WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:02.399 What do you need? 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:04.639 It was a question we ask ourselves all the time. 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:06.320 We ask other people this question all the time. 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:12.560 As a parent, it's a question I constantly ask my kids because sometimes I just want to teach my kids you can actually ask us for what you need. 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:14.960 So you're like, just just tell me what you need. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:19.839 Even if you already know it as a parent, you just want your kid to learn how to ask for it. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:28.160 My wife likes to remind me of a story that I'm not entirely sure is true because either it never happened or I've blocked it out of my memory. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:35.039 A few years ago when we lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, we had, you know, in our master bathroom, we had dual vanities, there were two different sinks. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:38.560 One of them, like the hot water was leaking. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:49.359 So to be like, you know, a good caretaker of the home, I went to Home Depot, got some stuff, repaired things, replaced pieces, and it got worse. 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:51.920 And I had no idea what to do. 00:00:52.079 --> 00:01:05.280 So what I did was what any normal human would do, I just turned the hot water off of that sink, and my wife tells me that because of my stubbornness and unwillingness to ask for help, we were without hot water in that sink for over a year. 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:07.519 It sounds like me. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:10.000 I just don't know if it was true or not. 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:23.120 The reality is, my wife says that it was about a year later that I finally mustered up the courage to ask a guy in our church who was a handyman to come to the house and help me with it, and he came to the house within five minutes, the thing is fixed. 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:24.959 Like, how many of you are like that? 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:27.519 How many of you you you run into a problem and you're just too stubborn? 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:28.640 Let me ask this question. 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:31.120 Wives, how many of your husbands are like that? 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:31.680 All right? 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.000 Yeah, there's a lot more hands that just went up. 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:35.680 Because we don't like to ask for help. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:38.719 We don't like to acknowledge the fact that we have a need. 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:41.200 Even if we know what it is, we don't like to share it. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:44.319 Psychologists call this the bootstrap mentality. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:54.480 And the bootstrap mentality is very simply that we strive for self-sufficiency and independence so much that we think asking for help is a sign of weakness. 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:55.439 I don't know about you. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:02.560 I teach my kids self-sufficiency and independence, but I hope they also know how to ask for help and say, hey, this is what I need. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:04.560 So I ask you the question again, what is it? 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:06.239 What is it that you need? 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:12.400 Maybe it's a need that you have deep down that you haven't shared with anybody, something you're wrestling with, struggling with. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:18.080 You just need help meeting that need, but you haven't had the courage to ask that question yet. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:23.840 The book of Acts is this beautiful picture of the early church. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:30.080 And in Acts chapter 2, verse uh 42 through 47 is this picture of the early church. 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:31.039 It's where we get our namesake. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:33.919 It's a picture of the early church, the kind of church that we want to be. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:39.360 When we get into chapter 4, we also see another description of how this church was living out their faith. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:45.199 It says, with great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:52.719 And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:03:01.360 For from time to time, those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales, and put it at the apostles' feet. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:04.639 And it was distributed to anyone who had need. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:06.319 This wasn't a church program. 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:08.159 This wasn't required. 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:16.000 This was people saying, I have a need, and the body of Christ rallied together in the early church to make sure those needs were met. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:18.879 We want to be that kind of church. 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:25.039 And because we want to be that kind of church, today is the official launch of what we call the No Needs Project. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:29.759 If you were with us in 2020, we did this No Needs Project then. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:37.280 Last time we did it, we met 1,942 needs across the communities in which we serve. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:39.360 Absolutely celebrate that. 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:49.840 We have been crowdsourcing needs over the past few weeks, and we have hundreds of needs on our website right now. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.199 In fact, here's what I want to encourage you to do: grab your cell phone. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:54.159 Grab it right now. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:56.240 You have permission to use your phone in church. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:00.000 Text the word serve to 27242. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:04.400 When you do that, you're going to get a link back that will take you to our no needs page. 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:07.280 On that page, there's a couple things that you can do. 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:11.199 Number one, you can tell us what your need is. 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.360 You might have a real need that needs to be met. 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:20.000 You're struggling financially, there's hardships in your life, you just don't know how you're going to meet that need. 00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:27.839 I want to tell you, you can very simply click a button, submit that need, and someone within the body of Christ is going to fill that need for you. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:32.319 You can also go to that page and you can scroll through the various needs. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:34.319 And let me just tell you what's going to happen to you. 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:36.800 Because this is what happened to me this week. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:39.360 I began to scroll through those needs. 00:04:39.839 --> 00:04:46.160 And the first thing that happened is that I was overwhelmed with the gratitude of what God has done in my life. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:58.480 And so you scroll through some of those needs, you realize I don't, I may have some needs in my life, but I am blessed that God has showed up in my life, that I don't have an extravagant amount of needs. 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:00.959 And here's the second thing that God's going to do in your life. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:11.040 He's going to break your heart because you're going to read needs on this page that that just it crushes you, that it's a need that a family has. 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:15.519 But he's also going to break your heart for specific ones he's calling you to meet. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:21.120 Because this is the other side of the no needs project, is we as the body of Christ will step up and meet these needs. 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:22.079 And it starts now. 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:26.079 You go to that page, you scroll through, you click a button that says you're going to meet that need. 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:32.560 We'll make the connection between you and them happen where you, your small group, your team, whatever, can go out and meet that need. 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:36.160 Our goal is to meet every single need that comes in. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:39.199 And we have needs in every single one of our campuses. 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:46.000 In fact, in Monroe, there's an individual who is struggling financially. 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:50.800 She has an eight-year-old and she's having trouble putting food on the table. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:57.600 You can step up and you can meet that need to help feed this eight-year-old child who's just struggling right now. 00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:06.959 There's another gentleman in Monroe who just needs his clippers broke and he just he needs to go find a job, but he can't afford to go get a haircut to go to the job interviews. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:10.879 You can help him prepare himself to get a job back on his feet. 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:25.040 For those of you at the Saginaw campus, there's a family that just moved to Saginaw and they spent every penny that they had to move across country and land in Saginaw only to find out that their roof is leaking and they don't have the resources, the ability, their money to be able to fix the roof. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:28.480 You can help a new family in your community fix their roof. 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:35.680 In 2020, when we did the No Needs project, there was a there was an individual that let us know that they needed a kidney. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:38.720 Someone from our Ann Arbor campus stepped up and met that need. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:41.519 They gave their kidney to this family. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:46.000 I want you to know in Saginal, right now, there's a request for a kidney. 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:50.639 Someone who's gonna have to have surgery and have their kidneys removed and they need a donation of a kidney. 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:52.959 Maybe you step up and you feel that need. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:09.519 There's a family, they have one vehicle, husband works 12-hour shifts, and the kids go to school and they can't figure out how to make all that happen because they need another vehicle that's reliable to get their kids to school so they get their education. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:17.199 In Brighton, there's also a 71-year-old who needs a washer and dryer because she hauls her laundry to the laundromat. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.959 And physically, for her, it's very challenging and it's difficult for her to do this. 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:25.120 If she had a washer and dryer, it would relieve that tension and that stress from her life. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:30.240 This is just a sampling of the many different needs across all of our campuses. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:40.399 You text that number, 27242, the word serve, you'll get that list and you'll be able to go through and say, God, what need are you calling me to meet? 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:41.920 And you can begin to meet that need. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:45.040 There are so many needs, you don't even have to meet the need in your community. 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:48.240 You can meet the need anywhere across all seven of our locations. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:54.399 Friends, this is the opportunity that we have to show the world what the church was meant to be. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:58.879 That the early church was a place that said, We're not gonna let needs go unmet. 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:02.319 We want to be a church that says we're not gonna let needs go unmet. 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:07.439 So maybe for you, this is your opportunity to raise your hand and say, I have a need. 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:12.000 And that maybe for the first time in your life, you let the church be the church for you. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:18.240 Or maybe for you, you just know that God has blessed your life and you want to open that up and you want to bless some other people. 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:26.319 You want to step into their life because here's here's what I can promise you meeting people's needs like this will change their life. 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:30.319 We believe a disciple is one who knows God, grows with others, and changes the world. 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:35.679 You will change the world when you meet the needs of those in our community. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:39.360 So before we continue on, I just want to pray over the no needs project. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:46.320 I want to pray about the things that God is gonna place on your heart, what he's gonna place on my heart, what my what needs my family is gonna meet. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:51.360 And I just want to pray for all these families and all these people who are gonna experience the love of Jesus in a powerful way. 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:52.960 Would you join me in that prayer? 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:55.919 Lord Jesus, we're so thankful for you. 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:11.039 And the opportunity we have to be like the early church, the opportunity we have to meet needs of our neighbors, our coworkers, our fellow community members. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:22.240 God, as we as we explore that page with those needs, God, you have you have given those people courage and boldness to share what they need. 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:28.000 And I pray that you give us courage and boldness to step into those needs and fill those needs. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.919 Because we know that when we change their life, we change the world. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:33.679 It's in Christ's name we pray. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:34.639 Amen. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:35.360 Amen. 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:43.519 Hey, so excited over the next few weeks to see uh what God does in your life and in the life of so many other people through the No Needs Project. 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:46.480 If you have your Bibles, go ahead and flip with me to Acts chapter 9. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:49.840 We're gonna launch this brand new series here today. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:56.480 We we I I've shared this story with you a few times because it's a transformational moment in my my life. 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.440 When I was in in college, I was really struggling. 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:05.200 Like life was hard, everything seemed to be going wrong, like nothing seemed to be working out for me, and I was really frustrated. 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:10.399 I was probably a little bit depressed, I was lonely, I was confused, I was struggling financially in every other way. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:13.039 Like it was just a hard season of my life. 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:15.519 And I remember really struggling with God over this. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:20.000 Like, why wasn't God showing up in my life like I thought God was supposed to show up in my life? 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:29.759 So I got in my car, and maybe this is the part of the story you may remember that I drove to the top of the parking garage of Ball Memorial Hospital, and I just sat on the hood and I had a conversation with God. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:36.320 To say it was a conversation with God is being generous because I said some things to God that I would never utter to you. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:44.159 I cursed God, I rejected God, and I said, if you don't care about me, I don't care about you. 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.200 And I got in my car and I left. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:51.440 That was the day that I thought I rejected God. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:57.360 It was absolutely the day that I rejected my understanding of God. 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:05.759 If we're honest with ourselves, we all have, we all have needs, like real tangible physical needs in our lives. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:12.960 But if we're really honest with ourselves, there's a deeper underlying need that we all have. 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:17.759 Today we started this brand new series called Who Needs God? 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:20.559 And we're simply asking the question, who does need God? 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:25.679 Because when I was on the top of that parking garage, what I was asking was, who needs God anyway? 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:28.480 And maybe that's the question that you're asking. 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:30.480 Like, who need who needs God? 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:34.480 Or maybe you're asking the question, who does need God? 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:37.840 Maybe you have family and friends who are asking that question. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:45.759 This is an amazing series to invite them to because we're gonna explore the answer to the question, who actually needs God? 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:55.440 And today we're gonna dig into the reality that the people who need God are the people that don't think they need God at all. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:14.080 I just want you to let you know before we move any further that if you're if you're wrestling, if you're questioning, if you're doubting, if you're confused, if you're angry, if you're hurt, if you're just wondering if this Jesus thing is for you in any way, shape, or form, you're wondering if God is for you, I want you to know you're welcome here. 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:19.600 In fact, no one belongs here more than you. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:25.279 Because today I want to show you a picture of someone that you might be able to relate to. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:27.200 His name is Saul. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:33.360 And I I know I said chapter nine, but I actually want you to flip over to chapter eight, the first few verses of chapter eight. 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:37.279 We're gonna see kind of Saul's real story begin. 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:40.720 And Saul approved of their killing him. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:44.559 Now, just so you know, this was Stephen was just stoned for his Christian faith. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:56.960 He was a follower of the way, a follower of Jesus, and Saul was a predominant leader within the Hebrew faith, and he was he was watching this happen, and they want you to know from the beginning that Saul approved of this. 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:00.159 So we already see the mindset mentality of Saul. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:07.440 On that day, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:11.440 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:15.120 But Saul began to destroy the church. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:20.799 Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:24.320 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:31.679 And before you think that Saul is a horrible human being, understand that Saul was devout to the Jewish faith. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:40.320 And when he saw Jesus in the way and the movement that was happening, he saw that as a direct threat to his Jewish faith. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:42.320 He was defending his faith. 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:47.440 He wasn't some like unfaithful person persecuting people who had faith. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:58.080 He was striving to, and as misguided as it may have been, to defend his faith, his understanding, his picture of God. 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:12.480 If we flip over to chapter 9, meanwhile, it says, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:27.679 He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:34.080 So understand that the movement of Jesus is growing, and Saul is responding. 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:40.799 And the way that he responds, he gets he gets like official documentation that says he can go to Damascus and arrest people. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:43.840 It's like he got an honorary sheriff's badge or something. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:44.320 Right? 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:53.519 Like he's got he's got he's he's so into this that he got actual documentation to show people that he's allowed to do this, to go persecute Christians. 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:56.399 This is a major thing that's going on. 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.919 I mean, people who followed Jesus were terrified of this guy. 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:01.919 We pick up in verse 3. 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:09.200 As he neared Damascus, so he's on his way to do this, on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:15.759 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:17.840 Who are you, Lord? 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:19.039 Saul asked. 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:24.080 I am Jesus, whom you're persecuting, he replied. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.639 Could you imagine how crazy this would have been? 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:36.559 I mean, here's Saul who is literally on his way to arrest people who are following Jesus, and now Jesus shows up to him in this transformational way on the road to Damascus. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:39.519 You probably read this story or heard it before. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.039 That he was he was struck with blindness as a result of this. 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:51.200 The people was with took him into Damascus and he just kind of hung out there for a few days because he couldn't see, he wasn't eating, he wasn't drinking. 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:52.960 It's this crazy moment. 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.240 Now you may know that Saul's name's going to change to Paul. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:04.720 And Paul's the guy that wrote the majority of the New Testament, planted churches, was hugely influential in the early church and growing the movement of Jesus. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:06.480 We know that transformation is happening. 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:11.120 Many of us, we look at the road to Damascus experience and say, that's when it happened. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:14.000 That's the transformation of Paul. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:16.639 And to a certain extent, you would be right. 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:20.399 To another extent, you're actually wrong. 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:25.200 Because while he's in Damascus, Jesus, God is up to something. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:30.080 There's a guy named Ananias who's a devout follower of Jesus, he's a follower of the way. 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:34.080 He's received Jesus into his heart, and he's doing everything he can to follow him well. 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:39.440 God shows up to him and says, Hey, there's a guy named Saul who came into town. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:41.039 I want you to go to him. 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:43.840 And of course, Ananias is like, hold up. 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:45.600 I've heard about this guy. 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:47.759 Uh, he persecutes people like me. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:49.840 I don't think I want to do this. 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:52.879 And God says, I'm gonna tell you everything you need to do. 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:53.519 Just go. 00:16:53.679 --> 00:17:07.920 So Ananias is faithful to the call of Jesus on his life, and he goes to meet with Saul, and he lays hands on him, he prays over him, shares Jesus with him and the Holy Spirit with him. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:09.680 And we get into verse 18. 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:17.279 It says, Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:21.839 He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:25.359 Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:30.640 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:38.319 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on his name? 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:42.400 And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priest? 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:44.240 Right on all accounts. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:55.440 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:04.799 You see, we want to believe that the transformation for Paul happened in a moment on the road to Damascus. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:13.039 The transformation for Paul didn't happen because he found a new religion. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:17.039 The transformation for Paul didn't happen because he found a new church. 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:21.920 He didn't find a church that had better worship music, a preacher that preached better. 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:25.599 He didn't find a new church that agreed with all of his political opinions. 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:28.079 He didn't engage with a new religion or a new faith. 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:28.799 What happened? 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:32.319 The transformation for Paul happened because he encountered Jesus. 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:39.200 It's because he encountered the living God. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:41.920 He encountered the resurrected Christ. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:45.839 And then he allowed Jesus to become his foundation. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:51.680 15 to 20 years later, he becomes the author of the majority of the New Testament. 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:54.799 Writes letters to these churches that he was a part of planting. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:57.200 He's leading people, he's discipling people. 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:02.160 15 to 20 years later, he's doing all of this. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:06.960 In the book of Galatians, Paul kind of talks about his transformation. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:14.319 When he says, I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:18.720 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it. 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:22.400 Rather, I received it by the revelation from Jesus Christ. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:30.559 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:40.079 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age, among my people, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my father. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:53.440 But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son in me, so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 00:19:53.680 --> 00:20:00.640 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went to Arabia, later returned to Damascus. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:10.559 Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas, that's also Peter, and stayed with him 15 days. 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:14.240 I saw none of the other apostles, only James, the Lord's brother. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:19.440 I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie. 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:25.119 Here's the point the transformation in Paul's life didn't happen overnight. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:28.400 It wasn't what happened on the road to Damascus. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:29.759 That was really important. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:45.680 The transformation for Paul happened over a number of years of being disciple, of reading the word of God, of praying, of experiencing Jesus in his life and allowing him to learn and to grow, dare I say, deconstruct his faith. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:21:02.880 You can call it deconstruction, you can call it doubt, you can call it asking questions, you can call it whatever you want, but at the end of the day, what Paul was doing was he was deconstructing or dismantling his previous view of God to build upon the solid foundation of who Jesus is. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:13.599 He talks about this again in the book of Philippians, when he says, But whatever were gains to me, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:22.720 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whose sake I've lost all things. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:27.119 I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ. 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:32.799 This was a guy who was following the law to a T. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:39.759 And then he encountered Jesus and he begins to experience the gospel of grace. 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:47.599 And it was only after he began to dismantle his faulty view of God that he was ready for what God had for him. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:49.680 I can relate to Paul. 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:55.920 Because here's when I was on that parking garage that day, here's what I discovered looking back. 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:01.920 I wasn't rejecting Jesus, I was rejecting my Faulty view of who he is. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:08.880 I thought that because I believed in him, he was just gonna make everything work. 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:15.359 He was gonna show up and he was gonna, like my relationships would be great, my finances would be fantastic, everything would just work. 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:16.400 That was my perception. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:18.079 That's what I expected from God. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:20.720 It was this transactional relationship. 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:24.799 So when I said, God, hey, if you don't care about me, I don't care about you. 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:29.039 It wasn't that he didn't care, it's that my view of God was faulty. 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:31.920 I misunderstood who he was. 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:35.519 It's the same thing for the Apostle Paul. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:37.920 He misunderstood the realities of God. 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:41.680 He was so focused on the law that he missed the gospel of grace. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:45.440 So he began to deconstruct and rebuild and ask questions. 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:47.519 And maybe you've journeyed through it. 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:50.000 Maybe you're journeying through it right now. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.640 Maybe someone close to you is journeying through this. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:23:01.839 They are deconstructing or dismantling or questioning the faith that they've had for so very long. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:06.799 They're deconstructing, they're rebuilding. 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:09.920 Here's what happens as a response as a result of that. 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:14.880 When we dismantle things, when we deconstruct things, we end up with two things. 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:21.759 We end up with ruins, what once was, the torn down parts of our faith. 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:30.240 But the more important thing we end up with is an opportunity, an opportunity to build upon a solid foundation that is Christ and Christ alone. 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:35.440 This is how Paul concludes that section of scripture in Philippians. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:41.200 He said, And be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:52.000 This is transformation for him, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 00:23:53.680 --> 00:24:04.319 Healthy deconstruction, healthy dismantling of our faith is always followed by rebuilding on something solid. 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:14.720 After that day on the parking garage, um, I started getting even more frustrated with God because he kept showing up in my life. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:22.319 Like as soon as I said, I'm done with you, it's like it opened this door for God to begin to reveal himself, or at least me be able to see God. 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:25.519 It's like everywhere I turned, God would start popping up in different ways. 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:27.599 And I was like, God, I thought I said we were done. 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:31.200 I thought I said we didn't want this relationship anymore, but you keep popping up. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:34.720 I don't understand why you keep pursuing me when I said we're done. 00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:41.680 I went to my parents one weekend after I've been wrestling through this for a couple of months, and uh, I went to church with them. 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:47.359 Didn't really want to, but I loved my parents, and I thought I would go to church with my mom and dad because I I knew it would make them happy. 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:49.519 Maybe that's you here today. 00:24:50.559 --> 00:25:12.720 And when I walked in those doors, now keep in mind I hadn't shared any of what I was going through with my parents with anybody, I walked through those doors, and that community of faith embraced me and welcomed me and loved me in a way that only showed me one thing: the love and the grace of Jesus in my life. 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:16.240 And that was the moment of my life that I began to rebuild. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:23.839 I had deconstructed and dismantled, and now it was time for me to begin to rebuild upon the solid foundation of who Jesus was. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:36.559 I firmly believed that the moment for me on the top of that parking garage was the moment that I finally started breaking down the broken faith that I had, the misunderstanding of who God is, and Jesus says, Now I can work with that. 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:39.920 Let me show you who I really am. 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:45.519 Because some ideas we have need to be dismantled. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:57.119 Like the idea that you are unlovable, the idea that God is disappointed in you, or that you have to have everything figured out before he'll ever love you. 00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:01.519 The idea that Christians never doubt. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:08.559 Those things need to be dismantled from your life because it doesn't lead you to the true faith, the solid foundation. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:13.920 Because we never stop at dismantling, we always continue with rebuilding. 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:19.119 And we rebuild upon the same foundation that Paul did, and that is who Christ is. 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.079 How do we do that? 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:22.640 We commit ourselves to worship. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:29.119 We read the word of God, we we pray to God, we experience God in community. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:38.240 Because the foundation that we're called to build ourselves on, it's not this idea that God's gonna show up and give me what I need and make everything great. 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:53.359 The foundation that God has called us to build our lives upon is the fact that he sent his son to live a perfect life, who, even though he lived a perfect life, had all the power at his disposal that he needed, humbled himself, died on a cross in your place. 00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:59.359 He gave up his life so that you wouldn't have to. 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:09.519 That when you place your hope and your faith and your trust in him, you find forgiveness, healing, redemption, restoration. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:18.880 Like Romans 5:8 tells us, for God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:22.319 Friends, I don't want you to miss this. 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:31.519 When the apostle Paul was on that road to Damascus, he was on his way to persecute, arrest, and possibly even kill Christians. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:34.880 And Jesus showed up. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:56.400 He's coming after you because he loves you. 00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:00.240 And all he wants for you is to have a relationship with him, to encounter him. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:03.279 Jesus is pursuing you. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:10.799 And I say this because so many of us, we go through our faith in our lives and we actually think that Jesus isn't pursuing us. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:13.039 We act like we think he does. 00:28:13.599 --> 00:28:24.079 But deep down, some of you don't actually believe that Jesus loves you enough to pursue you. 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:27.680 He pursued Saul. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:33.599 And Saul was persecuting, arresting, and killing his people. 00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:36.799 I assure you, he's pursuing you too. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:40.160 So who needs God? 00:28:41.759 --> 00:28:42.400 You do. 00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:48.559 Every single person that thinks they don't need God needs God. 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:51.279 Some of you, I think you just need permission today. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:55.279 Some of you, you need permission to ask questions. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:59.599 You need permission to have doubts. 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:07.440 You need permission to begin to dismantle some of the points of your faith that aren't accurate, aren't right. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:15.759 Some of you need permission to just admit that what you rejected maybe wasn't Jesus. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:19.200 It was just a faulty understanding of who Jesus is. 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:27.039 And some of you need permission to acknowledge the fact that the faith that you've been carrying has never become your own. 00:29:27.200 --> 00:29:33.519 You inherited it from your parents, you got it from your church, but you've never actually encountered Jesus and owned your own faith. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:36.960 You need permission. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:44.160 And you have permission here to dismantle the pieces of your faith that are not of Christ. 00:29:44.880 --> 00:29:46.079 Here's your next steps. 00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:50.880 Number one, tear down what opposes Jesus. 00:29:51.839 --> 00:29:53.599 Tear down what opposes Jesus. 00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:58.480 And the reality is, many of us, we know those things that we carry with us that oppose them, but we still carry those with us. 00:29:58.640 --> 00:30:05.440 Begin to tear it down, dismantle it, deconstruct it, ask questions, dig into it. 00:30:05.920 --> 00:30:09.680 And the second step is rebuild on Christ. 00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:17.519 Allow this Jesus to be the Jesus that you build your life upon. 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:23.599 The Jesus that you construct who you are and your beliefs and your understandings about God. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:26.640 Use this Jesus to be your foundation. 00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:34.720 Friends, I think a really important part of my process was the fact that there was a community of faith that loved me. 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:38.319 Friends, you have a community of faith that loves you here. 00:30:38.640 --> 00:30:48.880 I want to encourage you as you go through this process in your own life of dismantling those things that are not of Jesus and rebuilding upon the foundation of Christ, that you lean into real community. 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:55.839 We have rooted, we have small groups, all kinds of opportunities for you to connect with other people and grow in your faith. 00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:59.200 This is how faith was meant to be lived out with one another. 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:07.519 And if you're not in community, I'm just going to tell you, you're setting yourself up for a very dangerous path of not having people in your life. 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:08.960 So who needs God? 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:15.279 People with questions, people with doubts, people who are unsure. 00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:18.240 So here's our charge for you today. 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:23.680 Will you begin the process of tearing down the things that are not of Christ? 00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:28.480 And will you begin to rebuild upon that foundation of Christ? 00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:30.079 Would you pray with me? 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:38.079 God, we're so thankful for you and overwhelmed by your love and your grace. 00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:44.720 The way that you show up in our lives transforms us, it changes us, it molds us. 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:47.279 We read the story of Saul, who will be Paul. 00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:53.119 We read that story, and there's a part of us that deep down we want that too. 00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:58.079 That we want to experience you in a way that changes us and transforms us. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:04.319 We want to experience you in a way that in a way that makes us more like you. 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:10.000 Not more like a law or a rule or an ideology, but more like you. 00:32:11.359 --> 00:32:15.279 So, God, would you help all of us at a Monroe campus, Saginaw, Brighton, online? 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:18.240 Just help us to hear from you. 00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:21.599 What are those things, Lord, that we need to tear down? 00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:24.559 And then, Lord, show us how to build upon you. 00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:26.160 It's in Christ's name we pray. 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:26.880 Amen.