WEBVTT 00:00:01.181 --> 00:00:03.486 Welcome to the First Love Church Podcast. 00:00:03.486 --> 00:00:27.884 This is a collection of Sunday teachings inspired by the Revised Common Lectionary and recorded weekly in Ocala, florida, the book of James, which we happen to be hanging out with for the next few weeks, and so I'm grateful for the many ways that we receive that truth that is engrafted in us, according to the Apostle, that can save our souls, that can change the way that we see things. 00:00:27.884 --> 00:00:39.307 I'm grateful this morning for the babies that are here with us and for the mothers who made the efforts to actually dress them, and maybe they may have dressed them two or three times before they got here this morning. 00:00:39.307 --> 00:00:42.063 I just don't know what part of the baby, the age you are from. 00:00:42.063 --> 00:00:43.045 So I appreciated that. 00:00:43.045 --> 00:01:07.885 And this morning I saw beautiful Abby at one side and Sawyer was crawling under the pews and then Philip was at the other side as the goalie, you know, to keep the baby, and I was thinking this brings me such joy because we're here this morning and beautiful Sawyer is at the age where he's mobile and he's walking around and he is in the house of God and he's on Abby's hip when she comes up to take communion and his whole life. 00:01:07.885 --> 00:01:11.466 May this be, so that he knows that he is welcomed in the house of God. 00:01:11.466 --> 00:01:27.084 Elias doesn't walk yet, but they're working on that with him and I was going to say I don't know how much you want to rush that, because from the time that little people can walk, then all you do is chase so but you know they're first parents and so you let them. 00:01:27.084 --> 00:01:28.308 You let them have their own experience. 00:01:28.308 --> 00:01:31.304 But I love that and I also love this morning that Bob is here. 00:01:31.304 --> 00:01:33.849 He had the red beanie on, Bob is 94. 00:01:33.849 --> 00:01:39.350 And I love the fact that he got his friend to bring him to church, or his friend brought him to church, however that worked out. 00:01:39.350 --> 00:01:58.381 But I love for us in the congregation that we have people with us who are in their 90s and we have people with us who are in their just early stages, even haven't had birthdays yet, and everybody in the middle and all of us who are here reflecting the goodness of Jesus and there's so much hope for us in that. 00:01:58.381 --> 00:02:13.967 I'm grateful all the time for things that I'm observing now and maybe it just happens with age, maybe it happens with renewal and for all of us it's expected of us that our following Jesus would mature and I am receiving lots of witness from nature. 00:02:14.068 --> 00:02:17.843 Recently, when I saw the gutters had plants growing out of them, it just blessed me. 00:02:17.843 --> 00:02:22.122 It's not effective from a gutter, but I just want to tell you that's something that had died. 00:02:22.122 --> 00:02:27.770 A tree had lost its leaf and a bunch of leaves were together and they turned into a beautiful compost. 00:02:27.770 --> 00:02:31.342 And some bird or some wind brought a seed and it grew. 00:02:32.122 --> 00:02:50.868 And I want to remind you that in dead things that is not the final word there is resurrection, and so when we allow things to die, as they often do different seasons in our lives, different relationships that we can trust that there's a power of resurrection, god's resurrection in us. 00:02:50.868 --> 00:02:52.860 Maybe the same thing won't grow. 00:02:52.860 --> 00:02:56.008 Maybe in that compost this is a completely different tree. 00:02:56.008 --> 00:02:58.884 Maybe it was not a tree at all, maybe it was a weed or a flower. 00:02:58.884 --> 00:03:00.087 And really, what is a weed? 00:03:00.087 --> 00:03:02.842 That's just a plant somebody said shouldn't grow here. 00:03:02.842 --> 00:03:04.467 I mean, all plants are. 00:03:04.467 --> 00:03:08.627 Sometimes they're mucky and poisonous, but you know, maybe not to everything. 00:03:08.780 --> 00:03:14.412 So I just remind us in our lives, be mindful not to judge good and bad. 00:03:14.472 --> 00:03:15.354 This is a bad season. 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:26.771 This may be a season where compost is being formed and something beautiful is coming out of it, and so I encourage us this morning with the word of life that Christ is among us. 00:03:27.233 --> 00:03:56.008 We go to the book of James and we invited last week I hope that you would consider this that as a fellowship, as people who are gathered together, and even for those of you who are online, if you would consider reading the book of James with us and it's a short book and you know, even if you read a few verses every day, or just the verses that we actually talked about on a Sunday, it would really help us to put reset and kind of remind ourselves what it looks like to really follow the way of Jesus. 00:03:56.008 --> 00:04:00.383 The way of Jesus is love, and we must constantly be reminded of that. 00:04:00.383 --> 00:04:10.045 In fact, this is what this morning we're looking at, where James, the brother of Jesus, has a lot to say about a living faith. 00:04:10.045 --> 00:04:16.781 In fact, at one point he says it doesn't matter what you say you believe if your actions don't line up with it. 00:04:16.781 --> 00:04:20.242 So faith without works is dead. 00:04:20.963 --> 00:05:13.060 Last week he reminded us that everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to get angry and to allow, and oftentimes we refer to that as our fate and I think in modern times what you believe is the most important thing, and it's been taught to me in there, almost every church I I've um went to, that belief is the paramount and though obviously without belief you would not be here. 00:05:13.060 --> 00:05:24.293 But sometimes belief and head knowledge get exalted and there's a beautiful dance, a beautiful harmony that goes with your walk, your life of faith. 00:05:24.293 --> 00:05:31.204 That implies that if I believe, I take a step, do you see the connection? 00:05:31.204 --> 00:05:56.314 And I don't believe one is good without the other, because we know people that think that by their works they will receive, uh, the righteousness of god, and so stepping out and doing those things, as great as they are, that's not what connects us with God, but also just that belief without any corresponding action to it, it's lifeless as well. 00:05:56.314 --> 00:06:00.925 So that is kind of the when we talk about the way of Jesus. 00:06:01.987 --> 00:06:43.192 Sometimes I need to follow that way, sometimes I need to get out of the way, and, and so I want you to kind of see that there's that um, that that walk with God, and I think we can find it um, with our connection with God in like a flow, how we will just follow when it's time to follow, and that it's not so much everything that you believe or everything that you do, but if God is doing something, I can just kind of connect with that. 00:06:43.192 --> 00:06:44.665 Are you following what I'm trying to say? 00:06:44.665 --> 00:06:59.012 I think sometimes we struggle so hard with I better believe, I better believe this, or, oh, I better do more or do more, and sometimes I think that through all that struggle we miss the just following or flowing with the Spirit of God. 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:03.725 I remind us all that grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. 00:07:03.725 --> 00:07:08.670 There is an effort that requires us all to be grace-filled to the world around us. 00:07:08.670 --> 00:07:10.555 It is effort to be kind. 00:07:10.555 --> 00:07:16.591 But if you're kind because you think that you have to earn the love of God beloved, that's not the reason at all. 00:07:16.591 --> 00:07:22.552 You are kind because you are loved by God, because you know that love is the source of this. 00:07:22.552 --> 00:07:32.745 And James is saying dear brothers and sisters, and please hear the family language, dear brothers and sisters, you're not stepchildren here, you are loved. 00:07:32.745 --> 00:07:36.209 And James is reminding us we belong in God's family. 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:43.745 My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ and hear his language? 00:07:43.745 --> 00:07:53.250 Here You're claiming to have faith, not just faith in anything, faith in the glorious Lord Jesus Christ, if you favor some people over others. 00:07:53.250 --> 00:08:02.850 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry and other comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 00:08:02.850 --> 00:08:11.269 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person but you say to the poor one, you can stand over there or sit on the floor. 00:08:11.269 --> 00:08:17.668 Well, doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives. 00:08:17.668 --> 00:08:21.807 I mean, here James starts to meddle and you do have to appreciate James. 00:08:21.807 --> 00:08:34.489 I mean he is talking to the congregations there and he's saying I know you're claiming to be a part of the way of Jesus, but if you follow practices of discrimination, that has nothing to do with the way of Jesus. 00:08:34.940 --> 00:09:00.721 You know, sometimes these verses are considered a little harsh or hard on people, and I find it real interesting that when, uh, I might be preaching to, uh people who haven't heard the message about love, believers come along and tell me all the time you better to to toughen up on them and tell them about they better quit doing this and quit doing that. 00:09:01.602 --> 00:09:09.807 And then when the believers get in the congregation and they hear the message about justice have changed, they go hey, brother, what about grace? 00:09:09.807 --> 00:09:11.429 You know. 00:09:11.429 --> 00:09:19.793 And so the point is now ask yourself if you want grace for yourself but want judgment for other people, you know. 00:09:19.793 --> 00:09:28.289 Ask yourself if, if really the message of grace is great for you, but you want to see other people toe the mark or at least do as well, if not better than, what you've done. 00:09:28.289 --> 00:09:45.410 And so the point of sometimes these difficult messages that we preach isn't for you to run home and tell somebody that didn't make it to church today, or for you to think, well, that's how I'm going to go reach the people that are out there in the world. 00:09:45.410 --> 00:09:55.761 But this is really how us followers, we need to do some housekeeping and so we teach a grace message around here. 00:09:55.761 --> 00:10:00.640 So this might feel very uncomfortable today, because we're getting ready to rebuke you. 00:10:00.922 --> 00:10:02.225 That is not the case, beloved. 00:10:02.225 --> 00:10:09.326 That is absolutely not the case, because anything that we ask, it is not Anything that we ask you to do. 00:10:09.326 --> 00:10:18.312 We are also required to do it in double measure, and so be mindful that everything that we remind you of, we also first remind ourselves of this. 00:10:18.312 --> 00:10:20.907 This is not for you, and then we have a special exemption. 00:10:20.907 --> 00:10:21.649 No one does. 00:10:21.649 --> 00:10:33.905 My dear brothers and sisters, if any of you are playing favorites in any way, this cannot be, and I remind you, it doesn't only have to do with people who are wealthy and people who are poor, though. 00:10:33.905 --> 00:10:53.191 I want to tell you that Jesus always, always, always, identified with the poor, and if you want to find where Jesus is, find those places where there is some kind of poverty, and not just physical poverty, poverty in spirit, poverty in ideas that have oppressed them. 00:10:53.191 --> 00:10:55.486 Jesus came to bring us life. 00:10:55.486 --> 00:10:57.620 Jesus is the great liberator. 00:10:57.620 --> 00:11:01.711 In fact, jesus loves and is committed to your freedom. 00:11:01.711 --> 00:11:20.322 And when the apostle brings us an adjustment and says to us hey, pay attention to prejudice, because if that's happening, that has no place in the glorious faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and not just prejudice concerning wealth and concerning poverty, in fact, he's reminding them. 00:11:20.322 --> 00:11:23.471 You are part of the church of Jesus Christ. 00:11:24.153 --> 00:11:38.092 In the very beginning of the church in Jesus Christ, in Acts, chapter 2, verse 42, and it said everyone, everyone, everyone devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to the prayers and to the breaking of bread, to holy communion. 00:11:38.092 --> 00:11:42.889 This is the church of Jesus Christ when, together, we take care of each other. 00:11:42.889 --> 00:11:51.192 In fact, some of the most miraculous things that happened in the book of Acts that are recorded is that everybody started caring for someone else. 00:11:51.192 --> 00:11:53.403 No one was selfish. 00:11:53.403 --> 00:11:59.062 In fact, it said, if someone had something, they sold what they had so that the goods could be distributed among them. 00:11:59.062 --> 00:12:10.826 And so this distribution, this generosity, this unclenching of our fists into postures where we're open-handed, this is what it looks like to follow Jesus. 00:12:12.308 --> 00:12:20.009 Yes, indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the scriptures love your neighbor as yourself. 00:12:20.009 --> 00:12:28.765 And this would have reminded the people who were there, because this is from the first five books of the Jewish Testament, this is from the Torah. 00:12:28.765 --> 00:12:32.691 This verse is reminding them of who they are. 00:12:32.691 --> 00:12:38.227 This is the royal law of love, that you would love your neighbor as yourself. 00:12:38.227 --> 00:12:39.350 This is preeminent. 00:12:39.350 --> 00:12:45.407 How do you want to be treated Fairly, I would assume right. 00:12:45.760 --> 00:12:59.388 We all want justice, we would like things to go and be even and be peaceful, but in the world that we live in, we see that that's not so, and so the invitation is how do we make it so with us? 00:12:59.388 --> 00:13:03.960 We may not be able to change everyone, but we can change among us, in our heart. 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:07.530 We can say in here there will be no prejudice. 00:13:07.530 --> 00:13:20.589 We will recognize that each person is made in the image of God, is made from the source of God, that every person is worthy of dignity, that every person bears Christ. 00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:41.214 Now, some of us have marred the image and some of us have lived in a world where other things have marred the image, and some of us have lived in a world where other things have marred the image, but deep within us, the light of Christ, and when we come, and when we come with expectation that I am part of the family, that we begin to love your neighbor as yourself. 00:13:42.299 --> 00:13:55.011 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin I'm just going to let that sit and you are guilty of breaking the law. 00:13:55.011 --> 00:14:07.753 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others, but if you have been merciful, god will be merciful when he judges you. 00:14:07.753 --> 00:14:25.076 Beloved, if this isn't a text alone in how we should live with so much mercy, because when we stand before God, when we stand before love, when Jesus is face to face with us, I want to tell you how Jesus described God Infinite mercy. 00:14:25.076 --> 00:14:32.251 That means that we ourselves need to be people of infinite mercy. 00:14:32.251 --> 00:14:48.379 Now, it doesn't mean suffering abuse, it doesn't mean that you stay in situations that are unsafe, but it does cause us to reorient ourselves and say, as followers of Jesus, we must be people who show mercy. 00:14:48.379 --> 00:14:55.553 In fact, the scripture tells us this is one of the hallmarks of our faith that we are a merciful people. 00:14:55.553 --> 00:15:00.311 I hope that is always true and said of us Mercy. 00:15:01.620 --> 00:15:30.645 You know, this verse here is telling us that, um, that we, uh, we claim christ, you know, and uh, and the problem with their potential problem with that could be to claim christ but reflect in no way the image of christ, you know, and that's that's dangerous because it sends a mixed message, you know. 00:15:30.645 --> 00:15:44.147 So that's the challenge, you know, we're talking to believers and saying we're here, we're here who claim Christ, so does that, our behavior, the way that we treat people, does that align with? 00:15:44.147 --> 00:15:47.384 Is that the way Christ treated people, you know? 00:15:47.384 --> 00:15:50.431 Did he give preference to the rich or no? 00:15:50.431 --> 00:15:54.506 He was actually, you know, really shown to just really be on the side of the poor. 00:15:54.506 --> 00:15:59.062 That's that I wonder, if, if that's how I view things, am I, am I always looking? 00:15:59.062 --> 00:16:01.927 How can I be on the side of the poor, you know? 00:16:01.927 --> 00:16:03.009 Or? 00:16:03.350 --> 00:16:13.673 Or I think one of my favorite verses, uh is is in the bible, where it talks about that in christ there's neither male nor female, jew, jew nor greek, slave or free. 00:16:13.673 --> 00:16:30.014 That that, that that type of uh, non-dualism, uh is what that is is presented by Christ, and we all should probably admit that that's a little bit foreign to us. 00:16:30.014 --> 00:16:39.625 We're kind of trained to take care of our family first, or take care of us, or don't worry about them, or, in fact, those people are kind of weird over there, so we're keeping them, you know. 00:16:39.625 --> 00:16:44.850 And there's us and them, and he's saying, no, those kind of things divide us. 00:16:46.580 --> 00:16:59.066 So I want to challenge you that when you and I say that we are these followers of christ, or we're choosing christ, then how does that bear out in in our day-to-day responses to people? 00:16:59.066 --> 00:17:10.656 You know, do I now still have the freedom to just be angry and tell people off when they push me far enough? 00:17:10.656 --> 00:17:23.153 Or have I said no, I am identifying with Christ, and so I want to behave as Christ would in a situation of anger. 00:17:23.153 --> 00:17:31.049 Because Christ got angry, believe it or not, but he didn't fight the guy in the street. 00:17:31.049 --> 00:17:34.188 He'd have to have his wife bailing him out of jail. 00:17:34.188 --> 00:17:43.450 He didn't just treat people any way that he chose. 00:17:43.450 --> 00:17:51.248 There's that choice of love, and so that's the kind of thing we're wanting us to consider today. 00:17:51.248 --> 00:17:53.145 In this, I call myself a follower. 00:17:53.145 --> 00:17:55.306 Well, what does that mean for me then? 00:17:55.627 --> 00:17:59.986 moving forward, I appreciate where you're bringing us here in this life of following. 00:17:59.986 --> 00:18:15.827 In fact, I was reading some really ancient texts this morning and it was they're considered one of the first baptismal liturgies, and it's from early on in the Christian faith and when they were going to baptize someone, which is a sacrament given to us by the church. 00:18:15.827 --> 00:18:17.500 We see it even before Jesus. 00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:23.488 Jesus was baptized into the way of John the Baptist, and John the Baptist had some really impressive things to say. 00:18:23.488 --> 00:18:27.832 He said to people, if you have two coats, one is yours and one is the guy who has no coat. 00:18:27.832 --> 00:18:35.767 And he said you know, let's talk about justice here, let's talk about real generosity, let's talk about taking care of each other. 00:18:36.067 --> 00:18:39.980 But one of the earliest baptismal liturgies is this portion that Dennis mentioned. 00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:45.704 They would say to the people before they plunge them under the water in Christ there is no difference. 00:18:45.704 --> 00:18:48.686 In Christ all the identifiers are gone. 00:18:48.686 --> 00:18:50.488 In Christ we are one. 00:18:50.488 --> 00:18:52.449 There is no Jew and Greek. 00:18:52.449 --> 00:18:54.891 There is no nationality that divides us. 00:18:54.891 --> 00:18:56.932 There is no ethnicity that changes here. 00:18:56.932 --> 00:19:02.415 It is in Christ, and it is in Christ that the family of God is built. 00:19:02.415 --> 00:19:05.357 And so we are reminded of these beautiful things. 00:19:08.180 --> 00:19:14.367 But I draw your attention here to the fact that you have a beautiful opportunity, as do I, to practice mercy. 00:19:14.367 --> 00:19:17.058 We are to be people who are merciful people. 00:19:17.058 --> 00:19:24.648 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? 00:19:24.648 --> 00:19:28.548 Beloved here, james is really looking at us going. 00:19:28.548 --> 00:19:34.450 We can say a lot of things and a lot of things have been said to us, but how someone lives matters. 00:19:34.450 --> 00:19:40.787 The choices that we make matter, and James is saying this is how you can look at your faith and go. 00:19:40.787 --> 00:19:42.326 Is it real faith at all? 00:19:42.326 --> 00:19:46.231 And is my faith just a personal faith? 00:19:46.231 --> 00:19:48.740 I just want to tell you there is no such thing as a personal faith. 00:19:48.740 --> 00:19:52.788 It's not, it's not in the scripture and no one has a personal faith. 00:19:52.788 --> 00:19:54.211 How we live. 00:19:54.211 --> 00:19:56.164 Our faith is actually toward the world. 00:19:56.164 --> 00:20:00.440 My faith in Jesus means that I live and choose a different way. 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:13.068 Your faith in Jesus means that the opportunity is for you to take the narrow path, the narrow path that seems like it might be closing in, and Jesus is saying I'm going to tell you something about the narrow path. 00:20:13.068 --> 00:20:19.630 It is so expansive, it is so incredible, and mercy triumphs over judgment. 00:20:19.630 --> 00:20:21.006 This is what the scripture says. 00:20:21.566 --> 00:20:28.069 But if you say you have faith and don't show it by your actions, can that kind of faith save anyone? 00:20:28.069 --> 00:20:45.403 Can it save you to say that you believe something but don't have the effort or the works behind it and there is an invitation into a new way of living that we would be people so loving that mercy would be the first thing that came from us. 00:20:45.403 --> 00:20:50.021 In fact, I believe that's where that prayer comes, where Lord, have mercy, christ have mercy. 00:20:50.021 --> 00:20:51.144 Lord, have mercy. 00:20:51.144 --> 00:20:57.505 When I can't figure out anything what to do with this situation, may mercy come first and may that be the road that we choose. 00:20:57.505 --> 00:20:59.207 Mercy. 00:20:59.207 --> 00:21:14.923 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing and you say goodbye and have a good day, stay warm, eat well, and you don't give that person any food or clothing. 00:21:14.923 --> 00:21:16.886 What good does that do? 00:21:16.886 --> 00:21:28.608 I mean he's really asking us to look at how we would be the saving grace, how we would offer to ourselves, to look at how we would be the saving grace, how we would offer to ourselves, to others that we would say what is it like to follow Jesus? 00:21:28.608 --> 00:21:31.269 It's like Jesus would be in our midst. 00:21:31.269 --> 00:21:36.770 If someone was hungry, jesus would feed them. 00:21:36.770 --> 00:21:50.810 And I know you're saying, well, I don't have the multiplication Jesus had, but I remind you what Jesus did was say to his friend Philip we happen to have a Philip here this morning so you could talk with him afterwards hey, philip, what are we going to do about the people here? 00:21:50.810 --> 00:21:57.788 There's a lot of them who are hungry and in the gathering there's a lot of provision. 00:21:57.788 --> 00:22:00.151 We may have to look for it, but there is. 00:22:00.151 --> 00:22:04.000 This church is going to be 24 years old in November. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:05.063 That's really exciting. 00:22:05.063 --> 00:22:10.884 It's going to be our 21st year as a congregation and there has been much that has been done here. 00:22:10.943 --> 00:22:15.642 One of the things that we have done here was very early in the church history. 00:22:15.642 --> 00:22:24.544 We decided that we would take on five children around the world internationally compassion children or world vision children and we would support them every month. 00:22:24.544 --> 00:22:26.748 And we have done that. 00:22:26.748 --> 00:22:38.290 And I have a daughter who's been raised in the faith and in the church and she's very religious and in fact even this morning she is filling in for the children's church at the American Church of Paris. 00:22:38.290 --> 00:22:40.221 So she's doing children's church this morning. 00:22:40.742 --> 00:22:45.230 But she wouldn't allow us just to give the money to take care of the compassion kids. 00:22:45.230 --> 00:22:55.040 She said you have to write the letters and you have to let the people know that they're loved and we're doing this because we love them. 00:22:55.040 --> 00:22:56.424 And so, okay, I could write a letter. 00:22:56.424 --> 00:23:05.107 And then she said twice a year you're allowed to give presents, and so I'll shop for the presents and the list is very, very clear with what you can give. 00:23:05.107 --> 00:23:07.647 It's very, very specific. 00:23:07.647 --> 00:23:09.765 Like, you can't send rubber bands. 00:23:09.765 --> 00:23:14.946 I don't know why One of the countries in the world doesn't want rubber bands for us it's fine, but you can't send things. 00:23:14.946 --> 00:23:22.147 There's a lot of things you can't send, but Catherine had narrowed down the list and what was not prohibited was kazoos. 00:23:22.147 --> 00:23:25.773 So, okay, thank you for the laughter. 00:23:30.422 --> 00:23:35.486 So we sent kazoos and cute little hair ribbons and stuff to children all over the world with our money, and then we'd have letters. 00:23:35.486 --> 00:23:38.909 And the letters don't come frequently from their side. 00:23:38.909 --> 00:23:41.000 We do send letters every month and we encourage them. 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:54.628 And you know what is so beautiful and I love that about 24 for us is there's already five children who have their entire life been cared for by compassion and world vision, because together as a group, we said we're going to pay for that. 00:23:54.628 --> 00:23:58.049 Their entire life they've actually aged out of the systems and they sent us new ones. 00:23:58.049 --> 00:24:00.964 We've got new guys and it's wonderful, but it's all around the world. 00:24:01.266 --> 00:24:17.009 But we got a letter one time from Myanmar, and this was about 10 years ago, and this little person that we had been supporting and that we sent a gift for said my parents and my neighbors would like to thank you for the razzmatazz that you sent. 00:24:17.009 --> 00:24:24.972 Now I just want to tell you the parents and the neighbors were not happy that there was a kazoo sent to them somewhere in the jungle. 00:24:24.972 --> 00:24:27.647 Imagine a child's joy to have a kazoo. 00:24:27.647 --> 00:24:30.809 And they didn't have the name kazoo, so they called it a razzmatazz. 00:24:30.809 --> 00:24:32.747 Thank you for the razzmatazz. 00:24:32.747 --> 00:24:40.586 So I just want to tell you, as First Love Church, you're part of the razzmatazz ministry, because not only will we send resources, but we're going to send some joy. 00:24:41.027 --> 00:24:52.603 So somebody in some little paddy field was out playing his kazoo and I don't know if they said we're not thankful, and the child changed that or the person who was interpreting it did, but he said his parents and the neighbors were grateful for the razzmatazz. 00:24:52.603 --> 00:24:59.401 And so I tell you that in what we can do, together is so much greater. 00:24:59.401 --> 00:25:11.183 And if together we would spread mercy, if together we would spread joy, if together we would take people's needs and say I don't know, I can't fix everything, but what can we do, philip? 00:25:11.183 --> 00:25:11.865 What is there? 00:25:11.865 --> 00:25:14.240 And then Philip didn't even show up with his own donation. 00:25:14.962 --> 00:25:19.952 In the original scripture he gets a boy to bring his lunch, or the boy offers it. 00:25:19.952 --> 00:25:22.023 And I just want to tell you, the boy didn't make his lunch. 00:25:22.023 --> 00:25:37.853 I just I'm going to tell the story this way there was a mother who knew that kid was going and she packed the little basket and she had probably made the bread, or maybe the sister did, and somebody, maybe the dad, brought the fish, but she sent him with fish and with bread. 00:25:37.853 --> 00:25:43.872 And Philip found that, talked to that kid who said, yeah, I'll give this. 00:25:43.872 --> 00:25:53.463 And they put it in the hands of Jesus and Jesus gave thanks for it and blessed it and multiplied it and everyone was fed. 00:25:54.205 --> 00:25:59.683 So I remind you that your little acts of mercy matter, matters to the whole world, your acts of generosity matter. 00:25:59.683 --> 00:26:00.306 It matters to the whole world. 00:26:00.306 --> 00:26:02.012 Your acts of generosity matter. 00:26:02.012 --> 00:26:03.740 It matters to the whole world. 00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:11.980 How we live as followers of Jesus is how the world sees the love that is still here today. 00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:16.153 We pause here for a moment to thank you for joining us today. 00:26:16.153 --> 00:26:21.643 If you're finding this episode meaningful, would you take a moment to share it with a friend? 00:26:21.643 --> 00:26:27.207 This podcast is made possible thanks to the generosity of people just like you. 00:26:27.207 --> 00:26:39.797 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. 00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:47.107 After men's breakfast there was a guy here and he was hanging around and he wanted work. 00:26:47.107 --> 00:26:50.213 And so I let him work with us and gave him some money, and then he wanted a ride. 00:26:50.213 --> 00:26:57.732 And then, as he was riding, he was talking to me and he said Well, you know, for days and days I've been needing to get a ride downtown for some medical thing or whatever. 00:26:57.732 --> 00:27:04.776 And he said Then I was here at the the church and there was a guy in there and he was vacuuming up the water, and that's todd. 00:27:04.776 --> 00:27:09.597 He does it every time it rains he comes over here, otherwise this church would stink so bad that none of us could come in here. 00:27:09.597 --> 00:27:15.830 But he takes his own time and uses his own carpet thing and sucks up them gallons and gallons and gallons of water. 00:27:15.830 --> 00:27:19.486 And so he was over here and he met that man and todd drove. 00:27:19.486 --> 00:27:33.391 Of course, no, ever know, except for this guy who just starts telling me about some guy that was vacuuming up water here at the church, like I didn't know who that was, and took him on this ride, you know, and then told him about the breakfast that was happening yesterday. 00:27:33.391 --> 00:27:43.288 And so then yesterday he had come in and ate the breakfast and we were able to feed him and he was just so grateful and listened to the preach together. 00:27:43.288 --> 00:27:58.608 And then, all of a sudden, after work, I was going to have him work right away and then Sean's like, well, no, I'm going to take him down, get him some clothes and the other place to get some more food. 00:27:58.608 --> 00:28:02.367 And so this is what's going on. 00:28:02.367 --> 00:28:03.881 I have no idea until late. 00:28:03.881 --> 00:28:06.451 You know, sean's going down and getting him, helping him. 00:28:06.451 --> 00:28:12.366 You know, no one asked, no one appointed sean, driver of people down to get food and clothes. 00:28:12.366 --> 00:28:16.782 He took it upon himself in response to seeing this need, as todd did, you know. 00:28:16.782 --> 00:28:19.951 And then, as I did, I'm driving him back to his house. 00:28:19.951 --> 00:28:23.569 And then he was saying, yeah, I'm gonna take this little bit of money and go buy some cooking oil. 00:28:23.569 --> 00:28:30.394 And I thought, well, I just left cooking oil in from you know, it might even be good in two months for the men's breakfast to come back here. 00:28:30.394 --> 00:28:35.762 And so I was able to take him home and that was again. 00:28:35.762 --> 00:28:38.627 It was resources that we've pooled together as a church, pooled together as a church. 00:28:38.627 --> 00:28:55.760 It's not sweet buying the buyer some kid in the jungle, although those kids are being taken care of because of the giving and the effort that you make towards this church, but it happens through this church on a regular basis, here and then. 00:28:55.820 --> 00:29:04.476 What I want to report to maybe, if you don't realize this, this is happening in you and in the people around you. 00:29:04.476 --> 00:29:20.440 You know all the time, because if we stopped right now and had a testimony service of how many of you have stopped and fed somebody you know, and so I'm encouraged that that is getting through and it's happening. 00:29:20.440 --> 00:29:38.602 And then I I also want to remind you that the people in the world are going to tell you you're crazy and those people, they're just going to use it for drugs and they're going to, you know, and they're going to tell you all the reasons why not to help, when, uh, jesus didn't tell you to figure out their motives, and if they are judged by you as pure, then you shall help. 00:29:38.602 --> 00:29:42.189 It's like help those are, and let God work on the hearts of people. 00:29:42.189 --> 00:29:43.530 Amen, you know. 00:29:43.912 --> 00:30:27.651 But for you and I to look around, uh, the, the, when the scripture talks about the fields are ripe for harvest, uh, uh, some of us look at that scripture and go, oh, that's a promise that there's just a bunch of stuff for me, or, or maybe we should turn around and look at that, as there's a lot of people out there that can really use the message that I have and really use maybe that, that, maybe that five bucks isn't a tipping point for you, but if it gets somebody a burger, that's a huge deal, you know, and so I encourage you to look for those opportunities and thank you for those that are responding to them the invitation is not just to the physical, but the invitation is to actually see people, to see them as beloved brothers and sisters. 00:30:28.220 --> 00:30:33.249 Sometimes someone has plenty of resources, but what they need is a compassionate witness. 00:30:33.249 --> 00:30:40.722 What they need is someone to listen to their pain, and so those are things that we do also, and so we remind you. 00:30:40.722 --> 00:31:00.709 This is why it is our not just priority, but it is our intention to be people of discernment that we would know the voice of Jesus, that we would hear the voice of the good shepherd, that in every situation we could just be still and listen and say what is needed. 00:31:00.709 --> 00:31:06.926 Here Now we are not Jesus, we don't have every resources, but we know we can be mat carriers. 00:31:06.926 --> 00:31:08.451 You know the story I'm referring to. 00:31:08.451 --> 00:31:16.665 There was a man who is paralyzed, can do nothing for himself, but his friends come and they pick up a corner of the mat and they bring the mat to Jesus. 00:31:16.665 --> 00:31:21.282 They bring the person to Jesus and Jesus heals them, and sometimes beloved. 00:31:21.282 --> 00:31:23.309 That is our highest vocation. 00:31:23.309 --> 00:31:24.761 We are mat carriers. 00:31:24.761 --> 00:31:38.324 We will bring someone to Jesus and then Jesus sorts out the what, what, the things that they have need of, and I am so reminded in this act of mercy if you would go with me in your memories, cause you know the story. 00:31:38.684 --> 00:31:40.686 But love is being crucified. 00:31:40.686 --> 00:31:50.808 Jesus is surrendering his life because he has enemies, and the enemies are people who do not like the way of love. 00:31:50.808 --> 00:31:56.750 The enemies are systems that hate the rule of love. 00:31:56.750 --> 00:32:00.631 And again James is reminding us that love is the way. 00:32:00.631 --> 00:32:04.029 And we look at this love of Christ. 00:32:04.029 --> 00:32:09.788 And Jesus is on the cross, dying, accepting a punishment that is not his. 00:32:09.788 --> 00:32:21.113 And the person on the cross next to him says remember me when you come into your kingdom. 00:32:21.113 --> 00:32:26.489 And Jesus didn't say well, it's a little late, brother. 00:32:26.489 --> 00:32:31.230 And Jesus didn't give a list of anything that person had to do. 00:32:31.230 --> 00:32:34.388 That person said to Jesus remember me. 00:32:34.388 --> 00:32:37.170 And Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise. 00:32:37.170 --> 00:32:40.045 Infinite mercy. 00:32:40.045 --> 00:32:42.948 It is the mercy of Christ. 00:32:42.948 --> 00:32:47.028 In fact, it is the goodness of God that calls us all to repentance. 00:32:47.028 --> 00:32:52.690 It is the goodness of God that we are to be reflective of. 00:32:52.690 --> 00:32:56.968 It is the goodness of God that we are invited to participate in. 00:32:57.821 --> 00:33:17.565 Sometimes I wonder if I recognize just how gifted my wife is at preaching and the things that she says, because sometimes you'll say something and you'll just blow past it and I'm like, oh, you better stop and do an exhaustive study, and I want to hear about that. 00:33:17.565 --> 00:33:39.138 When she was just talking a moment about a know, a compassionate witness, you know, I want us to just go back there for a second, because this is something that I learned from her and, um, and there's, uh, there's this idea as a christian that we need to be a witness, and and we're taught. 00:33:39.138 --> 00:33:45.365 Well, that witness is that you better learn the romans road and you better beat the bible over somebody's head at some point. 00:33:45.365 --> 00:33:48.442 You know, or that's oftentimes what it ends up being. 00:33:48.442 --> 00:33:56.304 Uh, and and though I want you to learn the scriptures and I want you to be able to share them with people, uh, when they're open to them. 00:33:56.304 --> 00:34:03.214 Uh, being a witness is uh, you know, is not that you have to prepare a big sermon. 00:34:03.214 --> 00:34:06.309 Being a witness is observing what you saw. 00:34:06.309 --> 00:34:11.291 If you're a witness in an accident, you would say well, that car came and hit that car. 00:34:11.291 --> 00:34:17.831 You're just telling what happened, and for us witnesses, this is what Jesus did in my life. 00:34:17.831 --> 00:34:23.226 This is what God has done since I've surrendered, and, furthermore, the idea of the compassionate witness. 00:34:23.628 --> 00:34:34.599 Somebody was over my house the other day and they were financially uh fine, and they were physically fine, but but maybe emotionally and spiritually they were really hurting. 00:34:36.682 --> 00:35:00.065 And they began to talk and you know me, I like to talk too a lot and uh, and I wanted to chime in when they set a point oh, I, I, I like that too, or, and I just was overwhelmed with the idea that this person needed someone who would just listen to their pain. 00:35:00.065 --> 00:35:08.190 And that's a compassion, not correct them, not give them all these scriptures and fix all this stuff. 00:35:08.190 --> 00:35:14.974 But what about understanding the compassion that is and that's priceless. 00:35:14.974 --> 00:35:20.947 They're wealthy, they're doing, but yet they're without that thing that we could provide for them. 00:35:20.947 --> 00:35:22.686 They're really hurting. 00:35:22.686 --> 00:35:29.353 And so could you see yourself being able to be a compassionate witness? 00:35:29.353 --> 00:35:52.510 Or have you been a compassionate witness your whole life and not realized that that was a thing, because other people might be the ones running their yapper all the time and you think, well, because I'm not doing all that, maybe I'm not effective, and maybe that compassionate witness, talk about that a little bit, because it's been so life-changing for me. 00:35:53.440 --> 00:36:10.851 When I think about Jesus and I do often or try to think about who Jesus is and imagine the life and look for the witness of that, one of the things that I see over and over again, and everyone else is telling, is how compassionate Jesus was. 00:36:10.851 --> 00:36:13.467 It's one of the things I want us to be. 00:36:13.467 --> 00:36:15.608 This is the 16th Sunday after Pentecost. 00:36:15.608 --> 00:36:21.989 We're in ordinary time and I want us to be paying attention to the sacredness that is everywhere. 00:36:21.989 --> 00:36:25.010 But, beloved, I tell you, I'm already headed toward Advent. 00:36:25.010 --> 00:36:31.871 Oh, I'm already thinking about Advent, and I know we're just here in September, beloved, and Advent is coming. 00:36:31.871 --> 00:36:44.701 I just say that's good for your hope, it's good for my hope, and one of the things that we practice in Advent is we allow Jesus to give us eyes to really see, which I believe is very much like what Jesus did Over and over again. 00:36:44.701 --> 00:36:51.702 If you'll read through the gospels, it will say and Jesus saw, and Jesus saw him, and Jesus saw him. 00:36:51.702 --> 00:37:02.849 And there's a mother on the way to bury her only son and it said and Jesus saw her, other people saw her too, but Jesus saw her. 00:37:02.849 --> 00:37:08.088 And then it says and he looked at her with compassion and then the miraculous happened. 00:37:08.088 --> 00:37:10.061 Beloved. 00:37:10.101 --> 00:37:14.246 When we look at people with compassion, compassion is an outflow of mercy. 00:37:14.246 --> 00:37:25.465 When we look at someone, not to judge them right or wrong or different than us, or us and them, when we let go of all of that and we receive from Jesus, we are loved, we're part of God's family. 00:37:25.465 --> 00:37:31.047 When mercy is the first thing that comes from us, a byproduct of that is compassion. 00:37:31.047 --> 00:37:40.152 And so and here's the beauty of it when you start to practice it for other people, all of the sudden you will notice how not compassionate you are of yourself. 00:37:40.152 --> 00:37:49.989 And when you start handing it away, then all of a sudden you'll start looking I need to be compassionate with myself as well, and so here's the hope for all of us. 00:37:49.989 --> 00:37:55.869 In fact, the theologian Dallas Willard reminds us of this you live your way into right thinking. 00:37:55.869 --> 00:37:57.726 You don't think your way into right living. 00:37:58.641 --> 00:38:09.692 So it is this practice that does, that allows us this holiness that God has called us to, but we take the tools that are given to us, and a tool is mercy and beloved. 00:38:09.692 --> 00:38:11.460 Mercy triumphs over judgment. 00:38:11.460 --> 00:38:15.289 In the very end, we will all stand before infinite mercy. 00:38:15.289 --> 00:38:19.164 We will stand before the God who created everything. 00:38:19.164 --> 00:38:22.552 This is the hope for us. 00:38:22.552 --> 00:38:37.168 If, for one minute, you thought standing before God was in some way a punishment, I want to tell you that every correction from God is restorative, not retributive, and God intends to restore us to the holiness that he put in us. 00:38:37.168 --> 00:38:42.288 And mercy, this compassionate witness, this compassionate mercy for the world. 00:38:42.288 --> 00:38:44.367 It does sometimes break our hearts. 00:38:44.367 --> 00:38:49.045 I think a result of being compassionate will require us to weep. 00:38:49.045 --> 00:38:56.643 That's why I also love the series, the time of the year that we have lent, because then we just get to do something with all of our heartache. 00:38:56.643 --> 00:39:16.315 Advent is coming, lent is coming, but this, right now, this is ordinary time and this is the practice of recognizing and joining with the sacred in every little thing In the planting of seeds, in the watering of flowers and plants. 00:39:16.315 --> 00:39:19.052 Recently, we don't have to do that. 00:39:19.052 --> 00:39:21.193 The skies opened up and watered everything. 00:39:21.193 --> 00:39:22.510 It was a little heavy. 00:39:22.510 --> 00:39:24.809 The other day it was coming down so much. 00:39:24.809 --> 00:39:29.175 I was like, please, the little tiny flowers are still out there. 00:39:29.175 --> 00:39:31.251 They seem to be fine the next day. 00:39:31.251 --> 00:39:42.074 And now we have a ton of mushrooms I don't know if you do, they're kind of everywhere but the green moss that was in these tiny cracks I love this about the resurrection moss and ferns. 00:39:42.074 --> 00:39:49.172 What appears dry is a couple of days of that kind of rain, and there is life, it is greening all around us. 00:39:49.605 --> 00:39:53.994 What would it look like for us to be people who have compassionate witness? 00:39:53.994 --> 00:40:06.514 Dennis and I were together the other day and we have someone that is not a friend of ours but is just a person that we visit in a business and we don't know even each other's names. 00:40:06.514 --> 00:40:15.353 But we recognize each other and we talk to each other even though we don't know each other's names, and we can do this with everyone. 00:40:15.353 --> 00:40:17.231 And I said how was your week? 00:40:17.231 --> 00:40:20.114 And she said horrible, just like that. 00:40:20.114 --> 00:40:22.269 And so I put my arm around her. 00:40:22.269 --> 00:40:26.295 That's a little disarming sometimes, but sometimes you can do it. 00:40:26.295 --> 00:40:35.791 And she said my mother just died and I started crying. 00:40:35.791 --> 00:40:42.259 My mother didn't die, but but hers did, and my sister is in pain. 00:40:42.259 --> 00:40:45.726 And she looked at me and she said why are you crying? 00:40:45.726 --> 00:40:48.211 And I said because you're in pain. 00:40:48.211 --> 00:40:57.175 And then she really started crying and I want to tell you it's seeing someone's pain and just naming it. 00:40:57.175 --> 00:41:00.371 I want to tell you that naming pain is a direct path to God. 00:41:00.371 --> 00:41:02.757 If you are headed there, I mean name that pain. 00:41:02.757 --> 00:41:05.012 Christ is the healer we invite that. 00:41:05.324 --> 00:41:07.373 I can't do anything for this woman. 00:41:07.373 --> 00:41:08.630 I cannot bring her mother back. 00:41:08.630 --> 00:41:11.373 I cannot change anything that happened in the past. 00:41:11.373 --> 00:41:16.956 I cannot change anything in the future, but I can be a compassionate witness right now while she walks through the pain. 00:41:16.956 --> 00:41:22.376 And she said to me this is inappropriate because I am taking your time. 00:41:22.376 --> 00:41:27.177 You intended to come in here and you didn't ask for my pain. 00:41:27.177 --> 00:41:37.692 And I said to her but I honor the fact that your pain is here and I care about you. 00:41:37.692 --> 00:41:40.090 And together we shared tears. 00:41:40.391 --> 00:41:44.713 Nothing fixed, nothing changed except compassion. 00:41:44.713 --> 00:41:51.255 And I want to tell you compassion heals us, compassion changes people. 00:41:51.255 --> 00:42:07.626 And Jesus, if you look at him, was full of compassion, in fact, through the prophet Isaiah this is what Isaiah said he is a man so full of compassion that he knows our grief, not only acquainted with grief, but knows our grief, beloved. 00:42:07.626 --> 00:42:12.735 If you want to know Jesus, go to someone in their grief and sit with them. 00:42:12.735 --> 00:42:20.431 But when we look at Jesus and when we begin to see as people, we see others' needs. 00:42:20.431 --> 00:42:22.677 This is the compassionate witness. 00:42:23.565 --> 00:42:31.635 I cannot change something for you, maybe, but I can let you know you are not alone, and this is the promise of God that we are not alone. 00:42:31.635 --> 00:42:37.773 And maybe you'll be like Philip who, in the scripture, said hey, there's a bunch of people that are hungry and Jesus cares about it. 00:42:37.773 --> 00:42:38.416 Who's got a lunch? 00:42:38.416 --> 00:42:40.672 I don't know, maybe he shook the boy down, who knows? 00:42:40.672 --> 00:42:46.568 I mean, we don't really know that Philip was this great guy. 00:42:46.568 --> 00:42:48.614 But Philip is the one who said hey, there's a boy here with a lunch and brought it to Jesus. 00:42:48.614 --> 00:42:54.668 And so maybe for us we have to be the people who say, like Todd did hey, there's a breakfast tomorrow. 00:42:54.668 --> 00:42:55.289 Do you want to come? 00:42:56.251 --> 00:43:08.550 Maybe we just give the invitation and say, together, there are people in the jungle who need a razzmatazz, and they didn't know it, but we got together. 00:43:08.550 --> 00:43:10.094 We sent him a little instrument. 00:43:10.094 --> 00:43:15.170 So probably I don't know there's, you know, five families who are just so full of joy. 00:43:15.170 --> 00:43:22.932 Now I think they probably destroyed them, but we sent the metal ones because we thought the plastic might not go through the mail, so like a good metal kazoo. 00:43:22.932 --> 00:43:27.398 So they got hair bows and fun things like that and a razzmatazz. 00:43:27.398 --> 00:43:38.840 I bring that up because sometimes it is just in the joy of giving, it is in the joy of saying this is what it looks like if you see someone in need and you don't do anything about it. 00:43:38.840 --> 00:43:40.786 That's why, together, we practice generous living. 00:43:40.786 --> 00:43:43.271 Together, we practice feeding the, the poor. 00:43:43.271 --> 00:43:51.253 Together, we practice taking care of each other and taking care of people who are not ours but who are ours because they're the family of god. 00:43:51.273 --> 00:43:53.585 That's it this is the hope for the world. 00:43:53.585 --> 00:44:08.094 This is how we change, that we experience the compassion of jesus and then we ourselves, full of god's compassion, go to others and offer that same compassion and I couldn't fully explain to you what exactly happened. 00:44:08.315 --> 00:44:19.773 But I'm telling you what the presence of God was in that restaurant when Heather was holding that woman and I was weeping at the table and, uh, god did something. 00:44:19.773 --> 00:44:22.760 She left that spot different. 00:44:22.760 --> 00:44:42.880 And I believe that for you and I, that's all within us and I think sometimes we want to try hard or think maybe we don't know enough or we've got to get some more information, instead of just following that flow, because it's God who's doing it through us, you know. 00:44:42.880 --> 00:44:44.166 So you don't have to. 00:44:44.166 --> 00:44:49.137 You know, it's for him the will to do for his good pleasure. 00:44:49.197 --> 00:45:08.878 You know, I think about when I was younger I wanted to go boogie boarding and one of the kids in my youth group had done it, lived by the coast and so he was really good at it, and so I went out there and I just had waves crashing on me and I'd hustle up and I just couldn't catch it and and it was like you know, and it was just like a surf movie or something. 00:45:08.878 --> 00:45:13.577 He takes me out and he's like just look at the waves and and it's like meditating almost. 00:45:13.577 --> 00:45:24.438 That's why I think a lot of surf people are can be very spiritual, because you're just stopping all your figuring and all your scheming and you're like, well, I'm just going to ride a wave. 00:45:24.438 --> 00:45:36.626 That is so giant, you know, I mean one time a wave crashed on me and I just held the boogie board and just that little square inches of pounds of weight I mean I think it broke my thumb and it was just. 00:45:36.626 --> 00:45:39.152 I mean, there's such power in that and I can't control that. 00:45:39.152 --> 00:45:50.416 But if I just relax and just all of a sudden I was riding that giant wave, that strength that was so much greater and I couldn't control it. 00:45:50.416 --> 00:45:56.695 I just had to learn how to get out of its way and kind of ride with it. 00:45:56.695 --> 00:46:00.588 You know, and what an incredible metaphor, right For us. 00:46:00.608 --> 00:46:22.355 You know, god's not asking you to figure all this out or to drum it up, but would you get out of the way and then just ride when God wants to do something amazing for somebody or wants to use you, that we can just get in more of that calm, meditative state where I can just watch the waves and I can see what's around. 00:46:22.355 --> 00:46:25.811 And now I know it's time to move, because I've taken the time. 00:46:25.811 --> 00:46:39.514 We spend that time in the presence of God and spend the time around followers who, who do know the rhythm and all of a sudden I can just take that plunge and step in that thing and sometimes you might miss it. 00:46:39.514 --> 00:46:40.097 I missed that one. 00:46:40.097 --> 00:46:42.090 Let's go back out and wait. 00:46:42.650 --> 00:46:45.139 You know, the same thing with our walk with god. 00:46:45.139 --> 00:46:47.949 There's just such a beautiful flow to that. 00:46:47.949 --> 00:46:52.764 But do you see how the god of the universe so great in his power and we're trying to produce it. 00:46:52.764 --> 00:47:02.413 But wouldn't it be better if you and I just got out of the way and let you know god, show us what wonderful things god wants to do? 00:47:02.744 --> 00:47:17.577 The invitation is that we would participate in the kingdom, that we could live like Jesus lived while we were here, that we could offer love to ourselves and to the world. 00:47:17.577 --> 00:47:30.469 And the invitation is to use the faith that we have been given not to keep people away, but to bring people into the love of Christ. 00:47:30.469 --> 00:47:43.797 Our faith is given to us as a way of living and this faith, in fact in verse 17, faith by itself isn't enough. 00:47:43.797 --> 00:47:46.992 And he's not saying faith in Christ isn't enough. 00:47:46.992 --> 00:47:48.351 He in fact is a follower. 00:47:48.351 --> 00:47:55.873 But he's saying if you just say you're a person of faith and you do not have corresponding actions, it's dead and it's useless. 00:47:55.873 --> 00:47:58.873 We hope you've enjoyed this week's sermon. 00:47:58.873 --> 00:48:03.731 If you would like more information about us, visit us online at firstlovechurchorg.