WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:03.520 Well, this fall we're studying our way through the book of Colossians. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:09.359 We've been asking the question: how do we live and grow with Jesus? 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:12.960 Colossians is a great book to tell us about this. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.000 What we have seen is in the middle of Colossians, there's a shift. 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:19.440 With chapters one and two, there's a shift going into three and four. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:21.920 In chapters one and two, we have the indicatives. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:26.239 These are all of God's promises that are indicated to us in Jesus. 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:35.520 Chapters one and two are just lavish promises, everything you have in Jesus, all this full forgiveness in Jesus, full righteousness in Jesus, just promise after promise after promise. 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:38.719 So Paul is rooting us deep into Jesus. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:49.039 And then going into chapter three, there's the shift over to the imperatives, which means like because of all those promises in one and two, how should we live? 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:51.200 What should our lives look like? 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:55.679 And so a couple weeks ago I said, it's kind of like a faith F-150 truck. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:05.760 We all have this truck, and you have a gas card that is provided for you by the Heavenly Father, and you can gas up this truck anytime you want. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:12.640 It is paid for, it is covered, but the truck only runs on the fuel of Jesus. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:19.680 And so often all of us, including me, we're trying to pour other things into that truck, into that tank. 00:01:19.840 --> 00:01:22.879 And then we wonder, why like why is it not working? 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:24.879 Why is it not driving? 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:26.879 Why don't I have peace? 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:28.319 Why do I lack peace? 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:29.599 Why do I lack wisdom? 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.280 Why do I still feel so needy for other people's approval? 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:39.200 And we can't move on to chapters three and four without living more deeply in one and two. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:42.239 So we're not supposed to leave one and two to move on to three and four. 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:44.879 We actually root all the more in one and two. 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:46.640 Here's how we've been saying that. 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:52.400 We live the imperatives, that would be three and four, through the indicatives, that's chapters one and two. 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:58.959 Meaning how we should live is fueled by what is already true about us in Jesus. 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:03.280 Who we are in Jesus fuels how we live for Jesus. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:12.240 And if we miss the first half of that sentence, who we are, and we just try to live for Jesus, we become more exhausted, more arrogant, and we live in more despair. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:17.439 But if we can put all this together like Paul gives it to us, we have quite a life. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:24.879 We have freedom, we'll fail some, we confess more, we repent more, and our lives can be an expression of Jesus' love for us. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:25.520 Let's look at this. 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:27.039 Colossians 3, 14. 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:36.719 And above all these, so this is connected to the preceding verses, and above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:43.039 Point number one is this we root into God's love for the source of all godly values and actions. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:45.199 Well, how do we get godliness in our life? 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.360 Well, we root into God's love all the more. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:52.479 Verses 12 and 13, we're called to compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness. 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:53.759 And you're going, fantastic. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:55.120 That would be an amazing life. 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:56.159 Well, how do I do that? 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:59.360 Well, Paul says love binds all these together. 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:01.360 Love is actually the hub, the source. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:03.599 It's sort of like an image of a ferris wheel. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.520 Image of a ferris wheel, and it that the hub is the middle, right? 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:12.159 And coming off of that is the rest of the pharaohs wheel. 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.080 That middle part's the hub. 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:17.120 Everything's structured and powered by it. 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:22.080 And the point, Paul's point, is that love is the hub that binds everything together. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:26.319 If we connect verses 12 and 13 and 14 together, it's sort of like this. 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:28.080 Love is this hub. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:36.560 And from God's love to us, God's love through us, comes these other godly ways of living. 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:39.680 Patience, compassion, kindness, meekness, humility. 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.360 A few weeks ago, uh we had some friends fly to Las Vegas to see a killers concert. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:46.960 Do you remember the band, The Killers? 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:49.280 They're still around, they've been around for a while. 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:52.400 The band now has a residency at Caesar's Palace. 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:55.439 And so, my friends, they love the Killers. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:02.000 That's their band, obviously, because they bought plane tickets, hotel room, just to go see this one concert. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:03.360 This band, The Killers. 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:04.560 It's their favorite band. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:06.000 They love this band. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:13.599 And they got there early, they got their seats, they watched the show, the opening act to wait for the big show, and they sing and they dance. 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:15.039 They loved it. 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:25.839 Now, what they did not do is they did not come in late, buy some merch, you know, get like a hot dog, watch a song, and then leave. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:27.360 Well, that would be absurd, right? 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:27.759 Why? 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.399 Because they love this band. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:34.800 And if you love a band, you you are you're soaking it all in. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:38.000 You're not leaving, you know, you're not leaving before the encore. 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:41.199 Like you're staying the whole time, right? 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:45.519 When you love something, we slow down for it. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:48.000 We bask in it, we sit, we rest. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:51.040 We don't just move on in a hurry. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:56.399 This is what Paul's, by the structure of Colossians, this is what Paul's teaching us. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:59.120 To live out chapters three and four. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:02.720 We rest all the more in chapters one and two. 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:10.639 Paul connects God's love to us and our God's love that goes through us to others. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:14.639 Because you can't really love other people until you stop judging them. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:23.279 And you can't stop judging other people until you realize you too are a sinner in need of grace. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:29.120 And if you can realize that, there's a great freedom there for you, and then love can begin. 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:32.560 Because when you see something in somebody else's life, you don't move straight to judgment. 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:37.120 Maybe you do a little bit, but you can go, ah, I'm not perfect either. 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:38.160 I'm also a sinner. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:41.360 You can begin to love people while they're still messy. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:42.800 That's powerful. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:47.360 And humility and belovedness, the Holy Spirit uses this to love others. 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:52.160 And then we see these ideas of 12 and 13, this you know, gentleness and patience with others. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.160 That could be so hard, can't it? 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:56.160 Well, it comes from love. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:57.680 And where does love come from? 00:05:57.920 --> 00:05:59.120 God's love to us. 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:01.199 Verses 15 through 17. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:10.240 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:20.720 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:25.600 Point number two is this re-root into Christ to live a grateful and encouraging life. 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:28.560 These verses are calling to us to a grateful and encouraging life. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:33.839 A few years ago, Chahuli, the artist, was on exhibit at Atlanta Botanical Gardens. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:35.120 So he does glass sculptures. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:37.040 Here's a picture of one of those glass sculptures. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:41.600 I couldn't get any good pictures of his exhibit at Atlanta Botanical Gardens, but we went down to that. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:45.279 We walked through, and there's all these glass sculptures like in the garden. 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:46.160 It's amazing. 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:48.560 I mean, it's just like it's amazing. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:53.199 It's just it's sort of crazy and bizarre, and at the same time, like you're just kind of captivated by it. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:56.560 You're not sure why it's amazing, but it's amazing, and it's amazing, it holds together. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:05.279 And to do this, Trihuly, way before we see this end beautiful product, he's he's in a shop, a workshop somewhere. 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:12.560 And he is warming this material, and he is turning it, he's shaping it, he's blowing into it, right? 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:18.399 Piece by piece, he envisions, he forms, he crafts. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:25.360 See, this is the image of how God works in us, and it's the image of Colossians 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:28.160 Colossians 3 and 4 are sort of like that sculpture. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:31.199 This end product, what you're called to be. 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:35.439 But in order to get there, our heart has to be warmed by the gospel. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:37.680 And it is God's heart. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:39.279 God's heart is for you. 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:42.560 He desires to breathe new life into you and form you. 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:50.879 He wants to help all those cold, dead places to become warmed and formed, to have a life that looks a certain way. 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:57.920 And he does this as we dwell in him and we allow him to be our ruler, is what these verses say. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:05.439 Verse 15 says that the peace of Christ, this is how the verse breaks down, the peace of Christ will rule our hearts. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:09.120 And then what happens when this internally is happening? 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:10.639 What happens externally? 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:12.160 Unity with others. 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:18.399 Verse 16, the word of Christ internally dwell in us richly, and then what happens? 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:19.360 What comes out of us? 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:21.600 For encouragement to others. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:25.279 The internal moves to the external. 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:31.920 Verse 15, the peace of Christ is linked with Christian unity because the rule of Christ is the rule of peace. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:45.919 And so a church, any church, our church, some other church, can be a place of peace, but it's going to be a place of peace as each person in the church is letting Jesus to be the ruler, not something else. 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.879 Verse 16, the word of Christ dwelling in us. 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:52.799 This is a way to say Jesus should be your everything. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:56.480 We don't need Jesus plus something else. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:03.919 So the question coming out of these verses that just begs toward us is what rules your heart? 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:08.000 Where do you day-to-day dwell? 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:16.960 Is it a secure word of Jesus over you, that you are his beloved, not by your work, but by his work for you? 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:21.279 Or is it some other word about you? 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:24.799 And the peace of Christ is his grace to us. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:27.600 This final word that we have. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:29.919 Not that you need to be something else. 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:34.480 This is why Paul gives us chapters one and two before we get to three and four. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:36.480 That we are his beloved. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:40.000 We are his beloved before we are anything else. 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:46.879 I was at a leadership retreat this week with some church leaders and also some city leaders around Marietta. 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:58.480 And what I was reminded, the first thing they said when we showed up, that in the introduction to, hey, welcome here, it was, hey, you are sons before you are servants. 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:00.799 Man, we need to be reminded of that. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:05.759 We are sons and daughters before we are producers and servants. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.279 How quickly we move on to being producers and servants. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:11.840 And we forget the core of who we are. 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:14.480 We are sons and daughters of God. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:22.480 That's powerful for us to remember that in Jesus we're fully forgiven, in Jesus we're fully righteous, in Jesus we're fully worthy. 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:26.320 Now, if that's true, what that means is you no longer have to defend yourself. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:32.799 You don't have to be the strongest, you don't have to redeem yourself, you don't have to be the best or the cutest or the thinnest or the most successful. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:36.080 You don't even always have to be right or vindicated. 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:41.600 In Jesus, your ego is no longer the king or ruler of your heart. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:45.039 We have a much more gentle, loving ruler. 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:46.399 So what does this mean? 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:50.720 Well, I think it means that we can face our lack of peace. 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:54.799 We can face our anxiety or our fear because we already know we're loved. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:56.879 In Jesus, we have that settled. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:00.559 And we can ask, what's underneath that? 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:05.440 Like, what's underneath my anger or my bitterness or my resentment or my lack of faith? 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:07.919 What's underneath the stuff? 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:10.639 Which is incredibly humbling. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:18.639 But if we know that we're already loved, while we're imperfect, already fully forgiven in God's beloved, we can we can ask that question. 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:20.720 We can let God into that. 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:22.480 And then you know what else will happen? 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:23.840 Gratitude will arrive. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.320 Because we'll be grateful that we're loved while we're not perfect. 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:27.840 And then you know what else shows up? 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:30.159 Love for others, because we're not perfect. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:31.679 And oh, they're not perfect. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:33.600 I can still love them while they're messy. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:34.720 Verse 17. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:36.639 This is a summary verse of this section. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:44.879 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:48.639 Verses 15, 16, 17. 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:52.399 If you didn't catch it, the end of every verse mentions thankfulness. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:55.279 Paul is just reiterating that. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:12:01.120 Something about being a Christian is it should birth gratitude. 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:08.159 I mean, it doesn't our lives are complicated, complex, have pain, hardship, illness, all sorts of stuff. 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:10.559 And yet, we're still loved. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:13.200 And yet we have a future in heaven. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.480 And so gratitude's always a part of our lives. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:17.440 That's point number three. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:22.159 Our lives have meaning as they live in gratitude and glory to God. 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:24.240 Here's what we said. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:29.120 Remember, we said this toxic faith is Jesus plus my work equals everything. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:32.399 Which leads us to a lot of arrogance and exhaustion and despair. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:37.039 Gospel faith is Jesus plus nothing equals everything. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:39.039 Fully beloved by Jesus alone. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:41.279 That in itself gives us gratitude. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:44.960 When I was about seven years old, I would get the service merchandise catalog. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:46.000 Do you remember service? 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:46.480 Anybody else? 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:47.360 Service merchandise? 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:48.639 I think it might have to be over 40. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:52.559 It's like a little Sears, like is kind of what service merchandise. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:58.399 And Sears was like a little Amazon for people who are younger, so if that helps you. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:00.559 And so a catalog would show up at your house. 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:05.759 It was a paper, it was like a paper book, and and this it held everything that was for sale. 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:07.600 It's like a website, but in paper. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:09.840 And you would just, it's true. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:10.799 And it was wonderful. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:16.000 Like as addicting as a web as looking, you know, shopping on your phone is now, like catalogs. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:17.519 It was all about catalogs. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:25.679 And the service merchandise catalog would show up, and in the evenings when we would turn on sitcoms, growing pains, who's the boss, you know, the classics. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:31.600 Yeah, I'd sit on the floor with the service merchandise catalog, and I would flip the pages, especially coming up on Christmas time. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:32.159 Right? 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:33.440 Anybody else do this? 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.879 And then you would dog ear the page of the thing you wanted. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:37.840 This is what you did. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:41.200 This is how Santa new is this process. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:43.919 And I wanted a red telescope. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:51.919 I had never been interested in, I don't know what it was about this page, this red telescope, but it called out to me when I was a little boy. 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:56.080 And I dog eared that page, and sure enough, I get a red telescope. 00:13:56.159 --> 00:14:00.559 And I go out that first night, I go out there and I said in my drawing, hey, this telescope's huge. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.840 It's this big, you know, massive, massive telescope. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.320 Really, really see out into outer space. 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:10.399 And I could see these huge craters on the moon. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:12.559 They're bigger than I'd ever seen them before. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:13.519 Huge craters. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:20.399 And it was not that these craters were really small and that my telescope made them big, right? 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:21.440 It's no, no, no. 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:26.320 It's that they're huge and the telescope lets me catch a glimpse. 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:29.120 And that's the difference between a microscope and a telescope, right? 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:32.799 A microscope takes something small and makes it big enough for you to see it. 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:39.120 And a telescope takes something huge, it's just far away, but it allows you to get a glimpse. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:45.840 This idea of giving glory to God, or like all we do, you know, give glory to God. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:48.879 It becomes like such a religious sort of sentence or phrasing. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:51.679 What it means is it means, hey, God's really big. 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:54.320 Like he's magnificent, he's the creator, he's the savior. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:55.279 That's really big. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:06.159 Like maybe your life in something you're doing, in fact, God would say, in everything you're doing, you, even your life, could be like a little telescope. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:11.360 And that people around you would see that God is worthy. 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.840 That he's worthy of your life, he's worthy of their life. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:19.919 That our lives can be about more than ourselves. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:26.159 And that this huge creator is so difficult to understand that maybe through your life somebody could catch a glimpse. 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:28.960 That's what our lives were created for. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:32.080 Our lives were created to be about a bigger story. 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:35.360 Our lives were created to make much of him. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:38.799 Verse 17 ends again with that thanksgiving call. 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:42.240 Giving thanks to God the Father through him. 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:46.879 It's a call to gratitude for the love we already have in Jesus. 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:48.799 You remember the story in Luke 17? 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:51.120 Ten lepers were healed. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.519 Only one comes back. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:54.320 Only one. 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:56.399 Luke 17, 14 through 19. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:01.919 When he saw them, he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. 00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:04.879 And as they went, they were cleansed. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:12.480 Then one of them, when he saw they was healed, he turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:13.840 Now he was a Samaritan. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:16.879 Then Jesus answered, Were not ten cleansed? 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:18.399 Where are the nine? 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:22.240 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:24.720 And he said to him, Rise and go your way. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:26.879 Your faith has made you well. 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.080 And so this one guy, only one returns. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:30.879 It's interesting. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:35.600 The other interesting thing about this is like, you know this guy that this life still has other stuff going on. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:37.919 Like we don't know a lot about this one guy. 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:40.879 I'm sure his life was still complicated and complex. 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:41.840 He had friends and family. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:43.039 He'd been sick for a long time. 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:46.080 That sure really caused a lot of hardship and complexity. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:49.679 He's well, but all that complication still exists. 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:52.399 And somehow he's still grateful. 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:58.879 Gratitude doesn't mean our lives are perfect, it just means that we're finding the good stuff. 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:00.080 And we can be grateful. 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:06.000 Point number four, we grow in gratitude as we remember Jesus' care and healing of our hearts. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:08.240 Just the one guy returns. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:10.319 We want to be the one guy. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:13.680 Like we as people, you want your families to be the one guy. 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:15.680 As a church, we want to be the one guy. 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:22.480 We don't want to be people who just keep consuming and earning and consuming and needing more and needing more and needing more and needing more. 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:25.519 Like the roids on succession, right? 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:26.720 Some of you know. 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:28.160 You know this family? 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:29.599 Horrible people. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:31.039 Horrible, right? 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:32.720 They're not real people, right? 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:33.440 Let's just go ahead. 00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:37.440 Well, then maybe there's a lot of people like them, but horrible people. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:40.000 Like, this is not a family. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:44.720 These aren't people just oozing with gratitude and contentment and peace. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:47.440 This is actually like the complete opposite of that. 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.400 And God's calling us to be grateful people, peaceful people. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:55.440 These people have all the money in the world, they have no gratitude. 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.400 When we lack gratitude, we lack peace. 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:00.480 We need to slow down. 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:03.279 Don't be the nine, be the one. 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:09.039 This week for me at the leadership retreat that I went on, it was a thankful week. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:10.880 It was like a week of Thanksgiving. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:21.599 I was with a few of the church leaders and city leaders at refuge leadership, and the evenings we're around this big table, have a good dinner, and then we'd have a discussion question each night. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:26.079 Then the last night, the question was like, what word of encouragement are you leading with? 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:29.119 And everybody shares, and you end up learning from each other. 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:37.519 And this one guy who he lives in North Georgia, Tim, across the table from me, he said, you know, my life's complicated. 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:42.880 His wife had a huge surgery, she almost died last year, uh, works hard, like everything's coming. 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:49.519 He's like, but he's like, man, like just a pause, I start to see the things to be thankful for. 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:52.400 And I was like, man, I didn't even hear that. 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:56.559 Like, I don't, a lot of times I just like, I'm just gonna like produce, I'm gonna get stuff done today. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:58.720 Like, I'm gonna, that's what I'll do tomorrow. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:00.720 Just like slow down a little bit. 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:02.240 Just slow down, be thankful. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:15.519 Verse 15, verse 16, verse 17, all the verses, they're about different stuff, encourage loving people, encouraging people, being encouraging, unity, and yet each verse ends with, okay, be thankful. 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:20.799 I want to close with three growth and grace questions. 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:30.640 Number one, do I love the people in my life and my limited power or in God's love to and through me? 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:42.559 Number two, am I preoccupied by trying to get somewhere or something rather than resting and rooting in Christ is enough? 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:44.480 Number three. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:52.880 Am I slowing down in my belovedness to remember Christ is enough so that I might be able to grow in gratitude? 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:54.319 That's pray together. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:07.680 Heavenly Father, we thank you that you call us to a life of loving others, of unity, of harmony, you call us to a life of encouragement, you call us to a life of gratitude. 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:22.079 And yet we already know the promises of chapters one and two that while we can be ungrateful, impatient, divisive, bitter, you still love us. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:26.480 On the cross, all of our sin is forgiven. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:28.480 And we are fully righteous. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:32.799 From this position of healed and healing, fully beloved. 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:36.000 Would our hearts be warmed by the gospel? 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:40.480 Would your Holy Spirit be at work in us as individuals and as a people? 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:44.000 That we might grow in gratitude. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:48.240 Help us to see in the midst of pain and difficulty and hardship. 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:54.960 Help us to see, help us to slow down to see all that you're doing and all that you've given us. 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:56.559 We pray this in Christ's name. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:57.599 Amen.