WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:00.959 No, no, today's good. 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:07.040 Today we're wrapping up a series that we started at the very beginning of January called Whatever You Do, Don't. 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:09.199 Whatever You Do, Don't. 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:10.880 And I know that that sounds negative, right? 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:11.919 It's a big don't. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:12.640 That's not good. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:13.279 But it's not. 00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:14.160 It's meant to be positive. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:15.119 The idea is really simple. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:16.000 We have freedom. 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:17.600 God has given us freedom. 00:00:17.839 --> 00:00:20.960 We often think about God as someone who restricts freedom. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:25.199 Very often religion teaches us that following God is like walking a tightrope. 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:26.879 You know, but you better not mess up, right? 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.039 Whatever you do, do not take one step left, one step right. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:29.920 If you do, it's all over. 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:30.879 That is not God. 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:34.159 And we know that because look at stories like the Garden of Eden. 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:37.840 That's God's will on the earth, his pure will, no sin. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:39.520 We haven't messed anything up yet. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:42.799 And in the garden, there was one tree they were told not to eat from. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:44.719 And everything else was fair game. 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:46.640 God says, hey, eat freely. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:47.759 Do whatever you want. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:50.399 Enjoy this amazing paradise I've created. 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:51.759 Enjoy the freedom I'm giving you. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.320 Oh, but just don't eat from that one tree. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:01:00.880 Success is not so much about walking a tightrope as it's about just avoiding the major pitfalls. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:03.520 But as people, we're pretty good at finding the pitfalls. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:04.319 We're good at it. 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:05.439 We have a knack for it. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:07.680 And so here we are at the very beginning of a year. 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:13.680 And the idea here is look, whatever you do, whatever choices you make, whatever things you decide to prioritize, great. 00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:14.319 Go for it. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:15.280 Have fun. 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:17.040 Live your life this year. 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:18.319 Do great things. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:19.120 You have freedom. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:19.840 Enjoy it. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:24.079 Oh, but whatever you do, just don't do some of these things. 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:25.760 It'll mess everything up. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:35.519 We've been exploring that all month long, and today we're going to wrap it up with a very simple but difficult one that just simply says, whatever you do, don't be afraid. 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:37.519 Don't be afraid. 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:39.200 That's easy, right? 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:40.480 Just don't be afraid. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:41.519 There's nothing to be afraid of. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:43.359 No, there's all kinds of things to be afraid of. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:46.079 We are very familiar with fear. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:49.599 Like as a society, we actually celebrate fear. 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:51.040 We celebrate it. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:51.280 We do. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:54.079 And I'm not saying this to like gunk on society or anything like that. 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:54.879 It's just the reality. 00:01:55.040 --> 00:02:04.480 So I read an interesting statistic this last week that said that the percentage of adults who participate in Halloween has skyrocketed over the last 20 years. 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:06.799 And by the way, some of you are like, hey, I like Halloween. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.080 Stop judging me, okay? 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:08.719 There's candy. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:09.520 I'm not judging. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:10.560 No, no, it's all good. 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:11.680 I've I've all good. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:12.159 I'm serious. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:13.680 I'm not saying that you shouldn't. 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:16.879 That's a conviction some people have, but that's a conviction, okay? 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:22.560 But but look, like 50% in 2005 of adults celebrated Halloween. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:23.919 Today it's almost 75%. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:24.960 Right? 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:26.400 And Halloween's all about fear. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:29.759 It's like celebrating fear, kind of having fun at fear's expense, and it's spooky and all that. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:32.400 My point is, we're kind of comfortable with fear as a society. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:35.360 Every year, some of the highest-grossing movies are horror movies. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:38.240 Because it's society, we're like, yeah, I like creepy stuff. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:39.199 I like being afraid. 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:41.759 We we sort of get fear. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:42.960 We get it. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:48.000 And I would say that our society is becoming more and more dominated by fear. 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:54.400 And I've got all kinds of statistics to back this up in terms of anxiety and worry and all that kind of stuff, but statistics are boring. 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:55.680 Can we agree? 00:02:55.919 --> 00:03:00.960 So here's a way that we can know that we as a society have become more dominated and controlled by fear. 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:02.639 We've got our high school students with us today. 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:04.719 All right, high school students, quick, like raise your hands. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:06.400 I'm sorry to make you like act like it's school. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:08.800 That is not all of you, but thank you for those that have participated. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:11.120 High school students, they're they're in the room once a month with us. 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:11.759 It's great. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:12.479 All right. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:16.479 Everyone but the high school students, I'm gonna save you guys, you participate in just a second. 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.000 Those of us that are full-blown adults, question. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:28.240 How many of you growing up were told by your parents, go outside, go play, just be back by dark? 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.560 Raise your hand if that was your sort of setup. 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:31.039 Right. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:36.800 And if someone would have come to your house before dark and question your parents, hey, where are your children? 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:38.479 They would have said, I don't know. 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:42.159 But don't worry, I told them to be back before dark. 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.439 And people would have gone, that's reasonable, that's good. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:52.800 High school students, how many of you grew up being told by your parents, go, I don't care where you are, just be back by dark. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:01.280 How many of you have Live 360 installed on your phone so your parents know where you are at every moment, every second of the day? 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:02.400 Alright? 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:04.879 We don't need statistics. 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:07.280 Here we are, bearing it out. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:10.319 Like, parents, some of you are like, oh, I love that. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:13.840 Growing up, you know, my parents would just be like, go and play, and I they didn't know where I was. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:15.919 I was doing stuff I shouldn't have been doing, but they didn't know. 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:18.639 And I just got back and I acted like everything was good. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:20.480 But if I said that, would you do that with your kids? 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:21.759 You're like, never. 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:22.399 No. 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:24.160 I have an app on my phone. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:25.279 I'm tracking them. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:28.000 I'm tracking them as we speak. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:31.279 And you might be thinking, hold on, the world's different than it was back then. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:32.639 And maybe you're right. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:33.920 Maybe you're right. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:34.959 Maybe it is. 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:38.720 And maybe we have reasonable things to be afraid of. 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:49.519 I'm not saying that none of the fears are rational or reasonable, but what I'm saying is that we live in a society that is dominated by fear. 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:52.639 And fear is a bad master. 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:55.439 Like fear makes us foolish. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:56.800 It really, really does. 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:00.079 Let me read a story, really quick story from 1 Samuel. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:07.120 There's a king named Saul, he's the first king of Israel, and things are going pretty well at the very beginning of his story, and then he messes up big time. 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:12.160 In what seems like a really simple, understandable way, and it costs him. 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:19.040 There's a prophet named Samuel, and Saul is about to go out and fight a battle, and they're the underdog in this battle. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:25.680 And Samuel tells Saul, do not go to battle until I return and I make a sacrifice to the Lord. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:27.519 That was their culture and their custom. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:29.279 But Samuel was late. 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:30.319 He was late. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:32.959 And so Saul kind of took things into his own hands. 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:36.399 Here's what it says in verse 8 of 1 Samuel 13. 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:42.399 Saul waited there for seven days, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn't come. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:49.199 Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away, so he demanded, Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:52.079 And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:55.759 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.240 Saul went out to meet him and welcome him. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:00.240 But Samuel said, What is this you've done? 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:05.360 And Saul replied, I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:07.759 And the Philistines are at Mi'kmash, they're ready for battle. 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:12.319 So I said, The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven't even asked for the Lord's help. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:15.759 So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.079 How foolish! Samuel exclaimed. 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:27.279 Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever, but now your kingdom must end. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.079 For the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:36.399 The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord's command. 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:41.600 It's easy to read that and be like, well, I mean, come on, Samuel, God, like Saul was just doing his best. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:42.480 He's taking initiative. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:46.000 It's actually a story of someone trying really hard to do the right thing. 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:53.920 But if you if you really see what's going on, and you see this in Saul's life many different times, this plays out over and over again in his story. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:55.839 Saul is afraid. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:06:58.560 He sees his men slipping away. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:00.079 And he's worried about it. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.720 And he makes a decision based out of fear. 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:08.319 He's like, oh no, if I don't do this, the men are gonna slip away, more of them are gonna leave, we're never gonna win this battle. 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:10.560 And Saul repeats this over and over again. 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:16.000 He gets afraid of what people think about him, so he responds appropriately or inappropriately, and it all goes terribly wrong. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:21.759 He makes a decision out of fear, and when you're a leader, you can't make decisions out of fear. 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:26.879 How many of us would say the best decisions I've ever made in my life, I made when I was afraid? 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:30.000 How about the worst? 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:31.920 Yeah, it's easy to make. 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:45.920 No one actually believes that fear leads to wisdom, to great decisions, that, oh, I'm just gonna live my life by fear, let fear be the filter that everything runs through, and everything's gonna be great. 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:56.160 No one actually believes that, and yet so many people allow fear to be the primary filter that they make all their decisions through. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:56.879 Why did you do that? 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:02.079 Because I was afraid that if I didn't, why did you go this way instead of that way? 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:05.519 Because I was afraid that if I went that way, this might happen. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:09.439 Fear ends up being this dominating force in our lives. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.160 And we're all very familiar with it. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:18.240 All of us can think about moments in our lives where we felt genuine, true fear. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:24.639 I don't want to bring up any trauma from the past right now, but let's do a little experiment. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:28.560 I want you to try right now to think back to the first moment you felt really afraid. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:32.240 And if it's like, whoa, that's a really traumatic experience for my life, then go, nope. 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:40.559 Stuff that away, pray through that later, and find a memory of an early fear that you can look back on and go, that was kind of silly. 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:42.480 Mine is really easy. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:44.639 I have an older brother who's eight years older than me. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.080 And he's my half-brother. 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:48.720 He only came over once every other weekend. 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:49.279 Right? 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:50.960 So we had joint custody. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:57.679 Every other weekend, I went from being an only child to having an older brother and sister come and spend two days with me, and he was eight years older than me. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:08:58.799 When I was seven, he was 15. 00:08:58.960 --> 00:09:01.679 Do you have any idea how cool a 15-year-old is to a seven-year-old? 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:03.039 Like, he wasn't even cool. 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:03.759 He's not cool. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:05.120 He never has been cool. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:07.120 And I'm I'm okay if he hears this. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:09.759 But like at seven, he was awesome. 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:16.080 And so when my brother came, it was like, I mean, I was more excited about my brother coming every other weekend than I was about anything. 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:18.720 And when he showed up, he'd always bring movies with him. 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:20.399 I don't think my parents knew this. 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:23.120 And they let me stay up late at night and hang out with him. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:28.080 And I would stay up as late as I could possibly, I mean, as long as I could go, I'm up with him. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:34.960 And when my parents would go to bed, we'd go down to the basement, and he'd take out a VHS tape, pop it in the VCR. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:37.679 Turns out it was only half-rewound, so we'd rewind it. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:39.600 And then we start the movie. 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:46.559 And I have a few, two memories, two movies that are like burned into my memory forever, watching with him in the basement late at night. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:47.519 One was Predator. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:49.279 I was seven years old. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:51.600 Movie was awesome. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:53.919 Like, is it appropriate for a seven-year-old? 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:54.159 No. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:55.519 Is it appropriate for a 15-year-old? 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:56.240 Probably not. 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:57.360 But it was cool. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:03.519 And I have like a childish nostalgia for the movie Predator, where some children are like Sesame Street. 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:04.799 I'm like, Predator. 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:06.639 That's it with the 80s were different. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:07.519 I'm not recommending this. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:08.240 I'm just being honest. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:09.279 That was my childhood. 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:13.440 The other one that I remember clearly, I don't know which one it was, it doesn't really matter. 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:15.200 It was one of the Freddy movies. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.679 I was seven years old. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:21.039 And my brother brought home a Freddy movie. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:26.720 And I have a distinct memory of sitting next to him on a couch and wanting to cry. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:28.240 But not. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:32.240 Because 15-year-old brother, I will not cry in front of him. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:38.399 I remember him laughing at moments that were like terrifying to me. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:40.480 And then me just like trying to laugh along. 00:10:40.559 --> 00:10:43.519 But you know that whole like you're laughing and crying at the same time thing. 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:44.399 Like, I was doing that. 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:46.000 Like he's like, I'm like, ha ha ha. 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:48.720 You know, like, oh my god, why is this on? 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:49.519 You know? 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:52.960 And in the Freddy movies, I'm not trying to make you watch the Freddy movie, they're horrible. 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:54.639 Don't watch those, but like, he gets you in your dreams. 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:58.159 So I remember going to bed that night and being like, I don't want to close my eyes. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:10:59.039 I was so scared. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:00.960 I was seven years old. 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:02.960 So afraid. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:05.279 Fear hits us at a young age. 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:06.799 It always does. 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:12.559 You know, by the time we're five, six years old, we're we're good at imagining all kinds of things to be afraid of. 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:19.120 And if we're not careful, and let's be honest, if we just live a normal life, that doesn't really change. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:21.600 We just have more things to be afraid of. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:24.960 And honestly, the things that we're afraid of tend to be more reasonable. 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:32.000 It's not so much monsters in the closet anymore, it's things that really might happen to us. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:34.159 Because we saw it happen to them. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.639 But fear is still a bad master. 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:42.799 It leads us to foolishness, we make poor decisions when we're afraid. 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:48.480 We limit ourselves so many times, we miss out on all kinds of things in life because I won't do that because I'm just afraid. 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:50.720 And we are not meant to live in fear. 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:53.440 God speaks about fear a lot in the scriptures. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.240 2 Timothy 1, verse 7. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:04.559 God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:06.720 Joshua 1 9, this is my command. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:08.000 Be strong and courageous. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:12.559 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:17.200 Isaiah 41, verse 10, don't be afraid, for I'm with you. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:20.240 Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:22.159 I will strengthen you and help you. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:25.120 I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.840 Time and time again, God tells us in Scripture, don't be afraid. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:35.360 Whatever you're afraid of, even if it's reasonable, even if it's likely, God would say, no, don't be afraid. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:36.879 Don't be afraid. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:39.759 And that's so frustrating. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:41.840 Isn't it frustrating? 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.279 When someone just tells you, don't. 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:47.440 Like if you're afraid, don't be. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:48.799 Oh, okay, thank you. 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:50.320 That was very helpful. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:51.679 I'm so worried about this. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:52.639 Well, you shouldn't be. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:53.039 Great. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:53.679 Now I'm not. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:55.279 Like that's not how it works. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.720 Sometimes it almost seems like God doesn't understand fear. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:00.159 Like he doesn't get us. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:04.480 Because there's situations in Scripture where people should be afraid and God still says don't. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:08.000 Joshua, we just read from Joshua, little verse, Joshua chapter one. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.639 Dude, the situation Joshua's in is crazy. 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:20.960 He's about to cross over the Jordan River into the promised land with all of the Israelites, and they're gonna have to fight wars, battles against actual armies, and they're not like an actual army. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:23.679 And he's got to step into the shoes of Moses to lead the people. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:26.159 And I don't know if you've ever had to replace someone who's kind of a big deal. 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.240 It's hard to be the guy after the guy. 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:29.919 But try to follow Moses. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:30.879 Like Moses. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:35.200 Here we are, 3,000 years later, and we know who Moses is, right? 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:37.120 That tells you how good of a leader Moses was. 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:39.840 He's got a lot to be afraid of, and God's like, don't be afraid. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:41.120 Just don't. 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:45.440 Take a story like what we see in Mark chapter 4. 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:47.840 Jesus is on a boat with his disciples. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:52.639 It says, as evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, Let's cross to the other side of the lake. 00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.960 So they took Jesus in the boat, they started out, leaving crowds behind, although other boats followed. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:59.519 But soon a fierce storm came up. 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:03.279 High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:07.440 Now Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.840 The disciples woke him up, shouting, Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown? 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:15.440 And when Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Silence be still. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.080 And suddenly the wind stopped, and there was great calm. 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:21.279 And then he asked them, Why are you afraid? 00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:23.360 And the answer is so obvious. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.360 Because we thought we were going to die. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:26.159 Right? 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:28.080 Like it seems like he doesn't even understand. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:30.080 Like, here's Jesus asleep. 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:33.360 Can you imagine asleep in a boat with his head on a cushion? 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:34.240 I love that detail. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.720 Like he is enjoying his nap. 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:40.960 And the disciples are about to drown. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:42.639 The boat is filling with water. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:44.720 And Jesus is like, Why are you guys afraid? 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:48.159 It's like if your children woke you up because the house was on fire. 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:50.879 And you just got up and were like, Why are you guys worried? 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:52.559 You know, it's just a little fire. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:54.080 Like, that's what's happening. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:55.679 Jesus says, Why are you afraid? 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:57.759 And I love how this one ends. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:02.639 It ends in and it says, uh, he says, Why do you have no faith? 00:15:02.799 --> 00:15:06.000 And the disciples were absolutely terrified. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:07.120 Who is this man? 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:08.879 They asked each other, even the wind and waves obey him. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:10.080 Now they're just afraid of him. 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:11.039 Right? 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:20.159 In those moments, it just seems sometimes like God doesn't even understand our fear. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:23.200 But that's not the case. 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:25.120 God gets fear. 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:26.399 He gets us. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.080 But he just sees everything so differently. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:38.080 And the opportunity that we have this year, at the outset of a year, the guys, let's be honest, like, it's gonna be a crazy year. 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:44.080 I've joked about this the last few weeks, and as a church, we're actually really committed to being about Jesus and not religion, and also Jesus not politics. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:48.000 And so I joked last week, and I I think I may have, I hope I didn't have, I don't really care. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:58.399 But because I because honestly, and I say this, I tell jokes, and if jokes offend, it's just jokes, it's just a joke. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:01.519 If someone ever came to me and said, hey, that joke offended me, I'm like, it's a joke. 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:04.320 And so I said, hey, let's think about all the things we could be afraid of. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:05.039 It's an election year. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:06.960 Like, guys, Donald Trump might be our next president. 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:08.320 And a few people laughed. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:13.039 And then I the joke was that was a setup for then I say, guys, think about this. 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:14.799 Joe Biden could still be our president. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.480 And then everyone laughed, but at first they were nervous because, like, whoa, is he getting political? 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:18.960 And I wasn't. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:23.360 My point was, whichever one wins, it's all a little ridiculous. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:24.559 Can we just admit it? 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:26.399 It's all a little silly. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:28.159 It's crazy. 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.840 And it's going to be crazy, and half the country will be like, it's all over. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:33.759 And the other half of the country will be like, it's all over. 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:37.600 And it doesn't matter the outcome, half the country will be like, it's we're doomed. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:39.440 And maybe we are. 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:44.799 There's so many things to be afraid of, but what if this year you didn't get bothered by fear at all? 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:53.919 What if this year, no matter what happens, no matter which candidate wins, no matter how things go in your life, no matter your circumstances, no matter what happens with your health, your finances, your children, you name it, your job. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:17:03.039 What if no matter what happens, you could actually have the perspective of Jesus and you could be in a situation like that, the boat's about to sink, and you're like, why would I be afraid? 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:06.720 That's possible. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:08.720 So let's explore that. 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:14.880 And I got three words, and this is gonna be so like pastor-y, because they all begin with the same letter. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:18.720 So just it's cheesy, but it's helpful for remembering things, okay? 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:20.799 It's a literary device called alliteration, and it works. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:25.200 So here's what we're gonna look at: power, perspective, and presence. 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.160 Power, perspective, and presence. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:31.839 Again, it's cheesy, but you'll remember at least one or two of those. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:41.519 If we could understand the power of our God, we would be so much less afraid. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.599 And it's just, it's really easy to underestimate his power. 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:47.359 I do it all the time. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:52.880 One of my favorite stories, and guys, I'm gonna jump ahead a little bit in the back. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:59.359 There's a story in Matthew, I believe it's chapter. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:01.359 Guys, I actually don't have it in my notes here. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:06.079 So uh it's the story of a man who comes to Jesus to have his son healed. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:06.640 Okay? 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:08.480 And uh, guys, can you put that one up? 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:10.160 I think it's which uh just put it up. 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:12.400 It's where he goes and says, Hey, can you heal my son? 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.599 Here we go. 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:15.039 Boom! Look at that. 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:18.559 Hey, let's all hear it for the guys in the back, reading my mind. 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:23.200 And it wasn't even in Matthew, it's in Mark. 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.119 That's how good they are. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:28.880 One of the things I used to be afraid of was looking stupid on stage. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:35.680 But if you are stupid on stage enough times, which I have definitely cleared that quota, you're not afraid of it anymore. 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:36.880 All right, so here we go. 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:38.079 Mark chapter 9. 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:38.960 Here's the setup. 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:41.839 This man brings his son to Jesus, and his son is deeply troubled. 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:46.799 And he's brought his son to Jesus out of desperation because he's heard that Jesus can heal him, because Jesus is healing people left and right. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.240 And he says to Jesus, Heal my son if you can. 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:51.440 And I love how Jesus responds. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:52.960 What do you mean if I can? 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:54.640 Jesus asked. 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:57.039 Anything is possible if a person believes. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.839 The Father instantly cried out, I do believe. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:05.519 But help me overcome my unbelief. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:10.640 That's why I've taught on this many times, because one of my favorite interactions in all of Scripture. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:13.680 Because this guy says, I believe in you, Jesus. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:14.799 Kind of. 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:18.000 How many of us can relate to that? 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:20.240 Like, like I believe, I mean, here we are at church. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:23.039 Oh, some of you are just much better Christians than than me. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:25.920 But no, it's just, it's human nature. 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:38.160 Even if God shows up in a big way in your life and he rescues you and something changes, and you're like, wow, God, you're real and you saved me from this, then a year or two later you're in another situation, you're like, God, I don't know if you're gonna pull through. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:38.720 Right? 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:42.240 A part of that is because we have this weird, it's not weird, it's the wrong word. 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:49.039 We have this idea that the way God proves that he loves us is by constantly rescuing us from hard situations. 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:53.119 That's how God proves his love for us, by making sure that life never goes wrong. 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:55.440 That is not how God shows his love to us. 00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:00.079 If that's how God shows his love to us, then almost everyone we read about in the Bible was not loved by God. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:02.079 Because they all went through incredibly hard things. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.880 Even Jesus, the very Son of God, went through incredibly hard things. 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:10.000 God's love is not revealed to us by God constantly rescuing us from hard situations. 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:13.759 But we think about that because we don't want to go through hard situations. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:14.960 We think like that. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:16.480 That's normal. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:27.519 So when something happens in our life and it's really scary, like legitimately scary, it's normal for us, even though we're passionate about Jesus, to be like, Lord, I know you can do something, I trust in your power, I also don't. 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:30.640 And I love how honest that man was. 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:37.440