WEBVTT 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:05.120 Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:06.879 Thank you so much for listening today. 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.439 We hope it encourages you and inspires you. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:10.720 Here's today's message. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:16.800 If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to join me in Romans chapter 14. 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:18.480 Romans chapter 14. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:20.399 We're going to spend our time there. 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:24.800 I'm going to be quoting and referencing quite a few passages of scripture. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:27.519 Some of them I'll read, some of them I'll just reference. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:29.440 So for you note takers, just get ready. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:30.800 I'm going to reference a bunch of scriptures. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:34.880 That way it can kind of help to reinforce some of the things we're going to be talking about. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:37.280 I'm really excited about this series. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:40.880 And I'm also simultaneously sad because it's coming to an end. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.399 Like I think next week is going to be the last week that we're in this Roman series. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:50.799 And I realize that in my heart, we haven't done it justice, which is why we've said make sure that you're reading this book on your own. 00:00:50.960 --> 00:01:03.439 Get a translation of the Bible that you understand, get a Bible dictionary, get some support, but fully, fully engage yourself in the scripture because there's so many topics and themes that we only reference or that we couldn't fully go into just for the sake of time. 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:06.400 But it is one of my favorite books of the Bible. 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:14.480 And each week we've been unpacking these different ideas and themes inside of the book of Romans expressed through this concept of grace. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:18.640 And last week, man, how many of you guys heard Pastor Vinny's message last week? 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:23.760 It it was it was really good. 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:30.799 And for those of you that are clapped and applauded and actually listened to the message, it was great, but I'm gonna tell you why Vinny was wrong. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:34.799 For those that paid attention, you know what I'm doing there. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:40.719 I should have just like did a whole like first heads up our message, the anti-Vinny message. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:45.439 Um, if you didn't catch the message last week, then you'll know exactly what I'm talking about if you go back and check it out. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:51.760 But it was such an incredible message, and as you can see, each week we're talking about this idea of grace and how grace upgrades us. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:56.079 We've been we've been looking at these varying things of grace and how grace is life-giving and it moves us forward. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:05.599 But but as Vinny instructed us, grace also empowers us and it challenges us and it lets us know that we have a part to play, that we're called to do something with the grace that has been extended to us. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:09.120 And so today I want to continue in that line of thought. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:12.800 Now, before I jump into the text that we're about to read, I want to give us some context. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:21.759 It's really important for us to really immerse ourselves in the context in which the scripture was written so we can understand what it is the writer is trying to help to communicate with us. 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:27.199 Now, you've heard us say that the church in Rome um was filled with Jews and Gentiles. 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:40.479 And if you've been around us long enough that you understand the distinction between the Jews, the the Jews are God's chosen people, the ones that God has identified and said, it's through this lineage I'm gonna bring the Messiah that's gonna bring um salvation to the entire world. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.599 The Jews were God's selected people to usher in the Messiah. 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:47.520 The Gentiles are everyone who's not Jewish, literally everyone who's not Jewish. 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:56.000 And so what you'll learn is from the Jews, from the time we read the Old Testament, we see God engaging them and in essence telling them how he wants them to function. 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:59.520 And some of those instructions were places they could go, places they couldn't go. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:05.680 Things they could do, things that they couldn't do, things they could eat, things that they couldn't eat, places they things they could drink, things that they couldn't drink. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:14.080 God was doing all these things so that in the world where people didn't have access to God, that they could look at the people of God and say, Okay, that's what it means to be set apart. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:20.800 So now we understood that that is what it meant to be a Jewish person that is following the one true God Yahweh. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:21.759 Powerful moment. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:27.759 Then Jesus comes on the scene and he begins to kind of disrupt some of those, some of those patterns and rhythms that came into place. 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:29.439 And so people are a little confused. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:43.360 That's why we see when Jesus is doing ministry in the gospel that the Jews, the the Pharisees, the Sadducees, these Jewish people, they were they were conflicted because they're like, wait a minute, like we were told all these years to stay away from some of these people, and you just out here hanging out like it's all good. 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:45.039 Make it make sense, Jesus. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:50.319 So Jesus is trying to help them to understand, like, he's going to fulfill every single one of those rules. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:54.159 I'm gonna fulfill every single one of them because if we're honest, you couldn't do it anyway. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:56.000 You were doing a terrible job at it. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:04:01.120 So I'm gonna come, I'm gonna do it for you, and then you can live in freedom through me. 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:03.199 Beautiful idea, beautiful idea. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:11.360 So Jesus does this, he lives this perfect life, he gets persecuted, he ends up getting crucified, he rises from the dead, and now this powerful idea of salvation is birth. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:13.599 He died the death that we couldn't die. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:20.399 He lived a life that we couldn't live, and he was resurrected so that we're now empowered and freed from the penalty of sin and death, hell in the grave. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:22.959 That's enough for us to celebrate the goodness of God over. 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:28.399 So now he goes up into heaven, and then we know the great commission. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:42.319 He tells his Jewish disciples, now go offer to every single one of the nations, those nations that I called you to be separate from, go into them and let them know that there's a pathway for them to experience this precious salvation that's now made available. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:45.519 They're like, Okay, cool, we're gonna go. 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:51.279 But now the tension becomes do we do we go and we bring all of our traditions and rhythms with us? 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:52.319 Do do we do we go? 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.920 And so now the Gentiles are now being exposed to the gospel. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:57.199 This is what the book of Acts is. 00:04:57.279 --> 00:04:59.600 We're seeing Gentiles be exposed to the gospel. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:06.079 But if I can be honest with you, they don't have the baggage that the Jews have, they don't have all the rules and all those regulations. 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:15.839 So they hear, wait a minute, you mean that I can love God, I can worship God, I can still keep some of my culture and customs, and and and I don't have to do all this other stuff? 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:18.240 Cool, I'm sign me up for that faith. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:21.199 So, so the Gentiles are living their best life. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:24.959 A little bit too much, if we can be quite honest, but but nonetheless, they're doing the best they can. 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:29.920 So now the the Jewish believers are looking at them and saying, bro, you're wrong. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:32.480 How how dare you eat that food? 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:34.720 Do you not know that that food is not kosher? 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:40.000 Do you do you not recognize that that food was actually offered up to a to a to a false idol? 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:43.600 Do you not realize that those drinks were were poured out for demonic spirits? 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:44.480 How dare you do that? 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:49.120 And so the Gentiles are like, bro, first and foremost, back up. 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:52.079 Secondly, yo, these things don't even mean anything to me. 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:53.759 I prayed over it, it's all good. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:58.399 So now this is the tension that is existing inside of the Roman church. 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:06.000 Paul is recognizing that the Jewish believers are looking at the Gentile believers and saying, Hey, you guys aren't really saved because I can see it in your behavior. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:11.680 The Gentile believers are saying, Hey, I'm freed from all of that stuff, so I don't need to do that, so you guys need to catch up. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:16.720 If I could put it in terms that we could probably understand, brace yourself. 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:22.560 It was basically a faith that was expressed in a liberal expression and a conservative expression. 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:28.560 I just want to prepare y'all that I will step on everyone's feet during the course of this message. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:30.959 No one is safe today. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:32.560 Stay tuned. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:34.720 This is the context of the message. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:46.720 This is the context of what Paul is writing to with the Roman church, a church that is on the verge of being completely divided and split because one believes it looks this way and another believes that it should look this way, and it is causing pure anarchy. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:54.240 So Paul comes in and says, like, man, I gotta regulate this because it's not God's will for you to create different churches and different denominations. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:58.319 If you notice in the Bible, there are no denominations. 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:05.040 It has never been the will of God for the people of God to be divided into the way that they want to express their love for God. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:09.040 Vinny, I need to move on, right? 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:11.600 I have time. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:13.360 Are you sure, Vinny? 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:14.959 You know what that means for me. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:19.839 So now we have this tension, we have this drama that has been building up. 00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:21.680 Churches that are on the verge of splitting. 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:24.079 So so Paul says, I need to come in and pastor y'all. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:25.680 Let me help y'all really, really quick. 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:28.560 So now we find ourselves in Romans chapter 14. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:35.199 Keep all that tension, all that drama that I just shared with you, and now listen to the words that I'm about to read to you. 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:45.759 So here's what Paul says accept other believers who are weak in the faith and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:53.680 For instance, one person believes it's all right to eat anything, but another believer with sensitive conscience will only eat vegetables. 00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:58.240 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:02.959 And those who eat who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do. 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:05.839 For God has accepted them. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:09.360 For God has accepted them. 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:13.040 Whether you eat, whether you don't eat, God has accepted them. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:17.600 Whether you're liberal, whether you're conservative, God has accepted them. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:19.360 God has accepted them. 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:23.680 And then he says, Who are you anyway to condemn someone else's servant? 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:29.360 He's pulling in the Roman context because there were slaves and different masters gave their slaves different rules. 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:36.480 So he's saying, Who are you to judge another household servants if we only recognize that we are all servants of the Most High God? 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:40.720 And some things God will put on us, He won't put on other Let me keep moving. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.679 Who are you to judge another household servant? 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:46.720 Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:49.759 And it's with the Lord's help they will stand and receive approval. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:50.639 Verse number five. 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:56.960 In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another, while others think one day is just like just the like. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:03.039 You should each fully convince that whichever day you choose is acceptable. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:06.480 Those who worship the Lord on a special day, do it in honor of him. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:09.519 Those who eat food do it so in honor of the Lord. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:18.080 Since God, they give thanks to God before eating, and those who refuse to eat certain food also are pleasing to the God because they give thanks to God. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:21.679 For we don't live of ourselves and we don't die of ourselves. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:23.360 If we live, it's in honor of God. 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:26.799 That means if we do things that we want to feel free in, that's an honor to God. 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.639 If we die, that means if I sacrifice certain things, it's in order to honor God. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:33.279 So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:39.200 Christ died and rose for this very purpose, for us to be free and how we choose to express our faith for Him. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.919 So why do you condemn another believer? 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:44.159 Why do you look down on another believer? 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:49.039 Remember, we all will stand before God for ourselves. 00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:54.080 We are about to have some fun in here today. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:10:06.639 Because I'm honestly of the opinion that the drama and the tension that we see in the Roman church is the exact same drama and tension that we see in the church today. 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:10.320 And and Jesus is saying, enough is enough. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:11.440 Knock it off. 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:17.519 Everyone is going to stand before me, and who do you think you are that you can determine what it means to be saved and what it doesn't? 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:22.320 Fall back, and as this message title is called, stay in your lane. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:26.240 Let's pray and let's get into this thing today. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:27.519 Lord, I thank you for your word. 00:10:27.840 --> 00:10:32.320 I thank you so much for your people, God, and I thank you for an opportunity for us to gather. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:43.759 Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus that you give us open eyes that we can see you, open ears to truly hear what it is your spirit is speaking to us, and open hearts to receive everything that you want to deposit into us today. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:46.240 Transform us, inspire us, challenge us. 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:47.919 It's in Jesus' name that we pray. 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:50.320 Amen and amen. 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:57.600 I I would say that when I was younger, I was a neighborhood um athlete. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:59.600 I was incredibly athletic. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:05.200 Now, when I say athletic, I mean I I couldn't play basketball and I couldn't play football, but I was very fast. 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:06.879 I just had natural speed. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:10.639 And so in the neighborhood, I was the person that you had to be in every race. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:15.279 Like people would bring their family members into the town and be like, look, they come knock on my door, like, is Keith there? 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:16.559 And I come out, I'm like, what's up? 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:17.679 Like my cousin wants to race you. 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:19.039 I'm like, I'll be right back. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:20.000 Go outside, smoke them. 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:21.360 I mean, I should have been charge of money. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:22.559 I was so good at this thing. 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:25.200 So I was very, very fast when I was coming up. 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:31.120 So when I get into middle school, um, I'm I'm in middle school and I don't actually like try out for any sports. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:35.600 But here I am in gym class one day, and I'm smoking everybody in a varying races. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:37.279 Remember, do they still have gym class nowadays? 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:38.399 I don't even know if that's still a thing. 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:40.879 Um, but Nicole told me they do. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:42.159 So she's a teacher, I trust her. 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:46.559 Okay, so so I would, I would, so the gym teacher saw me, who also happened to be the track coach. 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:48.480 He's like, hey man, I I need you on a team. 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:50.159 I'm like, all right, bro, say more. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:51.440 I'm a free agent right now. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:53.440 Um he said, man, like I gotta get you on a team, man. 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:54.720 You're you're fast, like where have you ran before? 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:57.279 I'm like, man, just in the neighborhood and run away from dogs and all that type of stuff. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:58.799 You pick up speed doing that. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:01.039 So so now he's like, all right, great. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:03.279 Like we have a meet coming up um tomorrow. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:06.080 I would love for you to come and be on the team and run in the race. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:06.639 Great. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:09.519 I have not been to one single practice whatsoever. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:17.679 So I show up with just pure raw speed, and then I get into that 100-meter race, and I'm I'm walking up and I look around, and he's like, Okay, Keith, all you gotta do. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:20.639 Because again, I'm not used to like any like real like rules. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:25.039 It's just like, hey man, somebody's gonna stand there and say, ready, set, go. 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:27.200 And then you go, and then whoever wins is the winner. 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:28.159 So that's what I'm used to. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:29.519 So he's like, okay, you gotta get there. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:32.159 Then I learned about you gotta get in a certain position, you gotta pose up. 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:37.120 So as I'm walking up and I'm sizing up the competition, I I mean, I was a little dude, but I had I had a lot of swag. 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:39.759 I was like, these dudes don't even know it's about to happen right now. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:43.519 So I line up, go, I take off, and guys, I win. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:44.639 I smoke them. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:49.200 I'm walking around, I'm doing victory laps, I'm dancing, I'm I mean it's it's crazy how fast I am. 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:53.919 So then the coach comes to me and he's like, hey man, listen, I'm gonna bump one guy and I want you to be on a relay race now. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.240 I need you to bring in, I need you to be the last leg on this race. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:59.759 All we need to do is get a sufficient amount of points and we're gonna win this thing. 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:01.360 I didn't know how track worked. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:03.039 I didn't understand point systems. 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:06.639 All I knew is that I'm gonna run, put me in a direction, and I'm gonna go for it. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:08.799 So now he's like, okay, so here's what the relay is. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:10.159 Again, I have no training. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:12.960 So he's like, okay, there's gonna be a part where you're gonna be standing there waiting. 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:15.919 You gotta get in position, and they're gonna come and they're gonna hand you the baton. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:21.279 He keeps telling me, you gotta open your hand up, wait till you feel it, grasp it, turn, tuck, and run. 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:22.480 I'm like, okay, I got it. 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:28.080 So in my mind, I'm thinking to myself, position, open, grab, tuck, run. 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:28.639 Easy. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:31.120 So I see the guy coming, and as he's coming, I'm getting ready. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:33.120 And he's told me, like, hey, you can't cross his line. 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:36.639 So as he comes, I didn't realize that you could actually start running in preparation. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:37.919 So I'm just standing there waiting. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:39.600 He hands it to me, and there's like, run. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:42.480 So I'm picking up my speed, and people are already ahead of me. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:44.879 So I got a lot of ground to make up at this point. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:52.080 But like I said, your boy got skills, so I'm moving and I'm catching up and I'm catching up, and I'm finally coming around this corner, and and there's this one guy. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:57.279 And the whole time since we had this entire meet, he was talking a little bit of trash, I was talking trash. 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:00.799 So as I'm running next to him, I don't know what it was inside of me. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:09.360 He's right next to me, and I just start looking at him, and I start seeing that he goes behind me, and I literally shake my head and I keep moving forward. 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:10.879 And I win the race, guys. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:12.799 I went, where's the celebration? 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:14.720 Guys, I win the race, guys. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:16.000 Affirm me. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:17.600 I mean words of affirmation, guys. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:19.200 I win, I win the race. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:22.639 I get to the end of the race, man, and I'm dancing, I'm doing a Michael Jackson moonwalk. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:24.960 This was the 80s, so I'm doing my thing, I'm all excited. 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:28.399 And and then my and my coach comes to me and is like, man, I we were disqualified. 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:30.159 Like, what are you talking about? 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:31.600 He said, We were disqualified. 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:32.960 Like, that it didn't count. 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:34.320 We we we've lost the meat. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.639 And I honestly did not understand what he was saying. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:38.480 I'm like, I am the fastest person out here. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:39.279 What are you talking about? 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.200 He's like, Keith, we were disqualified. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.039 And I keep going on, I keep egging at him. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:45.039 I'm like, man, I'm the best person out here. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.480 And then he hit me with this. 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.159 It doesn't matter how good you are if you lack the discipline to run in your lane. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:54.000 See, somebody's catching it. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:06.080 He said that when you were running and you looked over, you started coasting over into his lane, you actually cut him off, caused him to stumble, and that is why you ran with such an advantage. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:08.960 I never forgot those words. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:14.720 It doesn't matter how good you are, if you are cutting into people's lane and you're causing them to stumble. 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:34.720 When I look out at the church, we are so consumed with running and looking in other people's lanes, we don't realize that we've disqualified every impact that we could make because we're causing people to stumble with rules and regulations that God never told them to carry. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:44.480 I genuinely don't know how we got to the place where we feel like it's our responsibility to police everything. 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:51.279 I I don't know when we got to the place where we feel like we have to have a comment on every single thing. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:55.360 And and we we don't even know what it means to have discretion anymore. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:57.679 We don't even know what it means to meditate anymore. 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:12.240 We feel like we have to be vocal about every single thing in the world and not realizing that when the world looks at us and says, hey, you're a representative of Christ, but I'm a firm believer that if you're representing the kingdom, then your behavior should represent the king. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:18.240 And unfortunately, we are doing things that are causing people to stumble. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:22.480 My God, I can't even like let me let's let's go here for a minute. 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:24.399 We're in the middle of the pandemic. 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:28.639 I'm minding my own Christian business in my front yard. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:39.600 Coming back from the grocery store, bringing my groceries into my home on my property, and my neighbor, three doors down, comes up and says, Hey, you know you don't have to wear a mask anymore. 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:42.559 No, I didn't have my mask on because I'm at home. 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:47.919 I had my mask on my wrist, and I was like, I was like, okay, he's like, he's like, yeah, you know, I mean, this this this virus isn't even real. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:55.679 I'm like, well, man, I, you know, I had it and thought I was gonna die, but you know, I guess it was all in my mind, psychosomatic, if you will. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:56.960 But but okay, fine. 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:07.039 For the next 45 minutes, he proceeds to angrily discuss how he's so disappointed at people who are wearing masks, and and why are you wearing masks? 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:10.079 And here's the thing I'm not here to argue one side or the other. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:11.920 I genuinely don't care where you land on it. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:16.559 What I'm saying is, why are we so upset with something that somebody else chooses to do? 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:23.920 What why do we feel that when I see you with a mask on, it infuriates me so much that I I gotta go and say something to you. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:33.519 I I feel like I I feel like I need and as we sat there and talked for 40 minutes and I was trying to redirect the conversation, I finally just said, hey man, help me to understand why this bother you so much. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.160 Help me to understand why why is this a thing for you? 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:42.559 Like, why why is it what someone else chooses to do bothers you so much? 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:44.160 He said, Because we're free. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.160 And I'm like, so that means they're free to wear m. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.839 Okay, I'll move on. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:57.119 It's just fascinating to me how we feel that it's our responsibility to police other people. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:03.359 I think that we just need to look at Jesus because if you notice, Jesus, Jesus never forced himself onto anyone. 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:10.000 Revelation 3.20 actually says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:18.400 And if anyone hears my voice and they open the door and lets me in, then I will sit with them and we will have fellowship together. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:25.519 Jesus tells his disciples, I want you to go out and reach people, but if they don't want to let you in, shake the dust off and keep it moving. 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:32.000 Jesus consistently shows us through his ministry and through his life, he never forced himself onto anybody. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:37.200 But somehow we've got it to the point where Jesus saying, I come at the door and knock, we're like, nah, Jesus, move on, kick this door in. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:41.519 Somehow we believe it's our responsibility to move Jesus and tell him, Hey man, I got this. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:46.160 Let me kick this door in and let me rub, let me, let me run who it is to be a Christian down people's throats. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:50.559 We're not realizing that we're causing people to stumble. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:56.000 Have you noticed that Jesus never says, Let's take over the world with spiritual martial law? 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:03.039 Because in the mind of Christ, he understood the difference between the kingdom and the empire. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:10.559 And unfortunately, I think that we think that our country is the kingdom and we have lost sight that it's the empire. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:16.720 What if we began to look at the world we live in as our mission field instead of our base of operations? 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:22.160 That we begin to recognize that when I come to church, that's my base of operations. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:24.000 My home is my base of operations. 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:27.599 But when I'm out in the world, I'm going to recognize that this is my mission field. 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:28.559 Listen to me, friends. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:33.200 The job is not to get the world to look like the church, it's for the church to stop looking like the world. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:39.759 Jesus is saying to us, you are causing people to stumble. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.359 We are called to influence, not invade. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.839 We're called to inspire, not instigate. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.240 We're called to build bridges, not build walls. 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:54.240 Jesus said, I want you to recognize, give to Caesar what is Caesar, but understand the things that belong to God. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:20:00.160 He was making it very clear that there's a distinction between the empire and the kingdom. 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:07.200 When we come into the empire forcing the kingdom onto people, it is causing folks to stumble. 00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:12.640 I read a survey recently where it talks about people who are indifferent to the gospel. 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:17.759 And you know, not a single person said they had an issue with Jesus, they had an issue with his believers. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:23.759 So it turns out the world isn't the biggest threat to the church, but we are. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:37.599 Because they look at how we treat one another, they look at how we treat people who don't have a relationship with God and are saying to themselves, why would I want to be a part of something so divisive and mean spirit and that doesn't even look like the person who originated it? 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:47.440 Paul is looking at this tension and he's trying to help the Roman church to understand, hey, you guys are beefing with one another and the world is watching. 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:54.000 You guys are arguing with one another and you're losing your opportunity to influence the world because you're acting like the world. 00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:02.559 He says, I need you to recognize that there is a difference between being a person who has a kingdom mindset and an empire mindset. 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:07.839 And he was trying to help them to understand that in the kingdom there is grace for our differences. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:12.160 In the kingdom, it may look a little bit different, and there's grace for that. 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:17.920 Stop trying to force your ways onto people in a way that causes others to stumble. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:23.599 He introduces this concept that we now refer to as Christian liberties. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:26.240 That's that's understanding this. 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:30.079 There is a kingdom standard, but there's also Christian liberties. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:38.319 Kingdom standard is simply this it's knowing that we are going to be obedient, as Pastor Vinny said, to the things that God tells us to do. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:40.079 We're going to serve one another. 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.200 That's what God says. 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:42.079 We're going to give. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:43.039 That's what God says. 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:44.240 We're going to go to church. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.119 That's what God says. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.000 We understand that there are things that God tells us to do. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:49.440 That's not open for negotiation. 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:50.400 We're going to do those things. 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:52.000 Those are kingdom standards. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:54.880 But then there's other things that are Christian liberties. 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:59.759 That means recognizing that the Bible doesn't specifically say that you can't do these things. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.160 So I'm not going to force them onto you. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:07.200 There's a big difference between kingdom standards and Christian liberties. 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:14.640 We need to learn to use our discernment to be able to navigate through the God, the grave, and the gray. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:20.720 The things that God tells us to do, the grave being the things that He tells us not to do and the gray. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:25.279 The things it's kind of like you didn't know that was in the Bible, did you? 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:27.359 Here's a Hebrew version of it. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.119 Greek version of it. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:31.359 American version of it. 00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:34.000 Or in America, we say, man, you do you. 00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:39.279 Understanding that there is a difference between each of them. 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:48.240 We're going to absolutely be people that follow God's instructions, but we got to be careful that we're not putting things and adding things to the cross. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:23:00.160 Man, when I when I first got saved, man, I got saved in a very legalistic environment to say the least. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:06.240 When we got radically saved, I remember that following week we went and got baptized. 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:07.279 That's what you do. 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:08.160 I was instructed. 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.319 Hey, now that you're saved, you got to get baptized. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:14.079 So that very next week they held a special baptism just for me and Megan. 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:15.279 We went and got baptized. 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:24.160 As soon as I came out the water, I felt this newness of life, but I also heard someone whisper in my ear, hey brother, now that you're baptized, you got to take that earring out and make sure you keep that tattoo covered. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:25.920 Literally. 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:28.079 First thing I heard. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:29.519 So I'm like, all right, great. 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:34.480 And what I would often hear people say, if you are saved, this is what you'll do. 00:23:35.599 --> 00:23:37.519 If you're saved, this is what it looks like. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:39.359 If you're saved, then you read a Bible. 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:40.799 If you're saved, then you serve. 00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:42.720 If you're saved, then you give. 00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:50.400 And what it creates is this if I don't do these things, or if I fall short of these things, then I lose my salvation. 00:23:50.880 --> 00:24:00.640 So you end up living your life feeling as if that salvation is this carrot that God dangles in front of your face, and God forbid if you make one mistake, it's gone. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:06.799 I grew up in a church discipline where if you miss church, you've missed God. 00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:08.640 Like literally. 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:10.559 Like you couldn't go on vacation. 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:14.880 You couldn't do anything except, man, if you don't go to church, then you've missed it altogether. 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:17.279 So now we were in this environment. 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:27.279 I grew up in a church place where it's like, hey, um, you better make sure that the women are wearing dresses and they can wear just a little bit of makeup, but you can't put on too much makeup because that's too much like the world. 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:31.680 I'm trying to help y'all understand what it looks like when we add to the cross. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:35.680 I I was told that, hey, you need to tithe your time in prayer. 00:24:35.920 --> 00:24:40.720 So God forbid, if I prayed for two hours and didn't get that 40 minutes in, then I'm basically not saved that day. 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:42.799 I gotta start all over again the next day. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:47.599 I'm trying to help you to understand what it does to people when we add to the cross. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:50.640 Because we add it, if you're saved, you'll do this. 00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:56.799 But if we only understood, it's actually should be since you're saved, this is what God invites you to do. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:01.359 Since you are saved, he invites you to go into a time of prayer and spending time with him. 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:04.319 Since you are saved, you have an opportunity to be set apart. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:09.759 Since you are saved, he invites you to be able to be in fellowship with him and to serve God's people since you were saved. 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:12.160 We work from salvation, not for it. 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:20.480 Man, when Megan and I were coming up, let me tell you, everything was a sin. 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:22.319 Everything was a sin. 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:28.720 I got saved two weeks in, they were like, hey, brother, so you know, um, I know that you said that you used to make rap music, man. 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:29.519 That's really cool, man. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:31.599 If you got any collection, man, you gotta throw it out. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:34.799 I'm like, man, I got an extensive CD collection. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:36.559 Like, man, that's just gonna tempt you, brother. 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:38.240 You better throw every single one of them CDs out. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:40.559 If that's if you're saved, you'll get rid of it. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:41.680 Great. 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:43.599 Got rid of every single thing that I had. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:51.440 If you're saved, then man, you you better stop going to the movies because you know that there's there's there's there's sinners in in the movie theater and and and it can it can rub off on you. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:56.640 Literally, it can rub, it can rub off on you. 00:25:57.519 --> 00:26:13.359 As if the blood of Jesus is so weak that me simply being in proximity with someone that's not a follower of Christ, that I'm somehow going to better not. 00:26:13.839 --> 00:26:15.279 So we we got rid of everything. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:19.759 We got rid of our movie collection, we got rid of our CDs, and and I love movies. 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:22.400 We we couldn't we couldn't dance no more, we couldn't do anything. 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:24.960 It was like, hey man, you are separate, be ye separate. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:33.519 And they're quoting these scriptures now that I'm mature in the faith completely out of context, but they're quoting these scriptures to justify why you can and can't do different things. 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:40.319 I got into a car accident, and and when I'm going to physical therapy, my therapist said, like, hey, you know what's gonna help you if you do some yoga stretches. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:40.720 Great. 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:43.119 I start doing yoga, my back starts feeling better. 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.920 I go to church, my pastor's like, Hey man, I see that you're doing much better. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:46.880 How are you doing better, man? 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:48.079 I'm like, man, I'm doing yoga. 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:49.200 Oh my god. 00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:51.759 Yoga is demonic. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:53.440 Do you know the origin stories of yoga? 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:56.640 You better not do yoga because if you do, you're inviting demonic spirits into you. 00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:58.400 I'm like, bro, I'm just stretching. 00:26:58.720 --> 00:27:01.920 I promise you, I'm not doing any chanting, I'm not doing any of that. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:04.160 I'm just literally just stretching and it's helping my back. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:05.119 Bro, you can't do that. 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:08.880 So I'm walking with a limp for an extra two years because I'm not allowed to stretch. 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:13.200 What are we doing? 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:20.880 We we then it got it got really interesting because then I had another Christian friend of mine came to me and I was like, hey man, like you know, Merry Christmas. 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:22.640 He's like, Man, Christmas is pagan. 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:25.279 Have you ever done research on an origin? 00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:27.519 I'm like, I thought that was Jesus' birthday. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:30.079