WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:07.599 This podcast is a ministry of Grant Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:13.199 For more information about Grant Parkway, visit GrantProquay.org. 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:15.039 The word of the Lord. 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:22.160 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:32.719 That according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:47.679 That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:52.640 You may be filled with all the fullness of God. 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:54.799 The word of the Lord. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:55.840 Let's pray together. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:59.759 Lord, that's uh you you went on record as saying this is your intent. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:04.400 You want us to grasp, you want us to know this love which surpasses knowledge. 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:09.120 And so, Lord, we got to ask ourselves, how can we know something that surpasses knowledge? 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:09.840 We can't. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:11.359 It's got to be revealed to us. 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:13.920 And so we we pray for revelation today. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:15.040 Illumination. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.120 God, make the scripture come to life. 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:20.319 It's not uh just uh an old history book, God. 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:22.640 Uh this is words of life. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:25.519 And where else are we gonna go to get the words of life? 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:29.439 And our response to that, our understanding of that is nowhere. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.640 And so, Lord, speak words of life today into our hearts. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:37.519 We want to be the hearts that hold on because there's a light that is coming. 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:45.519 Advent is right around the corner, and it's a great time for us to remind ourselves that there's a light that is coming for the heart that holds on. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:53.920 And so, Lord, give us truth from your word that's gonna cause our heart to get traction and hold on, regardless of what's going on around us. 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:55.200 That's our prayer, God. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.519 Make it our experience, we pray in Jesus' name. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:59.840 And everyone said, Amen. 00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:01.599 You can have a seat if you have a Bible. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:04.480 I invite you to take it and open it up to Romans chapter 11. 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:06.640 And if you don't have a Bible, there's one on your road there. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:08.560 I'm on page 946. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:11.919 And if you're our guest today, we're preaching through the book of Romans. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:13.120 Uh, we have been for a while. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:19.680 We took a break this summer and did a series on the miracles of Jesus, and then we pick back up in Romans uh in October, November. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:22.000 We're doing Romans chapter 9, 10, and 11. 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:24.319 This morning we start Romans chapter 11. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:26.479 Uh, and I just want to begin with a confession. 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:27.759 But let me say this first of all. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:40.479 I want to talk to you this morning about how to keep believing the gospel, how to keep believing when it seems that nobody else wants to, how to keep believing when it seems that nobody else wants to, because there are gonna be periods in your life where you kind of look around. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.120 And by the way, somebody asked me what happened to this projector. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:44.080 We had a little problem. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.520 We sent it off to get it repaired. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:47.439 It should be back hopefully by next week. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:49.439 So we're we're we're the one-eyed Jack today. 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:50.639 You gonna be okay with that? 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.039 I think we'll be fine, don't you? 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:54.159 All right, all right. 00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:01.680 Uh anyway, uh, and so uh there's gonna be periods where you're gonna kind of look around, you're gonna think, no one seems to care anything about the things of God. 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:05.280 And then this little voice in your head is gonna say, So why do you care? 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:12.800 I mean, if everyone's doing it and not doing it, why don't you just quit doing it and just give in and just give in and get along and all that kind of stuff? 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:23.599 Or you're gonna look in the mirror at yourself and be so disappointed with your inconsistency and your contrary lifestyle, you're just gonna go, you know what, this God thing isn't working for anymore. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:28.240 So you're gonna post it on Facebook and announce to the world, this God thing's not working for anymore. 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:29.599 I'm out of here. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:39.840 And I want to just say, hey, the Bible wants to speak to us this morning about how do we keep believing when it seems that no one else wants to or is going to. 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:53.520 And by the way, preachers have moments like that, not necessarily where we want to quit, we don't want to believe anymore, but like when I was getting ready to start, we get ready to start back into Romans, and a preacher friend of mine called me and he said, Hey, well, what are you doing next? 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:55.439 I know y'all did the gospels, I mean the miracles. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:00.240 I said, Well, we're gonna do our core values in September, then in October, November, we're gonna get back in Romans. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:02.240 And he said this, he said, Isn't your church growing? 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.479 And I said, Despite my leadership, yes. 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:06.879 And he said, Aren't y'all getting ready to build a children's bidder? 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:09.919 And I said, Yeah, we've got to make room because we got we got kids coming everywhere. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:11.759 He said, Man, you gotta be careful. 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:18.879 You probably should just do some topical stuff about embracing change and making a friend of change and about parenting and about marriage. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:21.040 That's what people want to hear about these days. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:25.279 If, quote, if you preach the Bible, they might get mad and leave. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:40.959 And I was like, Well, and and I heard this and it was kind of humorous, and I was on the phone, and he said, Yeah, because the churches that are really doing it, the ones that are really exploding, it's real topical, not a very long series, three or four weeks, and go to a different topic, and you're just in Romans, how long are you gonna be in Romans? 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:45.120 Well, we're gonna do Romans 9, 10, and 11, and then in December we'll do Advent. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:46.800 Yeah, Advent, I don't know about that either. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.120 And so I got off the phone thinking, I'm an idiot. 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:50.399 I don't know what I'm doing. 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:53.360 Now, in my right mind, I know that's not the truth. 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:57.839 And by the way, if you're visiting today, these people, I've got the best job in the world. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:02.639 I get to get up every day and just tell people what the Bible really means in plain language. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:04.639 And they're like, thank you for that. 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:08.720 Now, there's some Sundays they're like, I got questions about that, and that's okay. 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.920 The first thing the gospel does is it engages our mind. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:17.199 But I I got off the phone and I was like, a couple days later, you know that little voice kind of comes up on you? 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:23.600 That little voice kind of came up and said, Hey, you you you you don't want to get too crazy about this whole Bible thing. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.720 You it could be you and ten people in the room. 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:28.079 Yeah. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:32.319 And then one of the moms dropped by, it's probably three weeks ago. 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:34.319 Remember the first sermon I preached in Romans 9? 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:37.920 Paul says, I wish I could be accursed for the sake of my kinsmen for the Jews. 00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:42.480 And I said, He basically Paul's saying, Oh, I would go to hell so the Jews could go to heaven. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:43.920 And I said, Who would you go to hell? 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:45.920 Who do you care about so much you'd go to hell for? 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:51.600 His mom walked in with this copy of a letter she's found on her son's desk in his room. 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:52.319 He's seven. 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:56.800 And he wrote this to one of his little buddies, Bo, this is for you. 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:00.160 When I die, you will always mean something to me. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:02.720 I will go to hell for you to go to heaven. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:03.920 Love Sam. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:09.839 And she just dropped on my desk and she said, By the way, I just want you to know they're listening. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:10.800 He's seven. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:16.160 And what she doesn't know is when she left, I put my shade up on my window, my door, which means I'm studying, don't disturb me. 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:20.240 I wasn't studying, I was on the desk, just going to the ugly crack. 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.680 And so I called my friend up and said, You can go to hell with all your advice. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:30.399 I will not go to hell for you, I'll tell you that, buddy. 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:32.240 And so here's my point. 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:38.079 There are gonna be periods where you're gonna look around and you're gonna think, hey man, am I the only one that cares about the things of God? 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:40.639 How do you keep believing in the midst of that? 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:43.600 The Bible speaks to that in Romans chapter 11, verse 1. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:46.879 Paul says, I ask then, has God rejected his people? 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:52.879 By no means, for I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:55.439 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.600 Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:05.759 Lord, they've killed your prophets, they've demolished your altars, and I alone and left, and they seek my life. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:07.439 But what is God's reply to him? 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:12.160 I've kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.519 So too at the present time there's a remnant chosen by grace. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:19.040 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:21.600 Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:22.319 What then? 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:24.800 Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:35.279 The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see, and ears that would not hear, down to this very day. 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:42.240 As David says, let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:47.519 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:49.439 You ever been so mad at somebody? 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:51.279 You had those thoughts about them? 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:55.199 You're kind of like, Well, yeah, just yesterday, my husband, uh. 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:57.680 That's in the Bible. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:05.279 And David's saying, Hey God, I these is the way I feel about my enemies, and I'm assuming you feel that way about people that don't agree with you, right? 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:06.560 Not so fast. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:12.560 To quote that great theologian Lee Corso from College Game Day, not so fast, my friend. 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:13.920 Not so fast. 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:15.360 We'll get to that in just a minute. 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:18.639 How do you keep believing when it seems nobody else wants to? 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.079 Four things the text says. 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:22.160 Number one, remember your story. 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:23.279 Remember your story. 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:25.120 Look in verse 1 of Romans 11. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.000 Paul says, I ask, and has God rejected his people? 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:30.000 Has God given up on the Jews? 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:33.919 Has God got so put out with him, he's just like, just I don't want to hear from you anymore. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:36.159 Paul says with an exclamation point. 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:38.080 By no means. 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:47.360 And the first evidence that he cites, he says, For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:48.879 Now, by the way, let me say this. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:57.519 Sometimes the most credible piece of evidence for the reality and the existence of God that anybody is going to ever know is your life. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:00.559 And that don't let that put pressure on you. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:01.679 But let me say it again. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:05.840 Sometimes the Bible's true, God's real, the church is real. 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:11.120 Sometimes we all work with people, or you're friends with people, like, oh, churches all they will do is want money. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:12.559 Church is full of hypocrites. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:14.879 Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world. 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:16.799 Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:18.320 The Bible was written by men. 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:19.200 It's flawed. 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:20.879 How can we know that it's really true? 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.120 You got the Quran, you got all these other things. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:24.480 I mean, can anybody be right? 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:26.000 No one is all right, blah, blah. 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:35.519 And that to that person, your life and my life, your story, is the most tangible, credible testimony to the reality of God that they'll ever know. 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:37.840 And Paul says, Hey, has God given up on his people? 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:38.960 And he says, No. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:40.000 How do I know? 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:41.519 Because I know my own story. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:42.480 He says three things. 00:09:42.559 --> 00:09:44.399 Number one, I'm an Israelite. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:45.519 I'm a Jew. 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:49.759 Hey, if God's given up on his people, I wouldn't be a Christ follower. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:50.799 I wouldn't believe in God. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:53.279 Secondly, he says, I'm a descendant of Abraham. 00:09:53.519 --> 00:10:01.120 If you've been here for this series, you understand that the Jews, the way they get out of every religious conversation is they say, We have Abraham as our father. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:03.759 Bam! Wink. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:05.919 Conversation over. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:10.960 It's like when someone starts in on you with a religious conversation, you're like, I'm Catholic, or I'm Baptist, or whatever. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:12.000 That's what they would say. 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.000 We have Abraham as our father. 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:14.720 See ya. 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:17.360 Paul said, I have Abraham as my father. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:19.279 And then he says this thing that doesn't make any sense. 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:21.840 He says, and I'm a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:23.200 You say, What? 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:24.159 Can you imagine? 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:25.679 Let me ask it this way. 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:29.919 Because sometimes we hear things like that, and it's like, that's so who would say that? 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:30.720 Paul would. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:33.519 How many of you ever in this room have ever been to a club before in your life? 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:34.559 Can I see your hand? 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:38.639 Club, like not a country club, like a club where music plays and that kind of stuff. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:39.919 Hold your hand up. 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:41.360 Yeah, put your hand down. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:44.480 And at this club you went to, were they serving adult beverages? 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:45.279 Hold your hand up. 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:47.440 Not that you were partaking, they were just serving. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:48.559 I know you're all bad. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.039 Hold your hand up, you whiskey drinkers. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:53.519 That's how you get white people on the dance floor. 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:54.240 You gotta have some. 00:10:54.320 --> 00:10:58.639 And so you go to a club and your friends are all like, hey, why don't you ask that girl, man? 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:00.000 She's kind of checking you out. 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:01.279 And you go over and you go, You want to dance? 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:03.759 And you get on the dance floor and you're doing your me. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:07.440 By the way, if you don't move your feet, it's not dancing, okay? 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:16.000 And you're like, and everyone, and she starts talking to you on the dance floor because she thinks you can hear, and you're screaming, what's your name? 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:18.240 And she's telling you, and Paul's interviewing. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:21.120 He says, I'm an Israelite, I'm a descendant of Abraham. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.240 And then he says, and I'm a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:29.679 And the thing just like the music stops, somebody scratches their head. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:32.720 Like, what are you talking about? 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:34.480 Why does he say that? 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:36.639 Three simple reasons why Paul says that. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:37.679 You don't have to write these down. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:43.840 Let me just let me just give them to you because, by the way, there's a reason the Bible says what it says. 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:47.440 And the Bible speaks of this amazing peace and loud authority. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:49.120 He says, I'm a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:49.440 Why? 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:50.639 Benjamin, what does that mean? 00:11:50.799 --> 00:11:52.240 Benjamin was the only son of Jacob. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:54.960 Remember, there were 12 tribes, and they were the sons of Jacob. 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:58.639 Benjamin was the only son of Jacob that was born in Israel. 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:01.120 Second thing, second reason this matters. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:04.080 See, you've got to figure out what matters to the people you're talking to. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:06.240 Otherwise, you're just some religious goofball. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:09.919 It's called cultural contextualization. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:12.000 Bam. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:15.919 Write that down and we'll stand for the benediction right now. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:17.679 What did you talk about a church? 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:20.320 Oh, we talked about cultural contextualization. 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:23.279 Memo to self, our pastor's a moron. 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:26.159 No, you got to put it in a language people can understand. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:31.120 He said, so he, secondly, Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was in Benjamin's territory. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:33.919 But here's the third reason I kind of put a star by. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:36.639 And my mind, if you're wondering, what does our pastor do all week? 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:38.720 I study random things like this. 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:43.039 And I try to try to think, what no, oh, okay, here's why that matters. 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:45.919 Benjamin, remember there were 12 tribes and they had a civil war. 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:48.960 Ten tribes went up to the north, and two tribes went to the south. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:51.519 And so the tribes went to the north. 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:53.840 They looked around and said, Hey, we don't want to offend anybody. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:02.639 You worship that God, I tell you what, you bring that God into worshiping our God, and they had this synchristic mix where they just said culture over Christ. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.559 And so everybody came in, all roads lead to the same place. 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:08.879 Oprah was kind of their pastor. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:14.399 Oh, I lost some of you there. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:17.759 You're like, don't you talk about Oprah? 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:20.399 How's that network working out there, Oprah? 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:23.600 Anyway, uh because here's the deal. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:28.320 When you dilute the gospel, when you add anything to God, it ceases to be God. 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:31.759 He's just here, oh Israel, the Lord our God is one. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:33.519 The Lord our God is one God. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:35.519 He doesn't need and so what's what they did? 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:37.600 They sold out because they wanted to give in to get along. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:41.519 You know, you got to give a little to give a little, blah, blah, blah, whatever they tell you at work. 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:44.480 But meanwhile, two tribes stayed in the south and they were faithful. 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:48.399 One of them was Judah, the other one was Benjamin. 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:52.000 Here's what Paul's saying when he says, I'm a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:55.279 He's saying, I come from a long line of faithful people. 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:58.080 And so you start with your story. 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:01.679 How do you keep believing when it seems you remember your story? 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:04.720 You say, Well, there's parts of my story I'd like to forget. 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:06.000 Anyone relate to that? 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:07.279 Put your hand up. 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:08.320 Don't just say, Yeah. 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:09.679 You bunch of Baptists. 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:10.639 Put your hands down. 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:12.559 You see, because you say, here's what we do. 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:13.679 We say, remember your story. 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:14.480 Start with your story. 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:16.879 You start just automatically editing. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:18.639 And I'm saying to you, don't edit. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:19.600 Don't edit. 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:20.000 Why? 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:21.120 Here's why. 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:22.960 Because your story's not one of perfection. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:27.279 That's not what the Bible calls us to, because it knows better and we know better. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:28.320 So what is your story? 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:32.000 Your story's one of resurrection and redemption and restoration. 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:35.200 And let me give you another R word, reconciliation. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:37.679 What do you mean? 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:44.799 The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul says, hey, and God was reconciled in the world to himself. 00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:52.799 And then once he's reconciled us, once he's wooed us and won us, once he said, Red Rover, Red Rover, let Danny come over. 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:55.120 And he's reconciled Danny to himself. 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:59.519 The Bible says that he's committed to us, the ministry of reconciliation. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:01.519 That's not a word we use a lot. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:07.279 And so the Bible kind of makes it even more clear and says, He's committed to us, the ministry of reconciliation. 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:11.600 And then he says, it's as if God is making his appeal through us. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:13.279 What does that mean? 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:18.159 That means that this week that God is saying something to all your co-workers through your life. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:20.240 You better get ready for that. 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:23.279 You can't just invite them to church and go, you need to hear my pastor. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:25.200 He talks about going to the club. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:28.000 I only go because my wife likes to go. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:32.080 What am I saying? 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:34.879 I'm saying your story has two parts to it. 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:36.720 My story has two parts to it. 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:46.159 The first one is reconciliation, the second one is comfort, because in that same book in the Bible, 2 Corinthians, we're chapter 5, where he says, hey, it's as if God is making his appeal through you. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:49.360 Back in chapter 1, he says that, hey, we comfort others. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:58.159 You ever get in a situation with people and a spiritual conversation starts up or a religious conversation and you think, I don't know what to say. 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:01.600 You don't need to know a bunch of things about the Bible. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:03.519 Start, remember your story. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:04.320 What do you mean? 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:11.200 Because Paul says in two, I mean 2 Corinthians 1, he says, we comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:16.399 That word comfort is the Greek word parakalego, and it means to call alongside of. 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:26.720 That means at a point in your life when you were far from God, when you were not comfortable with God, God called you to Himself and you didn't get condemnation, you got comfort. 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:30.320 And God says, Hey, tell them what I told you. 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:36.480 Give them what I gave you when you knew you deserved something else and you got something better. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:37.440 That's comfort. 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:43.279 So the story that you and I have to tell revolves around two things reconciliation and comfort. 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.559 And I got a question for you. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.879 Who doesn't want to hear a story like that? 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:51.039 See, how do I keep believing when nobody else wants to? 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:52.879 First of all, remember your story. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:56.399 Second of all, don't limit God to your experience of Him. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.120 Don't limit God to your experience of Him. 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:00.879 Look at verse 2 of Romans 11. 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:03.840 He says, God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:06.640 Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah? 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:11.039 One of the things that's going to get you through the hard times is to remember what the Bible says. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:13.039 Don't poll your Facebook friends. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:15.279 Don't go look at pictures on Instagram. 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:21.680 Remember what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel. 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:25.039 Now, now I don't have time to go into this, but let me just notice this. 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:29.920 Elijah is going to God and he's appealing to God against Israel. 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:36.559 That's like someone, that's like me coming to you after church today and saying, Hey, let me tell you about your kids. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:39.359 Because I want you to take my side against your kids. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:43.279 Now you can tell me, I have two daughters, one's 16, one's 10. 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:44.640 I tell them this all the time. 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.160 Hey, there's nothing you could ever do is going to change your dad's mind about you, okay? 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:49.680 And they go, I know, dad, I know. 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:53.680 Yeah, you know why you're in my house, but when you go off to college, there's nothing you could ever do. 00:17:54.319 --> 00:18:00.000 You have to be afraid to pick up the phone and call and say, hey, dad, listen, I've done something, I've made some poor choices. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:02.559 It's nothing gonna change my mind about you. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.680 You can't change my mind, my mind about my kids. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:09.519 And that means I approve of or agree with their behavior. 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:10.799 Not all the time. 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:13.440 And they understand that when that happens. 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:15.759 But my heart doesn't change towards them. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:17.200 Why you tell us that? 00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:20.079 Because Elijah is appealing to God against Israel. 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:23.359 That's like me trying to convince you to give up on your own kids. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:25.279 Who's gonna do that? 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.279 God says, I'm not gonna do that. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:33.359 But he let Elijah, he lets Elijah talk because he wants to make a point to Elijah, but he also wants to make a point to us. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:38.640 And the point he's making is don't limit who I am to your experience of me. 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:42.319 Because Elijah had this great victory, and then he got kind of depressed. 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:44.400 So depressed he wanted to take his own life. 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:48.559 And by the way, depression kind of preys on people who struggle with two thoughts. 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:51.759 Number one, all this depends on me. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:54.240 All of this depends on me. 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:57.279 And secondly, all of this is my fault. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:05.359 Now, some of you grew up in a home where when you were a little kid, someone looked at you and said, I hope you're happy because this is all your fault. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:09.440 And you can see that person's face in your head right now. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:13.039 And I want to say to you, in the name of Jesus, that's not true. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:14.799 That's not true. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:18.000 And I and I'm not making light of those people. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:25.119 There are things my stepmom said to me when I was eight years old that I remember as clearly as I'm standing here before you. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:29.359 Because she was always blaming me and my brothers for whatever was wrong with the world. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:31.200 I hope you're proud of yourself. 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:32.400 Look what you've done. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.119 When I was about, you say, Well, what do you mean? 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:40.720 When I was nine, my dad was working on the front left tire of our Cadillac. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:45.200 And it wasn't like a styling Cadillac, it was like 47 feet of pure driving pleasure. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:48.799 And my dad was working, I walked over and I said, Where's Mitch? 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:49.279 That's my brother. 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:51.519 It's a year older than me, so he's in the back seat, but don't get in there. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:52.400 I'm working on the car. 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:55.359 So I just opened the door and climbed in, looked in the back seat. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:00.160 My brother was reading a book, climbed over the seat and kicked the car out of gear on my way over. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:04.960 Rolled across my dad's chest, broke six ribs and two vertebrates in my dad's back. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:06.640 I felt the car lunch forward. 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:07.759 My brother said, What'd you do? 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:08.880 And like all kids, nothing. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:09.759 I didn't do anything. 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:10.880 You did it, you did it. 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:14.880 And we got out, and my dad was running to the house going, huh? 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:27.200 And my stepmom, who's the three-headed dog that guards the gates of hell, my dad is on his knees, and blood's coming out of his mouth, and she looks at me and goes, Look what you've done. 00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:28.640 You have killed your father. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.400 I hope you're proud of yourself. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:33.039 And I was like, How about we not assign blame? 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:34.799 How about we get my dad to the hospital? 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:36.799 We live nine miles out in the country. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:38.480 My oldest brother was 13. 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:40.640 He jumped in the truck and started driving. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:42.880 And she's like, Get out of the truck. 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:46.480 Later that night, I just went to my room, just catatonic. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:47.759 My dad called that. 00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:48.559 We had a party line. 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:50.240 You know what a party line phone was? 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:53.680 You gotta be white trash from the country to have a party line. 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:56.079 We had us a party line, Jack. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:57.599 Everybody, word spread. 00:20:57.759 --> 00:20:58.960 No one was on the party line. 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:02.880 The hospital called, and my stepmother, your dad wants to see you. 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:05.839 Put on your church clothes. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:07.359 Remember church clothes? 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:09.519 We had one set of church clothes. 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:12.480 So I put on my little khaki pants and my shirt. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:13.920 My dad was in traction. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.519 They would flip him over every three hours. 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:16.880 He had tubes all in him. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:19.920 My dad insisted that everybody else get out of the room. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:25.119 I'm 49. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:28.960 I remember walking in the hospital through the door. 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.359 And I said, I get through the door. 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:32.480 I thought he's gonna get me. 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:33.200 I'm in trouble. 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:45.200 I'm in the mom over here. 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:49.359 I couldn't let your head down my chair. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:58.400