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. 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:22.879 This morning we're kicking off a brand new series called Now What? 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.320 I think that's maybe how we collectively feel. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.000 It's like, now what? 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:30.719 Okay, we're over halfway. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:31.679 Can you even believe it? 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:37.679 We're over halfway through 2020, and it's just been a crazy year. 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:45.840 I just want to say some words that help put some of the uh year in context. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:52.479 So think about this in our year, Kobe, and Kobe Bryant dying at the very beginning. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:54.479 Doesn't that feel like that was years ago? 00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:07.599 And then we had COVID and a global pandemic, George Floyd, and the racial justice movement that has uh erupted across our nation. 00:01:08.319 --> 00:01:12.799 And then we look at ahead and going, now what? 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:16.879 And we have a presidential election coming up. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:25.840 2020 has been one of those years that is unlike any other that we, or at least I have ever experienced. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:32.239 And in these ever-changing, uncertain times, we need a spiritual roadmap to guide us. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:35.120 And and we're diving into the book of James. 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:37.840 We're actually concluding at chapters four and five. 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:42.640 And what this is gonna give us is a roadmap for what's coming up. 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:43.840 Like, how do we engage? 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:44.959 Now what do we do? 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:49.840 See, I think there's two really pressing questions that all of us are asking right now. 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:55.920 This whole now what thing is like first question is like, what is going to happen now? 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:57.760 Or what's gonna happen next? 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:02.719 You know, I don't know if you're this way, but you're maybe kind of like holding your breath, like, okay, now what? 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:04.079 What's gonna happen now? 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:05.920 And what's gonna happen now with the world? 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:07.680 What's gonna happen now with the economy? 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:09.759 What's gonna happen now with our country? 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:13.919 What's gonna happen now with uh the pandemic and social justice? 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:16.240 What's gonna happen now with my job? 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.159 What's gonna happen now with my marriage? 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:21.039 What's gonna happen now with my my schooling? 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:28.000 As maybe I know have friends whose kids are starting their first year of college and some are starting online. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:29.599 What's gonna happen now? 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:31.919 And we don't have an answer to that. 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:34.479 We don't know that question. 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:38.719 And we're looking to that question often to answer this next question. 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:40.400 What do I do now? 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:43.039 What do I do now? 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:48.719 What do I do now that the world has been flipped completely upside down? 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:52.319 When my world has been flipped completely upside down? 00:02:52.719 --> 00:03:01.360 What do I do now that that we have a new and fresh awareness of the injustices that are going on in our country? 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:06.080 What do I do now when my marriage is in crisis? 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:18.159 When I lost my job, when when actually someone I love dearly, or maybe it's you, your health is just failing, or you're sick. 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:20.240 What do we do now? 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:31.439 And to answer this question well, we actually, I believe, need a spiritual recalibration. 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:35.520 If you think about a compass, a compass is what directs us. 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:44.000 Like you may not know exactly all what's along the path, but if you have, if you know where north is, you know the direction you're headed. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:55.919 And in an emotionally disorienting time where we're literally turned upside down, chances are the compass of our life has been knocked askew. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:03.199 And so then we're not able to make decisions that are gonna lead us in the way we want to go or the way we need to go. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:17.120 Like the compasses of our soul need to be recalibrated so that we are able to take steps in this turbulent, ever-changing times that are gonna help us to follow in the ways of Jesus. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:18.480 What do we do now? 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:25.439 Well, the first thing is for you and me to engage in a spiritual recalibration. 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:41.920 And this is what James is actually uh addressing with the followers of Jesus who've gone through their own emotionally disorienting time, they've been persecuted, their lives have been turned upside down, and there's they're on, they're fried. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:43.439 Maybe you're that way. 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.160 You're fried, like your whole world is just like like I'm at a 10 all the time. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:55.120 I respond too intensely, or I'm I'm I'm at an all-time low and I'm I'm negative and I'm Nelly. 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:58.319 Negative and Nelly, negative Nelly, you know what I mean. 00:04:58.480 --> 00:05:19.519 Uh, and he here James is gonna go and he's gonna walk us through as a good pastor the spiritual recalibration so that when we say or when we speak or when we act, we can be confident that we're actually walking in the ways of Jesus and it's leading us in the ways that we are to go and the person we long to become. 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:28.480 And the first thing he says for a spiritual recalibration is this he says, if we're gonna engage in this, we have to first examine our motives. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:29.920 Examine our motives. 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:31.199 Listen to what he says. 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:33.920 What causes fights and quarrels among you? 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:44.800 And you might answer, um, my spouse causes the fights and quarrels among us, or my friends, or those idiots on social media that keep responding to my thing or whatever. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:46.800 What causes fights and quarrels among us? 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:51.439 And you're always looking, or at least maybe I am, it's that person over there. 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:53.120 And notice what he says. 00:05:53.439 --> 00:06:00.879 He says, Don't they come from what is uh your desires, that battle within you. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:04.319 He's saying there's a war within you. 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:08.000 We we say things like this, if only they would change. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:14.959 If only, you know, uh they would kind of see things from my perspective, they're the problem. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:19.199 And what James is saying is actually we got to look inside first. 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:21.120 We have to examine inside. 00:06:21.199 --> 00:06:24.720 He says there is a battle, there's a war going on in us. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:30.079 He says, You desire, there's there's, but you do not have, so you kill. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:38.160 And it clearly he's using hyperbole here, but but it leads to things that are cutting and and and hurting one another. 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:46.399 He says you covet, but and you cannot have, and you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and you fight and you argue. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:50.800 Notice this, and this is one of those powerful prayer verses in the Bible. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:54.399 You do not have because you do not ask God. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:59.120 There's just some things we don't have because we just simply aren't praying. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:02.319 Important for us in this season to lead with prayer. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:13.839 And then he goes on, and he says, When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:29.439 First area for us to recalibrate spiritually to know that the internal compass of our soul is pointing in the direction of the person that God has intended us to become, is to examine our motives. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:41.600 See, we often assume the worst of other people's emotives, and we rarely take a deep dive of our own emotives. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:42.959 In fact, it's easy. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:08:02.079 It's easy to point out the wrong of other people's emotives, and you defend your point of view, and this is what we do all the time, or maybe said another way, we're very quick to defend our point or perspective, yet slow to examine our motives. 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:16.800 You know, this is one of those areas for you and for me that we before we speak, before we act, before we respond, we have to look in and go, what's behind that response? 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:18.480 What's behind that emotion? 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:20.959 What's behind those words? 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:29.040 And I don't know about you, but this practice during COVID and this emotionally disorient time has been so powerful. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:45.120 And I haven't done it perfectly, but what I found is as I became so close to reacting or addressing something in anger or responding over here, what I realized is the motives behind it weren't as pure as I thought they were. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:49.679 In fact, it was selfish, it was self-centered, it was self-preservation. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:53.840 A lot of times it came back to my own heart of insecurity. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:58.960 And we have to stop and we have to ask, what is behind my response? 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:04.879 Psalm 139, 23 says, Search me, oh God, and know my heart. 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:08.080 Test me and know my anxious thoughts. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:09.679 Would you do that? 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:21.039 Would you begin to engage in spiritual recalibration of the soul by saying, God, would you search me and show me anything in me that's not of you? 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:27.759 Well, he says, first, examine your motives, and then secondly, identify your allegiance. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:30.320 You have to identify your allegiance. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:32.799 Who are you living for? 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.519 Notice what he says, you adulterous people. 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:36.879 Wow, that's strong words. 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:39.200 He's saying you're having a spiritual affair. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:39.679 Okay. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:46.960 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enity against God? 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:51.039 Like you can't be friends with the world and enemies of God. 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:57.279 Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:00.639 Well, first, let's talk about what friendship with the world is. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:03.440 Because you're like, well, what does that even mean? 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:08.080 John in his letter, 1 John, unpacks it for us. 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:14.960 And actually, if you can flip over there, 1 John 2, uh, verses uh, let's say, start at 15. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:17.840 He says, Do not love the world or anything in it. 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:22.080 If anyone loves the world, love for the father is not in them. 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:29.679 For everything in the world, and we're talking about an ideology, we're talking about a way of life. 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:39.600 He says, for everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life comes not from the Father, but from the world. 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:55.120 What he's saying is when you fall into the ideology that pleasure is the most important thing to live for, when you fall into the ideology that your possessions or your position is what you're living for, your prestige or your power. 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:59.039 And these are the ways that the world says you're a somebody. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:09.519 When you make those your ultimate thing, you have made friendship with the world, and it's so subtle, and we get swept up into it, especially in Silicon Valley. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:14.720 And some have have had that come crumbling down during this COVID season. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:19.360 And what James is saying here is you got to identify your allegiance. 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:21.039 Notice what how he finishes this. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:30.320 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:36.320 Now, let me unpack this picture a little bit because we're missing this. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.039 And for some, you're like, well, this is kind of weird. 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:48.399 Throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament, the picture of relationship that God has with his people is the idea of marriage. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:51.600 It's this oneness, this intimacy. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:54.559 That's why he says, you adulterous people and this jealousy. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:59.919 Now, let's just imagine, I'll use myself, the hypothetical, I've got to make sure it's hypothetical. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.879 You really get this, so I probably shouldn't have used myself for this. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:06.399 But let's just say I was on a date with my wife. 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:11.440 And on this date, I begin to flirt with the latress. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:13.519 Again, I probably shouldn't have used myself on this one. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:14.480 I get it. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:21.840 We're sitting there, and I begin to talk to her and hang out with her, and I leave her at the table. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:26.480 That's not good, right? 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:30.639 This is the picture that James is painting. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:32.240 You're married. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:33.919 You're married to God. 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:42.159 You've made a commitment, you have an intimate, loving relationship, and yet you're flirting with things, and it's flaunting in the face of God. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:43.919 That's why he's so strong here. 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:47.360 That's why he says that it creates enmity. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.159 Like you can't have it both ways. 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:55.919 You can't be married and then playing, you know, the game out there. 00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:07.600 It is one of these pictures that we have to get because I think sometimes we misunderstand and we say things that sound so good, uh, but aren't really that helpful. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:10.480 Like I want God to be my number one. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:13.440 Well, I I got news for you. 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:17.759 God doesn't want to be your number one, He wants to be the only one. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:26.559 So imagine if I went to my wife and said, Jenny, I just want to let you know I really want you to be my number one wife. 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:29.840 It's not a compliment, is it? 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:31.519 And yet then that's what we do. 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:33.039 And he says, No, no, no. 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:37.840 You have to identify your allegiance. 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:47.120 Okay, God, you have saved me, you have loved me, you are the one who died on the cross for me. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:54.159 And when I become a follower of Jesus, I say, your ways, I'm following you. 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:55.440 You are my God. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:14:08.799 It's it's how Joshua, as he ended his time as the leader, and he's looking out across and speaking to the people, and you know, what's his kind of final discourse, and he says, Choose this day who you will serve. 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:16.240 And he goes on, but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:20.799 Question Where's your allegiance? 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:23.919 Spiritual recalibration. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:49.440 It we have to ask that question because it's subtle, and there's things that pull on us, and friendship with the world and distractions that pull on us, and whether it's you know, possessions and having just the right car or house, and there's nothing wrong with those things, but when they're ultimate things or pleasure, power, or your position, he says, identify your allegiance, and then he goes on. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:54.480 And if you have chosen to serve the Lord, then this is the natural response out of that. 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:58.399 Examine your motives, identify your allegiance, and then submit your will. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:00.240 Submit your will. 00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:01.279 Notice what he says. 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:08.639 But even when we are flirting with the world, he says, but he gives us more grace. 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:10.000 Isn't that good news? 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:14.240 He's a God of grace, he's a God of grace, he is a God of grace. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:15.919 You can keep coming to him. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:20.639 He loves you, he longs for you, he longs to have you back. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:24.320 That is why the scripture says, and then he says, God opposes the proud. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:35.200 He's against those who who who boast about themselves, who have themselves at the center of their lives, but he shows favor or gives grace to the humble. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:42.159 He gives grace to those who aren't just like thinking less of themselves. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:44.720 That's not humility, it's thinking of themselves less. 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.519 It's when your eyes are fixed on Jesus. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:51.360 He says then this, and he's going to give us 10 aorist imperatives. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.440 I mean, it's just like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:57.919 And these imperatives are aorist, meaning they demand immediate action. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:01.120 This isn't like, hey, this is a nice idea or you should do this. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:02.799 This is a call for us. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.240 Hey, this is something you need to do now, immediately. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:08.720 He says, Submit yourselves then to God. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:11.120 Resist the devil and he'll flee from you. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:14.320 Come near to God and he'll come near to you. 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:15.440 Resist. 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:17.759 Submit, come near. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:28.639 Like, like if we're gonna submit your our will to God, first we have to say, okay, I'm choosing to submit my will and recognize I've submitted my will to something else. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:32.080 It might be your will submitted to a political party. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.440 You know, Democrat or Republican. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:45.039 Your will submitted to maybe your comfort, maybe your work, maybe your identity and what you do or your family. 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:50.480 And he says, no, no, submit yourselves, bring or arrange your life under is what submission means. 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:53.279 That leads to obedience, and then resist. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:54.399 I love this. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:57.919 There is an enemy that's in opposition to you. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:00.879 And the minute you begin to take this step, you're going to experience opposition. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:03.440 He says, resist the devil, promise he'll flee. 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:04.319 You have power. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:06.000 No need to be afraid. 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:08.160 Resist him, he's out of there. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.960 And great news, come near, draw near. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.920 As you resist him, as you go step near to God, God will meet you and he'll come near to you. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:19.039 Then it goes on wash your hands, you sinners. 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:24.960 Purify your hearts, you double-minded, those that are trying to live, you know, in both the world and with God. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:32.079 Grieve, mourn, well, change your laughter to mourning and your joy to regloom. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:35.599 Now he's not just talking about feeling bad. 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:39.279 And this is where we confuse regret and repentance. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:41.519 He's talking about repentance here. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:47.279 Where regret is really you feel bad because you got caught. 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:50.960 I'm bummed, you know, but I'm really more bummed that I got caught. 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:53.599 And if I didn't get caught, I'd still be doing it. 00:17:54.000 --> 00:18:01.359 Repentance, repentance is an internal change of heart and mind that results in an external change of life. 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:11.599 In fact, the way the apostle Paul would say it in 2 Corinthians 7, he says, godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.440 But worldly sorrow only brings death. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:19.200 See, repentance starts with a mourning, a lamenting. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:32.960 We're learning how to do this as a country and as a church when it comes to the social and racial injustices and repenting and grieving and mourning and sitting with it. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:38.960 Not because there's a getting caught, but because we see that it's wrong and it breaks the heart of God. 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:43.279 And we want we want to be different and we want God to meet us there. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:49.759 He says, humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you. 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:52.799 Spiritual recalibration. 00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:56.160 What's behind what I'm doing? 00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:58.319 Identify your allegiance. 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:00.799 Who are you living for? 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:03.440 And then submit your will. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:07.759 Not my will, but your will be done. 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:13.359 Where is your will currently submitted to? 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:16.880 And would you begin to go, God, you got me. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:19.680 Man, this is a great time, by the way. 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:24.160 This is one of the most important times. 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:36.640 You'll never get a time like this back in your life where you'll have this type of space and this type of distractions taken away so that you can actually return to God and truly submit your will to him. 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:38.799 Would you lean in? 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:40.960 Don't waste this season. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:47.359 And then finally, he says, He says, after submitting your will, know your job. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:50.319 Christians, we need to hear this. 00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:51.839 Know your job. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:52.960 Notice what he says. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:56.799 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:02.079 In fact, the way it's constructed in the Greek is stop slandering, stop speaking against. 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:10.079 Like the the followers of Jesus here had fallen into a habit of speaking negatively and speaking against each other. 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:13.599 And he's specifically talking about those within the community of Christ. 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:15.039 But we can expand it out there. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:25.519 But he's like, stop being critical, stop being a fault finder, stop speaking negatively and cutting someone down. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:33.440 Critics and fault finders jump quickly to every little misstep they see in others. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:36.640 And he's saying, stop, stop it. 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:38.000 And then no why? 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:45.200 He says, anyone who speaks against a brother or a sister or judges them speaks against the law that it judges. 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:46.960 So now you're speaking against the law. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:49.200 You're placing yourself in a position of authority. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.559 He says, when you judge the law, you're not keeping it. 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:54.799 And some of us feel justified, right? 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:58.160 I'm holding the law, I'm holding them to the fire. 00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:01.759 He says, you're not keeping it, but you're sitting in judgment on it. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:04.400 As if you're the creator and maker of it. 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:07.279 Then he goes, there is only one lawgiver and judge. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.680 That's his job, not your job. 00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:12.960 The one who is able to save and destroy. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.880 No, no, this is but you. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:16.400 But you. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:20.799 Who are you to judge your neighbor? 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:24.240 No. 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:26.240 Your job. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:26.880 Question. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:28.319 Am I a critic? 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:30.240 Or am I a contributor? 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:33.119 Question. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:35.359 Am I a fault finder? 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:38.000 Or am I a grace giver? 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:40.799 See, we gotta know our job. 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:48.559 You know, early on in my marriage, um I thought part of my job was to be a coach to my wife. 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:55.519 By the way, anyone who's newly married, like Taylor, right here, um, I just gotta give you a little marriage advice right here. 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:58.559 Your job is not to be the coach of your spouse. 00:21:58.799 --> 00:22:01.359 It'll go really Really badly. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:02.960 Trust me on that one. 00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:04.400 I've failed. 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:08.559 And my personality and my role on staff here is to be a coach. 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:09.359 That's kind of my thing. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:11.279 I love coaching kids, you know, and doing this. 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:16.960 But my role, my job with my wife is not to be a coach, it's to be an encourager. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:19.680 Not to be a coach, it's to be a cheerleader. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:26.079 She has the spirit of God to bring things in her life, and I can cooperate and walk alongside there. 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:32.160 But my role and my job is not to be that coach and trying to help, it's to be a cheerleader. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:40.880 It's interesting, my two boys and we've been doing um different athletic things and training over this COVID season together. 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:49.279 And my older son, and it comes from such a heart to help his younger brother get better, but he goes into coach mode. 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:52.559 And coach mode corrects, right? 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:53.759 We and we tend to correct. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:56.079 Oh, we need to correct this, oh, we need to correct that. 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:03.279 And you can just see his younger brother who looks up to his older brother, just kind of like get frustrated or sad. 00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:10.319 And and I and so I tell Ryder, I'm like, Ryder, your job is to be an encourager, not a corrector. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:13.279 Your job is to be an encourager, not a coach. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:18.079 And so as we're doing these workouts, like right now, we're doing P90X together. 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:20.480 Uh, hopefully you'll see some difference in a few weeks or so. 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:27.119 But we're doing these P, you know, my 10-year-old, 13-year-old doing this, and Ryder's starting to speak, and I'm like, know your job. 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:30.480 It's just one of those phrases we have, and it's a reminder of me, know your job. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:32.640 My job is not to be a coach, be an encourager. 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:38.240 I was first introduced to the power of encouragement uh from the Comers. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:43.519 And if you know Phil and Diane Comer, you know they are the most encouraging people on the planet. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:54.720 And what I saw with them and learned through their parenting thing is they've put encouragement in the toolbox of discipline. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:00.559 Said it's one of the more powerful tools to discipline your kids. 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:04.799 I I mean, I've never thought about it that way. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:12.480 And yet, even as I watch my boys, and when Ryder encourages his little brother, whoa. 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:15.519 I mean, you can just see that boy's confidence. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:16.799 He wants to do it right. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:19.599 Bam! I mean, his whole world expands. 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:28.160 And when I try to coach Jenny on anything, which I'll stop, by the way, you you can see it just doesn't add to it, but it takes away. 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:31.519 But when I encourage, whoa. 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:42.240 See, friends, I think because we've been emotionally disoriented and we're not sure how to navigate the times ahead. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:46.559 I think as a church, we've become critics when we're supposed to be encouragers. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:49.759 We've become fault finders when we're supposed to be grace givers. 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:52.480 We gotta know our job. 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:55.759 We gotta be encouraging one another. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.839 That's what the author of Hebrews would say. 00:24:58.079 --> 00:24:59.119 Encourage one another. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:03.920 Don't mess gathering together, encourage one another as long as it's called today. 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:08.240 That we would be encouragers of one another. 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:12.960 Friends, what do we do now? 00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:23.200 First, we need a spiritual recalibration so that the compass of our soul is pointing true north, so that we know the next steps we're taking. 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:30.400 We may not know what's in the future, we just know that we're taking the right next steps because we're we're in alignment with God. 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:38.160 We got to examine our motives, we got to identify our allegiance, submit our will, and then know our job. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:41.200 We are encouragers, not critics. 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:51.119 Now, as we close, I want to speak back to that, like, okay, now what moment. 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:52.960 Now what? 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:53.920 Where are we at? 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:54.880 Now what? 00:25:55.440 --> 00:26:02.640 And I was reminded as I was scanning Instagram the other day, a friend of mine had this post, and it was a quote from Lord of the Rings. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:03.359 So I get it. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:04.799 I'm kind of nerdy and geeky. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:05.200 I loved it. 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:07.279 I love Lord of the Rings, read them all. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:14.799 And um, and as I I saw it, it was so uh convicting and encouraging to me. 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:25.680 And it's in the moment, if you've seen the movie or read the book when they're in the Mount Moriah or the minds of Moriah, and it's a particularly dark, hard season. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:31.200 And Frodo says to Gandalf, Gandalf's the wizard, you know, the wise old wizard. 00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:33.119 And go to Frodo says this. 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:35.599 I wish none of this had happened. 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:44.240 And I think that's when we're looking at 2020 and we see so much things, and certainly not all of it, we'd say that, but I think we'd say, Man, I wish none of this had happened. 00:26:44.319 --> 00:26:46.240 This isn't the way we started out 2020. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:50.480 This isn't the dreams and the way we thought this decade was going to begin. 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:54.079 And I love Gandalf's response. 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:58.640 And he says, so do all who live to see such times. 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:00.880 He doesn't rebuke them for that. 00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:05.759 And if that's where you're at, I wish none of this happened, not rebuking you for that. 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:08.880 But that's not for them to decide. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:15.680 All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:17.039 Now what? 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:24.880 You have to decide what to do with the time that is given you. 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:32.960 And in this moment, would you take the steps forward this morning to do a spiritual recalibration? 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:38.240 And it begins just with asking the Spirit of God to search your heart. 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:47.200 And as you pray that honest prayer, and I'm gonna lead you in it, he will speak to you and show things and reveal areas. 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:53.759 And then as you submit your will to him, you'll notice that your words will be encouraging and life-giving. 00:27:54.079 --> 00:28:11.920 Lord, I pray for my friends, I pray for us as a church right now in this moment that this would be the beginning for us to be reoriented in a disorienting world, reoriented back to your will and your ways, our vision on you. 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:16.240 And so, God, we collectively pray together in this moment. 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:17.839 Search us, oh God. 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:19.440 Search us. 00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:26.480 See if there's anything in us that is not of you, examine our motives, reveal it. 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:28.000 We want to know. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:32.400 Align our heart with your heart. 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:48.079 Align our vision with your vision, that our lives and our words might be healing, encouraging, grace giving to a hurting and broken world. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:49.359 In Jesus' name. 00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:50.559 Amen.