WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.759 You know, we one of the things I'll tell you real quick, because I don't I don't know that it gets captured in that in that video. 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:14.720 If you look really closely and you track me kind of the whole time, you can see me kind of gazing off into one in in kind of off into the distance and chewing on my cheek a lot. 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:16.320 And can I tell you why? 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:17.839 It's because I was terrified. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:21.039 I was absolutely terrified sitting in that spot filming that video. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:25.120 It was a something that should have taken an hour, ended up taking us hours. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.960 And and my buddy who was filming that for us was looking at me, going, like, what is wrong with you? 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:30.480 And I was like, dude, I'm so scared. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:31.600 I'm just so scared. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:37.439 And and man, I'm just I'm standing up here and I'm looking at you, and I'm just really, really grateful. 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:39.039 I'm really, really grateful. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:43.520 And uh I, you know, we were we were really scared. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:52.320 And because we in in a in one way, we like, man, we had pushed all of our chips in, but the reality was, and you caught that in the end of the video, is we weren't the only ones who had pushed all push pushed all of our chips in on this. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:58.159 There were multiple people who had followed us and come with us and and were leveraging their lives to do this thing that they felt like God was calling them to do. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:03.920 And ultimately, it wasn't because we sales pitched them and tried to and tried to twist their arm and convince them into doing something or going somewhere with us. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:05.519 It was God called them here. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:08.079 And and it was just literally having to go. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:09.920 Like, God, are you gonna come through on this? 00:01:10.079 --> 00:01:14.159 Like, are you gonna come through and and and be faithful, which we feel like you're calling us to do? 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:17.680 And and every step of the way, it felt like we would we would take a step. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:21.519 And then you would you would feel like, man, I can't see five feet in front of me to be able to take that next step. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:23.599 And then he would just come through and he would do something. 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:25.840 And this whole journey has been like that in so many ways. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:33.760 And so, uh, and so, man, to look here and and to see what God's done over the past year is is something that just really stirs my heart and and makes me really grateful. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:40.879 Because yeah, we were terrified in there, but I will say this deep down, we also had a firm, immovable belief that God had called us here. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:02:04.799 Like a firm, immovable belief that God had called us, that God longs and seeks to save people who are far from him, that Jesus came to give people life to the full that transformed their lives, transforms their lives and satisfies the deepest longings of their hearts, that this city, our city, desperately needs spiritual awakening and renewal, that that there are a quarter of a million people within five miles of where we're standing that desperately need the gospel and are longing for a relationship with Jesus. 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:08.560 And ultimately that God works exclusively by his spirit through his people. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:13.919 Like this is how God is working in this moment and in these days is by his spirit, through you, through me. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:18.159 And man, like it is a gift to be able to partner with Jesus and what he's doing in the world. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:28.000 And I pray and I hope that that for those of you who have partnered with us, that man, you've you've felt that same exact invitation, that same exact opportunity that God is using you to build something that didn't exist a year ago. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:46.560 And for those of you maybe who you're here for the first time or you're just stepping into this, we pray that you feel nothing but an ecstatic invitation to continue to step in and partner with Jesus and what he's doing in the world because we were convinced then and we and we are convinced now that if God is going to move and save and change the trajectory of the future of our city, he's gonna do it through you and he's gonna do it through us. 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:53.840 Like this is the reality of God's invitation and God's will in our, in human history, but also in this moment that we're in. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:03:03.919 I'm gonna give just a little bit, uh, a little bit of a of a of just kind of a history talk for just a moment, and then I'm gonna then I'm gonna push through to what to what we have for us. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:08.639 But but in a lot of ways, as you kind of heard in that video, it didn't just start a year ago, it started over the past several years. 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:10.879 And and and this is all gonna this is all gonna make sense. 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:18.800 This isn't to make much of our story or or what this is, it's because there's gonna be that that ultimately we believe that every single person is an ordinary person. 00:03:19.039 --> 00:03:28.639 Every single person is an ordinary person, that God creates everybody in his own image, but God doesn't, God doesn't create extraordinary individuals that are that are different from you and me. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:31.199 God forms and fashions ordinary people. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:33.280 Does he gift them by his spirit in extraordinary ways? 00:03:33.439 --> 00:03:35.840 Does he place extraordinary callings and opportunities in front of people? 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:36.560 Absolutely. 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:47.199 But the reality is that God forms and fashions ordinary people and then calls them, calls them, and those people get an opportunity to exercise faithfulness and be used by God in extraordinary ways, extraordinary ways. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.560 That's the story of God changing the world through human history. 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:52.960 And that's the story that he's continuing to write today. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:04:01.840 That there's no extraordinary people in this room, there's ordinary people, and there's some of those people who choose to have audacious faith that God is calling and God is moving and God can use them. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:04.319 In January 2024, we moved. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:15.199 And I'll never forget that feeling, driving that U-Haul with the few things that we owned, very few things that we owned, with my wife and eight-months old and an eight-month son driving in the car behind me. 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:21.360 And uh, and man, over the next few months, a lot of other people made that, took those same risks and made those same choices. 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:33.920 That there are people who are in this room who who moved their jobs, who who left their jobs, who moved their lives and and went from having a house in the suburbs of Atlanta with a front yard and a backyard to being in a one-bedroom apartment in the city. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:41.839 People who, who, who literally had to start over in their careers in a lot of ways because God's calling was greater than their own personal comfort or security. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:49.199 And so there's a there's a there's a temptation to look at certain things and go, like, oh, these individuals or this person or these things, like they exercise really great. 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:50.319 It's like, no, no, no. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:52.079 God uses communities of people. 00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:54.720 And so God used so many people in this story. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.680 And over the next few months, those people made that made that move with us. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:00.879 We gathered in living rooms, we gathered in churches, wherever we could get together. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:01.839 There's another picture. 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:06.079 This one right here is uh the next slide is us praying in August 2024. 00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:08.720 This is our team praying in August 2024. 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:16.240 We had this in our minds and this on our hearts, but it started with a small group of people who were willing to pray and ask God in August 2024. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:20.959 We launched Kingdom City socials and dinner parties and coffee shops and in homes. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:28.240 We built our launch team to about 40 committed adults before we launched on September 14th, 2025, where a couple hundred friends and guests showed up. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:33.040 And since that day, we've established a local church in our city, an outpost of the kingdom of heaven on earth. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:36.079 And you guys, you all have helped build and establish that. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:38.319 And we've seen lost people saved and baptized. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:47.519 We've seen people fall in love with Jesus, we've seen people get mobilized in his mission, we've seen communities established and multiplied, we've seen parents learn how to love and parent their kids in transformative ways. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:06:01.199 We have seen a community of people that literally did not exist a year ago now fall in love with each other and love one another and have relationships with each other and look forward and long for this day every single week where they get to show up and see the people that they enjoy the most. 00:06:01.360 --> 00:06:03.120 And that didn't exist a year ago. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.639 And we're just so thankful that God uses ordinary people who say yes to him. 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:11.360 But here's the reality is that, man, we didn't come here to start something. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:14.399 Like that's not really the that's really it wasn't really the agenda. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:20.879 And God's God's will and God's calling and God's desire isn't that he has a bunch of people who start things, isn't that he has a bunch of starters. 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:28.800 But the reality is that if God's gonna transform the world the way that he longs to do, it's gonna take, it's gonna take people who have faithfulness to build things and finish things. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:31.040 He doesn't just start things, he wants to build things. 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:37.439 You know, 99% of church plants make it to one year, but about 50% make it to year four. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:48.639 And today we're gonna break for a week from our Ephesians series to share something in light of our one year that I think is not just gonna apply to our church, but it's gonna apply to everyone in the room, regardless if this is your first time, your tenth time, or your 50th time. 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:54.959 Because I think everyone knows this inherently, but maybe the way that we apply this or believe this in our lives isn't really there. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:58.720 And it's this starting things is easy, right? 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:01.040 Finishing things is hard. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:04.560 Starting things is easy, but finishing things is hard. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:07.360 Why is starting things easy and finishing things hard? 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:11.279 Well, it's because inspiration is easy and faithfulness is hard, right? 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:13.439 Inspiration is easy and faithfulness is hard. 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.480 We are all inspired every single day by all kinds of things. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:18.560 All of you are inspired by all kinds of things. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:22.079 Every single January, we have a wave of inspiration in all of our lives, right? 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:25.279 This is gonna be be the year that everything changes, that everything is different. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:28.800 Uh, I don't know about you, but I have like quarterly New Year's resolutions. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:31.199 I have to like restart them every single quarter. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.800 But because we all know, like, man, we are we are easily inspired. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:37.360 It's the way that God has made us that something stirs up in our hearts. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:40.480 You can watch a movie and be inspired to feel like you can go change the world. 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.199 Then you go to bed, wake up, and you're like, actually, maybe not. 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:43.920 Right? 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:45.279 Like we get inspired. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:46.560 I I uh it was so funny. 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:49.199 I did one of those, you know, Chat GPT things. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:55.920 I don't we'll we'll get into AI and end times and end of the world and all that kind of stuff later on, not the moment. 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:04.879 But but I was on Chat GPT one day and I said, Hey chat, knowing what you know about me, throw up a little picture about like who like what you think my life kind of looks like. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:13.360 And it was so funny that chat threw this picture up there and there was like creatine powder and like weights and like all these books and all these things going on. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:18.800 It was like, oh my gosh, I I wish that the actual version of me was the Chat GPT version of me. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:22.720 Like, I'll be but it was because I'm often inspired. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:27.439 And so I I asked Chat GPT a lot of things that I don't be applying to my life. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:35.679 You know, I I'll ask Chat be like, man, if you could break down the protein of this, what's the best meal plan for me to have in order for me to get this kind of here are the here are my body statistics. 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:40.879 If I want the peak kind of condition, athlete condition, can you break this down for me and what it's gonna take for me to get there? 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:51.519 And so chat is under the is under the impression that your boy is the most disciplined, hardworking, fit, like creatine, protein powder, just like knocking it out every single day. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:53.039 And that's just not who I am. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:54.960 But it's because what does chat get? 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:57.200 Chat gets moments of inspiration for me. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:08:58.240 That's what it gets. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:00.559 Moments of inspiration that lead to curiosity. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:02.000 Hey, I'm inspired in this moment. 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:03.440 Hey chat, what would it take to do this? 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:04.960 Hey, chat, what does it mean to do this? 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.200 Hey, chat, what would it take for me to become this? 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:08.960 In moments of inspiration. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.879 But inspiration's easy, and faithfulness is hard. 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:14.639 This is true in our lives. 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:15.759 This is true in work. 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:18.799 This is true in working out, this is true in all kinds of things. 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:21.840 But this is especially true when it comes to following Jesus. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:29.600 In Luke chapter 14, Jesus makes some incredible statements to a to a large group of people. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:37.120 It was it wasn't strategically maybe the greatest decision, but you know, Jesus didn't come to be a strategist, he came to be a savior and show us how to do life. 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:45.039 And so, and so Jesus actually took this crowd of people and cut it in half by by adding some challenge to what was in a very attractive life. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:50.080 They were following him around, seeing him do all these miracles, seeing him heal the sick, seeing him feed 5,000. 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:55.759 And they were going, man, if we follow this guy around, we'll get some food, we'll we'll be healthy, we'll have an easy, easy go at it. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:10:05.519 And then Jesus, noticing that the crowds were getting larger and larger and following him for reasons that maybe he didn't come and didn't want them for, he follows all of that attraction with a challenge. 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:11.200 And Luke 14 tracks it like this says, large crowds were traveling with Jesus. 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:37.519 And so turning to them, he said, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brother, brothers and sisters, and when Jesus is saying this, he's not saying that you would actually hate them, but what he's saying is that there would be such a level of devotion to him that in comparison, your your devotion to all the other important things in your life would pale in comparison to the level of devotion and love that you have for him. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:54.240 And in this cult culture and context, he knows that if people turn away from their Jewish faith and they start to follow Jesus, who's a revolutionary ultimately, and is claiming to be the Messiah, that they will lose their mother, their father, their brother and sister, their community because of their faithfulness to Jesus. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:57.600 And so Jesus is telling them and going, Yeah, following me is going to cost you a lot of things. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:05.120 And you've got to have such a level of devotion to me that no matter what, that that it would it would it would pale in comparison to your commitment to me. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:08.399 And he says, even hate even their own life. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:11.519 He said, if you're not this way, you can't be my disciple. 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:14.320 Can't be my disciple. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:18.960 Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:21.679 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:26.080 Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:32.320 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, This person began to build. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:36.240 Can you say that began to build and wasn't able to finish? 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:39.440 Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:45.679 Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with 10,000 men to oppose the one coming against him with 20,000? 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:50.559 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:54.559 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:59.039 And he goes on to say, for those of you who have ears to hear, let them hear. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:08.559 You know, Jesus is describing this life and he's going, he's going, look, man, and this is something that we don't we don't necessarily do in a lot of church response moments. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:15.759 There's a lot of times we get the keys playing real real right, we set the mood real right, and then we and then we try to try to give these big, big levels of invitation. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.879 All you gotta do is raise a hand, all you gotta do is pray a prayer, and I'm not against that. 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.799 I'm not, I'm not, I'm not here to stand on a stage and and make claims against that. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:28.000 But was it what was interesting about this is Jesus didn't say, hey, make a really hasty emotional decision. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:35.039 Jesus said, Are you willing to sit down and thoughtfully deliberate and consider if you're willing to pay what it costs? 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:38.080 Are you willing to sit down and think about it? 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:39.759 And this is ultimately what he says. 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:41.600 He says, Because how sad would it be? 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:52.240 What a tragedy would it be if you looked around and all there was was half-built disciples and half-built lives with some half-built faith. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:57.600 Jesus said, This person began to build, but he wasn't able to finish. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.919 How many people are half-built people? 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:02.159 How many people have half-built lives? 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.320 How many people have half-built faiths? 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:06.720 How many churches are half-built churches? 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:14.159 They laid a foundation, but they didn't finish because they didn't count the cost, they didn't make the sacrifice, they didn't take the risk, and they didn't stay faithful. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:16.960 And I don't want that for you, and Jesus doesn't want that for you. 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:26.080 It's amazing that this this invitation here from Jesus does not cancel out this in John chapter 10 where he says, I have life and I have life to the full for you. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:29.200 He says, Man, I've come to give you an abundant life. 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:37.679 And what Jesus also says is this abundant life that I long to give you, it's on the other side of your ability to count the cost and stay faithful to me despite what it may cost you. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:45.840 But he says, if you're willing to pay that cost, if you're willing to take that stuff, if you're willing to be my disciple, if you want to follow me no matter what the cost, he says, Man, there's abundant life in this for you. 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:46.879 There's abundant life. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:53.360 That invitation does not cancel out the offer that Jesus, the cost does not cancel out the invitation and the offer that Jesus lays on the table. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:05.200 So my question for us today is this how can we, you and me, not be another story of well-intentioned starters, but faithful builders who become test-proven finishers? 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:09.440 How can you and me not be another story of well-intentioned starters? 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:11.919 The world is full of people with great intentions. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:14.559 The church is full of people with great intentions. 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:24.960 Man, how can we not be another story of well-intentioned starters, but faithful builders who become test-proven finishers? 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:29.600 And we're gonna be in Hebrews chapter 12 today. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:31.440 And so if you have your Bible, you can turn there. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:32.720 We're also gonna have it on the screen. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:51.440 But but the context of Hebrews is extremely interesting because it's similar to just like what we what we talked about in Luke chapter 14, where Jesus is has has all these people who are who are religiously Jewish who are following him around, and then he and then he brings this challenge to them. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:54.399 And he says, It's gonna cost you to follow me. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:02.960 And the the letter to the to the Hebrews is what's on the other side of that cost, because there are people who have actually decided to follow Jesus, and it has cost them. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:10.399 And what we know is that the context of this is that people have actually beginning compromise in their faith in their relationship with Jesus because of how difficult it's been. 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:13.600 It's cost them too much, they didn't count the cost, and so now they've turned back. 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:19.919 And the writer to the writer to the Hebrews is now riding to challenge these people to follow Jesus no matter the cost. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:24.720 And what he does throughout the book is he elevates Jesus as superior to anyone and anything else. 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:27.279 We just read from Hebrews chapter one, that's how he starts it off. 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:35.679 That Jesus is superior to anyone and anything else in order, and then he shows that that Jesus who is superior to anyone and anything else is worthy of our total trust and devotion. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:40.399 And then second, he challenges these believers to remain faithful to Jesus despite persecution. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:47.600 Because Jesus is the clearest, fullest, and most ultimate revelation of God, and he is worthy of all of our trust and all of our devotion. 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:54.879 And following Jesus means remaining faithful to him despite persecution, despite cost, because God will not abandon his people. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:57.200 It's the context of this book. 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:14.960 And the writer writes in Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 through 3, he says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, of our faith. 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:20.559 For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning at shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:27.679 So consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary or lose heart. 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:30.879 There's five things I really want to tell us as we look at this passage. 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:37.039 Five things that I think will help us not be another story of well-intentioned starters, but faithful builders who become test-proven finishers. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:45.440 These five things are this look at the cloud, throw off the weight, run the race, consider the Lord and don't lose heart. 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:49.279 Look at the cloud, throw off the weight, run the race, consider the Lord and don't lose heart. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:51.759 The first thing that he tells us is to look at the cloud. 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:53.200 Look at the cloud. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:59.600 He writes, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:00.799 What does he mean by this? 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:08.079 Well, in Hebrews chapter 11, the writer has just described all of these people, all of these different people throughout the different generations of their faith. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:11.200 And he's looking back to them and he's calling them to look back to them. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:13.680 And but specifically look back at them in a particular way. 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:18.079 He says, You need to look back and you need to look at their faithfulness despite the cost. 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:19.920 Look at how faithful they were to Jesus. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.400 Look at how faithful they were to the calling that he had placed on their lives. 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:28.160 Look how faithful they were to what they what they knew God was calling them to do despite what it cost them. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:31.599 And in Hebrews chapter 11, we see all of these people listed out. 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.279 We have a slide for it. 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.960 But I'm just going to read and I'm going to kind of describe a few of these stories. 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:38.319 He mentions Abel. 00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:41.440 Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain did. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:46.079 Enoch, taken up by God so that he did not see death because he pleased God. 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:50.559 Noah built the ark to save his family after being warned about unseen events. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:56.640 Abraham obeyed God to travel to an unfamiliar land and even offered up his son out of devotion to him. 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:59.440 Thankfully, God provides a ram, a ram. 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:03.039 Sarah received the ability to conceive a child in her old age. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:05.839 Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau regarding the future. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:08.799 Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph while worshiping on his staff. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:13.039 Joseph spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones. 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:19.200 Moses, hidden by his parents as an infant, later choosing mistreatment with God's people over Egyptian luxury and leading the Passover. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:22.960 Rahab welcomed the spies in peace so she did not perish with the disobedient. 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:25.279 Gideon, mentioned among those who conquered through faith. 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:27.920 Barak, mentioned alongside Gideon for victories in battle. 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:30.000 Samson, listed among the judges and heroes. 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:32.480 Jephthah listed as a judge who exercised faith. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.640 David, highlighted as a king and faithful figure. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:37.920 Samuel, mentioned alongside the prophets and David, and many, many more. 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:48.079 And what's interesting about this is that is that the writer chooses a few individuals who were very big names in the story, and then a lot of individuals who were not that big in the story. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:49.759 And he puts them all right there. 00:18:49.920 --> 00:19:11.680 And it's beautiful because if you go back and you go to Matthew 1 or you go to late and you and you read the genealogy of Jesus, of all the people that it took to bring us the Messiah who would come step into human history to save us from our sin, and you notice all that you see some, you see a few really important names that are really familiar, and then you see a lot of normal, ordinary people that God used to usher in the Savior into humanity. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:22.240 And what and what the writer is saying here is he's going, he's going, look, there are ordinary saints all throughout generations who have been faithful to Jesus despite the cost. 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:26.960 And he's looking at them and he's going, you need to be those saints for this moment and for this generation. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:31.359 Did you know that yes, there's a great cloud of witnesses? 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:36.160 And my question for us is, are we gonna be in that great cloud of witnesses for the generations ahead of us? 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:41.839 Are we gonna be the stories that get told a generation from now to say, remember their faith? 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:43.279 Remember what they did. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:47.359 Are your kids and your grandkids gonna tell stories about you because of your faith? 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:54.880 Are your friends gonna pass down stories about you because man, you should have seen this friend that I had that had such faith, they were willing to endure such cost? 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:59.119 Are people gonna tell stories about you to pass down your faith to another generation? 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:03.920 Or are people gonna say, Man, this person had amazing intentions? 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:08.880 They were so sweet, so kind, they were good with their words, they started a lot of great things. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:15.680 And I know he's saying, he's saying, Man, there's a great cloud of witnesses, and he's telling that to spur them on. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:21.759 Is he saying, Look, I know this has cost you, but you need to recognize that it's not costing you anything else that it hasn't cost people before you. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.559 Did you know that yes, following Jesus is gonna cost you guys? 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:26.000 It's gonna cost every single one of you. 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:30.799 The cost is gonna be different for every single one of us, but it's gonna cost every single one of us. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:34.640 And it has always costed everyone who followed Jesus. 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:58.000 What can happen sometimes is that we can we can begin to feel the weight or the ask that Jesus has for our lives, and we begin to put so much weight in the thing that he's asking of us and comparing ourselves to other people that we begin to make our ask so much bigger, and we begin to excuse our disobedience, excuse us withholding from God because he's not asking from them as much as he's asking from me. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:00.240 And we begin to compare that. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:02.400 And what he's trying to say is no, no, no, no, no. 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:07.920 It's always cost everyone, and it's gonna cost you too. 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:15.039 And there's an invitation on the table to know this that it's not gonna cost you more than what God is gonna give you. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:20.160 It's never gonna cost you more than what God is gonna give you. 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:29.440 You know, the writer says, listen, you're not the only one who has had to endure hard things, but this is in your DNA as a follower of Jesus. 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:43.519 When you became a follower of Jesus, you were welcomed into a family and you were made part of a multi-ethnic, multi-generational family who has been ushering, ushering human history towards the Lord's ends ever since the very beginning, and you became part of that family. 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:51.759 And now what's woven into your Christ's DNA is people who are willing and able to endure hard things by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:53.359 That is now in you. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:22:04.319 Now, whether or not you actually you you actually receive that from the Holy Spirit and walk in that day in and day out is up to Your decision in partnership with Jesus, but it's in you if you're in Christ. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:07.680 Everything that you have to be able to count the cost and be faithful to Jesus is in you. 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:11.200 And what the writer is saying is like, look at them, look at what they did. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:12.960 Be them for this generation. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:14.720 Be them for this generation. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:19.359 You know, I think about the final words of Paul to a spiritual son, Timothy, in 2 Timothy chapter 4. 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:21.680 You know, Timothy struggled with fear. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:23.279 Fear. 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:28.000 There's a theme throughout all of what Paul writes to Timothy, and it's fear. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:31.839 He's consistently encouraging Timothy against fear. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:39.759 And Timothy's Timothy, yes, he struggled with fear, but but Paul knew that what he didn't need was just another self-centered pep talk. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:41.200 To go, you know what, Timothy? 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:42.079 You're strong, buddy. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:42.559 You got this. 00:22:42.640 --> 00:22:43.039 You got this. 00:22:43.119 --> 00:22:44.400 And in a look in the mirror, man. 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:46.640 Give yourself 10 affirmations about how great you are. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:47.279 You got this. 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:49.359 Paul didn't write that. 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:58.079 What Paul knew Timothy needed was a spiritual father to put his hand on his shoulder and tell him, hey, no matter what it costs, it's all going to be worth it. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:00.079 No matter what it costs, it's all going to be worth it. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:04.240 In 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7, Paul writes, I have fought the good fight. 00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:06.559 I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith. 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:11.519 And what he's writing to the context of this to Timothy is he's calling Timothy into his calling. 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:14.079 He's saying, Timothy, God has a great thing for you. 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:15.839 Step into this, be faithful to this. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:19.200 And then at the end of it, Paul says, Paul says, I've fought the good fight. 00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:21.359 And the word good does not mean good in quality. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:23.359 What he's saying is, I fought the right fight. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:26.160 I chose the right fight and I fought the right fight. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:32.640 And so he's looking at Timothy, going, Timothy, I'm asking you, I'm calling you to pick the same fight that I picked, because it's the right fight. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:37.440 And he's saying, I've fought the good fight, I've ran the race and I've kept the faith. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:38.799 Now, Timothy, come on. 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:40.000 Join in with me. 00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:45.920 And what the writer is saying is that these saints of old are looking at you and me today, going, I picked the right fight. 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.519 You picked the right fight. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:49.119 Come with me. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:50.480 It's all going to be worth it. 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:54.240 They've gotten a peek over the mountain to see the faithfulness of Jesus on the other side. 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:55.359 They know what's there. 00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:56.400 They know he's worth it. 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:58.960 And they're looking back at you saying, Don't you dare. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:00.400 Don't you dare flake out on this. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:01.359 Don't you dare give up. 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:02.000 He's worth it. 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:05.440 You come and join me and you keep going and you don't give up. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:07.359 That's what he's saying. 00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:10.400 Saying, look at them, look at the cloud, remember them. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:17.359 And what you need to do is you have to imagine all of heaven cheering you on and putting wind in your sails every single day. 00:24:17.519 --> 00:24:20.720 There's some of us you wake up every single day and you think heaven's against you. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:23.839 And you're trying to earn and fight and prove yourself to God. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:29.839 And what's amazing about this is the writer of Romans, Paul, has told us over and over and he's like, God is for you. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.359 Who could ever be against you? 00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:33.680 Who could hold anything against the Lord's elect? 00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:37.039 Who could hold anything against those that the Lord has called and that the Lord has chosen? 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:37.920 You belong to Him. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:40.559 Who could ever hold or have anything against you? 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:41.920 God is for you. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:44.480 And nothing can separate you from the love of God. 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:48.640 And not only is God for you, but everyone who is in God is for you. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.400 Everyone in heaven is cheering you on. 00:24:52.640 --> 00:24:55.039 No one is up there hoping you fail. 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:57.519 They're cheering you on. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:24:58.880 They're putting wind in your cells. 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:07.279 And you need to imagine generations of spiritual mothers and fathers focusing you on the great and beautiful calling, reminding you that you're not alone. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:09.519 You're not the only one having to do hard things. 00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:12.960 You're not the only one feeling the weight and the sting of sacrifice. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:18.880 And they're telling you, they're going, you can do it, and he is worth it. 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:22.880 And what's amazing about this is that we are all part. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:32.960 If you are in Christ in this room today, if you are in Christ in this room today, if you've given everything to if you've counted those costs, you surrendered your life to him, you are now all part of that great cloud. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:34.960 You are part of the cloud. 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:38.799 And what we need for each other is to be that cloud for each other. 00:25:39.599 --> 00:25:48.079 That you need people in this room, you need people in your community, you need people in your corner every single day, cheering you on, reminding of who you are, reminding you that Jesus is worth it. 00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:49.759 This is why we do community. 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:51.200 This is why we have relationships. 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:55.440 It's because if you're left in and of yourself, you know who's the worst accountability partner for me? 00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:56.079 Me. 00:25:57.039 --> 00:25:58.319 Are you the same way? 00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:01.279 No one's worse at letting me off the hook than me. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:08.960 I need someone to grab me by the shoulders, whether it's a spiritual father or a spiritual brother and sister, to grab me by the shoulders and go, and go, listen to me. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:11.440 This is who you are, and he is worth it. 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:14.799 We have to be that for one another. 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:17.440 So he says, look at the cloud. 00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:19.920 The second thing he says is throw off the weight. 00:26:20.160 --> 00:26:22.480 Look at the cloud, then throw off the weight. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:27.279 He says, Let us throw off everything. 00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:28.720 Can you say that word, everything? 00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:33.599 Everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:35.279 He says, throw off the weight. 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:36.799 Everything that hinders. 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:40.640 That word hinders literally means anything that's weighing you down or holding you back. 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:46.799 You know, there's, you know, being in ministry for about a decade now, when I started out, I was really young in it. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:51.039 And so that meant I was obligated to minister to people who are younger than me. 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:55.680 And so I spent a lot of time with students, spent a lot of time with college students and young adults. 00:26:55.759 --> 00:27:03.680 And and man, one of the questions I got so often was there could be a hundred different contexts for it, was is that technically sin? 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:06.720 Like, is that sin? 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:12.640 And you know, people be like, so, you know, me and my girlfriend, you know, whatever it may be. 00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:23.039 So, and I'm going, are you really asking me to like draw you a chart of like, here's the boundary you can't cross, and until you cross this, this is like that's not how this works. 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:29.440 And yet, how many of us, the way that we, the way that we pursue our faith and operate in our relationship with Jesus is you manage sin. 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:34.720 Your responsibility, your goal in life is to get as close as you can without crossing over. 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:37.039 Can I tell you something based on the New Testament? 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:40.000 Your desire to get as close as you can is already crossing over. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.839 There's there's an interesting story. 00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:48.960 It's it's awful, it's very sad. 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:55.039 So you're not allowed to giggle in any of this because it's because it's it's it's a sad story. 00:27:55.200 --> 00:28:03.680 But there's a guy uh in Europe who who owned a lioness and a female lion and a male lion, and he decided to keep them in his backyard. 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:20.240 And, you know, dogs here, lions over there, and he keeps them in his backyard, creates an enclosure for them, and for nine years loves them, pets them, takes care of them, feeds them, feeds them, plays with them, jumps in, jumps in the enclosure, plays around with them. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:28.319 And then at some point, this 33-year-old owner of these two nine-year-old lions jump in the enclosure and does not come back. 00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:34.480 They they maul him, they devour him, and his father is the one that finds him in the enclosure. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:42.799 And what's what's so interesting about this is that in the interview, in the interview, it goes something like this we just don't know how this happened. 00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:45.519 We just did not see this coming. 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:47.279 We just did not see it coming. 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:49.599 See, you're laughing, you're not allowed, not allowed to giggle. 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:50.880 We just did not see this coming. 00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:52.160 We have no idea how this happened. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:58.480 I was going, my son's really into lions right now, so we just like watch YouTube videos, be like, hey, lions for kids or whatever it may be. 00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:04.720 They're pretty quick to tell you, like, it's in the DNA of these animals to devour, right? 00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:08.079 Like, like these animals are made this way. 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:11.119 They're made to defend, they're made to oppose, they're made to devour. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:15.680 The lionesses hunt, the males defend, and this is what they do. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:19.920 And and I was so I was so intrigued by this story. 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:21.759 We just don't know how this happened. 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:29.039 But what when you think about this through spiritual eyes, I wonder how many people, their lives have been destroyed by sin, and they just go, I don't know how it happened. 00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:31.200 I don't know what happened to me. 00:29:31.680 --> 00:29:32.480 What happened? 00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:34.079 It just happened all of a sudden. 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:36.000 It came out of nowhere. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:42.799 And what we learn in the scriptures is that God, early on in the book of Genesis, makes it very clear to Cain. 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:50.400 And he says, Cain, before Cain ever ever kills his brother, he says, Cain, sin is crouching at your door. 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:52.720 And its desire is to devour you. 00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:54.559 You gotta rule over that. 00:29:55.519 --> 00:30:02.720 God tells us from the very beginning, he says that, yeah, this sin thing, it's got one goal and one agenda is to devour you. 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:21.599 And what so many believers end up doing is they live a life of managing our sin, of petting our sin, of playing with our sin, of feeding our sin, of going into the backyard, not knowing that this thing is counting down the seconds until it can destroy our lives. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:26.240 And the life of a believer is meant to be so much more than this. 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:30.720 But what we need to understand as we read this text is that, man, all sin is weight. 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:33.039 Every single sin you got in your life is weight. 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:34.880 Every single sin in your life. 00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:36.000 I want you to hear this. 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:40.319 Every single sin in your life is something Jesus wants to uproot and get out. 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:44.240 Every single sin, there's not one in your life that he wants to keep around. 00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:45.359 Not one. 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:46.160 Why? 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:50.240