Roof Openers And Heart Healers

We walk through Mark 2 and watch Jesus forgive before he heals, confront religious pride, and call Levi to follow. We share how community carries us to Jesus, why spiritual need comes first, and how to move toward people others avoid.

• faith that opens roofs and hearts in Mark 2
• forgiveness as the deeper need before healing
• Jesus’ authority over the seen and unseen
• community that carries friends to Christ
• resisting holy huddles and engaging outsiders
• Levi’s call and a table full of sinners
• practical questions to apply this message

Transcript

Welcome, Banter, And Icebreaker

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to the Jet Fuel Podcast, a series of Concord conversations. In each episode, our lead pastor and a guest will sit down and dive a little deeper into what we learned as a church that week. These are honest, practical conversations to fuel your faith and help you live it out with purpose and consistency. Or, in other words, this is Jet Fuel for your soul.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

All right. Well, here we are again for another week of the Jet Fuel Podcast, fueling faith for life. And so Aaron's good to have you back, bro.

SPEAKER_03 0:33

Yeah, man. I am happy to be here.

SPEAKER_02 0:35

Happy to be here, man. You know, it is it is wild. You and I kind of do this together. We get a rhythm. It's nice to have other people, but it's good to be back to the next one.

SPEAKER_03 0:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

It's good stuff. Today we're going to be in Mark chapter two, which uh you got to preach. And really excited to hear you on this. But before we get started, we've got to do it. And so I said last week in the podcast, since Bree's the one that's handling the questions, we're going to get our mic off camera. And so, Bree, give us our uh from the peanut gallery over

What We Refuse To Pay For

SPEAKER_02 1:05

there, uh give us the the question we've got today.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Okay. So the question for today is um, what's one thing that you just absolutely refuse to spend money on?

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Refuse or hate to spend money on?

SPEAKER_00 1:18

It could be either. Yeah. Both of those are interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

That's a good question. That's a good question. Because I'm literally the cheapest person alive. If you don't believe me, just ask Lauren.

SPEAKER_03 1:27

I hate to spend I love to spend money.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Well, what's one thing that you're like, man, I just hate spending money on this or just refuse. I won't do it. Because it's not anything related to the Atlanta Braves, I can tell you that. Oh no, I will always spend money on the Braves.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Yeah, he sacrificed Taco Bell for like a whole semester too. I did Liz told me if I wanted to get it.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

Your fourth meal went away?

SPEAKER_03 1:47

Yeah, Liz told me if I wanted to get if I wanted to keep season tickets for a season of time every year, I had to give up Taco Bell, and I said, done. Fourth meal. That's a big deal. Fourth meal will go away.

SPEAKER_02 1:57

Oh man, there's nothing like that 10 o'clock Taco Bell, right?

SPEAKER_03 2:00

Yep. I get last night when 9 30. Um man, one thing I hate or refuse to spend money on.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

This is this is a lot of silence for a podcast, man. I know.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

Probably Herndon told me this earlier, but I kind of agree with him. I really hate car insurance. You gotta have it though. I know I have to have it, but uh it feels I can I say like insurance in general. So whether it's like car insurance or health insurance or whatever that looks like. And the reason is just so expensive? Well, not that it's so expensive, is they give you this myth that it's gonna help you if something happens, and it really doesn't. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

Your policy just goes up.

SPEAKER_03 2:47

Like your policy goes up, or there's always something hidden that they oh sorry, we don't cover that. Uh and so yeah, it looks like it looks like we hit a wound here, man.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

This is we we struck a nerve.

SPEAKER_03 2:59

Insurance in general.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:00

I hate spending money on insurance.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

All right. Well, I'm glad to have insurance for sure. Uh but me, you know, as a guy who doesn't watch a lot of movies or stuff. Welcome to the subscription apps and stuff like that. It's crazy. Like, what happened to each episode? You gotta have this one to go. This new show's coming up. It's on the different these are audits that I have to put. And before you know it, if it's cabling and you're just paying individual support, it irritates me. And all the stuff is like, do you want to unlock and you know download this data? And I was like, no, I I want it I want it free or for whatever I've paid for it. So that's something that you probably have ads on all your subscriptions, don't you? Absolutely. I can't. Absolutely not. Oh, yeah. I don't I don't buy the premium package of anything, base levels.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

We literally don't even have ads on our YouTube. We pay for YouTube premium.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

I try not to pay for it. No ads. No ads at all. Technology. There you go. Well, I I don't know what you guys would be if you hate spending money on or if you use and you think it's just ridiculous, but um email Aaron and and tell tell him what it is. So uh here we go. Well, I mean, I want to let you really take the lead on this one because this is something that that you studied through that you prepared for and you were able to deliver.

Setting The Scene In Mark 2

SPEAKER_02 4:28

And so um, man, chapter two, we're coming right out of the the healing of a leper. Yep. And then we're back to I so I love I love the story.

SPEAKER_03 4:38

I mean, this is it is if you have been around church for a long period of time, you've probably heard this story before. Right. And so the story of the man, like the four men, like leaf led letting his their hand or their friend down through the roof. And so you've heard this story, but I I love this story because it shows so much of like you have the crowds, you have faith, you have a conflict between him and then like the religious leaders, you have forgiveness, you have a dinner party that are filled with people that Jesus probably should not be hanging out with according to most of society. And so I don't know, it just shows you have and we've talked about this, and we're gonna continue to talk about this. Like Mark just goes from event, event, event, and this is the same. Right. And so, but I I love, love this passage.

SPEAKER_02 5:31

And so here's the deal uh we've got this height of ministry, Jesus is in Capernaum, they're in a house, right? And there's people uh, you know, in the windows, in the doorways, there's no way to go. But you've got these four buddies that have a friend who's in an impossible situation. Um, you know, they show up because what we've seen even in chapter one in Mark is people are coming, they're lining up at the doors, they're going, uh, can can you heal this disease, this sickness, this uh whatever it is, casting out demons left and right, and Jesus is having this mercy ministry of healing and teaching truth. Now it's packed again, and these guys want to be a part of it, but there's no way for him to do that. Yeah, they can't get in.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

And so it's they literally climbed to the roof, cut it open, let their friend down on a mat through the roof, basically on top of the home. Hold on.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Do you think the homeowner's insurance covered that? No. See, I mean, do you think that would have been covered in the policy?

SPEAKER_03 6:30

If they had insurance, it would not be covered in the policy. All of the people in Concord who sell insurance were going to be getting emails from you.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

But I don't know if their homeowners covered four guys ripping a hole in the roof.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

Absolutely not. And so you see this picture, and I love when it says, because it says right after this, like when as they're leaving, like it says, Jesus saw their faith. And he all I'm obviously all these people are watching this happen and they're like, what in the world? Like these people are literally digging the roof out to let some rando guy on a mat. And but Jesus saw past all of that, and what he saw in Mark says, he saw their faith.

SPEAKER_02 7:08

Yeah. Well, can before we get to the main story of this, can I ask you a question about like a secondary underlying piece of this? I know this is not in our script, but uh I just I just I think

Faith Of Four Friends And Community

SPEAKER_02 7:20

maybe some of the people listening, you know, you have helped me a lot as a pastor just with your bend towards community, having people in your life so much so that I was here uh three and a half years before uh Lauren and I started hosting uh a community group with some folks. And uh one of the things is it's been so beneficial just to have some relationships. So I think about this guy who's about to have this incredible scripture-cap uh captured moment that we're studying here in 2026. Um but he had four friends that were willing to do whatever it takes. How am How impressive is it that this man had guys who would fight his battles, climb over walls on top of roofs, dig through it, you know, busting out. How important is community for someone listening that's going through a rough time right now? Maybe you're sick, maybe you're you're you're you're covered in shame, maybe you're you're just weary or tired, and people are listening to this. You're you're working out, you're at work, you're driving, whatever you're doing right now, and you're going, man, I wish I had some people like these four guys. How do they find that? Why is that so important?

SPEAKER_03 8:33

Well, I I love what it says, first of all, about these four men, because I mean this guy It was their faith. Yeah, and physically this guy could not get anywhere. Like he had to be carried. And obviously, this is it's not in the text, and we don't see this, and we know so we don't know what these four men knew about Jesus, but obviously they had heard about what he had been doing and heard things that he had they had been people had been experiencing by being around him. And so they knew, like, hey, we have to get our friend close to this guy. And when I think about my community now and like people that find community like that, that is what they're doing. Like they are saying, I have to do everything to keep you close to Jesus or your family close to Jesus. Because when, like you said, if I'm struggling or somebody is having a hard time or there's a death, or like you're ex your family's experiencing something that you that is unexpected, and you weren't you don't know how to handle it, what that community does for you is okay, let me let me take you to the feet of the Lord. Right. And let me show you what, and that I don't know, it's just so important for me to continually have like I could think of six families right off the bat right now that if anything happened with my kids, with my wife, with something that was I I would be able to call them and they'd be like, Okay, yeah, uh whatever you need.

SPEAKER_02 9:57

Well, I just know it's such a need. I had coffee with a guy the other day. Incredible, incredible young family. Like just this guy is an all-star. Yeah. Um, but as we you know went through our conversation, one of the things is he's like, man, we just really need some community. We're so used to having it and you know, new to Concord, still trying to figure it out and find it. But but I think it's so important that it says that Jesus saw their faith. It wasn't just the individual, it was uh those that were surrounded that weren't struggling, but they had a friend who was, and they believed that Jesus could do something. And and and I just think that's incredible. So if you're in a place where you do feel alone, um you're like this guy, maybe spiritually or physically um, you know, incapable, but he had friends that would do whatever, ask the Lord to give you those. That's a prayer I actually pray over my kids and my wife is give them people that they can really intertwine their roots with that that would be there for them because it is important. So what do you think? Um, why do you think Jesus responds to their faith and not just the man's condition? Like he didn't just see it because we're about to get into the story where it's he handles the spiritual before the physical.

SPEAKER_03 11:07

Yeah, yeah. Well, I think like just taking it at like looking at the passage, when this man gets let down on the mat, his physical condition is obvious. Oh, like for sure. Like he can't walk. There's a reason he's on a mat, there's a reason he's having to be let down. And so it's almost as if Jesus is like, okay, I'm not gonna talk about the obvious here. Like everybody can see that this guy cannot walk.

Spiritual Need Before Physical Healing

SPEAKER_03 11:30

Um and I think pointing out the fact that, hey, these four men did everything possible to get it says a lot, I've said already said that it says a lot about those people. It also says a lot about Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

Because, and I think that, and we're gonna see that in a minute, but Jesus is addressing their faith because he is about to explain, like, hey, this is who I am. Right. Like, this is what I can do, this is what I have the authority to do. And so when he these four men let this guy down on the map, I think Jesus looks at again, I think, like this is not in the text, but I think Jesus looks at them and says it that he saw their faith because he wants people to know hey, they have a faith that I can do something that no one else can do, and I'm about to also go above and beyond that and do something else first. Um that's just a huge deal.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Because in verse five it says, When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic. So he seeing their faith says to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven. Yeah. Now this is a major twist in the story. I mean, this is just upsetting on so many levels to the religious elite that were there.

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Well, and first of all, it's interesting that he didn't address the physical condition first. That was why they brought him. Right. Like they brought him to be healed. And the first thing that Jesus does, he completely twists it and goes, okay, your sins are forgiven. Wow. And then all of a sudden, everybody is freaking out.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Well, and it's not like he's ignoring the physical issues, but he sees the deeper need is spiritual. And I think that's something we forget sometimes, especially in the church concord. I know you you get this, and I think there's lots of things that we acknowledge with our mind, maybe we know to be true of going, hey, listen, if I get a diagnosis or I have this relationship break or this wayward kid or this financial crisis, and and we go, God, help you know, with these things. Or maybe you have that for a friend or a loved one or or somebody like that, and you look at their life and you're like, God, you need to come through and help them. But many times, especially for lost friends, like their deepest need is forgiveness, not healing in that moment. That's what Jesus goes through first.

SPEAKER_03 13:56

Yeah, yeah. Why do you think let me ask you a question, Clint? So, I mean, you said that he addresses the spiritual, the deeper need before the physical one. Right. In our context, and not just Concord, but just like human beings in general. Why do you think we get so stuck on the like surface level need instead of focusing on what the actual need is?

SPEAKER_02 14:21

Well, I think sometimes we can just get shallow, if I'm honest. We it's uh it's we handle what's in front of us, the tyranny of the urgent, this is the big thing, you need God to move. Um but I think for all of us that that deeper spiritual need is is what we have. If I think back to when um I was uh a freshman in college, you know, a kid raised in the church and um, you know, doing the right things, going to church from time to time, you know, pulling out the Bible from time to time, uh, ended up at a Bible study that I didn't want to go to. But my deepest need was not to be more active or more shiny. My deepest need was to be forgiven of our sins. I think you've got to go back to Mark chapter one, I think it's verses 14 and 15, um, where John's been arrested and Jesus says, Hey, you know, the the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe in the gospel. Even when he went to go pray uh after healing Peter's mother-in-law before the leper, he comes in and he's out praying, and they said, Hey, come back to where things are going good. Let's people need healing. Let's let's let's fix some stuff. Yeah. And Jesus says, No, no, no. We got to go to other people so that I can preach the gospel. That's why I came. Yeah. It's so that people would repent and believe the gospel. And I think many times we just don't want to be alone with the reality that our deepest needs may be not what we can see, but the condition of us spiritually. Yeah, yeah. Uh, and I think that's a that's a a big big deal. Just to kind of bounce that question back to you, um, how does this moment reshape how we understand what people really need from Jesus? Like, how should that affect our relationships with people?

SPEAKER_03 16:07

Well, I would say we want let's take last night, for example, me and you and some other men of our church were praying over someone, a dear brother in Christ who is battling something unimaginable. We want physical healing for him. Like that's what we want. We want God to do something miraculous and for that man to be healed of what he's experiencing. What struck me last night when I was hearing him talk, because he spoke to us first. What struck me the most was he said, the man that is experiencing this stuff said, Yes, like I want I want this to go away, I want the Lord to heal me, but most of all, I want people to know that God is good. And like he said that, and I was like, Yeah, that is what we need people to do. Like, I want you to be healed too, but even if you don't, even if you're not, he said the himself, I just want people to know that God is good. And so when I think about the the like surface level problem and the spiritual problem being deeper than that, there are so many things that we're gonna

Jesus’ Authority To Forgive And Heal

SPEAKER_03 17:35

experience, like death and sickness and pain and brokenness, and because our sin has destroyed our world. So we're going to experience so many hard things.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

Right.

SPEAKER_03 17:48

The main thing that people need from Jesus is salvation. Right. They need him to forgive them of their sins, make him Lord of their life, and follow him and chase after him with every possible thing that they have.

SPEAKER_02 18:00

Well, and this and that reality really flies in the face of religion. Yes. And so this is where we get the first bit of resistance and tension.

SPEAKER_03 18:09

Well, it goes against every it goes against their their rule following like agenda where you're like, okay, do this, do this, memorize this, think about this, and you're good. Right. It just it doesn't compute with them.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

Well, and and there becomes this pride factor because they start going, hey, you say his sins are forgiven. You got these guys staring down through this non-insured roof, apparently, right? Uh, and their their buddy's been uh said his sins are forgiven, done in that moment. And then immediately they're like, no one can do that but God alone.

SPEAKER_03 18:42

Well, and what's interesting, what's interesting about that, them making the statement that, hey, hey, no one but God can forgive sins. They were right. And they had answered their own question. Right. Because they're talking about Jesus, and Jesus is God, can forgive sins. And so they asked this question of like, no, like, who can forgive sins but God? And Jesus is like, Yeah, you're right. Yeah. Me. That's that's me. Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Yeah. Well, and I think that's something that you know we see throughout, you know, especially the gospels, but just the pushback that Jesus is who he says he is. And so Jesus does something to, you know, counter their statement of nobody can do this but God alone. And then he just goes back and goes, Well, uh, just so you know, um, you know, says, Why does this man speak like this? Who can forgive uh sins but God alone? Then verse 8, and immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus question him within themselves, said to them, Ultimate discernment. Right. Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier? Like he is setting them up to say that a to a paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say, rise, take up your bed and walk. He's like, You decide. Yeah. Which is easier for me to say this and you believe it, or for you to see what I'm about to do. He says, but that you may know that the Son of Man, he's saying, has authority on earth to forgive sins, because they've said no one can do this but God. And he's going, but the Son of Man has authority to do this. Yeah. He said to the paralytic, I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, uh, pick up your bed, and go home. And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went home out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, We've never seen anything like this. This is like the ultimate mic drop.

SPEAKER_03 20:36

Well, he's taking like visible and invisible things. And he is saying in this moment, okay, you know what? I have authority over both. I have authority over the invisible to forgive this man's sins. I also have the authority over the visible. This man is going to get up and walk out of here. So if you want to know who I am, I'm about to show you exactly how much authority I have. And it is a bomb of a moment for them. And you it even says, like, people went out saying, I have never seen anything like that before.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

And they never have.

SPEAKER_03 21:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

But I think that's something important for you guys that are listening to Jet Fuel, and thank you guys again for listening and tuning in each week. We appreciate that. This is for you. Um, but going, it it is so important to remember that God can heal. Yeah. God can rectify, God can put back together, God can restore the very real needs that we have physically, emotionally, financially, relationally. He can do all of that. But he can also work in your life in very unseen ways as well. And I think that's just so important. I mean, the reality of forgiveness in your life coming to salvation, but also the growth as a believer, you know, when we struggle, when we uh get caught up, when we have doubt. Or questions that God can move in in those invisible ways to the eyes. And just Christian, just don't lose hope that God can. He can do both. He says, which is easier, but at the end of the day, I can and will do both of these kinds of situations.

SPEAKER_03 22:18

Realizing that God can, and

Encouragement: God Works Seen And Unseen

SPEAKER_03 22:20

He He a lot of times will, but also realizing, like we've already talked about, what do you need more? Like, do you need healing more? Or do you need the salvation of Christ more? You need the salvation of Christ. You want the healing. A lot of times He'll grant the healing. What you need more is for Him to forgive you of your sins and like make so yeah, it's it's I don't know. It's a wild it's a wild moment in scripture.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

And so I know this is a challenging moment for a lot of us, especially to apply that to where we are today, but I just it's just so amazing, you know, that Jesus is so clear that I am the Son of Man. He is the Son of God, He has authority to forgive, the authority to heal, and He's gonna do it in front of them so that they would know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um and I think that's incredible.

SPEAKER_03 23:12

But yeah, I was thinking Mark's about to jump to another event, but before that, let's do a ministry, let's go to a ministry highlight that we've got for you, and then we'll be back with some more of Mark Two. All right, guys, so another ministry highlight here. So we uh have Jason from NG3. A lot of you know what that ministry is and what it does because of your students being involved in the North Hall community. But Jason, just for someone who doesn't know anything about NG3, tell us a little bit about what it does, how it's connected with the school, how it all works.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

Sure. So one of the first questions that uh everybody has is what does NG3 stand for? So NG3 stands for the N is uh next G generation uh three is our three core principles of character, community, and change. Okay. And so um we are after the next generation, after their hearts. Um and um the idea is how can we connect with kids um at school, whether they're in a club, organization, um athletics, uh connect with them on campus and then build a relationship with them and then um earn the right to invite them to a to a small group. Um our ministry is built on small groups, that's all we do. We don't do any um large organization uh thing, we don't do camps or anything like that. So uh we're trying to get kids in a small group to share

Ministry Highlight: NG3 Overview

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Jesus with them.

SPEAKER_03 24:41

And so how like if a parent or like a family friend or something wanted to get involved as one of those small group leaders, what does that look like?

SPEAKER_01 24:49

Oh man, we would love leaders. So as you know, um as a church or or with any nonprofit organization, um we always need helpers.

SPEAKER_03 24:58

Oh yeah, we need volunteers.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

We always need volunteers. So um if you love Jesus and you love kids, we would love to have you. Um and if you've never discipled anybody before, that's okay. This is a this is a great on-ramp into discipleship. You'd be very well supported and and equipped, and um that's my job. So make sure to get you connected with um whomever you want to be connected with or wherever the need is, and um and give you all the all the support that you need. So um that's really where we get volunteers. A lot of times is people just reaching out and saying, God's put it on my heart um to to disciple kids at Northall High School and say, well, let's let's get you plugged in.

SPEAKER_03 25:38

Okay. So it's is it primarily at the high school? Do you do any work with middle school or is it just primarily at the high school? Just high schools. Perfect. That's great. All right. So tell me, it's been going on for a long time. I I get to hear stories personally from just families that are involved and students, just about some of the cool things that God is doing. Can you tell me, and you don't you don't have to tell me a ton of stories, but maybe a couple of things that stick out over the last year, year and a half that has just been really cool that you've seen God kind of doing in the life of Northall High School through NG3?

SPEAKER_01 26:08

Sure. So we are in our eighth year um at Northall High School. Um as a as a program, it's about 14 years old. Started in 2012 in Gwyneth, and that's kind of expanded from there. Okay. Um so over the last eight years, we've seen tons of growth. Um we have um 10 or 11 groups right now uh serving about 150 kids weekly in small groups. So we have a you know over 10 percent of our student population hearing about Jesus every week in a small group, um being discipled. And um, one of our hearts too is plugging kids into uh local churches. We we understand our role as uh a parachurch organization. We are not trying to be the church for them, we're trying to get them plugged into church as a as a bridge. Yeah. Um so we've seen a lot of that with kids coming to ND3. They might be nervous to go to a church. Their parents aren't plugged into a church, but they go to ND3 because their friends go. Yeah. And so they build a community there. Um, they're going to the ND3 for that community and they go, oh man, I'm really attracted to on end. Exactly. And then the um the leader is able to get them plugged in either geographically or with a friend or wherever it is into a church. So we see a lot of that. Um we've had a number of students come to faith and be baptized over the last couple of years. It's been really fun to be a part of. That's cool. Um and really just kids sharing, um, man, I've really grown in my faith. I've learned how to study the Bible, I've learned um, you know, what it means to walk with the Lord um at school. And you know, and then another thing too, I've said this multiple times now, but the community aspect. If you ask a lot of the kids what do you like most about it, they're like, I love growing in community with my friends. And you know, kids are starving for that. We all are really, we all want to be connected. Yep. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 27:50

So last question for you here. Sure. If you were speaking to our church, we put you on stage, and I ask you, hey, what are two things specifically that our church can be praying like for for NT3 over the next year or so? What would those two things be?

SPEAKER_01 28:06

Awesome. Uh okay, two things. One, um,

NG3 Impact, Stories, And Needs

SPEAKER_01 28:10

I would say obviously for the hearts of the next generation, we want kids to know Jesus and respond to him. I mean, that's first and foremost why we're here. So um, you know, we we talk about leadership, we talk about character, we want to we want to build those things in kids, but that's all secondary to them hearing about Jesus and responding to him and getting plugged into a church where they'll grow forever. Um that's one thing. And then secondly, uh you already hit on this, but we always need leaders. So maybe prayerfully consider being a leader and then praying for our leaders, our leaders and host homes. A host home is another way to um to serve if you want to open up your your house to serve in terms of uh you know feeding a uh a group, you know, once a month, maybe something like that. But um either prayerfully becoming a leader or praying for our leaders because it's a lot of um it's a lot of time and effort and energy and emotion um pouring into high schoolers on a weekly basis. That's cool.

SPEAKER_03 29:02

I do want to hit on one thing that you said, because I know I said that was the last thing, but one thing that you we hadn't mentioned until then is host homes. I know there are a couple of families here that they're not necessarily the leaders of the group, but they host that group, they feed them, allow them a safe place to be, and so that's another way for them to volunteer and be a part of the channel.

SPEAKER_01 29:20

Huge help to us because um a lot of our leaders um don't necessarily live in an ideal location near the school. And so if um you know if anybody lives in a and and I stay near the school because we're we're thinking about student drivers and you know leaving for practice and not having to drive 30 minutes to get to a leader is willing to go wherever and lead. So if somebody would be willing to open up their home and share a meal um with these students, that would be fantastic.

SPEAKER_03 29:48

That's awesome. So who do they contact? If they want to do either one of those things, who do they contact? If they don't want to go through us and they want to just directly contact you guys, who do you contact?

SPEAKER_01 29:56

Right. They would contact me. Um my email address is Qs H-U-G-H-E-S at N G3.org. Perfect.

SPEAKER_03 30:04

We can probably put that on the screen. Yeah, yes. Okay, awesome. Hey Jason, thank you so much. Thank you for what you continually do for Northall and our community and just to further the kingdom just with high school students. Thank you so, so much.

SPEAKER_01 30:18

Well, I would like to say thank you to this church for supporting us from the get-go. Um we are super blessed to have Concord in our corner and love you guys. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 30:25

Thank you. Thanks. Yep. Thanks, guys. Hi, like jumping back into Mark II. Yeah. Uh another scene that is gonna just rock everybody that's watching.

SPEAKER_02 30:39

Yeah, I love it. We we get introduced to Levi, who's gonna be uh another one of the disciples and his crowd of friends. And so it's it's it's a good one. And so um it's a big deal because in in this culture, and I know uh for us, sometimes we we feel like we have an understanding of this, but um, Levi being a tax collector

How To Volunteer With NG3

SPEAKER_02 31:00

would have been like a uh a big mark against the complete social outcast. Working for the enemy. You're you're collecting on behalf of those who have um dominated us. And so that would have been a big deal. But literally, Jesus changes his life with two words. Yeah. I mean, just two words. Follow me. Yeah, and it's great. And Aaron And Levi did. And he did, he did. And we we've seen this three times in the book of Mark now. Um but just makes me think back to I know a lot of times we can't get into all the details of it just for time's sake, but I mean, do you remember that moment where Jesus called you? Can you give us just can you give us the 30-second version of your follow-me moment?

SPEAKER_03 31:43

I yeah, 30-second version. I was at Passion Conference, which, if you knew anything about my life when I was 21 years old, you would think, why is he at Passion Conference? That is the last place he wanted to be. There's a long story behind that. I would love to share it with anybody who wants to listen because it is crazy how I ended up there. But I was at Passion Conference. Andy Stanley is preaching. I don't remember what passage he's preaching, but I remember that he has this huge visual on stage of this gorgeous, amazing, like vase that's like just awesome on the outside.

SPEAKER_02 32:18

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_03 32:19

Yeah, and he dumps it out and just filth comes out of the vase onto the onto the onto the table. And he says, This is how many of you are living your life. You are beautiful on the outside, and you are disgusting on the inside. Oh wow. And I remember in that moment, Jesus goes, That is you, and I'm about to call you out of that.

SPEAKER_02 32:37

Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_03 32:38

And so, and in that moment, and that and that was it. Like that I my life completely changed in that moment. And there was no denying, like when he said, and it it's almost I think about it in this way of like, there was no way for me to say, No, I'm not gonna do that.

SPEAKER_02 32:55

Right.

SPEAKER_03 32:56

Like the authority that I heard was like, nope, this is your life, and I'm

Calling Of Levi And Personal Testimony

SPEAKER_03 33:00

about to take you away from that. And I'm like, all right, let's go.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Well, and I love that because it aligns so much with what we've seen. Peter and Andrew, follow me. Immediately they did. James and John, follow me. Immediately they they've done. Here, Levi, follow me. Yep. And and I bet some of you who are listening right now, it's been a while since you've polished off that memory to go, where was I when Jesus said, follow me and how I I'd encourage you to think about that and then to share it. Share just like you did. I mean, that I mean that's almost like chillworthy just thinking about it.

SPEAKER_03 33:31

I mean, it's yeah, it's it was an amazing, amazing moment in my life. And your life has never been the same. Never been the same. Not easy at that moment. Not that. And I say like there was no denying like I'm gonna say yes, because I did, but it was a there was some heartache after that moment. Right. Like Jesus kind of taking some stuff out of my life.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

But Well, it it goes on in this passage in Mark chapter two, and it says, And as he reclined at the table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. So he calls Levi, who apparently runs with a rough crowd of sinners and tax collectors.

SPEAKER_03 34:08

Yeah, that's who he's around in.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

And so Jesus is having dinner with them, yeah, and this upsets the status quo. The religious elite. Why why do you think, number one, that Jesus was so comfortable around people that others avoided? And why do you think the religious elite were so uncomfortable with Jesus being with them? So why was Jesus comfortable with sinners? And why were the the religious elite uncomfortable with Jesus being with sinners?

SPEAKER_03 34:35

I think that's a hard question. I think one, for the first part, why was Jesus so comfortable? I think Jesus realized those types of people when he explains who he is and why he has come, they're going to realize their need. Like they're gonna realize, oh, like I am yes, like please and what's harder, I think what was harder for the religious leaders seeing Jesus be and around, like be around and hang out with those groups of people, is they had a certain image in their head of who the Messiah or Jesus was gonna be, and this was not it.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Right. And well, and let me let me just clarify when I say comfortable, uh, this does not mean Jesus was accepting of their lifestyle. It doesn't mean that he was affirming uh of their choices and their sin. And I think that's a lot of our culture right now is endorsement, affirmation, acceptance of people's sinfulness and rebellion against the word of God. That's not what we're talking about at all. We're talking about Jesus, maybe a better word was intentionally engaging with him. And I think that's my heart errand for Concord. You know, I've prayed a prayer uh for a while that God would give us messy people. Yeah. Um, but you know what comes with messy people? Messy people. Yeah, yeah. Messy people and messy situations. In messy situations, but you know, I don't want Concord to be some shiny place that someone who's really struggling and someone who really needs Jesus can't come. That they are, when they're walked in, that they're scowled at and they're looked at, and you know, maybe they uh reek of alcohol or uh, you know, you know, they've got a reputation that they walk in and that people go, Hey man, if you're coming here, you're coming here to meet Jesus and hey, you can sit with us kind of thing. Oh yeah. Uh and I just love that the picture we see is that when he engages Levi and says, Follow me, well, that leads straight to all of Levi's rough crowd that he ran with and Jesus

Why Jesus Eats With Sinners

SPEAKER_02 36:40

is having dinner uh with them. Now, this upsets the religious elite. Why? Like, why why do they get so upset? You talked a little bit about you know, it wasn't what they were expecting, but I mean, honestly, I think it's because they didn't want to associate with those people.

SPEAKER_03 36:56

Yeah, they they were less than them. They had this arrogance about them of like, no, I know what I need to do, I know what I need to teach, I know how I need to live, and I follow all these things. I'm better than you. Oof. Say that again. And they literally thought they were better than these people.

SPEAKER_02 37:12

Now that's not a trap we ever fall into, is it? Where we see people and we're like, we're better than them. No one's ever struggled with that.

SPEAKER_03 37:18

But I think what's what's wrong with and we we joke, but because we do f fall into that trap all the time. And it's because you it's the same reason that you said just a minute ago, hey, I think sometimes we forget the moment that Jesus called us. Even more than that, I think we forget so much time how much Jesus has called us out of. Like not just the moment that Jesus speaks to you and you follow him, but everything that he continues to pull you out of and heal you from and disconnect you from and fill it with something that's better. Because that that is why when I start feeling arrogant and then I'm above someone else, or like I've reached a level that this person is not at, or this person is not at, it's because I have forgotten the disgusting human being that I was before Jesus called me out of my sin.

SPEAKER_02 38:15

And sometimes we don't think we were that, or we've lost how much we were. Yeah. But going, even if you were saved young or you grew up in the church, or you've never done anything like, oh, that person at the other end of the row has still our sin was an offense to God that earned us death and hell. Yep. And he saved us from that. Yeah. Um, you know, and and I I I think it's worth saying again, I I know your heart is very similar to mine. We want Concord to be a place where people can come and get right with Jesus. That you don't have to clean yourself up before you get here. And I think that's what a lot of people think about church. Yeah. You know, I've had guys come in and go, Well, you know, I wear a hat every day that I work construction, and you know, I've been told you got to dress up and you can't do this, and you know, I've I've got this, you know, these tattoos or this or that, and you're just like and they think they're not worthy to come in. And I mean, here's the double-edged truth of that. None of us are worthy to approach the Lord. Oh, yeah. But that Concord would be a church where when people are broken and messy and in need of a savior, that we would be a church that would grab them by the arms and pull them with us towards the foot of the cross.

SPEAKER_03 39:26

What's what also I th the other thing that I love too about this this part of the story, specifically for Levi, and what he's realizing about Jesus. It would have been very easy for Levi in the moment that Jesus said, Follow me, and he said, Okay, to just leave all of his friends in the dust. Oh, yeah. Like it would have been so easy for him to be like, Okay, I'm living my life differently. New chapter. New chapter, you guys are back here. That is not what he did. What he immediately did was, hey, I have met a man that has changed my life. I need all of you to be around him. And it is easy for us to be like, nope, new life, new chapter, I'm living for Jesus. I cannot associate with you. You are right, and when you said we don't need to affirm the things that they're doing that are against the Lord, that does not mean that you don't need to engage them for the gospel.

SPEAKER_02 40:17

Well, and I think a lot of times nowadays, once we get saved and we've been saved for a while, our friend groups change because we want community, accountability, we want light. And you need people that are gonna hold you accountable. But I think some of us have gotten in holy huddles and we don't know lost people anymore. If Jesus were to come to our house, we couldn't fill up a house with lost people. Yeah, oh yeah. Well, if we said, hey, we got 12 seats here, bring your most lost friends, and we'd go, I know one, maybe you know. I and I think that is important for Christians to be on missions to intentionally listen to me. You guys are listening right now. Um, you have got to have a core of people around you that love Jesus, that are gonna push you, that are gonna keep you accountable. You need mentors and disciplers in your life. You need to be discipling. All of that is a given for the believer. But one area that I need you to

Building Community Without Holy Huddles

SPEAKER_02 41:10

consider just as you're listening right now is are there people in my life that desperately need Jesus? That I'm praying for, that I'm interacting with, that I'm inviting to my dinner table, that um, you know, our families are doing life together. Uh like you need lost people. And I love what you just pointed out there, Aaron, is he didn't leave that life behind. He brought life to Jesus.

SPEAKER_03 41:32

And it's so easy for us to be like, well, I don't know any lost people, or I don't have any lost people in my life, because all my family are believers, and my spouse is a believer, my kids are believers. Okay, what about the guy that you sit beside at the office? That you don't talk to, that you have nothing to do with. Have you tried to engage him with the gospel? What about, and this is like this hits hard for me because obviously I work here, so Lord help if anybody is not a believer that is working here. But like I think about, okay, what about all the parents of other kids that are in classrooms with my kids that I see on a pretty regular basis? Am I engaging them with the gospel? Do they even know what I do? Right. Because a lot of times me and Michael have talked about this before, about how it's so easy when you're like we go to the same place to get our haircut, and we have talked about like they will want to ask you, they ask you what you do, and like it's so easy to be like, oh, like I work at a nonprofit.

SPEAKER_02 42:28

As soon as you say pastor, it it shuts down the conversation.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

If you say I'm a pastor or I work at a church, they don't want to talk to you anymore. Or they have they start acting differently around you, and then that's not what you want either. But it I just love that Matthew Levi in this in this book doesn't say, Hey, I'm I'm I'm done with you guys, you're not living the same way. He's like, No, no, no, I need you to see what has changed my life.

SPEAKER_02 42:53

Well, and and at the end of this story, you you're getting the tension is increasing between the establishment of religion and Jesus, the kingdom of God that he's bringing the gospel. Um, and and he gives this famous one-liner and and uh because they ask him, they say, Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners? And when Jesus heard it, I mean, apparently they weren't whispering. Yeah, they probably were not talking quiet. He said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick, I came not to call the righteous but sinners, to unpack that.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

I I and you can correct my theology here if I am happy if I start saying something heretical. When I see this line just taking the first thing those who are well have no need of a physician. I don't think Jesus is saying that those people are well. He is saying they think they're well, which means they're not gonna want anything that I have to give them. Right. And so then he said, But those who are sick, I came not to call the righteous but sinners. He is making a distinction between people who have realized the depth of their sin and people who have not. And that is a huge when you when you realize the depth of your sin, it's really hard not to also in the same exact moment realize your need for a savior. When you don't realize the depth of your sin, it's very easy to live life completely apart from anything that Jesus is trying to get you to do.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

Well, I think some mistakes we've made that go along with just this line of thinking that you've just outlined is how we share the gospel sometimes.

SPEAKER_03 44:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:43

We're always wanting to give people a cure for a sickness they're not aware of. You know, the the modern church in America has removed the idea of sin and hell and repentance from the gospel. It's come join the club, you know, get made well, get saved. And people go, saved from what? Yeah, why do I need that? And so I think a lot of times, you know, what you see here is people going, he's like, the ones that think they're well, they're not the ones that you know need a doctor. The ones who know they're sick. And and I have to think that at this dinner table, these guys knew who they were. They knew they were outcasts, they knew they were cheaters and stuff. Some of them probably enjoyed their job. Right. And and Jesus is just saying, hey, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. And it just once again shows Jesus' heart for the lost and Concord, hear me on this. We need that same heart. And if you struggle with that heart, you gotta pray about it, going, God, give me the heart that Jesus had for lost people in my own house, uh, in my community, in my school, on my team, with my crew that I hang out with, my the the guys I, my buddies I play golf with, or ladies that you play mahjong

A Physician For The Sick

SPEAKER_02 46:00

with, or uh whatever it is. Candice Nanny. Um But uh I'm just saying, give us a heart for lost people that our church would be a place that reaches people who desperately need Jesus and then raises them up in community and faith and doctrine and theology that's correct, that it's a process. But I love his heart. I came not to call the righteous but sinners. That is literally um the uh a foundational piece of the gospel is understanding that people need the gospel. Um so let's uh let's lay in this. Why don't you give us a couple of questions for us to think about on our way out?

SPEAKER_03 46:39

Just some things to think about after hearing this discussion, thinking about the sermon from Sunday, rereading this passage, just some questions to kind of ask yourself. The first one, going back to the very first part of our conversation, are we bringing people to Jesus like those four friends did? Like, are we the people in our life that need to hear truth and need to hear the gospel?

SPEAKER_02 47:02

Who's your one?

SPEAKER_03 47:03

Are we bringing those people to Jesus? And if we're not, why aren't we not?

SPEAKER_02 47:08

Don't come to church alone.

SPEAKER_03 47:10

Yeah. And then another one was do I do I recognize my deeper need for forgiveness? Kind of along the lines of what we were talking about of like, do I really realize how much I need salvation and how much I need forgiveness and mercy? And then the other one is, am I willing to move toward people that other people overlook? Or am I willing to engage into hard situations, into difficult situations, into people that have been discarded and pushed aside for various reasons? Am I willing to engage those people because the gospel has called me to do or Jesus has called me to do that? I love it.

SPEAKER_02 47:48

Of all of our episodes, I think these might be the three most piercing questions that we've asked, because it's really things we can do something about of going, am I willing to get involved and help people get near to Jesus? Do I remember what God saved me from? And am I willing to engage people that are hard, yeah. Church, if we get this, if you take these three questions, you search your heart, I I believe your life, your home, our church will be different. And so uh these are jet fuel type questions. And so thank you, Aaron, for studying, for teaching this week, for for being with me here. And uh man, uh Jesus forgives, he calls, he restores, and man, this is jet fuel. We'll see you again next time.