WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:02.319 Well, good morning, everybody. 00:00:02.959 --> 00:00:04.719 It's good to be here with you today. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:06.799 Really good to be here with you today. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:15.439 As Pastor Ben said, my name is Pear Nielsen, and uh let's give a round of applause to Isaac and the worship team for leading us today, shall we? 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:21.440 Um I'm so glad they sang the song Holy. 00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:31.359 And the reason I'm so glad is because I was able to record a snippet of it and then send it to my granddaughter Selah, who loves that song. 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:37.920 And and hearing the joy, I mean, I can just hear her when she when she listens to this in the recording itself. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:44.000 But what's gonna even be better is that she's gonna be bugging her mom and dad all day long to listen to that tune. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:44.560 She will. 00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:46.880 It's gonna be absolutely fantastic. 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:51.600 And I understand you just celebrated 110 years as Redeemer, correct? 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:52.320 Yeah. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:54.240 You don't look a day over 37. 00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:57.439 Really. 00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:59.039 I mean, but congratulations. 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:01.840 Here's what that says you got a lot of years in front of you. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:04.480 You got more years in front of you than you've got behind you. 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:08.640 And that is a massive, massive gift to the kingdom of God. 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:11.680 So take that and run with it. 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:21.040 So, as Ben said, um, I'm connected to a lot of different things, but for today's purposes, I'm connected to the Master's Institute seminary where I was president for nine years. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:25.439 I now serve in the area of financial development and student recruitment. 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:41.359 And um, Redeemer has had eight to nine students go through the process of seminary development at the Masters Institute from the congregation itself, and you've also hosted four or five interns from various churches that have come to Redeemer. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:54.000 And on behalf of Jeremy King, our president, and the entire staff at the Masters Institute, I just want to say thank you for pouring into us financially, spiritually, prayerfully, all of those different ways. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.560 Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:01:59.439 It is so deeply appreciated. 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:06.319 The text that I want to explore today from a biblical perspective has been a very important one in my life. 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:14.319 And the beauty of this passage is that it weaves together a lot of different elements of who we are called to be as followers of Jesus. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:16.800 It weaves together a sense of identity. 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:22.800 It weaves together that identity with a sense of calling and the activity that God has for us. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:28.400 It brings together a sense of purpose and meaning for our lives in a significant way. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:34.560 So let me just read it for you, and then we're gonna unpack it over the course of the next 25 minutes or so. 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:39.039 It says this, John 7, verses 38 and 39. 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:45.439 As the scripture has said, out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:55.520 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:56.560 So let me ask this. 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:59.039 How many of you are believers, if so say amen? 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:00.159 Amen. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.879 If you're a believer, this passage is for you. 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:05.520 Jesus is speaking directly to you. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:09.360 Out of the believer's heart, something will happen. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:17.360 And if you're here today and you're not a believer, let me just invite you to keep your mind open for the next 25 minutes or so. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:26.960 Because we're going to be talking about purpose and meaning and its association with faith and movement forward and living out our identity and our calling in life. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:33.280 And even if you're not a believer today, I believe God has something for you today. 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:34.240 I really do. 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:36.639 I believe God has something for you. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:41.439 Before we get there, um, let me just introduce my family a little more substantively. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:48.319 You heard all the mechanics of what I do, but but the most important thing in my life is my relationship with Jesus and my family. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:51.360 And so up on the screen you'll see a picture of my family. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:56.639 Um, and over on the very left is my son Christian and his wife Annie. 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:02.159 On the right is my son Bjorn and his wife Rachel. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:13.120 Um, my wife Mary is right next to me in the center, and we've been together, as Ben said, for 40 years in marriage, and we started dating when she was 15 and I was 17 in high school. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:17.040 She's walked this entire journey of life with me, and I with her. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:25.439 Um, I am holding Saint, who is the grandson from Bjorn and Rachel, and they are actually expecting another child in December. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:30.480 And my wife is holding Sayla, who's the granddaughter that comes from Christian and Annie. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:33.279 And they also had another baby just two months ago. 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:34.319 And this is Finlay. 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:35.360 Take a look at Finley. 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:36.720 Isn't she the cutest little thing? 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:37.199 I know. 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:38.879 She's absolutely awesome. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:44.240 And for those of you who are grandparents, let me just aren't grandkids the best? 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:46.800 I mean, they are just the best. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:52.800 They allow this childlike element to bubble out of you in remarkable. 00:04:52.959 --> 00:05:08.240 I mean, you will be in public and you'll be going, and along with that, you you get to live out your your age-old rebellious spirit against parents through them. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:10.399 It's the best. 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:12.639 No, you can stay up until whatever hour you want. 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:16.000 Yeah, we'll have some ice cream, that's not a problem at all. 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:18.160 You gotta pay the price. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:19.839 You gotta pay the price. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:22.800 No, they're they're a beautiful gift. 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:34.720 Uh, and probably the most beautiful gift from those grandkids is that they really beg you to ask a deeper question about the meaning of life. 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:39.680 What is it what does it actually mean to live? 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:44.000 What is the purpose that God has given you? 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:55.839 Now, the question of meaning and purpose is one that philosophers will tell you is uh historically the most important question that any given individual can ask. 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:03.040 For example, um Victor Frankel asked that question in a remarkable way. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:21.680 He asked that question in in a significant way, and what he determined was that indeed you could find purpose and meaning in the midst of the most dire of circumstances, and and in finding meaning you could ex experience the most extraordinary suffering that you could ever imagine. 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:24.639 That's a big deal. 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:27.199 That's a really big deal. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:35.360 I know that the idea of purpose and meaning is even more substantive when you think about it through the lens of faith. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:43.519 Because our purpose and meaning when it comes to faith isn't just connected to what I like, what I dislike, what my hopes and my personal dreams are. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:56.720 It's connected to the God of all creation who is shaping you as an individual, who is pouring into your world, who is guiding you and directing you, and has his own purposes for your life. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:06.399 And part of faith is unpacking and living with those purposes and walking them out in the most constructive way possible. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.000 Um that's some of my journey. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:18.399 I started exploring, experimenting uh the meaning of life when I was young, and and then started doing it in a very unhealthy way. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:24.879 My wife was um going through some pictures here about three weeks ago, and she came across some pictures from various aspects of my life. 00:07:25.040 --> 00:07:26.399 And here's the very first one. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:30.879 Very first one's when I was 17 years old and I was drug addicted. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:37.279 I met Jesus in the basement of a drug treatment center, Twin Town Treatment Center, on University Avenue here in St. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:40.560 Paul when I was 17 years old. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:46.879 And over the course of the next year, my sense of purpose and meaning got completely shifted. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:49.360 Started moving in a different direction. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:58.480 In late November 1979, I gave myself fully to Jesus Christ at that point, and by God's grace, I've been sober ever since. 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.279 It's been just about 47 years now. 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:04.800 Meaning and purpose, yeah, thank you. 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:22.800 Your sense of meaning and purpose shifts when you move away from trying to find meaning in all of this crazy activity, self-absorbed, demonic environments, and all of a sudden God's shining light into your life, and you get to move in a different direction. 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:24.959 So here's a couple of other pictures. 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:26.000 They're six years apart. 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:29.199 The first of them is when I was in flight school in the U.S. 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:30.319 Air Force. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.039 By the way, I puked my way out of flight school, the U.S. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:34.080 Air Force. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:38.159 It was not uh not a fun gig at all. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:42.399 I got this little problem with my inner ear that just couldn't be overcome over time. 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:48.080 And and that launched me into God's calling in my life uh into the ministry. 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:53.759 And so I entered ministry in 1990 and and take a look at those two different haircuts, right? 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:56.720 I mean, in the Air Force, right? 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:03.360 I got this nice high and tight, and then in the ministry, I've got this all business in the front and party in the back. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:04.480 What in the world? 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:09.279 Just wait, you've all got those pictures too. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:10.159 I know you do. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:11.519 I know you do. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:20.799 They they point to places where I was searching for, looking for a sense of purpose and meaning. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:29.840 It's really important that we, as followers of Jesus, take that question very, very seriously. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:37.360 For followers of Jesus, this this whole question of purpose and meaning is actually central to who we are. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:49.039 Because part of what we believe is that God, by His grace, comes in to change our life and gives us a new identity, and He is the one who owns that identity. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:55.039 He is the one who shapes that identity, who moves that identity forward. 00:09:55.279 --> 00:10:04.720 So now all of a sudden, we're not just the sense of meaning and purpose is not just about us, it's about the God who has given us this new identity by his grace. 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:06.879 And here's what I'd like to assert to you. 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:12.799 What I'd like to set before you today as our point of exploration is this statement. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:21.360 That a Christian's calling, a Christian's calling is to be a conduit and not a container. 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:27.600 A Christian's calling is to be a conduit and not a container. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:33.440 Now let's wrap this all the way back to the idea of meaning. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:35.919 The question of meaning is not a new one. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:43.279 I mean, you can look back at Aristotle and Plato and all kinds of philosophers, and you can find statements about meaning and purpose. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:47.360 But as followers of Jesus, we want to look to God's word and see what God's word says. 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:53.039 And actually, God's word from cover to cover talks about this idea of meaning and purpose. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:56.240 Sometimes in positive ways, sometimes in not so positive ways. 00:10:56.399 --> 00:11:02.559 For example, in the book of Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon, we find this right away, chapter one. 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:06.639 Here's what it says: Meaningless, meaningless. 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:08.799 Everything is meaningless. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:11.600 That's a great way to start a book. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:13.679 I mean, think about that. 00:11:13.919 --> 00:11:15.279 Meaningless, meaningless. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:30.000 And then the writer of Ecclesiastes starts walking through all of these different elements in life that we believe will give us purpose and meaning, like power and prestige and money and resources and significance and all of those things, and even wisdom. 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:35.919 And he says, none of them will give you meaning. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.600 Then he closes up this way. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.240 Chapter 12, verse 13. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:43.600 Now all has been heard. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:45.919 Here's the conclusion of the matter. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:51.120 Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:58.240 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it's good or evil. 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:08.240 In other words, a passive approach to life is something that is not a part of the equation for followers of Jesus. 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:19.759 A nonchalant approach to living is not a part of the equation when it comes to living out our identity in the kingdom of God. 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:36.399 Because we can never unpack, we can never find, we can never explore the fullness of meaning, the sense of purpose that God has planted in our heart if all we're gonna do is sit back and watch the world go by in front of us. 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:51.519 I stated earlier, this really mattered for Victor Frankel as he found himself in Nazi concentration camps, and he determined that, in fact, the idea of purpose and meaning can get you through any point of suffering in life. 00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:57.440 Do you have a sense of meaning, purpose in life? 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:03.279 Let's bring it from there, which is a pretty radical scenario for most of us. 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:05.039 We can't even get our head around that. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:07.919 Let's bring it back down to the business world. 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:11.919 Simple, simple stuff from the business world. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:24.000 One of the interesting things is that when workers in any given environment have a sense of purpose and meaning while they're working in that environment, their productivity skyrockets. 00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:34.320 So as a business owner or a business manager, it's incumbent upon you to help the employees that are under you find a sense of purpose and meaning. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:43.360 If you want your business to excel, you provide opportunities for a sense of purpose and meaning to grow and develop in the life of that business. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.080 And here's what's even more important: it doesn't happen by giving them more money. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:51.279 It doesn't happen by giving them more responsibility. 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:56.879 It doesn't happen by giving them more power or more authority or putting more letters behind their name. 00:13:57.039 --> 00:14:01.519 Here's how it happens: it happens when you invite them into serving other people. 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:12.879 There's a direct correlation between the invitation to serve other people, growth in meaning and purpose, and productivity in any given environment. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:23.840 For us as people who are involved in leading other people, finding meaning and purpose now becomes a non-negotiable. 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:25.759 We've got to help people do that. 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:32.080 We've got to press into their lives enough so that they will grow and understand their sense of meaning and purpose. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:37.120 And for us as followers of Jesus, it's a non-negotiable as well. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:54.399 There's a beautiful series of scriptures that tie together all of this thought about meaning and purpose and gifts and strengths and talents and identity and activity and all of those things from 1 Peter in the fourth chapter. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:03.919 I want to read it to you because one of the things that it does is that it highlights the number of different roles that any given person can have in the kingdom of God. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:10.480 So often we separate ourselves from, well, it just doesn't matter much in the kingdom of God. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:29.039 And basically what this section of 1 Peter says is that, no, you're you're an administration, you're good at finances, you're good at physics, you're you're good at sweeping streets, you're good at cleaning toilets, you're good at hospitality, you're good at making food, you're good at art. 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:33.600 They are all a part of the ministry of the kingdom of God. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:35.120 That's that's you. 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:43.039 Our task is to just ask the question: how is God's grace moving out from my life into this world? 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:44.000 Let me read for you. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:50.159 1 Peter in the fourth chapter, we're gonna start at verse 7. 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:58.080 Here's what it says The end of all things is near, therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:02.639 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:06.240 Offer hospitality to one another without grump grumbling. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:15.360 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:18.559 If anyone speaks, he should do as one speaking, the very word of God. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:25.519 Anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.480 To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:30.080 Let's come back to verse 10. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:37.600 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.039 You're gonna see that up on the screen. 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:40.639 I'd like for us to read that together. 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.080 Let's read it together. 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:53.200 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:57.519 Now, turn to somebody next to you and say, that's me. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:58.399 I'm the one. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:16:59.279 Go ahead. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:06.799 It's gonna come up on the screen again. 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:12.000 I've added a little something to it because this is one of those passages we just gotta take ownership of. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:13.680 Let's read it together. 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:15.119 Each one. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:18.480 Whoop, whoop, whoop, pause. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:21.759 Let's just own that a little bit more, shall we? 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:23.920 Let's start again. 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:37.599 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:40.960 Each one, that's me. 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:44.640 That's you. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.319 That's us, every single one of you. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:53.200 Here's what's cool about some of the connections in this passage. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:56.240 You can't see it in the English language, but you can see it in the Greek. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:00.960 There are two words in this passage that are connected through the same root. 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:03.599 The first of those words is grace. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:07.279 Grace is kara in the Greek. 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:16.240 Then the second word is gift, and the gift word is karismata in the Greek. 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:17.920 They come from the same root. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.799 And the assertion is that one leads to the other. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:27.039 When God's grace pours into your life, it naturally leads to God's gifts flowing out of you. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:34.000 When God's grace changes your soul, it naturally leads to God's identity and activity pushing from you. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:41.279 When God's grace enters your life, out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:48.799 And those gifts in the Bible are referred to the charismata, out of which we get charismatic. 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:53.279 Grace and gift are intimately connected. 00:18:53.599 --> 00:19:00.480 You see, a Christian is a conduit of God's grace. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:05.519 Not a container of God's grace. 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:08.720 Here's where I learned that. 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:13.359 So I get sobered up back in November of 1979. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.720 That's a lot of years ago. 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:15.920 I know that. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:18.799 Many of you probably weren't even born then, were you? 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:21.680 1979, I get sobered up. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:23.680 I've got a sponsor, his name is John. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:28.559 John is just a hardcore AA guy. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:33.359 And John looks at me and he says, Hey, if I'm going to sponsor you, here's what has to happen. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:35.680 Now I'm 18 years old, mind you. 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:41.839 He says, Um, you're gonna get up every morning and you're gonna do a devotional, and I'll tell you what you're gonna do. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:46.240 Um, you're gonna call me later in the day so that we can go over that devotional. 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:49.839 I'm gonna be doing the same one, so I'm gonna know whether or not you read it. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:55.119 Um, and then you're not gonna make any big decisions without me. 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:08.720 Uh and you're gonna go to AA meetings on Thursday and Friday night every week, and the rest of the nights of the week, you're gonna gather with all of us recovery people down at the local country kitchen so that we can support and encourage each other. 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:15.759 And every Sunday morning, you're gonna be in the third row, right hand side at the church that we all worship at. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:18.079 That now, I'm 18 years old. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:20.000 I want some freedom in life. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:23.200 Johnny's saying, No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:27.839 You want to find freedom, you got to understand boundary. 00:20:30.000 --> 00:21:05.839 So one night John gives me a call and he says, uh, hey, meet me down at the old Federated Church, which is where the recovery meetings were, down in the basement, and musty old church, and we go down there and and I get there early because John wanted me to be there about an hour early, and he walks me into the back kitchen and he says, Uh, coffee's right over there, and the coffee pot is right there, and you put this much coffee grounds in the coffee pot, you put this much water in the coffee pot, and you roll it out there and you get it started, and you want it started right before 7 o'clock so that it's fresh when the people come in for the meeting. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:07.200 And I went, What? 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.680 John, what do you what do you do? 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:10.720 What's this about? 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:14.240 I didn't I didn't get into recovery to make coffee. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:19.839 And John looked at me and he said, Pear? 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:24.559 You don't learn to serve, you'll never stay sober. 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:41.200 See, see, John knew something, he was espousing this principle that I'm a conduit and not a container, and if all I want to do is hold on to what's given me, I'm never gonna experience the fullness of what God has for me. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:44.240 Ever am I gonna experience that? 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:47.680 John was really forthright about it. 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:49.839 I am so glad he taught me that message. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:59.599 Serving, you see, is the outward movement of the inward transformation that we've experienced in God's grace, it's the administration of God's gifts in. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.599 In their various forms. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:11.039 And what's so beautiful about God's grace flowing to you and then flowing through you all the time is that you always feel refreshed. 00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:13.599 You're always cooled down. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:19.680 And moving water as it runs by anything changes that thing. 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:25.920 So you always get to be a part of this transformative work that God is doing. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:34.799 Let's come back to the way that Jesus talked about this, because he's in the midst of the last day of one of the great festivals of the Jewish nation. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:48.559 And on this particular day, one of the things that they did was that they poured water out, and everybody got to look at the water being poured out, and they were asked to remember what God had done for the Israelites when they're walking through the desert and they ran out of water. 00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:53.200 God brought water from a rock, he pointed them to different locations where they could access water. 00:22:53.359 --> 00:23:03.680 And it's in the midst of that exact environment where Jesus says these words If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:09.440 We're remembering what God did to keep people alive physically. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:12.720 I'm here to keep you alive spiritually. 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:16.720 I'm here to make a difference in your life spiritually. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:20.559 Then he goes on to say these remarkable words. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:30.079 Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:45.039 Jesus is reminding us about the power, the potency of his water, his living water coming to us and moving through us out into the lives of the world. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:49.279 Please notice what this passage doesn't say. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:23:54.720 It doesn't say, out of the pastor's heart will flow rivers of living water. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:59.759 Out of the properly educated person's heart will flow rivers of living water. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:05.759 Out of those who are in church leadership positions will flow rivers of living water. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:10.640 Out of those of you who are aged will flow rivers of living water. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:16.000 No, it says, out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:16.880 Are you a believer? 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:18.319 If so, say amen. 00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:20.400 That's you. 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:23.839 That is you. 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:28.480 You're a conduit for God's grace. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:31.200 Not just a container of God's grace. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:38.319 Let me let me define for you the difference in mentality between being a container and being a conduit. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:46.720 The container mentality says this I can't give unless I'm full and stuff is running out over me. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:50.960 That's what the container mentality says. 00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:56.000 When I'm filled to the brim, then you can have the extra. 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:01.359 And we do that with finances and with time and with emotions and all of those things. 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:03.680 That's the container mentality. 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:06.640 The world gets the extra. 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:08.960 God's mission gets the extra. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:12.160 God's purpose, God's sense of meaning gets the extra. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:17.599 It's gonna come to me and it's just gonna, you know, every once in a while it'll it'll trickle out over the edges. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.039 Think about that, though. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:28.480 Think about that from the standpoint of Jesus' call for us to be servants. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:37.200 If the primary person is us getting filled all the time, how can we be the best servants to the world as a whole? 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:39.440 How can we do that? 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:44.720 Um, that that mentality actually has a scarcity mindset. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:58.960 And what it says is this is that God doesn't have enough to keep me filled, so I'm going to hold on to stuff until I've got enough, and then it's gonna trickle out over the edges. 00:26:00.160 --> 00:26:02.240 That's what that mentality says. 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:05.440 And it's a huge challenge to us who are followers of Jesus. 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:10.160 On the flip side, a conduit mentality says we have an abundant God. 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:20.960 We have an abundant God who controls time and heaven and space, who has more resource than we could even ask for or imagine in our lives. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:33.279 And my primary task is to keep myself open to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and to allow his heavenly provision to pour down to me and to move through me out into the world. 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:35.839 That's my that's my job. 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:37.279 That's my calling. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:41.359 Now, does this mean that you're always doing stuff? 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:42.640 No, it no, it doesn't mean. 00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:47.279 I mean, every pipeline has to come offline every once in a while. 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:54.160 They get rusty, their seals break, they need to be cleaned out from time to time. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:55.680 So it doesn't mean that at all. 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:56.720 That's not what I'm saying. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:04.319 What I'm saying is that our the primary position of our heart is directed toward a God of abundance. 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:10.720 And the primary position of our hand is to share the abundance that God has given us. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:14.880 And that's for everyone who believes. 00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:16.880 Everyone who believes. 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:22.400 Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water. 00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:35.680 One of the things that's really important about this mindset, this understanding, uh, is that there's a difference between a conduit and container. 00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:37.119 It's a really simple difference. 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:38.720 The difference is a cap. 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:57.039 And one of the things that we tend to do as people, and I've done it as well, and I've had to search my heart and go after a lot of these things in my life, is that we have a tendency to create our own caps for our spiritual life, for our relationship with the Lord. 00:27:57.440 --> 00:28:04.240 And those caps have to do with time and fear and and resources and and all of those kinds of things. 00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.519 Education. 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:10.000 I mean, there's all kinds of caps that we create. 00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:16.720 But my challenge to you today is to really deal with those caps in your life. 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:22.319 Identify them and then invite people in to helping you get them off. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:32.240 Because when when we cap things and we become a container, quite often what happens is that we just take stuff in, but but not a lot of stuff goes out. 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:39.440 And and whenever nothing ever everything is pouring in and nothing is going out, honestly, what's inside of us gets musty over time. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:41.920 It really does. 00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:47.200 You can you can name illustration after illustration after illustration about that. 00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:52.000 I don't know about you, but but I don't want to be a musty Christian. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:53.359 I just don't. 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:55.680 I've run into enough of them. 00:28:56.720 --> 00:28:57.680 I stink. 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:01.200 I mean, really. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:03.039 We don't we don't want to do that. 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:08.720 Uh I've been to the Dead Sea on a number of different occasions, and that's part of the problem at the Dead Sea. 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:13.039 Dead Sea has inlet, no outlet. 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:26.000 Dead Sea is built up with so many minerals that you can literally take a newspaper, hold it in your hand, you can sit down in the water, and it has enough buoyancy so that you can float and read the newspaper simultaneously. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:28.960 Here's the problem with the Dead Sea. 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:29.920 It's dead. 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:36.319 Ever anything's coming in, nothing's going out. 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:39.200 That's ultimately what ends up happening long term. 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:41.920 That's not what Christ wants for any of us. 00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:47.839 This is living water for living people and living things and a living kingdom. 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:50.720 Let me leave you with three things. 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:53.039 Number one, uh, where do we start this journey? 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:55.519 Because it's it's a hard journey. 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:56.160 It really is. 00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:58.799 We've got to look at ourselves in a whole new way. 00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:07.279 Um, we start the journey by doing some deep points of investigation about who we are and how we are functioning. 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:11.440 And the place we want to begin is by asking our God to change our mindset. 00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:14.880 The Bible says that we're to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:22.720 And one of the biggest points of transformation is to move away from a scarcity mindset, which is natural to us as human beings. 00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:27.599 It's a part of our sinful condition into an abundance mindset. 00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:28.880 God, you can provide. 00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:30.880 I trust you, you're gonna fill me. 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:32.960 I'm just staying connected to you. 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:39.359 Second thing, take off the caps. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:42.160 I don't know what they are for you, I know what they were for me. 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:48.799 It's not the easiest work to do, but but it's what God asks us to do, so that his living water can flow to us and through us. 00:30:48.960 --> 00:31:01.680 Remember, God's grace in your life is to become God's grace flowing out of your life, into the lives of others, so that they can have grace in their life, and grace can flow out of their lives. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:04.400 So it gives us meaning and purpose. 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:09.680 It's what uplifts our calling, our identity, and our activity. 00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:14.880 Final thing that I want to set before you is to step out in faith. 00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:16.880 It's never easy to do this work. 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:18.640 We have to take some risks. 00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:22.319 But this is about God's kingdom and it's worth it. 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:23.599 Really is. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:25.759 Take the risks. 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:27.200 Step out in faith. 00:31:27.440 --> 00:31:29.839 Walk with people, find some friends. 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:44.640 Ask the Lord to show you how his grace is meant to pour through you into your calling, your identity and activity, because when you hit that, that's where you're gonna find the greatest sense of meaning and purpose. 00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:48.240 Let's remember what that scripture says once again. 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:50.559 It's out of the believer's heart. 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:52.880 That rivers of living water flow. 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:55.759 It's how the nourish or the earth gets nourished. 00:31:55.839 --> 00:32:03.279 That's how the spiritual lives of many get nourished and how we end up being transformed into the image of Christ. 00:32:04.079 --> 00:32:05.599 Would you pray with me, please? 00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:07.599 Father, I thank you for this day. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:16.319 I thank you, Lord, for your living water, for the power of your word and the opportunities and the challenges that it brings. 00:32:16.559 --> 00:32:21.759 Lord, just remind us every day that we're your conduits, we're not your containers. 00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:26.400 So that we can just hold on to things tightly and give a little here and a little there. 00:32:26.559 --> 00:32:29.440 No, you've got so much more planned for us. 00:32:29.839 --> 00:32:44.559 So help us open ourselves up to you, Lord, so that your heavenly kingdom can pour down to us and through us into a dry, parched, withered, and weary world. 00:32:45.839 --> 00:32:47.359 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:48.240 Amen. 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.279 Thanks, everyone.