WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.279 So Brian read Judges 8, the first eight or nine verses. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:05.759 Thank you for willing to read those names. 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:07.120 That's not easy. 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:11.279 Now I get the wonderful task of seeing like what in the what in the world? 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:15.279 Like what in the world could this have to do with our lives? 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.800 Well, I mean, it certainly is a historical narrative. 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:23.679 I mean, it's a war documentary played out in the Bible for us to read. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:26.160 But there's still a lot of stuff in it for us. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.160 I want to begin with Anthony Bourdain. 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:30.559 Does anybody know who Anthony Bourdain was? 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:32.960 Unfortunately, he passed away. 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.840 He took his own life a couple of years ago. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:40.079 I loved, my wife and I loved Anthony Bourdain. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.359 So he was the host of a TV show called No Reservations as well. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:47.200 Then he went on and he had another TV show called Parts Unknown. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:53.520 He was an incredible, incredible chef, author, I mean, a creative genius. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:57.439 One of the reasons I loved him was his honesty, his creativity. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:00.079 Also just really idolized him, to tell you the truth. 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:07.120 I mean, I mean, the guy traveled to amazing places, ate amazing food with amazing people. 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:09.760 Like this is what he did repeatedly. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:12.719 And to me, I couldn't think of like a more amazing life. 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:18.799 Like I just could not comprehend putting together a more amazing life. 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.120 And yet it wasn't enough. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:34.319 So I think that's why when he took his own life for me, it was not only like really sad for him because I felt like I knew him at that point because I'd seen like all of his shows, which is like his personality kind of out there for you to know. 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:36.079 And so that hit home. 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:42.879 But then as well, it sort of broke down the idolization of well, if I had that, which is what we all do. 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:49.200 Like we could do it with you know his life, or we do it with a car or a romance or a job or a salary or whatever. 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:57.439 If I had that, then I would be okay, then I would be delivered, I'd be saved, I'd be whole, I'd be righteous, I'd be justified, I'd be at peace, I'd be happy. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:01:59.280 This is how idols work. 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:04.000 Idolatry is woven throughout the scriptures over and over and over again. 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:06.879 We see and we talk about idolatry. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:14.240 This is what we give our hearts to, yet these things have no power to actually deliver us. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:19.520 Here's what we keep saying in our church over the last few years as we've been talking about idolatry. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:21.759 You'll recognize this if you've been around. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:28.800 Idols are anything we love too much that end up holding power over our hearts being at peace. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:35.599 Because idols aren't God, but we position them in our hearts as gods. 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:42.960 So we're asking them to give us something that they were never meant to and they cannot give to us. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:49.120 John Calvin said this the human heart is an idol factory. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:56.400 Every one of us from our mother's womb is an expert in inventing idols. 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:02.240 So we jump into Judges 8 and we're gonna see some idolatry going on, a couple different types of idolatry. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:05.680 Judges 8, I'll reread some of these passages as we go. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:07.520 Judges 8, 1 through 3. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.639 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this? 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:17.120 So this would have been to Gideon, what is this that you have done to us not to call us when you went to fight against Midian? 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:23.919 So they say, Look, Gideon went and fought against Midian and did not, how dare he consult Ephraim? 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:25.840 So Ephraim's just offended. 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:28.879 How dare you go and do this and not consult us, Ephraim? 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:31.199 And they accused him fiercely. 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:35.039 And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:39.199 Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape of the harvest of Ebiazer? 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:43.520 God has given into your hands the princess of Midian, or Ab, Zeb. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:46.159 What have I been able to do in comparison with you? 00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:49.840 Then their anger gets him subsided when he said this. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:51.439 Now here's what this means. 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:52.560 Point number one. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:57.360 Our hearts are prone toward idols of status. 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:04.319 So Gideon, he goes and calls on Ephraim because Gideon's pursuing this enemy. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:09.280 Pursuing Midian. 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.439 He's got to go and finish them off, is what's going on here. 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:21.839 And so he goes to Ephraim, some of his own people, like the people of Israel, some of his own people group, says, Hey, can you help us? 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:23.519 Will you help us? 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:26.000 And Ephraim, Joshua came from Ephraim. 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:28.079 So Joshua, so Ephraim has some status. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:30.319 The leader Joshua came out of this tribe. 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:32.079 So Ephraim feels pretty good about themselves. 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:32.879 They have Joshua. 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:34.160 I mean, that's kind of a big deal, right? 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:37.360 It's like a little town getting like Michael Jordan coming out of a little town. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:39.600 You forever feel good about yourself. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:41.759 Joshua came out of Ephraim. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:43.360 And so they have some status. 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.079 And how dare Gideon not check in with Ephraim? 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:48.800 Right? 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:53.120 They had status and they weren't consulted, so they were offended. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:56.399 Their status idolatry was offended. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:05.120 Status idolatry is this life only has meaning, or I only have worth. 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:10.639 If I am recognized and held in high esteem by others. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:18.480 And if I'm not recognized and I am not held in high esteem, then life doesn't have meaning, or I don't have worth. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:21.279 So that would be status idolatry. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:26.800 1 John 5, 19 through 21 says this in the New Testament. 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:33.199 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:41.040 And we know that the Son of God, so it'd be spoken about Jesus, has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.759 And we are in him who is true, in his son, Jesus Christ. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.319 He is the true God in eternal life. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:52.800 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 00:05:53.120 --> 00:06:02.240 So John is teaching us to refuse idolatry, but in the context of our secure status, already having status, we don't need idolatry status. 00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:03.600 We already have status. 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:05.920 Verse 19, we're from God. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:09.360 Verse 20, we know him and we're in him. 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:13.439 Verse 21, we are God's children as our identity. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:15.120 So keep yourselves from idol. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:16.000 See how that works? 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:21.920 Because our status is already secure, we don't need to go and look for our status in other places. 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:23.839 It really sets us free. 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:27.680 So Gideon and his 300 men, they cross over the Jordan River. 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:29.839 They're exhausted, but they're pursuing Midian. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:31.199 They need to finish them off. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.600 So now Gideon goes to this, these men of Sokuth for food. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:36.879 His men need food. 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:39.839 Here's the conversation there in verses 6 and 7. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:48.879 And the officials of Sokuth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunah already in your hand that we should give bread to your army? 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:56.800 So Gideon said, Well then, when the Lord has given Zebba and Zalmuna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:07:00.079 You wanted to laugh when Brian read it, and you didn't, but you wanted to. 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:04.560 I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briars. 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:05.920 Okay. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:10.240 Alright, so you go, like, like how'd we get how'd we get there? 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:14.399 Like that's seems like a jump from verse 6 to 7. 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:25.600 Well, here's what's going on here is Socuth is uh a town exposed to Midian. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:28.319 So they're playing it safe. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:29.519 See, that's what they're saying. 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:31.360 They're saying, is Midian already delivered? 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:35.279 Because if they're delivered, I'm willing to help you out, but I'm not risking it. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:50.560 I'm not gonna just like feed your men, and then Midian take you out, and now Midian knows I helped you, and now they come and take me out, and then Gideon hears that and says, Oh, if that's how you're gonna play that, I will come back, and I will flail your flesh. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:54.160 Not a lot of Jesus love here, it's just the war narrative. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.319 Alright, now Gideon goes on to Penuel and asks for help. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:01.279 They deny him, and he says, Oh, you're gonna play it the same way. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:04.079 All right, I'll come down and break down your tower. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:06.800 Alright, so what's the point here? 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.800 Well, the point here is not Gideon's behavior, the point here is not like is Gideon acting like Jesus. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:11.920 That's not the point here. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:18.160 The point here is our hearts are prone toward idols of security. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:24.240 Like we can pull the lesson here out of how these two towns are reacting to this situation. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:30.160 So an idol of security, a security idolatry would say this. 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:40.320 Life only has meaning, or I only have worth, if I am protected from harm or loss. 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:45.440 And if I'm not protected from harm or loss, so you always reverse it, it helps us think about it. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:57.600 If I'm not protected from harm, I'm not protected from loss, if I'm not actively living in that way, now all of a sudden my worth is challenged, or the meaning of my life is challenged. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:03.200 So when we live in security idolatry, we tend to withhold from other people. 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:05.039 We guard resources, time, and energy. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:08.000 I know that because I have security idolatry. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:11.200 I've never had enough resources. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:14.960 And some of you, as soon as I say that, you know what I'm talking about because you're the same way. 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:18.639 You've never had enough time, you've never had enough energy. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:21.440 Now, some of you don't know what I'm talking about when I say that. 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:27.679 You think you're selfish, Russ, you're selfish, but you have status idolatry, and you know all about that. 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:36.720 We all have our own idolatry, we all have idolatry, we all are prone to idols, and we build these prisons around our hearts. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:46.240 So Gideon takes the leaders of Midian, takes them out, he returns back to Socuth, he takes their leaders. 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:49.840 The text says, with them taught the men of Sokuth a lesson. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:52.559 That would be those thorns and the flailing of the flesh. 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:54.960 He goes and he breaks down the tower and Penul. 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:13.120 And what we learn here, thinking about Ephraim and Sokhuth and Penul, these leaders of this people of Israel that wouldn't help the army of Israel is trying to carry out protecting their land and their people, and yet they're withholding help? 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:17.919 Like these leaders withholding help from another leader that's tried to protect them? 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:23.039 Point number three is this sometimes the people of God are a great disappointment. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:23.600 Amen? 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:24.960 Anybody want to amen that? 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:26.080 Do you have that in your journal? 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:30.879 I mean, I've been around churches, I've been around churches for 30 years. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:34.639 I've worked in churches for 18 years. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.919 I know great stories. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:48.639 Like really redeeming, delivering incredible stories of redemption and emotional healing, unbelievable stories of belonging. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:50.720 And I know some horrible stories. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:11:05.679 I mean, last night, Christian and I were at a party in Atlanta, and we see a lady we haven't seen in 10 years, 30 seconds into the story, unloaded on us, is just a horrible story. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:08.480 A horrible story of involvement and ministry. 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:17.120 I know people being saved, healed, restored, freed, liberated, at peace, at rest, and I know people who've been wounded. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:18.720 In church, okay? 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:24.559 In church, wounded, cheated on, belittled, shamed, guilted, backstabbed. 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.039 Hang around long enough. 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:30.960 Hang around long enough and you'll see it. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:43.279 And it's not because there's something wrong with God, and it's not because there's something wrong with church, and it's not because there's something wrong with the gospel. 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:46.960 It's because we just put a whole bunch of human beings together. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:48.399 That's why. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:53.440 Here's the application. 00:11:54.960 --> 00:12:02.399 Don't let humanity's sin, including your own, disillusion you about God's love for you. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:06.240 Number two, watch out for your own pursuit of status. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:11.840 This is how a lot of this wounding and backstabbing in church happens. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:13.840 This is sort of idolatry. 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:16.960 Number three, watch out for your own pursuit of security. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:23.200 And number four, God already accepts you in Christ, so see this stuff and confess it more. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:32.159 So we have disappointing Christians to deal with, but we also have disappointing leaders to deal with. 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:36.080 These leaders are disappointing in this story. 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:42.000 I mean, it's sort of like just filled with disappointing leaders, behavior reactions to each other. 00:12:42.240 --> 00:12:44.399 Again, I've been in church 30 years. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:54.320 I've been in ministry on staff and churches for 18 years, and I would say in healthy, really healthy, vibrant, life-giving churches. 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:58.480 And I can honestly say eventually a leader will disappoint you. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:00.559 It'll just come. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:05.360 Now, this absolutely does not condone a leader hurting you. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:06.639 That's not what I'm talking about. 00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:08.639 A leader should never hurt you. 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:13.679 But what I'm talking about is a leader disappointing you or letting you down in some way. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:19.360 Hang around long enough, again, hang around long enough, even here, I will disappoint you. 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:21.279 I'll forget to call. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:27.120 I won't reply to the email in one day, it'll be three days. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:29.039 And that's gonna disappoint you. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:33.919 I'll be too fast on leadership or too slow. 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:41.279 I'll take one slant at the view on the issue, and you're gonna take the other slant of the view on the issue. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:49.840 And that's not because I'm horrible or you're horrible, it's not because anything's wrong with God or anything's wrong with church, it's just because we're human beings. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:54.720 My limits will be exposed, and you guess what will happen? 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:59.679 If you hang around in community long enough, your limits will be exposed. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.559 And that's why relationships, community. 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:09.279 If you get along, by the way, if you get along in a community constantly with no tension, you don't have community. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:10.399 Okay? 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:13.200 You have like it's just you is what you have. 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:14.159 You have you. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.720 That's why you're able to exist like that. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:21.200 But if you're in community, there's gonna be tension because you're with other people. 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:24.320 Here's the application. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:36.000 Number one, the disappointment we experience from a leader's limits must send us all, all of us on to gaze all the more at Christ, the leader of all leaders. 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:40.720 That's the point, and that's the way how we exist within community in peace. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:47.039 Number two, all human relationships require constant grace to each other because none of us are perfect. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:52.320 So this disappointment and letdown intentions that we feel, I'm not talking about hurt. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.039 Disappointments and letdown intentions. 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:57.840 Constant imputation. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:07.919 It just takes me imputating to you, righteousness and belovedness you don't deserve, you imputating to me, righteousness and belovedness, I don't deserve. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:11.759 It's the way in which human relations, it's it works in your relationships. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:15.679 It'll work in your romance, it'll work with your children. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:22.480 Imputation is the way in which human relationships function at peace. 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:32.879 Okay, so we go on to learn Gideon has countless wives, he has a concubine, he has 70 children, 70 children. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:37.440 You thought it was hard, like two, and you're complaining. 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:39.279 70. 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:46.960 So the people ask this guy, this is the guy they asked to be their king. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:16:01.679 And the text confuses us in Judges 8, verse 23, because he seems to say no, but then later in the chapter he names one of his sons Ambomelech, which means my father is king. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:05.600 So either, and this is commentators who don't even know. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:18.080 So either he turned down being king, but he really wanted to be king, or he turned down being king like they asked him to be king, but in some other way he stayed king in some way. 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:19.120 We're not sure. 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:20.639 Here's what we know. 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:31.039 Later in the chapter, in Judges 8, Gideon takes all the crescent ornaments that came from around the necks of the camels of the other leaders that he took out, and he takes those. 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:37.840 He takes the earrings from the spoil of war, he takes all of that, and he creates out of that an ephod. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.879 Now, this is the sort of thing we read right over. 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:48.480 To be honest, it's the sort of thing, if I'm not a pastor and I study a whole chapter to be able to come before you, I read right over it. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:51.519 So here's what an ephod is. 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:52.159 Here's a picture of it. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:55.679 An ephod was part of what the high priest would wear. 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:59.360 See that kind of gold piece in the middle, the kind of that shield thing. 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:01.039 It has 12 stones. 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:04.880 The 12 stones, they represented the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:20.640 And ephod had a pocket that contained two different stones, Urim and Thummim, Tummim, apparently, something like that, which represented the point of all of it, is it represented God's direction for his people. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:30.240 And now in the Old Testament, it's not true anymore, but in the Old Testament, the high priest was the one receiving God's direction for the people. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:35.279 So now ordinarily the ephod would be with the high priest. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:37.359 Gideon went the high priest. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:42.480 And the high priest and the ephod probably was maybe in Shiloh, maybe in Bethel. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:45.680 We're not really sure, but here's what we know. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:50.240 Gideon wanted to be more than just a military leader. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:53.680 And so he created this for himself. 00:17:54.640 --> 00:18:02.160 Gideon wanted to have God's direction outside of God's providential means of grace to him. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:04.319 And here's the point for us. 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:05.839 Point number four. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:13.680 The Christian life is relationship with Christ and walking in the normal means of grace. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.319 We don't have ephods anymore. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:19.279 You don't need a priest. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:23.599 I can be priestly to you, but you don't need a priest. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:25.920 Jesus is your high priest. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.680 You can go straight to God. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:30.240 Praise God, that's the way it works. 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:34.240 So we don't have ephhods, we don't have high priests. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:35.920 But we know this urge from Gideon. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:42.079 And the urge is this to want something more than the normal means of grace. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.880 To want something more than what God's already given to you. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:47.680 Right? 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:49.599 This is our boredom with church. 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:51.599 This is our boredom with faith. 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:57.680 This is this is our just like hankering and wanting of a next revival high. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:04.319 And in this sort of mentality and thought, Christ and his work for you is not enough. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:05.119 You need more. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:08.000 You need the next, the next moment, the next experience. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:14.559 And so it's almost like a religious consumerism that we've accepted into the evangelical church. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:18.400 This is consumerism of events of spiritual experiences. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:19.680 Now take this for what you want it. 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:20.960 You can disagree with me at this point. 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:21.839 You're welcome to disagree. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:23.599 You can disagree with me the whole time, actually. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:24.880 But take this for what you want. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:35.359 I feel like the focus on revival in the evangelical church, say in the last 150 years or so, because that's kind of where it has developed, hasn't been all good to us. 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:38.960 It can put an unfair pressure on the church. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:52.480 It can put an unfair pressure on people to have a special experience, just like a next experience, rather than remembering that in Christ we have everything that we already need. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:54.559 We already have what we need. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:58.880 It's not needing the next experience, it's remembering what we've already been given to us. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.039 He's already committed to you. 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:02.079 Always. 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:10.720 Many times, not always, but many times we keep looking for more, but we have everything we already need. 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:17.119 In Christ and Jesus, our looking for more can actually be religious idolatry. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:20.720 Here's what I think this means. 00:20:21.039 --> 00:20:24.880 There's nothing wrong with marking moments as a Christian. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:31.279 You went to camp, one Sunday's, you know, unbelievable, that does something for you. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:33.359 Some marking moment. 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:36.720 There's nothing wrong with a marking moment as a Christian. 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:46.400 But marking moments are in service to and fuel a normal Christian life of walking contently with Christ. 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:47.759 Not the other way around. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:54.400 Walking contently with Christ in the normal means of grace should not try to fuel looking for the next marking moment. 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:57.680 Those are two very different things. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:14.079 The normal Christian life is to pray, read the scriptures, seek out godly friends, love your neighbors, sit under the word in church, and receive communion as a weekly means of grace, as renewal. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:17.920 See, we have a gift, we do it every week. 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:19.279 It's easy to forget it. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:23.839 When we go to the table every week, this is our weekly renewal. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:28.319 It's like revival built in every single week. 00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:32.640 We don't have to separate out a week, a year for revival. 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:35.279 We don't need to necessarily go off on a retreat. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:46.319 Every single week we get the chance to come forward with empty hands to come forward in renewal to say, I don't have anything to offer. 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:51.519 Everything that I have, I receive from God in Christ. 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:54.720 This is incredibly normal. 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:56.000 Right? 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:56.799 Isn't it normal? 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:57.680 It's every single week. 00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.119 It can't become more normal. 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:12.319 And it is incredible, an incredible saving grace for us to have built in every single week as a means of grace to us in our walk with Jesus that's just daily, every day. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:21.440 And maybe we have some marking moments, some revival highs along the way, but those are in service to walking with Jesus. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:40.000 So we come and we receive because what we say every single week, and I'll say it as soon as I stand by the table here in a second, I'll say it right now for the pulpit, communion reminds us that we are acceptable to God, but not because of any work we have done, but because of the work that Jesus has done for us. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:41.599 Let's pray together. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:54.960 God, thank you for this good word, this reminder of how often we run to idolatry of status, security, and religiosity. 00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:06.559 Help us to find our status in you, help us to find our security in you, and help us to find all that we need in Jesus, not in more religion and more experiences. 00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:14.319 Help our very identities, the core of who we are, to rest in your love for us. 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:20.319 That all of our sin has been put upon the cross and all of your righteousness has been given to us. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:26.000 We are fully forgiven, fully righteous, fully beloved in the gift of Christ. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:28.079 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:28.960 Amen.