WEBVTT 00:00:01.183 --> 00:00:03.450 Welcome to the First Love Church podcast. 00:00:03.450 --> 00:00:11.169 This is a collection of Sunday teachings inspired by the revised common lectionary and recorded weekly in Ocala, florida. 00:00:11.169 --> 00:00:14.868 Thank you so much for being with us this morning. 00:00:14.868 --> 00:00:22.230 We're grateful that in the center, the beginning of every week here, you are gathering with us and we're grateful for your presence. 00:00:22.230 --> 00:00:28.286 I'm grateful for every person that is here and also grateful for the band who comes and leads us in worship. 00:00:28.286 --> 00:00:29.048 I'm grateful for that. 00:00:29.048 --> 00:00:30.887 And Miss Martha's been traveling a little bit. 00:00:30.887 --> 00:00:52.752 She's here today and I'm so excited because when I was looking at the set list I was like we're going to sing how great the art and Miss Martha's not going to miss it, and I love that for all of us that in the singing of the hymns we remember all of those people who sang it before us and what an invitation it is into remembrance, into those around the throne who continue to say how great thou art. 00:00:52.752 --> 00:00:54.865 I remind you what we're a part of. 00:00:54.865 --> 00:01:00.493 We're a part of something that is an eternal current from the very beginning of time. 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:10.031 According to the book of Ephesians, it said before the worlds were formed, before the worlds were formed, god had you in mind. 00:01:10.031 --> 00:01:12.623 That is awesome. 00:01:12.623 --> 00:01:19.905 Before there was a Grand Canyon before there were galaxies, before there was stardust. 00:01:19.905 --> 00:01:21.969 You were in the mind of love. 00:01:21.969 --> 00:01:27.307 God had you in mind, and it says that God had settled on you. 00:01:27.307 --> 00:01:29.846 Oh, I love that so much. 00:01:29.846 --> 00:01:32.930 God had settled on me, because I'm not even settled on me sometimes. 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:36.049 Sometimes I think somebody else would be a better person than this. 00:01:36.049 --> 00:01:48.771 And God had settled on us, each one of us, to be the objects of God's affection, that we would be made whole and holy by God's love. 00:01:48.771 --> 00:02:01.072 This is the truth for us, this is the joy for us, that love restores wholeness to us and that, in our wholeness, that we have union with the holy, with the sacred. 00:02:01.072 --> 00:02:14.348 And this time of the year reminds us that this is the hope for all of us that we would so recognize the love around us, that we would enter into it, because God had already settled that we were worthy. 00:02:14.348 --> 00:02:23.259 God has already decided that we were the ones that he would love, and so I'm grateful, grateful, grateful for your presence here this morning. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.530 Thank you For those of you who are online, thank you for being here. 00:02:26.530 --> 00:02:29.468 I just remind all of us you're worthy of love. 00:02:29.468 --> 00:02:33.407 You belong in God's house, you belong anywhere God is. 00:02:33.407 --> 00:02:35.145 You are worthy. 00:02:35.145 --> 00:02:47.419 We talk about this sometimes like this is our weekly amnesia therapy, because sometimes during the week, people or things or events have happened to us and we feel unworthy or unloved, and so we come back every week to go. 00:02:47.419 --> 00:02:56.026 Wait a second I'm centered in God's love, I'm centered in grace, and so I welcome you this morning, every part of you, even the parts of you that wish they would stay in the car. 00:02:56.026 --> 00:02:57.945 Welcome in God's presence. 00:02:57.945 --> 00:03:03.306 Let the Holy Spirit anointed and let it make it holy and whole and come to God's house this morning. 00:03:03.820 --> 00:03:34.570 We're so glad you're all here today and just want you to know that if you'd like to be a part of our outreach on Wednesday, we're going to go over to Harvey's and we're going to give out a bunch of food at 11 o'clock and so if you can help us out with that and whatever capacity you would like to, you can just carry some grocery boxes or knock on some doors and pray with some people or carry the boxes why somebody else prays or be in some way involved in that. 00:03:34.570 --> 00:03:43.533 So let me know if you don't know how to get there and we'll go help some folks out, or what do you say? 00:03:44.061 --> 00:03:44.905 We're excited about that. 00:03:44.905 --> 00:03:45.943 Soyer agrees. 00:03:45.943 --> 00:03:50.562 The scripture tells us this that out of the mouths of babes and infants have you ordained praise. 00:03:50.562 --> 00:03:59.866 So every time that Soyer offers something, we should all be very grateful that among us, our children, who remind us God is awesome, and here we are doing the works of Lord. 00:03:59.866 --> 00:04:05.883 There's a few things that are coming up beside outreach on Wednesday and we're so grateful that we can all be a part of that. 00:04:07.659 --> 00:04:14.086 We had a little outreach I mean a little gathering planned, and that didn't work out exactly as we had hoped. 00:04:14.086 --> 00:04:16.788 So we have, I think, a better idea. 00:04:16.788 --> 00:04:24.329 We're going to still do something later, but on March, and we'll tell you about it on Facebook later if you have the information. 00:04:24.329 --> 00:04:33.509 But March 10th is a Sunday and we're going to have a potluck right after church and we're going to do it because it's Pastor Lee's birthday in the next couple of days. 00:04:33.509 --> 00:04:39.786 So we're going to celebrate his birthday here with us and so if you don't regularly come to church, come for Pastor Lee's birthday. 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:42.605 I mean, come for cake, come for whatever it is that brings you. 00:04:42.605 --> 00:04:50.310 Some of us will come for other things, but come taste and see that the Lord is good, but celebrate with us and so that will be after church on the 10th. 00:04:50.310 --> 00:04:51.702 You don't have to stay if you don't want to. 00:04:51.702 --> 00:04:58.389 Maybe you don't like Pastor Lee, I don't know, I don't judge you, but maybe if you do like him then you'll stay and celebrate. 00:04:58.389 --> 00:04:59.432 That was a little bit manipulative. 00:04:59.432 --> 00:05:02.809 There was a lot of bit manipulative, and let me just call that what it is. 00:05:02.809 --> 00:05:04.865 Don't you be involved in manipulation. 00:05:04.865 --> 00:05:06.846 You let love lead you everywhere you go. 00:05:06.846 --> 00:05:10.329 If you need to leave, you go joyfully, knowing that you are loved. 00:05:10.329 --> 00:05:17.211 But if you can celebrate with us, come and celebrate goodness and community and birthdays. 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:20.827 But let's talk about how exactly we celebrate. 00:05:20.827 --> 00:05:26.752 We celebrate by bringing some kind of a little food item. 00:05:26.752 --> 00:05:28.245 We're going to share it together. 00:05:29.983 --> 00:05:36.908 We're people who believe in resurrection and also miracles, but we've never seen the miracle happen here, like where the potluck just happens and nobody has to do anything. 00:05:36.908 --> 00:05:42.865 We have to bring our loaves and fishes or whatever, our casseroles and our chicken or whatever it is that you love to bring. 00:05:42.865 --> 00:05:47.286 Let's eat together, let's celebrate together, let's take time to do the things that matter. 00:05:47.286 --> 00:05:51.028 One of the things that we do as a community is we practice savoring. 00:05:51.028 --> 00:05:56.110 That's what real life is about, where you taste something and you really taste it. 00:05:56.110 --> 00:06:03.949 I think a lot of times in our culture right now we're kind of used to doing things fast and just like making a meat instead of like really savoring beautiful things. 00:06:03.949 --> 00:06:08.591 Making bees stand. 00:06:08.591 --> 00:06:14.867 I was watching a bee the other day and going from little to and I was thinking how great is it that we live in a place that there's still flowers. 00:06:14.867 --> 00:06:22.348 But this little bee was busy and I just stood outside and I was just watching him do his job and I was thinking bless you for all the pollinating that you're doing. 00:06:22.348 --> 00:06:28.723 I appreciate that there's so much work in the world around us that is happening and we get to be here. 00:06:28.723 --> 00:06:35.151 Let's open our eyes and appreciate all of the beauty that's around us and join with us in that. 00:06:35.151 --> 00:06:37.728 Again, this is a beautiful time of the year. 00:06:37.899 --> 00:06:46.072 Lent is a time of unloading, kind of paying attention to how we live our lives. 00:06:46.072 --> 00:06:53.343 I have a lot of things that I carry with me because I'm a mom and now people are older and they don't need as much. 00:06:53.343 --> 00:07:01.829 But when you're the mom of a lot of littles, you're constantly thinking about what is possible that they might need and it becomes your responsibility to carry that. 00:07:01.829 --> 00:07:08.122 And as our children get over, if we're not mindful, we'll still carry things that we feel they need. 00:07:08.122 --> 00:07:11.451 But they have their own pockets and bags and things and they can do it. 00:07:11.451 --> 00:07:17.985 It's not just about children, but sometimes in our lives we carry things, things that are heavy, things that are difficult. 00:07:17.985 --> 00:07:23.129 I have a brother who doesn't carry anything in his pocket. 00:07:23.129 --> 00:07:23.752 He just doesn't. 00:07:23.752 --> 00:07:24.781 That's his thing. 00:07:24.781 --> 00:07:30.208 His aunt he doesn't, and when he is with us all the time he says to me what can I carry of yours? 00:07:30.208 --> 00:07:39.064 Now, I'm always preparing for me and for mine, and my brother carries nothing so that he can carry someone else's. 00:07:39.064 --> 00:07:41.504 What about that in our lives? 00:07:41.504 --> 00:07:50.819 What if we unloaded things that maybe we think that we need but maybe the spirit would say I want you to carry someone else's burden, someone else's pain, someone else's Now. 00:07:50.819 --> 00:07:52.165 We don't carry it forever as ours. 00:07:52.165 --> 00:07:52.480 We don't. 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:54.444 We do it that we bring that stuff right to Jesus. 00:07:54.444 --> 00:07:57.706 We are like the man on the mat who can't get anywhere. 00:07:58.028 --> 00:07:59.031 And then four friends come. 00:07:59.031 --> 00:08:01.026 I'm saying it's four because have you ever tried to carry something? 00:08:01.026 --> 00:08:01.447 That's not even? 00:08:01.447 --> 00:08:03.324 This is how my holy imagination goes. 00:08:03.324 --> 00:08:07.266 There's four of the friends and they each get a corner Makes it easier when you're carrying somebody on a blanket. 00:08:07.266 --> 00:08:08.303 Have you ever done that as a kid? 00:08:08.303 --> 00:08:10.447 Like you're pulling one person on the corner. 00:08:10.447 --> 00:08:11.242 I think that doesn't work. 00:08:11.242 --> 00:08:12.326 Let's all get together. 00:08:12.326 --> 00:08:23.572 But in this story and we talked about it recently the friends see this man is paralyzed and they know that Jesus is the healer, and so they each lift up a corner and they take him to Jesus. 00:08:23.572 --> 00:08:35.606 That's what we mean when we're saying carry someone else's burdens, carry them to the one who can heal them, carry them to the one who can forgive sins, carry them and expect this healing in the world. 00:08:36.419 --> 00:08:37.846 Two guys could have carried him like a hammock? 00:08:37.846 --> 00:08:39.078 Yeah, but then if? 00:08:39.138 --> 00:08:40.057 it's not high enough. 00:08:40.057 --> 00:08:41.474 You're banging someone on the ground. 00:08:41.474 --> 00:08:42.490 You know how that goes. 00:08:42.490 --> 00:08:43.090 Yeah, you're right. 00:08:43.090 --> 00:08:44.628 Yeah, I think you need four. 00:08:44.687 --> 00:08:45.206 You're always better. 00:08:45.265 --> 00:08:47.261 No, I'm not always better, but I'm thinking to myself. 00:08:47.282 --> 00:08:49.494 I was just logistic when coming up with another option. 00:08:49.659 --> 00:08:51.967 No, I think you'll get more to dragging, more than carrying. 00:08:51.967 --> 00:08:55.826 If there's only two, it's dragging, if there's four, we're actually lifting and carrying. 00:08:56.326 --> 00:08:56.828 That's good. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:08.772 Let me tell you another thing that I love about that story, because we just have time to sell stories here, but I love that story because the friends see that he's paralyzed and it says they grab his mat and they carry it to Jesus. 00:09:08.772 --> 00:09:19.534 I've used my holy imagination, I've put myself on that mat and when someone says, we would like you could walk, you could be healed, and I say things like this is not a mat. 00:09:19.534 --> 00:09:21.081 I'm sitting here on purpose. 00:09:21.081 --> 00:09:24.422 This is how my family lives. 00:09:24.422 --> 00:09:28.009 This is a cover like given to me by my parents and this is how we live. 00:09:28.009 --> 00:09:31.480 We stay in the one place and Somebody is offering to us more. 00:09:31.561 --> 00:09:45.240 You could move, you could do something for someone else, and sometimes we have to allow people in our lives just to carry us to healing, to carry us to More beauty, deeper love, richer places. 00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:47.567 Anyway, that is not the topic for today. 00:09:47.567 --> 00:09:48.107 That was free. 00:09:48.107 --> 00:09:51.784 Consider how we all have the fellowship of the mat. 00:09:51.784 --> 00:09:54.835 What does it look like for all of us to be mat carriers for the whole world? 00:09:54.835 --> 00:09:59.315 When we meet someone, how can we bring them into this threshold encounter with love? 00:09:59.956 --> 00:10:00.317 Oh man. 00:10:00.317 --> 00:10:07.575 So in this lint season, I believe that there's there's things like this that God's working on inside of each one of us. 00:10:07.575 --> 00:10:24.554 I know for me I've always kind of looked at the, the grand thing, like I want to be a rock star for Jesus, or I want to grow the big church for Jesus, you know, and he's been very comfortable for us to just to have a small church, that we're in relationship with everybody, and it come to find out. 00:10:24.554 --> 00:10:33.688 I think that's a lot better, you know, and it's maybe not for your ego, it's maybe not to impress the world. 00:10:33.688 --> 00:10:46.268 I don't get called by all my friends from Bible school to come speak at their churches, but if we were running a thousand they'd all be calling, you know, because somehow that's that's better, you know. 00:10:46.855 --> 00:10:55.664 But but I wonder if you kind of get swallowed up in that, unless you're doing something grand for God, then you're not useful. 00:10:55.664 --> 00:10:57.714 And I think about you. 00:10:57.714 --> 00:10:59.879 Know I We'd shared with you guys. 00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:10.940 On Christmas Eve day, kevin was born, our little goat, and the mom was was suffering the miscarriage with the, the Twin that it was having. 00:11:10.940 --> 00:11:25.202 So she rejected Kevin and so we've been bottle feeding him three or four times a day and you know, it's like our whole family stopped because a little goat needed Care you know he's terribly cute. 00:11:25.243 --> 00:11:25.563 Yeah. 00:11:26.696 --> 00:11:35.389 But the point is that you know, we now do we move on to have the largest flock of goats in all of central Florida. 00:11:35.389 --> 00:11:39.044 You know, we want to like, we want to move it, yeah, instead of just that. 00:11:39.044 --> 00:11:48.062 One Life that you're making is in and maybe we're not changing the goat world, but we did for Kevin. 00:11:48.062 --> 00:12:04.008 And then, lo and behold, about a week ago, this one little mom gave birth to this one little goat and its name is Arnie and it is the smallest goat, and so we're just, you know. 00:12:05.018 --> 00:12:05.481 Praise be. 00:12:05.481 --> 00:12:06.509 Arnie has a very good mother. 00:12:06.509 --> 00:12:08.259 Yeah, she's a very good. 00:12:08.278 --> 00:12:22.654 But but just just in the idea of watching this, this care for these simple things, it really helps me reflect in in this lent season, that that sometimes I think maybe our big dreams have to die. 00:12:22.654 --> 00:12:29.179 We were driving by a church the other day and they were talking about if it's not grand or it's not great, it's not God or something, something like that. 00:12:29.179 --> 00:12:34.580 And I I think quite the opposite is very true, that that God Resides in the simple things. 00:12:34.580 --> 00:12:39.855 He's, he's grateful every morning, and so is so you're that you change his diaper from the night before. 00:12:39.855 --> 00:12:51.336 You know, but you know there's not gonna, we're not gonna, put a billboard up, you know, for mom of the year, although for him that's, that's his whole world, you know. 00:12:51.336 --> 00:13:15.215 And so I think that we miss God in these, in these, you know, in in these things that sometimes people would consider simple or mundane, and and and I don't want you to miss the God of the universe because he might be just, you know, in in the experience of bottle feeding Kevin. 00:13:15.576 --> 00:13:20.918 I remind you that one of the gifts of the church is to remind us that every moment is sacred, every moment. 00:13:20.918 --> 00:13:24.150 When you're cleaning a toilet, you're doing it in the presence of the divine. 00:13:24.150 --> 00:13:27.081 When you're making a sandwich, you're doing it in the presence of the divine. 00:13:27.081 --> 00:13:38.318 Every person you made meat is the image of Christ, is the image of love and God, and so nothing we do is Secular, nothing we do is outside of that. 00:13:38.318 --> 00:13:44.009 It is just our awareness, the presence of God all around us at all times. 00:13:44.009 --> 00:13:47.861 Doug is gonna read from us for us this morning. 00:13:47.861 --> 00:13:49.966 Dove, I know who you have, I'm sorry, dove. 00:13:49.966 --> 00:13:54.168 Dove, like the Holy Spirit, dove is gonna read for us Isaiah 58. 00:13:54.591 --> 00:14:02.599 Now, during the season of Lent, one of the things that we encourage you to do is to read Isaiah 58 on your own time as well and Consider this. 00:14:02.599 --> 00:14:06.134 This is one of the, the prophecies from the book of Isaiah. 00:14:06.134 --> 00:14:13.363 That is a corrective, because there's one way of thinking about things, and then God has to come and correct how we thought about things. 00:14:13.363 --> 00:14:25.206 So a lot of times, when love comes to us, it has to correct us and has to change the way that we think about something, and so we invite you this morning To listen to the word of the Lord from Isaiah 58. 00:14:29.716 --> 00:14:31.500 Shout with the voice of a trumpet. 00:14:31.500 --> 00:14:34.067 Blast, shout aloud, don't be timid. 00:14:34.067 --> 00:14:38.043 Tell my people, israel, of their sins. 00:14:38.043 --> 00:14:40.499 Yet they act so pious. 00:14:40.499 --> 00:14:44.248 They come to the temple every day and seem delighted to learn about me. 00:14:44.248 --> 00:14:48.355 They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. 00:14:48.355 --> 00:14:53.006 They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. 00:14:53.916 --> 00:14:55.159 We have fasted before you. 00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:57.206 They say why aren't you impressed? 00:14:57.206 --> 00:15:01.614 We have been very hard on ourselves and you don't even notice it. 00:15:01.614 --> 00:15:03.619 I Will tell you why. 00:15:03.619 --> 00:15:07.639 I respond Because you are fasting to please yourselves. 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:11.207 Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. 00:15:11.207 --> 00:15:16.479 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling the king? 00:15:16.479 --> 00:15:19.988 The kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 00:15:19.988 --> 00:15:29.289 You humble yourselves by doing through them, by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds, bending the wind. 00:15:29.289 --> 00:15:32.037 You dress in burlap and cover Yourselves with ashes. 00:15:32.037 --> 00:15:34.342 Is that what you call fasting? 00:15:34.342 --> 00:15:36.927 Do you really think this will please the Lord? 00:15:36.927 --> 00:15:39.966 No, this is the kind of fasting I want. 00:15:40.389 --> 00:15:44.280 Free those who are wrongly imprisoned, lighten the burden of those who work for you. 00:15:44.280 --> 00:15:48.129 Let the oppressed go free and remove the chains that bind people. 00:15:48.129 --> 00:15:52.205 Share your food with the hungry and give shelter to the homeless. 00:15:52.205 --> 00:15:58.144 Give clothes to those who need them and Do not hide from relatives who need your help. 00:15:58.144 --> 00:16:01.001 Then your salvation will come. 00:16:01.001 --> 00:16:07.634 Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your wounds will quickly heal. 00:16:07.634 --> 00:16:12.388 Your godliness will lead you forward and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. 00:16:12.388 --> 00:16:17.264 Then, when you call, the Lord will answer yes, I am here. 00:16:17.264 --> 00:16:18.326 He will quickly reply. 00:16:19.336 --> 00:16:20.759 Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. 00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:23.667 Stop pointing your fingers and spreading vicious rumors. 00:16:23.667 --> 00:16:26.403 Feed the hungry, help those in trouble. 00:16:26.403 --> 00:16:31.668 Then your light will shine out from the darkness and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. 00:16:31.668 --> 00:16:36.894 The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. 00:16:36.894 --> 00:16:41.466 You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. 00:16:41.466 --> 00:16:44.504 Some of you will rebuild desert ruins of your cities. 00:16:44.504 --> 00:16:48.385 Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. 00:16:48.385 --> 00:16:50.619 Keep the Sabbath day holy. 00:16:50.619 --> 00:16:57.767 Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord's holy day. 00:16:57.767 --> 00:17:04.963 Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on this day and Don't follow your own desires or talk idly. 00:17:04.963 --> 00:17:07.298 Then the Lord will be your delight. 00:17:07.298 --> 00:17:15.387 I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promise to your ancestor, jacob and I. 00:17:15.387 --> 00:17:16.471 The Lord have spoken. 00:17:16.471 --> 00:17:21.203 Thanks be to God. 00:17:26.320 --> 00:17:27.105 Thank you so much. 00:17:28.840 --> 00:17:36.299 We remind ourselves that fasting is one of the pillars of Lent and it's one of the things, in fact, that Jesus told his followers they were going to do. 00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:46.647 According to Matthew, chapter 6, jesus said when you pray, when you fast, when you give, these are things that Jesus expects us, as people who follow, to actually practice. 00:17:46.647 --> 00:17:49.288 These are practices into a new way of living. 00:17:49.288 --> 00:17:58.279 But here we see over and over again that Jesus is fast and that even what is told to us through the prophet Isaiah is not just about us. 00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:02.111 You hear in the fasting what God wants feed the hungry. 00:18:02.111 --> 00:18:04.672 That's not so much about you, is about your neighbor. 00:18:04.672 --> 00:18:06.279 Release the prisoner. 00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:12.593 That's about somebody else who is being pushed down in a system of oppression and injustice. 00:18:12.593 --> 00:18:15.299 You know, care for those who have no clothes. 00:18:15.299 --> 00:18:16.525 Again, that's about your neighbor. 00:18:16.525 --> 00:18:22.272 And so I remind you that the fasting that God has called us to is a life of social justice. 00:18:22.272 --> 00:18:27.231 It's a life of looking around and going where is the need and how can I be a part of help? 00:18:27.641 --> 00:18:33.423 We prayed a prayer this morning that the church has been praying for thousands of years your kingdom come. 00:18:33.482 --> 00:18:36.530 Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:18:37.661 --> 00:18:38.624 In my house. 00:18:38.664 --> 00:19:02.103 I like to pray in Ocala as it is in heaven, because I remember all of the people that I'm living with, and then I remind myself that I also live in Ocala and so I'm to be the hands and feet of this Jesus that I say that I want him to come, and so there's an invitation for all of us to hear those things and to say this is what God wants from us to be people who engage in radical love, not just for ourselves. 00:19:02.384 --> 00:19:18.832 We hear the good news, we know we're loved, we understand we're beloved, but then we go out and love the whole world and we tell everyone else that they're invited to the table, that there is belovedness for them as well, and so it's with a lot of joy this morning that we get to go to the text in Mark, chapter 8. 00:19:18.832 --> 00:19:20.586 And this is in our Lenten journey. 00:19:20.586 --> 00:19:36.030 I remind you that we're a part of the global church of Jesus Christ, so you're a part of God's body that is everywhere here on the earth, and so when we come together and we remember these things, we remember that we're united and this is the message of love for the whole world. 00:19:36.380 --> 00:20:14.892 And I just wanted to mention too, as Heather was speaking about fasting and obviously, that greater purpose in what God's doing inside of us we do invite you to consider fasting with us during the season on Wednesdays we're doing it fast and so if you've been doing that, thank you so much and remember that it's just not a deal where you go God wants me just to do without some food, but it's an opportunity when you can control and deny your flesh for a moment and say you're not going to get what you want exactly when you want that, and maybe take those hunger pains as little reminders to pray. 00:20:14.892 --> 00:20:38.250 And so if you consider doing that with us whether it's one meal, two meals, all three meals or a 24-hour fast boat, whatever works for you and your life I'd love for you to consider doing that with us and just give God an opportunity and one of the things that we can do when we fast is perhaps consider someone else who is going through a fast that they didn't choose. 00:20:39.564 --> 00:20:46.891 On Wednesdays, when I'm fasting, I'm remembering every single mother who is in a war zone, who cannot go to the grocery store as they please to feed their family. 00:20:46.891 --> 00:20:53.750 And so when I don't do that, then I am praying and saying hear their cries, lord, you who move heaven, hear their cries. 00:20:53.750 --> 00:20:55.846 And then I'm doing what I can do, as you can do. 00:20:55.846 --> 00:21:03.346 We can call our senators, we can live ways that are just and true, and we can pray for an end to war. 00:21:03.346 --> 00:21:04.922 This is not our idea. 00:21:04.922 --> 00:21:05.905 This is God's idea. 00:21:05.905 --> 00:21:14.131 I just want to tell you that this God that we serve, god who is love, said a day will come, and my prayer is come quickly, lord Jesus. 00:21:14.131 --> 00:21:29.388 But a day will come when you no longer train your sons for war, you no longer have swords that you use to fight each other, but you take those swords and you turn them into plowsheers that you would harvest for the thriving of all humanity. 00:21:29.388 --> 00:21:38.587 That is the day of the Lord beloved, when we give up our fights and our quarreling and we live in peace and in harmony. 00:21:38.587 --> 00:21:39.580 And so beloved. 00:21:39.580 --> 00:21:41.007 I extend the invitation to you. 00:21:41.007 --> 00:21:45.210 What are you doing to bring harmony and love and peace to the world? 00:21:45.210 --> 00:21:49.406 Mark Mark, chapter 8,. 00:21:49.968 --> 00:22:06.351 Jesus began to tell them that the son of man must suffer many terrible things, be rejected by the elders, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law, that he would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 00:22:06.351 --> 00:22:12.299 Now we get to hear this years later, like in hindsight. 00:22:12.299 --> 00:22:15.308 I want to tell you most wisdom comes to us in hindsight. 00:22:15.308 --> 00:22:16.942 It really does. 00:22:16.942 --> 00:22:18.827 Most wisdom we can learn is because of things. 00:22:18.827 --> 00:22:27.684 So we stand in a really unique place, like the people that are hearing this are listening to Jesus talk, but it's making no sense to them. 00:22:27.684 --> 00:22:41.279 They're listening to him, they believe him, but it just absolutely does not compute with the way that they view the world and how they know the scriptures or how they know prophecy or how they know God is coming. 00:22:43.407 --> 00:22:52.073 Also because of that advantage of hindsight, we don't really have to look at this lit and seasoned, linear. 00:22:52.073 --> 00:23:07.789 We can look at it from the aspect that, sure, this is where this is headed right to the cross but we also know about resurrection, so we can embrace the cross and resurrection at the same time. 00:23:07.789 --> 00:23:29.730 And that is significant and important to you, because you know, the suffering is just the suffering, but without the resurrection it's without the hope, it's without the transformation, it's without the God on it, amen. 00:23:29.730 --> 00:23:37.608 And so when we do look at these times of fasting, we're not just looking at it as a place of suffering, or even reading these scriptures. 00:23:37.608 --> 00:23:39.279 It's just where Jesus is going to die. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:43.299 We know the story, we know the resurrection. 00:23:43.299 --> 00:23:46.299 That is the hope for us as followers of Christ. 00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:51.299 That is our advantage in this world. 00:23:51.299 --> 00:24:01.999 There is a resurrection and that is promised for us and we can look for that in all areas where suffering is present. 00:24:01.999 --> 00:24:02.259 Amen. 00:24:03.343 --> 00:24:07.271 When you're saying that, it's reminding me of Colossians, chapter 3 in the Passion Translation. 00:24:07.271 --> 00:24:11.191 Christ's resurrection is now your resurrection too. 00:24:11.191 --> 00:24:19.299 This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that is where Christ sits at the place of all power, honor and authority. 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:28.299 Feast on the treasures from the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, not with the distractions of the earth around you. 00:24:28.299 --> 00:24:40.299 Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tide to an ordinary life and your now true life is hidden away with God, in Christ and as Christ himself is seen for who he really is. 00:24:40.299 --> 00:24:45.279 Who you really are, will be revealed, for you are one with God in his glory. 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:48.230 That's a beautiful, beautiful invitation. 00:24:48.230 --> 00:24:51.299 Your resurrection is tied to Christ's resurrection. 00:24:51.299 --> 00:24:56.299 Good news, beloved, that it is not just the dying, it is this practicing of resurrection. 00:24:56.299 --> 00:25:03.299 If you go to the local Ocala Post Office downtown and you go to the first window, that's there. 00:25:03.299 --> 00:25:10.279 Mr Curtis is usually there and I want to tell you that if you have a moment, colossians chapter 3 is his favorite thing to talk about. 00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:12.299 I ended that conversation one time. 00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:13.766 It took about 25 minutes. 00:25:13.766 --> 00:25:17.553 We were standing there talking, doing the business, and I stood to the side. 00:25:17.553 --> 00:25:18.159 He helped other people. 00:25:18.159 --> 00:25:20.048 So we're talking about Colossians, chapter 3. 00:25:20.048 --> 00:25:22.259 And Silas said to me is this why the Post Office takes long? 00:25:22.259 --> 00:25:25.230 And I'm like yes, it is because Mr Curtis also loves this. 00:25:25.230 --> 00:25:27.228 Your resurrection is tied to Christ. 00:25:27.228 --> 00:25:36.289 We can look at the death all around us in the world and we can remember there is a spirit alive in us, that same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. 00:25:36.289 --> 00:25:39.210 We can look at death and not become cynical. 00:25:39.210 --> 00:25:47.368 We are people of light and love, so look around for the people who also know that the whole world's resurrection is tied to Christ. 00:25:47.368 --> 00:25:47.829 That's good. 00:25:47.829 --> 00:25:52.470 We pause here for a moment to thank you for joining us today. 00:25:52.470 --> 00:25:57.929 If you're finding this episode meaningful, would you take a moment to share it with a friend? 00:25:57.929 --> 00:26:03.299 This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of people just like you. 00:26:03.299 --> 00:26:16.128 If you would like to support the ongoing work of First Love Church and the continued work of our podcast, visit us online at firstlovechurchorg, reminding you to like, follow and subscribe. 00:26:17.082 --> 00:26:22.829 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, jesus is sharing what is actually gonna happen. 00:26:22.829 --> 00:26:24.214 He wants to prep his friends. 00:26:24.214 --> 00:26:28.203 He's telling them listen the way that you think that it's gonna happen. 00:26:28.203 --> 00:26:30.696 It's not gonna happen because these people had already sworn allegiance to him. 00:26:30.696 --> 00:26:32.123 They were you are the way. 00:26:32.123 --> 00:26:32.849 You are the truth. 00:26:32.849 --> 00:26:34.809 We're giving up our other rabbis, we're following you. 00:26:34.809 --> 00:26:42.676 And Jesus said listen, terrible things are gonna happen to me, and then I'm actually gonna be put to death, and then God will raise me from the dead. 00:26:42.676 --> 00:26:44.275 And it is wah, wah, wah. 00:26:44.275 --> 00:26:45.598 They do not even understand that. 00:26:45.598 --> 00:26:51.961 And Jesus is really trying to tell them hey, I want you to be prepared for this, I want you to understand it. 00:26:51.961 --> 00:26:52.769 And they cannot. 00:26:52.769 --> 00:26:55.819 And Jesus is talking and these are his friends. 00:26:55.819 --> 00:26:57.586 He is with these people, he is fishing with these people. 00:26:57.586 --> 00:26:58.674 He is living with these people. 00:26:58.674 --> 00:26:59.662 He is weeping when they weep. 00:26:59.662 --> 00:27:02.647 He is laughing when they laugh. 00:27:02.647 --> 00:27:04.849 They're going to funerals and weddings together. 00:27:04.849 --> 00:27:07.598 They are living life and he's sharing with them. 00:27:07.598 --> 00:27:10.839 Hey, this is not gonna happen the way that you think it is. 00:27:11.815 --> 00:27:13.944 And as he talked openly about it, peter took him aside. 00:27:13.944 --> 00:27:19.198 You gotta love Peter I mean, I just do and I think that he's in there as a character for all of us. 00:27:19.198 --> 00:27:20.994 He took Jesus aside. 00:27:20.994 --> 00:27:23.021 I just remind you again. 00:27:23.021 --> 00:27:26.849 I have hindsight here, but this is God manifest in human form. 00:27:26.849 --> 00:27:34.788 Jesus, who is part of the Trinity, gave up himself and comes and is raised as a human to bring us to life, to show us how to live. 00:27:35.517 --> 00:27:36.849 And Peter's like I need to tell you something. 00:27:36.849 --> 00:27:40.273 You're doing it wrong Now. 00:27:40.273 --> 00:27:42.400 I wonder how many times we do that to God. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:44.214 Now, god, you're doing it wrong. 00:27:44.214 --> 00:27:46.515 You're taking too long on this one thing. 00:27:46.515 --> 00:27:47.817 This came too fast. 00:27:47.817 --> 00:27:48.540 I was not prepared. 00:27:48.540 --> 00:27:52.905 We have all kinds of things that we feel like we can tell God Now. 00:27:52.905 --> 00:27:55.676 This is not the way it was supposed to be, because Peter knew the scriptures. 00:27:55.676 --> 00:27:57.194 He knew that a Messiah was coming. 00:27:57.194 --> 00:28:00.839 And now Jesus is talking about what Messiahship is going to look like. 00:28:00.839 --> 00:28:04.525 And Peter's like brother, no, we're not going to do that. 00:28:04.525 --> 00:28:05.849 You know this whole oppression. 00:28:05.849 --> 00:28:07.395 We're not going to be oppressed anymore. 00:28:07.395 --> 00:28:09.199 We're God's people and we're going to be on the top. 00:28:09.950 --> 00:28:11.555 You know how does this apply to you and I? 00:28:11.555 --> 00:28:19.862 You know we really need to look, because it is so easy to make a God in our own image. 00:28:19.862 --> 00:28:25.913 You know we hear about people in the Old Testament doing that and how foolish they were. 00:28:25.913 --> 00:28:28.537 But why is that written in there? 00:28:28.537 --> 00:28:36.137 And why is someone who spent every day with Jesus able to rebuke him, try to bring correction to him and say you're not doing this right? 00:28:36.137 --> 00:28:51.655 Because he had an idea of what Messiah would be and this is not his idea, and yet he's demonstrating true Messiah and the person right next to him isn't seeing it. 00:28:51.655 --> 00:28:53.840 Because of his own idea. 00:28:55.111 --> 00:28:56.656 Oh man, help us Lord. 00:28:56.656 --> 00:29:01.238 Because what about God are we missing? 00:29:01.238 --> 00:29:04.222 Because of our own ideas? 00:29:04.222 --> 00:29:08.660 Because I'm convinced he ought to do things a certain way. 00:29:08.660 --> 00:29:09.161 In my life. 00:29:09.161 --> 00:29:30.295 I should never struggle, I should never do without, I should never have lack and all of those things that get behind me devil, you know and so many of those things can be tremendous teachers for me, can be healing for me. 00:29:30.295 --> 00:29:31.839 Nobody liked that teaching. 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:33.015 Yeah, they're turning on me. 00:29:33.015 --> 00:29:34.532 I can see it in their faces. 00:29:34.532 --> 00:30:05.661 But I really warn you as God warns all of us, I think, in this to not make that mistake of telling God how he needs to be God Instead, can we be studious and somehow awake and pay enough attention to see who God really is and not miss him on that day of meeting with God? 00:30:07.931 --> 00:30:08.615 That's a good word. 00:30:08.615 --> 00:30:13.849 What have we done to create God in our own image? 00:30:13.849 --> 00:30:15.021 And you might say, like I do? 00:30:15.021 --> 00:30:15.304 Of course not. 00:30:15.304 --> 00:30:15.809 I don't have any of that. 00:30:15.809 --> 00:30:17.295 I'm a believer. 00:30:17.295 --> 00:30:18.799 I don't have idols. 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:21.479 But does God only like the people you like? 00:30:22.311 --> 00:30:22.392 Is. 00:30:22.451 --> 00:30:29.505 God, loving to the people that you love and then vengeful or full of judgment for people who aren't like you. 00:30:29.505 --> 00:30:30.849 I mean, we have to look at that. 00:30:30.849 --> 00:30:52.299 One of the things that I have been practicing recently and perhaps you, as Spirit leads you, listen to this or consider this For a long time and I've been raised in the church since I was very, very small, at the age of four, and I have gone to church a lot and I love Jesus and I have been committed to the way of Jesus as best as I know it, or as the way I know it for my whole life. 00:30:52.299 --> 00:30:58.829 And one of the words that I use a lot, because it was gifted to me by the church and also by the text, is Almighty God. 00:30:58.829 --> 00:31:04.622 And it makes me feel good, like when I pray and say Almighty God, because I need God to move. 00:31:04.622 --> 00:31:08.924 In places I can't move, when I feel weak and I feel helpless. 00:31:08.924 --> 00:31:09.849 Almighty God. 00:31:09.849 --> 00:31:16.051 But I want to tell you what an even bigger or more powerful word than that is all loving God. 00:31:16.051 --> 00:31:24.700 Well, I don't need to access that one very much because, you know, I just need some might and some power, and I'm very much like Peter. 00:31:24.700 --> 00:31:32.123 I just need God to come and do what I think should be done and bring the justice that I deem should be done in the world. 00:31:32.714 --> 00:31:37.346 And Jesus comes and he has a bowl of water and a towel and he's serving people. 00:31:37.346 --> 00:31:38.881 And how are we going to do anything with that? 00:31:38.881 --> 00:31:42.660 I mean, that's just, it's already somebody's job, you know, let's not do that. 00:31:42.660 --> 00:31:46.744 Let's Almighty God, come and move our oppressors. 00:31:46.744 --> 00:31:51.663 And Jesus shows up and says here, here's my body broken for you have some bread Eat. 00:31:51.663 --> 00:31:53.448 Like this is not going to do anything. 00:31:53.448 --> 00:31:55.738 Let's get in there, almighty God. 00:31:55.738 --> 00:31:56.701 Let's Almighty this. 00:31:56.701 --> 00:31:58.240 Let's use your strength. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:02.180 And Jesus comes in and says this is what love looks like, this is what strengths look like. 00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:07.061 You serve, you humble yourself, you get in there and you meet the needs. 00:32:07.555 --> 00:32:18.055 You know, years ago I was kind of really into hockey and I was getting to go down to Miami I mean Tampa and watch my St Louis Blues beat the lightning. 00:32:18.596 --> 00:32:20.220 I like the way you said that they were beating them. 00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:21.041 That's why you liked it. 00:32:21.082 --> 00:32:22.505 Yeah, I mean I was all excited. 00:32:22.505 --> 00:32:25.361 Of course I go down there and then my team loses. 00:32:25.361 --> 00:32:26.685 But don't focus on that part of the story. 00:32:26.685 --> 00:32:42.400 I'm going down there and I was so excited to be able to see my favorite team and it's so close and all that, and so I was just feeling very grateful and all of a sudden I noticed that somebody was preaching on the side of the road as we were driving to our parking and I thought how cool, I'll roll down the window and listen. 00:32:42.875 --> 00:32:55.625 About the time I rolled down the window, it was the part of the guy's sermon where he said don't worry about your enemies, because when Jesus comes back, he's going to crush them and grind them into powder and the blood will spill and flow. 00:32:55.625 --> 00:32:58.877 And he was going on this deal and I'm like whoop, roll them up. 00:32:58.877 --> 00:33:04.461 Not Jesus, false prophet. 00:33:04.461 --> 00:33:16.278 But it's interesting that if in your heart you're vengeful, guess what the God you serve will tend to be? 00:33:16.278 --> 00:33:18.359 He'll be very vengeful. 00:33:23.819 --> 00:33:35.903 If we would allow love to overtake our hearts, then we could really begin to see this gentle God of love and then how love is so much greater than might. 00:33:35.903 --> 00:33:41.006 And so we're not taken away from any titles of God. 00:33:41.006 --> 00:33:51.287 But why do we focus on the one that we wish that we could yield over our neighbors or over our situation? 00:33:51.287 --> 00:34:07.846 And so I really think that we want to be cautious, because that is a slippery slope on making God in our own image, because I've heard people say well, the God I serve would do this. 00:34:07.954 --> 00:34:17.224 And well, that's probably true, because the God I remember one guy was telling me about, and whether you have a gun or not in your house is finest between you and the Lord. 00:34:17.224 --> 00:34:19.882 I have a bunch of heirlooms that were given to me. 00:34:19.882 --> 00:34:22.681 I have my great-grandpa's double barrel shotgun. 00:34:22.681 --> 00:34:30.141 That would never dream of firing it because it would probably blow up my face, but I remember this one guy was telling me he goes yeah, I keep a gun in my house. 00:34:30.141 --> 00:34:36.005 Anyone comes to my house, I'll shoot him dead and then I'll pray with them as they bleed out to accept Christ. 00:34:36.295 --> 00:34:36.476 Together. 00:34:36.476 --> 00:34:38.141 Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. 00:34:38.856 --> 00:34:41.202 And I'm like well you know, I don't. 00:34:41.202 --> 00:34:50.733 And this person was very proud of their Christianity because in their mind, god would judge. 00:34:50.733 --> 00:34:55.702 Anyone who would come to their house would get to go meet Jesus right away, and he thought he was the soul winner. 00:34:55.702 --> 00:35:05.184 He was leading people to Christ by directly introducing them face to face, by shooting them, and you understand like you're shaking your heads. 00:35:05.184 --> 00:35:12.523 But how much do we carve our personality out in this totem pole of what we? 00:35:12.523 --> 00:35:13.726 And then look, there's God. 00:35:13.726 --> 00:35:15.934 Oh, help us, lord. 00:35:15.994 --> 00:35:18.103 And that's why we need the message of the Christ. 00:35:18.103 --> 00:35:22.402 That's why Jesus had to come, because not just us but the whole world had gotten love wrong. 00:35:22.402 --> 00:35:34.581 And Jesus comes by the Holy Spirit to show us that there is another way of radical love, of love that involves the whole world and God's intention to bring all of his beautiful children back to the table. 00:35:34.581 --> 00:35:36.077