WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.439 Well, let's pray together real quick. 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:15.119 God, we come before you and we ask you forgive this speaker, the one preaching grace over me as I speak your words coming out of Matthew 16 this morning. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:20.879 And may you open our hearts to hear your great goodness and gospel in Jesus' name. 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:21.600 Amen. 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:26.000 Well, I hope you had an exciting night last night. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:28.640 Who made it till 12? 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:30.079 Made it till 12? 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:31.600 Let's do the reverse. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:32.719 9 o'clock. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:34.320 What about 9 o'clock? 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:35.280 A few? 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:36.240 Yeah. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:36.799 Okay. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:39.039 Christy was 9.30. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:40.320 We were in the 9s. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:41.759 I was 10.30. 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:50.320 We had an exciting countdown at 8 p.m., which by the way, that is the nation of the Azore Islands were celebrating with us at midnight. 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:51.039 They're midnight. 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:51.679 We were 8 p.m. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.640 So I think it's the only country celebrating at our 8 p.m. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:57.359 So we were with the people of the Azores. 00:00:57.679 --> 00:00:59.439 In case you're wondering, we looked that up. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:00.719 We're that curious. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:08.319 Alright, so we were with family this past week, and my brother-in-law asked me if I had any goals for this upcoming year. 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:09.920 So it got me thinking. 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:25.599 I'd already been thinking a little bit, but it got me thinking what's ahead for me, what personally, like what's a personal kind of goals, and then it got me thinking about my family, what's ahead for my family, and it got me thinking about our church, what's ahead for our church. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:29.599 And then I've also been thinking in general that I don't really like resolutions. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:30.799 So that's hard too. 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:33.840 The statistics aren't, by the way, statistics and resolutions aren't good. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.680 If you are a resolution person, you're in the minority in terms of actually completing them. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:44.159 But I like the idea of vision, like having some sort of vision of like what's ahead, what do I want to accomplish, what's out there? 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:45.280 I think that's good. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:46.799 Maybe you love resolutions. 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:48.000 Who's resolution person? 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:48.879 Raise your hand. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:49.920 Resolution people? 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:51.280 One, Melissa. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:55.599 She's our one resolution, but you're carrying the torch for Christ the Redeemer. 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:55.840 Great. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:56.959 The rest of us are lazy. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:02:02.480 Alright, so most of us sort of maybe we're not quite sure about it. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:11.120 But maybe with resolutions or this idea of going, I want to get my finances sort of tightened up a little bit, or maybe fitness and health, or eating, or something. 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:12.800 Hey, great, do it. 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:13.360 That's good. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:14.080 That's good for you. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:14.960 It's good for your life. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:15.759 It's good for you. 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:19.280 Maybe some of your family, marriage, friends, great. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:20.240 Work, great. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:21.680 Do it, do it, do it. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:33.919 But for me, sometimes, because I'm an incredibly insecure person, resolutions can for me can come out of this feeling like I'm not already enough. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.000 So I'm not enough. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.800 So I need whatever. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:41.280 Right? 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:42.080 I'm not enough. 00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:43.199 I need to look like this. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:44.000 I'm not enough. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.919 I need to, I need to get this hobby. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:46.639 I'm not enough. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:47.439 I need this. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:53.840 And it's always me trying to add something external to my life that then therefore I'll be enough. 00:02:54.400 --> 00:02:56.240 And so I've been thinking about this. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:03:00.800 I'm going like, well, what if deeper underneath some of these good resolutions that would be good for our lives? 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:12.240 What if underneath this is just this a deeper prayer of may this year be about me trusting more than I'm already? 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:17.599 That I am already enough in Jesus' love for me. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.960 And that maybe I'm going to get healthy, maybe I'm going to fail some on that. 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:23.039 Maybe I'm going to eat better, maybe I'm going to fail some on that. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:28.639 Maybe I'm going to try to get my finances ordered, maybe I'll fail a little bit on that, maybe, maybe all these other things, right? 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:42.479 But like underneath all of that, there would be me starting to trust deeper that I'm already enough because God deems me enough. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:45.199 And that's core identity type of stuff. 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:48.960 And then I've been thinking this past week, I've been thinking a lot this past week, if you hadn't tell. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.400 So then I've also been thinking this past week just about our church. 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:55.520 Because we had these two Christmas Eve services. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:57.840 And they were packed out. 00:03:57.919 --> 00:04:04.319 I don't know if you were here, maybe you weren't here, but the 3.30, there was Ryan and Mary Brashears were standing against the back wall. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:05.439 They had there's no seats. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:08.479 There's no seats available at 3.30. 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:11.520 And then at the 5, it was fuller than this. 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:12.639 It was nice and full. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:14.960 And I go, wow, wow. 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:24.399 Because a year ago, a year ago, we're sitting in the library, the preschool, Walker School, preschool building, in the library. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:29.120 I'm on the floor with plans, construction plans of this building. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:32.480 We are looking at how we can't afford this. 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:43.680 Like we bought the building, we raise money, we we get the drawings done for the building, and we're looking at the amount of money we have, and then the construction costs, and we're going, we're short. 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:45.040 We are short. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:58.879 And the elders are sitting on this bench, preschool bench, and I'm on the floor with these plans, and I have a red pen, and Brad has the numbers, and I'm with a red pen and I'm just marking out everything we can cut. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:03.839 We can cut this, we cannot do that, we cannot renovate this part of the building. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:12.720 Just cutting and cutting and cutting, and still at the end of this is just a year ago, still at the end of this, going, I don't know if we still I still don't know if we have enough money. 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:14.560 One year ago. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:15.839 This is how we feel. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:18.480 One year ago, and then Christmas Eve services this year. 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:28.560 We're in this building, it's finished, some money came in, we were able to, we were able to figure out how to renovate this place, and that's not like you know, have to borrow more money, and you know, we could do it with cash. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:32.000 I mean, all of this, Christmas Eve services are packed out, right? 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:34.800 There's some glory in this, is what I'm saying. 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:37.360 There is some glory in that. 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:44.399 And then four and a half years ago, there's just six of us sitting around a kitchen table. 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:49.839 And then four years ago, there's 25 of us in the dentist office. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:06:01.439 And then three and a half years ago, we're in the Robinson's house, and we just push all the kids out to the backyard to play, just go play, and we'll have a 30-minute church service in the living room. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:05.439 And then three years ago or so, we're in the Walker School. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:10.160 And now we're here, and there's this feeling sort of like, oh, we're making it. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:12.079 Like we're a real church. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:13.360 Like, look at this. 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:14.720 This actually happened. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:19.839 This doesn't happen, by the way, just in case you're wondering, it's like a restaurant succeeding. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.360 It doesn't happen. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:23.040 Don't invest in a restaurant. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:25.040 I'm surprised you came to a church plan. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.600 Like this the percentages aren't good. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:32.720 And there's this feeling like we're, wow, we're making it, and there's some momentum to this. 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:35.040 Like there's a little bit of momentum, like this feeling. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:36.160 And here's what can happen. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:37.439 Here's why I mentioned all of that. 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:43.439 Is you know, I've mentioned it about six months ago when we moved into this building, and this is a reminder sermon, is what this is. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:48.800 Without realizing it, we can very easily get on the glory train. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:51.839 You don't, we don't even realize we got on it. 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:55.040 And you get on it, and you don't even realize it. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:57.120 Here, and listen, remember this. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:00.240 Maybe you weren't there in the dentist's office. 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:01.199 Maybe you weren't there. 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:02.000 I wish you were. 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:03.439 Maybe you weren't. 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:06.639 It was great then. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:08.720 Okay? 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:10.720 It's great right now. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:16.639 We're gonna renovate this front area of the building and get a student ministry area and get some more classrooms. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:18.560 It'll be that'll be great. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:22.720 This room will eventually fill, and we'll build the sanctuary on the other side of the building. 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:24.000 We have room over there. 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:25.040 That'll be great. 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:26.319 But listen, listen, listen. 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:27.680 It's great now. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:30.000 And it was great in the dentist's office. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:31.040 You know what? 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:38.800 And if a whole bunch of you start going to other churches and we consolidate and we sell part of the building and it's smaller, it's great then. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:39.759 And here's why. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:41.839 It's because we're not on a glory train. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:52.319 Because we're not deemed valuable as people or families or a church based on our merit or growth or size or building. 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:55.279 We're deemed valuable because God loves us. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:57.439 That's why we're deemed valuable. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:00.000 See how free that is? 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:06.399 The glory train says, no, you've got to deem your value as a church based on your building and how big it is and your growing. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:10.639 And without real, it's so easy to get on that train. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:14.800 And what that is, is it's this idea. 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:21.199 It's called a theology of glory, is what it's called in theological terms, and it always works like this. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:27.680 If this happens, if that happens, then right? 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:34.559 Like if we, if we're a 400-person church, then we'll be valuable. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:38.879 If I make$100,000, then I'll be valuable. 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:43.120 If we can live in this other house, then we'll be okay. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.799 If I can weigh this amount, then I'll be okay. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:48.399 It's a glory train. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:50.240 And what it is, where did I put my marker? 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:51.200 I'm getting all excited. 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:52.159 I can't even keep track. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:09:00.399 What it is, if it's a line chart, it's it's a theology of glory that says all things must be getting better. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:07.519 That you should always get better. 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:10.399 And if you're not, you're not valuable. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:12.639 You're not justified. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:19.120 And it's false and it's dangerous, and it's exhausting, and it's eventually judgment on you. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:25.360 So even in the Christian life, we can get on this glory train and we don't even realize it. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:30.320 Before you know it, you think, oh, well, as a as a Christian, I should always be getting better. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:34.000 Well, Jesus' words on this are a little bit different. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.440 Matthew 16, 24 through 26, it's in your bulletin. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:46.399 Then Jesus told his disciples, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:55.519 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:10:01.279 But what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.000 Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:07.840 So listen, he's saying that life is not in the glory. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:10.639 Life is not found in you finding your life. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:13.679 Life is found in the sacrifice, in you losing your life. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:17.519 That's where the freedom is, that's where the life is, that's where the healing and the wholeness is. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:23.360 And facing your weakness and your shame and your guilt, all the stuff you want to pretend is not there or escape from it. 00:10:23.519 --> 00:10:28.799 See, the problem with the theology of glory is it demands you to be dishonest. 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:31.919 Because you simply can't always get better. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:33.600 It's not reality, right? 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:35.519 This, this is not reality. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:41.360 Reality looks something like this: like life's pretty good, and it's not, it's pretty good, it's not, it's not, you know, up, you know. 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:42.879 That's life, right? 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:43.840 That's you. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:47.360 That's how you work, that's how humanity works. 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:53.679 And so a theology of glory demands you to be dishonest because you're simply not always better. 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:55.360 Life is not always better. 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:59.360 And so you're forced to ignore parts of yourself. 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:17.519 And when you're in a theology of glory, you end up wearing masks, you perform, you pretend, you have to mask over real issues, you have to gloss over hardships, you, and you exhaust yourself looking apart. 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:27.200 But here's the thing you're already deeply, fully loved by God because of his work for you. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:29.440 That's already there. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:34.399 And that's known in Jesus for you, and that changes everything. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:37.200 So we are freed to live in reality. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:38.960 We don't have to form a false reality. 00:11:39.200 --> 00:11:40.159 We don't have to wear a mask. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:49.600 We're freed to live in reality with our brokenness, with our sin, with our imperfections, and we can look at those things and we can name them and we confess them. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:12:01.200 And it turns out that that is actually that sacrifice, that losing of your life to face that brokenness, that is actually the path to life and transformation. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:03.279 So in this passage, do you remember this word? 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:05.840 We talked about it six months ago, sukko. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:14.000 This is this word in verse 25, life, again repeated in uh the word soul in verse 26, same word. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:16.399 Suko, we get the word psyche. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:19.039 It's the core of who you are. 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:28.480 It's different than your body, so it's not the accumulation of bones and skin and organs, and yet it's you. 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:29.440 Right? 00:12:29.679 --> 00:12:36.000 It's the part of you that desperately wants to be whole, not just busy. 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:40.720 It's the part of you that wants to be a person and not just an actor. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.000 And you can get on the glory train. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:52.480 And you can set out for glory by your performance, hoping for some acceptance. 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:57.600 But Jesus says, if you do that, you will lose your life. 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:03.200 Because that train only leads to exhaustion and judgment. 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:04.320 All right, listen to that. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:15.600 We were listening to a TED talk on the in the car this week, and it was by an atheistic philosopher, and I I can't pronounce his name, uh, Alan de Button, de buton. 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:16.000 I don't know. 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:17.120 I don't know, I have no idea. 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:19.279 All right, here's the name of the TED talk if you want to look it up. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.679 A kinder, gentler philosophy of success. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:23.440 Listen, listen here what he's saying. 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:25.919 Remember, atheistic philosopher, listen to what he's saying here. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:26.799 It's a long paragraph. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:28.320 You're smart people, you hang with me. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:35.840 There's a real correlation between a society that tells people that they can do anything and the existence of low self-esteem. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:40.399 So that's another way in which something quite positive can have a nasty kickback. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:47.600 There's another reason why we might be feeling more anxious about our careers, about our status in the world today than ever before. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.519 And it's again linked to something nice. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:52.480 And that nice thing is called meritocracy. 00:13:52.720 --> 00:14:03.120 Everybody, all politicians on left and right agree that meritocracy is a great thing, and we should all be trying to make our societies really, really meritocratic. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:06.399 In other words, what is a meritocratic society? 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:13.200 A meritocratic society is one in which if you've got talent and energy and skill, you will get to the top. 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:14.879 Nothing should hold you back. 00:14:15.039 --> 00:14:16.240 It's a beautiful idea. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:32.799 The problem is, is if you really believe in a society where those who merit to get to the top get to the top, you'll also, by implication, in a far more nasty way, believe in a society where those who deserve to get to the bottom also get to the bottom and stay there. 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:44.879 In other words, your position in life comes to seem not accidental, but merited and deserved, and that makes failure seem much more crushing. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.440 Alright, so maybe that sounds a bit socialistic if you're politically driven. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:51.519 I don't read it for that reason at all. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:57.120 I read it because we all know the feeling of failure. 00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:06.159 And if you're meritocratic in nature, in your personhood, you will feel the crushing blow of that. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:15.840 And that's the problem with a merit-based life or the glory train is you will feel the crushing blow of performance. 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:19.120 We all know that feeling. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:20.559 And Jesus knows this. 00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:22.159 Jesus came to save us from this. 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:23.759 This is this word in this passage. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:30.000 Save for whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:34.559 So to be saved, that word saved, it means to be safe. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:40.879 To be rescued, to be healed, to be whole. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:45.519 Listen, it means to be free from judgment. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:46.480 Right? 00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:54.799 I mean, no longer living in a relationship to God based on a merit system which is doomed to judgment because you don't live up to God's standards. 00:15:54.960 --> 00:16:02.320 Eventually you will feel the crushing blow of that differential between who you should be and who you are. 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:08.639 You don't live up to your own standards, and so you will feel the crushing blow of that judgment. 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:13.919 A theology of glory, the glory train, meritocracy, it will always exhaust you. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:15.279 It will always judge you. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:20.399 And whether we're talking about in your personhood or your family or our church. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:27.279 But if you lose your life, you'll find it. 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:30.399 So point number one is this. 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:30.879 Two points. 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:31.840 Point number one is this. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.080 Jesus is helping us face reality. 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:41.279 Jesus said at the beginning, at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, he said the most spiritual thing you can do is be poor in spirit. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.679 That's the most spiritual thing you can do. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:49.200 It's just to be broken, to have a measure of humility. 00:16:49.919 --> 00:17:01.279 Because when you're in that position, you're forced into surrender, you're forced into understanding and receiving the sufficiency of Jesus for your life, you're coming into a greater knowledge of who God is for you and his regard to you. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:05.519 This is transforming your identity and it's forming transformation from the heart outward. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:09.279 It's not a theology of glory, because, well, let's let's let's draw it. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:16.079 I'm a chart guy, and so every once in a while I just gotta, especially on a Sunday like today, where I know kind of a captive audience. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:21.279 So all right, so you know you're loved. 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:22.960 Sorry, people behind me. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:24.559 I'll move by the way in a second. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:26.720 So you're loved. 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:28.240 You're loved by God. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:37.359 So because of that, you can face your sin, your brokenness, your imperfection. 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:40.319 You can be you can be honest about it because you're already loved. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:42.799 If you're not already loved, you can't face it. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:45.200 You have to mask it, you have to perform around it. 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:48.720 And because you can face it, then you can confess it. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:53.039 Honestly, without fear, because you're already loved. 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:55.920 So your confession can be freely before God. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:18:01.599 And there's transformation that occurs in this, and so what occurs is life. 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:10.799 You might include in life, you might include your ability to love other people, have compassion on other people. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:18.079 Your ability to then return back to the fact that you are loved. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:25.039 And see, the path, the path of the this path of the gospel is not a linear path, it's a deepening. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:43.839 You're deepening in your knowledge of God and who he is and his regard to you, and you're deepening in your own self-awareness of who you are and your imperfections, and that these things collide together because you're realizing who you are, you're confessing it over, and you're receiving God's grace, and this is a deepening and a deepening and a deepening. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:47.759 So, point number two, life is found. 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:59.599 Life, life, salvation, healing, wholeness, rescue, uh being safe is found in reality on the path of grace. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:01.440 This is what Jesus is saying. 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:04.400 When I was 14 years old, I'm riding in a Jeep. 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:05.759 I'm riding in a Jeep. 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:07.519 I was wearing a Georgia Tech hat. 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:10.319 I don't know why I was a Georgia Tech fan at that point in my life. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:10.960 I was. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:13.279 I'd been wearing this hat for four years. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:14.799 Thank you for the applause. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.799 Four years I'd been wearing this hat. 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:18.640 It had a freight edge on it. 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:21.039 Not manufactured, the real deal. 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.240 The real freight edge out of just wear and tear. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:25.680 Some of you know I'm talking about. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:27.920 I loved this hat. 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:30.799 Riding in a Jeep, you know what happens. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:32.240 Lose the hat. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.000 Hat comes off. 00:19:34.160 --> 00:19:36.160 We stop, I'm with my sister. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.400 Uh we stop, go back. 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:40.559 Can't find the hat. 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:42.480 Lost it. 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:43.359 I lost that. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:44.480 It's when I became a Georgia fan. 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:46.079 No, it's not when I became a Georgia fan. 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:47.200 Although it's a good point. 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:50.880 That is a good point of the story because I never got another hat, right? 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:51.920 Like I was mourned. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:53.519 I mourned that hat. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:55.759 It bothered me that I lost it. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:57.440 I remembered the hat. 00:19:57.759 --> 00:19:59.359 It affected me. 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:04.960 But it would from that point on, that hat was no longer a part of my life, right? 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:06.960 It was lost. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:12.640 I remembered it, it affected me, but it was no longer a part of my actual life. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:15.200 Okay, you've lost something. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:21.680 A ring, a passport, the little Apple TV remote. 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:22.960 Why is it so small? 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:23.920 I don't know. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:25.359 I don't know. 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.039 I want remote controls the size of a magazine. 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:30.079 Who will build that? 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.359 I'm buying that remote. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:32.240 We'll never lose it. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:33.359 Stays on the table. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:34.640 Be fantastic. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:37.599 Groundbreaking idea for anybody out there. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:40.319 So you lose something. 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:45.680 It bothers you, you remember it, but it's no longer part of your actual life. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:46.880 It's over. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:49.839 That thing is over, even though it still affects you. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:50.880 It's still over. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.599 So Jesus says this lose your life. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:21:02.640 Here's what he's saying: be finished with the attempt to save yourself out of your imperfect reality. 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:10.559 The glory train forces masks and performances, and then it exhausts you and it judges you. 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:11.440 Don't do it. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:12.799 Don't do it. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:19.920 Life is found on the path of grace, which ends up not being a linear path upward and better forever. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:31.200 It ends up being a deepening, a deepening in the knowledge of God and who he is and what he asks of us, and at the same time, a deepening of our self-awareness of who we are and how we're falling short. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:37.519 But it's okay because we're receiving the God's grace for us, which transforms our heart, which transforms our lives. 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:46.400 See, this is about living out of God's movement toward you to make you whole, saved. 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:52.880 And right relationship with Him here and in eternity. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:57.680 In the coming of the incarnation in Jesus, He took on our sin. 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:00.160 He gives us His righteousness. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:08.720 And so in that, you are free from performing into salvation and wholeness before God. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:10.880 You are free to discover. 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:16.720 You are free to just confess and discover what He's already deemed you. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:20.960 So, my brothers and sisters, may you continue to lose your life. 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:22.160 So you may find it. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:23.200 Let's pray together. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:24.640 God, thank you. 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:27.599 That your grace is sufficient to us. 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:39.440 That we are free to confess before you, like the Apostle Paul, that we are not continually getting better, but in fact, what a wretched man I am. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:43.200 And how deep is your love for us. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:52.079 How sufficient is the blood of Jesus to be for us your love and forgiveness and goodness. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:58.319 Help us to deepen to trust greater in your goodness. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:22:59.839 In Jesus' name. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:00.880 Amen.