WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:00.959 What's up, everybody? 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:01.840 Welcome to One Church. 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:03.120 Want to say hello to everybody here. 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:04.240 Everybody joining online. 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:06.000 Hey, yeah, go ahead and put your hands together. 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:08.160 Welcome the folks online so they hear you. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:09.679 God bless you. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:11.279 Thank you for being here. 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:16.960 Um, hey, before I get in the message, uh, we're taking time in each service this weekend to just honor those who serve. 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:22.879 Every weekend, we have about between 200 and 250 people that serve uh here at the church. 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:28.800 And uh I just I feel like we don't say it enough, but I want to take time to just express my gratitude. 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:39.520 It's everything from the street to the seat, and uh, when you serve, you are are really serving God first and foremost, but second, you're serving people, and which is another way to serve God. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:41.119 So it's just an awesome thing. 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.719 And uh we're we're kind of honoring individuals in each service. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:45.920 So this is the third one. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:47.920 We're doing different people in different services. 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:50.320 Of course, we're leaving a bunch of people out, okay? 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:54.000 So please, I hope uh since we didn't get to you, I hope you don't feel bad about it. 00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:56.320 But we we want to honor a few different individuals. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:00:59.280 In this service, we're gonna uh honor Madison Helton. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:00.240 Maddie, if you're here. 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.920 Uh Maddie, would you stand up on your feet? 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:04.719 I don't mean to embarrass you, but would you stand up? 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.280 This is Madison, all right. 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:13.120 Uh Madison uh has been going to church about eight years. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:17.680 She serves on our security team, all right, and we have some flowers for you, Madison. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:18.480 We have a gift. 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:21.439 Let me explain what the gift is, and you can be seated, okay? 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:23.599 Um let me explain what the gift is. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:31.200 So um four years ago on a mission trip, uh Maddie was just going to serve the Lord and met a man, okay, and his name was Josue. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:34.560 Josue, okay, in Guatemala. 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:39.439 Okay, so so some of you are single, and now missions will become uh your plan. 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:41.840 All right, you're like, you know, I feel called, I feel called. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:42.319 Okay. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:49.760 So Maddie goes on uh to Guatemala in this mission trip, meets Josue, they fall in love in uh December of 2020. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:55.920 They got married, but Josue has had an issue, a hard time getting a green card to be able to move to America. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:02.239 So since they've been married since December of 2020, she's been in the US, he's been in Guatemala, and and they've hardly seen each other. 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:04.560 But praise the Lord, Josue got his green card. 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:05.920 He's gonna be here in 10 days. 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.879 Ten days, ten days. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:10.240 All right. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:13.520 So the gift card is a date night. 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:17.759 Cameron Mitchell, okay, bring the man in and introduce him to Cameron. 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:19.840 All right, when he gets to Columbus. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:23.840 And uh last thing we have for you is a special message from Jose. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:26.240 Go ahead and check out the screen. 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:28.319 It's okay here. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:35.439 I just wanted to say that I love you so much, and I'm just 10 days from being in the States with you, starting my life together. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:40.000 So I can't wait to see you and can't wait to meet everybody at one church. 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:42.479 We'll be sitting in the church together soon. 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:44.960 Love you, and we'll see you soon. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:47.520 Ah, give it up. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:54.319 Awesome. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:55.520 Thank you, Maddie. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:56.719 Really appreciate you. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:02:59.439 Um, I'm gonna go ahead and jump into the message. 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:01.759 Uh, I'm let's open up in prayer, prepare our hearts. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:03.680 Lord, we uh we want to hear from you today. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:08.000 Lord, it's our desire to uh to walk in your spirit, to walk in your truth. 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:13.919 And so, Lord, we uh are pliable, we're flexible, we're receptive to what you would have to say. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:25.520 Lord, I pray you would do what you do so well, which is to take uh your word and to not just speak collectively, but to customize it, to make it individual to each person who's open. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:26.319 So we do that. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.199 We take a receptive posture in Jesus' name. 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:30.879 All God's people said, Amen. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.960 I'm a father of three and a husband of one. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:35.919 Praise God. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:46.879 Uh father of three, and uh, my oldest is a girl, she's 13, and uh over the years, she's had a variety of different professions that she hopes to be when she grows up. 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:51.039 For a long time, when she was little, she wanted to be the president of the United States. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:56.479 And and after the last couple elections, she's like, you know, I don't know, I don't know if I wanna know if I want to do that. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.039 Um, but I'm like, you know, whatever, we'll see what happens. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:03.520 And uh, but she comes to me the other day and she's like, Dad, I think I know what I want to do with my life. 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:05.759 She's like, I found my my Shiro. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:07.439 I was like, okay, who's that? 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:09.599 She's like Camila Vasquez. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:11.759 Okay, I didn't know who that was. 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:12.960 I was like Camila Vasquez. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:22.480 I thought when you said Camila Vasquez, I thought that was the lady that sang uh Havana on half of my heart is, but it's not it's a different Camila. 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:26.079 Uh Camila Vasquez is Johnny Depp's attorney. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:28.240 Okay, okay. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:34.480 Now, don't know if you know, Johnny Depp's been in court, okay, with Amber Heard. 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.279 I am not here to take a position. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:39.120 Uh I don't have an opinion. 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:42.879 I've not been following this, okay, so don't at me. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.480 Uh I I heard something about a megapint, that's about it. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:58.319 I I don't know much at all, but my daughter's been following it, and she's sort of uh be been enamored with Camila Vasquez and her ability to cross-examine and make an argument and everything. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.000 And uh my daughter likes to argue, so she feels it's a calling. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:07.680 Um, she uh she gets it honestly. 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:11.120 Uh both my wife and I uh like to argue. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:20.800 Um my wife was in debate in college on a debate team, so if you square up in an argument with her, you better have your game face on. 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:22.720 Buckle your chin strap up tight. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:24.240 She's not an easy win. 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:26.240 Um, but I'm no doormat either. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:27.920 Okay, I'm gonna tell you. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:33.600 Uh, when we start disagreeing and going at it, okay, uh, you better be prepared. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:36.959 Because I I if you pick a fight with me, uh, it's gonna go down. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:40.959 I now I I'm gonna tell you, I I don't um I don't argue about things I don't know about. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:43.759 If I don't know about, um okay, you know, I don't know. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:50.079 If I do know if I know what I'm talking about, you better know what you're talking about, because I'll get to the heart of your thesis before you do. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:56.240 All right, and frankly, uh, you'd be better to file a continuance to put this to a later date, you can go do your research. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.160 Because if I know what I'm doing, I'm going at it. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:04.319 My daughter's been watching this in the house for years, and she's been making her own arguments, you know, since she could talk. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:16.639 Um, apparently at their school, they decide to go ahead and have uh a mock trial, and she gets picked to be the attorney, and she got a 95 out of 100, so she did pretty good. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:19.199 So she's decided this is what I want to do. 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:50.800 Now, um, we'll see if you know if it changes or whatever, but uh when she when she walked away from this conversation, it got me to thinking, and I and I was thinking back on when I first came into relationship with Jesus and I became a Christian and a follower of Christ, and um what I perceived or sensed that my responsibility was as a follower of Jesus, I don't think anybody told me this, but somehow I took on the responsibility that I was now God's attorney. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:07:10.399 That it that Jesus was on the witness stand, the world was in the jury box, and it was up to me to be so compelling and so persuasive as to argue folks into whether he was innocent or not, whether he was who he said he was or not. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:20.879 And to be honest, I took on a lot of fear because my fear was if I'm not good enough, if I'm not persuasive enough, uh people won't change their minds. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:31.360 And if they don't change their minds and they don't believe because of my powerful persuasive, charismatic argument, uh then I'll let heaven down. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:40.240 As if heaven's up there uh sort of keeping track of my closing rate or my record as an arguer. 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:53.360 And I've learned over time, especially as I've really gotten into God's word and studied and really looked at the stuff Jesus said and the stuff Jesus did to really better understand my responsibility. 00:07:53.519 --> 00:08:01.920 By the way, if you've ever been in the unfortunate position where you were trying really hard to change another person's mind, how did that go? 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:03.839 It doesn't work too well. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:07.519 It's hard to change, you can't change somebody's mind. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:08.720 You can't. 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:12.800 If you've ever tried, and man, there are times we try our best. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:13.360 Why? 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:22.399 Because we care about somebody and we love somebody and we see them heading in a direction or making decisions, and and so we're confident in our position. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:28.959 So we make our point and we make our point and they don't receive it, and we make our point, and then we make it a different way. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:32.399 And maybe we turn up the emotion and we crank up the energy. 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:38.320 We may even stoop to manipulation tactics to try to formulate the behavior. 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:47.519 If you have children or or or nieces or nephews, you know, when they're little, you can kind of make them behave a certain way with threats and manipulation. 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:51.919 But when they get to a certain way, you didn't change their mind, you just got them to mind. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:53.919 They didn't change their mind. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:59.120 Okay, you can't change, you can't change the mind of a person. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:00.879 You can't do it. 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:02.799 I was thinking about this. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:06.480 Um, I was thinking about what we've been talking about the last few weeks. 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:15.120 So we've been in Mark chapter 5, Mark chapter 6, and last week we were looking at Mark 6, where Jesus has just raised a girl from the dead in Mark chapter 5. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.000 He raises Jairus' daughter from the dead, and then he goes home. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:27.120 And it's the weirdest thing because he goes home after raising a girl from the dead, you would think they would have a parade, you would think they would have a party, you would think it would come home to hugs and affirmations. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:32.799 And yet Jesus comes home to cynics, Jesus comes home to people who refuse to believe in him. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:38.399 It's an interesting text because it says in the text that they were amazed at his development. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.960 Wow, this isn't the same guy that left home. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:42.480 He's totally different when he came back. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:49.759 They were amazed at his wisdom, they were amazed at his power, and yet it said they went from being amazed to scoffing at him. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:57.919 They tried to cut him down to size, they brought up the drama of his family, they brought up his origin story that was, you know, full of scandal. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:03.360 Um, they brought up his former profession and tried to tried to reduce him to who he used to be. 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:04.399 All of this. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:16.960 And what caught me this last time reading Mark 6 and seeing this story, what really struck me was that Jesus did virtually nothing to change their mind. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:19.519 He did like nothing. 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:25.440 Like you would almost expect, because this is this isn't just some town he was passing through, this is his hometown. 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:37.679 You would think he goes home to his hometown, no one believes, Jesus would have made a big effort to reframe his argument or to be persuasive, or to try to talk them into it. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:42.399 You would think Jesus would dig his heels in and say, I'm not leaving home until everyone believes. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:43.759 But he didn't. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:45.360 In fact, he almost didn't even try. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:46.159 He basically didn't even try. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:48.000 He's like, you know, this is a shame. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:49.200 This is a shame. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:50.960 He's like, you know, I'm honored everywhere. 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:52.080 People don't even know me. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:53.200 Come home to my hometown. 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:54.639 I'm honored everywhere except my hometown. 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:56.080 He's like, that's pretty sad. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:00.000 Then he says to his disciples, by the way, guys, we're we're leaving here. 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:01.840 And when we leave, we're gonna go to other towns. 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:07.120 And if these other towns pull a Nazareth on you, don't bother with them. 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:10.960 Wipe the dust off your feet, don't take anything with you and move on. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:15.759 He doesn't say, Don't you leave that town until everybody believes. 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:20.480 Make a bigger argument, get emotional, manipulate if you have to. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:22.000 We gotta get them to believe. 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:22.879 We gotta close them. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:24.000 We gotta close them. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:24.799 We gotta win. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:26.000 We we gotta win them over. 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:27.840 He doesn't he didn't say that. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:31.679 In some ways, Jesus actually, you wouldn't want him on your sales team. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:33.919 He's kind of a bad closer, actually. 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:38.720 There's one time there's a whole bunch of people around ready to be closed. 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:40.480 Because he's doing all these miracles. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:47.519 After he he uh fed 5,000 with five loaves, two fish, they're all like everybody's around and and he's and they're all ready for the sales pitch. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:49.200 And here he's like, You want to hear my sales pitch? 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.440 Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you can have no part with me. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:55.440 They're like, that's weird. 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:56.720 You know, I don't think I want to do that. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.120 And he's like, they're like, Were you speaking metaphorically? 00:11:59.200 --> 00:11:59.759 What are you talking about? 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:05.360 He's like, unless you eat my body and you drink my blood, you can have no part with me. 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:06.720 And they're like, Yeah, no, we're good. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:07.279 We're good. 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:08.080 We'll see you later. 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:12.559 And they all leave, and it gets down to Jesus' disciples, and they're like, Jesus, what was that about? 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.480 And he's like, He's like, You gonna go too? 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:16.240 You guys can go, you can go with them if you want to. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:19.759 They're like, we kind of want to, because the blood thing eaten, your flesh is weird. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:22.559 They're like, but you have the words of life, so where are we gonna go? 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:24.000 He's like, All right, let's keep going. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:26.240 That's not really skilled closing. 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:28.000 That's not a salesman. 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:41.039 Jesus wasn't a salesman, he wasn't uh arguing people, and you know it's interesting, probably the best text we have from Jesus in understanding this is actually Matthew 13. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:43.039 Matthew 13. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:51.039 Matthew 13, Jesus says in verse 35, I'll speak to you in parables and I'll explain things hidden since the creation of the world. 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:54.159 I'll speak in parables, I'll speak in metaphors, I'll make up stories. 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:59.039 And this is why Jesus, he didn't show up with a bunch of, he didn't show up with systematic theology. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:02.559 Jesus didn't teach in bullet points, Jesus taught in stories. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:03.840 And they were why? 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:04.799 Because they're transcendent. 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:08.320 When you say, hey, there's a man with a lost son, that's transcendent. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.720 Every culture, every generation understands it. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:12.159 There's a man with a lost coin. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:16.240 Doesn't matter if it's a peso or a penny or a rand, it doesn't matter. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:17.039 It makes sense. 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:17.759 You get it. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:21.679 So he taught things, it says hidden from the creation of the world. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.159 Stuff people didn't even ever fully understand. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:27.679 Jesus taught through stories, he thought taught through stories. 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:30.080 So in Matthew 13, this is the one he teaches. 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:34.159 He teaches about the parable of the four kinds of soil. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:37.840 And when he's talking about soil, he's talking about the human mind. 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:40.480 So he says, hey, there's four kinds of soil. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:49.519 The first is um is like a footpath, and this farmer threw good quality seed on a footpath, but you know, it didn't take, birds just came and ate it. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:14:03.039 He said the second kind of uh seed hit, the second kind of soil, which was rocky soil, because it was mostly rock and a little bit of soil, it grew a little bit quickly, but had no root system, so when the weather got bad, it died. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:13.919 And then the fourth was good fertile soil, which it did everything it was meant to do. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:18.000 It grew and produced a harvest 30, 60, 100fold. 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:23.919 So then he pulls his disciples to give them this hidden truth, and he's like, Come here, here's a sidebar. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:25.440 I'm gonna tell you what I'm talking about. 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:26.399 Here's what I meant. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:31.679 He's like, I'm talking about the mind, talking about an open mind, a receptive person. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:36.480 So the first, the footpath is like someone who just hears it but doesn't get it. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:41.519 They don't understand it, and it just gets snatched away, so it just went in one ear and out the other. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:50.159 So the second is like somebody, the rocky soil is like the person who hears it and starts to grow, but they never let their roots go down deep. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:15:00.559 So when times get tough, when life gets hard, they don't have they don't have fortitude, they don't have a good root system, so it just a hard time just blows them up. 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:02.960 And they're just like, you know, forget God, I'm out of here. 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:05.039 Times are tough, they have no depth. 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:18.399 He said the third are people that actually could grow, they start to grow, they get excited about God's word and they start to grow, but then he said things choke it out like the cares and the worries of life or the allure of wealth. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:23.679 It becomes, it takes their focus, so they forget tuning into God and now they get distracted. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:32.720 He said the fourth is the person that hears the word, does the word, and then their life, year over year, season after season, produces a harvest even greater. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:33.919 What's he talking about? 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:50.240 He's talking about the mind, and it's really the parable of the soil, which is think about this the seed is the word of God, which is powerful, but he's saying, Jesus is saying, your mind and your receptivity is as powerful. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:57.679 If you don't, if you're not receptive and open, then this powerful seed doesn't do what it was intended to do. 00:15:57.919 --> 00:16:02.960 So it puts a tremendous amount of responsibility for us to have our minds open. 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:10.399 So Jesus, even in his own hometown in Mark 6, doesn't try to open the mind of a closed-minded person. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:18.240 If you've chosen to close your mind, even the power of God's word doesn't take root because you have a free will. 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:20.240 You're a free-willed individual. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:25.360 So this comes up against our own minds and then the people around us. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:29.679 And if you've ever tried to argue someone into an open mind, you know it's futile. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:31.840 Even Jesus didn't do it. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:34.960 So if I'm not God's attorney, then who am I? 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:35.759 And what do I do? 00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:37.360 And what do we do with all this stuff? 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:38.960 All right, good question. 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:43.039 Let me give you uh a quick foundational teaching. 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:46.159 This is a whole sermon in and of itself, but I gotta give it to you fast. 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:48.480 And and uh okay, go with me here. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:59.279 So so you're in the scripture, you'll see three concepts laid out that you are body, you are soul, and your spirit. 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:01.039 Okay, your body, soul, and spirit. 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:02.240 This may makes you up. 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:05.920 Your body is your connection to the natural world. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:12.319 Your body is your connection to the natural world, it's your senses, taste, feel, smell, sound, look. 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:16.559 Um, you have appetites, you have cravings. 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:23.839 Your flesh, your body is prone to weakness, it's prone to deception, it's prone to temptation. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:27.039 Your flesh will wither away and die. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:29.039 Okay, you operate on a bell curve. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:33.680 You're lit, you're born, you grow, you plateau, and you plateau, decline, you die. 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:39.599 Your metabolism slows down, your bones become brittle, eventually your organs stop functioning. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:41.359 That's your human body. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:42.880 The second is you're a soul. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:50.400 Your soul is your uh uh mind, your will, and your emotions. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:54.880 I could keep going, personality, attitude. 00:17:55.279 --> 00:18:02.559 Okay, but this is this is how you think, and it's it starts to talk actually in the book of Romans, which is an amazing book. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:07.759 It's Paul's most robust teaching on uh doctrine and and theology. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:11.039 And so he talks about hey, here's what happens, guys. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:14.079 Your natural body, you you're born into the world. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:20.240 Jesus says in John 3, 6, flesh gives birth to flesh, but spirit gives birth to spirit. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:33.759 So your flesh, your parents came together and made your body, and you have a mind and you have a will and emotions, and often is what happens is your body, uh how you perceive the world affects how you think, then it affects what you do. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:41.440 So I feel something, I do something, and he says, when he starts to talk about this, he goes, then this is where we end up with baggage. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:49.119 We end up making mistakes, we end up sinning, we end up doing things, we find ourselves trapped in things, we find ourselves ashamed of things. 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:58.079 But then he talks about the spirit, and our spirit is our uh is our connection to God, it's our consciousness of God. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:02.079 Um, this is this is uh will live forever. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:05.519 Your spirit is what's saved and sealed and and is eternal. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:17.039 And so your your spirit is uh like if you've ever been in an environment where you were already a thinking person, you were thinking one way and you had a body, but but then the Lord uh ignites something in your spirit. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:19.680 All of a sudden you're going, man, you know, something's changed. 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:22.559 Like I'm I'm aware of God, I'm connecting to God. 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:27.839 It's it's hard to explain to people uh because you're like, I don't know, it's like something new. 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:29.680 Jesus calls it being born again. 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:37.839 He says, unless you're born as a human and then born of spirit, born of spirit, okay, it's a whole nother way of thinking. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:40.960 So now you start to go, I'm I'm a different person. 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:42.480 I didn't used to think this way. 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:43.759 Something's come alive. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:46.400 I'm a new creation, I've had my mind renewed. 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:59.359 So Paul, in the first seven chapters of Romans, is talking about this, and he goes, Hey, before your body told your mind what to do, and and it got you into all kinds of bad positions. 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:03.279 In Romans 6, he says, uh, you thought you were free. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:11.440 You thought you were free because you could do whatever your body told you to do, but you ended up in in bondage and you don't want to be there anymore, and you're trying to get out. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.160 So then he talks about the work that Jesus did. 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:18.720 The wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, Romans 3. 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:26.960 And so now he says, hey, gets to Romans 8, and he says, There's therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:37.839 So because this is how you worked before, you were born with a body, you had mind, will, and emotions, you had feelings, thoughts that were then controlled by your body or your flesh. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:39.279 It got you into a bad spot. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.039 You don't need to feel bad anymore. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.920 Jesus died for your sin, there's no condemnation. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:48.319 And now, though, this isn't just like, okay, cool, I'm not gonna feel guilty about my past. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.319 Now, how do I move forward in the future? 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.440 So he said, you move forward where there's no condemnation. 00:20:53.519 --> 00:21:03.039 And he said, because you belong to him, the power of the spirit, the power of the life-giving spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:08.400 Verse 3 says, The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sin nature. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:15.039 When you hear law of Moses, think of 613 laws of rules of do good and don't do bad. 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:22.319 So it's laws of all kinds, but essentially moral law and you know, judicial law, all this stuff. 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:27.680 So he says, hey, it wasn't enough to just say, here's what's good and here's what's bad. 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:30.079 It's not enough to just know the good thing. 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:36.480 He's like, you can know the good thing, you can know what's right, you can know what's lawful, and still not be able to do it. 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:40.400 You know it's 65 miles an hour. 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:44.559 It says it on the sign. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:46.160 They posted it everywhere. 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:48.000 You know what 65 is. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:51.839 You have a gauge in front of you, okay, but there's a demon in your foot. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:52.480 You know what I mean? 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.960 You're like, eh, okay, I'm a little late, okay. 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:56.079 I'm running behind. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:57.599 I got the wind at my back. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:59.839 And so, so what it's it's not that you didn't. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.920 Know what 65 was. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:04.160 It wasn't that they were unclear about it. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:10.720 He said the law of Moses was plain as to what you should and shouldn't do, but for some reason I kept going 70. 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:14.960 I knew 65 meant 65, but I went 70 anyway. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:23.839 And so he said, uh he says the law of Moses couldn't save us because even though it was clear, it wasn't powerful because of the weakness of my. 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:31.359 When you see sin nature, actually the better translation for this in the Greek is your flesh, your body, your flesh. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:36.880 Because of the weakness of my flesh, even just knowing the law didn't do it, I still broke it. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:39.440 He says, so so God did what the law could not do. 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:51.920 He sent in his own son, and he sent his son in a body like the bodies we have as sinners, and in that body, he declared an end to sin's control over us by giving us his son as a sacrifice for our sin. 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:52.720 What do you mean by that? 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:53.839 Look at this, verse 5. 00:22:54.000 --> 00:23:04.079 Those who are dominated by the flesh, okay, those whose senses and cravings and urges and appetites control their minds. 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:05.759 Are you with me? 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:18.319 But those who are that that he said you think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by your spirit that is now alive, okay, by the way, Romans 8:11, in a moment, he's gonna say, the spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:22.000 Okay, so he says, Thinks about things that please the spirit. 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:25.039 So letting your sinful nature control your mind will lead to death. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:30.240 When he says death, he's not just talking about you're deceased, he's talking about you can be alive and dead. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:32.400 You're physically alive, but you're dead. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:35.279 I feel hopeless, I feel trapped, I can't get out. 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:40.400 I'm a slave to myself, I'm a slave to my cravings, my urges, my appetites own me. 00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:41.680 I can't get out. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:47.119 This is why people become so hopeless that even though they still have breath, they want to take their own life. 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:48.640 They want to take their own breath. 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:49.839 They they they lose hope. 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:50.160 Why? 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:52.319 Because I'm alive, but I'm dead. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:24:04.160 So he said, if you let your body and mind, you let your flesh and the nature, the sin nature that you have within your flesh, he said, if you let your flesh and your mind work together, it will lead to death. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:09.119 He said, so but uh letting the spirit control your mind leads to life in peace. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:14.240 And that's why verse 9 he says, but but you're not controlled by your flesh, you're controlled by the spirit. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:15.599 And then look at this, verse 12. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:20.720 He said, Therefore, brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your flesh urges you to do. 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:21.759 You have no obligation. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:23.599 In other words, you have another choice. 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:24.960 You have a choice now. 00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:30.240 You don't have to be a zombie to your flesh, you don't have to be a prisoner to your flesh. 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:34.000 He says, You have another option for if you live by its dictates, you'll die. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:34.720 Okay, jump down. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:37.039 Then he gets all he gets cooking in verse 31. 00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:40.400 He he's he's writing this from Corinth, okay, to the Romans. 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.039 He's writing a Corinth, and I bet I bet he was sweating. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:44.480 I bet Paul was sweating right here. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.200 He said, What shall we say about wonderful things like these? 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:49.359 If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:52.799 I bet he was, I bet his hand was shaking. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:58.799 He said, He says, Since he did not spare even his own son, but gave him up for all of us, won't he give us everything else? 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:00.400 Oh, come on, Paul, tell me more. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:01.279 Verse 33. 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:04.559 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:06.400 Okay, there's no condemnation. 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:09.519 Okay, yes, your flesh, my flesh, is weak. 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:13.839 It's weak and it messes with my mind and it messes with your mind and gets me to a bad spot. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:16.000 But he said, You're not obligated to that anymore. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:17.359 You have a better option. 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:19.920 And he said, So who so don't live in condemnation? 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:22.319 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen as his own? 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:23.119 We're his children. 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:27.279 He said, No one, for God Himself has given us right standing with himself, verse 34. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:28.880 Who then will condemn us? 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:29.920 Nobody. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:33.279 For Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us. 00:25:33.359 --> 00:25:38.960 And he's sitting in the place, oh you know, if I wasn't worried about a lawsuit, I'd have you slap your neighbor and tell him God is good. 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:42.480 Um, he says, sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand. 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:43.680 Now look at this. 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:48.240 Pleading, it says, pleading for us. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:51.759 Hold up. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:54.319 Pleading for us. 00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:57.200 Who pleads? 00:25:57.759 --> 00:25:59.359 Who pleads the case? 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:00.880 Who pleads? 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:01.680 Who pleads? 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:03.519 The attorney pleads. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:04.640 Who's pleading? 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:06.160 Jesus is pleading. 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:08.640 Who persuades? 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:14.240 He said the Holy Spirit, that's his job to persuade that Jesus is the attorney. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:16.079 The Holy Spirit is the convincer. 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:18.160 The Holy Spirit is persuasive. 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:20.880 You are not God's attorney. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:22.880 You are his witness. 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.079 You're his witness. 00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:29.839 He said, You don't plead, he's pleading for us. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:43.440 This reminds me of the foreshadowing that happened before Romans 8, back in John 14, when Jesus says, Don't worry that I'm gonna physically leave, because I'm gonna go to the Father, and He's gonna send the Advocate. 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:45.519 Who is the advocate? 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:47.279 It says in verse uh 17. 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:49.440 He says that I'll go to verse 16. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:53.200 He said, I'll ask the Father, I'll give the advocate who will never leave you. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:27:01.279 Verse 17, he is the Holy Spirit who's living in you, Romans 8:11, who will lead you into all truth. 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:04.160 The advocate, the attorney, the Holy Spirit. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:05.200 He says it again. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:07.920 He says it again later in verse chapter 14. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.640 He says it again in chapter 15, in chapter 16, he says the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth. 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:22.319 Not just the truth that Jesus is Lord, not just the truth that leads to the origin of salvation, the truth that leads you into an open mind decision making day after day. 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:24.960