WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:06.719 Today's message is one that uh quite honestly impacts me personally, and I can't wait to share it with you this morning. 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:09.919 The title of today's message is Learning to See. 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:14.000 It's on power, mercy, and desire. 00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:18.160 So listen now for the word of the Lord, Matthew chapter 20. 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:21.199 And actually, let me ask you for something in the weeks to come. 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:27.359 What I want to ask you to do is I want to ask you to bring a paper Bible, like a tree Bible, okay? 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:32.880 There is an e-Bible in your pocket, and then there's a tree Bible that you can actually bring with you. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:38.000 And I'm gonna give you a moment to turn in your Bible to Matthew chapter 20. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:45.039 And one of the reasons I want to do that, one is because the old school is the cool school, is the new school, and I like having the paper Bible in my hand. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:50.240 It's also difficult to pass down to the next generation your Bible app with all of your notes in it. 00:00:50.399 --> 00:01:02.719 So I want to encourage you to bring a paper Bible, and finally, it just keeps you keeps you from checking Instagram and Facebook and TikTok and doing your Walmart order while I am reading God's Word. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:07.280 Matthew chapter 20, verses 20 to 34. 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:17.200 The mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to Jesus with her sons and kneeling before him, she asked him for something. 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:20.879 And he said to her, What do you want? 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:31.439 And she said to him, Say to these two sons of mine that they're to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left hand. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:34.319 Now, of course, this is James and John here. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:40.000 And Jesus answered, You don't know what you're asking. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.159 Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink? 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:46.719 And they said to him, We are able. 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:53.359 And he said to them, You'll drink the cup, which in Judaism, parenthetically, here, is a symbol for suffering. 00:01:54.079 --> 00:02:00.959 But to sit at my right hand and my left is not mine to grant, but it's for those whom for whom it has been prepared by my father. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:05.840 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:13.039 But Jesus called them to him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles, these are like the outsiders in their world. 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:15.520 Culture, so to say. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:32.560 But whoever will be great among you must be your servant, and whoever will be first among you must be your slave. 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:34.240 Now that needs a lot of unpacking. 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:36.159 We don't have time to do today. 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:45.039 Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:49.280 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:53.039 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside. 00:02:53.280 --> 00:03:00.319 And when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, Lord, have mercy on us, son of David. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:03.439 And the crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:07.680 But they cried out all the more, Lord, have mercy on us, son of David. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:13.199 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, What do you want me to do for you? 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:16.879 And they said, Lord, let our eyes be opened. 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:23.360 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:25.919 You put your hand on your heart. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:30.319 And just breathe real deep and let it out. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:34.879 And pray this prayer with me, dear Lord Jesus. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:41.680 Speak to my heart and change my life in your precious name. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:43.120 Amen. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:54.080 Any of you been in the job of parenting and found yourself asked a question by one of your kids that you just couldn't answer? 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.520 For me, it's sometimes the why questions. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.120 Daddy, why is the sky blue? 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:07.280 Daddy, why doesn't airplane stay in the sky whenever it gets up there? 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:09.120 I'm like, son, I don't know. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:11.599 I'm not an aeronautical engineer. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:14.879 Then later they they start asking questions with how. 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:28.079 But lately the questions shifted to something like can. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:29.839 So they go from why to how. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:32.319 Now we're in like the can realm. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:36.639 Dad, can you send me some Venmo? 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:42.160 Any parents bear witness with the can questions? 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:45.360 Dad, can I go to Panama City? 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:51.040 Dad, can I go bowling at 10 o'clock at night? 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:53.120 Can I do a sleepover? 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:54.720 Just wait. 00:04:54.959 --> 00:05:00.399 Right now they're why and their how, but the can questions are coming. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:03.279 Man, the can questions are. 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:05.839 Sometimes they open up a can, I'll be honest with you. 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:13.040 And it's just like I sometimes they make me want to open up a can of love, kindness, mercy. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:25.759 The most difficult question I've ever been asked was not a why, not a how, not a can, but it was a what question. 00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:36.000 It was asked over a decade ago when I was really struggling with who I was and what I wanted to be, being a pastor and what that meant. 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:45.279 You could say it was a midlife crisis, but it was too early for that, unless, of course, the middle of my life was its 30s, in which case I don't like that mass. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.160 So we'll say it was a quarter life crisis that I was having. 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:59.360 And Kent came up to me in the lobby of our kids' ministry facility, and he said, Pastor, I believe the Lord has a question that he wants me to ask you. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:01.040 I said, What is that? 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:05.600 He said, The question the Lord wants me to ask you is, What do you want? 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:08.480 What do you want? 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:11.040 And I couldn't answer him. 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.839 I knew what I didn't want. 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:19.920 At that point, although I loved it at some times, I didn't want to do that job anymore. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:27.360 I didn't want to be in charge of many, many, many things at the church. 00:06:28.959 --> 00:06:34.399 It felt like I'd become a religious manager and not really a pastor at that point in time. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:39.199 I knew all of the things that I didn't want to do. 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:42.319 But when he said to me, What do you want? 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:47.600 I had a difficult time answering that question. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:53.040 And I find this is a difficult question for not just me to answer, but for many people to answer. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:54.399 Especially young people. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:56.160 I was thinking about you, young people. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:06:57.360 Define young as you want. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:06:59.920 You self-identify as young, this is for you. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:02.800 What do you want? 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:07.920 So much of your life, you're told what you're supposed to want. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:12.879 You're told what you're supposed to do, why you're supposed to do it. 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.720 It's pretty rare whenever I ask a teenager, like, what do you want? 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:18.720 That they actually know what they want. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:24.720 I mean, granted, they're young, but so much of their life is given to them. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:26.720 This is who you are. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:30.720 And then there's also moms, of course. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.560 You rarely meet a mom that knows what she wants. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:38.399 I'm not talking about wives, that's different. 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:46.639 In my personal experience, no wife that I've ever been married to has known entirely what she wanted, especially whenever it comes to going out to eat. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:47.920 Where do you want to eat? 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:48.399 I don't know. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:49.519 Where do you want to eat? 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:51.439 Let's just stay home, okay? 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:53.920 What do you want? 00:07:55.360 --> 00:08:00.959 The reason it's difficult for moms is because I think you spend your whole life giving everybody else what they want. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:03.279 Who has time to want what I want? 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:04.399 What I want? 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:06.079 What a great question. 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:07.759 You got an hour? 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:10.639 It's a difficult question. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:12.079 What do you want? 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:18.160 It's easy to lose touch with what we want in life because the demands weigh upon us. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:25.040 It's even easier to want what we are told we should want rather than what we actually want. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:31.519 And worse, to want the wrong thing because our water wants the thing that it should not, in fact, want. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:40.000 This is why I pray with a psalmist in Psalm 139. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:41.840 Search me, O God. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:43.440 Know my wonder. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:47.039 Try me and know my thoughts. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:53.200 And see if there's anything jacked up inside of me because I want the things I shouldn't want, and the things I shouldn't want, I want. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:09:00.480 So if you could create a clean heart in me and help my water to want what it should want, I would really want that to happen. 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:08.000 My goal is to want what God wants me to want, and to figure out what exactly it is that my wife wants. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:10.399 She's not here yet. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:13.360 Second service, the sermon will change. 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:21.759 God only knows the many things I want that I should not want, and the things I should not want that I do, in fact, want. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:31.120 And also, I want to go on record and say, I'm thankful that I have not gotten many of the things that I wanted, that I thought that I needed. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:41.360 As the prophet Garth Brooks saying, some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:44.240 Whether or not it's good theology, it works for me. 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:50.879 Wanting the wrong thing will get you things that even though you want them, when you get them, you don't want them. 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:58.960 Was it Cheryl Crow who said it's not getting what you want, it's wanting what you get, or something like that. 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:04.000 Jesus' disciples, most of the time, wanted the thing that they shouldn't want. 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:07.039 And in fact, they rarely knew the thing that they should want. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:16.159 And this is the case here in this story where two of their mothers, like two of the dudes, James and John, the sons of thunder. 00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:18.720 Their mama comes to Jesus. 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:20.159 Sons of thunder. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:23.840 And their mom comes to Jesus. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:28.480 She comes up to Jesus and she starts to ask him something. 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:31.360 It's comical to me. 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:32.879 Mama. 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:36.240 She starts to ask Jesus something. 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:42.320 And Jesus looks at her and he says, What do you want? 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:46.799 And now she has to name this request that she's been working on. 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:54.399 She says, I want my two boys, Jimmy and Johnny, to sit at your right hand and your left hand in your kingdom. 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:58.879 To which Jesus responds, You do not know what you are asking. 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:03.360 And when the other ten disciples hear this, they are ticked. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:04.240 And why are they ticked? 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:10.960 Because two of their comrades have their mama asking on their behalf if they can sit at his right hand and his left hand. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:15.200 And Jesus only has two hands, which means there's only so much power in their mind. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:26.399 My mind just goes to the fact, could you imagine if you were a school teacher or a coach and you had James and John's mother as one of the parents in your class or on your team? 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:28.480 Could you imagine dealing with those kids? 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:33.360 And then Jesus calls them together and he tries to sort it out because it's so terrible what they're thinking. 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:42.399 And he says to them, Out in the world, the people in power use their power to lord it other other over other people, but this should not be so among you. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:45.679 The greatest among you shall be the servant of all. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:54.080 Aren't the best leaders in your lives the ones who have lifted you up rather than used their power to push you down? 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:58.639 I've done a couple of change of commands for the seventh group. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:00.080 Poppy, where are you at, sir? 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:00.559 Are you in here? 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.240 I'm not allowed to say call him Poppy, I'm sorry. 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:03.279 Chief Ruiz? 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:05.039 There he is, my man. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:06.159 There he is. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:13.279 The people who get promoted tend to be the people that are the most respected in the room. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:20.399 And they're the most respected in the room because they do the things that nobody else wants to do and they set an example so that the other people can do the things that they're good at doing. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:21.919 It's called servant leadership. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:25.200 Robert Greenleaf coined the term, but he didn't invent the concept. 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:28.799 Jesus seems to be the pioneer of that adventure to me. 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:34.480 Jesus says, guys, listen, the way of the world is not the way of the kingdom. 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:35.600 You want to be great? 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:37.919 Try being the servant of all. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:40.960 But here we have these two disciples who don't get it. 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:46.879 And watch this, they're standing with Jesus and they're asking to sit with him in authority. 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:51.120 And they cannot see the life that Jesus has for them. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:13:00.639 They're standing with Jesus, asking to sit with him in rule and power, and they cannot see what Jesus wants them to see. 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:02.080 Next scene. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:08.879 Here we have Jimmy and Johnny and their mother. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:10.240 Jimmy and Johnny. 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:12.399 And over here we have two more men. 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:14.080 And they are blind. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:16.240 And they are sitting by the roadside. 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:20.639 And they can hear Jesus coming and they cry out to him, Lord, have mercy on us. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:23.039 And the crowd rebukes them to silence them. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:25.919 But they cried out all the more, Lord, have mercy on us. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:28.240 Son of David, have mercy on us. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:34.960 And stopping, Jesus called them, which is what Jesus does when he's gathering disciples. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:39.840 And he asks the perfect question, which he has just asked Jimmy and Johnny's mother. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:40.960 No disrespect, boys. 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:41.840 I'm going to see you one day. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:43.039 Don't be mad at me. 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:44.480 I hope to see you one day. 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:45.759 Don't be mad at me. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:52.639 And he says to him, to these two blind men, What do you want me to do for you? 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:58.080 To which one of the guys, we'll call him Hector, says, Estoy loco. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:13:59.679 Estoy blind. 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:02.240 What do you think I want? 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:04.799 He didn't actually say that. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:07.519 Jesus says, What is it? 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:09.759 Not estoy loco, that's I am blind. 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:10.960 Or I am loco. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:12.399 El S loco. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:13.279 Sorry. 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:14.559 Is that close? 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:16.320 He's crazy. 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:18.960 That guy is loco. 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:21.279 Jesus is crazy. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:24.240 I need a translator. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:28.879 They say, what do you want me to do for you? 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:30.320 Jesus says. 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:35.200 And they says, Lord, let our eyes be opened. 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:38.799 And in pity, Jesus touched their eyes. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.840 And immediately they recover their sight. 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:43.679 And they followed him. 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:45.919 Two stories. 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:49.519 Two pairs of men that could not be more different. 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:51.759 But they share one question. 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:53.679 What do you want? 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:59.279 Sometimes the Bible shows you what you need to see rather than telling you what you need to see. 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:04.960 In the first story, two men stand and see and ask to sit in power. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.600 These should be the ones who have it together. 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:12.639 And in the next story, two men sit and cannot see and ask for mercy. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:15.440 These should be the ones who do not have it together. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:21.200 But the opposite, of course, when it comes to following Jesus is in play here once again. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:26.000 The people who should be able to know what they want because they can see are completely blind. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:32.960 The people who are completely blind and should not be able to see are the only ones that can see what in fact they should actually want. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:37.279 Two can see clearly and are clearly blind. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:41.519 Two cannot see at all and can clearly see. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:51.759 And of these two requests, one for power, one for mercy, Jesus only answers one, and it's the plea for mercy. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:58.080 Mercy is the prayer that Jesus always answers. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:15:59.919 You may ask for a lot of things. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:05.120 If you ever want to get the thing you really want, ask for mercy because it's what you really need. 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.240 Mercy is the prayer that's on my lips a lot these days. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:10.960 Because I need mercy. 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:17.200 We hosted over a dozen of the local pastors here at our church the other day. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:20.080 There were Episcopalians in the room. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:22.879 There was a Methodist in the room. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:25.279 No Baptists. 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:27.840 James wasn't here, James. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:33.120 There's some Lutherans and some non-denominational folks. 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.600 And I had to give the devotion. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:40.639 And I said to them, so many words, but here was the main thing. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:43.440 I have no idea what I'm doing as a pastor. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:44.639 I have no clue. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:48.000 I have absolutely people are walking around their place, like, wow, this is great. 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:49.039 How's it going? 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:49.679 Whatever. 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:51.840 Words out about us, you know. 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:54.320 And they said, like, how's this? 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:54.799 How's that? 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:59.919 And I'm telling them, I said, guys, listen, I have no idea what I'm doing. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:03.279 Because I'm not making this up as I go. 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:08.480 All I can do is watch what Jesus is doing and do that. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:12.640 I don't know where I'm going. 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:14.799 I've been blinded by the truth. 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:16.240 I have no clue. 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:21.200 All I can see is the back of a man a couple steps in front of me. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:23.119 That's all I can see. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:25.359 I don't know where I'm going. 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:30.000 I'm blind as can be whenever I'm looking with my own eyes. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:36.720 Whenever I want what I want, whenever I clamor for power, whenever I seek approval, I am so blind. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:44.400 But whenever I figure out, I have no idea what I'm doing, and I feel most blind, and at that moment I say, Jesus, I have no clue. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:45.519 Give me mercy. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:46.400 Would you help me? 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.319 At that point, my eyes are open. 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:51.119 And then I can see where I need to go. 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:56.480 It's when we think we see that we are blind, and when we think we're blind that we actually see. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:03.039 This is why the longer I follow Jesus, the more I realize I'm just a blind beggar on the side of the road. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.519 Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.559 And this is why when Kent asked me that question, what do you want? 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:09.680 I couldn't answer it. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:14.319 Because my whole life I've been told, you have great potential, you have this gift, you have these skills. 00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:20.000 And I spent the first phase of my life trying to live into other people's dreams for me. 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:33.440 And standing there as a 30-something-year-old man with all of these people that look to me, I couldn't tell you what I actually wanted because what I wanted was to make everybody else happy. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:41.200 And sooner or later you get to the point in your life where you realize the purpose of your life is not to live out everybody else's dreams. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:45.759 The purpose of your life is not to live out your own dreams. 00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:50.799 The purpose of your life is to live out God's dreams for your life. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:56.559 The Bible says, delight yourself in the ways of the Lord and He'll give you the desires of your heart. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:02.000 It doesn't mean if you get great performance and ask God for stuff, He's going to give it to you. 00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:02.400 No. 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:08.400 It means that if you will follow Jesus, He will actually make your desires his desires. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:13.759 God help me to want what you want me to want. 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.759 Can you see what's happening in these stories as we close this morning? 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:19.119 Can you see what's happening? 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:30.160 Jesus is trying to show the disciples what it means to really see, what it means to follow him, what it means to want the good and the true and the beautiful, and not all the things that they've been told that they should want. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:35.200 He's trying to show them how blind they are to how the kingdom of heaven works. 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:48.480 He's trying to show them how blind they are to how true power and authority works, how the goals and aspirations handed down to them, even by their parents, even by their own mother in this case, are not always what God wants for you. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.200 What parent doesn't want things to go well for their child? 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:54.160 What parent doesn't want great things for their kids? 00:19:54.319 --> 00:20:00.880 But if you really want what's best for your child, you will train them to want what God wants for their life. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:12.960 They could be a complete failure by the world standards, but if their one true North star is Jesus, then you will have succeeded as a parent and they will have succeeded as a child of God. 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:16.480 Now, sometimes you want it for them and they have to want it for themselves. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:23.519 You can't want what they should want for them if their wan wants the things that it shouldn't want. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:28.319 You can only want it for them and say, God, they're yours, have mercy on them too. 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:32.880 And this is why I think Jesus is out here asking this question. 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:34.240 What do you want? 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:37.279 Because he wants people to want it for themselves. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:40.160 He wants to hear them say, This is what I want. 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:42.160 He doesn't tell them what to want. 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:45.519 Religion at its best does not tell you what to want. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.519 It doesn't put a stranglehold on your free will. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:53.519 Religion at its best confronts you with your freedom. 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:56.319 Jesus doesn't say, want this and want that. 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:58.319 He says, What do you want? 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:04.960 And then when they say, This is what I want, they have to look at that thing and go, is this really what I want? 00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:11.279 Religion, true religion, following Jesus actually creates more freedom. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:16.559 It creates the space for you to have your heart shaped by Him every single day. 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:20.799 To where the longer you follow Him, the more you want what He wants you to want. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:27.279 I know a lot of young people in the world, a lot of middle-aged people in the world that are out there deconstructing these days. 00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:31.440 If deconstructing was a full-time job, we'd have more millionaires. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:38.880 Instead, we have a lot of lame people sitting in their underwear playing like keyboard warrior, griping about things in life. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:47.200 Instead of taking accountability and responsibility for their own life, they just sit around and gripe about how the world isn't treating them fair. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:48.079 Grow up. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:50.880 How the church is not this and not that. 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:52.319 Oh well, be the change. 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:53.759 Suck it up, Buttercup. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:55.920 Life's hard, full of trouble. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:00.960 Your days are going to be difficult. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:14.720 And you can either sit around and gripe about how hard things are in the hand you've been dealt, or you can pull yourself up by the bootstraps and fall to your knees at the same time and say, Jesus, what do I really want? 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:17.039 What do I really want? 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:19.440 And then claim your life for yourself. 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:26.559 And stop looking to mommy and daddy to have to position you to where you succeed in life. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:33.119 Why don't you stop rebelling against everything and just say, Jesus, what do you want me to want? 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:39.839 I'm so, I'm so annoyed by this like little mealy-mouth critique of the church. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:41.759 Not our church, just the church in general. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:43.920 It's like, ooh, it doesn't do this. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:44.720 I can't do that. 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:46.640 Shut up and be the change. 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:48.799 Like respectfully, I say that respectfully. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:52.799 You're allowed to say anything if you want, you want, if you say with all due respect. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:56.319 With all due respect, shut up and be the change. 00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:58.799 We know what you don't want. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:00.319 You've made that perfectly clear. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:02.319 Shut up and be the change. 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:04.559 We know how the church has fallen short. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:06.480 Shut up and be the change. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.640 We know all the things you're against. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:10.799 We're having a clue what you're for. 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:15.440 And this is why Jesus is out here saying, like, what do you want? 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:20.319 Because you have to name the thing, and then you have to aim your life at it, and then you have to go after it. 00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:23.839 Because nobody's gonna do it for you, and nobody's gonna go get it for you. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:27.759 Wanted enough to say, Jesus, I want you. 00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:29.759 What do you want? 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:31.440 You want to be popular? 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:32.799 That'll be fun. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:34.079 You want to be rich? 00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:35.759 Good luck with that. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:37.680 You want to have the perfect family? 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:39.599 Get ready to be disappointed. 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:51.519 But if you will aim your life at Jesus and say, screw the rest of it with all due respect, I just want Jesus. 00:23:54.160 --> 00:24:08.000 And so Jesus takes a couple of men who can see, and he holds up a mirror to them in the form of a couple of men who are blind, and he says to them, Boys, this is you. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:14.240 And boys, maybe you should want what they're asking for. 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:20.319 Because they wanted power and control, they wanted prominence and everything else. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:24.960 And Jesus is just like, guys, the one thing you need is mercy. 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:31.759 The one thing you need is just to say to Jesus, just have mercy on me and help me to want what you want me to want. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.160 We hope you enjoyed today's sermon. 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:38.079 We love for you to join us in person at 9 and 10 30 a.m. 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:42.240 Or for more info, head over to visit1.church.