WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:00.800 Well, good morning. 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:03.279 We are studying our way through the book of Ephesians. 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:07.759 Today we're in chapter four, and here's what we've said to catch you up if you haven't been with us. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:09.759 Here's what we've been saying the past few weeks. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:18.079 The main point of Ephesians is what God has done for us in Christ and how we should live in light of it. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:21.120 And that's exactly how Paul writes the book. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:23.679 This is how he writes the book of Ephesians. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:41.039 What God has done for us in Christ, chapters one through three, and then he moves out of the interposition that we have with Jesus in our hearts, everything he's done for us, all the forgiveness, all the righteousness, nothing for us to add, chapters one through three, and then says, okay, now how might we live? 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:42.560 How should we live in light of it? 00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:44.240 Four through six. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:53.039 And we said this we can only live out chapters four through six as we live through chapters one through three. 00:00:53.359 --> 00:01:00.159 If we confuse this order, we're confusing our own self with God's empowerment of us. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.840 We're confusing God's grace with our behavior. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:09.519 And then what happens is at the seasons, the time, the day that you are feeling pretty successful. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:17.840 You did a pretty good Christian to-do list and you check those things off, and then you feel self-righteous and you feel judgmental to others. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:23.120 Because you have your act together, why can't you get your act together? 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:31.040 Now, there's also a swing to that because then inevitably you don't live up to those standards and you fail, which is why we need God's grace. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:36.799 But when you're not living out of God's grace, you live in despair and you're your failure. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:42.319 And both ways are incredibly weary as Christians. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:50.239 But Paul's saying this through the very structure of Ephesians, Paul is saying our walk with Jesus is not for God's love. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:54.400 Our walk with Jesus is from God's love. 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:59.280 Which means that I'm free to gaze more on Jesus than my performance. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:05.920 I'm free to thank God when I live well, and I'm free to confess when I fail. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:08.960 So let's look at Ephesians 4, 1 through 3. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:36.319 I therefore, because of everything I've written already, chapters 1 through 3, everything we have in Jesus, Jesus plus nothing equals everything for me, because of that, a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:42.879 So the first thing Paul mentions coming out of rooting us in Jesus, and he says, Hey, let's talk about your behavior now. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:46.479 The first thing he talks about is loving each other. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:54.479 Point number one is this we walk in love toward others because Jesus already loves us. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:03:02.080 We could say we live worthy of the calling, not to earn God's love, but to show God's love. 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:06.479 I saw this image this week, and it felt like Ephesians to me. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:15.280 Water pouring into a glass, and that water is coming from outside of us, and it's filling up a glass. 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:16.159 Right? 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:22.479 Jesus to us from outside of us, nothing I did, nothing I do, nothing to earn it, nothing to prove it, I don't want to pay it back. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:30.879 It's just one way God's love to us, apart from ourselves, outside of us, being poured into my heart, my inner self. 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:52.879 And then as I grow aware of that reality, the fullness of God's love for me in Jesus, for my forgiveness, for my righteousness, for my worth, for my justification, for my emotional stability, outflows love to others. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:56.319 We begin to overflow from the heart into behavior. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:57.280 There's an overflow. 00:03:57.360 --> 00:03:58.639 Well, what does that overflow look like? 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:08.960 Verse 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:11.919 Do you remember that movie, Meet the Parents? 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:14.240 I can still remember the first time I saw it. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.240 Robert De Nira, Ben Stiller, painfully funny. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:23.600 Greg Fokker with an O, be careful saying that name, especially from the pulpit. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:24.560 An O. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.600 Painfully, painfully awkward, right? 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:31.360 Just conflict after conflict. 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:42.000 Greg, he he goes to visit his girlfriend's parents with her, and Greg is uh he's needy, um, he wants to impress them, he wants to be accepted. 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:44.160 The dad is controlling. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:52.240 Both have emotional immaturity underneath those issues, and so there's just a cycle begins of conflict, right? 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.920 Greg breaks things, he spills food, something with a cat happens, right? 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:00.240 He's just overly needed, the dad's overly controlling, everything is tense. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:03.920 At one point, Greg finally says, like, like, what, like, I don't know what else you want from me. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:05.519 Like, have you ever said that in a relationship? 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:06.560 I don't know what else you want from me. 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.319 You ever said that in a family? 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:11.279 Every time I see this movie, I've seen it several times. 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:16.399 Every just so incredibly, I'm so uncomfortable with all this conflict. 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:18.399 Like, I don't know if that's how you mean you saw it. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:34.639 Like, I'm just so uncomfortable with all this, and yet it's so easy for a family, a friendship, a relationship, uh parents to husband to wife, parents to children, uh, to become that kind of just constant conflict. 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:41.120 Like I'm needy and you're controlling, you're I'm controlling and you're needy, and just like conflict and conflict. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:53.600 So, how do how do we make sure our families, our relationships, friendships, our church, how do we make sure that it's just not another story of strife? 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:59.199 Well, Paul says walk in God's love and the gospel and in humility. 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:02.639 Like live in chapters one through three. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:22.560 We can't even talk about this kind of life if we haven't already been rooted in to who we are in Jesus, our secure identity as beloved sons and beloved daughters, not because of anything you did, but because of what Jesus already did for us on the cross, which is what gives you security, because you're secured from a love outside of yourself. 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:26.560 Here's what we read in our membership class. 00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:27.759 I read this all the time. 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:30.079 I probably read it a few months ago from the pulpit. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.839 Pastor and author Tim Kelly wrote this on peace and relationships. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:42.959 You can remain bitter towards someone only if you feel superior, if you are sure that you would never do anything like that. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:49.680 To remain unforgiving means you are unaware of your own sinfulness and need for forgiveness. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:54.319 When Paul says he is the worst among sinners, he's not exaggerating. 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:58.639 He is saying he is as capable of sin as the worst criminals are. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:03.279 The gospel has equipped him with emotional humility. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:09.839 At the same time, you can't be gracious to someone if you're too needy and insecure. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:16.480 If you know God's love and forgiveness, then there is a limit to how deeply another person can hurt you. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:21.040 He or she can't touch your real identity, wealth, and significance. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:26.160 The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others. 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:29.920 You are rooted in emotional wealth. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:43.920 Okay, so this word humility in the passage in Ephesians 4, humility means lowliness of mind, the humble recognition of the worth and the value of the other person. 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:49.519 Which I love to do when you agree with me. 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:51.360 Like I love that. 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:52.399 I'm fine. 00:07:52.639 --> 00:07:57.040 Worth, value, like you agree with me, you defer to me, you respect me. 00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:58.160 Like I love that. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.639 But can I do it when we disagree? 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:06.480 Can I do it if we don't get along? 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:11.040 Can I do it if you're different from me? 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:24.720 Because peace and unity in any relationship requires humility that I'm gonna give you worth and value even if we don't disagree, even if we don't agree, even if we don't get along. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:26.639 And I'm willing to be gentle toward you. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:34.480 This word gentleness is not weakness, gentleness is strength under control toward the other person. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:44.240 I know I'm a strong person, and yet I can be tender toward you, gentle toward you, even when you're difficult. 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:47.600 Paul goes on to say, be patient with people. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:52.320 Patience is long suffering towards aggravating people. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:59.200 Which sounds horrible, until I am aggravating. 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:03.519 And then, of course, I want all of you to be patient with me. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:07.840 Bearing with one another. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:17.840 This phrasing speaks of the mutual tolerance that's needed, it's required for any group of people, a relationship to live together in peace. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:20.480 Married people, you say amen, you know what I'm talking about. 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:26.000 If you've been married longer than a day, you know what it means to bear with one another. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:27.840 Mutual tolerance. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:28.399 Why? 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:30.879 Because we are all selfish. 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:34.240 We can all be prideful. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:39.039 We all want our way, we all get tired and fussy and hangry, right? 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:41.200 And we need somebody to bear with us. 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:42.399 I need you to bear with me. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:43.759 Just bear with me. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:45.679 Mutual tolerance. 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:46.720 So, what does this mean? 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:48.799 Well, I think it can mean this for our relationships. 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:53.840 Number one, we offer each other grace and refuse to nitpick each other. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:58.960 Even a couple days ago, Christy and I went to pick out a new couch. 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:00.000 We need to get a new couch. 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:10.559 And we went to Woodstock Furniture Outlet about 20 minutes north of here, and we're talking to Jimmy, the furniture salesman, and I said, Hey Jimmy, I'm here to kind of set the boundaries, but she's gonna make the final decisions. 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:11.600 That's how this works. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:14.639 And he said, That's great that y'all kind of have an idea how that works. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:16.080 He's like, You would be amazed. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:24.399 Jimmy, the furniture salesman guy, you would be amazed how many couples come in here and all they do is argue. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:27.200 And I become a counselor. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:30.000 He sells couches. 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:34.080 I what like they're what are they arguing? 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:36.639 They're arguing about the couch. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:44.720 I would just say this like if you're arguing about the couch, are you you really upset about the couch, or are you really upset about other stuff? 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:46.960 You're probably upset about other stuff. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.360 We have to offer each other grace. 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:54.639 We're not perfect, and we have to refuse to nitpick each other. 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:56.480 You know what you're talking about. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:58.320 Like, I we Christy and I do that. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:01.120 Start picking on each other, and so you're like, ah, why are we doing this? 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:02.879 Why are we scorekeeping each other? 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:06.639 It's moving from a framework of scorekeeping to grace. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:10.799 Number two, we don't want conflict, but we're not afraid of it. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:14.080 As we're secured in the gospel, I'm a beloved son. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:18.559 My wealth, my significance is in Jesus alone. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:20.720 I don't have to be scared of conflict. 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:22.960 I don't have to love it, but I don't have to be afraid of it. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:24.320 It won't destroy me. 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:32.799 Number three, we move through conflict in love and gentleness, a humble calmness toward each other. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:39.360 So that means if you get fired up in a conflict, you can say, hey, I'm getting fired up. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.879 I'm gonna go take a 10-minute walk and I'll come back. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:44.879 It's okay to do that. 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:46.480 We're allowed to do that. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:47.919 I'm getting upset. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:50.799 I can say, I'm getting very upset right now. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:54.799 I'm gonna go outside for five minutes, catch my breath, come back in. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:05.600 Because in order to work our way through conflict, there has to be a mutual tolerance of each other, a humble calmness toward each other to work your way through it. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:09.440 Number four, because we aim to make every effort to keep unity and peace. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:10.960 That's what this passage is about. 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:15.039 And here's the key back to the Ephesian structure, back to the Keller quote. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:29.919 None of this peace and calm through conflict is possible if you're not finding your emotional wealth, significance, your value as being a secure daughter or son of your heavenly father. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:33.679 And to that end, I recommend this book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:39.039 Great book of the intersection of the gospel and your emotional well-being. 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:42.799 Yes, you're forgiven and you're righteous, and your eternity is set in heaven. 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:46.080 Okay, what does that mean for your emotional state day to day? 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:48.080 Verses 4 through 6. 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.080 There is one body and one spirit. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:53.440 Paul's really going to hammer this unity, peace, unity, oneness. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:13:07.279 Just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, the Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all, but grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:13.600 So this passage goes on to say, within this one body, this oneness, this unity, we're each different different gifts. 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:17.039 We're different, we're not all the same, and this is for the use of the body. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:17.759 Verse 8. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:23.919 Therefore it says, when he ascended on high, he led to a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:30.799 In saying he ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended to the lower regions of the earth? 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:36.159 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things. 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:44.159 So Jesus in love descended, he humbled himself to live amongst us, to show us how to live, but also to die for us. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:45.200 Verse 11. 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:57.200 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, teachers to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ until we all attain the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:13:57.919 Now why? 00:13:58.559 --> 00:13:59.360 What are we moving toward? 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:21.519 To mature manhood, or we say womanhood, to mature to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitfulness and schemes. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:42.080 Rather, rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:43.600 So this is what it's saying. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:48.320 You exist that I might mature. 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:52.480 I exist that you might mature. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.360 That we help each other grow. 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:58.480 Two weeks ago, Fat Bear Week ended. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.120 Anybody keep up with Fat Bear Week? 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:03.440 Very important in our church. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.120 You knew I would get to it. 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:14.879 So if you're not familiar with Fat Bear Week, all the grizzlies in Katma National Park, every beginning of the summer, they all come to Brooks Falls to feed on the salmon. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:16.159 This is up in Alaska. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:19.039 These grizzlies come here and they feed all summer. 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:33.440 May, June, July, August, September, get into October, and we have Fat Bear Week where we vote, the bear nerds vote on which bear moved from being the skinniest to the fattest, and then you get a fat bear champion. 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:39.919 Now the big drama of this year was that Otis, a past champion, Otis did not return. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:45.440 So second year, the second summary's not returned, so they believe we got fat bear is a dead bear. 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:46.879 Otis is done. 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:51.120 But he was 30, he was 30 years old, he spent 20 years. 00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:52.000 There he is. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:54.720 I mean, that is a that's a fat bear, right? 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:56.320 You're like, yep, he's the champ. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:57.200 He was the champ. 00:15:57.279 --> 00:15:59.200 He had won four times. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.600 So this meant a new champion can can show up. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:06.559 Like, I mean, like it's open for taking, right? 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:10.080 So the finals this year was between Grazer and Chunk. 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:14.799 And our 2025 champion was is Chunk. 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:15.919 There's Chunk. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:18.480 Fat Bear 2025. 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:21.200 Um, and and he didn't waste any time. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:25.679 I mean, he got to Brooks Falls and he ate salmon and he gorged himself on salmon. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:36.720 And my point is, which is always my point with the Fat Bear illustration, same point over and over again, is that growing as a Christian is about feeding on the right things as to grow. 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:39.039 We can feed ourselves with all sorts of stuff. 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:45.039 And even as a Christian, feeding yourself on your to-do list won't actually mature you. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.759 You have to feed yourself on grace and truth. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:48.960 You have to feed yourself. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:56.399 We use our to-do lists, our disciplines, to put ourselves in the river of receiving from God. 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:00.559 Growing as a Christian is about feeding on what will actually mature you. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:01.759 What will actually mature you? 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:05.519 Well, the passage says it build to be built up in love. 00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:14.480 Point number two is this maturing in Christ is the journey of growing more alive to God's love for us. 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:25.119 You're going to learn all sorts of different stuff, little wisdom and tidbits on how to live and how to manage your money and how to handle a relationship and lots of practical imperatives. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:39.440 But maturity at the heart comes from the indicatives, what's been promised to you in Jesus, who you are as a man or a woman, as a son and a daughter of God. 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:45.759 Who you are, apart from your performance, apart from your achievement, apart from your behavior, apart from all your roles in life. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.160 Who are you in the inner self? 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:50.960 Think about that image of the water pouring in. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:52.880 Who are you inside? 00:17:55.519 --> 00:18:01.920 And that's why Paul starts, he spends three chapters talking about that before we ever get into behavior. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:13.680 This week I went on a baby visit and I got to hold a baby for about an hour. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.480 Because this passage says we're spiritual babies. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:18.559 I don't know if you you heard that, right? 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:22.880 So I'm holding this baby, thinking about this passage a little bit. 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.039 Gotta pray for that little baby. 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:28.799 And that baby is precious and cute. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:40.000 But man, to have the understanding of a baby when you're 15 or 30 or 50 or 70, that'd be that'd be horrible. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:45.119 But babies are needy, they're insane, they don't understand anything. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:46.720 They don't understand anything. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:56.960 One of my daughters, when she was three years old, we were in the living room and she she went off to go to the restroom by herself, and we're proud of her. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.039 She's three years old going off to the restroom. 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:06.000 And about four or five minutes later, we just hear her wailing. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:13.359 And she is she is weeping from the other room, and she is crying, bees, bees. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:17.920 And I think, oh my gosh, there's like a hornet's nest in the bathroom. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:36.799 And I I run in and she's standing, she had kind of plopped off the toilet, and she's standing in the middle of the bathroom like this, and there's a hare, and there's three little poop balls, and she's going, bees, bees, out of our bottom. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:42.319 And so I had to explain to her that bumblebees cannot come out of our bottoms. 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:50.240 And this was not a conversation that I ever thought would be needed. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:52.799 Right? 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:55.119 But she didn't know. 00:19:57.039 --> 00:19:59.599 She didn't know that bumblebees can't come out of your bottom. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:03.920 Nobody ever told her that a bumblebee can't come out of your bottom. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:06.000 So she had to be told. 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:09.039 We have to be told a lot of things, right? 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:11.759 I mean, you young parents know what I'm talking about. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:18.160 I I can I can remember like three or four stories, you know, like the Bumblebee story, but like you like you just every day. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:25.440 You're explaining, you are so tired because you are explaining so many things constantly. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:28.240 Because these babies don't know anything. 00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:34.160 They're unbelievably ignorant, is what a baby is. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.799 They're emotionally insane. 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:41.279 They can't resolve any conflict on their own. 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:42.160 Right? 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:44.160 These precious little ones. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:46.160 They're constantly needy. 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:48.720 They can't handle disapproval. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:52.079 They're always thinking about themselves. 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:55.920 They're always feeling hurt or slighted. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:58.400 I'm talking about babies. 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:06.400 And you're like, that sounds feels familiar, feels a little targeted. 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:10.000 Um Paul says, grow up in love. 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:14.000 Like, like don't stay a b, don't stay a baby. 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:17.279 Like we need because when you're a baby, you're vulnerable. 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:18.240 Right? 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:20.079 Because you don't know how things work. 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:21.200 Things haven't been explained to you. 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:23.839 So you need to grow up, you need to understand how life works. 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:26.480 You need to read your Bible, we do. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:30.400 We need to read our Bibles to understand how life works and relationships work. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:33.920 We need to be grounded in Christ's love for us so we have a secure identity. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:34.640 We need that. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:38.640 We need to become emotionally healthy and stable so we can handle conflict. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:39.519 We need that. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:44.960 That's how we're gonna have unity in a church or a family or relationship, is all those components. 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:46.240 We can't be babies. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:49.440 We have to grow up in this love. 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:59.119 That verse 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature, to mature. 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:06.880 Last week I helped lead a group of Redeemer and Myriad of Men to refuge retreat out west. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:11.039 And we hiked and we fished and some guys rode some horses. 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:17.279 And at the end of the day, we had a big dinner at night, and we sat around the table, and there was always a discussion question. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:24.079 And the second night, the discussion question is what pressure, what stress are you carrying? 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:27.359 What are you carrying around? 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:30.720 It just started at one side and we ran around the table. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:35.200 Amazing what men will talk about when they don't have to be in charge of anything. 00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:37.119 They don't have to answer their phone. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:39.440 They've had a little fun, they've laughed. 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:44.000 Give them a steak, give them a cocktail, and all of a sudden they're willing to start talking. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:45.440 The walls are coming down. 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:49.599 And it was just pressure and stress and pressure and stress. 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:55.039 And you know, it's like work, family, provision, you know, achieve pressure, work, pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure. 00:22:55.119 --> 00:23:07.759 And at the end of the whole table, a very sweet 70-year-old man who loves Jesus, he said this I hear all of you talk, and it's pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:09.839 And those are good things. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:12.559 You have to handle those things. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:19.440 But those things won't have the same pressure if we aim to see Jesus. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:23.039 It made me think about Matthew 6. 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:30.400 Like you worry about the clothes you wear, you worry about this, you worry about that, but seek first the kingdom, and all these things will be added unto you. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:35.519 And what I heard when he said that, I thought about Matthew 6, so I heard Jesus. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:45.279 And what I heard was like, hey, little 46-year-old baby Russ, and you're all concerned about your future. 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:48.240 I can future trip all day long. 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:55.599 I can have anxiety about anything, and there's no point in the future that I can't get anxious about and can't try to over-control. 00:23:55.759 --> 00:24:03.440 And what I heard for me and my issues was hey, baby Russ, and you grow up a little bit. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:06.880 Like you're being a baby, a little bit of a baby. 00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:08.880 Being a little bit of a baby here. 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:10.960 Because where's your heart? 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:15.759 Like good things, you need to handle them. 00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:17.279 But where's your heart? 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:18.880 Good things, we need to handle them. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:19.839 Need to handle them. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:21.279 Need to be adults. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:28.240 But I'm a baby when I let those good things take control of my heart. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:32.720 I need to handle them, but where's my heart? 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:36.000 I need to grow up a little bit, mature a little bit here. 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:40.400 Am I allowing my heart to come alive to Jesus? 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:45.119 It's back to that image that water's pouring into you. 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:48.480 If you're in Jesus, you got all the Jesus you ever need. 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:49.839 You don't need more Jesus. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:54.079 You're coming alive to what is already true about you. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:55.759 That's why it's secure. 00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:57.119 That's why it's stable. 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:01.359 That's why you have an emotional stability that you can begin to live out of. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:03.519 Because you don't have to worry about him like in or out. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:05.519 Does God delight in me or not delight in me? 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:06.559 No, it's already there. 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:10.319 What you're learning is what's already true about you. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:27.039 And so we have security as saints, and we can begin to have emotional wealth so that we can be humble and gentle and patient and bear with each other. 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:28.559 Let's pray together. 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:40.720 Heavenly Father, thank you that you don't just call us to unity and oneness and peace, but you actually empower us through your son. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:26:11.440 Help us to root even more into the wealth of our identity as sons and daughters of yours, fully forgiven, fully righteous, fully approved, and fully delighted in, because Jesus alone would that bring us great fulfillment, peace, security, stability, calmness of heart, and out of that would an overflow love to each other, gentleness, patience, and peace. 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:12.799 In Christ's name we pray. 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:13.440 Amen.