WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:01.520 So good. 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:05.200 Well, we uh are starting a new series today. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.560 We finished the series The Door last week. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:17.359 The door about the synergy of the ages, eliminating generational gaps, releasing generational blessings. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:26.399 And what I want to tell you, if you didn't hear all three of those messages, you you definitely need to go and listen to them on our podcast. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:29.280 Um, if you don't know how to find that, let me know. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:30.960 I'll I'll show you how to find that. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:35.920 But it's integral because it's it's a direction that we're headed as a church. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:42.479 There's going to be a ministry called The Door that we're going to start in the fall, and it won't make any sense to you if you haven't heard those messages. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:44.960 And so make sure you go back and listen to those. 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:54.399 But probably one of my favorite subjects to speak about, to teach about, to preach about uh is what we are diving into today. 00:00:54.560 --> 00:01:12.719 And this will be uh probably a four to six part series that will carry us on uh into the fall, and I'm excited about that, and I'm excited about in the fall doing a series on spiritual reality, on spiritual reality, not just spiritual warfare, but spiritual reality. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:14.959 I'm I'm uh looking forward to that. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:16.959 So relational success. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.760 You see this title here. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:28.480 Underneath it is what the burden that I feel, and that is stewarding a relational revolution. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:33.840 We need a relational revolution in the church. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:41.920 We as Christians, as spirit-filled believers, should be the absolute best at relationships. 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:48.239 We should be better at relationships than anybody on the planet as Christians. 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:58.480 Part of our vision is to be a place where people can build lives and families that flourish and thrive. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:08.560 And in our core values, our core values are humble, relational, professional, responsible, and fruitful. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:12.639 And so relational is a core value of our church. 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:17.039 It's a core value of me as a person and as a leader. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:26.560 And so this message on relational success, or you could say relational health, is one of the most important messages that I can speak about. 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:34.319 And it's one of the most important things that we can understand and most importantly have in our life is relational health. 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:38.000 Let's look at Matthew 22, verse 36. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:51.520 Father, we pause to say, as we approach your word, and as we approach this subject, and as we look to learn and to grow and to develop and to change, we say, God, speak to us through your word. 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:54.400 Open up the scriptures and open up our minds. 00:02:54.639 --> 00:03:05.759 Give us revelation, give us understanding, give us knowledge and wisdom, God, that we would conduct our life and our affairs in a way that would breed relational health. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.800 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:23.360 Man came to Jesus and asked him in this text, teacher, which is the great commandment, which is the greatest commandment, the great commandment in the law? 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:30.400 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:37.120 This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like it. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:41.280 You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:46.879 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:53.759 Fascinating story, incredible answer from Jesus, as only Jesus could answer a question like that. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:56.639 A big, huge question. 00:03:56.879 --> 00:03:59.199 What's the most important commandment? 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:07.680 And basically, what Jesus is saying here is love the Lord your God and love people. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:13.039 Love, love God, love people, and love yourself. 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:23.120 And he said, that pretty much summarizes the entire Old Testament. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:30.800 All the law and the prophets, he said, can be reduced down to this one thing, these two things. 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:37.120 It's really one thing because he said the second isn't second in importance, it's only second in order. 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:46.879 In other words, it's not less important, it's as important as the first one, but the first one has to be first, or it doesn't work. 00:04:47.279 --> 00:04:56.079 And the first one is love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, all your mind, as this translation says. 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:02.720 And the second is love your neighbor as yourself, as yourself. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:10.319 Literally, if you break that down, it would say love your neighbor at least as much as you love yourself. 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:19.759 And so I want to talk to you today about the importance and the cost of relational health. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:23.439 The importance and the cost of relational health. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:40.240 Now, as a pastor and as a licensed clinical Christian counselor, I spend a lot of time dealing with people's problems, people's emotional health problems and mental health problems, spiritual problems. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:47.120 And what I can tell you is relational health is the top of the list. 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:54.480 All the problems that people have are coming from a lack of relational health. 00:05:54.639 --> 00:06:01.360 At some level, all the issues that people have is something went wrong in a relationship somewhere. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:03.600 There was a relationship that wasn't healthy. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:11.120 There was abuse, there was abandonment, there was neglect, there was whatever there was, there was something that they needed that wasn't there. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:21.439 There was some relational deficit, some relational issue that happened, and it caused all kinds of problems in our life. 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:27.279 Ultimately, we're this includes our relationship with God. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:27.759 Okay. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:31.279 So when I say relational health, that's not just people to people. 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:38.639 It first of all is just like Jesus said, it's your relationship with God first and foremost. 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:43.360 Your relationship with God is the most important thing. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:48.879 The health of it, the quality of it, the connection that's there between you and God. 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:51.199 That that is first and foremost. 00:06:51.519 --> 00:07:02.240 But then, right beside it, only second in order, not importance, is the quality of relationship that you have with other people. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:14.240 And so what I want to proclaim here today is this true success is relational success. 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:19.199 That's why the title is relational success, not just relational health. 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:23.199 True success is relational success. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:26.480 And that's important because success drives people. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:30.160 People have a desire to be successful. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:38.879 And what happens is people go after success to the demise and the destruction of relationships in their life. 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:56.079 And they will work so hard to be successful at something that on their way to accomplish that, they destroy the only thing that they really uh need to be successful in, and that's people relationships, not accomplishments. 00:07:56.319 --> 00:07:59.199 True success is relational success. 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:09.920 So the truth is that we can have all the success that this life has to offer, but if we don't have relational success, we will have failed in life. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:22.000 Nothing is more important in this life than the relationships that you have, and more importantly, the consistent quality of the relationships that you have. 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:32.639 The overall quality of your life depends on the health of your relationship with God and the health of your relationship with people. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:34.320 It's the cross. 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:40.639 You've heard it said the cross is vertical and it's horizontal. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:44.000 It's relationship with God and relationship with people. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:49.919 That's what the cross fixes as well, is relationship with God and relationship with people. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:59.840 You know, it's been amazing to me over the years to see how clear people's priorities come uh become when their lives are threatened or hang in the balance. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:07.360 Nobody on their deathbed ever requests to have their bank statements brought to them or their investment portfolio. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:13.360 So they can spend their last moments with their money. 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:16.639 It doesn't matter in those moments. 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:23.679 In those clarifying moments, it's always people, isn't it, that matter most. 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:31.039 In those clarifying moments, if there are any regrets, it's always people. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:33.360 It's always relationships. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:39.519 It's always what they wish they would have done, what they wish they wouldn't have done involving the people. 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:47.279 If there are any successes, it's relationships. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:51.919 It's the people that are there that they love, that love them. 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:59.840 Jesus says basically here, have a great quality of relationship with God, with people, and with yourself. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.440 If you do this, you will have accomplished the entire goal of the Bible. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:06.960 That's what he's saying. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:16.879 If you'll have great quality of relationship with God and great quality of relationship with people and with yourself, you know we have to love ourselves. 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:21.519 It's not the love of self, it's loving yourself. 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:28.480 And if you have that, you will accomplish the entire goal of God's word. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:29.679 That's what he wants. 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:30.799 That's what he desires. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.720 He wants relationship with us. 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:42.159 And then from that place, he wants us to have great relationships with our family, with our friends, and of course with our faith family as well. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:51.200 Hebrews 6, verse 10 says, For God is not unjust. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:54.720 He will not forget how hard you have worked for him. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:56.240 Listen to this. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:06.000 How hard you have worked for him, and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers as you still do. 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:07.759 Isn't that remarkable? 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.360 Well, he's saying God's paying attention. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:13.840 God is paying attention. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:28.399 He's watching this, and he will not forget how you have shown your love to him by loving people. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:30.480 Isn't that amazing? 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:34.720 God's paying attention to how you love people. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.840 God's paying attention to how important relationships are to you. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.399 And he won't forget. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:46.080 By caring for other believers, as you still do. 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:54.559 Listen, our great desire, Paul, this is Paul talking to the church, the Hebrew church, our great, well, we we don't know if it's Paul, sorry. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:56.000 Let me clarify that. 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:01.759 The writer of Hebrews, I think it was either Paul or someone who was discipled by Paul. 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:06.480 That's my professional opinion. 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:24.080 Listen, our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:28.480 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:37.120 Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance. 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:41.519 Amazing, amazing scripture, amazing passage of scripture. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:44.559 Love, care, and help others. 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:55.679 Well, let me even back up and say it like this: love God by loving, caring, and helping others, or become spiritually dull and indifferent. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:03.600 Very interesting to me that the Bible says that we work hard to show our love for Him by loving and caring for others. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.840 And that if we don't do that, what will the fruit be? 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:11.759 We will become spiritually dull and indifferent. 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:14.639 Have you ever been spiritually dull and indifferent? 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:15.519 I have. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:23.440 And if I'm honest with myself, the reason I was spiritually dull and indifferent is because I wasn't loving people very well. 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:25.679 I wasn't serving others very well. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:28.720 I was making it about something else. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:37.120 People matter to God, and people should matter to us. 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:43.600 People matter to God, and people should be what is most important to us. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:54.639 We must decide, listen to me, in light of all of that, that's how, so I wanted to talk to you about how important relationships are, and I really don't have to convince you a lot of that. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:55.360 You know that. 00:13:55.440 --> 00:13:58.559 It's just a reminder, and I'm putting an emphasis on that. 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:04.320 We understand the most important thing in life, our relationship with God and our relationship with people, right? 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:15.679 And so then the other side of that coin, then here's the importance of it, is the cost of it. 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:23.440 If that's true, and it is, then how do we actually have that? 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:41.360 What do we have to do to actually have a life that says nothing is more important than God, the health of my relationship with Him, and nothing is more important than people, and my relationship with the people that I'm supposed to be in relationship with and do life with and uh worship Jesus with. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:43.679 So we here's the deal. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:54.399 We must decide to make the necessary sacrifices needed to be relationally healthy, not just with those in our own family, but also God's family. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:59.039 Now, here's an interesting thing as he says, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your what? 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:02.480 Your neighbor as you love yourself. 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:05.840 Yourself, your family is not your neighbor. 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:07.840 Your family is your family. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.639 Your family is really an extension of yourself. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:16.960 So he actually says, someone outside your own household is your neighbor. 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:33.279 And so we have to decide to make the necessary sacrifices to be relationally healthy, not just with those in our own family, but also those in God's family. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:42.480 So let's decide then, in light of that, not to become a slave to anything that would hinder our ability to be relational. 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:54.399 We cannot afford, if this is true, and it is, we can't afford to become a slave to anything that will hinder our relational capacity. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:07.360 We have to attack anything that tends to isolate us or cause us to miss opportunities to be around the people that we are supposed to be around. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:08.720 Here's the great truth. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:23.200 We are in 100% control of our priorities, and we must exercise our free will in order to show our love for God by working hard to love, care for, and help others. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:24.080 Amen. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:30.960 We are the ones who decide what we give our lives to. 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:39.519 We as Christians are the only ones on the planet that can know that our lives are not our own. 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:44.240 How many of you know that's a revelation that you have to have? 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:51.360 Our life doesn't belong to us, it belongs to God. 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.279 And we have to have and live by that truth. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.840 My life doesn't belong to me. 00:16:58.080 --> 00:17:06.960 1 Corinthians 6 19 says, Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you, was given to you by God? 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:16.400 You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price, so you must honor God with your body. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:29.119 And he was actually speaking about uh sexual sin there, sin in general, and how you can't give yourself to that because your body's not yours to give to anything. 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:36.319 But that truth resonates through all other kinds of principles and areas and behaviors of our life. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:38.559 Our life doesn't belong to us. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:54.960 So when it comes time to make a decision, any decision that involves your time, your effort, your energy, you have to go, Lord, if this is going to cause me to give my life to it, right? 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:00.240 What do you think about this? 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:02.640 Should I do it? 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:04.160 Should I not do it? 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.839 Anything that's going to take time from you. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:11.200 Because that's your life. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:13.759 We trade our life with our time. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:18.160 Look at your life and how you're choosing to spend your time. 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:23.920 Does it reflect that those two things are the most important things in your life? 00:18:24.079 --> 00:18:26.319 Your relationship with God and your relationship with others. 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:31.359 Does how you spend your time actually reflect that that's important to you? 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:34.319 That that is the most important thing to you. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:43.680 Every day you are trading your life for something, and you will never get that time or opportunity back. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:55.759 It's the currency of your life, your calendar, your the minutes, the hours that you have of every day of your life is you are taking that and you're trading it for something. 00:18:56.000 --> 00:19:02.640 Is what you're trading it for, proving that this is the priority of your life. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.119 And it's not the only thing that we get to do. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:12.079 The good thing is if you seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, all these other things will get added unto you, right? 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:13.920 But it's the first things first. 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:15.599 That's why he said the most important thing. 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:16.960 He didn't say the only thing. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:23.839 He said the most important thing is this, and second, like it, beside it is this. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:27.440 It's what has to happen first. 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:29.039 It's the principle of first things. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.960 It's what you do with your time, your effort, your energy. 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:42.960 So when you look at your life, when you look at your calendar, when you look at what you did yesterday or last week or the week before that, what did you trade your life for? 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.200 What did you trade your time for? 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:56.079 If we're not consciously aware, we could unintentionally be wasting a massive amount of our life on earthly temporary things that will not endure in eternity. 00:19:56.559 --> 00:20:00.400 Perishing things, things that are worthless and meaningless. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:02.960 How are you spending your life? 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:14.960 The reason I'm going here about relational success is because what happens is we tend to spend our life on meaningless things, and then when it comes to relationships, we don't have any time left. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:30.480 I can't say yes to the most important things because I already said yes to other things that are less important, and there's nothing left for my marriage, there's nothing left for my family, there's nothing left for my relationship with God, for reading the Bible in prayer and spending time in the presence of God. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:32.000 There's nothing left. 00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:40.480 And so here's a word that I love, that you love as well. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:43.680 It's a very spiritual concept. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:47.839 And it's called temporary carnal gratification. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:51.119 Temporary carnal gratification. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.759 That is the struggle of our life. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:55.200 I'm telling you right now. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:57.359 That's the struggle of our life. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:20:59.200 Temporary carnal gratification. 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:00.319 I don't know if you've ever heard that before. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:03.920 It's kind of an old school word, but I heard that a lot when I was a new Christian. 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:05.440 I'm bringing it back. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:07.680 It's Esau. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:12.799 He traded his birthright for temporary carnal gratification. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:13.440 You know the story? 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:17.440 A bowl of soup for a human appetite. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:20.400 He said, I'll give you something eternal. 00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:24.960 I'll trade it for something that is temporary, that is carnal. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:30.640 It's literally this it's following earthly, fleshly desires and appetites. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:34.079 That's what temporary carnal gratification is. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:42.559 Following earthly, fleshly desires and appetites. 00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:46.799 And then the opposite of that would be eternal spiritual fulfillment. 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:53.519 You could say eternal spiritual gratification as well, but I just wanted to switch it up because gratification is fulfillment. 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:58.000 It's in other words, it's fulfilling the earthly fleshly desires, right? 00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:04.319 Or fulfilling the The eternal spiritual desires and appetites. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:08.720 It's at the end of the day, it's what is leading your life. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:14.880 What are you following to make decisions about how you spend your life and how you spend your time? 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:17.839 Which remember doesn't belong to you. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.920 It's not yours to do with whatever you want to do. 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:30.160 So when you approach Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday night and Friday morning and Saturday night, you need to go. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:31.599 That's my life. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:37.839 That's how I trade my life in daytight compartments. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:43.680 And we have to hold that before the Lord and say, Lord, my life doesn't belong to me. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:45.039 It belongs to you. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:48.720 You get to tell me what I do with my time. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:54.480 How many of you know it's the spirit and the flesh? 00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:56.559 It's the spirit and the flesh. 00:22:56.720 --> 00:23:13.039 Matthew 6, 19 says, Don't store up treasures here on earth where moth eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal, store your treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:20.000 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:25.440 This is Jesus teaching on the kingdom of heaven versus the kingdom of this earth. 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:30.880 This is Jesus saying, Be careful what you're doing with your time. 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:34.960 Be careful what you're trading your days for. 00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:44.880 First Corinthians 3, verse 1 says, Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you, I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:46.880 Now listen to this language. 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:48.400 This is Paul talking here. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:49.519 We know that. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:59.440 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you, I couldn't talk to you as I would spiritual people. 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:01.039 What's he saying? 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:03.039 You were carnal. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:08.960 You're being led by your flesh and your human appetites and desires. 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:14.960 What makes sense to your human self, your emotions and all of that, right? 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:20.720 You're making decisions from an emotional place, from a human appetite place. 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:25.440 And he said, so I couldn't even talk to you like I would spiritual people. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:32.400 I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:44.079 I had to feed you with milk and not solid food because you weren't ready for anything stronger, and you're still not ready, for you are, listen, here's the root, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:47.039 You're jealous of one another, you quarrel with each other. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:50.240 Doesn't that prove that you are controlled by your sinful nature? 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:53.359 Aren't you living like people of the world? 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:55.359 You know what people of the world do? 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.359 Whatever they want. 00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:01.359 You know how they spend their time on whatever they want to spend their time on. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:02.720 You know what they do with their money? 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.160 Whatever they want to do with their money. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:05.279 You know what they buy? 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:12.079 Whatever they want to buy, whatever helps them emotionally and mentally and physically, that's their whole life. 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:14.880 It's temporary, carnal gratifications. 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:17.839 And you know what the primary consequence of that is? 00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:20.720 Terrible quality of relationships. 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:27.519 Isolation, broken relationships, broken families, divorce, dysfunction, disunity. 00:25:28.400 --> 00:25:33.279 That is the results of living your life according to your flesh. 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:47.119 Or there's another way, and that's what Paul's saying, there's another way we can choose to live according to the Spirit and get the results that we can get by the Spirit. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:48.960 1 Corinthians 3 9. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:55.279 Paul says, We are both God's workers, and aren't you God's field? 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:57.119 You are God's building. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:02.799 Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:05.519 Now others are building on it. 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:18.640 And actually, when he's talking about others, he's even talking about the own the person themselves building on the spiritual foundation that Paul and Barnabas laid by preaching the gospel and making disciples. 00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:32.880 And so what he's saying here is we came and preached the gospel, we got you started, and now you and other people are going to build your life on the foundation that we laid. 00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:39.920 And he says, but whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:42.960 Must be very careful. 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:48.240 What he's saying is, be careful what you do with your life as a Christian. 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:53.599 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have, Jesus Christ. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:27:04.880 And anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:07.519 Listen, what he's saying. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:08.720 This is powerful here. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:11.920 He's saying you can do whatever you want. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:14.880 You can build with whatever materials you want to. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:16.640 You are free to decide. 00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:25.680 You can decide whatever you're gonna build your life on as a Christian, whatever you're gonna do with your life as a Christian, he says it's up to you. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:35.279 But know this that on the judgment day, fire will reveal the kind of work that each builder has done. 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:39.359 The fire will show if a person's work has any value. 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:43.039 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:46.960 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. 00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:53.839 The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:56.240 Don't you realize? 00:27:56.400 --> 00:27:59.359 Listen, why would Paul say, don't you realize? 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:00.799 He said that in the other text. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.880 Don't you realize that your body is the temple of God? 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:04.400 You don't belong to yourself, right? 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:07.200 Why would he have to say, don't you realize? 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:08.960 He says this a lot in his writings. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:17.519 I have a message I preached years ago, and I took all the times that Paul said, Don't you realize, and I preached a message called don't you realize. 00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:20.400 Why would he have to say, don't you realize? 00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:23.200 Because it's possible that you don't realize. 00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:29.920 It's possible that something is happening that's important, that has consequence, and you don't realize that it's happening. 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:36.640 And so Paul's like knocking, going, like, you gotta open your eyes and see what's happening here. 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:45.279 Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and the Spirit of God lives in you? 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:54.559 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple, for God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:58.720 Stop deceiving yourselves if you think you are wise by this world standard. 00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.440 You need to become a fool to be truly wise. 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:04.960 In other words, there's a different way to live this life in the kingdom of God. 00:29:05.039 --> 00:29:06.640 It doesn't make sense. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:14.640 So what we understand is we have we have to know that God's given us our Christian life. 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:22.559 The foundation of it is Christ, and we and other people are going to build our life on that foundation. 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:25.920 We're going to decide what our life consists of. 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:37.279 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, every day, daytight compartments, what you do, what you trade for that day is what you're building your life with. 00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:42.799 If you take the amount of time that you sleep, this is great evaluation. 00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:43.680 I do this all the time. 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:47.440 I do this for people who are overwhelmed and feel like they're burned out and stuff. 00:29:47.519 --> 00:29:50.720 And I go, let's write your life out on a piece of paper. 00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:53.359 Every day, every hour, write it out. 00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:54.160 Write it out. 00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:55.200 Let's look at it. 00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:59.599 Get it out of your head where the enemy can stress you out and make you feel like you're overwhelmed. 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.440 You're not overwhelmed. 00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:10.400 You have all the time you need to do what this book says you can do, to be who God created you to be and do what he called you to do. 00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:13.119 You have all the time that you need to do that. 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:33.119 If you take the amount of time that you sleep, the amount of time that you work, and you subtract it from everything else, and you look at the waking hours that you have in a day, that is what you have to trade for the life that is building with either gold, silver, jewels, or wood, hay, and stubble. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:35.519 It's not much time. 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:40.079 If you sleep eight hours, you got 16 left. 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:44.400 If you work eight of those, you got eight left. 00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:46.960 What are you gonna do with that? 00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:54.240 That's how many hours a day you have to take this life that doesn't belong to you and trade it for something. 00:30:56.799 --> 00:31:00.400 Or even just take the whole time that you have awake. 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:01.519 Everybody's work. 00:31:01.680 --> 00:31:02.960 We all have to work, right? 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:04.079 We have to do those things. 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:06.079 That's a biblical thing to work. 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:09.759 Part of God's plan, part of God's purpose for you is what you do for work. 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:16.559 However, you have to understand that even that doesn't belong to you because you're trading part of your life for that. 00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:20.400 So that has to be submitted to God, has to be done his way. 00:31:21.039 --> 00:31:35.119 So you look at the time that you spent your time and resources on last week or last month or whatever, and how much of it was on things that don't involve investing in your spiritual health or your relational health. 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:37.119 I'm not talking about sinful things. 00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:39.839 Wood, hay, and stubble isn't sinful things. 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:42.640 I mean, I guess it could be, but it's technically it's not. 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:44.000 It's just meaningless things. 00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:49.440 It's worldly things, it's earthly things, it's temporary carnal gratification. 00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:59.680 And we have to be aware of how much of our life we're trading for those things, and we have to be a good steward of that. 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:04.720 Galatians 6, God says, Don't be misled. 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:06.720 Verse 7, don't be misled. 00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:09.200 You cannot mock the justice of God. 00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:12.640 You will always harvest what you plant. 00:32:12.880 --> 00:32:21.279 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. 00:32:21.839 --> 00:32:28.400 But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:34.400 So listen, so let's not get tired of doing what is good at just the right time. 00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:39.759 There, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:45.039 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:49.440 Listen, especially to those in the family of faith. 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:53.599 I love this statement. 00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:54.559 We say it a lot. 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:57.359 We want to do life together. 00:32:57.680 --> 00:32:59.359 We want to do life together. 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:11.440 At River Life Church, we believe this is God ordaining a part of his family, a faith family, and saying you're going to exist as a family, as one of the governing families of God in the earth, in an area. 00:33:11.680 --> 00:33:14.640 That's what I've called you to be, the church, the ecclesia. 00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:16.799 We're a faith family. 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:20.000 And we're called to do life together. 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:24.000 Not just to worship on Sunday together, but to do life together. 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:26.000 Listen to me. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:27.680 God's called you to abundant life. 00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:29.759 You know what the opposite of abundant life is? 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:30.960 Isolation. 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:34.000 Isolation is the opposite of abundant life. 00:33:34.079 --> 00:33:35.200 You want to waste your life? 00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:38.480 Spend it by yourself at home. 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:42.480 That's how you waste your life. 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:45.359 You isolate yourself for whatever reason. 00:33:45.519 --> 00:33:49.200 We all have justified, we all can justify our isolation. 00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:56.640 But at the end of it all, we're going to account for what we built our life with. 00:33:57.759 --> 00:34:01.279 Communion will cost you, and community will cost you. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:09.360 Communion with God and community with his people are the most fulfilling, satisfying, peace-producing things in this life. 00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:10.639 In this life. 00:34:11.199 --> 00:34:14.159 Whatever you're looking for, that's how you find it. 00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:18.159 Communion with God and community with God's people. 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:25.519 If you can die to self enough to sow into them, listen, don't be deceived. 00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:26.400 God is not mock. 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:27.119 What is he saying? 00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:31.039 You cannot sow to the flesh and reap the spirit. 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:37.199 You cannot sow temporary, carnal gratification and reap anything good. 00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:38.000 What does he say? 00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:41.119 You're going to reap decay from that. 00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:45.599 But if you sow to the spirit, you will reap what? 00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:46.719 Life. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:48.000 Everlasting life. 00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:53.280 It's the same language Jesus said: life and life to the fullest, abundant life. 00:34:54.480 --> 00:35:03.760 If you can die to self enough to sow into them, the harvest will be the greatest reward you can reap in this life. 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:10.719 A true harvest of abundant life, heaven on earth, and flourishing life that is resilient. 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:16.639 Community and relational health isn't something you receive or consume. 00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:20.320 Community is an output. 00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:24.079 It's something you build and work hard to create. 00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:28.800 You ever heard someone teach about passion? 00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:29.679 You gotta have passion. 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:31.360 It's one of the most important things you gotta have. 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:32.400 You gotta have passion. 00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:33.760 Passion, passion, passion. 00:35:33.840 --> 00:35:36.320