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. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:23.359 Well, today we're in Reset, our series part two. 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:24.960 And here's what I know. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:37.119 After the year we have just gone through, and for many, after perhaps just how this year has begun, we all need to hit the reset button in our life in some way. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:39.200 For some, it's spiritually, isn't it? 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.079 Maybe you're drifting or feeling distant from God. 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:55.200 For others, it's relationally, and you're feeling uh maybe they're broken, or relationships are needing to be mended in some way, maybe in your marriage or with your kids or with a friendship. 00:00:55.679 --> 00:01:03.840 Maybe it's directionally, and you've been wrestling on which way to go and and where am I at and what am I about? 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:20.719 Or perhaps it's personally, where after this year you feel overwhelmed and anxious and discouraged, and uh maybe the coping has turned into unhealthy habits that have followed you into 2021. 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:27.359 And the question for us is how in the world do you hit the reset button in your life? 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:30.319 That's what we're wrestling with in this series. 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:42.000 And in Colossians chapter three, the Apostle Paul tells us very specifically and practically how we hit the reset button in our life. 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:53.040 In fact, this series has the potential, if you will apply it, to be life-changing and transformative for your 2021. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:54.560 Last week we said this. 00:01:54.799 --> 00:02:00.159 We said this that reset is possible because in Christ you have a new starting point. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:01.599 That it's actually possible. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:02.640 It's not improbable. 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.200 This is something that can happen. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:13.840 Uh, you don't start broken, you don't start doing better, you don't start somehow, you know, uh never gonna change. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:15.680 You start in Christ. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:17.680 What the apostle Paul said, raised. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:22.000 You have a new identity and position in Christ. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:25.759 You start in victory with him. 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:33.360 And then reset requires a rhythm of consistently setting your mind on things above. 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:44.639 You have spent a lifetime training your brain and taking in thoughts that are untrue, and you have to take responsibility for your thought life. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:56.319 You have to change the playlist of your thought life and then bring it in alignment with God's word if we're gonna experience a reset in our life. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:02.319 Now, after last week, for some, you might be wrestling with me and going, you're like, that's great, Ryan. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:05.280 I love that I have a new starting point and things above. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.639 Great, I've been trying to do that, or 21 days of prayer. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:17.520 But what in the world do I do with all of my old habits and practices and patterns? 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:24.560 I know we stepped into 2021, but 2020 followed me into this year. 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:40.800 And the question is what do you do with all your old patterns of living, with all your old practices, with all your old behaviors, with all the things you long to see God change and transform in your life? 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:51.680 The apostle Paul is going to give us really specific and poignant instructions about what to do and how to address the old patterns of our life. 00:03:51.840 --> 00:04:00.000 In a Colossians chapter 3, verse 5, we pick it up and he says this put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature. 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:01.919 Wow, that's big time, right? 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:02.560 That's heavy. 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:03.919 That's a strong start. 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:04.719 Put to death. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:14.000 Then he goes on sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, which is idolatry, because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:18.319 He goes on, he says, You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:31.279 This used to be just the normal way of your life, but now you must also rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language from your lips. 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:37.120 Sounds like the apostle Paul is reading what's happening in our society today. 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:46.000 He says, Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:51.120 It's a process in the knowledge, in the image of its creator. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:05:04.000 Here, there is neither no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, sentient, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:15.439 And so, and so, what do you do with all your old patterns of living? 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:21.360 Here's what the apostle Paul is saying in that section of scripture. 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:33.120 He's saying to hit the reset button in your life, if you really want to do it, what you have to do is do whatever is necessary to cut out destructive habits. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.639 You have to do whatever is necessary. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.600 That's what remember, he says, put to death. 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:52.240 He's like, do whatever is necessary for destructive habits, destructive behaviors, things that are pulling you down and destroying you and taking you out. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:06:00.560 You know, the picture here, I think, uh, that best illustrates this is the picture of cancer. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:14.240 Uh, when the apostle Paul is saying put to death, it's this, it's this cutting out and taking away something that is fundamentally uh broken and will kill you if you don't take it out. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:19.680 You know, cancer is a growth that tends to proliferate in an uncontrollable way in your body. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:26.160 Here's what we know cancer is not healthy, it is in opposition to your health. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:35.040 Cancer, though it grows in your body, it's not a part of your body, it's an aberration, it's not a part of who you are. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:41.360 And cancer left unchecked, undiagnosed, untreated is lethal. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:46.639 And all of us, and some of you have walked through this. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:55.519 If diagnosed with cancer, you will do whatever it takes to get it out of your body. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:06:58.800 You will cut it out. 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:08.560 In fact, you'll do chemo, which is you will put poison in your body to kill it so that it will not kill you. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:19.519 This is the picture that the apostle Paul is saying: do whatever is necessary to cut out destructive behaviors. 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:30.720 Now, when the apostle Paul begins to talk to us about life transformation, he follows a theological formula known as the indicative imperative. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:40.480 Because this is so important, because if we don't understand this, we'll fall into legalism, somehow trying to do good to earn our way to God. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:42.959 That is not the gospel. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:50.000 And yet we are called, God loves you too much to leave you where you are at, to leave you in what you're doing. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:55.439 He longs to transform you and take out the things that are destructive in you. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.759 But we must understand the process of God. 00:07:57.839 --> 00:07:59.920 It's the indicative and the imperative. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:01.120 He follows this formula. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:07.839 And so if you know this, uh in Romans chapter or in the book of Romans, Romans chapter 1 through 11, it's the indicative. 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:09.759 It's what Christ has done for us. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.720 It's what's true of you because you are now in Christ. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:22.000 And then chapters 12 through 16, it's the imperative, how we are to live as a result of what Christ has done, what is true of you. 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:23.360 Ephesians, same thing. 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.079 Ephesians 1 through 3, it's the indicative. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:31.199 It's all that is true of you, your identity in Christ. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:34.639 And then chapters 4, 5, and 6, the imperative. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:40.720 Out of your identity, out of this reality, you then start living this life. 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:44.320 And this is what Paul is doing in Colossians. 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:46.240 In fact, look at this right here. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:47.919 He said, Started our last week. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:49.679 Since then, you've been raised. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:52.080 Your position, the indicative with Christ. 00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:56.000 Set your hearts on things above, set your minds on things above, not on what? 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.639 Earthly things, your old life. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:08:59.600 For why? 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:02.000 You died, it's dead. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:05.519 Your life is now hidden with Christ. 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:09.360 You are now covered in Christ with God. 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:18.879 And so, out of that reality, that positional truth, put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:30.080 See, what the Apostle Paul's telling us, doing whatever's necessary, he's saying it's just learning to live out the life that's already true of you in Christ. 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.639 It's living out what is already true. 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:37.759 It's not trying to do something that, like, hey, I just gotta work towards this. 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:40.399 It's this is who you are. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:45.279 And so as a result, this is how you are to live. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:48.559 And so I love how NT Wright says it. 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:58.720 He says this if Christians have already died and risen again with Christ, whatever belongs to your earthly nature must be put to death. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:10.879 And the question we're wrestling with, and the question that is so hard, and many of you have been stuck on is this how do I break the power of destructive habits in my life? 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:13.600 How do I break those? 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:20.000 How do I move forward instead of just stay stuck in this cycle? 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:28.080 In this text, the Apostle Paul gives us four specific steps to break the power of destructive habits in our life. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:44.720 Four steps for us as we take these with him in cooperation with the Spirit of God, we experience life change and transformation and break the power of these habits and what's holding us in bondage. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:46.240 Notice what he says first. 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:49.279 He says, step one is do a proper diagnosis. 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:52.000 You gotta do a proper diagnosis. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:59.679 If you don't get a proper diagnosis, you'll never know exactly what's wrong, and you'll be addressing the wrong things. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:14.879 You'll never get, well, you know, years ago, it's not that many years ago, but a couple years ago, uh, my son Miles and I and the rest of the kids, we're all riding bikes and we're going down this steep ravine and just having so much fun. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:18.159 And he said, Dad, can I can I just go one more time? 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.960 And I mean, it just was like, Yeah, absolutely. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:27.919 Now, as he was going down, there were other boys that were coming from a different direction, and it was in a tree line, so you couldn't quite see. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:40.320 And so he's speeding down this hill, eight years of old age, and then all of a sudden I see another bigger boy coming in the opposite direction, speeding down, and I didn't know what to do. 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:42.480 And I wasn't sure, do I yell? 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.000 Maybe they'll miss each other. 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:46.080 Like if I yell, I'll scare them. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:53.360 Well, he just clipped the back of that boy's bike, and I mean, as a dad, I just watched this and it feels like it was in slow motion. 00:11:53.440 --> 00:12:00.639 He literally flipped twice in the air and he just slammed to the ground, and then it was silent, and that was scary. 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:08.639 I mean, I sprinted down to him, and then he finally came to thank God he was wearing a helmet, and I mean, he was in pain. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:13.279 He was in such pain that I, I mean, just he's the toughest kid I ever known. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:14.720 He was in so much pain. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:21.200 And we I knew, like, I'm pretty sure he broke his collarbone and he where he's, and so we get him into the car. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:27.360 I'm taking him to the hospital, to the ER, and you know, every bump is just so painful for him. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:37.120 And and we get in line and we're standing in there, and he's holding it, and he's finally calmed down just a little bit, and maybe just the shock and the numbness is is taken in. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:43.120 And and there's a guy in front of us, and he turns around, and Miles is crying, he's like, What's wrong with him? 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.519 Like, I think he broke his collarbone. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.159 And and all of a sudden he acts like this expert. 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:50.080 He's like, Oh, well, can you do this? 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:51.120 Can you raise your arm? 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:53.759 And honestly, I this is not a good dad moment. 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:56.080 I should have said, Turn around, man, just leave my kid alone. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:56.720 We're here. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:58.559 And but I was like trying to be nice. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:00.399 And so Miles is like, Yeah, I can do that. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:01.759 He's like, Oh, he's fine. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:03.440 He didn't break his collarbone. 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:05.279 Uh, he'll be fine. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:19.039 Now, we could have just taken his word for it and walked out and just said, Well, you know, the guy in front of us, he seemed pretty knowledgeable, and uh he he coached, you know, kids, and I, you know, he probably knows. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:22.240 He had him do a couple things, and so he didn't break his collarbone. 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:24.240 We didn't do that, and thankfully we didn't. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:27.360 After we got the x-ray, this is what we saw. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:39.759 And I don't know if you can see that on the screen as well, but this is his collarbone, and one bone's right here, and the other bone's up here, and there's a big old gap he snapped his collarbone into. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:48.080 See, what we didn't need was some guy's diagnosis in line at the ER. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:59.039 What we needed was a proper diagnosis from a doctor that can see the x-ray of what's really going on and say, no, this is broken. 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:01.519 This is broken, this is not good. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:09.840 In fact, you need to hold it into place for a few weeks, six weeks to be exact and let it heal intact. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:11.519 And here's the problem today, friends. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:12.720 Listen, don't miss this. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:13.679 Here's the problem. 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:25.519 We are settling for pop diagnosis from guys in lines in front of us instead of from the great physician, the author of life, who said, This is how I've designed life to be. 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:34.159 And so many people are walking around broken and fragmented and hurt and pain, and they don't understand why. 00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:45.279 Because they haven't accepted the diagnosis of the good physician, not to hurt you, not to keep you from fun, but to heal you. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:47.840 You see, notice what the apostle Paul said. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:52.320 He said, put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:57.279 And then he begins to diagnose the brokenness of our earthly nature. 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:09.519 And did you notice that the apostle Paul he confronts or addresses all the things our culture condones or excuses? 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:13.759 Sexual immorality. 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:24.399 Sexual immorality is uh any type of activity sexually outside the bounds of marriage between one man and one woman for life. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:26.399 Like Ryan, that's pretty constrictive. 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:29.440 I know it's God's design for our human sexuality. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:31.679 It says impurity. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:38.399 This is any activity of that that is morally impure or related to sexual sin. 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:39.919 Then it goes on to lust. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:16:01.279 It's the desire to gratify uh your sexual activity in something that is not according to God's design or uh in a wrong way, in these passions, these uncontrolled desires to fulfill that uh in an illegitimate way, self-indulgent craving, and greed. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:09.440 Greed, this is our culture, the consumer culture. 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:22.240 One writer said greed is the arrogant and ruthless assumption that all other persons and things exist for one's own benefit, and this defines our world. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:32.320 This defines much of my world as well as your world, that we think things exist for us. 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:39.039 And he says, these things are creating death and brokenness and destruction. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.720 And you're going, Ryan, you know what? 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:42.720 That's pretty old school. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:46.399 We're progressive, we've moved on. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:54.320 Here's what's interesting what we call progressive today is just actually regressive, it's as old as time. 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:57.200 Notice what theologian William Barclay said. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:02.320 Uh, he said, chastity was the one completely new virtue which Christianity brought into the world. 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:02.879 Huh. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:03.600 Interesting. 00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:11.119 In the ancient world, sexual relationships before marriage and outside marriage were the normal and accepted practice. 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:15.279 Sexual, the sexual appetite was regarded as a thing to what? 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.640 Be gratified, not to be controlled. 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:21.039 Doesn't that sound like our culture? 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:24.400 Doesn't that sound like exactly what you've been told? 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:29.359 You can do whatever you want to do with whoever you want to do as long as it doesn't hurt anybody. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:39.039 Well, I'm telling you, what God's word says is hurting someone and it's hurting you, and it's creating such pain and chaos and destruction. 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:51.680 And you're taking pop diagnosis from a guy in front of you, or the culture, or social media, or from politically correct whatever, instead of from the author of life. 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:52.559 It goes on. 00:17:52.720 --> 00:18:22.000 But now you must also rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language from your left, anger, a settled attitude of hostility, rage, a verbal outburst of anger, malice, a vicious disposition that results in the hurt of another, slander, an insult to cut another down, to speak ill of filthy language, obscene, poor taste, or dirty talk. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:29.359 See, Christian speech must be kind and pure, honest to everyone and everywhere. 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:43.599 And you just take this one thing and you look at social media, and I don't care what other people are doing, what Christians are to do says none of this should be on the list. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:47.119 None of this should be a reality for us. 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:51.599 And if and what he says is put it to death, kill it. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:54.319 It's cancerous in our soul. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.359 Step one, you have to do a proper diagnosis. 00:18:57.519 --> 00:18:59.039 Who are you listening to? 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:04.160 Who is are you listening to to say this is true, this is right, this is good. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:09.839 Chances are it's not God, the great uh physician, the author of life. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:12.720 Then you have to embrace a new perspective. 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:15.279 See, you have a decision every time you get a diagnosis. 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:16.000 Did you know this? 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:22.240 Every time you get a diagnosis, you have a decision to am I going to take it for real? 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:24.240 Am I going to believe that? 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:27.039 You know, you go to a doctor and you say, hey, guess what? 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:34.960 If you continue this way of living, you're gonna get diabetes or you're you're gonna be in a serious unhealth and you can decide, hey, you know what? 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:36.559 I don't really care for that. 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:38.319 I'm gonna continue my way of living. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:39.039 That's fine. 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:42.319 Now you know the direction and the path you're on. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:52.000 See, if we're going to experience a reset, what we have to do is we have to have a proper diagnosis and then embrace a new perspective. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:57.119 Here's the perspective sin is a cancer to be killed. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:02.319 It's a cancer to be killed, not a mistake to be excused. 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.160 It's a cancer. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:07.920 You're like it's small, it's not that big of a deal, it's internal. 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:16.079 Notice what he goes on to say, verse six because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:20.160 You used to walk in these ways in the way you once lived. 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:29.279 The in pursuit of that action, that habit, is death, is destruction. 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:33.279 We don't talk about the wrath of God very much anymore. 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:37.279 But the wrath of God is so misunderstood. 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:38.799 Let me give you a good definition. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:44.079 The wrath of God is not, it's not the capricious anger of God. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:49.680 It's not just God erupting in anger like some have had a coach or a parent do. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:57.119 However, it is the moral order of the universe that uh one will ultimately reap what they have sown. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:03.200 God designed this universe, and there is a moral order and way in which it works. 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:08.720 And either in this life or in the life to come, you will reap what you sow. 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:18.960 This is why the gospel is so powerful, is because Christ takes what we have reaped on the cross, that we might have life with Him. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:20.559 What is the wrath of God? 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:30.720 It is God's righteousness and just response to that which undermines and corrupts what is good and lovely and morally excellent. 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:36.960 See, that's the outcome. 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:40.960 It's reaping what you sow. 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:42.640 In fact, Dr. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:59.759 Tony Evans uh in a post responding to the events of January 6th of the siege of the Capitol, he posted this Today's political violence was a tragic illustration of what happens to a nation when it abandons God's person, principles, and policies. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:11.440 America is undergoing the passive wrath of God, meaning you are being allowed to experience the consequences of your decisions. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:16.640 That's the passive wrath of God, which takes place when his standards are compromised. 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:20.319 The result is chaos, conflict, and lawlessness. 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.960 Only a radical return to God by his people will change this. 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:31.599 The answer to saving America is not the White House, it is the church house. 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:33.519 Amen, Dr. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:34.480 Evans. 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:44.160 See, here's the picture I want you to get: a good diagnosis, and then you have to embrace a new perspective. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:51.279 See, it may feel good in the moment, but it'll ultimately cause great harm in the future. 00:22:51.759 --> 00:23:05.920 You know, when I was um first married, we had a uh we had our first child, and as Jenny began to um, you know, grow with child, I grew with her. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:07.359 I grew empathy weight. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:15.839 In fact, uh, I grew as much as uh 40 pounds overweight, and it's like, wow, it's a crazy amount of weight on this body. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:17.680 In fact, I got up to 195. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:20.720 You don't need to know this, but um uh for whatever. 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:21.839 And I was like, you know what? 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:24.319 I'm just gonna get to 200 because I may never get there again. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:25.599 It just became a competition. 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:27.519 I made it all the way to 205. 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:35.039 And I gotta tell you, there was a lot of work to get back into health. 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:45.519 Now, in youth ministry, we had so much candy and sweets, and one of my uh things that I love is donuts. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:48.000 Uh, growing up, I love donuts, apple fritters. 00:23:48.160 --> 00:23:49.119 Oh, they're awesome. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:50.480 They're my favorite. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:56.640 And I realized that I may like donuts, but I do not like what donuts do to me. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:58.480 And so I started saying this. 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:00.480 In fact, I do this now automatically. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:01.599 Somebody offered me donuts. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:03.119 No, I don't really like donuts. 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:06.160 But that's not true. 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:10.160 Donuts are delicious, they're awesome. 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:11.359 Come on now. 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:15.039 Sugary fried dough with a little apple in it. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:21.680 But I've learned to not like donuts because I do not like what donuts do to me. 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:24.400 I do not like what their effect is. 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:31.200 See, I think for sometimes when we think about sin, we're like, I should hate this, I should not like this. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:33.279 Well, let's be honest. 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:41.200 The things that the apostle Paul just described, they either feel good in the moment, when you rip someone anew, that feels good. 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:44.319 When you lash out on social media, you're like, oh, that felt so good. 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:46.160 I spoke my truth. 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:52.400 When you gratify your sexual cravings, that feels so good in the moments. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:25:00.319 But it ultimately creates long-term harm. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:04.319 See, what we have to learn to hate is not just sin. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:08.079 We got to learn to hate the effects of sin. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:15.839 Hate the effects like, man, yeah, I don't like donuts, which means I don't like what they do to me. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:19.119 I don't like anger because I don't like what anger does to me. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:22.400 I don't like lust because I don't like what lust does to me. 00:25:22.559 --> 00:25:24.640 I don't like the effects of it in my life. 00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:29.599 It's a new perspective how you understand sin as a cancer. 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:31.920 I don't like what it's doing to me. 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:35.759 A proper diagnosis, embrace a new perspective. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:40.079 Then he goes on and says, you got to clean house. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:42.160 You got a clean house. 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:45.039 This is a crucial step, friends. 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:47.680 You gotta clean house, not just tidy up. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:51.200 You know, when you have people you have company over, what do you do? 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:52.400 You tidy up. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:54.319 When you tidy up, what do you do? 00:25:54.559 --> 00:26:06.079 You take all the stuff that's been around and you either throw it into a closet, or in our case, we'll I'm sorry, Jenny, um, we'll throw it into our room and close the door. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:08.000 And it's hidden. 00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:12.079 It's not clean, it's hidden. 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:28.400 See, if you want to experience life change, if you want to cut out the necessary destructive habits, you have to clean house, you have to do a deep cleaning, not just a tidying up. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:33.359 This is why he says, but now rid yourself of all such things. 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:35.839 Get rid of it. 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:37.359 I like how N. 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:37.599 T. 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:38.559 Wright says it. 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:46.640 He says this to put something to death, you must cut off its lines of supply. 00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:54.160 See, so many want to experience this change, but they don't clean house. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:27:02.480 They do a little bit here, but because you like it a little bit, you keep just a little bit hidden in the closet. 00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:05.359 You don't get it fully out of the house. 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:13.680 You see, if if you're an alcoholic, you take all the alcohol out of the house. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:15.920 You don't buy anymore. 00:27:16.160 --> 00:27:18.880 And then you don't work at a bar. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:38.400 If you struggle with lust, you make sure that there's no access to anything that will allow you to go on and see things you should not see in your house on your phone. 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:43.359 And then you decide, I will not watch rated R movies. 00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:45.680 Like, well, that eliminates a lot of movies. 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:46.400 I get it. 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:51.119 There's often a lot of other things on there that is not good for that, that spark things. 00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:53.759 You got to clean house. 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:57.440 Maybe you're flirting with an affair right now. 00:27:57.839 --> 00:27:58.880 Is that work? 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:04.559 You know, it could have been a person that you met at the gym before things shut down. 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:09.599 You got a clean house, you gotta break it off. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:15.200 And for some, let me be really clear because your marriage is in jeopardy, your future is in jeopardy. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:24.480 You need to either change your department at your work, you need to maybe even change jobs. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:26.240 See, this is how serious it is. 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:32.400 Put it to death, get rid of it, or it will put you to death. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:38.960 For some, you just need to delete social media. 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:43.119 If you got nothing good to say, don't say it at all. 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:49.119 You can't follow that, you just can't help, and you get consumed and you just keep lashing out. 00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:54.640 To put something to death, you must cut off its lines of supply. 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:57.920 So let's go back to that donut illustration. 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:05.519 To get healthy, to get healthy for me, I have a massive sweet tooth over Christmas. 00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:08.720 Oh my goodness, I just love sweets. 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:13.839 I can't keep any sweets in the house. 00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:20.480 If it is, I'll find it, I'll eat it, it'll be gone, it won't be good. 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:22.880 You have to get it out. 00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:24.640 Let me ask you. 00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:30.720 What is in your life you need to get out of the house? 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:32.880 And for some, it's literally. 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:39.359 Maybe you need to break up with him or her, break off that conversation. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:43.039 What do you need to stop? 00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:46.559 To say, I am putting to death. 00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:48.720 That is a decisive act. 00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:50.559 I'm done with this. 00:29:51.759 --> 00:30:00.160 You see, the steps for you to experience freedom to break free from destructive habits. 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:02.799 It's a proper diagnosis, it's a new perspective. 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:04.160 You got to clean house. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:08.640 And then finally, step four, come clean in community. 00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:11.200 You gotta come clean. 00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:14.160 You gotta get everything out in the open. 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:17.680 You gotta be honest, you gotta be real. 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:22.000 Nothing good grows in the dark. 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:34.240 When you keep a secret, when you keep it hidden in the back closet, when you just tidy up, but it's there and nobody sees it, it keeps you captive and it will kill you. 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:39.440 This is why the apostle Paul says, Do not lie to each other. 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:41.680 Don't lie. 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:53.119 Uh, the other day, I the other day is a little bit ago, happened to have a conversation with an older gentleman and his wife, and he was sharing, they were sharing their story. 00:30:53.440 --> 00:31:02.640 His is a story where he was wildly successful as an investor, well known. 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:08.960 And his deepest, darkest secret was exposed publicly. 00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:14.559 He got caught in a prostitution sting by the police. 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:28.400 And all of a sudden, in a matter of minutes, what he had kept secret for years and years, decades of his marriage, now was going to be plastered on the late on the nightly news. 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:30.799 And so he had to tell everyone. 00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:40.319 And in that moment, he had a come to Jesus reality, acknowledged him, and he heard this word from God. 00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:42.240 It was his word to him. 00:31:42.559 --> 00:31:45.839 He said, From this day forward, never lie. 00:31:47.039 --> 00:31:48.000 Never lie. 00:31:49.119 --> 00:31:53.680 Man, lies keep you stuck and hidden and broken. 00:31:53.839 --> 00:31:55.519 It is the work of the enemy. 00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:57.680 In fact, it's Satan's native tongue. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:03.279 He says, Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off the old self. 00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:14.319 It's the picture of baptism of walking into the waters, coming out with this practice and put on the new self, coming out of the waters of baptism, that you are now this brand new reality. 00:32:14.559 --> 00:32:17.920 Don't do this any longer, which is being renewed. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:19.359 It's a process. 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:21.839 That's the word of hope I want to give. 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:28.640 And we're going to talk about putting on the new self next week and the renewing action that we talked about last week. 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:34.240 This is a process, and it takes some time in the knowledge of the image of its creator. 00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:45.119 Here, there's neither Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, sentient, slave, free, but Christ is all and is in all. 00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:57.119 What do you need to come clean with? 00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:07.039 What are the things that if you you're afraid if somebody found out you would be like, oh my gosh. 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:12.480 I mean, can you hand over your phone unlocked to somebody and just say, go for it? 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:21.039 I mean, this probably holds the most personal, intimate, private content that we have. 00:33:21.759 --> 00:33:26.079 You know, in today's language, we say keep it 100, like always. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:28.880 And that doesn't mean just speak your truth. 00:33:29.119 --> 00:33:31.920 That means be completely transparent. 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:36.960 The word intimacy is into me see. 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:40.400 Like we allow people to see into us. 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:44.720 And he says it's in community, it's in relationship. 00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:46.079 You notice that. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:52.160 It's, he says, here, a new kind of community, the family of God. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:58.319 And it's not broken down into our social classes, in our into our political areas. 00:33:58.799 --> 00:34:00.319 Gentiles, literally Greeks. 00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:03.279 Greeks were the aristocrats, there's the educated. 00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:07.119 They were so proud of their education and and knowledge. 00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:10.079 Jews, they were they were the religious elite. 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:11.920 They they thought everybody was wrong. 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:18.400 Circumcised, uncircumcised, it had to do with your religious following, dogmatic of the law. 00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:22.159 Barbarian, these were the lowest of low people. 00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:26.960 And by the way, Cyntian were the worst of the barbarians. 00:34:28.480 --> 00:34:36.000 Amazing that it says here in the family of Christ, here, none of that matters. 00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:41.039 Republican, Democrat, it doesn't matter. 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:46.159 What matters is Jesus. 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:50.159 But Christ is all and is in all. 00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:59.840 What we have in common is now we all have been raised with Christ, are in a new family and walking and journeying together. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.639 And you're going, you are a Christ follower first. 00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:07.280 That's the most important thing about you. 00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:09.440 That's the most important thing about me. 00:35:09.599 --> 00:35:11.760 And we come clean in community. 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:23.119 God uses the community of uh in the family of God to come around us to bring healing and wholeness and help and strength for us to walk this life. 00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:33.920 You know, it was a little while ago, a friend of mine, his deepest, darkest secret came out. 00:35:35.199 --> 00:35:39.760 It was something he'd been hiding and lying for over a year. 00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:43.119 He'd lied to my face multiple times, in fact. 00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:54.159 And it finally all came out, had major, major consequences with his family, with his work, some things uncertain. 00:35:55.840 --> 00:36:00.800 And there was a handful of us that came around him and his wife, and we prayed for them. 00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:04.880 And then I just was driving with him. 00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:10.159 We're going back to his house, and he just was like, I just need time with you. 00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:15.199 And I remember sitting, I just kind of leaned back and I said, So how's it feel? 00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:17.039 He's like, What do you mean? 00:36:18.159 --> 00:36:33.119 I said, How's it feel to have your deepest, darkest secret, the worst thing you've ever done in your entire life, come to light and realize no one ran away, but they came around you. 00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:43.199 See, I think the thing that keeps us from coming clean in communities, we're afraid of what people think, we're afraid of how people respond, we're afraid they'll reject us. 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:47.760 And if we actually came clean, people wouldn't want to be around us. 00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:54.400 News flash: we all are broken, we all need the grace of Jesus, and we're all journeying together. 00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:56.079 Come clean. 00:36:56.320 --> 00:37:02.159 And in the family of Christ, where there's none of this, it's just Jesus. 00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:06.639 You find healing and wholeness as you do. 00:37:07.280 --> 00:37:11.440 Reset means doing whatever is necessary. 00:37:12.320 --> 00:37:18.239 You gotta cut it out as cancerous for those destructive habits. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:25.920 For you, would you take the next step? 00:37:27.519 --> 00:37:33.760 A proper diagnosis, a new perspective, a cleaning house. 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:42.159 For some, you need to do some clean house, and for some, you need to have probably most, you need to have some honest conversations. 00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:46.079 And the first honest conversation will be hard and yet it'll be freeing. 00:37:46.239 --> 00:37:47.599 Here's what my friend told me later. 00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:50.400 We're sitting around a fire talking about that moment later. 00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:51.440 You know what he said? 00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:55.920 What is more exhausting than coming clean is hiding. 00:37:58.639 --> 00:38:02.320 What's more exhausting than coming clean is hiding. 00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:04.159 Would you come out of hiding? 00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:08.400 God wants to bring healing and bring freedom. 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:20.079 Heavenly Father, I ask that in this moment you would give those that are listening the courage to do what you are calling them to do. 00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:29.119 You've been working on their hearts, and there's been some things that you've brought up, and it feels uh scary, and it feels like, oh, I'm gonna be exposed. 00:38:29.280 --> 00:38:32.559 And it feels like, okay, God, if I do this, what's gonna happen? 00:38:32.639 --> 00:38:35.599 And is all the fun gonna happen, be taken away? 00:38:35.760 --> 00:38:36.960 What do I do? 00:38:38.239 --> 00:38:47.039 May they have the confidence and know you're the great physician who loves and wants the very best, wants to not bring death but life. 00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:52.159 Would they lean into you and take the next right step? 00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:53.679 In Jesus' name. 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:54.639 Amen.