WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:01.760 Amen. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:03.439 Check, check. 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:04.480 There we go. 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:05.280 Amen. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:07.280 You guys can head back to your seats. 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:13.199 It's such a blessing to see you on this amazing Monday night. 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:18.160 If we have never met before, sorry, I'm trying to turn to my passage. 00:00:18.399 --> 00:00:20.399 I turned to the wrong spot. 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:21.920 Hold on. 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:23.039 There we go. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.079 If we've never met before, my name is Zach Hudson. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:30.239 I serve as the college pastor here at Definition Church. 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:32.640 I absolutely love what I do. 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:37.759 It is a joy to be able to spend time with my favorite age group, which is college students. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:43.359 But like I said, if we've never met before, I would absolutely love to meet you. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:48.000 Guys, we're in this series called What's Next, or is it what now? 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:49.439 What's next or what now? 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.479 One of those. 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:52.159 I should probably know that. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:59.200 We're in this series, and this whole point of this series is about like, what do we do after we're saved? 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:01.759 Like we've confessed that Christ is our Lord. 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:05.760 We're trying our best to live for him, but what do we do next? 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:10.959 Like, what are the next right steps for me to connect with Jesus? 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:16.879 And last week, Pastor Jonathan kicked off our series and he just did a phenomenal job. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:18.159 It was just incredible. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:22.319 If you have not listened to that sermon, I would challenge you to go back and listen to it. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:28.239 And his entire idea was about this idea of what we call sitting before the Lord. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:36.879 How before we run after our calling, before we run after other people, we have to learn to sit in the Lord's presence. 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.879 And so if you didn't listen to that, go back, listen to it, take notes. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:45.120 Pastor Jonathan is my pastor, so definitely go listen to him. 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:46.799 He did an amazing job. 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:48.959 But I don't want to waste y'all's time tonight. 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.519 Real quick, can I make sure to get my timer on screen? 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:55.200 I'm gonna go 500 minutes if I don't. 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:56.159 But that's okay. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:56.879 Y'all ready? 00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:57.439 We locked in. 00:01:57.519 --> 00:01:59.599 We're going eight hours tonight, all right? 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:06.959 But like I said, I don't want to waste y'all's time tonight, so we're gonna go ahead and hop in. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.800 I got some things to cover. 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:10.080 So y'all ready? 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.080 If you're ready, say I'm ready. 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:13.599 Say I'm ready. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:16.080 Turn to the person next to you and say, I'm ready. 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:16.960 Are you ready? 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:19.520 Turn to the other person and say, I'm ready. 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:20.560 Are you ready? 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:23.439 Awesome. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:24.400 All right. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:32.240 I am so glad to hear that you are all locked in and ready for the sermon. 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:36.479 But here's what I actually mean when I say, are you ready? 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:39.439 Are you ready for war? 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:43.280 Are you ready for war? 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.919 Because here's the reality. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:50.479 This entire series is about what do we do after we're saved? 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.240 What do we do next? 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:55.919 And here's the answer: you go to war. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:58.479 You go to war. 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:12.319 Congratulations! If you're in this room and you have declared that Christ is your Lord and your Savior, then you are officially in the Lord's armies and you are in a war. 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:20.159 There's no missing it, explaining it away, opting out, declaring ignorance, or refusing to fight. 00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:27.919 Every man, woman, child with breath in their lungs is breathing air that is in the midst of a battlefield. 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:30.719 Now you may be confused right now a little bit. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.240 You're like, Zach, it seems a little tame in here for war. 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:39.919 There's no bullets flying around, no planes flying overhead, people aren't exploding. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:41.680 May seem a little tame in here. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:50.400 Well, that's because this is a war that's been going on since the beginning of time, and it is happening where we cannot see it. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.080 Is a war in the spiritual realm. 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:55.360 Check this verse out. 00:03:55.599 --> 00:03:57.280 Ephesians 6 12. 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:15.439 It says this for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.079 This is a spiritual war. 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:21.199 And let me let you in on something. 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:27.519 There are real enemies in the spiritual realm who hate that you love Jesus. 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:31.360 Let's just like we're grown adults here. 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:34.560 They hate that you love Jesus. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:42.560 And here's the thing: these enemies, they don't bow the knee to God, they bow the knee to the prince of darkness. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:51.120 And let me tell you, collective family, this enemy, the prince of darkness, he does not fight fair. 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:53.759 He wants to destroy you. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:55.920 Destroy you. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:58.399 Leave nothing behind. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:05.600 There's no insecurity, no fear, no past family trauma, no temptation, no mental health struggle. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:10.000 Nothing is off the table for him if he can attack you with it. 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:12.079 He wants to crush you. 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:13.199 Period. 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:15.279 Welcome to the collective. 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:19.040 So glad to see you guys. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:20.480 But this is real. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:24.639 I'm not saying all that to scare you or push you away. 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:29.600 I say that to remind you that we are here for a reason. 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:48.079 Because if we're not careful, we can come to church, play the games, walk around like we're just here for a good time and friends and community, and forget that this room, your worship, your prayers, your small groups, they are battlefields for your spiritual life. 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:50.800 And I love you enough to say this. 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:54.079 Some of you are losing the battle. 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:56.959 Some of you are losing the battle. 00:05:57.279 --> 00:05:59.519 You are being crushed. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:05.120 I mean, the enemy is just having his way completely with you. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:12.319 He is attacking your identity, suffocating you with sin, turning people against you. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:20.079 You have fears that you never thought you would be afraid of, and you are thinking thoughts that you never thought you would think. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.000 You're just being crushed. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:26.240 And maybe you're starting to feel a little bit hopeless. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:38.639 I mean, you got saved, you're going to heaven, you feel like you've done everything right, but you're really starting to question your decision because you are losing the war. 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:52.319 And there's one simple way we can push back against this fear, this hopelessness, and begin to feel as if we are taking steps towards Jesus in this war. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:55.839 And that's exactly what I want to talk about tonight. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:03.920 My whole main idea is this you have to learn to go to war in your war room. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:06.319 Write that down. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:08.399 Everyone, write that down. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:14.639 Go to war in your war room. 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:22.959 Now, this idea of the war room is just another phrase for what the scriptures call the secret place. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:25.279 The secret place. 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:33.279 The secret place is a private space free of distraction with just you and God. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:40.560 It's a place away from the world where you can just connect with the Lord. 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:43.040 Can we throw that definition on screen? 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:44.240 Secret place. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:46.000 We have that one. 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:49.199 By chance? 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:49.839 No? 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:52.879 Oh, it's up there behind me. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:08:00.319 Secret place, free of distraction, a private space with just you in the Lord. 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:07.360 And here's the thing about the secret place is we see it everywhere in the life of Jesus. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.079 I mean, all throughout the Gospels. 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:18.319 Jesus is constantly trying to get away from people so he can just spend time with his heavenly Father. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:24.959 Jesus is always trying to get away to the secret place to just spend time with Jesus. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:34.879 There's over 22 verses where it talks about how Jesus retreats, how he goes away, how he's alone, how he's spending time in prayer in private. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:43.120 Because look, Jesus knew communion with God in secret was a matter of life and death. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:52.000 He knew it was super important to his relationship with the Father to commune with him on a regular basis. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:09:02.399 And so for some of you in this room, spiritually, you may be alive in the sense of like, if I die tomorrow, I'm probably going to heaven. 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:12.720 You may be spiritually alive to Christ, but you are dead to living for Christ until you learn how to commune with God. 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:21.679 You may be spiritually awake, going to heaven, but you are dead to living with God until you learn how to commune with Him. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:29.440 Psalm 28:1 said David says this if thou is silent to me, I have gone to the pit. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:43.039 David was so addicted to the presence of God that communion with God was so vital to him that he was living in hell if he was not communicating with God. 00:09:43.279 --> 00:09:45.679 That's what this imagery of the pit is. 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:50.159 He's saying, God, if you're not talking to me, then I'd rather just be in hell. 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:54.799 I am living in a pit if you are not communing with me. 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:59.440 And how many of us are okay substituting communion with God? 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:06.559 How many of you have a desire like David where you are addicted to the presence of God? 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:09.519 Because here's the truth. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:17.679 Some of you may just suck at fighting this spiritual war because you only fight two days a week. 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:22.159 And like let's be let's be real here for a moment. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:25.840 Some of you, it's two days a week once a month. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.120 It's not two days a week consistently. 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:34.320 It's two days a week once a month if I wake up on time and I get to it. 00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:37.919 And you're wondering why you're losing this spiritual battle. 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:44.799 You go to church Sunday, college service another day, and you're wondering why you're losing. 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:48.639 Because those are the only times that you are fighting. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:54.240 And those are awesome things, like scripture tells us, these are all tangible things we do. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:58.320 They're called ancient pathways to connect with the Lord. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:04.960 Things like worship and preaching and prayer and community, these are all ways that we fight back against the enemy. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:06.960 I'm not discrediting that. 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:19.120 But what happens is, if we're not careful, we get addicted to the feeling of winning the war and never actually experience the victory found in Christ. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:28.240 We get addicted to this feeling that we might overcome and find victory in Christ, but we never actually find it. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:37.600 And so what we will do is we'll go to church after church, college ministry after college ministry, conference after conference. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:40.080 When one gets stale, we move on. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:43.200 When one doesn't meet our needs, we move on to the next one. 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:48.879 When one doesn't give us this exact feeling, this exact desire, we move on. 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:55.440 We let our loyalty be dictated by our feelings instead of our freedom. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:12:00.799 We let our loyalty to a congregation be dictated by how much they give me. 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.120 How much do I feel right there? 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:09.440 How much is everything connecting instead of the place that helps us be free in Christ? 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:18.799 Because here's the truth about the church: church services are not meant to be substitutions for your walk with Christ. 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:21.519 They are meant to be places of overflow. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:31.840 Church is not a substitute for your relationship with Jesus, it is an overflow of your relationship with Jesus. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:46.639 Church is where what we are already experiencing and encountering with the Lord in secret is supposed to help us come into these spaces and engage with others who are also experiencing and living out a life with Christ. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:54.159 And together we come together, living in overflow and trust with each other and get the freedom to celebrate our King. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:13:00.960 The church is not your Bible study, it's not your secret place, it's that's not the point of the church. 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:05.600 We will equip you on how to get there, but let me be honest for a second. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:10.480 Half the people who are standing up and they're saying, I gotta leave this church, they're not feeding me. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:13.039 The truth is they just don't know how to eat. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:15.279 That's the reality. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:22.480 How many times I've been in ministry for only five years, and I've heard a lot of people use this phrase, I'm just not being fed. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:26.799 Show me your secret life, show me your secret place. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.279 I'll tell you how fed you really are. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:33.919 Because truth is, you may just not know how to eat, and that's okay. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:44.080 That's what we're here for, but we got to stop getting out of this mindset that we're just gonna coast along, going to church every once in a while, and then we're gonna actually win ground in the spiritual battle. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:49.360 The devil's attacking you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, no rest, no breaks. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:57.519 He wants to obliterate you, and we want to coast off a seven-minute sermon and walk into freedom and expect to walk into freedom. 00:13:58.159 --> 00:13:59.759 That's not how it works. 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:05.120 And I want better for our college students, I want better for all of you. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:11.200 Now, look, I understand we get busy at times, we'll miss a day with the Lord. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:13.679 Trust me, this is something the Lord has been convicting me over. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.639 I'm not up here preaching legalism. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:19.759 Like, I want you guys to understand, I get it, things happen. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:21.679 I get it, I understand. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:29.039 But I want you to genuinely ask this question Does it really matter to you to spend time with God? 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:30.960 Really? 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:39.279 Like if God wrote you a letter and said, You're good, you don't have to spend any more time with me. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:41.120 Would you be okay with that? 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:47.279 Would you be okay not spending another second in the presence of the Lord? 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.159 And be radically honest with yourself. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:51.919 Would you be okay with that? 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:56.240 When was the last time you spent time with the Lord? 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:57.679 Or how about this one? 00:14:57.759 --> 00:14:58.639 This convicts me. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:00.639 This is a phrase I heard from a pastor. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:04.639 Do you spend more time talking about God than to God? 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:09.679 Thanks, Cam. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:17.039 Do you spend more time talking about the God you serve than actually experiencing him? 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.000 And like, man, I get that one a lot. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:22.399 It's my job to talk about God. 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:24.639 Like, that's what I get paid to do. 00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:29.120 And for a long time I did not experience the Lord. 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:31.120 I didn't spend a lot of time with him. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:33.360 So ask yourself that question. 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:36.399 And maybe you're in here and you don't even know where to begin. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:41.039 Like you're new to this whole Christianity thing, you're new to this whole faith thing. 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:41.919 That's okay. 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:49.039 Like the church is meant to set you up, to instruct you on how to move and get in these supernatural rhythms over time. 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:50.639 You just need help getting started. 00:15:51.120 --> 00:16:00.159 So both of groups, those who are new and those who are, maybe you'd answer that question and say, I really don't desire to spend a lot of time with the Lord. 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:06.399 Let me tell you this God desires intimacy with you, not performance. 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:09.519 He's not after you having the right answer. 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:11.919 He's not after you getting it all correct. 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:18.320 He is after one thing, and that is intimacy and love and spending time with his creation. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:19.759 He died for it. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:23.919 He didn't die so you could check a box. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:29.120 He died so you could experience him in intimacy. 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:37.759 The secret place is the one place in our lives where we can trade activity for intimacy. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:41.600 We will do everything in our power to perform for other people. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:47.279 But the secret place is the one place where we can just experience intimacy with the Lord. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:52.639 And if you don't know how to get started, well, that's exactly what we're gonna talk about here tonight. 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:57.679 So we're gonna be in the book of Matthew, but real quick, tradition here at the collective. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:16:59.279 Everyone hold your Bibles up. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:00.080 Let me see them. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:02.799 Let me see those beautiful books looking good, looking good. 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:04.319 I love it, I love it, I love it. 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:05.119 Looking good. 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:09.119 We're gonna be in Matthew chapter six, verses five through six. 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:11.839 If you want to turn there, it'll also be on the screen behind me. 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:13.920 If you need a Bible, let me know. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:17.759 We got tons of free ones to give out, so just let me know and I'll get you one. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.799 So go ahead and turn there. 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:28.640 And while you're at it, if you want to like bookmark or put a thumb in Psalm 91, we'll be there a little bit later. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:33.599 So Matthew 6, 5 through 6, and Psalm 91. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.680 All right. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:39.359 Says this, starting in Matthew. 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:49.759 When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:53.039 Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. 00:17:53.279 --> 00:18:02.000 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret, and your father who sees in secret will reward you. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:06.240 Father God, thank you for the living, active, breathing word of God. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:11.359 God, thank you for blessing us with your presence in this place. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.440 God, thank you that these words are more alive. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:22.240 They're just as alive now as when they were written. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:27.519 God, use me as a vessel to speak to these students. 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:32.319 Holy Spirit, be so kind as to grace us with your presence tonight. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.400 In your holy name I pray. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:35.359 Amen. 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:36.240 Amen. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:36.799 Alright. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.119 Anytime we read, we gotta read in what? 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:40.480 Wait, one more time. 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:41.440 We gotta read in what? 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:42.160 Context. 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:43.119 Context. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:47.200 Context is super important for everything that you read in Scripture. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:49.920 You can't just pull something off and then claim God told you that. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:51.039 That's not how it works. 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:53.759 So make sure you always read in context. 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:55.119 Here's the context here. 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:57.599 This is called the Sermon on the Mount. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:03.759 It is the greatest sermon ever preached because it was preached by Jesus, and he's the greatest pastor to ever walk the earth. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:05.680 And so this is the Sermon on the Mount. 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:11.920 This is Jesus' first kind of outing of public ministry for all to come and see. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:13.680 So he's standing on this mountain. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:19.759 That's why it's called the Sermon on the Mount, and he's like listing all these things, calling people out left and right. 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:23.440 Like he's just, you know, going after them, talking about relationship with the Lord. 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:27.680 And he gets to this section and he starts calling out the Pharisees. 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:35.440 See, the Pharisees were religious leaders back in the time, and they had a very miscalculated relationship with the Lord. 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:42.319 They thought you had to act a certain way, be a certain way, wear certain things, not do certain things, and then God would love you and bless you. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:49.680 And so Jesus comes along and he starts challenging these Pharisees' beliefs on all these things. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:20:00.000 Now, within this, within this secret place passage, there are two temptations and three instructions that I want to go over. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.440 Two temptations, three instructions that I want to go over. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:11.359 And this will help us set a good framework for how the secret place should operate and look in our lives. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:16.880 So the first temptation, it's right here in the scriptures, is influence. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:18.559 Influence. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:19.519 It says it right here. 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:26.319 For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others. 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:38.480 Jesus actually goes so far, he calls them hypocrites here, because their entire point of having a relationship with the Lord is so that they can be affirmed by other people. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:47.519 They project to all these other people that they have this super strong, super intimate, crazy awesome relationship with the Lord. 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:53.359 But in reality, their relationship with God is very surface level and very shallow. 00:20:53.519 --> 00:21:00.799 And here's why: because their relationship with God only exists as long as others are around to see it. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:04.160 That is the definition of hypocritical living. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:11.440 That I'm cool hanging out with God as long as I'm in the right context with the right people, the right people around me. 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:18.400 As long as I can lift myself up and look really holy to others, then I'm cool being a Christian. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:19.119 That's cool. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:21.359 But what about in private? 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:26.559 What about when you're alone in your room and there's no place to perform anymore? 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:28.880 Are you still claiming Christ? 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.039 Are you still striving after him? 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:38.960 And Jesus challenges specifically this idea of street corners and synagogues, street corners and synagogues. 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:45.119 Basically, what this means is street corners are public spaces, synagogues are religious spaces. 00:21:45.359 --> 00:22:01.039 So street corners are places where they were surrounded by other just regular people who were not Pharisees, just regular everyday folks, and they would go and try to perform there and pray these big, magnificent prayers, but they would also go to synagogues, and synagogues were Were holy places. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:04.799 They were like the temple and places like that where they would preach the word. 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:08.720 They would also go and try to perform for other religious people. 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:10.559 So it wasn't just regular people. 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:15.200 They were also trying to make sure the other religious people saw that they were holy. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:18.880 Let me be honest with you guys for a second. 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:26.079 We live in a world where this temptation for influence is harder than ever. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:28.720 It's harder than any time in history. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:36.640 We live in a time where our level of importance is dependent on the level of influence and noise we can make in the world. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:43.200 Ever since the birth of social media, we have become a world of digital street corners. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:45.839 Digital street corners. 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:50.559 We can go to a space and perform in a certain way and get a certain amount of likes. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:54.960 We live in a world of digital street corners. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:23:04.400 We are constantly bombarded with the next trend, the next viral moment, the next influencer, the next like, the next comment, the next share. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:21.279 The standard of our lives as Gen Z people has become to strive and strain as hard as you possibly can to get the biggest platform, even if it costs you everything in the process, including your character. 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:39.200 Like we're okay with mediocre character as long as the likes keep coming in and we keep feeling affirmed, and we keep getting our Bible verses and our stories shared and all those things, and people keep looking at us, and we still get a place to perform on our digital street corner. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:43.920 We are a world of digital street corners. 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:47.759 And like I say, like this is just what we live with. 00:23:47.839 --> 00:24:02.240 And the enemy has done a miraculous job where he takes new believers, fresh people in the body of Christ, and he begins whispering to them that their identity in Christ is dependent on the level of influence that they have. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:12.079 That they don't say the right thing, post the right thing, make the right next influential statement, and God is ashamed of them, or that holiness is not a calling for them. 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:27.359 Our level of faith has been dependent on the number of people who double-click on our post, which is so shallow and just creates so many comparison issues for everybody. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:32.640 You may be sitting in this room and you're like, well, Zach, I don't really want to be a social media influencer. 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:34.319 Like that's not really my thing. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:42.640 Well, let me ask you this how often have you chased a Jesus experience to feel something because you saw it on social media? 00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:53.039 How often are you chasing the next big event that you saw all these college students or all these young adults go to because you want to feel something? 00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:03.519 How often are you chasing the next Jesus experience in your life because you're substituting for your lack of intimacy with God in secret? 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:05.680 And so you go to the next viral place. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:09.119 Well, you're like, whoa, this place, look, they're like super holy. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:12.319 They've been worshiping for like 24 hours straight. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:13.680 I gotta go there. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:21.839 Maybe God will give me my identity at that point, and I'll actually feel like I'm making progress in the spiritual world. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:26.880 But the real world kingdom, the kingdom of heaven, is reverse of that. 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:34.559 Like I said earlier, those places are overflow of what we are already experiencing in private with the Lord. 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:41.839 Maybe you've never done that, but how often do you compare yourself with the believers around you? 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:46.000 How often does their performance dictate your intimacy? 00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:51.200 How often does their relationship with God dictate yours? 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:59.039 How often does what they say about what God says about them dictate how you feel like God says things about you? 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:04.960 How often are you comparing yourself with someone you saw for three seconds on an Instagram reel? 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:08.240 We do this with so many things. 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:13.440 Listen, this is why marriage is such a problem in our generation. 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:30.640 Because what happens is we get on our social media, we get on our phones, and we start seeing these trends of look what my husband did for me, look what my girlfriend did for me, and we start looking at our relationship partners saying, Why aren't you doing X, Y, Z for me? 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:34.960 How many times have I heard if he wanted to, he would? 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:40.799 And we laugh, but look, here's the truth be told. 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:44.079 There was someone who wanted to, and he did. 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:47.039 And it's called He Died on the Cross for You. 00:26:48.319 --> 00:26:51.200 So we can stop comparing ourselves. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:58.000 We are literally gauging all our relationships and everything on how many likes we can get. 00:26:58.160 --> 00:26:59.759 Those aren't the moments with the Lord. 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:04.160 God sees us in every single thing, the highs, the lows, and every single thing in between. 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:13.839 We can't just base our relationship on how God has worked in somebody else's life because he's working in you too right now, in this moment. 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:19.680 Social media factory of faith can be dangerous if not properly channeled. 00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:24.319 I'm not sitting up here saying like social media is the antichrist or anything crazy. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:28.000 Like it might be, but social, I'm not saying that for now. 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:29.759 Don't mishear me. 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:33.039 Like, I don't think all things on social media are bad. 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:36.000 Like, I believe God uses platforms to spread his gospel. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:43.519 Like I'm on social media, we have influencers in our ministry, like I've been on podcasts that are posted on social media. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:52.240 Like I see the power that social media has to tell stories, but it is the foundation of your relationship with God. 00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:58.000 Do you desire more to see how other people are living for Christ than you do to spend time with God? 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:01.440 Just ask yourself that question. 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:05.279 Because comparison is the thief of joy. 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:10.960 We can't enjoy what God has for us when we try to compare it with everybody else's. 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:13.440 And so enjoy being you. 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:14.640 And here's the truth, y'all. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:16.799 Like God wrecked me with this idea. 00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:18.799 I was talking to Josmar about this. 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:22.240 God called you to be in the position you're in. 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:28.079 And here's the crazy thing: the person you look to that has the most influence could not do what you're doing. 00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:31.599 You're like, they're not called to be you. 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:35.920 It's not just I'm gonna get to the mountain and then God's gonna use my influence. 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:44.480 God is using influence right now in your life that is specifically reserved for you and the people you interact with. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:48.960 That is so crazy and cool that God is like that. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:59.839 Where your greatest influence, the person you think is the greatest leader, the biggest spiritual giant, they would not do a good job leading the people in your circle to Christ as you can. 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:07.119 God has called you and fulfilled you for this moment in this time, so stop waiting to be somebody else. 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:10.960 God already delights in who you are behind the screen. 00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:13.680 He loves who you are behind the screen. 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:17.920 So that's our first temptation is influence. 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:23.119 And so our first instruction from Jesus is to pray. 00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:24.799 Pray. 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:27.200 When we're in the secret place, we pray. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:29.759 Jesus says it right here at the beginning. 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:35.119 He says, When you pray, which means when I'm in the secret place, I am praying. 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:40.880 Because remember, the goal of the secret place is not performance, it's intimacy with God. 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:45.039 We gain intimacy with the Lord when we learn how to pray. 00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:50.160 Now, I already know the temptation in this room is someone's like Zach, I don't know how to pray. 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:51.519 I don't know how to pray. 00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:58.559 How many times have we been at like Thanksgiving and someone points at you and you're like, oh, oh my gosh, I don't know how to pray. 00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:05.119 Well, look, let me be honest, that's because that is a performative prayer. 00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:08.640 That's what the Pharisees are being critiqued over, is their words. 00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:11.839 They feel like they have to have the right thing to say. 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:16.799 Prayer takes multitude of shapes and forms. 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:20.400 So if you don't know how to pray out loud to the Lord, that's okay. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:24.480 Practice silent prayer, practice centering prayer. 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:29.200 If you're like a reader, practice liturgy or written prayer. 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:33.599 Start writing what you're thankful for and thanking God for it. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:34.720 Here's another one. 00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:36.240 You want a guide on how to pray? 00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:37.519 You don't even have to buy a book. 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:38.559 Here it is. 00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:41.680 Here's the how-to book on how to pray right here. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:46.480 If you don't know what to pray, turn to the Psalms and start praying the Psalms over yourself. 00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:50.079 Diedrich Bonhoeffer, he's an old, old school theologian. 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:56.000 He says we have to we should wake up every morning and pray a psalm over ourselves to remind us ourselves of the God that we serve. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:00.160 So if you don't know what to pray, pray the already written prayers in the scriptures. 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:06.079 Pray a prayer of listening, just listening for what God is saying to you specifically. 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:13.119 And it's funny that this is so crazy in our relationship with God because we're like this in every other relationship in our lives. 00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:17.200 When I'm friends with somebody, I'm not just talking to them all the time. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:19.039 I'm also listening to them. 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:22.240 There's also moments where I'm silent and just hear what they have to say. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:24.720 There's also moments where I'm sharing things with them. 00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:26.960 It's not just uh, I'm gonna talk all the time. 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:29.200 That's not friendship, that's performance. 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:34.400