WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.959 Last Sunday, we started a new series. 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:04.879 And it's called In Light of All This. 00:00:04.959 --> 00:00:11.839 And here's the setup, really basically, for about two years, we've been going through this letter in the New Testament, the letter to the church at Rome. 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:13.199 It's called Romans. 00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:19.280 And uh and if you if you're not familiar, if you're new to the whole church thing, the whole Jesus thing, Romans is pretty deep stuff. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:28.079 It is the most comprehensive explanation we have of who Jesus is, why did he come, what's he trying to do, what has he done in our lives. 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:29.280 It's deep. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:32.880 But that should not intimidate you if you're new to the whole Jesus thing at all. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:33.840 Here's why. 00:00:34.159 --> 00:00:37.359 You have been created by God with the capacity to know him. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:40.640 You are a spiritual person. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:52.079 Doesn't matter if you've been coming to church for 20 years or if this is your first time, if you're watching from home just kind of thinking about this stuff, you have been created by God with the capacity to know him. 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:57.759 It's actually a huge part, maybe even the main part, of why you exist, to be known and loved by God. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:02.399 Sometimes we think that we were created to love God, but that's not true. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:05.680 God is not insecure, he doesn't need anyone's love. 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:12.000 Scripture actually says in Ephesians that we were created by God essentially to be the focus of his love. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.680 So you were created by God so that he could know you and love you. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:18.959 You have everything within you to understand this stuff. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:24.319 So don't ever be intimidated as we open up scripture and start reading this stuff, and you might hear words you're not used to, whatever. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:25.439 Don't be intimidated at all. 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:30.480 You'll be blown away by how quickly this stuff will click because you've been created by God to get it. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:33.760 But Romans is, it is deep, it is comprehensive. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.840 And the first part is all, to be frank, like theological. 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:38.879 That's the best word I can think of. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:44.319 It's a lot of ideas about who God is and kind of very like big concepts about God. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:45.280 It's theological stuff. 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:47.200 But then in Romans 12, there's a shift. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:56.959 And it's like Paul the author says, hey, in light of all of this, in light of who God is and what he's done, and all that Jesus is and all that he's done, let's live this way. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:01.840 In light of all this, let's let's live a different kind of life. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:07.439 And Romans 12 through Romans 16 kind of lays out what that new life looks like, how it operates. 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:16.639 And so last week, last week we looked at Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, which just says, offer yourselves as living sacrifices to God. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:19.840 Give everything to God, is what it says. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:21.039 Give it all to God. 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:24.560 Don't hold anything back from God because He's not holding anything back from you. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:26.479 Give it all to Him. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:34.960 In light of all that He's done, what James shared as we did Lord's Supper, in light of what Jesus did on the cross, just give him your life, because he's already given you his. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:36.800 Give it to him. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:40.639 And that looks different depending on where you're at in life. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:45.199 Sometimes for me it's a reminder to go, oh, am I holding back any part of my life from God? 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:48.960 Is there any aspect of my life that I'm just kind of keeping separate from him? 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:50.080 There's no reason to do that. 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:53.840 So I have to remind myself continually, Lord, it's all yours. 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:55.439 It's all yours. 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:57.919 My kids, they're yours. 00:02:58.080 --> 00:02:58.800 They belong to you. 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:02.000 What do you want me to do with them versus what do I maybe want them to do? 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:03.039 They're yours. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.599 My marriage, God, it belongs to you. 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:07.599 My career, all those things. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:09.039 It's all yours. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.439 For some of us, that might mean getting baptized for the first time. 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:15.919 That's a step of obedience you take early on. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:21.439 Baptism, sometimes people talk about baptism, like they have to get to some level where they're ready for it. 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:23.439 Like they're not good enough to be baptized. 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:25.759 Look, we're all good enough to be soaked in water, okay? 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:27.199 It's not a high bar. 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:30.319 Baptism is not, it's not a finish line, it's a starting point. 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:31.520 It's a step of obedience. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:35.280 And if if you've given your life to Jesus but you haven't been baptized, man, that do that. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:40.400 Sign up for that right away because that's this early step, and you're saying, God, I'm yours. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:42.800 I offer myself to you as a living sacrifice. 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:46.479 And then it said, do not conform to the pattern of this world. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:48.639 Don't just do what the world does. 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:52.479 Don't simply go with the flow and go the way the world is trending. 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:56.960 Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 00:03:57.520 --> 00:03:59.759 Let God shape the way you think. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:04.319 Let God change the way that you see yourself and you see the world. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:06.400 Let's be different. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.879 And Paul continues, Romans chapter 12, verses 3 through 8. 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:12.560 This is what we're looking at today. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:19.199 For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:24.319 But rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:32.959 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body. 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:35.199 And each member belongs to all the others. 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:39.279 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.560 If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy, in accordance with your faith. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:44.319 We'll talk about what that means in a little bit. 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:45.680 If it's serving, then serve. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:46.720 If it's teaching, then teach. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.800 If it's to encourage, then give encouragement. 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:52.160 If it's to serve in children's areas at church on Sunday morning, then do that. 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:55.199 If it's giving, then give generously. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:56.879 If it's to lead, do it diligently. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:59.199 If it's to show mercy, do it cheerfully. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:03.199 I was joking, but that's not me having a flippant attitude about scripture. 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:04.720 It's me knowing God has a sense of humor. 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:05.120 Okay. 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:10.560 So I love what James shared during Lord's Supper, because James and I had not spoken this week at all. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:14.160 He didn't know what the message was about, and here he is talking about how we're in this together, right? 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:17.120 And that's very much about what this scripture is talking about today. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:19.600 So the Holy Spirit knows what we need to focus on. 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:20.879 This is cool. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:32.079 This particular piece of scripture, this little section, it's big, it's very simple, but in many ways, it's kind of a blueprint for how to actually enjoy life. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:41.279 It really is, it's like a blueprint for how to avoid a lot of frustration and angst and how to experience a tremendous amount of fulfillment and joy. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:46.399 And it begins by Paul saying, don't think of yourself too highly. 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:51.120 Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:57.759 I couldn't think of a statement that's more custom crafted for the culture that we're in right now. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:05:59.600 And it's amazing how scripture does that. 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:09.519 You're like, this thing written 2,000 years ago to a group of people in a totally different place, totally different culture, should not be this on the nose with where we're at in our culture today. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:13.519 But scripture does that time and time again because God's truth is timeless. 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:14.959 It's timeless. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:18.240 It doesn't matter who's hearing it, it applies. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.800 And so last week we we looked at something really interesting. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:24.879 I showed you guys an image from a commercial that I saw about six, seven months ago. 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:26.399 It's one of my favorite commercials I've ever seen. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:31.839 And if we could actually put this up on the screen, uh, it's by Nair, and it said, Worship yourself. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.839 And this is like a whole series of commercials. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:40.079 Now, this was not me like shaking my fist in anger, you know, a Christian pastor mad at a commercial is like a cliche. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:41.519 You know, that's not what happened. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:43.120 I looked at this and I was excited. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.000 I was like, thank God, some honesty. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.720 Because our culture has been saying this for years just much more subtly. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:52.000 I mean, think about it. 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:55.439 We've grown up in this culture that has said, hey, just be yourself. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:06.879 You know, find yourself, be true to yourself, celebrate yourself, treat yourself, believe in yourself, express yourself. 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:12.879 And I love that because the logical conclusion, like, where does that end, is just, you know what, go ahead, just worship yourself. 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:20.240 I mean, what do you do with something that you believe in and celebrate and put your hope in and put all your focus in? 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:21.439 You worship it. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:26.879 You know, it's funny, ancient cultures were obsessed with having a God they could see. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:32.319 And so they would take wood and carve little wooden statues, idols, and they would worship those, even though that's really silly. 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:44.399 Or they would build these giant statues, these giant temples, and they'd have these statues to the God of whatever their culture's gods were, and they would worship that because ancient cultures were obsessed with having a God you could see. 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:45.920 We don't really do that anymore. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:51.519 We don't do the statue thing because our culture is just obsessed with having a God you can see in the mirror. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.079 But it's the same issue. 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:56.639 It's just idolatry. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:59.759 You just elevate something in a place it doesn't belong. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:20.560 And the thing is, you would you would think logically that, man, if you put yourself first, like if you place your happiness and your fulfillment above everything else, and that's your number one priority, you live for yourself, you believe in yourself, you depend on yourself, you worship yourself, you would think that would logically lead to happiness and fulfillment. 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:24.319 I mean, if my whole life is about me, I should be pretty happy. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:29.360 But there is no statistic you could find that would support that claim. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:35.600 In fact, we live in a culture right now where we have the highest standard of living anyone's ever had. 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:39.440 Like, have any of you had the macaroni and cheese at Chick-fil-A? 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:40.000 I'm just asking. 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:41.200 Mac and cheese at Chick-fil-A. 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:41.840 Anyone tried this? 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:44.399 Okay, if you haven't, you've got to wait till tomorrow, but but give it a shout. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:45.759 Um, give it a try. 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:48.240 Like, if you I ate that last night. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:57.759 And it's probably better, not necessarily better for you, um, but it's it's probably better than like whoever the king of England ate, like 200 years ago. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:05.200 I guarantee you, you take some king from 300 years ago, take him through the drive-thru at a place like Chick-fil-A, he'd be like, this is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.360 You know, like better than like boiled whatever bird they ate back then. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:10.000 I don't know. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:14.399 But it's just, it's like we experience a tremendous quality of life. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:26.559 In fact, even those of us who are below the normal standard of living in America live better lives than most people on this planet currently live or could have ever dreamed to live. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:31.039 That's why if you ever hear someone say, like, what era of history would you like to go back to and live? 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:31.759 None. 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:33.200 You'd be insane. 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:37.039 Like someone's like, I wish I could go back to like two, three hundred years ago, like, why? 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:37.600 Why? 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:38.960 Name one good reason. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:40.240 Like, there's no, don't do that. 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:40.879 That's a trap. 00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:43.759 If that ever becomes a possibility, stay away. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:51.840 So we have the highest standard of living, and yet, study after study shows that we are so unhappy. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:57.519 Because this whole worship yourself thing, elevating yourself, it just doesn't work. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:09:59.840 It's it's backwards, it's upside down. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:01.440 It does not work. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:05.360 And Paul says, don't think too highly of yourselves. 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:10.639 This is an early step in the process of experiencing this changed life that Jesus has won for us. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:15.200 So that kind of begs the question: well, how highly should I think of myself? 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:16.240 Like, where's that line? 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:17.519 How high is too high? 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:21.200 How low should I go when it comes to my view of self? 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:23.519 And I would offer something else that Paul wrote. 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:25.600 1 Timothy 1:15. 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.799 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:31.200 That's a bold way to preface a statement, by the way. 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:34.480 Like, what I'm saying is true, and everybody should agree with me. 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:36.399 But that's what he says. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:43.120 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and most of us would go, yeah, that's awesome. 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:45.919 And I am the worst of them all. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:48.159 Now, Paul said this. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:55.440 And I think there's part of me that just kind of thinks Paul's being clever or he's trying to make a point, but does he really believe that? 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:59.360 Like, does Paul actually believe that he's the worst? 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.080 Some translations say chief, chief of sinners. 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:07.200 Like, I'm not gonna ask for this because it'd be weird, but if I said, hey, show of hands, who thinks you're the worst one in the room? 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:10.879 You know, like eventually someone's gonna raise their hand. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:13.200 But most of us are like, I'm not. 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:14.399 Like, I'm not. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:18.000 Most of you think you're better than maybe the person even sitting next to you, who maybe you're married to. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:18.720 I don't know. 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:24.080 But like you at least say, I could, I mean, it's 50-50 at the very least, right? 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:34.240 But Paul, and if you know anything about our faith and the history of our faith, like Paul, he's kind of an important guy. 00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:36.879 And he says, I'm the worst of them all. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:42.320 I believe very much that Paul believed this, but not in some self-deprecating way. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:47.279 This isn't something that's meant to bring you down and make you feel anguish in your soul. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:54.399 I'll share a quote from a pastor who uh lived in Germany years ago named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.200 If you've never uh heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, look up his story. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:09.039 He was a pastor in Germany during World War II, and he became part of a resistance movement to uh to assassinate Hitler, and it failed, and he was imprisoned, and he was ultimately executed by the Nazis right before the war ended. 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:12.000 And while in prison, he wrote a book called Life Together. 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:20.080 And I read this when I was in college, and he had been removed from the ability to have to have fellowship, to have time with other Jesus followers. 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:25.279 And so he wrote about how important that is and how we should engage with one another. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:31.200 And in part of that book, he talked about this very scripture that I just read where Paul says, I'm the worst of them all. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:39.679 And here's what he says: there can be no genuine acknowledgement of sin that does not lead to this extremity. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:48.720 If my sinfulness appears to me in any way smaller or less detestable in comparison with the sins of others, I'm still not recognizing my sinfulness at all. 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:52.799 My sin is of necessity the worst, the most grievous, the most reprehensible. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:57.039 Brotherly love will find any number of extenuations for the sins of others. 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:00.000 Only for my sin there is no apology whatsoever. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:02.240 Therefore, my sin is the worst. 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:07.440 He who would serve his brother in the fellowship must sink all the way down to these depths of humility. 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:14.639 How can I possibly serve another person in unfeigned humility if I seriously regard his sinfulness as worse than my own? 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:17.120 Would I not be putting myself above him? 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:19.600 Could I have any hope for him? 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:22.720 Such service would be hypocritical. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:32.639 You know, there's this idea that Jesus talks about of those who have been forgiven much, love much. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:43.919 You know, if you're someone who believes like Paul believed that, look, I I just I'm the chief of sinners, I'm the worst. 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:53.440 If you believe that, then you're gonna have this awe of the fact that you've been forgiven of all of it, that it's done, it's paid for, it's over. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:14:01.840 That Jesus, when he died on the cross and he said, it is finished, your sin completely and totally demolished. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:05.200 Forgotten about, forgiven in the eyes of God. 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:12.879 But if you believe that, like, it's not that big of a deal, you're not gonna have that same sense of awe and wonder. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:19.360 You're gonna miss out on experiencing the full measure of the wonder of God's grace. 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:33.039 I'll put it this way, and this is this is an analogy that I've I've used before, but but imagine you're you're walking on a street, you're crossing the street, and you almost step into a puddle. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:40.879 There's a puddle right in the middle of the street, and your foot's about to go in it, and some stranger runs and shoves you out of the way of the puddle. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:42.399 Like, what would you do? 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:45.200 Some of you would fight that person, right? 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:47.200 Some of you would be like, what is wrong with you? 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:48.399 Because there was a puddle. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:52.879 You're like, yeah, I know, but like my foot would have been wet. 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:53.679 You just shoved me. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:55.120 I I that was a little extreme. 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:56.240 Like, come on, calm down. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:57.039 That'd be odd. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:58.240 You wouldn't be filled with gratitude. 00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:04.639 You wouldn't be like, oh, thank you so much for saving me from the agony of a wet sock. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:07.600 Even though, let's be honest, wet socks are pretty terrible. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.519 But you wouldn't be filled with all you wouldn't go tell stories about this years later. 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:18.320 Have I ever told you the time that a stranger rescued me from stepping into a puddle? 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:20.639 Let me sit back and hear this one, right? 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:32.879 But what if what if you're crossing a street and there's a semi-truck that almost hits you, and some stranger shoves you out of the way and in doing so takes the hit themselves and dies. 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:36.720 Like, what would you even do in response to that? 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:40.879 That would change your entire life. 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:48.480 That that would give you this profound understanding that you're living a life that maybe you shouldn't be living. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:51.679 That the time you have, maybe you shouldn't have. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:16:03.759 It was it was given to you as a gift, and someone else sacrificed for you to have this, and and the awe and the gratitude you would have for that person, and the way that that would change, the way you see the rest of your life and how you live it, would be profound. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:19.759 If we see our sin like it's a puddle in the ground, and yeah, it's nice that Jesus died on the cross to like save us from that, we'll never be filled with the kind of gratitude and awe that changes our lives. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:28.080 But if we, like Paul, have the humility to say, you know what, my sin is it's as bad as anyone's. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:33.679 The thoughts, the struggles, the judgment, all that, it's as bad as anyone's. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:35.279 I can't judge anyone. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:40.960 My sin was like a semi-truck headed for me, and Jesus saved me from that. 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:45.840 You will be filled with so much awe and wonder, it'll change everything in terms of the way you live. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:55.039 And so when Paul says, you know, we shouldn't think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think of ourselves, the question is, well, how highly should we think of ourselves? 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.159 Really simple answer: better than no one. 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:02.879 Think of yourself as better than no one. 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:08.000 And this isn't self-deprecating, it's actually freeing. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:18.160 It's amazing because when you really step back and look at your life, at least if you're like me, the older you get, the more you realize you can't take credit for almost any of the good stuff. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:33.279 Like, I think very often, and I know I've shared this before, but the way I became a Jesus follower, we moved in the summer between third and fourth grade, and I was so excited because we moved to a house that had land, and we're I was just gonna play. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:37.039 Like all summer long, I'm gonna sleep in, I'm gonna get up, I'm gonna run, I'm gonna explore. 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:38.640 It was I was so excited. 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:40.960 My family never really went to church. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:48.559 My mom had grown up as the daughter of a pastor, and he was one way on Sundays and a different way at home. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:53.839 And so when she left, she basically said, never doing that again. 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:56.960 And for many years, that's the way that my mom and dad lived. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:01.279 We we went to church a couple times, I can vaguely remember, but it was never a part of our life. 00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:05.119 And so we move into this new house, and I have all this space to roam. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:07.599 I'm like a fourth grade kid with acreage. 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:09.039 I mean, that's awesome. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:17.200 And our our neighbor, just uh right across the street, this little farm road in Missouri, said, Hey, why don't you guys come with us to church? 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:19.039 And so my parents said yes. 00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:21.759 And we went to church every Sunday after that. 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.279 And at first I was so angry because I had to wear dress pants. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:31.279 And and I want to say, like, my children, if you've if you've raised your kids here, they don't know the pain of dressing up for church, right? 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:32.640 Like, you guys are free to dress up. 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:34.960 If you're wearing a suit this morning, man, go for it. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:37.200 But like, you don't have to. 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:38.400 This is a true story. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:41.359 Don't ever, don't ever tell this, doesn't leave the room, okay? 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:42.319 Except that it's online. 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:51.200 But um, our son had to wear, uh, our oldest had to wear khaki pants recently, and he didn't know how. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:54.240 And we were like, what do you mean? 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:56.880 He's like, I don't know how to do how to do this. 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:02.799 And we realized that he's only ever worn like shorts and sweatpants his whole life. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:04.720 He's never worn something with a zipper. 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:07.279 We've we how did he's 11 years old. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.640 And he's been at church every single Sunday of his life. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:15.759 And he's never worn any, he's because his hands, it's like, yeah, shorts, sweatpants, it's fine. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:24.480 So I was so angry having to wear like dress pants as a fourth grader, tucking in my shirt, it was the worst. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:30.319 And the thing is, that neighbor that invited us to church, he got arrested a week later. 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:33.680 He was a firefighter, and he'd embezzled a lot of money from the fire department. 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:35.359 Never saw him again. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:40.400 But we started going to that church, and my family fell in love with it. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:45.599 And we met Jesus there, and it changed my parents' lives, and it changed my life. 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:51.599 And about a year later I got baptized and never looked back because a criminal invited me to church. 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:52.720 And I love that. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:55.359 And so, well, and I I mean it's awesome, right? 00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:02.559 But like, what if we had moved two weeks later? 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:04.640 Like, honest, I've thought about that. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:09.920 Because literally, like, we we were only neighbors with that person for a week. 00:20:10.400 --> 00:20:12.559 So, what if we had moved two weeks later? 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:16.400 See, I my point is I can't take credit for it. 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:19.759 I can't say, oh, I was someone, I was seeking God. 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:21.599 And I found him. 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.119 No, not at all. 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:24.559 Not at all. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:26.000 I I was angry. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:29.759 But God took care of that. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:37.519 That's why it says in Ephesians 2.8 that God saved you by his grace when you believed, and you can't take credit for this. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:38.720 It's a gift from God. 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:42.160 The older I get, the less I can take credit for anything in my life. 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:44.079 It's all a gift from God. 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:55.519 And so the point of this is simply to understand that whoever you are, no matter how successful, no matter how healthy, it's all a gift from God. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:20:58.880 You can't take credit for any of it. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:01.920 And if you really think about it, even the things that you're like, no, no, I I did that. 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:03.039 It's like, did you? 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:05.359 Did you really? 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:14.000 I'm the pastor here because a friend of mine was offered the youth pastor job and turned it down. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:18.640 And then told them, there's a guy that I know though that might be interested. 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:28.400 He called me, and at this point in time, I was I was done with the idea of working at a church, I had had a bad experience, and he calls me on the phone and says, You've got to have a conversation with this church in Georgia, and I'm like, not interested. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:32.240 And he said, You are running away from what God has called you to do. 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:34.160 And I said, Fine, I'll call. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:35.680 Right? 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:38.160 I can't take credit for that. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.200 I'm saying I can't take credit for any of it. 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:47.839 And so if we live our lives and we have this attitude that I'm better than no one, I'm better than no one. 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:54.960 If that's the case, we experience so much gratitude for everything that we have. 00:21:55.119 --> 00:22:04.160 We recognize that it's all a gift from God, and it puts Us in a totally different place to experience joy and fulfillment because it's not us. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:05.920 I mean, what feels better? 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.039 Let's be honest, and we'll move on. 00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:08.079 What feels better? 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:12.960 Like working really hard and earning a wage and getting a paycheck? 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:17.200 Or someone just giving you a gift that you couldn't possibly deserve? 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:19.119 It's the gift. 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:20.559 It feels better. 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:27.920 It may not scratch that itch of pride, but it, if you're honest, like gifts. 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:30.720 Everything that you have from God is a gift. 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:32.640 So just accept it and be grateful for it. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:38.319 But don't for a minute believe that you've earned it or you're somehow more worthy of it than someone else, because none of us are. 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:41.359 Those who have been forgiven much love much. 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:44.160 So we're better than no one, but it doesn't stop there. 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:47.039 The point of this message is not that you're better than no one. 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:48.000 So just remember that. 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:49.519 Go out, have a good week. 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.279 Don't think highly of yourselves. 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:51.920 Come on. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:52.559 That's not. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.480 We're better than no one, but here's the cool thing. 00:22:54.640 --> 00:23:01.359 Because of what Jesus has done, we get to be part of something that's bigger than anything. 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:07.839 So we're better than no one, but bigger than anything. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:12.880 We'll go back to Romans chapter 12, verses 4 and 5. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:22.880 It says, just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:24.799 We're part of a body. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:28.799 We're all in this together, like James said. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:32.720 We are part of the movement of Jesus. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:37.359 And if you want to talk about something that's a big deal, Jesus is a big deal. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:38.960 And it's okay for us to say that. 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:41.599 Like that's not us bragging on ourselves because we're not Jesus. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:43.279 But Jesus is a big deal. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:45.599 If you look at the scope of history, I love history. 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:49.279 And you think about some of the big things that have happened in history. 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:54.960 Some of those things that would, you know, if you're studying all of human history, several chapters would be devoted to. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.920 They pale in comparison to the impact on the world that Jesus has had. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:02.960 Let's take our country right now, the United States of America. 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:05.680 We're almost at 250 years as a nation. 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:08.000 That's a long time. 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:10.400 That's a quarter of a millennia. 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:19.680 And it's also about ten times less in terms of time that the movement of Jesus has been active on this planet. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:28.400 Because for over 2,000 years, the name and the message of Jesus has spread to every single people group you could imagine. 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:30.480 And it's changed lives left and right. 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:32.079 It's shaped history. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:42.160 So our country, as amazing and powerful as our country is, it's like, if you want to make like a timeline, it's like, oh yeah, look at the little United States of America. 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:43.519 It's so cute. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:45.759 If you compare it to Jesus. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:52.880 The British Empire was the most powerful political force in the world. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:25:01.039 And at the height of the British Empire, it covered like, if you've never studied this, like Australia, India, a lot of Africa. 00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:02.880 You've got England and some parts of Europe. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:07.119 You've got the colonies here in the United States, and then Canada, which is cool. 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:13.359 Because Canada is kind of there, you know, and it's like that was all that was all England. 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:18.079 And the British Empire lasted 400 years. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:20.079 400 years, that was an empire. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:28.480 And while impressive and amazing, this whole Jesus movement, 2,000 years plus not slowing down, it's just it's a bigger deal. 00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:34.480 The longest lasting political force nation that's ever existed in the world's history is the Roman Empire. 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:37.039 The Roman Empire lasted a thousand years. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:39.359 A thousand years. 00:25:42.079 --> 00:25:42.799 And gone. 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.559 And here's the movement of Jesus. 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:47.039 2,000 years plus, we're part of that. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:49.519 We're the body of Christ. 00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:53.359 That's what it says, that we are actually part of Him. 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:55.519 And we play a role, we play a function. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:57.839 And it's not just to go to church on Sunday mornings. 00:25:58.079 --> 00:26:00.960 This is where we get encouraged and inspired, hopefully. 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:07.759 This is where we get to connect with God and be reminded of who he is and what he's done for us, but we are part of something great. 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:17.759 I'm going to read 1 Corinthians 12, verses 12 through 27, and we'll start to wrap up. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:21.680 It says the human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:23.599 So it is with the body of Christ. 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:28.480 And Paul was writing: some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, some are free. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:31.519 In our culture, we could replace those with all kinds of different things. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:33.599 We all come from different places. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:36.960 But we've all been baptized into one body by one spirit. 00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:38.960 We all share the same spirit. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:42.160 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:47.680 If the foot says, I'm not a part of the body because I'm not a hand, that does not make it any less a part of the body. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:53.039 If the ear says, I'm not a part of the body because I'm not an eye, would that make it any less a part of the body? 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:55.440 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:56.640 Also terrifying. 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:00.240 If your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:04.000 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 00:27:04.160 --> 00:27:07.279 How strange a body would be if it had only one part. 00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:10.720 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:13.359 The eye can never say to the hand, I don't need you. 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:15.359 The head can't say to the feet, I don't need you. 00:27:15.519 --> 00:27:20.640 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:26.240