WEBVTT 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:07.519 So, like I said a few minutes ago, this is obviously an unprecedented time in our nation. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:09.359 I mean, uh, I'm 37 years old. 00:00:09.439 --> 00:00:13.919 It's the first time in my lifetime there's ever been anything happening like what's happening right now. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:31.600 And and whether or not you believe that uh this is a real crisis that's like existential threat level, and you know, oh my gosh, are things ever gonna be the same if you're on that end of the spectrum, or maybe you're kind of like, look, this is just a manufactured crisis that the media has way overblown, this isn't a big deal, people need to calm down, uh, or you're somewhere in the middle. 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:37.280 The reality is whether it's it's real, manufactured, or just felt, this is a crisis. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:43.679 And I think crisis moments provide us with a really amazing opportunity as Jesus followers, as people of faith. 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:50.560 And if you're watching this by the way and you wouldn't call yourself a Jesus follower, maybe you wouldn't even consider yourself a person of faith, but you're just kind of open to that idea. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:58.880 Uh crisis moments give us a chance to take a step back and evaluate our lives and really determine what we actually believe. 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:07.519 And what is it, what does it mean for us as Jesus followers to walk out our faith in the midst of a crisis? 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:18.239 I mean, crises are they're challenging situations, but they're also amazing opportunities for us to really dig down deep and find out what we really believe about God, about ourselves, about life. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.640 It gives our faith a chance to mature. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:30.879 It gives our faith a chance to be tested, to develop endurance, and for us to be able to say, from this point on, I have a more mature understanding of who God is, who I am, how I live out my faith in this world. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:33.359 And so that's what we're gonna explore for the next few weeks. 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:38.319 We're gonna explore uh a little mini-series, I guess, is what we're gonna be doing called Faith versus. 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:39.439 Faith versus. 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:42.799 How do we live as people of faith in the midst of a crisis? 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:46.640 Next Sunday, we're gonna talk about what it means to have faith versus fear. 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:50.560 And so I really want to encourage you to tune in next Sunday for faith versus fear. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:01:54.079 Uh, today we're gonna talk about faith versus foolishness. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:56.159 Faith versus foolishness. 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:59.680 Now, before we jump into this, I want to say just a couple of quick things. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:05.359 Um, number one, I want you all to know that as a church, we are as prepared for this season as I think we possibly can be. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:11.759 We started meeting together about three weeks ago as a staff to talk about what we would do in the situation that we couldn't meet for a while. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:14.719 And so this is something for us that we have prayed about a lot. 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:18.000 Uh, this is not us trying to react in a in a short-term period of time. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:20.400 We've been working really hard for weeks to be ready for this. 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:26.319 I want to encourage you, you know, as we keep going for the weeks to come, uh, to tune in. 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:27.599 Like, keep tuning in. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:32.000 Let's be together on Sunday mornings as we go through this exploration of what it means to live by faith. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:33.280 Pray for one another. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:34.800 And let your prayers be known. 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:39.120 If you want to post a comment on our social media and ask for prayer, then go for it. 00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:40.080 We will pray for you. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:45.680 Uh, lead in your communities, in your families, in your businesses, where you work, whatever that that is, whatever that situation is. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:48.080 For some of you, it's it's taking a hiatus right now. 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:50.719 For some of us, it may be facing some really serious consequences. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:52.319 Others, it's just business as usual. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:53.039 Lead. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:54.240 Be a light. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:56.800 Like Jesus said, we're the light of the world, we're the salt of the earth. 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:58.560 Be that to the people that you're around. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:01.919 And really, uh, this is a big ask for everyone that's part of his hands. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:03.759 Uh, we need to be giving during this time. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:07.360 I want to remind you that a lot of local ministries depend on our church for help. 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:09.520 Never Alone Food Pantry would be a great example. 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:17.759 Never alone, uh, they're gonna have a great increase in the number of people coming to them for help in the next few weeks, and and we fund them. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.960 And so uh we want to really make sure that we're continuing to be generous and to bless our community. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:28.240 There's a lot of organizations that look to us and we're helping them out, and they're all gonna have an influx over the next few weeks. 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:37.360 And so I want to encourage you, if you're able to, some of us may not be right now, some of us might be in a different situation, but if you're able to give, really important that we do that over the next several weeks. 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:39.680 Go to our website, use our mobile app, uh, give online. 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:43.599 You can also mail gifts to the church, but but I just want to encourage you to do that over the next few weeks. 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:45.759 That's an important response that we have in this season. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:49.039 All right, all that said, faith versus foolishness. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:50.400 That's what we're talking about today. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:55.840 And I want to start with a with like a hypothetical question that I'm sure you can find real life examples from in your own life. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:04:07.520 And here's the question: Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were you were extra cautious but it was unnecessary, where maybe you you even found yourself hurting a little bit because you realized you were too careful. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:11.280 You erred on the side of caution and it came back to bite you. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:13.439 I I can think of a few examples from my life. 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:32.800 Uh the biggest one that jumps out to me is a situation where I was too careful and I ended up regretting it, was actually my freshman year of college, 2003, which dates me a little bit, but 2003 I was in college in Kansas City, Missouri, and I was in a really serious, long-distance relationship with this girl named Megan who lived here in Georgia, and we would eventually get married, and now we're still in a serious relationship. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:34.720 It's just not long distance at all. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:36.720 Uh and so Megan and I were together. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:42.160 Uh, I was madly in love with her, and every few months I had the opportunity to come down and visit her. 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:46.480 And so, right at the beginning of May of my freshman year of college, I had the chance to do that. 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.319 And I flew from Kansas City down here to Georgia, spent a few days with her. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:50.959 It was amazing. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:52.959 It was like it was nothing like being young and in love. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:58.560 And so every single time I'd be around her, I was more and more convinced that she was the one I was gonna spend the rest of my life with her. 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:00.720 And I had a lot of things going through my mind at the time. 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:03.519 You know, I'm in college, what are the next few years gonna look like? 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:05.199 I uh when should we get married? 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:06.560 I had all these things going on. 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:14.879 And because I was thinking about marriage, I was also thinking about things like engagement rings and uh and what it would mean to have to provide for someone. 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:22.319 So money was very heavy on my mind at the time, and I made the decision to be extremely, extremely cautious with whatever I spent. 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:34.240 And so when it came down to flying to visit her, I wanted to save every dollar I could, and I decided that it would be good if I saved the$50 it would cost me to park my car at the airport uh to just have a friend pick me up and take me. 00:05:34.399 --> 00:05:36.720 And so our college was about 20 minutes from the airport. 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:37.839 I had a friend named Caleb. 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:42.720 I said, hey man, I don't want to spend the$50 to leave my car at the airport for you know a weekend like plus. 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:44.079 Could you drive me and pick me up? 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:44.879 He said, No problem. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:45.439 So I do that. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:47.600 I think I'm doing the right thing, I'm being extra careful. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:48.720 I'm gonna save$50. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:55.439 Turns out that while I was in the air on my way back, um, this crazy thing happened on my campus. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:58.000 Uh, a tornado actually hit our college. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.600 My friend picks me up and uh and he has this look on his face, and I'm like, what's up? 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:04.720 And he said, Man, I just got a phone call that a tornado hit our campus. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:05.680 And I was like, What do you mean? 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:09.120 I grew up in Tornado Alley, so tornadoes don't really like they're pretty normal. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:13.360 So I don't tend to get, you know, all like emotional or out of sorts about a tornado. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:15.920 And I was like, uh, probably just some like minor damage. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:21.360 So we we make our way back and we get back to to where we live, and like it's intense. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:25.279 Like a tornado, a large tornado, actually legitimately struck our campus. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.240 And so we actually have a picture of uh of one of the dorms. 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:33.360 And you can see in this picture that it was it was really, really serious, uh, incredibly serious. 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:42.639 And in that picture, if you guys leave that up for a second, there's obviously the building you're looking at with the cars turned over and and the walls you know completely and totally uh taken out. 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:48.079 But there's actually a dorm building that's that you can see it in the picture right above that building, right behind it and above it. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:49.600 That was actually my dorm. 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:52.879 And the windows that you're looking at, one of those windows was my room. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:56.319 And so this happened just a few yards from where I lived. 00:06:56.480 --> 00:07:03.519 Now, what you can't see in that picture is that in between the building that's destroyed and my building is a parking lot. 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:10.319 And that parking lot just so happens to be where I decided to keep my car parked to save the$50 uh in in parking fees. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:20.319 And turns out, turns out, that when tornadoes uh go through an area and they lift huge chunks of buildings up and like throw it, that that stuff lands somewhere. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:25.360 And it just so happens that a lot of that debris landed on my car. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:31.120 And so I go to the parking lot and and there's my car, and it is completely destroyed. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:32.800 It is 100% totaled. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:35.839 I'm stranded in Kansas City, I have no way of getting home. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.560 I have to sort out all the stuff with the insurance company and all this kind of stuff, and and and I ended up that car was total, it was gone, scrapped. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:55.439 And so the good news, I guess, is that I saved$50 uh in parking, but uh but if I could go back, I would absolutely have paid that$50, been a little less cautious with my money, because I mean, who in the world could could expect something like that to happen? 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.000 There are times where you can be too cautious. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:04.480 And maybe you have some regrets in your life of moments that you should have acted, but you were being too careful, uh, and and that's probably true. 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:06.319 But let's flip that on its head. 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:12.560 Have you ever had a situation where you experienced regret because you weren't careful enough? 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:24.720 Maybe it was a financial decision, maybe it was a move in your job, your career, maybe it was a relationship decision, and you you felt so strongly that you needed to do something that you just threw caution to the wind. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:28.079 And you basically, maybe even in that moment, said to yourself, hey, you know what? 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.360 Um I'm I'm not even gonna listen to the advice of those around me. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:33.759 Maybe you had people around you saying, hey, really think about this. 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:35.200 Are you sure this is the right decision? 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:41.039 But you were so confident that you're like, yes, we're doing this, I'm doing this, and I don't really care what anyone says about it. 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:45.919 If anyone that I even consider wise says that I'm not doing the right thing, I'm doing this anyway. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:56.240 Uh maybe because you're a person of faith, maybe you even convinced yourself that you were acting in faith, that you're saying, hey, yeah, people are telling me to not do this, to hold back, but I have faith and I'm moving forward. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.559 And it ended up not working out. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:01.120 It ended up maybe being even disastrous. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:04.240 And if you could go back, you would have been so much more careful. 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:10.559 You would have paused, you would have waited, you would have prayed more, you would have gotten more advice and listened to that advice and let things sink in. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:19.039 I'm sure all of us have plenty of stories of times where if we could go back, we would we would be more careful, more cautious. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:25.120 Well, for the next few weeks, we're going to talk about what it means to have faith and what it means to have a mature, developed faith. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:46.159 Look, I'll just be honest, as a pastor, as someone who's still maturing in my faith, uh, as we all are, uh, one of the things that I deal with a lot are people who have faith, and they in their minds are responding in faith, but maybe that faith isn't developed, maybe it's not mature, and and the truth is an immature faith can lead to some really difficult circumstances that could be avoided. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:50.559 We want to have a mature faith, and having a mature faith means understanding a few things. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:54.000 It means understanding what faith is, and it means understanding what faith is not. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:57.759 And so, like I said, next week we're gonna talk about the fact that faith is not fear. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:59.840 Fear and faith, they don't hold hands. 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:02.240 They're not friends, they don't hang out together. 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:05.200 But neither do faith and foolishness. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:11.120 Faith is not is not foolishness masked by belief that everything's gonna work out. 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:14.240 That's not what what mature biblical faith is. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:18.720 Faith can actually show up in being cautious, believe it or not. 00:10:18.799 --> 00:10:23.039 One of my favorite scriptures, Proverbs 14, 16, says the wise are cautious. 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:24.559 They avoid danger. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:27.519 Fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:34.480 And it's interesting because a lot of us would probably consider people who live by faith to be people who have reckless confidence. 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:44.480 That they're like, I don't care what what logic says, I don't care what what anyone else says, uh I'm I'm doing this, I'm going forward, I'm plunging ahead with confidence because I have faith. 00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:50.000 But but what we have to understand is that faith, faith is not foolish. 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:52.480 And we have to be really careful as people. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:11:01.519 We have to be really careful as people not to allow our faith in God to act as a covering for us, an excuse for us, really, to behave foolishly. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:03.360 So I'll give you a really interesting example. 00:11:03.519 --> 00:11:10.000 One of the scriptures that I've seen, probably posted more than any scripture I've seen in the last few days on social media, is Psalm 91. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:12.639 Psalm 91 is an unbelievable scripture. 00:11:12.799 --> 00:11:15.759 It's a promise that God is our protector, and he is, it's true. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:19.600 It's a promise that God will cover us, that he will protect us in times of danger. 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:20.399 Let me just read it to you. 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:22.000 If you have a Bible, feel free to turn there. 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:23.360 Um I'm reading from our mobile app. 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:26.720 And so, Psalm 91, verses 1 through 16. 00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:28.559 This is the entirety of the chapter. 00:11:28.879 --> 00:11:33.840 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:35.519 This I declare about the Lord. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:38.320 He alone is my refuge, my place of safety. 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:40.399 He is my God, and I trust him. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:44.159 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:45.759 That's pretty relevant right now. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:51.600 He will cover you with his feathers, he will shelter you with his wings, his faithful promises are your armor and protection. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:59.679 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day, do not dread the disease that stalks in the darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:06.000 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand dying around you, these evils will not touch you. 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:08.879 Just open your eyes and see how the wicked are punished. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:21.200 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you, no plague will come near your home, for he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go, they will hold you up with their hands, so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:25.679 You will trample upon lions and cobras, you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:30.000 The Lord says, I will rescue those who love me, I will protect those who trust in my name. 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:31.840 When they call on me, I will answer. 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:38.000 I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue and honor them, I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation. 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:40.159 That is a powerful scripture. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:54.639 And by the way, I am I am more than happy that that scripture is being posted online left and right, that a lot of the ways that people are responding to all the fears about COVID-19 and all this stuff, that all the coronavirus hysteria, I'm glad that people are leaning into the promises of God. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:57.120 It is true that God is our protector. 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:00.320 It is true that God protects the people who love him. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:02.799 There are countless promises in scripture about that. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:05.120 But here's where it gets kind of interesting. 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:08.159 Turn to Matthew chapter 4, if you have your Bible. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.320 Matthew 4, we're going to look at the first few verses. 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:12.559 It's the story of the temptation of Jesus. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:14.240 Very, very famous story about Jesus. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:17.759 We see Jesus tempted three times by Satan himself. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:22.080 And uh in each time, Jesus ends up responding with Scripture. 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:24.080 That's how he backs up the decisions that he's making. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:27.759 But a few of the times we actually see Satan use scripture to tempt Jesus. 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:29.120 And so let's let's just read this together. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:30.960 Matthew 4, 1 through 11. 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:36.480 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:39.919 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:45.919 During that time the devil came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:53.679 But Jesus told him, No, the scriptures say people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:14:07.360 Then the devil took him to the holy city Jerusalem, to the highest point of the temple, and said, If you are the Son of God, jump off, for the scriptures say he will order his angels to protect you, and they will hold you up with their hands, so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:10.879 And Jesus responded, The Scriptures also say, You must not test the Lord your God. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:16.480 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:21.679 I will give it all to you, he said, if you will kneel down and worship me, get out of here, Satan, Jesus told him. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:25.200 For the scriptures say, You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him. 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:29.440 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:31.840 So, three temptations. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:38.000 And I don't want us just for thought, for for for the oh wow, you know how when you forget your words and they're just not on your brain? 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:39.039 Live, it's great. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:42.879 Uh I want us for the purpose of just focus to think about the second temptation only. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:47.039 And so that second temptation, Satan takes Jesus to the top of the temple. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:52.960 And we don't know if that's a vision or if it's literally like they're standing on the top of the temple, but Satan says, jump off. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:54.080 Jump off. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:59.759 And I love it because it's kind of like that classic parenting, like if your friends told you to jump off a bridge, would you do that too? 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.320 This is this is Satan saying, hey, jump off. 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:06.799 And what he's tempting Jesus with is to test God's promise to protect him. 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:10.559 He's saying, hey, like, don't you believe that God will protect you? 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:16.639 Like if you really have faith that you're the son of God, if you really have faith that God is with you, then then jump. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:21.759 Because doesn't God say in his word that he will order his angels to protect you and that you won't even hurt your foot on a stone? 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:25.440 And if that if that sounds familiar, it's because it is. 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:26.240 We just read it. 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:28.559 He says, He will order his angels to protect you. 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:32.399 They will hold you up with their hands, so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:34.399 That is Psalm 91. 00:15:34.960 --> 00:15:40.639 The very same psalm that I read just a second ago, the very same psalm that a lot of people are posting online right now. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:41.759 And what does that mean? 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:50.080 What does it mean that Satan used Psalm 91, a promise of God's protection, to try to tempt Jesus to do something foolish? 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:58.639 What it means is that we have to be really, really careful and really honest about our faith and what it means to live by faith. 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:00.480 It does not mean that Psalm 91 isn't true. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:10.879 It doesn't mean that God doesn't protect us, but what it does mean is that clearly our enemy is willing to use our faith as a temptation into foolishness. 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:13.919 We have to understand Satan's really opportunistic. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:21.360 If you read Romans, for example, it talks about how sin used the law, which was good, to arouse evil. 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:29.679 You know, so sin actually opportunistically seized God's law, which said things like, don't murder, don't covet, don't steal, and it said, Oh, I can use this. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:38.639 And I can actually use this as temptation, and so all of a sudden people hear things like don't covet, and it all of a sudden makes them hyper-fixated on what they don't have. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:40.480 Satan's really opportunistic. 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:41.759 Sin is really opportunistic. 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:50.080 And right here we have we have Satan opportunistically seizing upon faith as a temptation for Jesus to be foolish. 00:16:50.159 --> 00:16:53.039 And Jesus doesn't take the bait because Jesus understands something. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:55.120 Faith is not foolishness. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.039 Faith is not foolishness. 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:01.600 God's promises to protect us are not a covering for foolish behavior. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:04.559 And here's where this gets really real in a season like we're in right now. 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:18.640 I've seen a lot of people online, a lot of people that I've talked to who have this mentality that because they're a person of faith, they they are somehow looking down, even condemning other people who are responding with caution. 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:36.319 I've seen a lot of Jesus followers, so-called Jesus followers online bragging, or the modern term I think would be flexing, uh, bragging about how much faith they have and posting things like Psalm 91 and then and then taking shots at anyone who's who's acting with caution, anyone who's going to the grocery store and buying extra supplies. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:38.319 Oh, ye of little faith. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:40.480 But here's the truth, guys. 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:44.960 Mature faith is not independent of wisdom. 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:55.839 Mature faith is not saying, I throw caution to the wind, and I'm gonna ignore whatever whatever wise people, whatever people of knowledge say, I'm gonna throw caution to the wind. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:00.000 I'm just gonna do whatever I feel like doing because I have faith. 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:04.000 Faith is not friends with foolishness. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:05.599 And wise people are cautious. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:07.839 Again, we can go back to Proverbs 14, 16. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.240 The wise are cautious and avoid danger. 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.359 Fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.720 One of my favorite scriptures is Ecclesiastes 4.13. 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:21.920 It's something I think about a lot because I'm I'm a relatively young person in a position of leadership. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:32.079 Ecclesiast says, it is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:45.119 Sometimes we are tempted to believe that being people of faith means we have no caution, that we're not careful, that we don't take a step back and listen to the wisdom of what's being shared with us and really think about it. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:48.880 You know, sometimes people think faith is the opposite of thought, and it's not at all. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:55.359 In fact, one of my favorite favorite people in scripture is Nehemiah, and I love the fact that in Nehemiah, several times, Nehemiah is a person of faith. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:19:00.640 When he leaves to do what God calls him to do, what God puts on his heart, it takes great faith for him to accomplish that. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:06.079 But several times in Nehemiah, it says that after thinking things through, Nehemiah decided this. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:12.880 Faith is about being bold, but it's not about being foolish. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:31.440 It's important in a time like this that we understand that our faith, a mature, healthy faith acted out in a season of crisis, means that we we do take a step back and we pray and we think and we listen to all the information that that's that's being given to us and we make wise decisions. 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:40.319 Mature faith is not plunging ahead with reckless confidence, just pretending like God is going to cover every foolish decision you make, whether it's thought through or not, because you have faith. 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:46.880 Faith is about trusting in God's protection and his provision, and his wisdom, by the way, is part of his provision. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.279 And we have to have faith in the wisdom that God gives. 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.920 Look at Proverbs chapter 2, verses 2 through 6. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:54.559 It says, For the Lord grants wisdom. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:56.799 From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:05.200 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest, he is a shield to those who walk with integrity, he guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:10.240 Here we have God's protection and wisdom together. 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:14.559 Because wisdom and faith, they do walk hand in hand. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:16.559 Faith and foolishness, they don't. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:19.359 Faith and foolishness, they're not friends at all. 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:21.839 But faith and wisdom, they go together. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:23.759 And we can see this in so many different examples. 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:24.960 Think about finances, for example. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:30.559 I could open up scripture after scripture that points to God's promises to bless you financially, God's promises to prosper you. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:35.839 But those promises to bless you are not carte blanche for you to just go be reckless with your money. 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:43.200 Those promises that God says I will I will provide for you, that doesn't mean go be foolish with your money and I'll just I'll keep putting money in your account. 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:46.240 Now, sometimes God in his grace and his mercy, he does that. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:51.599 He does that because nothing that we do, no matter how foolish, puts us outside of God's love. 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:57.440 Nothing that we do, no matter how foolish, puts us outside of God's, of God's grace and his mercy and his care for us. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:04.319 But God's promises of blessing and his promises of protection, that's not a covering to be foolish. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:07.119 We're called constantly in Scripture to be wise. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:10.640 And sometimes the wisest thing to do is to be cautious. 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:13.920 That's a big part of the reason that we've decided to break for a few weeks. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.200 It's not because we're afraid. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:16.960 We'll get into that next week in detail. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:18.880 Faith is not fear, we're not afraid. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:25.839 But we are gonna be careful, we are going to be cautious because faith is not friends with foolishness. 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:36.319 I've had I've had a lot of people asking me, you know, some interesting questions as we've made this decision and saying things like, you know, hey, you know, do you think that you're you're gonna inspire people not to have faith? 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:37.759 You know, doesn't God tell us to trust him? 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.519 And yeah, he absolutely tells us to trust him. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:41.440 But again, he tells us to be careful. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:45.519 The story of Joseph in the Old Testament has been heavy on my heart this last few weeks. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:52.400 If you know the story of Joseph, Pharaoh, who's in charge of Egypt, has a dream, and it's a very troubling dream, and God gives Joseph the ability to interpret it. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:55.599 And the dream is a warning that a famine is gonna come to the land. 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:57.759 It's a huge warning for famine. 00:21:58.160 --> 00:21:59.839 But but Joseph interpreted the Lord. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:10.640 Interpreting that dream recognizes that the faith response to that dream, the faith response is not to say, Well, I have faith in God and I believe that famine isn't gonna happen, or I believe that famine's not going to affect us. 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:21.759 The faith response is actually for Joseph to take every single precaution necessary to ensure that the people are able to withstand the coming famine. 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:27.359 And so Joseph shares wise advice with the Pharaoh, and Pharaoh recognizes the wisdom of Joseph and says, I'm gonna put you in charge. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:38.240 And Joseph spends seven years taking every precautionary measure you can imagine to ensure that the people survive what's coming. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:50.960 Now, I'm not saying that the coronavirus is a famine, I'm not saying that we're in some type of existential threat, but I am saying that clearly, clearly, we are in an unprecedented situation where our government is asking us to take unprecedented steps. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:59.200 And what I want you to understand is that right now, if you're acting out of caution, do not for a moment be tempted to believe that that means you don't have faith. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:08.079 Don't let anyone, whether it is Satan himself or some social media preacher, tell you that, and everybody, by the way, becomes a social media preacher. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:11.599 I think that's what people do on social media, they just preach, right, about whatever they want to preach about. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:18.000 Don't let anyone convince you that you being cautious means that you're a person who lacks faith. 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:18.960 That's not true. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:20.880 Now, trust me, search your heart. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:23.039 Make sure you're not responding out of fear. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.720 That's that's something you gotta do with God. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:25.759 You've got to wrestle with God there. 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:27.039 You've got to do some soul searching. 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:29.759 In crisis moments, give us a chance to take a step back and do that. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:35.440 But don't let yourself for a moment believe that practicing wisdom and caution is somehow you not having faith. 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:39.200 Faith and wisdom are friends, faith and foolishness are not. 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:42.720 So in this season, I encourage you to be cautious. 00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:45.200 Not afraid, but cautious. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:45.680 Why? 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:49.119 Because the wise are cautious and avoid danger. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:57.279 Better to be a wise but poor youth than a foolish king who pays no heed to warnings, who pays no attention to wise advice. 00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:00.079 Be really careful who you listen to right now. 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:02.000 Listen to wise people. 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:05.039 Listen to people who know what they're talking about. 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:08.160 Listen to their advice, and you know what? 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:09.279 Do something crazy. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:10.559 Take it. 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:14.880 It actually kind of is crazy sometimes for people to actually take wise advice. 00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:20.720 It happens far less than it should, but but in this season, be wise, be cautious, be filled with faith. 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:25.599 That God is absolutely going to get us through this, that we're absolutely going to come out on the other side of this stronger than ever before. 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:32.640 I believe that as a church, but don't believe for a second that you being cautious means that you don't have faith. 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:35.119 Faith and wisdom are friends. 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:37.519 Faith is not foolishness. 00:24:38.160 --> 00:24:39.039 Let's pray. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:43.440 Lord, thank you so much for giving us a chance to dive into your word. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:48.079 Thank you so much, Lord, for giving us a chance to have our faith mature. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:52.000 Lord, I've I've been tested this last couple of weeks for sure, and I've gone back and forth. 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:57.920 You know my heart, Lord, you know my thoughts, you know the prayers that I've prayed to you, where I've asked so many different times, what should we do? 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:02.880 And I've gone back and forth on what the right decision should be up until this last week, where you gave me resolve. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:23.200 But the truth of the matter is we're so often tempted to believe that following you, that being people of faith, means that we throw off all caution, that we don't listen to anything but but whatever, whatever that voice inside of us telling us to just march forward is, because we believe that that's what faith looks like. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:38.319 But but Jesus, you weren't, you weren't tempted to, well, you were tempted, but you weren't convinced to allow your faith to become a temptation for foolishness. 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:50.960 When Satan tempted you to prove your faith, to prove that you really trusted that you were who you said you were, to prove that by by recklessly allowing God or forcing God to protect you. 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:52.640 You you didn't take the bait. 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:54.240 Not in the slightest, Lord. 00:25:54.319 --> 00:25:55.359 You were wise. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:57.920 And we want to be wise like you in this season. 00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:01.359 Some of us, Lord, some of us have the ability to stay home. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.640 And we may choose that. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:07.680 And if we choose that, Lord, let that be a decision that's led by discernment that comes from you. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:08.720 Some of us don't have that option. 00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:10.240 Some of us have to go to work like normal. 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:21.759 And if that's the case, Lord, give us the wisdom to take whatever precautions we can, but also to trust you and to trust that if this is what we have to do, that you are going to be with us, that we can claim Psalm 91 and say that wherever we go, we know that you're with us. 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:23.200 You are our protector. 00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:24.960 So help us believe that, Lord. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:34.079 Help us walk that out in faith, but at the same time remember that it is wise for us to take cautions, to be, to be cautious, to take precautions, Lord. 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:35.440 Help us remember that. 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:36.559 We love you, Lord. 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:44.640 We thank you for this opportunity over the coming weeks to keep worshiping you, to keep to keep singing to you, to keep learning about you, to keep growing in our in our faith in you, Lord. 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:46.400 Um, even though it has to be online. 00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:50.240 I thank you, Lord, for all the people watching at home right now and everyone that's connected to them. 00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:54.240 Lord, help them be a light to their friends and family and co workers in a time like this. 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:56.079 We pray all this in your name, Jesus. 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:56.880 Amen.