WEBVTT 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.280 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:11.599 We exist to awaken this generation to new life in Christ. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.039 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.399 To find out more, go to awakeningchurch.com. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:19.519 Well, happy Mother's Day. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:20.640 My name's Ryan. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:24.000 We're so thrilled to have you join us today. 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:26.079 And uh man, what a special day. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:30.320 I actually I just want to give a shout out to my wife. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:32.240 Happy Mother's Day and my mom. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:33.759 Mom, hey, you're watching. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:35.840 It's so good to have you apart. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:36.880 Happy Mother's Day. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.200 And then to all the moms in our community. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:46.079 Man, we wish we could gather together, but we're so grateful that we can do it in this way and celebrate you today. 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.799 Um, I just came across this the other day for Mother's Day, kind of fun thing. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:52.159 It said, news alert. 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:57.200 Moms are the most likely to carry coronavirus with no symptoms. 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:01.200 The best course of action is to keep them away from men and children. 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:11.519 Your designated quarantine area or areas are local wineries where you should remain for at least 14 days, you know, just to be safe. 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:21.439 I know that even this year it may be one of those years where you're going, like, you know what, a quiet house might be the best Mother's Day gift yet. 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:33.120 Uh, but we're just glad to get to be together and to celebrate you and so grateful for the impact that you have on our church and on our uh kids. 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:34.640 And we love you. 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:41.840 Uh, as we transition now, we um we've been in a series called Resilient. 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:56.719 And we are closing up our series Resilient uh today, and we've been talking about this idea of resiliency and what resiliency really is, it's the ability to withstand or to recover from a difficult situation. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:06.480 It's this ability to stand strong in the face of a storm, to be knocked down, but the ability to get back up. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:14.960 And so we've been asking and wrestling with this question how how do you have resiliency in the face of a difficult situation? 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:28.319 In the face of this COVID moment, in this crisis, when when things at home are maybe a struggle or things at work or the future's uncertain, how do we have resiliency in this? 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:31.360 And we've been studying uh the book of James. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:37.759 Uh now the James is writing to a people who are in their own COVID moments. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:46.080 If you want the full context, you can actually go back and look at Acts chapter 8 and see the moment of what he's navigating. 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:48.240 James was the half-brother of Jesus. 00:02:48.560 --> 00:03:00.560 He was the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and the church had just experienced intense persecution, and everyone was scattered from their homes and afraid. 00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:14.800 Their lives were upended in this moment, and he's writing to them in their COVID moment of how to navigate, how to respond, and how to be a follower of Jesus even in this season. 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:23.039 And that's why he opens up his letter to them this way He says, consider it pure joy or all joy, my brothers and sisters. 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:33.439 Whenever you face trials of many kinds, and we're all experiencing different kinds of trials, even though we're all in the same trial together, isn't it? 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:33.919 True. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:38.000 And he says, When consider it joy, you can actually reckon it joy in this moment. 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:38.319 Why? 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:48.639 Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, it develops this ability to remain under, this strength to withstand. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:52.639 It develops when we persevere, a resiliency. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:55.759 Perseverance, it says, must finish its work. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:57.439 We must allow it to finish its work. 00:03:57.520 --> 00:03:57.840 Why? 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:02.719 So that we can be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:13.199 I think there's such a great picture of what it looks like to be resilient in our day, of what does it look like with good times or bad times? 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:30.399 In difficult situations and when things are going great, to be a person who has been developed to the point where there's this maturity, there's this wholeness, where your circumstances don't determine whether you have or lack anything. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:37.920 And so we've been wrestling with this idea of resilience and talking about uh in week one, uh, it's tempting. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:41.279 Like, how do you have resiliency in the face of temptation? 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:43.360 Uh, what do I do when temptation knocks? 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:45.439 Week two, we talked about it's emotional. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:50.879 How do you navigate the destructive emotions that we're all experiencing? 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:54.720 Uh, this is an emotionally disorienting time, isn't it? 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.240 And what do I do with the emotions inside of me? 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:05.360 Last week, my dad talked about it's powerful and our response to God's word and what it does to transform us. 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:09.759 This morning, we're gonna talk about it's practical. 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:12.800 Like, James is gonna get real practical. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.399 Like, what do we do? 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:20.079 And maybe have you ever wondered as we've been talking about this, like, what do resilient people do? 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:21.199 What are their habits? 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:22.720 What are their practices? 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:24.240 What do they do? 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:33.279 Whether it's a good time or a bad time, the circumstance may change, but these actives, activities, these practices do not change. 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:40.800 And what we're gonna discover, there are specific practices of resilient people, regardless of their circumstance. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:46.240 And so if you got your Bible, would you open up to James chapter 1, verse 26? 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:48.800 James chapter 1, verse 26. 00:05:48.959 --> 00:06:01.839 You can click on the notes tab if you're watching on Church on the line forum, or you can open your UVersion app, or if you're analog like me, you can open your Bible to James chapter 1, verse 26. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:06.959 He begins this way Those who consider themselves religious. 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:15.360 Religious uh is you know, we don't naturally think of ourselves as religious, we think of ourselves as spiritual. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:28.160 He says, Okay, well, then say those who consider themselves spiritual, or those who consider themselves a Christian, those who consider themselves a follower of Jesus. 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:32.319 This word religious refers to the outward acts of worship. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:38.000 Those who attend awakening, those who are in a group, those who give, those who are doing the Bible reading app. 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:46.800 This is who he's talking to, those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues, deceive themselves. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:49.279 And the religion is worthless. 00:06:49.519 --> 00:07:02.560 Then he goes on religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:04.160 It's practical. 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:16.240 In fact, what we're gonna see is there's three specific practices of mature followers of Jesus, or better yet said, resilient people. 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:18.879 What are these three practices? 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:25.920 He's gonna first say, mature followers of Jesus, those that have been refined and are resilient. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:31.439 The first practice is they actually have the ability to bite their tongue. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:36.319 They have the ability, as James says, to reign in their tongue. 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:38.959 That word reign is the word bridle. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:46.160 It's the picture of a bit in a horse's mouth that that controls it, that you bridle, you're able to hold and check. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:59.680 You notice he said those who consider themselves religious that are like, hey, we're in this, we're followers of Jesus, and yet if you're not able to control what's coming out of your mouth, he's gonna say something pretty powerful. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:03.120 He's gonna say, we deceive ourselves. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:15.439 That word deceive is he's uh one writer says, the self-deceived person is the one whose religious acts do not make a difference in the way they live. 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:28.399 Like I am worshiping God, but then my words that come out to my neighbor, my words that come out to my kids, my words that come out about my coworkers are are just cut. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:35.200 And he says, You can't be worshiping God and say, and then have your words tell a different story. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:36.960 And this is what James is doing. 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:44.799 He's actually connecting our understanding of worship with our understanding of wisdom and saying, those two go hand in hand. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:46.720 Proverbs talks a lot about this. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:49.039 Think about this, Proverbs 10, 19. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:55.120 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongue. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:56.399 Proverbs 11:12. 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:02.960 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:09.440 Proverbs 17, 27, the one who has knowledge uses words with restraint. 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:20.240 This whole idea of bridling or holding back our tongue, like spirit, this practice of, okay, I it's starting to come and I'm gonna hold it back. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:26.960 Well, why does James go to the extent to say, like, man, your religion's worthless? 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:27.679 That's kind of harsh. 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:29.919 And I know it's pretty convicting for me. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:35.279 Well, he's building off of what Jesus was saying in Luke chapter 6, verse 45. 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:41.360 Jesus has something that's so powerful and poignant when it comes to our words and revealing. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:50.000 He says, A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:54.480 For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:58.720 The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.120 So this is why this is so important. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:06.480 See, I think when we think about our words, we're just like, Well, I didn't mean to say that. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:10.399 Or we might say, I'm just trying to be honest, keep it real. 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:14.639 It was just, it just slipped out and it's no big deal. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:23.600 And what Jesus would say is that what comes out of our mouths actually reveals what's going on inside of our hearts. 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:36.320 Like what is flowing out of our mouths, and especially in these moments, in these crisis moments, like it begins to reveal the condition of our heart. 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:40.240 It's not just a thoughtless word or just I didn't mean it. 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:44.720 Jesus would say, No, there's actually some hard things going on in there. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:56.240 In fact, uh, many of you right now, you're watching me and you have your coffee with you, like I have my coffee, or maybe you have orange juice or or water, or you have something else because it's Mother's Day. 00:10:56.320 --> 00:10:56.960 I don't know. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:08.879 Um, but here's what you just imagine, you know, if you had a dog that ran up and jumped on you right now, or maybe your kids jumped on you right now, or maybe your roommate bumped you. 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:17.039 And what you know, and what I know is the minute we get bumped, the contents in your cup, my cup, spill out. 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:20.559 And whatever the content is, is what's gonna spill out. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:23.039 And so if you have orange juice, orange juice is gonna spill. 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:24.799 If you have coffee, coffee's gonna spill. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:38.720 If you have water, and here's what Jesus is saying when it comes to our words, like, what spills out of your mouth when you're bumped is revealing the contents of your heart. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:40.720 He's like, what is that? 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:50.399 And this is why this is so powerful, this practice in these seasons of resiliency of like, okay, I'm gonna be so aware of my words right now. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:12:01.360 Because I know that it's pointing to something in me that that has this potential to spill out, and it's actually pointing to some heart things, it's like an indicator. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:04.320 I I gotta be aware of my heart. 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.759 Let's think about this. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:12.320 Maybe raining in when bumped, maybe for some gossip words that come out or boastful words. 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:16.399 Maybe it's slander or you're cutting someone down or criticism. 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:36.639 It's easy when bumped, I think, in this season for me to go towards the naturally negative and just kind of look at the glass half empty and just kind of be a Debbie Downer, or maybe it's crude and maybe it's harsh words for you as you've been bumped. 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:38.320 We've all been bumped. 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:40.159 What's been coming out? 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:43.120 What's what what's what's been spilling out? 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:50.320 And Jesus would say that's gonna reveal something deeper in our hearts, you know. 00:12:50.399 --> 00:13:07.279 Uh, when we're talking about it's emotional and us talking about anger, um, I'm trying to gather the whole family to sit down and watch the service together, and um, you know, Miles was getting up, going over here, and Ryder's going over here, and I couldn't get everybody all focused. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:10.080 And I you probably've had this same uh experience. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:21.519 I'm trying to get everyone focused, and I'm finding as we're about to watch me talk about anger, that I'm getting angry in the moment and getting frustrated with my kids, and I'm just like, and my kids can feel it. 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:25.840 And my daughter Ella just is like, Are you getting angry and gonna talk about anger? 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:28.639 I'm like, no, kids, man. 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:30.320 And she was right. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:42.480 See, sometimes what gets bumped is just frustration and these emotions, and and it's just that indicator of something deeper going on inside of me. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:55.840 And so what uh the mature person of Jesus or the resilient, they have this ability to bite their tongue and then bring their heart before God. 00:13:56.320 --> 00:14:02.879 See, it's like I can bridle it, I can hold it in, and that takes a process, that takes time, it just takes awareness. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:09.840 And but then he's like, okay, I'm gonna bring my heart, I'm gonna bite my tongue, I'm gonna bring my heart before God. 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:11.919 The first area, bite your tongue. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:14.320 Second, roll up your sleeves in love. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:29.360 Notice what he said religion or worship, spiritual acts that God, our Father, accepts as pure and faultless is this to look after orphans and widows in their distress. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:39.039 He's gonna say, resilient people don't simply look in and try to figure out how do we just make it through. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:45.519 What they have the ability to do is they're gonna roll up their sleeves and look out and go, Who can we love? 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:47.759 Who can we love? 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:55.600 Who are the people that God has put along our path to be the hands and feet of Jesus? 00:14:55.919 --> 00:15:01.519 This word look after means to go see a person with helpful intent. 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:03.919 It's actually proactive. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:11.200 I'm going to go see a person, I'm gonna go out of my way, and my heart and my intent is how can I help? 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:16.159 What in what ways can I bring aid and hope and to you? 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:21.679 Uh the apostle Paul would say it this way in Galatians 5 6 the only thing that counts. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:22.879 Think about this. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:25.200 That's a big statement. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:29.120 The only thing that counts is faith. 00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:34.720 Okay, so the confidence that God is who he said he is, and he'll do what he said he will do. 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:40.879 Faith, your worship with God, expressing itself through love. 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:54.720 That we are fundamentally, regardless of what the circumstances are, to be a people of love, marked by love. 00:15:55.200 --> 00:16:03.120 In fact, the early church in the moments of crisis were fundamentally known for their love. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:13.840 When plagues hit a town, they would risk their lives to care for sick and to bring aid while everyone else fleed. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:17.440 He says, roll up your sleeves and love. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:19.759 This gets back to the heart of God. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.000 Micah 6:8 says, He has shown you, oh man, what is good? 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:26.480 What does the Lord require of you? 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:32.240 But to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:43.279 That we're supposed to have this combination of just acts and love of mercy that that looks after the most vulnerable and hurting in our society. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:54.480 Psalm 68 talks about that God is a father to the fatherless, that he's a defender of the widow, that he sets the lonely in families. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:16:56.720 Like that's the heart of our God. 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:00.080 And so that is to be the heart of us. 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:06.400 And so, followers of Jesus, we're to roll up our sleeves. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:11.279 Really resilient people have this practice, whatever the season, and we're gonna love. 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:13.039 Well, who are we gonna look after? 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:16.880 We're gonna look after those that often get looked over. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:22.240 We're gonna look after those that so often get looked over. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:24.079 Well, who are they? 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:26.240 First, it's the vulnerable. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:34.720 It's the vulnerable, it may be vulnerable economically, maybe vulnerable when it comes to health or age. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:37.119 Think about the foster care system. 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:56.559 And we've been supporting uh and have supported foster the bay, we've been uh who works with foster care, and we support Avent homes and and what they do to get people out of human trafficking, the vulnerable, the ostracized, the outcast, the overlooked. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:33.119 I I think this week has been a real painful week of not just living in the pandemic, but seeing the the evil of racism, and that that is such a reality in our world that you know we've kind of we I've forgot a little bit because we uh are in just such a weird season, and we saw just the evil of that moment, and it reminds us as followers of Jesus, we're to be a voice for the voiceless. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:38.240 We're we're to to lean in and call out for justice. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:51.599 We're to be a people that says, okay, we are going to fight for those who are able to fight on their own to bring about healing and hope in life. 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:57.599 See, this this is just what it means to be a follower of Jesus no matter what season. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.759 The vulnerable, the ostracized, and the invisible. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:08.160 The people we don't see, the people that we can tend to overlook. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:15.119 I think in this season, the invisible is often the homeless and what they're going through. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:29.519 Invisible might be a neighbor that you just really had no idea what they were going through because you because we often don't ask maybe that deeper question and know what's really going on in their life and their struggles. 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.799 It says, roll up your sleeves and love. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:39.519 My friend Christina says it this way you don't have to look hard to find pain and hurt. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:41.039 And boy, isn't that right? 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:42.880 You don't have to go far. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:44.640 We just have to start looking. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:47.680 We have to do that look after instead of looking over. 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:51.200 And church, I'm proud of some ways that we're doing that. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:20:02.400 I already said foster the bay and advent homes and what we're doing with Haiti and how we're engaging with Del Mar and those families and our care team and homeless and the way we're praying and connecting there. 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:08.000 And yet I think there's some practical things for us as a church to go, let's get our hands dirty. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.880 Let's not just pay, you know, write a check. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:11.599 That's great. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:13.200 So I'm not saying let's not do that. 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:19.440 We need to do that, but let's actually get our hands dirty, let's get involved in someone's life together. 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:31.680 You know, as this season hit, I have one neighbor down the street that's uh she lives on her own, she's an older lady, and I just wanted to go, hey, however, we can help, whatever you need. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:36.240 And she emailed me and say, Hey, could you run and get this prescription? 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:38.319 Or I need this picked up at the grocery store. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:40.640 It's just a simple, simple way. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:54.960 Because I think sometimes we hear this and we think it has to be big, grandiose, or and I think really it's just what Andy Stanley said so many years ago: do for one what you wish you could do for everyone. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:05.680 See, we get overwhelmed by the needs, we get overwhelmed by the pain around us, and so unfortunately what happens is we end up not doing anything at all. 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:14.319 And so you can't do everything for everyone, but you can and I can do something for someone. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:26.079 And if we would lean into that and go, I'm gonna do something, one specific thing, and I'm gonna go and get my hands dirty, I'm gonna roll up my sleeves and begin to love people. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:37.440 Maybe it's a phone call, maybe it's checking in, uh, maybe it's beginning to pray specifically for your neighbors or people that you're going, God, open my eyes to the needs around me. 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:44.240 You're not gonna go far until you run and trip over, and God's gonna put people along your path to love. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:48.960 Three spiritual practices of the resilient of the spiritual mature. 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:59.200 There's this, there's this restraining of our words, there's this rolling up our sleeves and loving, and finally, there's an engagement of a spiritual detox. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:05.359 Mature people, resilient people engage in a spiritual detox. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:13.440 Now, right before our shelter in place hit, I was training for a triathlon. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:15.680 I to 2020 I had the goal. 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:17.519 This is my last year before my 40s. 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:22.319 I was gonna do two different triathlons, one that was a shorter sprint, one that was a fuller one. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:31.440 And so I was getting into you know rhythm with that, working on my diet, working on my exercise, all these sort of things, and then shelter in place hit. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:35.440 And I gotta let you know that everything fell apart. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:37.440 My diet fell apart. 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:42.000 Um, my workout regimen fell apart, and it almost felt like, well, why even try? 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:49.759 I mean, the I we're probably not gonna be able to do the um triathlon, and now I know we aren't gonna be able to do the triathlon. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:23:07.519 And literally for a number of weeks, and maybe you found this to be true as well, is I began to engage in coping or numbing activities that were not actually nourishing my soul, nourishing my mind, or nourishing my body. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.559 It had to do with just numbing out to TV. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:29.039 Um, I was talking with my buddy Reed, who's helping with the live stream, and and we were talking about the quarantine 15 all at the beginning, and and it's just one of those things of like you're now home and the fridge is there all the time, and I just found myself just kind of going in and just eating when I was bored and all these sort of things. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:30.799 And it was only a couple weeks ago. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:38.559 I'm like, I gotta, I gotta like adjust because this is not healthy, and we have to do that spiritually as well. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:41.279 We gotta engage in a spiritual detox. 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:45.440 Notice what he says about this true religion that God, our father, accepts. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:55.119 He looks after the orphans and widows, and then notice what it says, and keeps oneself from being polluted by the world. 00:23:55.359 --> 00:24:06.400 Like, like there is this active keeping or uh abstaining to keep yourself from being polluted or tainted uh by the world. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:14.799 Now, when James is talking about the world, he's not talking about the world the way we kind of think about the world, like we think about the people in the world. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:25.200 He's actually addressing uh what and different biblical authors talk about this in the New Testament, and they use the word world here, cosmos, as the world system. 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:33.119 It's the value and beliefs underneath uh this world that are opposed to God and his ways. 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:42.000 One author said it this way: it's the total system of evil uh that pervades every sphere of human existence. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:49.920 And he's saying there is this proactive keeping yourself from being polluted by that world system. 00:24:50.720 --> 00:25:02.319 Now, I thought that word keep was interesting, and I wanted to look up because uh earlier in our relational intelligence series, we talked about don't follow your heart and above all else, guard your heart. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:14.559 And I thought, well, there in Jesus' day, actually, just prior to Jesus, uh, there was this big undertaking to take the Hebrew scriptures and translate it into Greek because so many people spoke Greek in that day. 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:15.839 It's called the Septuagint. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:25.680 And so I was curious, was this the actual Greek word that the writers then used to translate the Hebrew uh word here, guard? 00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:33.759 And it it is, in fact, and so it says, above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:35.119 He says, keep oneself. 00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:41.759 James is making this clear connection between Proverbs 423 and right here. 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:45.039 Guard your heart, keep oneself from being polluted. 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:52.480 There's things that want to contaminate and that will actually kill your joy, that will kill your peace, that will kill your life. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:56.160 Keep yourself from being polluted by those things. 00:25:56.400 --> 00:26:00.000 Well, the question is, well, how do we engage in a spiritual detox? 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:04.079 Well, first, we got to identify the toxins in your world. 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:05.839 What are the things that are contaminating? 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:07.599 What are the things that are polluting? 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:16.400 John would say it this way if you want to flip over just a few pages to 1 John, 1 John 2, verse 15. 00:26:16.559 --> 00:26:18.319 He says, Do not love the world. 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:22.319 That's that world system, or anything in the world. 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:27.279 If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:32.960 It's like you can either love what's going on in the world and the things of this world or love God. 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:37.920 There's there's not like this in-between land, and so many of us try to live in the in-between. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:39.200 He says you can't. 00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:49.440 And he goes, for everything in the world, and it gives three areas, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father, but from the world. 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:56.160 The world and its desires will pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:11.599 And he begins to unpack this lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, that there are these things that are that are like these sirens calling, saying, These will provide happiness, these will provide meaning, these will provide significance and security. 00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:18.240 And it is calling you and drawing you away from your purpose and your relationship with your heavenly father. 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:24.640 The lust of the flesh is this calling, the siren of possessions. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:28:00.000 It's it's materialism and consumerism, and we get so consumed with keeping up with the Joneses, with driving just the right things, of wearing just the right things, of looking and being in shape and making sure we post that to Instagram, or so envious of how everyone else is living and looking at their, you know, travel things and going like, well, I don't get that, or the lust of the eyes, and this whole idea of pleasure or autonomy or or your freedom to do and be whatever you want to be, and the boastful pride of life as we pursue power, we pursue platforms and prestige. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:09.119 Now we talk about it being an influencer, and you have to identify the toxins, just like you would if you're gonna do a detox with food. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:11.839 What are the toxins that I'm gonna take out? 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:14.799 And then what am I going to put in? 00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:21.359 And so identify the toxins in your world, then begin a daily habit of clean thinking. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:24.400 Begin a daily habit of clean thinking. 00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:32.960 The apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12 would say it this way: do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:34.160 Same word here. 00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:36.799 The world's system, the values. 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:40.960 That word conform literally means to be molded or shaped. 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:50.640 Don't allow the world's systems and values and ideology to mold you and compress you and to form you. 00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:53.920 Instead, he says, but be transformed. 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:58.400 That's the Greek word metanoia, where it literally is that metamorphosis reality. 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:00.480 Allow yourself to be transformed. 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:00.880 How? 00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:03.519 By the renewing of your mind. 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:08.960 See, what you put into your mind is of principal importance. 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:12.640 Every day you have a decision, what will I put into my mind? 00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:17.039 And whatever you put into your mind, you become eventually. 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:19.839 And we have to be so careful. 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:25.839 As parents, we have to be so careful of guarding what we allow our kids put into our mind. 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:30.480 And as parents, we have to be so careful of what we put into our mind. 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:38.000 As young adults, and not so young adults, you never grow out of this. 00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:43.359 He says, Would you begin a daily habit of clean thinking? 00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:49.119 See, I think in this COVID arena, sometimes we're just going, we're just coping and hoping to get through, right? 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:57.359 And and so then we just numb out, and Netflix became our best friend, and we're watching stuff maybe we'd never watch. 00:29:57.519 --> 00:30:06.160 And frankly, I get really nervous when I hear what I followers of Jesus who say, I'm a follower of Jesus, but I'm watching this show. 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:07.279 Like, you know what? 00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:17.039 The the the violence and the sex and the um, oh, there's another one that always, oh, the language doesn't bother me. 00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:24.960 Well, maybe it doesn't bother you, but could it be because you've allowed those things to form you? 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:31.599 You know, you know, we get used to pollution that we don't even notice it and we just accept it as the normal reality. 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:33.839 And he says, no, no, no. 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:35.599 Do not conform. 00:30:36.240 --> 00:30:38.799 Begin daily getting into God's word. 00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:48.400 Go back and listen to last week's sermon and begin to get God's word in your mind so that you can understand what is true and what is good. 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:50.559 He says, then you'll be able to test. 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:52.799 This is Romans 12, the end part of two. 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:55.279 Then you'll be able to test and approve. 00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:59.920 Like your life will experience and be able to demonstrate God's will. 00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:01.039 What is God's will? 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:04.880 His good, pleasing, perfect will. 00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:15.039 See, one of the great lies when we're talking about this is that God is somehow trying to keep you from fun and holding out. 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:20.799 And there's all these other areas, and you know what, if you dive into those areas, that's real life. 00:31:21.119 --> 00:31:22.079 No, no, no, no. 00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:26.319 God's trying to keep you from harm, and he wants the very best for you. 00:31:26.799 --> 00:31:40.400 You know, when I was a boy, we went to visit my um my aunt and uncle in Kentucky, and they had an Atari, and we didn't grow up with video games, and so this Atari was like the coolest thing ever. 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:43.440 And I remember seeing the Atari, and I was like, oh my goodness. 00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:55.039 And I started playing, and my brothers were playing on this, and then the whole family was going to go out, and I didn't really know where they were going or what they were doing, and they just said, Hey, we're gonna go out. 00:31:55.119 --> 00:31:56.960 Would we why don't you come with me? 00:31:57.119 --> 00:31:59.119 So I'm like, I'm loving playing the Atari. 00:31:59.519 --> 00:32:02.240 I just I mean, no, I'm just gonna stay here. 00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:13.039 And I remember the time they're gone, I'm just playing all the different games that they had, and then they walk in the door, and someone's like carrying this really big stuffed animal. 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:17.680 And I looked up and was like, Where'd you guys go? 00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:20.720 Oh, we went to a carnival. 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:24.079 A carnival? 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:31.279 Yeah, and then they begin to tell me about all the things and the funnel cake and the rides and and all the stuff that they experienced. 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:34.640 And I was like, Oh my goodness. 00:32:35.599 --> 00:32:45.519 Had I known I was missing out on the carnival, I would have said no to the Atari because the carnival was way cooler and the stories they were telling me. 00:32:45.599 --> 00:32:48.480 I'm like, man, I don't want to miss out on that. 00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:51.519 And that's how we live. 00:32:51.839 --> 00:33:05.200 We settle for things because that's what we know, and yet the reality is, is God says, I have something so much better for you here. 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:06.079 C. 00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:06.480 S. 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:11.440 Lewis picks up on this in his quote in The Weight of Glory. 00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:29.039 He writes, We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the Islam because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. 00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:32.160 We are far too easily pleased. 00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:38.559 Like God loves you, He wants the very best for you, He's not holding out. 00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:42.960 And so, would you engage in a spiritual detox where you go, you know what? 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:44.720 I've been watching movies, I shouldn't be watching. 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:47.839 I've been on social media and it's just contaminating. 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:54.480 In fact, there's some friendships that are actually polluting right now and engaging in conversations that aren't there. 00:33:55.359 --> 00:34:03.359 And you begin to experience and be renewed and experience his good and pleasing and perfect will. 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:08.400 See, this is what resilient or mature people do. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:10.559 This is this is how they respond. 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:21.280 They they bite their tongue, they they love people well, and they engage in this spiritual detox, and you're going, like, well, where do I begin? 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:24.000 How does that help me today? 00:34:24.079 --> 00:34:28.239 And here's what I'd say take that and reverse the order. 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:30.800 Take that and reverse the order. 00:34:31.039 --> 00:34:35.840 And so, today, would you begin a spiritual detox this week? 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:41.760 Where you would begin to go, okay, what am I going to stop allowing into my mind and into my heart? 00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:45.760 There's a stopping, and and I'm gonna begin to get into God's word. 00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:54.079 I'm gonna start playing worship music and get my heart and mind uh there, and then roll up your sleeves and love someone. 00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:58.880 Spiritual detox, and then roll up your sleeves and love someone. 00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:00.960 And here's what you'll find. 00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:09.840 Here's what you'll find is your tongue will be an indicator of you the condition of your heart, and you'll begin to see, oh, you know what? 00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:11.039 I was able to hold that. 00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:28.320 I you know what, I'm able to see these things, and God's beginning to form and change me, and it'll be an indicator of you seeing, oh God, you're actually changing my heart because I would have responded this way, and and look, I was able to withhold that moment. 00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:34.079 Well, let me pray for us and we'll continue in worship. 00:35:34.880 --> 00:35:38.800 Jesus, thank you for my friends, thank you for the time together. 00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:52.000 God, I just ask that in this moment as we respond to your word, we wouldn't just be hearers of the word like we talked about last week, but we would be doers. 00:35:52.960 --> 00:35:58.719 God, I ask that there would be a specific next step for each person to take. 00:35:59.199 --> 00:36:06.159 That you would give them the courage to do it no matter how hard it is, and that you would make us mature and complete. 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:11.360 You would make us resilient so that we could love people well. 00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:16.000 We can be your hands and feet to a hurting and broken world. 00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:17.360 In Jesus' name. 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:18.480 Amen.