WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.399 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:23.679 Today we're closing out our series, uh, Ecclesia. 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:29.679 And I had what at least I thought was a pretty funny intro involving the Phillies Karen. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:37.759 Um, however, just in light of the tragic events of this past week in America, I just didn't feel like it fit the moment. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:43.439 And what I want to have as we begin is just a pastoral moment together. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:53.520 We had earlier in the week the stabbing of Irina Zarutska, the school shooting in Denver. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:59.920 School shootings happening earlier in the month at Minneapolis. 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:02.960 We had the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:21.040 I think we all know this, but Charlie Kirk was a conservative political activist, a Christian, a husband, a father, a son, whose life was taken violently publicly for his opinions he held, beliefs he held that others disagreed with. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:25.920 To be clear, his murder was evil. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:30.640 And it really doesn't matter whether you agree with him or not. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:36.079 To celebrate death is simply wrong. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:45.040 One of my boys had the gruesome footage of his assassination just put in front of his face. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:51.599 As teenage kids jeered and just celebrated his death. 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.560 My daughter, who's in France, had a very similar experience. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:03.680 And as my wife and I had time to connect and process with them, they both were heartbroken. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:16.080 They're heartbroke because Charlie's little kids are gonna grow up without a dad, and they're gonna see footage of their dad being murdered. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:21.360 That family is forever torn apart, forever ruptured. 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:37.360 My heart, honestly, and it's been as part of the ethos for ecclesia, but it's been broken for the state of the church, and yes, even the state of our church. 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:53.280 This moment, I think, is an inflection point that we must resist the pull to move deeper into our divisions, but by the power of the Holy Spirit move toward the kingdom way of Jesus. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.639 A friend texted me on Wednesday asking for some pastoral wisdom and guidance. 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:13.840 I sent him Apostle Paul's pastoral response to the church in Rome on how Jesus followers are to respond to evil and evildoers. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:19.680 If you have your Bible, you can open up with me at Romans chapter 12, verse 9. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:24.639 Love must be sincere. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:30.080 Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:36.800 Be devoted to one another in love, honor one another above yourselves. 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:42.400 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:46.639 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:51.280 Share with the Lord's people who are in need, practice hospitality. 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:55.919 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:00.240 Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:03.120 Live in harmony with one another. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:08.000 Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:09.759 Do not be conceited. 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:14.639 Do not repay anyone for evil. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.800 Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:24.879 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:29.439 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.360 For it is written, It is mine to avenge, I will repay, says the Lord. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:36.480 On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:39.680 If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:44.399 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:48.879 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:51.920 Let's pray. 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:05.439 Jesus, would you help us not to rally or react, but to grieve? 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:14.639 Heavenly Father, we grieve with a young family after the assassination of a husband and father. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:24.480 We grieve with the ongoing shootings in our schools, the murder of refugees seeking safety all over the world. 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:28.560 The violence of wars raging in Europe and the Middle East. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:33.279 Dear God, in the face of so much brokenness, we turn to you. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:40.160 Lord Jesus, would you bring comfort to the greedy? 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:44.560 Peace where there's conflict. 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:47.279 Justice where there's evil. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:50.240 Forgiveness where there's sin. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:58.720 We pray that evil would be overcome by our good through the power of your Holy Spirit. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:06.959 And would you turn so many people to experience your reality and the hope that is in Jesus alone? 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:10.480 And would you heal hearts? 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:12.879 Heal our nation. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:15.360 Heal our God. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:22.639 Let your kingdom on earth as it is. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:45.680 As we close our series, I see it's a series on the church. 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:50.560 Not that you go to it, but that you are it. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:07:00.800 Jesus envisioned a people following in his ways, living out a new way to be human. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:06.560 Last week we talked about this new command Jesus gave. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:11.360 To love one another in the same way that he loved us. 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:18.319 Today, honestly, what I have is more of a devotional than a sermon. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:26.720 But what we really want to ask is simply this what does loving like Jesus actually require of me? 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:33.120 What does it actually require and cost me? 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:37.759 What does that mean to love one another the way Jesus loved me? 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.600 And what does a Jesus church look like? 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.480 Especially here in Silicon Valley. 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:58.480 In the Bible, that word, it's literally one word, one another, in the Greek, it's it occurs 100 times in the New Testament. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:07:59.600 One another. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:05.120 Fifty-nine of those times, it's a command. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:09.920 A third of those one another commands is love one another. 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:10.639 15 times. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.480 A third, uh, you know, love one another, love one another, love one another. 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:20.399 Another third uh addresses and deals with all about the unity of the church. 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:31.360 What I want to do with our time is just simply talk about the one another's, what it really looks like for us to practically love one another. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:33.600 The sermon title today is The One Another's. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:34.879 Would you say that with me? 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:41.120 And I'm gonna have us kind of be involved in some ways today. 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:45.600 We like we're not just gonna hear it, we're going to uh do it, okay? 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:49.840 If you if you're up for that, well, I mean you kind of have to be, I hope, you know. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.440 If not, this is gonna really fall flat. 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:59.519 But what I wanna do is I gave you, I want that that notes that you have to take to be a resource. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:09.039 I didn't give you all the one another's, like I said, there's 59 of them, but what I want to give you a list is what does it look like for us to love one another practically uh together? 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:10.480 Okay, you ready? 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:12.960 All right, first one, here we go. 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:15.440 First one another that we're called to do. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:17.360 This is this is deep, this is big. 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:19.039 Greet one another. 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:20.480 Yeah, it's that simple. 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:21.519 Greet one another. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:24.000 And you're thinking, like, really, greet one another? 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:25.840 Is that all that big of a deal? 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:31.039 Absolutely, but especially in Silicon Valley, we are terrible at greeting one another. 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:34.320 In fact, we keep our headphones on so we don't have to greet one another. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:38.000 We may not have anything plain, it's just a sign, don't talk to me. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:42.320 You know, I'm gonna be walking down the street, but I ain't gonna make eye contact with you. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:45.679 We don't greet one another well, do we? 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:50.399 We don't do it here as well as we could, but especially out in the wild. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:55.679 Now, here's what's interesting: Romans 16.6 says, greet one another with a holy kiss. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:57.519 We're bringing the holy kiss back. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:58.879 All right, you ready? 00:09:59.120 --> 00:09:59.679 Just kidding. 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:00.799 Some of you are like, really? 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.120 Okay, I don't know about that. 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:05.519 Now, here's what's fascinating. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:10.720 Did you know four times in the New Testament were commanded? 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:14.480 It's not a suggestion, commanded to greet one another with a holy kiss. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:18.399 Another time it says, greet one another with the kiss of love. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:22.879 Now, uh, we're so much more familiar with a handshake than a kiss. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:33.200 Cultures all around the world today, many, many, many do that, whether it's in uh, you know, the Middle East or South America or Europe, greet one another with a kiss. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:36.960 We're just so much more comfortable in America with a handshake, aren't we? 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:42.320 We don't do a kiss, so it feels a little awkward, but this was powerful in their day. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:46.960 Uh in ancient Rome and that culture, it was built on hierarchy. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:50.320 You only greeted people of the same status as you. 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:56.320 If they were below your status, you did not greet them with a kiss. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:09.279 Everett Ferguson, early church historian, says the holy kiss functioned as a visible sign of new kinship created in Christ, symbolizing the radical inclusion of a diverse people as brothers and sisters in the family of God. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:16.720 By greeting with a holy kiss, social boundaries of slave, free, Jew, gentile, male, female were transcended. 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:20.000 No wonder four or five times greet one another. 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:23.919 It's breaking down these barriers of hierarchy. 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:35.600 Augustine, um North African church father, called this a sign of peace, where the Holy Kiss embodied a theology of reconciliation. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:42.320 Before receiving communion, believers embodied forgiveness and reconciliation through the kiss. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:47.120 It wasn't just an affection, it was enacting the gospel. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:52.320 We are reconciled to God and one another. 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:58.480 Now, in our day, we're like, okay, I don't think we're gonna bring back the kiss, right? 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:01.440 But the handshake, where did the handshake come from? 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:03.440 Well, it's been around for thousands of years. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:16.159 It was always a sign of peace, by the way, because you would extend your right hand, the right hand of power, the right hand of uh that you would hold your weapon with and you would extend it so you'd be vulnerable and grasp it. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:18.320 So it was always a sign of peace. 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:21.759 But for us in America, it took on new meanings with the Quakers. 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:36.159 The handshake became more common as a greeting among the Quakers in the 17th century, where they rejected bowing or tipping hats, which emphasized social rank, and used the handshake as a sign of equality before God. 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:38.159 Greet one another. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:50.960 Imagine if we just started to greet one another, what would happen here if we just showed up and said, Oh man, I I want to greet every single person that I see as I show up on Sunday. 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:53.919 No, I want to try this out, by the way. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.480 I said this was um interactive. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:06.000 I have a thing where I actually want us, and I'm gonna ask us to do this, and you're gonna go, like, it might be weird, it might suck, it might fall totally flat. 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:06.879 I get that. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:15.360 And if it does, you can go, oh, tell somebody else, oh, my pastor made me do this is weird and it's lame, and yeah, and write me an email, whatever it is. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:17.120 So here's what I'm gonna ask us to do. 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:27.279 I'm gonna ask you to stand up, meet someone you don't know, shake hands, and then we'll do what we're gonna what I call speed friending. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:31.759 Speed friending, you got three minutes to meet someone new, share your name. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:32.639 What do you do? 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:33.919 What do you do for fun? 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:35.360 What brought you to awakening? 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:37.360 And then what I call the second date question. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:38.799 Where are you at spiritually? 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:40.320 There's no wrong answer to that. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.399 This is just where I'm at spiritually. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:45.679 So, what I want us to do is stand on up. 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:46.480 Come on. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:47.840 You got three minutes. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:51.519 Find somebody you do not know and meet them. 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:52.559 Go for it. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:55.919 All right, three minutes is up. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:58.240 You can go ahead and find your seat. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:13:59.840 Thank you so much. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:03.039 Well done, church, and I just want to give a shout out. 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:06.240 Our high schoolers rock to you guys went all throughout the room. 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:08.320 Wait to go. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:16.240 59 one another commands at the heart of it, greet one another. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:23.039 1 Peter 4 8 says, uh, or Romans 15 7 rather says, accept one another. 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:24.879 How are you supposed to accept them? 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:28.399 Just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:32.639 It doesn't say agree with one another, accept them, receive them. 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:39.360 1 Peter 4 8, above all, love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:40.960 Offer, now notice this. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:43.600 Offer hospitality how? 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:46.320 Without grumbling. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:50.480 Sometimes we offer hospitality like, oh yeah, we gotta have them over. 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:52.240 Oh, why do I gotta do this? 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:58.000 Offer hospitality without grumbling. 00:14:58.559 --> 00:14:59.679 Think about this. 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.720 Practicing hospitality, this is what it looks like. 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:07.440 It's on a Sunday meeting someone and going, Oh, would you like to go to lunch with me? 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.480 Oh, hey, we should hang out this week. 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:11.200 What's your number? 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:15.679 We'd love to follow up, grab coffee or whatever you guys are interested in. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:17.440 Oh, you're not in a small group? 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:19.519 I'd love for you to join our small group. 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:21.440 We'd love to have you. 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:33.360 The church is the antidote for the loneliness epidemic that we're experiencing, but it begins if we when we start greeting one another. 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:35.600 It's simply that simple. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:37.919 Greet one another, then another one another. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:38.799 Ooh, okay. 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:41.360 It is encourage one another. 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.600 Greet one another, encourage one another. 00:15:43.759 --> 00:15:49.039 Therefore, encourage one another, build each other up, just as in fact you're doing. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:58.720 Wouldn't it be amazing if when you showed up to church on Sunday, you showed up to your small group, you began to ask this question how can I encourage someone? 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:05.840 God, would you show me one person today that I could just breathe life in, that I could just build up in? 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:09.120 And what happens when everybody does that? 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:21.600 Hebrews 3 says this uh see to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you have a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God, but correct them. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:23.840 Oh, it didn't say that. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:26.000 There's a place for correction, by the way. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:27.600 But what does it say? 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:36.320 Encourage one another daily, as long as it's called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:40.080 Encouragement is like the sun to a plant. 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:43.120 People grow towards it. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:49.840 Parents, this is actually one of those powerful principles in parenting. 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:51.200 Encouragement. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:57.279 If you put it into your toolbox of parenting, we're so good, I well I'll speak for myself. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:02.799 I we're so good at seeing where they need to be corrected and catching those, and oh, we need to change that. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:08.480 What if you began to catch your kids doing something right and celebrate it? 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:10.400 Encouragement. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:11.839 It's like the sun. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:15.200 People grow towards it. 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:17.200 Want to challenge us? 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:18.079 Would you ask? 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.079 Who can I encourage today? 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:23.599 Who can I just blow wind in their cells? 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:25.519 Who can I build up? 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:29.200 You know, there's a Sayye in our church. 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:32.079 He's one of those deep encouragers to me. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:38.079 We had an event on Wednesday night at our house, and he came up to me and he's like, Ryan, I just want to tell you. 00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:42.720 And he just began to encourage me in that moment and tell me what God was doing in his life. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:48.160 He'll leave me voice text, and they're like two, three-minute-long voice text. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:49.839 I love them. 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:50.880 I save them. 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:54.240 It was just like just encouragement. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.400 Greet one another. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:01.599 Encourage one another. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.119 Honor one another. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:08.000 Love must be sincere. 00:18:09.279 --> 00:18:13.519 Hate what is evil, cling to what is good, be devoted to one another. 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:19.039 So there's there's a commitment here we have to have to the one another's. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:23.920 Honor one another above yourselves. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:28.720 I'm gonna honor you. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:30.640 I'm gonna prefer you. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:34.880 I'm gonna speak highly of you in your presence or not. 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:44.799 Honor, a culture of honor, is a community where God's image in every person is recognized, respected, and celebrated. 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:49.119 It's flipping the script from self-promotion to sacrificial love. 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.559 See, respect, by the way, though, is earned. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:54.960 Honor is given. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:19:03.200 I can give you honor because of who I am and what I know about who God is and what he's working here. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:07.519 I may have some things where we disagree, but I can honor you. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:13.200 Honor doesn't mean being in agreement, doesn't mean making them happy, doesn't mean tolerating abuse. 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:16.079 But it's this speaking honor. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:24.079 In fact, I had, I actually sent a text, and like if we don't do the one another's, you know what we need to do? 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:28.720 We just James tells us, confess your sins to one another. 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:29.920 That's what we need to do. 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:31.920 We need to confess to one another. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:54.319 I had this where I was talking with someone yesterday that was um a mentor, like person that I highly respect, and uh someone, a mutual person that we know came up, and we're talking about it, and about four hours later I realized I don't think I spoke honoring of that person. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:59.759 There's something like I was joking, but it wasn't honoring. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:02.480 And so I reached out, I don't have his contact info. 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:07.839 I reached out to a friend who does because I need to apologize, I need to confess it. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:18.079 Because this is at the heart of God that we honor one another, greet one another, encourage one another, honor one another. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:20.720 Kind of funny that I use the word fight on this next one. 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:23.920 Fight for peace with one another. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:29.200 If you're gonna fight for something, fight for peace. 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:36.079 Remember, I said a third of the one another's have to do with this unity in the church. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:45.440 Uh Romans 12, 18 says this if it's possible, and it's not always possible, as far as it depends on you, who does it depend on? 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:46.079 You. 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:50.079 You're not responsible for someone else's response, but you are responsible for yours. 00:20:50.319 --> 00:20:58.240 If it's possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with most people. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:04.400 Live at peace with who? 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:06.480 Everyone. 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:09.119 That's that same word, one another. 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:11.200 Ooh. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:18.480 Second Corinthians 13, 11 says, Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, strive for full restoration. 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:22.240 Strive for this, encourage one another. 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:23.200 There we have it again. 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:29.920 Be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:35.119 Fight for peace with one another. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:47.759 Uh, early in awakening's history, there was just a friend and partner that I just felt deeply hurt by, betrayed by. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:52.799 And when we're betrayed, we feel so justified. 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:58.319 I didn't really want to talk with him, have anything to do with him. 00:21:58.480 --> 00:21:59.279 I was angry. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.000 Hurt really I was hurt. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:19.200 I remember talking to a mentor and processing this, and he he he said to me, He said, Ryan, the Christian life and especially leadership, but just the Christian life is filled with cross-shaped decisions. 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:23.359 And that stuck with me ever since. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:25.039 What is the cross-shaped? 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:39.279 Not what I want, not what I feel like, but what is the dying to self, laying down my pride, and choosing the way of Jesus regardless of how I feel about it. 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:41.519 The one another's are commands. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:50.160 This is what we're called to do, not on good days, but every day. 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:54.319 So I reached out to him and said, Hey man, can we have coffee? 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:59.599 We had coffee, you shared, I shared some of my hurt, he shared some of his and where we're at. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.000 We it wasn't like kumbaya in that moment. 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:10.160 In fact, our relationship kind of staggered and stopped and you know grew and went backwards and forwards and these sort of things. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:19.680 And the beautiful part is we got to team up with him on Thursday at an event, and like we we have a partnership and a friendship, and it's been restored. 00:23:23.680 --> 00:23:25.519 Fight for peace. 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:30.480 And culture doesn't fight for this, friends. 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:40.240 And tribalism and polarization, all the rest. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:42.319 It says, fight for peace with who? 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:51.839 Not the people just that you like, and the people you agree with, the people who vote the way you vote, and the people who whatever. 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:53.119 Everyone. 00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:00.319 What does it look like to actually love the way Jesus calls us to love? 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:08.079 Well, we gotta greet one another, we gotta encourage one another, we gotta honor one another, we gotta fight for peace with one another. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.480 And this is one of the primary ways we do it. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:14.640 Speak life, not death, to and about one another. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:22.160 I just encourage you to do a study through the New Testament on your words. 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:26.640 Jesus would talk about out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:40.640 So when things are coming out of my mouth, and I realize some of that dishonoring words, what I realized, I was confessing it on my walk last night as I was walking my dog, and I was kind of looking weird because I'm talking out loud and I didn't have an earpiece in to pretend like I was talking to somebody. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:41.680 I'm just talking to God. 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:45.359 And I'm confessing it because what I realized is there's a heart thing. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:48.400 Jesus says that's a heart issue. 00:24:50.640 --> 00:24:55.680 The Bible is so clear about our words. 00:24:56.559 --> 00:25:00.079 James 4, 11 says, brothers and sisters, do not slander. 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:06.000 That's to cut down, to speak ill one another. 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:10.319 Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister judges them and speaks against the law and judges it. 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:12.640 And when you do that, you're not keeping it. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:17.279 James 5, 9, don't grumble against one another. 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:23.920 Isn't that like we we we we can turn small groups into a grumble fest, can't we? 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:27.440 Your coworker, your boss. 00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:34.000 Turn prayer request into a grumble fest. 00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:40.559 Speak life, not death. 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:46.640 What if we just began to go? 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:52.000 When I interact on social media, is it bringing life? 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:55.119 Is it building others up, or is it bringing death? 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:05.279 Where we'd stop, we'd think, rather than reacting, how would Jesus interact? 00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:07.200 And how would Jesus respond? 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:10.799 And where is this coming from? 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:17.599 Because when I respond, it's coming from something in me, and often it's fear or insecurity. 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:21.680 Speak life, not death to one another. 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:25.200 And finally, bear with and forgive one another. 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:28.160 Bear with and forgive one another. 00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:37.039 Therefore, as God's holy people, dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:41.839 Like as you step outside the door, none of us are gonna step out unclothed. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:47.680 He says, the clothing of a follower of Jesus is compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:50.559 And then it says, bear with one another. 00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:51.599 Why? 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:55.279 And it says this multiple times through scripture, by the way, bear with one another. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:59.359 Why does the scripture tell us to bear with one another? 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:04.480 Because sometimes people are simply a bear to be with. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:06.000 Right? 00:27:07.039 --> 00:27:10.319 Bear with them, because it's all man, this is hard. 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:15.519 Forgive one another if you have a grievance against one another. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:17.039 Now, how are we to forgive them? 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:20.720 Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:28.000 And the way that Jesus has forgiven me is the way I'm to extend forgiveness to you. 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:35.920 Love others the way Jesus loves you, accept others the way Jesus accepts you, forgive others the way Jesus forgave you. 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:46.799 Ephesians 4 29 says it this way: don't let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is uh helpful for building others up according to their needs. 00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:49.839 We've been talking about all this, so no unwholesome talk. 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:52.240 That it may benefit those who listen. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:55.920 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whom you're sealed for the day of redemption. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:57.119 Now get rid of. 00:27:57.440 --> 00:27:58.640 Root these out. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:07.599 Don't allow them to fester or build because it's destructive to you and everyone around you, and it will kill the work of God in a church. 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:15.279 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, anger, brawling, slander, along with every form of malice. 00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:18.000 Be kind and compassionate to one another. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:20.160 Forgiving each other. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:23.200 Just as God and Christ were giving. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:28.319 Forgive. 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:32.240 Forgiveness is hard, isn't it? 00:28:33.359 --> 00:28:35.519 Especially depending on the offense. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:55.599 At the heart of forgiveness for us as followers of Jesus has it actually has not so much to do with the offender as it has to do with our understanding of being forgiven by Jesus. 00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:58.400 Jesus was so clear on this. 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:08.640 My inability or difficulty to forgive you actually stems from my lack of understanding of how much I've been forgiven by Jesus. 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:14.000 And when I understand that I'm forgiven much, I extend much forgiveness. 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:25.759 When I understand, but by the grace of God, I am destined to be broken, sinful, lost. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:30.799 And yet he saved me and he forgave me. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:36.079 And he's given me new life. 00:29:36.160 --> 00:29:39.440 And how can I not extend it like that? 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:49.759 Now, I hope what you're saying or thinking is Ryan, these one another's that sounds hard. 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:53.920 And you said there are 59 of them? 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:57.039 And we just went through a few of them. 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:00.559 Maybe that's not even hard. 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:01.839 That's impossible. 00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:05.200 And you're right. 00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:11.200 Loving one another is impossible without the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:18.400 This is not somehow do you suck it up, try to work yourself up and do better. 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:22.799 That's not the Christian life. 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:27.119 The Christian life is yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:31.920 The Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, lives and dwells in you. 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:37.680 And when you yield your life to his activity, he will empower you to do what you cannot do on your own. 00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:41.039 He will empower you to respond in a way that you cannot respond on your own. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:47.279 He will empower you to forgive and bear with one another in a way that you cannot forgive and bear with one another on your own. 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:54.079 He will empower you to greet that person, encourage that person in a way that you will not be able to greet or encourage that person on your own. 00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:56.319 So here's how I want to end, okay? 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:10.720 I want us to end the way Jesus called his disciples before what Dave talked about, which was Pentecost, when the church began and the Holy Spirit came. 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:12.799 You know what Jesus said? 00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:19.200 He said, wait for the Holy Spirit. 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:38.720 What I want to invite us to do, and I want to invite you to do that actually this week, but I want to invite us in this moment to wait, to just be still and invite, come, Holy Spirit, come. 00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:43.200 Invite him into the places. 00:31:43.359 --> 00:31:48.720 As I was preaching, there are people and things that popped up where it's like, I it's hard to bear with. 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:50.880 I I can't forgive that person. 00:31:51.200 --> 00:31:54.240 Um, I feel like I'm in an encouragement deficit. 00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:55.200 I need encouragement. 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:56.160 How can I encourage? 00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:01.839 There's been so many things that have run through your mind, and you begin to invite the Holy Spirit in all that. 00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:07.839 And you ask him to do in you what you cannot do on your own. 00:32:08.400 --> 00:32:13.279 So I'm going to invite Glenn to simply play a little bit. 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:18.799 Would you take a deep breath? 00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:22.160 Sit back. 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:33.680 Come, Holy Spirit, come. 00:32:36.799 --> 00:32:40.720 He did not leave you to figure this out on your own. 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:47.039 He gave his spirit to empower you to live the life you cannot on your own. 00:32:47.359 --> 00:32:49.200 Come, Holy Spirit, come. 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:54.000 Move afresh in us. 00:32:56.160 --> 00:33:04.720 Meet us in our weakness and our need and our uncertainty and our doubt and our longings and our hopes and our hurting. 00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:06.880 Come, Holy Spirit, come. 00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:09.920 We wait for you. 00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:15.200 Move afresh among us. 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:24.960 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:29.599 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:31.839 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:37.920 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.