WEBVTT 00:00:24.140 --> 00:00:35.100 Man, I absolutely love that song, Jesus Be the Name, because that is what we're here to do, is to worship Jesus Christ as our risen King and Savior. 00:00:35.179 --> 00:00:37.100 And so I am jacked up. 00:00:37.420 --> 00:00:38.780 My name is Chris Durham. 00:00:39.019 --> 00:00:43.500 I serve currently as the administrative pastor here at RLC. 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:46.219 And we are so excited to worship together. 00:00:46.299 --> 00:00:49.820 And if this is your first time with us, a very special welcome to you. 00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:51.659 I am not Pastor Brandon. 00:00:51.820 --> 00:00:57.820 Pastor Brandon is our lead pastor, and he is actually out on sabbatical for the next several weeks. 00:00:58.140 --> 00:01:06.620 And so we'll have some guest speakers, myself, Pastor Derek, and Brandon Gillam will all be speaking over the next several weeks as we start a new series. 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:09.979 And that series is going to be called One Church. 00:01:10.219 --> 00:01:10.939 One church. 00:01:11.020 --> 00:01:12.060 And there it goes. 00:01:12.140 --> 00:01:13.819 Hey, boom, Tim's working with us. 00:01:13.979 --> 00:01:14.460 One church. 00:01:14.620 --> 00:01:19.659 And so there's so many things happening in our world today. 00:01:20.460 --> 00:01:22.859 We are one church here at Real Life Church. 00:01:22.939 --> 00:01:34.699 And a church, if you want to look at actually what a church is, a church is essentially a body of people, of Christians, and of disciples who come together to worship Jesus Christ. 00:01:34.780 --> 00:01:36.300 That is what the local church is. 00:01:36.460 --> 00:01:41.020 And then we have like big seed church, the global church. 00:01:41.259 --> 00:01:43.979 And that is the bride of Jesus Christ. 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:52.460 And coming one day, don't know when that's going to be, but coming one day, Jesus Christ is going to come back and he is going to take his bride home to be with him. 00:01:52.539 --> 00:01:54.539 And it's going to be an amazing, amazing time. 00:01:54.699 --> 00:02:04.219 And so as we're one church, okay, then what exactly, how do we function in all of this kind of different things and different walks of life? 00:02:04.460 --> 00:02:10.219 There's so many different things, actually, right now in the world, that can cause what's called disunity, right? 00:02:10.539 --> 00:02:14.060 Unity inside of a church is a remarkably important thing. 00:02:14.300 --> 00:02:17.819 It's an amazing thing when we actually look at it for what it is. 00:02:17.900 --> 00:02:27.180 And so for the next four weeks or so, we're going to look at four different ways that we find unity as the body of Jesus Christ. 00:02:27.419 --> 00:02:31.819 And so you can go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter two. 00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:35.659 Verse 42 is going to be our main spot that we're going to hang out. 00:02:35.739 --> 00:02:42.139 But Acts chapter two, and believe it or not, over the next four weeks, we're going to cover one verse. 00:02:42.859 --> 00:02:43.979 One verse, right? 00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:46.939 And if you think you're getting out early, you've never heard me speak, okay? 00:02:47.099 --> 00:02:48.699 So just buckle in. 00:02:48.780 --> 00:02:52.139 It's going to be a great time because it's not just going to be one verse, because guess what? 00:02:52.219 --> 00:02:56.139 We're going to read the whole chapter today, and it's going to be awesome. 00:02:56.219 --> 00:02:58.699 All right, because God's word is amazing. 00:02:58.859 --> 00:03:00.699 This is not about any individual here. 00:03:00.780 --> 00:03:05.979 This is not about any specific thing, but rather it is all about Jesus Christ here at RLC. 00:03:06.060 --> 00:03:07.099 And so buckle in. 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:09.180 We're going to be in Acts chapter 2. 00:03:09.259 --> 00:03:10.060 Let's get after it. 00:03:10.139 --> 00:03:11.259 All right, we're going to start in verse one. 00:03:11.419 --> 00:03:17.500 It says, On the day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting together in one place. 00:03:18.139 --> 00:03:26.219 Suddenly there was a sound from heaven, like a roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 00:03:26.379 --> 00:03:33.099 And then when they looked, uh, what looked like flames of tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:41.019 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 00:03:41.340 --> 00:03:46.699 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 00:03:46.939 --> 00:03:54.459 When they had heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 00:03:54.699 --> 00:03:57.419 They were completely amazed and said, How can this be? 00:03:57.579 --> 00:03:58.620 They exclaimed. 00:03:58.859 --> 00:04:04.139 These people are from Galilee, and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages. 00:04:04.379 --> 00:04:19.420 Here we are, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, and the Providence of Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and areas of Libya around Cyrene. 00:04:19.579 --> 00:04:23.819 Visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism. 00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:31.819 Cretans and Arabs and all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done. 00:04:32.060 --> 00:04:34.780 They stood there amazed and perplexed. 00:04:35.019 --> 00:04:36.300 What can this mean? 00:04:36.459 --> 00:04:37.579 They asked each other. 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:41.259 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, They're just drunk. 00:04:41.339 --> 00:04:42.139 That's all. 00:04:42.459 --> 00:04:57.180 Then people stepped forward with the then Peter, excuse me, stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem, make no mistake about this. 00:04:57.259 --> 00:05:00.219 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. 00:05:00.379 --> 00:05:04.300 Nine o'clock in the morning is much too early for that. 00:05:04.620 --> 00:05:13.420 No, what you have predicted long ago by the prophet Joel in the last days, God said, I will pour out my spirit upon all people. 00:05:13.819 --> 00:05:19.740 Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 00:05:20.139 --> 00:05:26.139 In those days I will pour out my spirit even on my servants, men and women alike. 00:05:26.379 --> 00:05:45.099 And they like prophecy, they will prophecy, prophesy, and I will cause wonders in the heaven above all the sounds, uh, signs on the earth below, blood and fire and clouds and smoke, the sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before the great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. 00:05:45.420 --> 00:05:50.540 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:05:50.779 --> 00:05:52.779 People from Israel, listen. 00:05:53.180 --> 00:06:02.379 God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 00:06:02.620 --> 00:06:09.420 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. 00:06:09.659 --> 00:06:13.740 With the help of the lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:21.420 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. 00:06:21.659 --> 00:06:26.699 King David said this about him: I see the Lord is always with me. 00:06:26.939 --> 00:06:31.180 I will not be shaken, for his right he is right beside me. 00:06:31.339 --> 00:06:34.540 No wonder my heart is glad and my tongue shouts his praise. 00:06:34.699 --> 00:06:36.540 My body rests in hope. 00:06:36.860 --> 00:06:43.180 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. 00:06:43.339 --> 00:06:49.500 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. 00:06:49.819 --> 00:06:52.139 Dear brothers, think about this. 00:06:52.699 --> 00:07:10.219 You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us, but he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne. 00:07:10.540 --> 00:07:20.540 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection, and he was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. 00:07:20.779 --> 00:07:25.019 God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 00:07:25.339 --> 00:07:30.779 Now he is exalted to the place of the highest honor at heaven, at God's right hand. 00:07:31.259 --> 00:07:37.740 And the Father, as he promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 00:07:37.899 --> 00:07:40.459 For David himself never ascended into heaven. 00:07:40.540 --> 00:07:50.779 Yet he said, The Lord said to my uh said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet. 00:07:51.019 --> 00:08:00.699 So let uh let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah. 00:08:00.939 --> 00:08:08.219 Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles' brothers, What should we do? 00:08:08.459 --> 00:08:18.620 Peter replied, Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. 00:08:18.860 --> 00:08:21.980 Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:22.219 --> 00:08:29.180 This promises to you, to your children, and to those far away, all who have been called by the Lord our God. 00:08:29.659 --> 00:08:36.860 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, save yourselves from this crooked generation. 00:08:37.100 --> 00:08:45.180 Those who believed that Peter said, uh what Peter said, were baptized and added to the church that day about 3,000 in all. 00:08:45.500 --> 00:08:53.820 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship and to the sharing in mills, including the Lord's Supper and to prayer. 00:08:54.060 --> 00:08:57.020 A deep sense of awe came over them all. 00:08:57.260 --> 00:09:05.420 And the apostles performed many miracle miraculous signs and wonders, and all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:09.420 They sold their property and their possessions and shared the money with those in need. 00:09:09.580 --> 00:09:12.379 And they worshiped together at the temple each day. 00:09:12.540 --> 00:09:22.940 They met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and they shared their meals with great joy and generosity, all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. 00:09:23.100 --> 00:09:29.100 And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. 00:09:29.260 --> 00:09:30.060 Let's pray. 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:31.820 Our Father, God, thank you. 00:09:32.060 --> 00:09:34.220 We thank you for bringing us to this place. 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:36.140 God, we worship you. 00:09:36.379 --> 00:09:41.660 You are our desire, your goal is to lift your name high. 00:09:41.980 --> 00:09:43.740 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:09:44.140 --> 00:09:55.020 We thank you that you love us enough not to leave us where we're at, but rather you step into the messy places in all of life to simply see us grow closer to you, to grow in freedom that only you can bring. 00:09:55.100 --> 00:09:59.420 Now, God, with each and every person under my voice, I pray blessing upon blessing. 00:09:59.580 --> 00:10:01.180 Holy Spirit, we know you're here. 00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:02.460 We feel you moving. 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:06.379 And now, Lord, take me out of it, and may your voice be heard. 00:10:06.700 --> 00:10:07.900 God, we love you. 00:10:08.220 --> 00:10:13.020 We're so thankful for all that you're doing in the holy and powerful name of Jesus Christ. 00:10:13.340 --> 00:10:14.940 Amen and amen. 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:16.780 So we are one church. 00:10:16.940 --> 00:10:22.300 We get a full chapter of the beginning of quote unquote the early church. 00:10:22.540 --> 00:10:31.260 It's it's this amazing time where the Holy Spirit falls down on a group of people, and there's this flame of tongues, right? 00:10:31.420 --> 00:10:34.220 And sometimes we we get scared about speaking in tongues here. 00:10:34.300 --> 00:10:36.140 Hey, we're not diving into that today. 00:10:36.300 --> 00:10:38.620 If you want to know thoughts on that, find me after. 00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:40.060 I would love to talk with you about it. 00:10:40.140 --> 00:10:42.540 It's a great, great thing that we get to talk about. 00:10:42.700 --> 00:10:49.980 We hear about prophesying, we hear about visions, we hear about all these kind of confusing things, or at least they can be confusing. 00:10:50.140 --> 00:10:52.460 There's all these different things that we're hearing in life. 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:54.860 How many of you have heard about aliens lately? 00:10:55.340 --> 00:10:55.980 Just me? 00:10:56.140 --> 00:10:56.379 Right? 00:10:56.460 --> 00:10:58.379 A couple of chuckles, you've heard about them. 00:10:58.860 --> 00:10:59.180 Right? 00:10:59.580 --> 00:11:01.740 There's there's these different things that we're hearing about. 00:11:01.900 --> 00:11:09.580 There's certain things that really need to be our primary concerns, and then there's secondary, tertiary, and then things that don't even matter, right? 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:11.500 Aliens, it's one of those things. 00:11:11.660 --> 00:11:14.540 It doesn't change anything in the Bible. 00:11:14.860 --> 00:11:15.260 Right? 00:11:16.220 --> 00:11:23.580 There is nothing in the Bible that if aliens do exist and the government comes out, it just so happens that it all circulates around America. 00:11:23.660 --> 00:11:24.620 But hey, it's okay. 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:30.620 That if aliens come out and there's this actual being, it doesn't change anything in the Bible for us. 00:11:30.860 --> 00:11:35.340 Actually, I would I would even say it confirms things in the Bible. 00:11:35.660 --> 00:11:35.980 Right? 00:11:36.060 --> 00:11:38.460 There's rules that rulers and principalities of the air. 00:11:39.020 --> 00:11:41.660 There's things in the Bible that actually point to these things. 00:11:42.300 --> 00:11:46.700 There's things like what color the wall should be inside of a church building. 00:11:47.100 --> 00:11:51.260 There's things like how loud the music should be or what style of music. 00:11:51.420 --> 00:12:03.340 If you can't tell, I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, and there was what was called the worship wars, legitimate worship wars where churches would split based off the style of music that is there. 00:12:03.580 --> 00:12:05.900 Can I tell you that's also not the first time that's happened? 00:12:05.980 --> 00:12:13.420 That's happened multiple times through history, whenever there's this adjustment of how we the style of music that we use for worshiping God. 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:17.340 Okay, there's there's all these things that can cause disunity. 00:12:17.820 --> 00:12:20.060 So then what do we do with them? 00:12:20.540 --> 00:12:23.500 Well, I want to make a contention with you. 00:12:23.740 --> 00:12:26.540 If you're here, you're probably one of three people. 00:12:26.780 --> 00:12:33.900 Either, number one, you are a confessing believer of Jesus Christ and walking with him and walking as a disciple with him. 00:12:34.060 --> 00:12:36.540 If that's you, first of all, I'm so glad you're here. 00:12:36.780 --> 00:12:39.420 Because my hope is this is encouraging you to you. 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:41.260 The message today is encouraging. 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:43.820 It's not meant to be anything of condemnation or anything like that. 00:12:43.900 --> 00:12:50.540 It's meant to be encouraging and hopefully going to give you some tools and resources to understand more about what we believe. 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:52.460 Maybe you're on the fence. 00:12:52.700 --> 00:12:54.060 You are my favorite people. 00:12:54.140 --> 00:12:55.660 I'm not gonna lie, I love you, disciples. 00:12:55.900 --> 00:12:56.220 I love you. 00:12:56.379 --> 00:13:00.860 But but the people on the fence that are just naturally skeptics, I love you because I am you. 00:13:01.020 --> 00:13:09.260 And so my hope for you is that I can give some answers based on God's word to what the reality of what we're walking in is. 00:13:09.580 --> 00:13:13.660 And then maybe you got dragged here by your Christian friend next to you. 00:13:13.740 --> 00:13:15.020 I'm gonna let the cat out of the bag. 00:13:15.100 --> 00:13:16.780 They're hoping that you give your life to Christ. 00:13:16.860 --> 00:13:17.740 That's why you're here, okay? 00:13:17.900 --> 00:13:24.940 But but if you're here and that's you and you just want nothing to do with Jesus Christ, again, I'm so glad you're here. 00:13:25.260 --> 00:13:27.180 Because God's word is amazing. 00:13:27.340 --> 00:13:31.420 And I'm gonna unpack what God's word really is because here's the goal. 00:13:31.820 --> 00:13:38.140 As one church, we must be unified, we must remain unified in the Bible. 00:13:38.780 --> 00:13:39.820 Let's let's look at this. 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:45.420 Chris, how in the world do you get that out of anything in Acts chapter two? 00:13:45.580 --> 00:13:50.300 There's nothing actually saying, hey, that God's word, that the Bible is truly God's word. 00:13:50.540 --> 00:13:51.740 It's inspired by God's word. 00:13:51.900 --> 00:13:52.700 So how do you get that? 00:13:52.780 --> 00:13:55.580 Well, let's look at chapter uh chapter two, verse 42. 00:13:55.820 --> 00:14:00.860 It says all the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. 00:14:01.180 --> 00:14:02.860 That's where we're stopping today. 00:14:03.100 --> 00:14:05.260 The apostles' teaching. 00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:10.780 So then, how in the world do we get the apostles' teaching in this? 00:14:11.020 --> 00:14:21.580 Well, here's what's really cool Peter, who is one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, he walked with Jesus for about three years, right before Jesus was crucified and then resurrected from the grave. 00:14:21.660 --> 00:14:22.460 We'll get there, trust me. 00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:24.540 Well, we're we're getting to the credibility of Jesus. 00:14:24.700 --> 00:14:26.700 You're getting a little apologetics today. 00:14:27.020 --> 00:14:32.379 But wait, we have Peter who who there's all these weird things happening, and people are thinking that they're drunk and all these things. 00:14:32.540 --> 00:14:34.540 I love Peter, he's just a brash guy. 00:14:34.780 --> 00:14:40.300 I can relate a lot with Peter, but Peter just steps out and says, Hey, you, you messed up. 00:14:40.780 --> 00:14:44.460 You crucified the Son of God, you crucified him, and guess what? 00:14:44.540 --> 00:14:47.340 He's risen and he's he was buried and risen. 00:14:47.420 --> 00:14:47.900 And guess what? 00:14:48.060 --> 00:14:51.180 There is still redemption for you because God loves you. 00:14:51.420 --> 00:14:52.220 It's awesome. 00:14:52.379 --> 00:14:53.340 I love Peter. 00:14:53.580 --> 00:14:54.620 So how do we get that? 00:14:54.780 --> 00:15:00.220 Well, we see God's word on both the old and the new testament in this passage. 00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:04.379 The first part, Peter actually quotes the prophet Joel. 00:15:04.540 --> 00:15:08.620 And remind you, these are Jews that he is speaking to, primarily Jews in this area. 00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:15.100 And the Gentiles that were here likely at least had a rudimentary knowledge of prophecy. 00:15:15.340 --> 00:15:25.020 So he he quotes Joel directly, and then he quotes from the book of Psalms David, like two of the major prophets of the time, right? 00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:27.260 He calls it out for what it is. 00:15:27.340 --> 00:15:34.780 So he connects Jesus Christ to the Old Testament, and then he carries it on forward to what we see as the New Testament. 00:15:35.340 --> 00:15:40.860 Now, if you're a skeptic like I am, I'm like, that's awesome, but how do we know that's actually what was written? 00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:45.500 So, really quick, what I want to do here at Real Life Church, we are uh one unified church. 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:51.500 And so I want to let the cat out of the bag if you didn't already know this, our view of the Holy Bible. 00:15:51.660 --> 00:15:53.580 There's different views of the Bible out there. 00:15:53.740 --> 00:15:58.940 There are some people who would say it is the inspired and errant and infallible, meaning it cannot contain error. 00:15:59.020 --> 00:16:07.580 It was inspired by the Holy Spirit, written through men, by men, that they did not lose agency or personality. 00:16:07.740 --> 00:16:11.260 The Holy Spirit does not possess them, rather, he inspires them. 00:16:11.420 --> 00:16:18.700 And since the Holy Spirit inspired them, that cannot contain error because God is the Holy Spirit is part of God. 00:16:19.500 --> 00:16:28.300 And so we would say our official view is the Holy Bible and only the Bible is the authoritative word of God. 00:16:28.780 --> 00:16:39.100 It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths in its original writing, it is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. 00:16:39.260 --> 00:16:41.660 Those are other scriptures that we use to back that up. 00:16:41.820 --> 00:16:43.100 This is actually on our website. 00:16:43.260 --> 00:16:45.580 So if you didn't know, this is our view of the Bible. 00:16:45.900 --> 00:16:51.420 We believe that it is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant word of God. 00:16:52.620 --> 00:16:59.020 So then what exactly, how do we know though, that that this this is called an NLT version of the Bible? 00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:00.300 This is a translation. 00:17:00.540 --> 00:17:05.740 How do we know that this is as much as God's word as the original form? 00:17:05.900 --> 00:17:06.379 Let's get into it. 00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:11.900 Well, the first question uh is is are we followers of Jesus Christ? 00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:16.779 Are we followers of Jesus Christ? 00:17:17.099 --> 00:17:31.980 Because if we claim to be disciples the way that the Bible lays out disciples, that means that we must have the same view of the Bible, we must have the same view of morality, we must have the same view of sin as Jesus Christ did. 00:17:32.379 --> 00:17:36.700 Otherwise, I would argue then you're not a disciple of Jesus Christ. 00:17:38.859 --> 00:17:40.619 Okay, let's cut the tension in the air. 00:17:41.579 --> 00:17:42.700 It's okay. 00:17:45.579 --> 00:17:47.019 This is a hard one. 00:17:48.139 --> 00:17:48.779 Right. 00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:55.339 If if we claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ, that means we confess with our mouth. 00:17:55.500 --> 00:18:01.179 It says in the book of Romans, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, then you are saved. 00:18:01.339 --> 00:18:05.740 If you confess Him to be Lord, that word Lord there actually means Master. 00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:14.939 So that means as disciples or followers of Jesus Christ, if we have a master, we must have the same view as the master. 00:18:16.059 --> 00:18:19.099 So really quick, let me let me talk about Jesus for a second. 00:18:19.259 --> 00:18:25.899 Because here's the thing about Jesus Christ either he is the son of God or he is a liar. 00:18:26.539 --> 00:18:27.819 There's no in between. 00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:31.179 Now, what I want to do really quick, I'm gonna have some fun. 00:18:31.259 --> 00:18:33.179 Uh geek out with me for just a moment. 00:18:33.339 --> 00:18:35.500 If this is not your jam, it should be. 00:18:35.579 --> 00:18:36.139 That's okay. 00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:37.899 Uh, it's helpful in life, I promise. 00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:40.700 Okay, so is Jesus credible? 00:18:42.059 --> 00:18:51.419 Is he credible that he would say that he that he can say that he is the son of God and there's enough evidence to back up what Jesus is saying? 00:18:52.539 --> 00:18:53.740 Let's take a look. 00:18:54.299 --> 00:18:57.419 So so there is this man, his name's Jesus. 00:18:58.059 --> 00:19:00.939 He was born of what's called a virgin birth. 00:19:01.179 --> 00:19:03.819 This is not disputed all through history. 00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:19.500 It was a miraculous event that a baby was born from a woman is the only case that we have that a child was born without intercourse. 00:19:20.460 --> 00:19:22.779 Okay, so we have a miraculous birth. 00:19:22.939 --> 00:19:40.299 There are multiple times of prophecy said before Mary is alive that this is how the Son of God is gonna come, this is how the Messiah is gonna come, and God just lays it out for his people so that when this happens, we know, oh, there's something different about this guy. 00:19:41.179 --> 00:19:44.299 Now, Jesus is both fully God and fully human. 00:19:44.460 --> 00:19:45.899 This is a hard doctrine to understand. 00:19:45.980 --> 00:19:46.859 So bear with me. 00:19:47.019 --> 00:19:49.419 I know I'm going like Christianity 201. 00:19:49.579 --> 00:19:50.779 Roll with me. 00:19:51.259 --> 00:19:54.539 Jesus, since he is both God and human, what does that mean? 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:56.299 Okay, I can't understand this. 00:19:56.379 --> 00:19:59.579 I'm a finite being, and I'm not the most intelligent guy in the world. 00:19:59.819 --> 00:20:00.139 Okay. 00:20:01.179 --> 00:20:21.819 But but what that means, but the but the best analogy I can have is you have a king, and what he does is he leaves his throne and he puts on normal civilian clothes, and then he walks along the line among the people, and he has to follow the same laws and physics as what that that the people have to follow. 00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:29.659 It doesn't change his identity as God, but he has to deal with all these things. 00:20:29.899 --> 00:20:35.259 So that means when Jesus leaves his throne, he has to then deal with things like temptation. 00:20:36.139 --> 00:20:38.939 He has to deal with things like hurt. 00:20:39.819 --> 00:20:42.379 He has to deal with all these different things. 00:20:43.099 --> 00:20:46.139 And so we have this man, Jesus, who is born of a virgin. 00:20:46.299 --> 00:20:53.819 He's fight, he has to deal with temptation, but the difference between us and him is Jesus never sins. 00:20:54.539 --> 00:20:56.220 And so there's this thing called sin. 00:20:56.379 --> 00:21:00.700 Sin is when we do something that isn't anything contrary to what God desires. 00:21:02.059 --> 00:21:02.379 Okay? 00:21:02.619 --> 00:21:07.259 Anything that God says is a sin in the Bible, we would consider a sin. 00:21:08.220 --> 00:21:14.460 And so Jesus has all of these temptations, but he never falls to the temptation. 00:21:15.179 --> 00:21:18.619 Rather, he fights against it with the word of God. 00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:23.339 And so we have this completely clean person. 00:21:25.659 --> 00:21:30.619 And there's this thing called sin, and before God, sin requires a sacrifice. 00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:39.019 So Jesus being the perfect clean person, fully God, fully human, Jesus takes on that. 00:21:39.259 --> 00:21:40.539 He dies on the cross. 00:21:40.700 --> 00:21:47.419 And from what I can find, all the history and all the background I find, the Romans never messed up crucifying somebody. 00:21:47.579 --> 00:21:56.139 There's not a single time in history where we have that I can find anyway that would say that the Romans got this one wrong and this person lived. 00:21:56.299 --> 00:22:00.619 No, every time a crucifixion happens with the Romans, they die. 00:22:00.859 --> 00:22:09.019 So there's no way that Jesus is alive to the point that they actually pierce his side and water and everything else flows out. 00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:10.700 Jesus died. 00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:14.460 He's buried in a grave. 00:22:14.939 --> 00:22:17.740 And then the the Roman Empire is like, hey, we need to do something. 00:22:17.899 --> 00:22:23.099 They put a legion of soldiers around the grave that nobody can get into the grave. 00:22:23.179 --> 00:22:28.139 They put A miraculously heavy stone in front of the grave. 00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:31.419 Well, three days later, what happens? 00:22:33.419 --> 00:22:34.539 People show up. 00:22:35.179 --> 00:22:37.099 The grave's empty, the stones rolled away. 00:22:37.259 --> 00:22:38.379 Jesus isn't there. 00:22:39.179 --> 00:22:44.059 But then, a few days later, over 500 people see Jesus Christ with their own eyes. 00:22:44.220 --> 00:22:45.740 And we have eyewitness views. 00:22:45.819 --> 00:22:49.019 So is Jesus credible through history? 00:22:49.659 --> 00:22:52.059 Jesus is credible. 00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:56.779 So then if Jesus is credible, that means we have to take what he says as God's word. 00:22:57.019 --> 00:22:57.819 So here's what's awesome. 00:22:57.899 --> 00:22:58.460 I love C.S. 00:22:58.539 --> 00:22:58.779 Lewis. 00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:00.220 If you if you never know that about me, C.S. 00:23:00.379 --> 00:23:01.339 Lewis is amazing. 00:23:01.419 --> 00:23:05.179 He says, Christianity, if false, is of no importance. 00:23:05.259 --> 00:23:09.019 And if true, of infinite importance. 00:23:09.659 --> 00:23:13.419 The one thing it cannot be is moderately important. 00:23:14.139 --> 00:23:15.819 So Jesus is credible. 00:23:15.980 --> 00:23:18.619 He is credible to be the Son of God. 00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:21.019 That's amazing. 00:23:21.179 --> 00:23:28.059 So then, if we're followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, how then do we use the Bible as our unifying factor? 00:23:28.220 --> 00:23:31.980 Well, the first question to answer is how does Jesus regard the Bible? 00:23:32.220 --> 00:23:37.339 If he is our master, we must have the same view as he does of the Bible. 00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:39.500 So then what does he say about the Bible? 00:23:39.579 --> 00:23:40.379 Let's take a look at it. 00:23:40.539 --> 00:23:43.899 From the Old Testament point of view, Jesus references to the Old Testament. 00:23:44.059 --> 00:23:48.460 In Matthew, there are 102 references to the Old Testament. 00:23:48.619 --> 00:23:49.819 In Mark, there's 39. 00:23:49.899 --> 00:23:51.099 In Luke, 68. 00:23:51.179 --> 00:23:53.419 And in John, there are 49. 00:23:54.220 --> 00:24:04.059 It is very clear that Jesus himself talks about the Old Testament as the Word of God. 00:24:04.139 --> 00:24:05.659 If you need more proof, let's get after it. 00:24:05.740 --> 00:24:06.059 All right. 00:24:06.299 --> 00:24:16.299 Mark 7.13 says, thus, you will nullify the word of God, Word of God, by your tradition that you may have handed down. 00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:18.859 The Bible trumps church tradition. 00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:25.500 If we do something inside church tradition that is contrary to the Bible, the Bible takes the authority and precedence. 00:24:25.659 --> 00:24:28.539 Church history does not, or church tradition does not. 00:24:28.939 --> 00:24:30.139 The next one, I love this. 00:24:30.299 --> 00:24:41.179 And then John 10, 35, he says, if he called them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be broken. 00:24:41.899 --> 00:24:45.099 Scripture has full authority. 00:24:46.379 --> 00:24:50.379 This is Jesus actually speaking to the disciples. 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:56.619 The next one, Matthew 22, 31 through 32, but about the resurrection of the dead. 00:25:14.939 --> 00:25:19.819 So it's very clear Jesus holds the Old Testament in regard as the word of God. 00:25:19.899 --> 00:25:21.179 So then that's great. 00:25:21.339 --> 00:25:23.339 What about the New Testament? 00:25:23.579 --> 00:25:25.740 Well, what does Jesus say about the New Testament? 00:25:25.980 --> 00:25:31.419 John 14, uh 25 through 26 says, These things I have spoken to you while I was still with you. 00:25:31.579 --> 00:25:42.299 But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all the things and bring you to bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 00:25:42.460 --> 00:25:45.259 This the he is talking to the disciples here. 00:25:45.579 --> 00:25:54.700 And Jesus says, Hey, hey, listen, I'm gonna send the Holy Spirit, and he's going to inspire you to write down what you say. 00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:57.099 What have you seen? 00:25:57.819 --> 00:26:00.619 That's why we have these things called the apostles. 00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:08.139 There's a difference between a capital A apostle and like the action verb of being an apostle. 00:26:08.379 --> 00:26:14.059 An apostle, the action verb, the apostle is going to a place and starting new churches that have never heard the Bible. 00:26:14.220 --> 00:26:21.339 Okay, that's that's that's like the lowercase a the capital A are the disciples minus Judas and Paul. 00:26:21.659 --> 00:26:23.899 You put Matthias in there if you want to. 00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:24.779 Right? 00:26:24.859 --> 00:26:26.539 So we have 13 apostles. 00:26:26.939 --> 00:26:36.619 Part of the the precedence to be a part of the New Testament is you have to have apostolic secession, which simply means it has to have come from one of the apostles that physically saw Jesus Christ. 00:26:36.779 --> 00:26:42.619 Whether that's through orientation and somebody's writing it down, that would be like Paul and Luke, oftentimes. 00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:45.179 Or Mark with Peter. 00:26:45.339 --> 00:26:47.019 That's where we get the gospel of Mark. 00:26:47.099 --> 00:26:50.139 It's actually the gospel of Peter, but you know, Mark wrote it. 00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:51.099 He gets a lot of credit. 00:26:51.259 --> 00:26:53.099 He's a better writer than Peter, in all fairness. 00:26:53.179 --> 00:26:55.259 Go read Mark and then go read first and second Peter. 00:26:55.419 --> 00:26:56.939 Peter's a fisherman. 00:26:57.659 --> 00:27:00.539 But we see this. 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:04.220 That Jesus Himself is saying, Hey, I'm gonna give you my word another one. 00:27:04.379 --> 00:27:14.379 Luke 10, 16 says, The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me. 00:27:15.659 --> 00:27:19.179 The New Testament is God's word. 00:27:19.740 --> 00:27:33.740 I actually love this in Galatians chapter 1, that Paul is writing to the church at Galatia, and he actually tells them, hey, if even an angel comes down and they give you another gospel, that is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:27:33.819 --> 00:27:37.339 Anything contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ is not truth. 00:27:37.500 --> 00:27:38.779 Capital T truth. 00:27:39.099 --> 00:27:44.939 And you can put in little exclamations, Mormons, uh, good old Joseph Smith, you got Islam uh with Muhammad. 00:27:45.019 --> 00:27:45.819 We have all these different ones. 00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:54.139 Anybody who comes and says they see an angel, especially like in a cave, they see an angel and they got this new gospel, this new truth. 00:27:54.299 --> 00:27:58.139 Well, the Bible actually says that that is not the case. 00:27:58.379 --> 00:28:04.139 We have everything we need inside of the Bible to know truth. 00:28:04.619 --> 00:28:06.939 So then, really quick, I gotta hustle, man. 00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:08.539 All right, uh first point. 00:28:08.619 --> 00:28:09.259 We got three. 00:28:09.419 --> 00:28:14.299 All right, so so then how do we know this is really what was said? 00:28:14.460 --> 00:28:21.740 How do we actually know that what we have here in them from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, how do we know these are actually true? 00:28:21.899 --> 00:28:25.419 How can we actually stand on these and stand firm in them? 00:28:25.579 --> 00:28:26.299 Uh here we go. 00:28:26.379 --> 00:28:31.819 We have 24,000 copies of the New Testament manuscripts. 00:28:32.539 --> 00:28:33.980 24,000. 00:28:34.139 --> 00:28:38.220 We have 10,000 plus 10,000 plus copies of the Old Testament. 00:28:38.379 --> 00:28:43.740 These are dating back to within 50 years of the original authorship. 00:28:44.059 --> 00:28:49.099 The closest thing to this is that I could find is the Iliad by Homer. 00:28:49.980 --> 00:28:54.939 The Iliad by Homer, we have roughly, I think, 2,000, I think is what it is, 2,000, something like that. 00:28:55.179 --> 00:28:59.099 And you know the time gap between the two is 400 years. 00:28:59.339 --> 00:29:00.700 Now, this is sourced, okay? 00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:02.539 This is from a guy named Norman Geisler, Dr. 00:29:02.619 --> 00:29:04.299 Norman Geisler, an apologist. 00:29:04.379 --> 00:29:05.099 He's he's awesome. 00:29:05.179 --> 00:29:09.339 And so you can scan that QR code and I encourage you, go read about it because I ain't got time for that. 00:29:09.419 --> 00:29:18.539 All right, so so then we we we see two different ways that we can really view all these things to say solidly that the Bible is God's word. 00:29:19.659 --> 00:29:25.819 I encourage you, I implore you, never ever, ever take a preacher or pastor's uh word as the word. 00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:27.740 Always back it up with the word of God. 00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:29.259 Always ask them for sources. 00:29:29.419 --> 00:29:34.379 If you ever ask Pastor Brandon from where he found stuff and all the sources, you will make his day. 00:29:34.619 --> 00:29:36.059 Trust me, I've done it. 00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:37.500 But we have two different ways. 00:29:37.579 --> 00:29:44.779 So if you grew up uh in a Catholic world or you're under you know about Catholic, you may be asking a question, a valid question. 00:29:44.939 --> 00:29:49.019 Why is it that they have 73 books, but we only have 66 books? 00:29:49.179 --> 00:29:51.740 Well, I don't have time to get into it, so scan that QR code. 00:29:51.819 --> 00:29:53.019 That's a quick podcast. 00:29:53.099 --> 00:29:54.059 Uh, it's it's really good. 00:29:54.139 --> 00:29:55.819 It's about 25 minutes, if I remember right. 00:29:56.059 --> 00:29:57.899 He unpacks that really well. 00:29:58.139 --> 00:30:04.700 Uh, and then Pastor Brandon himself, he actually has a full lesson on this online. 00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:10.619 And so you can scan this QR code, and he actually gets further and deeper into the inerrancy of God's word. 00:30:10.859 --> 00:30:12.220 So be sure, check those out. 00:30:12.379 --> 00:30:13.339 Do your own research. 00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:15.259 Guys, we live in the United States of America. 00:30:15.339 --> 00:30:16.619 We are smart people. 00:30:17.500 --> 00:30:19.819 Like we have access to all kinds of things. 00:30:20.139 --> 00:30:22.939 We just don't use them because it's not easy. 00:30:23.259 --> 00:30:25.500 Do the work, it's worth it. 00:30:25.980 --> 00:30:33.259 Guys, we must remain unified in the Bible because the Bible is God's word. 00:30:33.659 --> 00:30:36.700 Now, I know that was a little more academic and everything like that. 00:30:36.779 --> 00:30:38.779 So, so we're gonna get into the meat of it now. 00:30:38.939 --> 00:30:48.379 Now, here's the key: we find unity in God's word because our views are shaped by the Bible. 00:30:49.179 --> 00:30:50.939 Our views are shaped by the Bible. 00:30:51.019 --> 00:30:58.220 Because again, remembering that Jesus as our masters and we are followers of Him, He is our master, therefore, we follow with Him. 00:30:58.299 --> 00:31:03.500 Well, God's word tells us what Jesus and God Himself thinks about things. 00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:05.659 So here's what we're gonna do. 00:31:06.539 --> 00:31:08.539 I want everybody to take a deep breath. 00:31:10.139 --> 00:31:12.139 Because we're about to look at a bunch of pictures. 00:31:12.460 --> 00:31:15.500 And I told Katie last night I'm probably gonna get in trouble for this. 00:31:16.059 --> 00:31:18.220 They're meant to be emotionally charging. 00:31:18.859 --> 00:31:19.179 Okay? 00:31:19.579 --> 00:31:24.539 So every time you feel that emotion spike for a second, you feel that that redness in your face, I want you to take a breath. 00:31:24.779 --> 00:31:26.460 Because it's gonna be okay. 00:31:27.339 --> 00:31:29.980 You know, we we all have different views of things. 00:31:30.460 --> 00:31:31.579 These guys. 00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:35.500 Yeah, I don't know about the all. 00:31:35.659 --> 00:31:38.700 Like he he is looking into your soul, ready to destroy you. 00:31:38.859 --> 00:31:41.259 All right, Alabama football. 00:31:41.500 --> 00:31:43.099 God's pray for our pastor. 00:31:43.419 --> 00:31:45.500 He is an Alabama Crimson Tide fan. 00:31:45.579 --> 00:31:46.220 God bless him. 00:31:46.379 --> 00:31:47.179 Go Vols. 00:31:47.419 --> 00:31:48.460 I don't get to say it very often. 00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:49.740 All right, now now let's get serious. 00:31:49.819 --> 00:31:51.740 Because the rest of these are actually legitimate, all right? 00:31:51.899 --> 00:31:54.379 You may feel an emotion with these, and that's okay. 00:31:54.460 --> 00:31:54.939 Take a breath. 00:31:55.019 --> 00:31:55.980 And I'm just gonna go through them. 00:31:56.059 --> 00:31:57.419 I'm not gonna say a word. 00:31:59.899 --> 00:32:02.379 Uh, can I also send a disclaimer? 00:32:02.619 --> 00:32:05.659 Um please guard your laughter here. 00:32:07.339 --> 00:32:11.740 What we may think is funny, what you may think is funny, may not be funny to the person next to you. 00:32:12.139 --> 00:32:13.659 These are legitimate things. 00:32:14.220 --> 00:32:16.859 So please guard your laughter, okay? 00:33:02.779 --> 00:33:07.259 We all have emotional thoughts towards each of these things. 00:33:07.980 --> 00:33:15.740 This is why it's so important for us to have an objective truth that we can find unity in. 00:33:16.059 --> 00:33:17.659 And that's the word of God. 00:33:19.339 --> 00:33:24.859 The word of God helps us understand how to process through these things. 00:33:25.659 --> 00:33:35.019 The word of God gives us a space to be able to say, hey, I have this thought and opinion about something, I have, and then another person have this thought and opinion about something. 00:33:35.099 --> 00:33:44.379 But when we can actually detach from that emotion for just a moment to be able to pull back and look at, okay, but what does the truth of God's word say? 00:33:45.339 --> 00:33:52.619 Now, likely through those images, we we hit everybody at some point in time. 00:33:53.019 --> 00:33:53.339 Right? 00:33:53.500 --> 00:34:10.380 Whether you uh lean on the side, one one side or the the other politically, whether you lead one side or the other on different hard to understand and hard topics to talk about, whatever those are, we probably have in this room a thousand different ways to look at those things. 00:34:10.700 --> 00:34:20.380 But when we can say, hey, we we understand all those things in culture, we we know that those things are there, but we stand firmly on the word of God. 00:34:20.780 --> 00:34:34.380 It allows us a space to be able to pull back and not have disunity within the church, but rather come to a table to have a conversation about a church with the goal of looking back at what does God say? 00:34:34.700 --> 00:34:37.580 And we stand firm on that no matter our opinion. 00:34:37.660 --> 00:34:41.660 Because here's the thing: our views and our opinions do not shape God's word. 00:34:42.059 --> 00:34:47.100 God's word shapes our opinions and our views because we are not the Lord. 00:34:47.340 --> 00:34:51.580 Jesus is Lord, therefore we follow what the Lord says. 00:34:52.380 --> 00:34:54.059 I don't care your opinion. 00:34:54.300 --> 00:34:58.059 Opinions are like armpits, everybody's got one, and most of them stink. 00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:04.860 But God's word and God's opinion doesn't change and it hasn't through all of history. 00:35:04.940 --> 00:35:19.580 And so now that we understand that we have a space that we can truly say, hey, this is the word of God, there's plenty of historical evidence saying that this is the word of God, that it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and because it's inspired by the Holy Spirit, that means God said it. 00:35:19.820 --> 00:35:23.580 God cannot err, meaning he can't get things wrong. 00:35:23.820 --> 00:35:27.180 And when he says this, this is what we do. 00:35:28.059 --> 00:35:30.380 That doesn't mean it's not hard. 00:35:31.500 --> 00:35:35.180 If you can't tell, guys, I'm I can be hard-headed. 00:35:35.660 --> 00:35:37.740 I'm a type A personality. 00:35:39.740 --> 00:35:43.500 There's many times where I'll read God's word, and I was actually doing it through this message. 00:35:43.660 --> 00:35:44.460 I'm reading God's word. 00:35:44.539 --> 00:35:47.260 I'm like, God, I don't want to say that, I don't want to do that. 00:35:47.500 --> 00:35:48.940 Because I like this over here. 00:35:49.019 --> 00:35:50.300 This is comfortable. 00:35:50.620 --> 00:35:53.340 Well, guys, growth and comfort never coexist. 00:35:53.820 --> 00:35:57.100 And so our desire is to grow closer to God. 00:35:57.340 --> 00:36:03.580 And when we grow closer to God, our views are shaped by the Bible. 00:36:04.860 --> 00:36:16.780 What this allows us to do is when the Bible shapes our views, we can call sin as it is, and in turn, we see grace as freedom instead of condemnation. 00:36:18.380 --> 00:36:33.820 When we see the Bible for what it really is, and when the Bible says a sin is a sin, and we're willing to step into that place and say, okay, God, whether I even agree at this moment or not, I'm willing to give you the leverage and you the space to form my thoughts and my sin and my views. 00:36:33.980 --> 00:36:37.019 And when we can do that, the Lord's finally like, thank you. 00:36:37.180 --> 00:36:39.019 I'm revealing this sin to you. 00:36:39.260 --> 00:36:40.140 You know why? 00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:45.660 Because there's grace in that sin, and from that grace comes freedom from that bondage of sin. 00:36:46.539 --> 00:36:50.860 But we can only do that when we're here with the word of God. 00:36:51.260 --> 00:36:53.820 Guys, we gotta be unified in the Bible. 00:36:53.980 --> 00:36:59.340 I would actually argue, I was telling Katie last night, I would argue this is one of the biggest things right here. 00:36:59.500 --> 00:37:02.860 If not the biggest doctrine, I would say it's one of the biggest. 00:37:03.019 --> 00:37:05.980 Because it's the foundation on everything that everything else is built. 00:37:06.220 --> 00:37:16.940 Meaning, if this is not true, if there's one thing wrong in this, then everything else, there's space for, oh well, it could be right, it could be wrong. 00:37:18.539 --> 00:37:24.220 Now, if you if you're wondering why we have, you know, hundreds of translations of the word of God, find me after. 00:37:24.300 --> 00:37:25.820 I don't have time to get into that. 00:37:27.740 --> 00:37:29.580 It's a it's an amazing gift that we have. 00:37:29.740 --> 00:37:32.140 There are there are really good translations. 00:37:32.300 --> 00:37:34.620 I have a top four that I typically like. 00:37:34.860 --> 00:37:37.500 Then there's some that not so much. 00:37:39.260 --> 00:37:41.180 Because we have God's word. 00:37:41.740 --> 00:37:43.580 Now, here's the thing. 00:37:45.100 --> 00:37:49.180 We must study the Bible in order to know God. 00:37:50.460 --> 00:37:53.420 We must study the Bible in order to know God. 00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:59.260 If you have a feeling or an emotion about God, who God is, hey, that's great. 00:37:59.420 --> 00:38:01.019 I think God works through emotions. 00:38:01.180 --> 00:38:04.780 God created emotions, they are good things. 00:38:05.260 --> 00:38:09.580 But emotions are meant to be check engine lights, not a steering wheel. 00:38:09.900 --> 00:38:16.860 Because if your emotion or your thought about God does not align with the Bible, well, that may be a cool thought. 00:38:17.019 --> 00:38:20.140 That's neat and all, but it's not, it may not be true. 00:38:20.380 --> 00:38:25.980 So we always want to back up those emotions and thoughts about God with the word of God. 00:38:26.220 --> 00:38:27.420 You know why this is important? 00:38:27.500 --> 00:38:30.300 That we must study the Bible in order to know God. 00:38:30.620 --> 00:38:32.620 God wants to be known rightly. 00:38:33.180 --> 00:38:35.580 All right, so if I'm if I'm sitting, I'm gonna pick on Nick for a second. 00:38:35.660 --> 00:38:40.620 If I'm sitting here talking to Nick Balanowski and we're having a conversation, I'm telling him about my wife. 00:38:40.860 --> 00:38:44.539 And I tell her, hey Nick, man, I have this amazing wife. 00:38:44.780 --> 00:38:54.620 She's six foot two, bright red hair, deep brown eyes, loves like black and bitter coffee. 00:38:56.380 --> 00:38:58.539 And Katie, my wife, walks up behind me. 00:38:58.700 --> 00:39:01.820 I can tell you, I'm probably at minimum getting a pop in the back of the head. 00:39:02.860 --> 00:39:04.700 Because Katie's gonna be like, Who's this? 00:39:04.860 --> 00:39:05.980 Who's my husband talking about? 00:39:06.059 --> 00:39:07.100 That ain't me. 00:39:07.420 --> 00:39:07.980 You know why? 00:39:08.059 --> 00:39:09.820 Because my wife's about five foot five. 00:39:10.059 --> 00:39:13.180 She has brown hair, bright green and blue eyes. 00:39:13.260 --> 00:39:14.539 They go back and forth. 00:39:14.780 --> 00:39:17.740 She likes a lot of creamer with a touch of coffee. 00:39:18.380 --> 00:39:24.140 She she likes, uh, she used to like butter, uh, the butterfinger candies until they changed the recipe, and now they're not good. 00:39:24.300 --> 00:39:25.500 She doesn't like those anymore. 00:39:25.660 --> 00:39:26.620 She loves a good old Dr. 00:39:26.700 --> 00:39:28.539 Pepper, you know, once a month. 00:39:29.580 --> 00:39:31.900 And then my wife walks behind me. 00:39:32.539 --> 00:39:35.340 She's probably gonna come up behind me and give me a big old hug. 00:39:35.820 --> 00:39:39.260 Because I'm believing rightly about the woman that she is. 00:39:39.420 --> 00:39:43.980 Guys, when we don't believe rightly about God, that may not be God. 00:39:44.059 --> 00:39:46.460 That may be a figment of your imagination. 00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:51.740 You're framing God as your own person. 00:39:52.780 --> 00:39:57.820 God is God, God is true and he is right. 00:39:58.140 --> 00:40:01.340 So we must study the Bible in order to know about God. 00:40:01.500 --> 00:40:02.940 Guys, again, this is cultural. 00:40:03.019 --> 00:40:05.100 We are in the United States of America. 00:40:05.340 --> 00:40:08.059 Everybody has access to a Bible. 00:40:08.300 --> 00:40:14.460 If you have a smartphone, which I think the percentage is like 99.2% of Americans have a smartphone. 00:40:14.700 --> 00:40:16.780 If you have a smartphone, there's this thing called the Bible app. 00:40:16.860 --> 00:40:20.539 If you can, if you can't afford a hard copy Bible, you have access whenever you need it. 00:40:20.620 --> 00:40:22.140 And if you can't afford a Bible, guess what? 00:40:22.220 --> 00:40:23.660 We have them for free out front. 00:40:23.820 --> 00:40:30.539 It is an honor that we get to give Bibles because we want all of us to know about God, not just some of us. 00:40:30.780 --> 00:40:34.700 We want to, we must study the Bible in order to know God. 00:40:35.660 --> 00:40:37.900 Now, maybe you're saying, you know, I don't know how to study the Bible. 00:40:37.980 --> 00:40:38.940 It's hard to understand. 00:40:39.019 --> 00:40:40.620 Hey, I'm right there with you. 00:40:40.860 --> 00:40:42.220 It's hard. 00:40:42.780 --> 00:40:44.860 Have you ever read the book of Revelation? 00:40:45.900 --> 00:40:49.019 You start reading, it's like, man, why are these things popping out of the ocean? 00:40:49.180 --> 00:40:51.100 We got like 10-headed things over here. 00:40:51.180 --> 00:40:52.380 What's going on? 00:40:53.260 --> 00:40:56.539 Well, I would encourage you, join a life group. 00:40:57.500 --> 00:40:59.100 Life groups are right around the corner. 00:40:59.420 --> 00:41:01.100 We have our next summer semester coming up. 00:41:01.260 --> 00:41:03.500 Today is our first day of uh life group previews. 00:41:03.580 --> 00:41:05.900 And so you can look in the back behind the curtains. 00:41:05.980 --> 00:41:06.780 You can stop out front. 00:41:06.860 --> 00:41:08.220 You can ask questions at the welcome center. 00:41:08.300 --> 00:41:09.580 You can scan this QR code. 00:41:09.740 --> 00:41:16.940 But guys, the purpose of life groups are to do life together and to grow closer to God. 00:41:17.180 --> 00:41:19.340 All of our life groups, we talk about God. 00:41:19.820 --> 00:41:20.780 We pray. 00:41:21.260 --> 00:41:24.460 We learn, and then we're in life with each other. 00:41:24.700 --> 00:41:29.019 We are not a church with life groups, we are a church of life groups. 00:41:30.059 --> 00:41:38.220 So to all the women out there, hey, a great way to grow closer to God and to know more about God is by coming to the women's nights. 00:41:38.460 --> 00:41:47.420 Full disclosure, last week when I closed service, I gave a bad representation of what's happening on Monday, uh tomorrow for what I call the talent show. 00:41:47.500 --> 00:42:00.940 It's not really a talent show for our women, it's actually an opportunity to come in and see the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given women inside of our church a time of worship as they push back darkness. 00:42:01.180 --> 00:42:03.180 Like that's what we do when we worship. 00:42:03.340 --> 00:42:08.700 We raise the name of Jesus, and when we raise the name of Jesus, darkness is pushed away. 00:42:08.940 --> 00:42:10.140 That's what we're gonna do here. 00:42:10.220 --> 00:42:12.380 Oh, y'all, I'm not a woman. 00:42:14.380 --> 00:42:15.820 But be a part of that. 00:42:16.140 --> 00:42:17.420 Come together. 00:42:18.539 --> 00:42:20.620 You want to learn how to grow closer. 00:42:20.860 --> 00:42:24.300 Get yourself around people smarter and more mature in their faith than you. 00:42:24.539 --> 00:42:25.660 You want to learn how to pray. 00:42:25.740 --> 00:42:27.820 Come to prayer night on Tuesday nights. 00:42:28.940 --> 00:42:31.340 Join the women who pray if you're a woman. 00:42:31.660 --> 00:42:33.740 Men, join the men's coffee group. 00:42:34.380 --> 00:42:36.620 There's tons of others in between that. 00:42:37.500 --> 00:42:41.180 There's there's no reason why we can't grow closer to God. 00:42:41.420 --> 00:42:45.019 Or, hey, you don't know where to start in the Bible. 00:42:45.980 --> 00:42:50.460 If you've been around RLC, that excuse doesn't work. 00:42:51.500 --> 00:42:56.059 There are ample opportunities to learn about God and His Word. 00:42:56.700 --> 00:43:00.380 And maybe you need a way to really just walk you through the Bible. 00:43:00.539 --> 00:43:05.660 We can scan this QR code or text RLC Bible to 94,000. 00:43:06.140 --> 00:43:12.539 Because you will then get a book or a chapter each day about what to read in the Bible. 00:43:12.700 --> 00:43:14.700 And you're gonna get a text message in the morning. 00:43:14.780 --> 00:43:20.700 Inside that text message, there are little links that you read, Leviticus 2, and you're like, what is happening? 00:43:20.860 --> 00:43:26.539 Well, you go watch the Bible breakdown podcast that Pastor Brandon simply explains it. 00:43:26.620 --> 00:43:31.980 He doesn't tell you necessarily what to do with it, he explains what's happening so that we can understand it better. 00:43:32.220 --> 00:43:37.260 The excuse of not knowing what to read or not being able to understand it, guys, that goes away. 00:43:38.860 --> 00:43:44.940 Because we have the opportunity to know God through his word. 00:43:46.140 --> 00:43:49.500 Guys, we must be unified in his word. 00:43:49.900 --> 00:44:00.059 We must be able to know and understand God's word together, and when we can't get it right, we always look to the word of God to point us in the right direction. 00:44:01.740 --> 00:44:04.860 This is meant to be a how-to book in a mirror. 00:44:07.019 --> 00:44:07.900 We look at God's word. 00:44:08.140 --> 00:44:13.180 Hey, how how am I am I looking a little more like Jesus or am I looking like my own self again? 00:44:13.420 --> 00:44:13.900 Guess what? 00:44:13.980 --> 00:44:15.740 The Bible points you in that direction. 00:44:16.059 --> 00:44:22.620 Hey, what should I think about this situation or this viewpoint or this political stance or whatever the case may be? 00:44:22.700 --> 00:44:23.580 Hey, this gives direction. 00:44:26.300 --> 00:44:35.180 Now that can only happen when we can pull ourselves out of it and we say Jesus is the point. 00:44:36.780 --> 00:44:40.300 The whole point of the Bible is not us. 00:44:42.380 --> 00:44:44.380 We are made in the image of God. 00:44:44.700 --> 00:44:45.660 Absolutely. 00:44:45.900 --> 00:44:46.860 We are important. 00:44:47.580 --> 00:44:48.300 100%. 00:44:48.860 --> 00:44:50.380 But we are not the point. 00:44:50.940 --> 00:44:55.500 The point of humanity is to give God glory. 00:44:56.059 --> 00:44:57.180 That's the point. 00:44:57.660 --> 00:45:01.019 The point of the Bible is to bring glory to God. 00:45:01.180 --> 00:45:03.820 Jesus Himself says, glorify. 00:45:04.059 --> 00:45:05.980 I want to glorify you. 00:45:07.100 --> 00:45:09.740 How we live does it point in that direction? 00:45:10.300 --> 00:45:11.980 Well, we look at the Bible. 00:45:12.220 --> 00:45:17.980 One of my favorite authors and pastors of all time is a guy named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 00:45:18.140 --> 00:45:28.780 He says, Christian community is not an ideal which we must realize, it is a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate. 00:45:29.180 --> 00:45:36.700 Christian fellowship is not a spiritualizing fusion of souls, it is the fellowship under the word. 00:45:37.900 --> 00:45:41.420 We come together and fall under God's word. 00:45:42.140 --> 00:45:46.380 Because his word is good, it's true, and it's just. 00:45:47.340 --> 00:45:53.420 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when he's writing this, he was a pastor in the middle of World War II. 00:45:54.140 --> 00:45:55.420 You know why he's one of my favorite? 00:45:55.900 --> 00:45:57.820 If you can't tell, again, I'm type A. 00:45:58.059 --> 00:45:59.340 I like masculine things. 00:45:59.660 --> 00:46:02.940 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he was both a pastor and a spy. 00:46:03.100 --> 00:46:08.780 He actually was a part of a ring that was trying to take out Adolf Hitler because Adolf Hitler is evil. 00:46:09.260 --> 00:46:10.940 I love me some Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 00:46:11.019 --> 00:46:13.260 Jokers, no joke. 00:46:14.940 --> 00:46:17.500 He says, all those things, those are cool. 00:46:17.980 --> 00:46:21.340 But we must fall under the word of God. 00:46:22.059 --> 00:46:23.660 Guys, we are one people. 00:46:24.140 --> 00:46:25.420 We are one church. 00:46:25.660 --> 00:46:28.700 We are unified under one Bible. 00:46:29.820 --> 00:46:42.460 So maybe you're wrestling with some things, and my hope again for you, if you've been a Christian for a long time, my hope for you is that you're encouraged by this, that we do have something that we can stand on and stand under, and that is the word of God. 00:46:42.539 --> 00:46:48.460 And now you have a little bit of historical evidence, a little bit of apologetics to go back and have a conversation with somebody. 00:46:49.019 --> 00:46:53.019 Maybe today's the first day you've ever heard the name of Jesus Christ. 00:46:53.980 --> 00:46:55.420 Man, he saves. 00:46:56.539 --> 00:46:58.940 He brings freedom to our lives. 00:46:59.340 --> 00:47:02.460 So here in just a moment, we're gonna have a time of response. 00:47:02.860 --> 00:47:06.380 And when we sing this last song, we are not singing to you guys. 00:47:06.539 --> 00:47:07.900 You are not singing to us. 00:47:08.059 --> 00:47:09.660 We are not here as a concert. 00:47:09.820 --> 00:47:13.900 Rather, we are here to lead others into the throne room of Jesus Christ. 00:47:14.140 --> 00:47:15.820 That's what we get to do. 00:47:16.300 --> 00:47:21.580 And so maybe that throne room for you just needs to look like you come and just lay it down before the Lord. 00:47:21.820 --> 00:47:23.820 Maybe you need to go back to our prayer table. 00:47:23.900 --> 00:47:26.620 We have some awesome prayer warriors here at RLC. 00:47:26.940 --> 00:47:33.100 And it is an honor that we get to pray together because when we pray together, we're getting in the fight together. 00:47:33.180 --> 00:47:37.260 We're putting shield on shield so that nothing can break through that. 00:47:37.740 --> 00:47:39.420 The enemy has no control. 00:47:39.900 --> 00:47:41.740 And Jesus has won that. 00:47:43.100 --> 00:47:46.140 So here in just a moment, we're gonna have a time of response. 00:47:46.620 --> 00:47:52.140 And I encourage you, I implore you, don't leave today the same way you left. 00:47:52.380 --> 00:47:56.140 The way you came in is not the way Jesus wants you to leave. 00:47:57.019 --> 00:47:58.780 We've changed forever for him. 00:47:59.019 --> 00:47:59.660 Let's pray. 00:47:59.820 --> 00:48:01.420 Our Father, God, thank you. 00:48:01.740 --> 00:48:02.940 Thank you for this day. 00:48:03.100 --> 00:48:06.140 We thank you for an opportunity to enter into your house. 00:48:06.300 --> 00:48:08.140 And God, we give you all glory in this house. 00:48:08.220 --> 00:48:12.220 Now, Holy Spirit, as you are speaking and moving, Lord, we trust you. 00:48:12.860 --> 00:48:17.980 We give you the space to do as you see fit and as you need to do. 00:48:18.780 --> 00:48:23.580 Now, Lord, I pray for that person who's just kind of wrestling back and forth. 00:48:26.300 --> 00:48:35.019 That you will speak to them, that they will surrender and submit to you and you alone. 00:48:37.100 --> 00:48:44.780 Lord, steady our souls, silence our minds as we enter into worship of you. 00:48:46.620 --> 00:48:52.460 Now, God, as as as again, you're still moving, you're still speaking. 00:48:54.140 --> 00:48:56.300 Lord, we surrender to you. 00:48:58.700 --> 00:49:02.460 We give you all that we are and all that we do. 00:49:03.580 --> 00:49:05.100 God, you are King. 00:49:05.420 --> 00:49:08.380 Jesus, you are Lord, you have risen again. 00:49:09.980 --> 00:49:16.620 God, be with us in your holy and powerful name. 00:49:16.940 --> 00:49:17.420 Amen. 00:49:17.500 --> 00:49:20.940 If you would go ahead and stand all across the room for me. 00:49:21.820 --> 00:49:24.380 Like I said, this is a time of response. 00:49:25.340 --> 00:49:31.260 We have the opportunity that we are before the Lord, that we can come and lay it all down for Him. 00:49:31.740 --> 00:49:33.740 Let's worship today.