SPEAKER_01: This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God.
SPEAKER_01: For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandProquay.org.
SPEAKER_02: Ready to go.
SPEAKER_02: Lord, that is our confession.
SPEAKER_02: Teach us today about the power of believing, not like some magic spell or some little formula, but just by a reality that we live by that says we're gonna see the goodness of God in the land we're living in.
SPEAKER_02: It's not just pie in the sky, sweet by and by when we get to heaven.
SPEAKER_02: We get to taste and see that the Lord is good right here on this earth.
SPEAKER_02: So, Lord, bring your kingdom to bear on this culture, on this world.
SPEAKER_02: We agree what the Bible says, that the kings of this world are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.
SPEAKER_02: And so just keep conquering, keep subduing, and we're gonna keep submitting.
SPEAKER_02: Lord, help us to see the beauty and the purpose and the order in that thing called submission and subjection.
SPEAKER_02: That's not a four-letter word, it's a beautiful invitation to experience what we were created for.
SPEAKER_02: It's a Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_02: Now we need you to illuminate the scriptures and reveal the truth to us.
SPEAKER_02: Whatever you say today, Lord, that has our name on it, we'll do it.
SPEAKER_02: Because we're the bought and paid for people of God.
SPEAKER_02: And so we exist to make you famous, to reflect your glory and your renown in our city and among the nations.
SPEAKER_02: And so, Holy Spirit, be glorified now and be glorified in the days to come by how we live.
SPEAKER_02: This is our prayer, make it our experience, we ask in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_02: And everyone said, Amen.
SPEAKER_02: You can have a seat.
SPEAKER_02: If you got a Bible, I invite you to take an open up to Romans chapter 13.
SPEAKER_02: If you're our guest, I want to say welcome.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, you're always welcome here.
SPEAKER_02: We're in a series right now called Words to Live By, and where every Sunday we pick a word and we just look at that word from a biblical perspective, not a cultural perspective or our opinion or whatever.
SPEAKER_02: And like, oh, we kicked off the air by talking about rhythm.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, and and then we talked last week about contentment.
SPEAKER_02: And today, our word for today is authority.
SPEAKER_02: Authority.
SPEAKER_02: Much of what you see uh in our culture today, I believe, is because of this erosion of authority and our understanding of authority.
SPEAKER_02: Now, I want to make a couple of introduct introductory statements, and I want to read the text, okay?
SPEAKER_02: Here's the two introductory thoughts I want to put before you.
SPEAKER_02: Number one, authority is the first casualty in a culture that begins with your rights and not your responsibility.
SPEAKER_02: Authority is the first casualty in a culture that begins with your rights and not your responsibility because anything, we're so rights-driven nowadays that anything that violates what you believe to be your rights is a threat and must be done away with.
SPEAKER_02: And so, thieves, it violates their rights when you make them feel bad for stealing.
SPEAKER_02: So, shoplifting is no longer a crime in some states.
SPEAKER_02: You can shoplift up to$900 of stuff in California and they won't press charges.
SPEAKER_02: It's just incredible.
SPEAKER_02: But you don't have the right, you're soon gonna lose the right to bear arms.
SPEAKER_02: Some of you reached down in your boot and said, Not today.
SPEAKER_02: Relax, Redneck, stand down.
SPEAKER_02: Here's the second thing I want to say to you by way of introduction: authority is under attack in our culture, uh, both overtly and covertly.
SPEAKER_02: Overt is obviously, covert is not very obvious at all.
SPEAKER_02: It's kind of subtle.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, and when I say that, I don't mean the lawbreakers you see on TV are the people of our country, our country spends billions to defend the borders of Ukraine and we'll not defend our own borders.
SPEAKER_02: Uh uh and by the way, when word gets out that your country is not ruled by authority, you invite the chaos of the nations to your country.
SPEAKER_02: It's just free.
SPEAKER_02: I'm not against immigration.
SPEAKER_02: We have a legal process by which that happens, so please don't email me.
SPEAKER_02: I don't have time for that.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, here's what I'm talking about.
SPEAKER_02: That's obvious.
SPEAKER_02: That's easy, that's low-hanging fruit.
SPEAKER_02: I'm not talking about that.
SPEAKER_02: I'm talking about when I say authority is under attack, here's what I mean by the subtle uh war that's raging all around us.
SPEAKER_02: It happens when your kids are little and they turn on the Disney channel, and every dad on there, every dad figure is a bumbling buffoon who has to be rescued by his kids.
SPEAKER_02: It's very subtle.
SPEAKER_02: But I probably, if you think I'm just turn it on today and just watch it.
SPEAKER_02: Every man, every authority figure, parents are just oh my gosh, they're just clueless, and they're spy or supernatural kids have to save the day.
SPEAKER_02: Or the progressive insurance commercials where you got a life coach who's consistently reinforcing the message.
SPEAKER_02: You don't want to be like your parents, do you?
SPEAKER_02: They're a bunch of outdated losers.
SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02: And it's just this little, this little wave that laps against the shore and slowly erodes it.
SPEAKER_02: And pretty soon you come out and you go, now wait a minute, we used to have more property than this.
SPEAKER_02: What's happening?
SPEAKER_02: Cultural erosion.
SPEAKER_02: We've kind of eroded the authority structures in our in our culture, and that's not for your good, okay?
SPEAKER_02: And so let me give you the context.
SPEAKER_02: Paul's writing to the Christians in Rome.
SPEAKER_02: Rome was not a Christian city, it's a very pagan city run by godless people who begin to persecute Christians, and they're saying, Hey, these people, now I don't believe you should, let me just put my cards on the table.
SPEAKER_02: I don't think that whatever government does, you should submit to.
SPEAKER_02: There's a time and a place for civil disobedience, but that's a different sermon.
SPEAKER_02: Paul's writing to these people and saying, Hey, you can't just because you don't like something that authority does, you can't say, Well, we're Christians.
SPEAKER_02: This doesn't apply to us.
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
SPEAKER_02: And so, Romans chapter 13, I'll start reading verse one.
SPEAKER_02: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there's no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore, whoever resists the authorities, resist what God has appointed.
SPEAKER_02: And those who resist will incur judgment.
SPEAKER_02: Verse 3 for rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.
SPEAKER_02: Would you have no fear of the one who's in authority?
SPEAKER_02: Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval.
SPEAKER_02: For he is God's servant for your good.
SPEAKER_02: But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
SPEAKER_02: For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore, one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.
SPEAKER_02: For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing, pay to all what is owed to them, taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed.
SPEAKER_02: There's four things that the text tells us today.
SPEAKER_02: And I just want to, that's what I want to talk to you about this morning.
SPEAKER_02: And the first one is this subjection is God's design for everyone.
SPEAKER_02: Subjection.
SPEAKER_02: We say submission, the Bible says, look at verse one.
SPEAKER_02: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
SPEAKER_02: Subjection is God's design for everyone.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: Because God wants you to be now stay with me because some of you heard that and you just took a step back, like, hey, easy.
SPEAKER_02: That sounds like it's trauma-inducing or whatever.
SPEAKER_02: No, no, no.
SPEAKER_02: Stay with me, okay?
SPEAKER_02: Why does why does the Bible say that subjection is God's design for everyone?
SPEAKER_02: Because God wants you to be a powerfully resourced person who understands how authority works and has authority in your life, on your life.
SPEAKER_02: And see, here's the catch.
SPEAKER_02: I'm going to say it here and we'll end on it this morning as well.
SPEAKER_02: To be a person of authority, you have to be under authority.
SPEAKER_02: And so we we think exact opposite.
SPEAKER_02: We think throw off all authority structures.
SPEAKER_02: Who are you to tell me what to do?
SPEAKER_02: It's my body, it's my money, it's my this, my whatever.
SPEAKER_02: And so what happens, you end up on a place of isolation that is very anxiety-producing because you don't understand that subjection is God's design for everyone.
SPEAKER_02: And I want to I want to challenge the way you think about subjection or submission right from the start, because when you submit to the authorities that are over your life, you're increasing your capacity by increasing the number of people who trust you, are working for your good, and will come to your aid.
SPEAKER_02: Let me say that again.
SPEAKER_02: When you submit and you subject yourself to the authorities in your life, then you're increasing your capacity and you're increasing the number of people that are working for your good who trust you and will come to your defense, come to your aid.
SPEAKER_02: Now, on the other side of the coin, when you reject authority, you're saying, I got it.
SPEAKER_02: I can do it all by myself.
SPEAKER_02: Sounds good and feels good in the moment, but ultimately you'll have to do it all by yourself because no one trusts you and no one comes to your aid.
SPEAKER_02: This is one of the reasons there's so much anxiety in our culture today, is because you have the power, but you do not have the authority.
SPEAKER_02: And power, which is responsibility without authority, which is capacity, is the birthplace of the impostor in us.
SPEAKER_02: Let me say that again.
SPEAKER_02: To have power.
SPEAKER_02: You got to ask, here's a simple question.
SPEAKER_02: Would you rather be in charge or under authority?
SPEAKER_02: Because this is power, this is capacity.
SPEAKER_02: And to be in charge, to have power and not have authority, it's the birthplace of the impostor in you.
SPEAKER_02: Because deep inside, you have this thought.
SPEAKER_02: If anybody knew what I was really like, if anybody knew that I'm just kind of faking it until I make it, if anybody knew I'm just bluffing because I don't know how to be, that's a person that has power, reputation, but not much reality, or power and not authority.
SPEAKER_02: Authority is a beautiful thing.
SPEAKER_02: And when you understand it and how it works, your life begins to get different.
SPEAKER_02: This is why I often ask people in counseling the simple question tell me who or what you submit to.
SPEAKER_02: Because once I hear your theology of subjection, I can tell how your life is gonna go.
SPEAKER_02: Is it gonna be conflictual or is it gonna be calm?
SPEAKER_02: Is it gonna be terror or is it gonna be peace?
SPEAKER_02: Recently I asked a guy and he said, Any opioid I can get my hands on.
SPEAKER_02: And I spit coffee all over my desk and I said, You are so refreshing, you could actually change.
SPEAKER_02: And he goes, I'm not gonna lie.
SPEAKER_02: And I said, You know what?
SPEAKER_02: Don't lie, I won't lie, and a beautiful collision will happen, and this will be great.
SPEAKER_02: And he said, Okay, all right.
SPEAKER_02: Because see, he has subjected himself to the addiction for so long that his world has shrunk down to all he thinks about is how to get more pills.
SPEAKER_02: And I just asked a simple question.
SPEAKER_02: I said, Do you think God created you to live in a world that's that small?
SPEAKER_02: And he said, I steal, I lie, I lie to my wife, I lie to my boss.
SPEAKER_02: I said, Yeah, but see, here's the thing: the world that where you can control everything, it's getting it's small and it's getting smaller.
SPEAKER_02: And God created you to live in a big world.
SPEAKER_02: What I didn't say was stop taking opioids.
SPEAKER_02: Now, do I think it should stop?
SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02: But see, he subjected his whole life to his addiction, and so it shrunk down to the size of his addiction.
SPEAKER_02: See, many people wonder why their life is so anxiety-producing, and oftentimes it's simple.
SPEAKER_02: You live apart from God's design for your life when it comes to subjection and submission.
SPEAKER_02: The Greek word, you said what do you mean?
SPEAKER_02: The Greek word when it says there, let every and be verse one, let every person be subject to the governing authorities, be subject to that that that word means to arrange under.
SPEAKER_02: And so what you should see from the text is that without authority, there can be no order.
SPEAKER_02: Let me say it again, I'll demonstrate.
SPEAKER_02: Without authority figures in your life, that you submit to, that you subject yourself to.
SPEAKER_02: What a terrible word, subjection, right?
SPEAKER_02: Uh, submission, we've kind of gotten used to that one.
SPEAKER_02: Like last night, I submitted myself to my wife.
SPEAKER_02: All the complimentarians are like, What did you say?
SPEAKER_02: Some of you are like, I don't think I want to know about that.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, we had dinner, and then my wife said, Hey, I'm going to go to the grocery store because we're having some Mormon missionaries over to our house for dinner tomorrow night.
SPEAKER_02: Because my wife is out walking the dog and she starts talking to these people, and then she invites them to dinner.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, What?
SPEAKER_02: No, we like to do that.
SPEAKER_02: We just say, Hey, when's the last time you had a home cooked meal?
SPEAKER_02: And they're like, uh, uh.
SPEAKER_02: So there's three of them coming tomorrow.
SPEAKER_02: And she said, My husband will be here.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, Yes, I will.
SPEAKER_02: Come on, baby.
SPEAKER_02: I've already gotten the talk.
SPEAKER_02: You have to be on your best behavior.
SPEAKER_02: I'll be good.
SPEAKER_02: But we had dinner, she left, she cleaned the kitchen somewhat, and then she left and went to the grocery store to get stuff for them.
SPEAKER_02: I say somewhat because she left the pots and pans.
SPEAKER_02: And I was getting ready to watch football, because that's what a man should do.
SPEAKER_02: And I walked through the kitchen, and this little voice in me said, Why don't you do the pots and pans while she used to the grocery store?
SPEAKER_02: I don't clap, shut up.
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, Lord, the devil's tempted me to miss football.
SPEAKER_02: Uh and because I was thinking about this, that little voice in me said, Yeah, subject yourself to your wife.
SPEAKER_02: See, we men love to run to Ephesians 5, verse 18, wives be submissive, submit to your husbands and all things.
SPEAKER_02: But look at me, right above that, when it's talking about rules for Christian households, it says, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
SPEAKER_02: And so I cleaned the kitchen because of how I felt about my wife and about how my reverence for Christ.
SPEAKER_02: And I took the burner grates off and cleaned the top of the stove.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
SPEAKER_02: And then I went and got the oh, it's it's better.
SPEAKER_02: And then I went and got the Windex and I cleaned the microwave in the front of the oven.
SPEAKER_02: And I was just like, she's gonna be impressed.
SPEAKER_02: She comes in with bags of groceries.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02: Right, right, get out of my way.
SPEAKER_02: I gotta put these groceries down.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, Did you get a new stove?
SPEAKER_02: It's really shiny.
SPEAKER_02: And she's like, Well, I actually like to use this stone and steel policies for stagnant steel.
SPEAKER_02: Mill out herself.
SPEAKER_02: Don't clean this woman's kitchen ever again.
SPEAKER_02: No, see, see, look at me again.
SPEAKER_02: The Greek word to be subject to, look, you hear that and you're like, I ain't subject to anybody.
SPEAKER_02: Listen, without subjection, which means to arrange under you have no order.
SPEAKER_02: Let me give you the flow.
SPEAKER_02: If you don't have authority, if you don't recognize the authority in your life, there's no subjection.
SPEAKER_02: Without subjection, you have no order.
SPEAKER_02: And without order, you invite chaos.
SPEAKER_02: Just watch the evening news.
SPEAKER_02: It's that's what's happened all around us.
SPEAKER_02: Here's the second thing the Bible tells us about authority.
SPEAKER_02: Authority is God's design for the world.
SPEAKER_02: For the world.
SPEAKER_02: Continuing in verse one, for there is no authority except from God.
SPEAKER_02: And those that exist have been instituted by God.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed.
SPEAKER_02: And those who resist will incur judgment.
SPEAKER_02: When I say authority is God's design for the world, what I'm saying is that earthly authority derives its authority from God.
SPEAKER_02: Listen carefully.
SPEAKER_02: I am not saying because every ruler, dictator, and despot in the world quotes Romans 13 out of context.
SPEAKER_02: I say, You should sub, you should submit to me in all things.
SPEAKER_02: Subject yourself.
SPEAKER_02: I'm not saying everything an authority figure does is God's will or God's way.
SPEAKER_02: I'm saying they derive their authority from God.
SPEAKER_02: Let me demonstrate.
SPEAKER_02: Don't turn there, but John chapter 19, verse 11, Jesus is talking to Pilate.
SPEAKER_02: He's on trial.
SPEAKER_02: They're going to crucify him.
SPEAKER_02: And Pilate's kind of like, hey, do you know who I am?
SPEAKER_02: Because Jesus is not even talking to him.
SPEAKER_02: Let me say this, I'll demonstrate it at the end.
SPEAKER_02: People who understand authority, they have a different experience.
SPEAKER_02: They live a different life, they speak a different language.
SPEAKER_02: John 19, verse 11, Pilate's like, hey, you should be talking to me, dude.
SPEAKER_02: I have the power of life and death in my hand.
SPEAKER_02: And Jesus says to him, You have, you would have no authority at all except if it weren't given for you from above.
SPEAKER_02: And Pilate's like, Excuse me?
SPEAKER_02: Come again?
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
SPEAKER_02: Get over yourself, you little peon.
SPEAKER_02: You're a little politician who sold your soul to the devil a long time ago for votes.
SPEAKER_02: Don't talk to me about authority.
SPEAKER_02: You do not have the authority over my life.
SPEAKER_02: Okay?
SPEAKER_02: God is using you as a pawn in this narrative of redemption that he's telling.
SPEAKER_02: Said differently, you would have no authority at all if it weren't given you from above.
SPEAKER_02: Again, people who understand authority, they talk differently and they have different experiences.
SPEAKER_02: But I'm just saying authority is God's design for the entire world.
SPEAKER_02: You have to ask yourself, what are some authority figures in our culture today?
SPEAKER_02: Here's some that I listed out.
SPEAKER_02: God, that's easy.
SPEAKER_02: Here's another one, it's a little harder.
SPEAKER_02: Government.
SPEAKER_02: Some of y'all like, we just drop the needle on the record.
SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_02: Here's another one, police.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
SPEAKER_02: See, this is crazy.
SPEAKER_02: It says right here in the Bible, uh, therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
SPEAKER_02: I think when you resist, you should get judgment.
SPEAKER_02: Not police brutality, but there should be a consequence for not acknowledging authority.
SPEAKER_02: I'm tired of turning on my TV, and somebody gets pulled over to a traffic stop, and they get out, they run three blocks down the road, and then when the cops catch them, they fight them and they reach for the cop's gun, and the whole time the guy's filming it with the cell phone going, I'm gonna sue, I'm gonna sue.
SPEAKER_02: And you wonder why people do not want to take jobs that have authority.
SPEAKER_02: Because here's what we've done we've asked those people to bear the sword in vain.
SPEAKER_02: Hey, take a position of authority, but do not act like a person of authority.
SPEAKER_02: That's right, no one wants to work for the Border Patrol.
SPEAKER_02: Are you kidding me?
SPEAKER_02: We're just a travel agent for drug cartels.
SPEAKER_02: I mean, give me a break.
SPEAKER_02: I'm not gonna wear this green uniform to do this.
SPEAKER_02: What am I saying?
SPEAKER_02: I'm saying authority is God's design for the world.
SPEAKER_02: Earthly authority derives that authority from God, but they do not always carry out God's will or God's ways.
SPEAKER_02: There's authority figures, there's God, there's government, there's police, there's teachers.
SPEAKER_02: Can you imagine students going to school tomorrow and saying to your teachers, you know what?
SPEAKER_02: The Bible says you're my authority figure and you you deserve honor and respect.
SPEAKER_02: I don't think I've respected you.
SPEAKER_02: And I want to ask your forgiveness.
SPEAKER_02: Because I think you should not believe in the God I believe in if I act like everybody else in this classroom.
SPEAKER_02: The teachers over here are kind of going, that ain't happening.
SPEAKER_02: Many times.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
SPEAKER_02: Here's another one.
SPEAKER_02: Parents.
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
SPEAKER_02: Your parents are your authority figure.
SPEAKER_02: I look over here because this is where the students usually sit.
SPEAKER_02: Wherever you're sitting, students, you your parents are your authority figure.
SPEAKER_02: And when you get out from under their authority, you are disobeying.
SPEAKER_02: Not just your parents, you're disobeying God.
SPEAKER_02: So you should submit to your parents, and if they're wrong, God will take that out on them.
SPEAKER_02: Yes, and you shouldn't say to your parents, I'm gonna trust you, don't screw this up.
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
SPEAKER_02: But about 13, the puberty bunny finds your house, and you get an attitude and an Instagram and a TikTok, and you're like, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02: All you're doing is training yourself to go it alone, and anxiety will find you shortly.
SPEAKER_02: And I'll show you that in the Bible just to end.
SPEAKER_02: You think, oh, Pastor, you're just saying that.
SPEAKER_02: No.
SPEAKER_02: No, by the way, I called a school across the street, I volunteered to substitute teach so far.
SPEAKER_02: They haven't called me back.
SPEAKER_02: They said, What qualifications do you have?
SPEAKER_02: I said, I do not bear the sword in vain.
SPEAKER_02: I tell you that much.
SPEAKER_02: Authority is God's design for the world.
SPEAKER_02: Let me just say, when you resist authority, you should incur judgment.
SPEAKER_02: Again, I'm not talking about abuse or anything.
SPEAKER_02: I'm talking about my own life.
SPEAKER_02: In the eighth grade, I had Coach Hogue, Lacey Hogue.
SPEAKER_02: We never said his first name.
SPEAKER_02: We called him Coach Hogue.
SPEAKER_02: He was just a man.
SPEAKER_02: He didn't tolerate foolishness.
SPEAKER_02: We had athletics first period.
SPEAKER_02: Third period, we had Miss Hanson, an older woman.
SPEAKER_02: We ran roughshod over her.
SPEAKER_02: We had these little handheld squirt guns.
SPEAKER_02: A long time ago, squirt guns didn't look like a bazooka, okay?
SPEAKER_02: They were just a little plastic thing.
SPEAKER_02: But they came out with a green one that was like brass knuckles to fit in your hand, and the teacher couldn't see you holding it.
SPEAKER_02: And so when she would turn her back around the board, we would and she would go, It's the roof leaking.
SPEAKER_02: And so we were, before gaslighting was a thing, we were gaslighting Mrs.
SPEAKER_02: Hansen.
SPEAKER_02: And so one day, Mrs.
SPEAKER_02: I mean, she walked out just crying.
SPEAKER_02: Now I wasn't a Christian back then, so don't be all sad, like, oh, you jerk.
SPEAKER_02: And so she walked out crying and was gone for like 20 minutes, and we were like, hey.
SPEAKER_02: The next day we thought, that would be so well, we'll do it again.
SPEAKER_02: And she walked out crying.
SPEAKER_02: And then we heard coming down the hall.
SPEAKER_02: And I thought, did she change shoes?
SPEAKER_02: No, she went down the hall around the corner to Coach Hoke's history class and said, Coach, I need you.
SPEAKER_02: Because he saw her crying the day before and said, If this happens again, you come and get me.
SPEAKER_02: And she did.
SPEAKER_02: He came in there and goes, I want it now.
SPEAKER_02: Give me the scort gun.
SPEAKER_02: We were like, and he goes, I'll take it away from you if you don't.
SPEAKER_02: So me and other guys walked up and put him down.
SPEAKER_02: He took him on the floor, stomped him with his cowboy boots.
SPEAKER_02: And then he said, Put your hands on that desk.
SPEAKER_02: And he pulled a wooden paddle out of his back pocket and he struck me on the Butox multiple times on the glutamus maximus.
SPEAKER_02: And the whole time he just kept saying, I tell you what, but guy, you make that woman cry again, I'll make you cry.
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, now I went to the principal at lunch and said, Coach Hogue used profanity.
SPEAKER_02: Because I was a victim.
SPEAKER_02: Because I want to get out of it.
SPEAKER_02: I'm going to sue somebody.
SPEAKER_02: And I remember my principal, I'm not making this up.
SPEAKER_02: His name was King Moss.
SPEAKER_02: And we called him Mr.
SPEAKER_02: Moss to his face, but King behind his back.
SPEAKER_02: And King looked at me and said, No, Coach Hogue, I heard what happened.
SPEAKER_02: Coach Hogue didn't lose, he didn't use profanity.
SPEAKER_02: He swore by God that if you make that woman cry again, he's gonna harm you.
SPEAKER_02: Now, I was in the eighth grade, I was already on probation, I was a little thuglet, okay?
SPEAKER_02: And I remember this is the crazy thing.
SPEAKER_02: This is the first time in my life I had this thought.
SPEAKER_02: Sitting in the back of the class, my my exterior tingling.
SPEAKER_02: By the way, he whipped seven of us right there on the spot.
SPEAKER_02: And then he went outside the building and fired up a cigarette.
SPEAKER_02: We were looking out the window.
SPEAKER_02: He's out there by the bike rack, walking back and forth.
SPEAKER_02: Mother, I tell you what, he stomps it out.
SPEAKER_02: I gotta go teach history.
SPEAKER_02: Here was the thought I had that day.
SPEAKER_02: You know, you know, the Bible says, oh, you know, the authority is God's design for the world.
SPEAKER_02: Here's the thought I had that day.
SPEAKER_02: What just happened was really beautiful.
SPEAKER_02: It was an out-of-body experience.
SPEAKER_02: I just thought, we shouldn't treat this lady like this.
SPEAKER_02: We deserve what we just got.
SPEAKER_02: I remember I said to Kim, can I get money for my squirt gun?
SPEAKER_02: He said, Don't push it, son.
SPEAKER_02: I was like, okay.
SPEAKER_02: It was the first time I'd seen someone exercise authority to defend somebody who didn't have any because we took it away.
SPEAKER_02: And I just I treated her differently the rest of the year.
SPEAKER_02: I was like, I don't want to be mean to this lady.
SPEAKER_02: And he would wait at his door.
SPEAKER_02: We were walking out.
SPEAKER_02: Any foolishness today?
SPEAKER_02: No, sir.
SPEAKER_02: All right, because I'll be right, I'll be right down there.
SPEAKER_02: I remember writing in my spiral notebook.
SPEAKER_02: There's a New sheriff in town.
SPEAKER_02: And his name is not Neil.
SPEAKER_02: And that is a good thing.
SPEAKER_02: Here's the third thing the Bible tells us authority is intended to moderate conduct.
SPEAKER_02: Authority is intended to moderate conduct.
SPEAKER_02: Look at verse 3.
SPEAKER_02: For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.
SPEAKER_02: Would you have no fear of the one who's in authority?
SPEAKER_02: Then do what is good.
SPEAKER_02: Translation: why every time you see a policeman do you get off the gas?
SPEAKER_02: Because you're doing bad.
SPEAKER_02: Marcy, anyway.
SPEAKER_02: For rulers are not a carrot of good conduct.
SPEAKER_02: Look at me.
SPEAKER_02: If you're doing the right thing, you ain't gotta be afraid of anybody.
SPEAKER_02: But to bad.
SPEAKER_02: Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?
SPEAKER_02: Then do what is good and you will receive his approval.
SPEAKER_02: For he is God's servant.
SPEAKER_02: Hear this for your good.
SPEAKER_02: But if you do wrong, be afraid.
SPEAKER_02: Here's a problem in America: wrongdoers aren't afraid anymore.
SPEAKER_02: They're emboldened and entitled.
SPEAKER_02: They just kind of waltz in like, hey, look what we're doing.
SPEAKER_02: If you're so proud, take your ski mask off.
SPEAKER_02: Let us see your face so we can come to your house later tonight and pay you a pastoral visit.
SPEAKER_02: For he's God's servant for your good.
SPEAKER_02: But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
SPEAKER_02: For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
SPEAKER_02: See, boys and girls, a long time ago, the Avengers was not a movie.
SPEAKER_02: It was people in authority that showed up to handle business.
SPEAKER_02: Now, what are you saying?
SPEAKER_02: I'm saying authority is intended to moderate conduct.
SPEAKER_02: He uses the word terror.
SPEAKER_02: He is a terror to the wrongdoer, which refers to fear, dread, that which strikes terror.
SPEAKER_02: See, authority is a terror to bad conduct.
SPEAKER_02: We live in a world where we have flipped those, and now bad conduct is a terror to authority.
SPEAKER_02: And while you sound hip and loving and freed up, you're being cowardly when you think that's funny or cool.
SPEAKER_02: Like I have friends that are, and I'm not calling them this, they say, Oh, I'm liberal.
SPEAKER_02: I'm liberal, I'm freed up and liberal.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm just like, no, you're not freed up and liberal.
SPEAKER_02: You're lazy.
SPEAKER_02: And I tell them this at dinner.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm free to come to your house any night this week and tell you the same thing.
SPEAKER_02: Because they're like, hey, when our kids got to be 13, we're just gonna let our kids kind of determine what's right and wrong for them.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, could you be a more pathetic parent?
SPEAKER_02: See, your kids are like they are in public, they don't recognize authority in public because there's no authority in the home.
SPEAKER_02: And it's not, oh, your kids are hellions.
SPEAKER_02: No, you're just lazy.
SPEAKER_02: Aren't you glad you shaved your legs for this?
SPEAKER_02: You should turn to your husband right now and go, Thank you for bringing me to church today.
SPEAKER_02: Now, do I think all of you are lazy?
SPEAKER_02: No.
SPEAKER_02: Do I when I see kids acted out in public?
SPEAKER_02: I just think there's no authority in that home.
SPEAKER_02: You should be parents the first experience your kids have with authority.
SPEAKER_02: It's inconvenient.
SPEAKER_02: You can't do all the things you want to do.
SPEAKER_02: We're empty nesters.
SPEAKER_02: We do whatever we want now.
SPEAKER_02: It's awesome.
SPEAKER_02: But in the meantime, buck up little soldier and stay engaged.
SPEAKER_02: My friends are like, oh well, yeah.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm just like, no.
SPEAKER_02: And so finally they're just they think, oh, you're like an antique.
SPEAKER_02: Oh, come on, McClendon, get with the program.
SPEAKER_02: I mean, this is 2022, and now it's 2023.
SPEAKER_02: I'm like, what's that got to do with anything?
SPEAKER_02: Does the date on the calendar change what the Bible says?
SPEAKER_02: No, not at all.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm just like, what?
SPEAKER_02: Because I'm novel to them.
SPEAKER_02: Oh, you're just like a conservative.
SPEAKER_02: No, I'm a Christian.
SPEAKER_02: And you guys profess to be Christians.
SPEAKER_02: How can you be so open-minded that your brain fell out a long time ago?
SPEAKER_02: Don't come in my home and insult me.
SPEAKER_02: I'm not insulting, I'm just telling you the truth.
SPEAKER_02: And all these other people here, they don't want to tell the truth because you have great parties and they want to come to them.
SPEAKER_02: And they're just like, well, I love you.
SPEAKER_02: I love you too.
SPEAKER_02: And love rejoices in the truth.
SPEAKER_02: And here's the truth: you're not being hip and cool and modern, and I got an understanding you don't have because I read some books.
SPEAKER_02: You're being lazy and you're creating a world that you don't want your kids to live in.
SPEAKER_02: That's the problem.
SPEAKER_02: And all of a sudden it gets real quiet at the dinner table.
SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, okay, hear you now.
SPEAKER_02: Because those kids that are off running the streets that you're complaining about, you call me, oh, my 15-year-old smokes weed and wants me to buy him a car early.
SPEAKER_02: Why not?
SPEAKER_02: There's no authority.
SPEAKER_02: He's the only authority.
SPEAKER_02: And your kid's got crippling anxiety.
SPEAKER_02: He's been taking bed since he was 13, and you're like, I don't know what the deal is.
SPEAKER_02: How about say no to yourself and yes to him?
SPEAKER_02: Here's the last thing I want to say to you.
SPEAKER_02: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, by the way, let me just say this.
SPEAKER_02: When I say authority is intended to moderate conduct, uh, if this is true, then when you no longer have authority in the culture, you're actually inviting bad conduct.
SPEAKER_02: And this is what we're doing in our culture today.
SPEAKER_02: Augustine, the church historian, said this without justice, what are kingdoms but great gangs of bandits?
SPEAKER_02: He wrote this in like 394.
SPEAKER_02: It's not a new problem.
SPEAKER_02: It's just not.
SPEAKER_02: Now, again, when you ask rulers, because he said, hey, he is God's servant for your good, but if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
SPEAKER_02: When you ask people in positions of authority to bear the sword in vain, then you decrease the number of people who want to be in positions of authority.
SPEAKER_02: That's why no one wants to be a cop nowadays.
SPEAKER_02: You pull someone for a tracking stop, they got their camera.
SPEAKER_02: Like, hey, nice camera.
SPEAKER_02: And here's the truth: most cops can't afford the attorney.
SPEAKER_02: And the police force ain't gonna stand behind them.
SPEAKER_02: They're gonna be like, oh, dude, sorry, we're gonna have to put you on suspension.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: Because I enforce the law.
SPEAKER_02: Here's the last thing the Bible says subjection positions you for a different experience.
SPEAKER_02: Subjection positions you for a different experience.
SPEAKER_02: Look at verse five.
SPEAKER_02: You still with me?
SPEAKER_02: Say amen.
SPEAKER_02: Uh look at verse five.
SPEAKER_02: Don't miss this.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore, one must be in subjection.
SPEAKER_02: So he starts off saying, Hey, let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
SPEAKER_02: Unpax it a little bit, and then in summary, he says in verse five, therefore, one must be in subjection.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: Not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.
SPEAKER_02: For because of this, you also pay taxes for the authorities or ministers of God attending to this very thing.
SPEAKER_02: Pay to all what is owed to them.
SPEAKER_02: Taxes to whom taxes is owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed.
SPEAKER_02: You should ask yourself, is there anybody I owe revenue, honor, or respect to that I'm not given it?
SPEAKER_02: Students, do you need to say to your parents, I don't care if you're 19, 24, or whatever, hey, you know what, mom?
SPEAKER_02: I don't think I respect you like I should, and that's gross.
SPEAKER_02: Would you please forgive me?
SPEAKER_02: Can you feel it in here?
SPEAKER_02: Subjection positions you for a different experience in relation to two things God's wrath and your conscience.
SPEAKER_02: He says, hey, verse 5, for he's the servant of God and avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
SPEAKER_02: Therefore, one must be in subjection.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: To avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of your conscience.
SPEAKER_02: God's wrath to avoid it, your conscience for the sake of it.
SPEAKER_02: Why?
SPEAKER_02: You ever wonder if mental health crisis in our country is not due to COVID only?
SPEAKER_02: But it's just due to the fact that we have lived uh on our own.
SPEAKER_02: We we do not subject ourselves to the authority of the land.
SPEAKER_02: Can you imagine?
SPEAKER_02: Think about this.
SPEAKER_02: The next time you go to your therapist, your therapist says, Hey, listen, I don't want to see you for 90 days, and for the next nine days, I want you to submit yourself to all the authority figures in your life and then come back and see me.
SPEAKER_02: That's never been said.
SPEAKER_02: Because we're not an authority culture, we're a permission culture.
SPEAKER_02: And where you do not have authority, you have to give permission and give permission and give permission.
SPEAKER_02: What am I saying?
SPEAKER_02: I'm saying people who are under authority have more capacity and a different experience.
SPEAKER_02: I want to end this morning by reading from Matthew chapter 8.
SPEAKER_02: Because I just kind of plunged on this whole authority thing.
SPEAKER_02: I want to see what the Bible says about this.
SPEAKER_02: Here's an experience from the life of Jesus, Matthew chapter 8, verse 5.
SPEAKER_02: When it entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.
SPEAKER_02: And he said to him, I will come and heal him.
SPEAKER_02: That's what Jesus says.
SPEAKER_02: But the centurion replied, Lord, I'm not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
SPEAKER_02: For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.
SPEAKER_02: And I say to one, go and he goes.
SPEAKER_02: I say to another, come and he comes, and to my servant, do this, and he does it.
SPEAKER_02: When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, Truly I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
SPEAKER_02: I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.
SPEAKER_02: In that place there'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
SPEAKER_02: Verse 13.
SPEAKER_02: And to the centurion he said, Go, let it be done for you as you have believed.
SPEAKER_02: Now I want you to notice a couple of things.
SPEAKER_02: First of all, notice that he says, the centurion says, I too am a man under authority.
SPEAKER_02: Here's a couple of things that are not on the outline.
SPEAKER_02: If you're a note taker, write these down.
SPEAKER_02: Authority recognizes authority.
SPEAKER_02: He says to Jesus, I too am a man under authority.
SPEAKER_02: I I know how this operates.
SPEAKER_02: And so this is going to inform my dialogue and the way I respond to you.
SPEAKER_02: This is what I mean when I say people that are under authority, they have a different experience, they talk a different way.
SPEAKER_02: It's like crazy talk.
SPEAKER_02: You're like, no, wait a minute.
SPEAKER_02: What whether you understand that I don't understand?
SPEAKER_02: He says, I too am a man under authority.
SPEAKER_02: He says, This is why I tell people to do something and they do it.
SPEAKER_02: Again, if you want to be a person of authority, you have to be under authority.
SPEAKER_02: And when you're under authority, you under you understand how authority operates and you can appeal to authority.
SPEAKER_02: That's the second thing I want you to see.
SPEAKER_02: When you're under authority, you understand how authority operates and you can appeal to authority.
SPEAKER_02: You just say, hey, a lot of people's prayers go unanswered because they live in violation of how authority operates.
SPEAKER_02: And then in a time of crisis, they run to God, they want to appeal to God's authority.
SPEAKER_02: God can't answer that prayer because the weight of that answered prayer, you don't have the spiritual infrastructure to support the weight of that answered prayer.
SPEAKER_02: It would crush you.
SPEAKER_02: You'd walk away and think, oh yeah, I can I can live in rebellion all the time and then just come to God like Walmart when I need something.
SPEAKER_02: No, you can't.
SPEAKER_02: Notice verse 13.
SPEAKER_02: This is the last thing I want you to see.
SPEAKER_02: He says, Jesus says to the centurion, who understands how it operates, go.
SPEAKER_02: Let it be done for you as you have believed.
SPEAKER_02: When you and I live in subjection, submission to authority that God has ordained, we're confessing our belief.
SPEAKER_02: We're saying, This is what I believe.
SPEAKER_02: We're saying I'm not in charge of the world.
SPEAKER_02: I have people over me.
SPEAKER_02: And when you and I live that, we're confessing that.
SPEAKER_02: And here you see Jesus saying to this guy, I'm gonna do in your life in keeping what you have believed, past hints.
SPEAKER_02: He didn't come up, Jesus doesn't say, you know what, in this moment you look really sincere and desperate and sad and you're crying.
SPEAKER_02: It's like the last night of youth camp.
SPEAKER_02: I bet I better do what you want.
SPEAKER_02: Now Jesus says, I look at the trajectory of your life and you have believed for a long time.
SPEAKER_02: And so I tell you what, go.
SPEAKER_02: I let it be done for you as you have believed.
SPEAKER_02: And the servant was healed at that very moment.
SPEAKER_02: This is not a crisis moment that obligates God to prove himself to someone who's lived his whole life like the only authority on the planet was his own opinion.
SPEAKER_02: That's why some of you you give up on God or you say things like this whole God thing ain't working for me, or church just ain't working for me.
SPEAKER_02: Look at me.
SPEAKER_02: Authority is not at work in you.
SPEAKER_02: And you feel it, and it makes you anxious, it makes you depressed, it makes you neurotic.
SPEAKER_02: But I'm just saying to you, the God of the universe that created you wants you to be a man, a woman, a student who is under authority, so you can be a person of authority.
SPEAKER_02: This is God's design for your life.
SPEAKER_02: I had a conversation this week and someone was talking about students in America.
SPEAKER_02: They said, They're just so apathetic.
SPEAKER_02: I think TikTok and online and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
SPEAKER_02: And I was like, okay.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, and then one of the guys looked at me and goes, What do you think?
SPEAKER_02: And I said, I just think that they don't believe much.
SPEAKER_02: And they were like, What?
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I don't think they believe much.
SPEAKER_02: I think they hear a lot.
SPEAKER_02: Just because you hear it doesn't mean you believe it.
SPEAKER_02: You understand that?
SPEAKER_02: I think they hear a lot.
SPEAKER_02: I think students in our chair have great youth pastors, Ian, great youth workers, all that stuff.
SPEAKER_02: Get preached the gospel every Sunday by Leo, Brent, or myself, one of our other pastors.
SPEAKER_02: But just because you hear it doesn't mean you believe it.
SPEAKER_02: He said, What are you saying?
SPEAKER_02: I said, I just think they're living out what they really believe.
SPEAKER_02: And God is doing in them according to what they really what they have believed.
SPEAKER_02: And it's not much.
SPEAKER_02: They're not apathetic, they're inexperienced.
SPEAKER_02: Does that make sense?
SPEAKER_02: I'm not dogging on you, students.
SPEAKER_02: I'm not mad at you.
SPEAKER_02: Don't go home, you're the jerk.
SPEAKER_02: No.
SPEAKER_02: I just, I mean, if you believed more, you actually trafficked what you hear out of this book, would your life be like it is or would it be different?
SPEAKER_02: Because Jesus says, Hey, I'm gonna do in you according to what you have believed.
SPEAKER_02: Here's a question, we'll be done today.
SPEAKER_02: If this is true, and it is, this is a principle out of the Bible, God works in you according to what you have believed.
SPEAKER_02: How much could God do in you right now?
SPEAKER_02: Or do you have to step up what you believe and submit yourself to it?
SPEAKER_02: See, that's the that's a beautiful imitation of God.
SPEAKER_02: He's not mad, he's not angry, he's like, I'm gonna get you submitted.
SPEAKER_02: I'm a slave holder, and you're my slave.
SPEAKER_02: No, no, again, people that are under authority, they talk like Jesus.
SPEAKER_02: Like, hey, listen, knucklehead, you're not in charge here.
SPEAKER_02: You're not a gangster, you're a wangster, okay?
SPEAKER_02: Give it a rest.
SPEAKER_02: You have no authority at all, unless it was given to you from above.
SPEAKER_02: Be done before someone drops a house on you.
SPEAKER_02: How much can God do in you right now?
SPEAKER_02: Well, the issue is with them because what have you believed?
SPEAKER_02: Because submitting to what you believe is what makes you a person of authority.
SPEAKER_02: And this is God's design for your life.
SPEAKER_02: I don't care if you're 13 or 93.
SPEAKER_02: God wants you to be a man or a woman, a person of authority.
SPEAKER_02: Let's pray together.
SPEAKER_02: I agree.
SPEAKER_02: Thank you for little kids that just blurt stuff out in church.
SPEAKER_02: Yes.
SPEAKER_02: Because we want to be childlike.
SPEAKER_02: It reminds me, Lord, you took a little kid and put him on your lap and said, Unless you become like this, you're not gonna see the kingdom.
SPEAKER_02: God, we don't see the kingdom because we're too busy building our own.
SPEAKER_02: We want to submit to you, our king, and your kingdom.
SPEAKER_02: And so, Holy Spirit, just brood over us just for a moment while we think about these questions on the screen and about our lives and what we really believe.
SPEAKER_02: Holy Spirit, just speak now.
SPEAKER_02: Yes, Lord, that's our confession.
SPEAKER_02: Our heart is drawn to self-exalting.
SPEAKER_02: That is our nature, run amok.
SPEAKER_02: But there's a better king and a better kingdom than me and mine.
SPEAKER_02: And I want to submit to that.
SPEAKER_02: I want to trust you.
SPEAKER_02: So, Lord, help us to do that today, this week, and for the rest of our lives.
SPEAKER_02: We pray in Christ's name, and everyone says, Amen, amen.
SPEAKER_02: If you're our guest today, let me say thank you for being here.
SPEAKER_02: You're always welcome.
SPEAKER_02: This is your first time, your fourth time.
SPEAKER_02: Keep coming, keep asking questions.
SPEAKER_02: We believe that God speaks a language you understand right out of the Bible, okay?
SPEAKER_02: If you have any questions about anything you saw or heard today, uh, some of our pastors will be available down front.
SPEAKER_02: When you're dismissed here in a minute, we'd love to answer questions, pray with you.
SPEAKER_02: If you got something going on, we would be honored to walk that journey with you, okay?
SPEAKER_02: We have some things going on in life for our church you want to make you aware of.
SPEAKER_02: So give your attention to our screens for our video announcements.
SPEAKER_01: Here's a look at what's happening at Grand Parkway Baptist Church.
SPEAKER_01: If you're new, text welcome to 281-626-5707.
SPEAKER_01: This way we can know you're here and get you connected with the church.
SPEAKER_01: Collection of soup for Super Bowl Sunday is happening now through February 12th.
SPEAKER_01: Grab some cans of good soup and drop them off at the Mission Center in the lobby.
SPEAKER_01: The table is happening tonight, and all women are invited.
SPEAKER_01: See you in the gathering room at 6.30 p.m.
SPEAKER_01: Night to Shine is less than three weeks away, and we would love for you to join us as a volunteer.
SPEAKER_01: Sign up at Grandparkway.org.
SPEAKER_01: By way of reminder, volunteer training is this Saturday, January 28th.
SPEAKER_01: Men's Breakfast is back.
SPEAKER_01: We'll gather at 6 a.m.
SPEAKER_01: this Tuesday in the warehouse for free breakfast and time in God's Word.
SPEAKER_01: All men are welcome.
SPEAKER_01: Also, for all men, there is an informational meeting about our men's summer mission trip next Sunday, January 29th, after church in the gathering room.
SPEAKER_01: Here's a word from our student pastor.
SPEAKER_00: Howdy, my name is Ian Weber, and here is what you need to know about D Now 2023.
SPEAKER_00: D Now is going to take place on our church campus and in host homes on the weekend of February 3rd through the 5th.
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be a weekend to pour into meaningful friendships, serve our community, make lifetime memories, and be impacted by powerful worship.
SPEAKER_00: Today is the last day to sign up for the early bird price of$75.
SPEAKER_00: Tomorrow will become 100.
SPEAKER_00: If finances are tight, we have scholarships available.
SPEAKER_00: Students, we know God is going to move in marvelous ways throughout this weekend, and so you will not want to miss D Now.
SPEAKER_00: This is a weekend for students, but adults can be a part of it too.
SPEAKER_00: D Now is special because the whole church comes together to put it on.
SPEAKER_00: We're still needing drivers to help transport students throughout the weekend.
SPEAKER_00: We're also looking for nesters.
SPEAKER_00: This can be individuals, it can be families, or community groups that want to adopt a small group to help make their discussion room at the church cozy and inviting for the students who attend.
SPEAKER_00: Finally, we're looking for servers, people that would help set up, serve, and tear down meals at the church.
SPEAKER_00: We would love to see the church as a whole come together to help make this weekend the best it can be.
SPEAKER_00: If you're interested in any of what I just said, uh, please email me at ian at grandparkway.org.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01: If you have any questions or want someone to pray for you, find one of our pastors at the front of the stage at the conclusion of our service.
SPEAKER_02: Let me just remind you about a couple of things you just saw.
SPEAKER_02: One thing you didn't just see.
SPEAKER_02: First of all, the table is tonight.
SPEAKER_02: The gathering room is the old sanctuary, the right next door to the building, the green roof.
SPEAKER_02: Ladies, 6 30.
SPEAKER_02: Kelly Needham is incredible.
SPEAKER_02: She's authentic.
SPEAKER_02: She's not a professional Christian.
SPEAKER_02: She's a real person.
SPEAKER_02: She's a wife.
SPEAKER_02: She has kids.
SPEAKER_02: She has a husband, and she's just straight up.
SPEAKER_02: You do not want to miss this because people will talk about it and you'll be like, dang, I wish I would have gone to that.
SPEAKER_02: So, men, let's help our wives escape the gravitational sucking sound of us.
SPEAKER_02: And get some time for her.
SPEAKER_02: 6:30, right next door.
SPEAKER_02: You do not want to miss it.
SPEAKER_02: Lindsay Fralex, let me lead in worship, and you're going to hear a great speaker in Kelly Needham, okay?
SPEAKER_02: Second thing, night to shine, that is coming up.
SPEAKER_02: We still need volunteers.
SPEAKER_02: Now, students, we told you up to this point, hey, we don't want anybody under 18.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, but I will make an exception if you can be a responsible person.
SPEAKER_02: Here's why we did that, because I'd be like, why'd you do that?
SPEAKER_02: Because last year, a bunch of students, not necessarily ours, maybe from a school in the vicinity, uh, that wanted some extra credit, looks good on my college transcript point.
SPEAKER_02: They signed up and didn't show up.
SPEAKER_02: And then we're scrambling.
SPEAKER_02: So if you can be a responsible student and you're like, hey, dude, I'm there.
SPEAKER_02: I'm a man of my word, I'm a woman of my word.
SPEAKER_02: We need people to shine shoes.
SPEAKER_02: We need people to do makeup, we need people to be someone's escort for the night.
SPEAKER_02: Uh so get your dance moves on.
SPEAKER_02: Teach me how to dug it.
SPEAKER_02: Anyway, uh, and so if you can do that, look at me.
SPEAKER_02: Shh, focus.
SPEAKER_02: When you go out the door right here, you go to the left, there's gonna be a lady standing named Sherry Elder by the big TV.
SPEAKER_02: She's the night to shine contact person.
SPEAKER_02: Just tell her, hey, I want to volunteer.
SPEAKER_02: I I if you're retired and you got free time, I need you.
SPEAKER_02: If you're a student, I need you.
SPEAKER_02: If you're anywhere in between, I need you.
SPEAKER_02: Because this is a great opportunity for us to love on people in our community and in this area, okay?
SPEAKER_02: Here's the last thing I'm gonna say to you this afternoon.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, about the time you get a football buzz on, uh, you're gonna get an email from Blake.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, I don't want you to look and go, oh, the church says so many email.
SPEAKER_02: It is about we're we're launching deacons.
SPEAKER_02: We've had, we call them lay pastors.
SPEAKER_02: We want to use more biblical language for deacons, which is just servants.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, some of you grew up in a in a, especially in a small Baptist church, so deacons rather than the church.
SPEAKER_02: No, deacons are servants, uh, but it's not about asking to be a deacon.
SPEAKER_02: We've got deacons selected.
SPEAKER_02: It's it attached to that, it's gonna be a thing called an ability survey.
SPEAKER_02: And basically, just take a few minutes, fill it out, and let us know where you have skills in.
SPEAKER_02: Like, hey, I can I can do small repairs, I can fix plumbing.
SPEAKER_02: Because here's what's gonna happen.
SPEAKER_02: Here's what we want, here's the vision.
SPEAKER_02: Uh, a lady in our church, that's maybe a widow, her kitchen sink is leaking.
SPEAKER_02: We don't want her to call a plumber.
SPEAKER_02: We want her to call her church and go, hey, can you have a deacon?
SPEAKER_02: And so we look on the list and say, who has abilities when it comes to plumbing?
SPEAKER_02: A deacon calls that guy and says, Hey, bro, can you meet me over at this house?
SPEAKER_02: So I can't come by and pick you up, and we'll go, and then we'll go to Whataburger and get a patty milk because a patty milk from Whataburger is from heaven.
SPEAKER_02: Amen.
SPEAKER_02: Oh man, I'm hungry already.
SPEAKER_02: And so, the ability survey, look at me.
SPEAKER_02: It allows you to use your skill set to bless people in your church.
SPEAKER_02: We're not gonna run off to the nations and trip over the people we're sitting next to, okay?
SPEAKER_02: Hey, be quiet back there, kid.
SPEAKER_02: Like I'm back there with you myself.
SPEAKER_02: Uh I want to meet that little person.
SPEAKER_02: That's my kind of person.
SPEAKER_02: Finally, you saw a lot of soup stacked up in the lobby.
SPEAKER_02: Somebody apparently doesn't read emails.
SPEAKER_02: What's all the soup for?
SPEAKER_02: I said, It's a staff luncheon.
SPEAKER_02: Uh no.
SPEAKER_02: We're collecting soup uh for helping hands right here in North Richmond.
SPEAKER_02: And so we're gonna be collecting for the next three Sundays.
SPEAKER_02: So if you didn't bring some today, bring some next week.
SPEAKER_02: Just pile it up there, and then uh we're gonna haul it out there and say, here you go.
SPEAKER_02: Uh and so that's what that is.
SPEAKER_02: If you look at that and go, man, that's what it is.
SPEAKER_02: All right, we'd like to conclude our service with a spoken blessing, so stand on your feet.
SPEAKER_02: Hold your hands out.
SPEAKER_02: Your God is not punitive, he's not angry, he's not even mad, he's not even irritated.
SPEAKER_02: He's a God of authority, and you're creating his image, and therefore he wants you to be authoritative.
SPEAKER_02: That's not loud or bossy, that's submitted, subjected to the authority in your life and in the land.
SPEAKER_02: Trust him for the outcomes in the name of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_02: Amen.
SPEAKER_02: Bless you.