WEBVTT 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:05.679 Two Sundays ago, we started a series called People. 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:11.199 And basically, what we're doing is we're spending our summer as a church saying this is what we think about people. 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:12.640 And this is so important. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:18.800 It's just as important for us to be clear on where we stand with people as it is for us to be clear on where we stand with God. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:23.280 Because what we think about people actually reveals what we really think about God. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:27.440 If you want to see what someone really thinks about God, watch how they treat people. 00:00:28.480 --> 00:00:36.399 And the thing is, Jesus, who is the exact representation of God, he is the clearest picture of God we will ever have because he's God. 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:38.640 Jesus believes in people. 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:42.719 And so if you don't believe in people, you actually don't believe Jesus. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:45.600 Because Jesus believes in people. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:49.920 And so for the last few weeks, we've said, as a church, we believe in people. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:53.439 Specifically a couple weeks ago, we started by saying, we believe in messy people. 00:00:54.079 --> 00:01:02.799 This is not a church where you've got to worry about getting everything fixed up and neat and tidy to come and worship, to come and be part, to come and play a role. 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:05.760 Jesus recruited messy people. 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:09.760 He didn't recruit the people that had it all together because the truth is no one has it all together. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.079 Some are just better at acting like they have it all together. 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.280 Jesus wanted to work with people who were willing to admit the mess. 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:17.200 And so we believe in messy people. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:21.040 And I'm so glad as a church we believe in messy people because that means this church actually believes in me. 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:21.920 That's nice. 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:22.480 Okay? 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.000 Last week we said that we believe in young people. 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:27.920 We have amazing young people at this church. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:30.799 We invest in them heavily because we believe so much in them. 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:33.920 Someone asked me this week if today was going to be we believe in old people. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:40.400 And uh and to answer that question, yes, we do believe in old people. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:41.920 We believe in people of all ages. 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:45.280 That's not what the message is today, but I will say this. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:46.560 We said this last week. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:51.120 We need those of us who are who are older to invest in the young people we have here at his hands. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:02:02.159 We need spiritual big brothers and sisters, we need spiritual moms, we need spiritual grandparents investing in our kids week in and week out, giving them the wisdom that they have, the perspective that they have. 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:02.879 We need that. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:08.960 And so last week I encouraged you, if you're not on a team here, if you've never volunteered, you're not volunteering, join a kids team. 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:11.680 Just take the plunge and have that experience. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:15.759 It will it will be amazing, it will change you, it will change what church means to you. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:17.919 I'll promise you that, because that's what it did for me. 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:22.479 We had 24 people, by the way, that signed up to join a kids team last week, which is so exciting. 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:24.240 It is. 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:26.639 But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:27.840 So I'm just joking. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:30.479 Just, you know, whatever God tells you to do, just do it. 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:31.919 But we love young people here. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:34.960 Today, we're making another statement, a statement of belief. 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:42.879 And it's a very simple statement, but it's also very powerful, especially if we let it sink in, especially if we actually believe this and put it into practice. 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:47.360 And it's this we believe people are plan A. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:51.199 We believe people are plan A. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:56.719 Have you ever noticed that our world works really hard to bypass people as often as possible? 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:01.120 We're always trying to find a way to do things without having to interact with people. 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:04.159 And I'm all for technology and I'm all for efficiency. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:06.319 Like I don't mind the self-checkout stand at the grocery store. 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:07.680 I often go to that stand. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:10.240 We have self-check-in stands in our kids' areas, right? 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.960 Where you can just come in and check yourself in, you know, it's it's fine. 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:19.039 Back in the day, Megan was the navigator for me when we would go on on road trips, and that did not work out well for our marriage. 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:21.280 That was not that was not good. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:26.000 So I'm really grateful for smartphones because today Siri is my navigator. 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:36.800 And it's ironic because there's still a woman telling me what to do, but but this woman doesn't comment on how I'm doing it as she tells me what to do. 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:38.800 Like she just gives me the play-by-play. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:40.560 Megan would always add in color commentary. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:42.639 Megan would be like, you're gonna turn left. 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:48.400 And then she would make a comment about the speed that I was going or the way I was driving or that my blinker was on, and I'm just like, ah. 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:51.199 And so I would end up angry with Megan. 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:54.960 I still get angry with Siri, but it's just better for my marriage that I'm angry with Siri and not Megan. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:55.599 So it's good. 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:56.000 It's good. 00:03:56.080 --> 00:04:02.159 I'm saying that sometimes that technology bypassing people is a good thing, but oftentimes it goes way too far. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:11.680 Like, when's the last time you called a customer service line for maybe your bank or some business that you subscribe to, and you have to go through the automated process, right? 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:16.879 Where they have a computer-generated voice that's trying to fool you into thinking you're having a conversation with a person. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:19.759 And they ask you all these questions and it takes forever. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:25.439 And there are all these you know prompts like if you're a new customer, please say yes, or press one, and you're like, no. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.560 And then they say, okay, if you're an existing customer, I already established that. 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:29.439 I said no. 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:36.160 And you have to answer all these questions, and it's just yes, no, one five seven two. 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:37.920 That is not my pin number. 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:40.720 Okay, or maybe it is, I don't know. 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:41.920 You'll find out. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:43.759 And you just keep going and you keep having that. 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:46.959 I can't I cannot I cannot stand that experience. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:48.800 I just want to talk to a person. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:58.800 I just want to have a conversation, and I want to tell someone where I'm coming from, maybe why I'm upset, maybe I want to vent a little bit, and the longer I have to talk to the computer, the more I want to vent. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:00.959 So just give me to a person as fast as possible. 00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:02.079 That's the way I feel. 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:03.360 Does anyone else feel that way? 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:04.639 Does anyone else share that? 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:06.160 Okay, good. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:09.040 Praise Jesus. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:10.160 Right? 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:14.240 So I have a strategy that you're free to use. 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:15.279 And I'm not making this up. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:15.839 I do this often. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:16.959 Megan can attest to this. 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:20.079 It's my strategy for getting to a person as fast as possible. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:27.680 When I call a number and those automated prompts come up, I just answer with really loud, indistinguishable sounds. 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:28.240 Okay? 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:29.680 I do this all the time. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:35.439 And so I'll call and it'll say, you know, if you're a new customer, please say yes or press one, and I'll just go blah blah blah. 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:42.079 And then there'll be a pause and it'll say, I'm sorry, I couldn't understand your response. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:45.519 If you're a new customer, please say yes or press one. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:46.639 Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:51.600 Please hold while we connect you to a customer service representative. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:55.120 And I'm like, yes, yes, it works. 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:56.079 Use it. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.040 That's a life hack you can take with you today. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:01.680 Because I just want to talk to a person. 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:02.959 You know? 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.680 If you read the Bible, one thing becomes really clear. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.560 God does not believe in bypassing people at all. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:19.839 God has not organized his kingdom, his world, his will in a way that bypasses people. 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:22.480 God uses people. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:29.759 In fact, we are his primary method for doing his will in this world. 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:32.079 We are God's plan A. 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:37.279 We are what He wants to use more than anything else to do the things in this world that He wants to see done. 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:46.879 And it's so funny because as Jesus followers, as Christians, you know, God believers, whatever word you want to use, we so often pray that God will do amazing things but bypass people in the process, right? 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:49.279 We want God to just instant download, deliver it. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:56.959 If I say, God, you know, help me figure this out, what I don't mean is God send a really wise person into my life to give me advice and help me along the way. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:57.519 No. 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:02.560 I just want you to download your wisdom into my brain so that I know what to do. 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:08.560 Like we're always praying that God would just do things immediately and bypass people, and he can do that. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:15.360 He's God, he can do whatever he wants, but his main method of doing his will, his work in this world is people. 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:22.720 And it's an interesting thing to think about because we could ask ourselves this question: does God need us to do the things he wants to do? 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:25.519 And I think the answer pretty safely is no. 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:27.279 He doesn't need us. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:28.560 Like he's God. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:29.759 He can do what he wants. 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.560 In fact, the very first story in the Bible is the story of creation. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:39.600 And God creates everything and it plays out in this really poetic way, and on the first day, he makes this, and the second day, we don't show up till day six. 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:41.519 And day seven is the day off. 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:46.639 So it's like our first day there, you know, we have day one, we kind of get accustomed to things, and we're like, all right, God, what do you want us to do? 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:48.399 And he's like, Yeah, there's nothing left to do. 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:52.240 Just chill, hang out, relax, rest, enjoy what I've made. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.439 Days one through five, that's when God's doing like the crazy stuff. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.959 That's when he's creating the universe and the earth. 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:11.120 And he's making things like light and water and all the elements that we have in this world, and he creates life on this planet, and he creates vegetation, he creates the animals and the birds and the fish, all of it, and we're not even there yet. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:16.480 So, so technically speaking, God does not need us to do anything. 00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:21.600 He has all the power and all the self-sufficiency he needs to do it on his own. 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:30.480 And yet, he chooses to use us to be the primary method for the work he wants done in this world. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:31.519 He has made that choice. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:32.240 It's so interesting. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:34.639 For example, you can look at 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:37.039 Paul wrote this, Paul was a leader in the early church. 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.480 We owe so much to Paul. 00:08:38.720 --> 00:08:44.000 And he said, starting in verse 7, a spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:53.919 So God gives us spiritual gifts, abilities, talents, you might say, and they're given to us for the purpose of helping us, helping each other. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:57.200 To one person, the spirit gives the ability to give wise advice. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.480 To another person, the same spirit gives a message of special knowledge. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:05.279 The same spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else, the one spirit gives the gift of healing. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:09.279 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:14.240 He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:20.799 Still, another person is given the ability to speak in an unknown language, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:24.080 It is the one and only spirit who distributes all these gifts. 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:27.039 He alone decides which gift each person should have. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:29.120 Now, this is not an exhaustive list. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:31.440 There's a ton of spiritual gifts in the Bible. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.200 There's a ton, like administration is a spiritual gift. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:39.840 You don't see a lot of people who are administrators have people around them go, wow, that person is filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:43.200 Look at the way, look at that filing cabot, look at the way they have color-coded. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:46.240 This is this spreadsheet is of God, right? 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:49.039 But it's a spiritual gift. 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:53.840 Working with your hands and being a craftsman is listed in the Bible as being a spiritual gift. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:10:00.720 Like God, God gives all of us these abilities, and He gives us these abilities to do His work in this world. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:10.480 The God of the universe, who has all the power in the world, gives us abilities, gifts, so that we can do what He wants to see done in this world. 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:11.840 We are His plan A. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:13.360 He wants to use us. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:17.279 And that is so powerful if you actually let that sink in. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:22.799 God has chosen you to be the method he wants to use to do his work in this world. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:24.240 Your plan A. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:30.720 It's so amazing because very, very rarely do we actually, deep down inside, at least I'm talking about myself, believe that. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:32.799 That people are our plan A. 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:35.519 See, usually in our minds, plan A is for God just to do it. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:37.039 Plan B is a person getting involved. 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:38.399 I hinted about that earlier. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:39.919 So let's say someone is sick. 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:41.279 And I've seen this happen, by the way. 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:44.080 Let's say someone is sick and we pray for God to heal that person. 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:46.879 And let's say that the person just gets better. 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:49.279 That happened to my son when he was in the NICU when he was firstborn. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:50.879 I've told that story a bunch of times. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:53.360 I won't tell it to you again, even though it's like my favorite story. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:57.039 I told it the last time, I think, on Easter, so go listen to that podcast if you want to hear it. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:01.759 But but I've seen God do that, where the doctors are like, we don't know what happened, he's just better, and we're like, we know what happened. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:07.360 We prayed to Jesus, and Jesus delivered, and it was awesome, and we were all like, Praise God, and it was amazing. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:24.240 But then if we have someone that's sick and we pray that God would heal them, and and God uses a doctor to do that, like he gifts someone with the ability to heal and to understand what's going on and to diagnose it and to give treatment, to give medicine, and the person is healed. 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:27.919 You know, we'll still say praise God, but it's kind of like this semi-passive aggressive praise God. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:29.600 It's like, well, you know, praise God. 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:33.600 He he healed me, technically, you know. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:41.279 But there's this disappointment because in our minds, somewhere, somewhere deep down inside, it's less of a God thing if a person is involved. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.960 If a person is involved in our minds, it's just not, it doesn't rank as high. 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:48.399 It's less of a God thing. 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:54.000 And that's because deep down inside, we don't really believe that people are plan A. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:59.919 We think people are the backup plan for when God doesn't actually show up in some really cool way. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.799 But like, like what if it was the opposite? 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:11.200 What if the moments where God shows up and does it himself are the result of him wanting to use a person, but the person not being available, and God's like, ah, come on, man, do this. 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:12.559 I want you to be involved in this, I want you to do it. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.240 And the person's like, I'm not willing, I don't, I don't know. 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.480 He's like, I don't have time, I just gotta do it. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:17.360 Right? 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:22.080 And God's not a formula, God doesn't do things the same way every time. 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:33.679 I'm using this as an illustration, but but I think if you look at scripture, if you look at the the history we have of God's interactions in this world, what you find is a God who very, very, very much prefers to work with people. 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:36.080 And it's a powerful thing when he does. 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:45.759 Because think about it this way: if God just did it all himself, he gets all the glory, he gets all the credit, but he's the only one that has the satisfaction and the joy that comes from solving a problem. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:49.360 You ever solve a problem and feel that? 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:51.600 You ever create a problem? 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:52.320 Anyone here? 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:53.440 Problem creators? 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:54.080 Anyway? 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.159 All right, like I know how that feels. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:02.240 At home, we have this water issue that's going on where uh one of our walls is just there's water in it. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:07.039 And so I first found this out because there was mold growing around a light switch, and I was like, that's gross. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:08.240 That probably shouldn't happen. 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:13.039 I don't know much about lots of things, but I don't know much about house stuff at all. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.039 And I'm like, I just know that mold, bad. 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:15.840 Mold is bad. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:16.480 That's what I know. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:22.559 And so I started pushing on the drywall, and it was like soft and it was moving, and I'm like, that seems less stable than it should be. 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:29.200 And and you know, I figured out water's getting in somewhere, so I called a friend of mine who works on roofs, and he come, is it roofs or roofs? 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:30.399 Roofs? 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:31.919 Whatever. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:33.200 The thing on your house. 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:36.480 He uh he came, he looked at it, he's like, man, it looks good, your roof looks fine. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:40.799 It's just, I mean, I can see a few things, I'll just go ahead and tweak those, but I I just I don't think it's pretty minor. 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:43.759 I'm like, okay, well, let's try it, let's see if that fixes it. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:45.120 And and no, it did not. 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:51.360 And I'm staring at this wall and I'm trying to figure out what's going on because the roof is fine, water is getting in, and I'm like, it's not getting in way up here. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:55.679 It's like the water is starting like right mid-level on the wall. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:14:02.320 And it's it's wet from there down, and it's like right where I hung this shelf for Megan a few months ago. 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:04.480 She went shopping. 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:10.000 Megan likes antique stuff, so she'll go shopping and she'll find a piece of furniture. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:16.320 And it's been built by someone a long time ago, and it's made of like solid wood, okay? 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:18.960 And there's nothing there to help you hang it. 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:20.480 And she's just like, Can you hang it on the wall? 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:26.320 And I'm like, Yes, but it's so heavy, and I kind of freak out when I hang heavy things. 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:33.039 And so I'll hang it on a couple studs, and I'll be like, Man, what if those studs aren't studly or whatever? 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:36.720 And so I'll end up just putting a few extra screws in for good measure. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:39.279 You know, I'll put some anchors in, I'm just like, ah, screw can go here. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:40.480 Here's another place for a screw. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:41.840 So that's what I did. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:46.879 Funny thing about walls, there's things behind them. 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:50.559 Sometimes those things are pipes with water in them. 00:14:50.720 --> 00:15:03.519 And so what happened was I I drilled a hole directly through a water pipe that happens to be the drainage pipe from our upstairs uh plumbing, which is gross. 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:22.639 So I I ripped off the shelf, I pulled out the wall, and there it was, this PVC water pipe with a hole, dead center, like I was trying, like I was attempting, it was dead center, and I did that, I created this problem, and I gotta handle all the fallout, I made this problem. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.080 I know how it feels to create a problem, it feels bad. 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:36.000 But when you actually are part of a solution, when you solve something, even even just discovering the problem I created gave me a little bit of satisfaction. 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:40.320 I'm like, ah, I have solved the mystery of what I did, right? 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:54.480 See, it's so so beautiful because God is so generous that God actually allows us to share in some of the credit and some of the joy that goes with doing his work in this world. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:16:00.960 If he just did it all himself, he would be the only one that had that satisfaction, but he actually allows us to share in that. 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:01.679 And it's amazing. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:06.399 I mean, think about the heroes of Scripture, the people who are used by God to do amazing things, like Moses. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:08.879 Moses parts the Red Sea, right? 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:11.519 Oh no, God parted the Red Sea. 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:21.840 That wasn't Moses, but yet we still say that Moses parted the Red Sea, and we're not being inaccurate when we say that, because God used Moses. 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:34.159 Moses got to experience the rush and the satisfaction of walking up to that water and putting his staff in the water and being like, whoa! And God didn't need to use Moses, God could have just done it, but He He chose to use Moses. 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:34.799 Why? 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.039 Because God uses people. 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:40.399 People are God's plan A. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:42.399 And if you need more evidence, just look at Jesus. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.000 Think about all the miracles that Jesus did. 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:49.200 I mean, he did so many amazing things. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:55.440 He healed people, he raised people to life, he walked on water, he he talked to the weather and it obeyed, he miraculously multiplied food. 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:57.440 Not just his miracles, though, his teachings. 00:16:57.600 --> 00:17:02.320 Like Jesus said things that are so profound, that are life-changing, that have shaped history. 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:03.919 Jesus did all of that. 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:11.359 And ask yourself, how many of the teachings or miracles of Jesus did he do independent of a human being being directly involved? 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.240 And the answer is zero. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:15.920 For a very obvious reason. 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:18.480 Jesus was a human being. 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:21.759 I mean, John chapter 1, verse 14. 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.640 So the word became human and made his home among us. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:31.759 Jesus, being God, became one of us to work among us, to do his work in this world. 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:38.720 How revealing is it that people are God's plan A, that God Himself became a person to do his most important work? 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:44.160 Every miracle Jesus performed was done at the hands of a human being because Jesus became a human being. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:46.079 People are plan A. 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:49.680 And that means you are plan A. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:55.119 You are God's plan A in this world for something. 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:56.720 For someone. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:00.079 And do you believe that? 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:08.240 We have this tendency as people to vastly underestimate our importance in God's kingdom. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:11.440 And we can never be that as a church. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:16.319 We can never be people who have a high opinion of God, but a low opinion of people and of ourselves. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:24.079 In fact, the greatest damage that's ever been done by the church has been done at the hands of people who had a high opinion of God, or so they thought, but a low opinion of people. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:29.359 Do you believe that you are God's plan A? 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:30.640 Because you are. 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:38.160 You know, the word that we get church from literally means those who have been called out. 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:46.160 So the church are the people who have heard the call of God to step out of the life they were living and step into a relationship with God. 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:48.799 We're the ones who have who have been called out. 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:51.440 We're the ones who have answered the call. 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:58.079 And that means that if you are part of the church, if you've given your life to Jesus, you have a calling on your life. 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:00.799 Your life has a calling on it. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:05.279 God wants to use you to do something, something important, something of vast importance. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:08.880 You are God's plan A for someone or for something. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:20.319 But one of the great tragedies of the history of the church is that so often we we outsource our calling to someone else. 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:27.920 And we outsource our calling to someone who seems more qualified, maybe to a person, maybe to the church as an organization. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.079 I love it when someone comes to me and says, you know what the church ought to be doing? 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:33.039 Like talking about his hands. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:34.720 Like, you know what, you know, you know what the church ought to be? 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:36.400 And I'm like, I got great news for you. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:38.480 You're the church. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:40.640 So maybe you should do that. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:43.200 And then the church is doing it. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:44.960 Problem solved, right? 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:46.799 But we just we just don't think that way. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:48.799 We're not conditioned, we're not taught to think that way. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:50.160 That's not how I've thought for most of my life. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:20:02.319 I look at the church, and I see it as an organization, and the pastor, the person on the stage, that's that's the person that God speaks to, and that person's job is to tell all of us what we're supposed to be doing and hearing from God. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:05.119 That is never the way it was supposed to be. 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:14.720 In Exodus chapter 20, Moses has led the nation of Israel out of Egypt, and they're in the wilderness, and God wants to speak to them. 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:19.920 And so God shows up, he shows up to speak to the people in Israel, and it's it's epic, it's awesome. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.359 There is smoke and there is lightning, it is like special effects, galore. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:26.000 God wants to speak, but the people get scared. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:34.240 And in Exodus 20, they said to Moses, Speak, you speak to us, and we will listen. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.519 But please don't let God speak directly to us, or we will die. 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:41.920 And they greatly misjudged God and themselves. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:44.480 And they got so afraid, they said, You know what, Moses? 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:48.400 Uh we would like to outsource our relationship with God to you. 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:55.839 We would like to outsource what it's like to hear from God and just let you do that, and then you tell us what he says. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:58.079 You be the middleman, and we'll just we'll do what you say. 00:20:58.640 --> 00:20:59.680 And that was a tragedy. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:03.200 That's what began this whole tradition of there being prophets. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:09.359 This small handful of people who hear from God, and the rest of the people are just dependent on them to get a word. 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:11.200 That's not how it was supposed to be. 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:13.119 It's not what God wanted, it's not what Moses wanted. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:16.880 In fact, there's a story in Numbers a little while later, really interesting story. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:21.680 It's still Moses and the people of Israel, it says that Moses went out and reported the Lord's words to the people. 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:22.480 That's what he would do. 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:26.640 He would go hang out with God, hear God speak, and then tell the people what God said. 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:31.359 He gathered the seventy elders and he stationed them around the tabernacle. 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:38.079 And the Lord came down in the cloud and he spoke to Moses, and then he gave the seventy elders the same spirit that was upon Moses. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.200 And when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:43.359 But this never happened again. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:45.039 And I love this is my favorite part. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.160 Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:50.960 They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone to the tabernacle. 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:52.640 In other words, they didn't show up. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.720 They slept in, whatever, they just didn't go. 00:21:57.359 --> 00:21:58.720 So they don't show up. 00:21:58.960 --> 00:22:01.519 Yet the spirit Rested upon them as well. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:03.359 So they prophesied in the camp. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:07.519 And a young man ran and reported to Moses, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:14.079 And Joshua, the son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant since his youth, protested, Moses, my master, make them stop. 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:18.400 But Moses replied, Are you jealous for my sake? 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:23.839 I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on all of them. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:26.400 See, that's God's heart, that's his will. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:42.079 That all of his people, all of his people, would be filled with his spirit, that all of his people would have the same access to God, that all of his people would be able to equally hear from God and act accordingly, that all of his people would hear the calling that God is placing on their lives. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:46.960 Not that they would outsource that to some organization or some person. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:56.079 One of the greatest joys in my life is hearing God speak. 00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:02.960 I don't think there's any experience I've had in life that is as powerful or as meaningful as when I hear God speak to me. 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:04.640 But I want you guys to know something. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:05.599 This is important. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.799 God does not speak to me because I'm a pastor. 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:12.000 God speaks to me because I'm a person. 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:13.039 Okay? 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.920 And you're a person. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:19.680 God wants to speak to you. 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:25.039 He wants you to hear the calling that he's placed on your life. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:28.799 He wants you to hear the mission that he has for you in this world. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:32.799 He wants you to hear that so that you know that he gave it to you. 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:39.119 So that you know that he chose you, that you are his plan A, that He's picked you for His team. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:41.519 He wants you to have that experience. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:47.200 And that's a difficult thing for us to do sometimes because it's hard to discern whether or not it's really God or it's us. 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:48.480 We get all confused. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:49.680 You know, sometimes it's easy. 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:53.440 I don't have to wonder whether or not God is calling me to be a good father or a good husband. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:54.240 He is. 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:55.680 That's just clear. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:57.680 He's made that clear to me, to all of us. 00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:59.839 We're called to our families. 00:24:00.079 --> 00:24:02.000 I don't have to wonder whether or not I need to work hard. 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:04.640 I don't wake up in the morning and go, God, you want me to work hard today? 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:08.079 You just want me to like waste time at work. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:09.200 What do you want me to do? 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:14.400 Because the Bible says that no matter what we do, no matter what we do, we're all in ministry, all of us. 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:18.319 No matter what we do, work as if you're working for the Lord. 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:27.119 So when you go to work, when you do your job, do it as if you are working directly for Jesus Himself, because the way you do your job will show people who Jesus really is. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:28.319 So we know those things. 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:37.759 That's clear, but sometimes we feel this calling, and it's for something more, for something that we can't quite put our finger on, or for something that we know nothing about and that intimidates us, and we think we're crazy. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:40.400 We start thinking thoughts like, who am I to do this? 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:45.359 I'm not qualified, I'm not an expert on this. 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:53.680 But you know, there were people in Jesus' day who were the quote-unquote experts on God. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:58.799 And Jesus did not pick them to be his followers because they weren't really experts at all. 00:24:58.960 --> 00:25:00.880 There was one who was like the expert of the experts. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:06.000 His name was Saul, and God did pick him to be a follower after he rose. 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:08.480 After Jesus rose, he picks Saul, Saul becomes Paul. 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:18.240 But before Saul could really become Paul and be the expert that he was meant to be with God, he had to unlearn everything he had learned and start from scratch and realize that he was no expert at all. 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:24.799 See, the world we live in conditions us to believe expertise is required for action. 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:27.519 Ben Sykes and I were talking about that this last week. 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:29.359 Ben's one of my best friends, he's awesome. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:35.440 And he was just talking about how we live in this very expertise-driven world where we're all trying to be an expert, pretend like we're an expert. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:37.920 You have to be an expert before you can do something effectively. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:40.480 But in God's kingdom, it's always the opposite. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:46.240 In God's world, first you say yes, and then he gives you the expertise you need as you go. 00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.599 That's just how it works. 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:50.000 It is super inconvenient, by the way. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:52.720 But it's what he does. 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:54.880 It's an adventure. 00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:57.920 And it's awesome, all jokes aside. 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:00.319 You're the church. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:01.920 You're the called ones. 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:10.079 And my hope for today, I believe God's hope for today is that you would believe that you are plan A. 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:12.000 That you're enough. 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:13.119 You might ask yourself, who am I? 00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:14.079 I'll tell you who you are. 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:15.759