.440 We gotta look at each other in the eyes, we gotta talk, we gotta love each other in a deeper way. 00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:23.920 You guys can have that conversation later over Tim Hortons or wherever you go, you know, where it's a good place for you to connect that way. 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:26.240 But over Timbett, I don't know. 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:39.440 Wherever you want to connect, but you could if you feel that love cooling, you want to heat it up and you want to work at your best, but Christianity cannot become common. 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:48.640 Our common the commonality, the commonness of our faith cannot weaken, it's got to strengthen. 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:53.839 Our faith has got to get stronger and stronger. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:56.319 So we've got to work it out. 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:01.519 We've got to press in, we have to flex those muscles a little bit. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:04.079 We've got to put ourselves through that pressure. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:12.559 And this culture today, I'm included, does not like the pressure. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:22.400 But without pressure, your life can't, your life and your faith and your passion can't grow. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:39.359 So today I'd like to take a moment and just remind us that it's when we're active on God's mission, when we're proclaiming his message, when we're putting Jesus first, that is when we come alive. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:42.720 That is when life begins. 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.599 That's when we live at our best. 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:50.880 So let me hear, uh, let me hear today from the scripture. 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:54.559 Uh, this is Luke chapter 5, verse 27. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:57.599 And if you have your Bibles, you can turn there with me. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:03.039 We hear, or you can see it as we talk about the screens like the Bible in the sky. 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.359 There it is, behind me. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:10.799 Um, but it says this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:15.920 Tax collector by the name of Levi, also known as Matthew. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:25.200 At his tax booth, he said, Follow me, and Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:29.759 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house. 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:33.920 A large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:35.599 Next verse. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:43.039 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:47.680 He says, Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:53.519 And Jesus answered them, It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:58.000 So I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:01.440 So this is the message. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.079 This is Jesus' mission. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:08.640 This is what Jesus did in putting life, his life first. 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:14.480 This is where he focused his energy, his efforts, his resources. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.720 He put it in this place. 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:23.279 So missing the message is easy to do. 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:25.599 It's super easy to do. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:28.079 Yesterday I went to a sportsman's show. 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:30.720 I thought it was at uh Prosper Place. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:33.279 It ended up being at the Capitol News Center. 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:34.240 My buddy called me up. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:35.440 He said, No, no, no. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:36.880 It's a Capital News Center. 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:39.119 I said, No, I invited you. 00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.480 I know where I'm going. 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:41.440 I was wrong. 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:43.440 I just missed the message. 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:47.119 I was at the wrong Starbucks, we were meeting at the wrong place. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:48.640 We got there. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:59.519 Um, but it's easy to miss the message, but I've noticed that some people can become more committed to the method than they are to the message. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:07.279 And they become ritualistic to a method, and they miss out on the message. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:23.599 The church at its origin was supposed to be an open environment, inviting people into this congregation of people who have a common love for God, a common love for people. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:29.440 And Jesus, like this place where Jesus met with Levi, also known as Matthew. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:32.559 I don't know why they had two names, but they always did in scripture. 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:44.720 That was a place where people connected. 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:47.279 That's a place where people met with Jesus. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:59.680 But the method can become too traditional and too customary that we miss out on the spirit of the method that was originally intended for. 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:02.559 And that was to fulfill the message. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:05.839 So sometimes we just miss the message. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:08.000 I've got a great example of this. 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:17.599 If you travel up the highway here, you come to a Pizza Hut that's along the in the strip mall of uh Highway 33 Plaza. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:25.039 And before the Pizza Hut there, there was like uh Papa John's, and before that, there was a multi-million dollar company there. 00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:27.279 Does anyone remember what it was? 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:28.960 Blockbuster. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:29.440 That's right. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:32.480 Some of you still have a Blockbuster card in your wallet. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:34.480 There's no shame in that. 00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:38.319 Maybe some of you even have overdue bills by Blockbuster. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:39.680 No worries, okay? 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:42.240 We free you from that today. 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:58.799 But a number of years ago in the year 2000, in 2000 uh 18 years ago, um a company named Netflix approached Blockbuster and suggested that they use their online services. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:03.200 Hey, Blockbuster, this is a great idea. 00:24:03.440 --> 00:24:08.640 Why don't you use the online services here that we have for you at Netflix? 00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:13.440 Um and they were laughed out of the office. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:16.799 Netflix was laughed out of the office. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:32.880 They had approached the CEO, Reed Hastings of Netflix, had approached the CEO, uh John Antioso, and offered the purchase of Netflix for a whopping fifty million dollars. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:47.119 Eighteen years later, Netflix is now valued at a hundred billion dollars, and the CEO was worth a mere two point three billion dollars. 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:53.200 So somebody was more committed to the method than the message. 00:24:53.839 --> 00:25:22.240 The medium of media had not changed, but they were so committed to their visual that they needed a store, it needed to be brick and mortar, it needed to be set in its place, that over after that opportunity to purchase Netflix for$50 million, six months later, Blockbuster went into bankruptcy. 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:28.079 The industry still wanted the media, but the method had changed. 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:30.400 And so Blockbuster went bankrupt. 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:32.079 Now they were committed. 00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:35.119 Netflix has this in common with Blockbuster. 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:42.559 They're both committed to the media, they're both committed to the message. 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:54.000 But if we can capture this first value that Jesus needs to be first, all other things will fall into line around it. 00:25:54.559 --> 00:26:00.240 All the other values will be the byproduct of putting Jesus first. 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:09.440 Jesus first, his mission, his message is need to be first and primary in our lives. 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:14.319 When that is primary, everything else will fall into line. 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:17.279 Everything else will become a byproduct. 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:26.400 That's why, if you ever want to thrive in life, you have to have the ability to sometimes change methods. 00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:30.000 I said a word there, change. 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:30.880 I love that word. 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:32.079 Don't you love that word? 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:32.960 Change. 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:39.359 Change my diet, change my exercise routine, change the time I wake up, change. 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:41.680 I love it, I love it, I love it. 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:52.000 One thing is true that people overt, that people resist change, and they do it one of two ways. 00:26:52.160 --> 00:27:04.480 They just go absent-minded, they're just like, whatever, like they just ignore it, and or and bury their head in the sand, and neither of it works. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:05.839 It's futile. 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:19.839 Change needs to happen, and change needs to happen, and even though change needs to happen, we still need to be committed to the core of our message, which is Jesus first. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:29.200 You see, that message, Jesus first, even though we have light, you know, we used to have a thing called the transparency overhead. 00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:46.079 We used to have a big on stage, many of you may not know what this was, but this we used to have on stage there was uh someone who would sit there and there would be a big drawer of all the songs that we had that were on overheads. 00:27:46.400 --> 00:28:09.119 And someone uh had to be very, very skilled because if the musician went spontaneous, they were right, fr-flick, flick, flick, flick, flick, flick, found it, and they pull it out, drop it on the overhead transparency projector, and throw it up on the wall, and then they were ready for the next song. 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:12.799 This was a method that needed to change. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:15.359 Now, the method changed. 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:20.799 Church may look different, but the message needs to remain the same. 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:24.319 You can't move away from the message. 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:29.599 The message of our church needs to be Jesus first. 00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:38.000 He is our anchor, he is our our our the one we hold on to that everything is built upon. 00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:40.400 He's the foundation stone. 00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:59.599 So our lives, whatever we do, whether we close the doors until quarter to eleven, a quarter to ten, whether we uh serve coffee in the lobby or or uh change up the way we do worship a little bit, or add lasers or smoke or whatever. 00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:03.839 The message remains the same. 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:13.359 A synthesizer or real drums, acoustic drums, like that would get a cheer. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:17.200 Everyone became super spiritual at that moment. 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:20.720 The Lord's speaking to me now. 00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:22.480 I agree. 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:31.119 I may not know, you see, with change, like I've found that life doesn't always go the way you plan. 00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:40.640 The way you plan, and I can't control what happens to me, but I can I can control the way I respond to it. 00:29:41.279 --> 00:30:06.240 So I never knew that 35 years ago when the church was me with those few families around a table, they never knew that we would be on Bad Key Road, on a piece of property, considering a development, operating two schools, running global missions with churches in Mexico, Asia, Africa, online. 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:11.920 They would never have thought that we'd be posting messages for people to listen to around the world. 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:18.640 They'd never be knowing that we're live streaming on it now to houses all over Kelowna. 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:21.599 They would never have considered that. 00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:24.079 They could not prepare for it. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:35.920 But they could prepare for the time when they needed to respond to it, how their response would be, how they would approach it. 00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:46.880 So, this is what we need to do to move further, farther, when we want to move forward, we need to know what's really inside of us. 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:49.519 How anchored are we? 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:52.240 How anchored are you? 00:30:52.880 --> 00:30:54.319 Is Jesus first? 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:57.200 When you squeeze an orange, guess what comes out? 00:30:57.440 --> 00:30:58.319 Orange juice. 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:00.240 That's what's in it. 00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:02.880 Is full of it? 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:06.240 When you get squeezed, what comes out? 00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:07.920 Is Jesus in you? 00:31:09.680 --> 00:31:13.519 This isn't a message to actually like point a finger at you. 00:31:13.680 --> 00:31:16.720 This is a message to like give you an assessment. 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:19.519 When you get squeezed, what's in you? 00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:21.759 Is Jesus in you? 00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:25.759 Do you do you sit back or do you push forward? 00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:28.720 When is the message on your lips? 00:31:29.039 --> 00:31:32.319 When you have an opportunity, do you consider prayer? 00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:33.839 Do you pursue prayer? 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:37.440 Is the word on your lips? 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:40.559 Is it his actions? 00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:42.559 Is it his message? 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:46.160 Is it his language that you're speaking? 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:54.400 Is it his heart that beats inside of you when you see the lost or those who are who don't know Christ? 00:31:54.720 --> 00:31:58.160 Are you wanting them to be a part of the family of God the way he is? 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:01.599 Wanting them to be a part of the family of God. 00:32:03.359 --> 00:32:05.519 This is the message of Jesus. 00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:10.079 The message of Jesus goes to Luke chapter 5. 00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:20.079 It's it's it's conveyed so well in this portion of Scripture that uh you know Jesus just returned from healing a paralyzed man. 00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:34.160 He walks into uh, he's walking down the street, he bumps into Levi, and like there really is no job in this world today that really uh compares to who Levi would have been. 00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:36.160 Levi was a tax collector. 00:32:36.240 --> 00:33:10.000 Now the Romans, they come into a community, they'd um kill the men, rape the women, enslave the children, they take over, possess the space that it was formerly yours, they slap a tax on everything you did, and then they'd say that your buddy, your neighbor, now is paid to go and collect those taxes, and he's allowed to illegally require more taxes from you to actually lie in his own pockets. 00:33:11.119 --> 00:33:20.480 The closest, uh, the closest we can refer to someone in this position would be like the mafia, a gangster. 00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:23.759 He was just like out for himself. 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:30.720 He's a part of your tribe, he's a part of your culture, but all he's thinking about is himself. 00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:39.680 And Jesus walks up to him and he says, Hey Levi, Matthew, come follow me. 00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:41.680 That's all he says. 00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:51.440 No application form, no rite of passage, no script or diploma for baptism, no nothing. 00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:55.279 It's just like, hey Matthew, follow me. 00:33:55.440 --> 00:33:56.720 That's all he says. 00:33:56.880 --> 00:34:02.880 And the scripture says that Matthew just got up, left everything, and followed him. 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:06.160 That was the message of Jesus. 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:14.960 Now, Jesus didn't make it difficult for Levi to actually become a part of the part of his community. 00:34:16.559 --> 00:34:22.000 Jesus didn't make it any hoops for him to jump, any places for it. 00:34:22.320 --> 00:34:24.159 He just said, come and follow me. 00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:35.199 And I think too often we we create space and obstacles for people to follow God, where really the church should be this open invitational space. 00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:42.079 Anyone from anywhere, from any walk of life, any part of their journey can come in. 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:59.440 So, for example, if you're going to a fitness club, a gym, whatever it may be, they're not saying, well, you have to be X weight to come in, and you have to be able to lift X weight for you to be able to join. 00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:04.480 No, any part of your journey that you're on, you're welcome. 00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:13.360 And the fact is, there's some people who aren't here on aren't far on their journey, and there's some that aren't short on their journey. 00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:21.039 Some have been here for 35 years, some have been here for 50 years, some have been here for five hours. 00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:26.480 Any part of your journey, you're welcome to be a part of. 00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:27.840 Jesus said it right now. 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:30.159 Hey gangster, Mr. 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:31.840 Mafia, Mr. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:32.800 Mafioso. 00:35:33.679 --> 00:35:34.320 Come. 00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:37.199 Come. 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:38.639 Follow me. 00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:39.519 Come on. 00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:40.719 There's no application. 00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:42.880 You just well, I want to welcome you. 00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:44.880 This was Jesus' message. 00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:49.199 And the fact that this happened was just so unreal. 00:35:49.360 --> 00:35:51.119 People were watching Jesus. 00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:52.880 What is he doing? 00:35:53.280 --> 00:35:55.039 What is the logic behind this? 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:57.679 What is the strategy behind this? 00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:03.760 But in fact, he was actually announcing that this message is for the world. 00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:06.000 It's not just for the church. 00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:11.599 The message to the church is to be equipped to go into the world to do this to others. 00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:21.519 To allow others to come in, to be invitational, to come in and say, hey, I'm doing this on purpose each day. 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:24.079 I'm committed to this message. 00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:27.840 So they were committed to that message. 00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:31.440 So we don't even know if he got converted. 00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:32.880 We don't know anything about it. 00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:35.360 He just calls him to follow. 00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:47.199 But when you put Jesus first, this is the first thing we learn, is that when we place Jesus first, we realize that everyone is a candidate to be used by God. 00:36:49.199 --> 00:36:50.159 Everyone. 00:36:50.320 --> 00:36:51.280 Say that with me. 00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:52.559 Everyone. 00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:54.320 Doesn't matter who. 00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:57.440 We've got to literally break off the blinders. 00:36:57.840 --> 00:36:58.880 Everyone. 00:36:59.760 --> 00:37:07.360 The girl I meet up at Starbucks, the girl or the guy I meet at the gym, the person I'm my neighbor. 00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:14.639 It doesn't matter the homeless person who comes into our houses of mercy. 00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:18.559 It is everyone is a candidate to be used by God. 00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:23.840 Because there are no favorites in God, no favorites in Christ. 00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:25.519 Each one is valuable. 00:37:25.760 --> 00:37:27.519 Each one was created on purpose. 00:37:27.679 --> 00:37:28.800 Each one was called. 00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:34.079 Each one was given a destiny and a and uh uh a future. 00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:38.639 Each one has a hope because if they have Christ, they have that hope. 00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:42.079 Each one has that opportunity. 00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:45.519 So Levi drops everything. 00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:49.119 He says, I'm gonna drop everything, I'm gonna follow you, God. 00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:56.960 So when he put him to church, he said, when he said, Come follow me, Levi dropped it all. 00:37:57.199 --> 00:38:04.239 And I think that's the only response when it says, Hey, God says, Come follow me, there's only one response. 00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:06.159 You've got everything. 00:38:06.800 --> 00:38:09.920 I'll drop everything and I'll serve you. 00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:21.840 So those of you in this room who made a decision to follow Christ, you made that decision to drop it all, to give up everything, and to say, I will follow. 00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:33.440 When when I made a decision for Christ, it was uh it was I was younger, and and for some reason, when you're younger, it's it's easier because it's just safer. 00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:37.679 We it's not the same when you've got things to give up. 00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:42.079 I was young, I didn't have much to give up. 00:38:42.480 --> 00:38:46.000 But now it's like, okay, I'm gonna give up my car. 00:38:46.159 --> 00:38:48.079 What do you want me to do with it, God? 00:38:48.239 --> 00:38:50.960 I'm gonna give up my my bank account. 00:38:51.119 --> 00:38:52.960 What do you want me to do with it, God? 00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:55.840 I'm gonna give up my relationships. 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:58.480 Who, what do you want me to do with them, Lord? 00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:00.320 How do you want me to relate? 00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:05.599 I'm gonna give it all up, my future, my pursuits, my dreams. 00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:07.599 God, it's yours. 00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:18.800 Second thing we learn is that putting Jesus first doesn't lead us to a living our life safer, but it leads us to sacrificing more. 00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:31.360 And I'm so proud of our church because many of you, like man, almost almost 100% here, are engaged in some form or fashion in serving. 00:39:31.519 --> 00:39:35.599 You may not be able to give the same as someone else, but we serve. 00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:38.159 We're committed to serving the mission. 00:39:38.480 --> 00:39:41.199 And so it's so exciting to be a part of that. 00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:46.079 Following Jesus is is a big part of who we are. 00:39:46.239 --> 00:39:47.760 And I'll tell you this today. 00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:55.920 If you weren't a risk, if you're not a risk taker, if you're not uh taking a risk today, you probably won't tomorrow. 00:39:57.119 --> 00:40:02.719 And if you're not uh living dangerously today, you won't live dangerously tomorrow. 00:40:02.960 --> 00:40:06.719 If you're not giving today, you probably won't give tomorrow. 00:40:06.960 --> 00:40:09.039 So you gotta start today. 00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:11.519 You gotta start now. 00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:25.360 So when we put Jesus first, we're putting him first today. 00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:26.800 Today. 00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:30.000 So he says, Matthew turns. 00:40:30.639 --> 00:40:35.440 He says, guys, everyone, he calls other tax collectors. 00:40:35.599 --> 00:40:38.880 I'm having a party at my house, I'm throwing a big banquet. 00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:42.000