WEBVTT 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:08.960 This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:14.000 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:16.399 Let's pray together. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:25.039 Father, when we sing simple words like it's your endless love, it is a reminder that you're a God who loves us unconditionally. 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:33.520 And sometimes that's hard for us to get our head around because we realize we do things that make us feel alienated and separated from your love. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:35.280 But the love of God never ends. 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:40.880 We can get ourselves in a twist where we don't feel it, we don't experience it, and we don't think we deserve it. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.640 But the good news of the gospel today is that we never deserved it. 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:48.960 The Bible tells us in Proverbs that what a man desires is unfailing love. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:53.759 So we come to you to be loved in a way that nobody in this world can love us. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:01:01.679 And so we're not going to obligate our spouse or our kids or our job to love us and make us feel what only the gospel can make us feel. 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:03.119 So we come to you. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.680 We think about you today in ways that we don't think about anybody or anything else. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:14.159 There's a reason the Bible says we should love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:17.359 So Lord, engage all of our faculties today. 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:19.439 We pray for this in Jesus' name. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:21.359 And everyone said, Amen. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:22.079 You can have a seat. 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:25.200 If you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open up to John chapter 4. 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:27.519 If you're our guest today, we're going through the Gospel of John. 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:29.760 And today we're in the last section of John chapter 4. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:32.079 I will start reading in verse 43. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:33.040 And I want to talk to you. 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:37.120 Somebody said the other day, they said, Hey, how long are you going to talk about John? 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:39.439 And I said, I don't talk about John at all. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:44.959 It's not like 72 sermons on a man named John, because after a while, y'all are like, who's this John guy? 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:46.159 Why do I keep talking about him? 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:48.719 John was one of the disciples, walked with Jesus. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:53.120 He wrote the Gospel of John under the influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:58.799 And every time you open the Bible, it makes you think about things in a way you wouldn't by nature think about them. 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:03.439 For example, today I want to talk to you about analyzing the nature of your belief in God. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:06.959 Analyzing the nature of your belief in God. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.800 And you'll see what I mean when we get into the text. 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:09.919 So let me just start reading. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:11.039 Here's what I want to do. 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:14.800 The good news is I only have two points in the sermon today. 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:17.680 Shut up, every one of you. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:19.280 I heard the laughter over there. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:21.280 You meet me at recess by the bike rack. 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:22.240 We'll settle this. 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:24.719 I'll go second grade on yourself. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:26.000 But here's the thing. 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:26.960 I just want to have two points. 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:29.919 I just want, there's not a rule or preachers have to have three points every time. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:30.560 No, you don't. 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:33.120 Sometimes you have seven, and sometimes you have two. 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:34.560 And they're long. 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:37.120 Anyway, uh, John chapter 4. 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:39.840 John chapter 4, uh, verse 43. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:40.800 Now, what's happened? 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:41.840 Jesus is just finished. 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:44.400 He was hanging out with a group of people called the Samaritans. 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:48.000 And they were kind of people that were sellouts, they intermarried, they didn't keep the rules. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:49.759 Jews hated Samaritans. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:51.599 Jesus talks to the woman at the well. 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:52.240 Remember her? 00:02:52.400 --> 00:02:55.280 She smells like vodka and bad choices. 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:58.240 And she gets her life upended by the gospel. 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:01.439 And her whole town comes to believe in Jesus. 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:04.479 He leaves that and he's getting ready to go back to his hometown. 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:06.560 Look at what Jesus says about his hometown. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:07.520 Verse 43. 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:09.840 After the two days he departed from Galilee. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:15.280 For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:21.840 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:22.879 What is he talking about? 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:29.919 He's talking about back in chapter 2 of John, where Jesus turned the water into wine at a wedding, and the people are amped up. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.719 They're kind of like, hey, the miracle man's coming back. 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:39.199 To give you a context, it would be like your cousin won the Powerball and calls you and says, I want to come over. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:40.960 I want to talk to you about something. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:42.639 Where does your mind go? 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:45.520 You're like, oh honey, we're cashing in today. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:47.439 My cousin's coming through for us. 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:50.879 Jesus is coming back, and everybody is amped up. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:59.199 Every needy person, every broke person, every sick person within 50 miles is dragging their sick selves because Jesus is coming back. 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:05.520 But their expectation is not met by Jesus' incarnation. 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:09.439 In other words, he doesn't always do what we want him to do. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:17.519 And one of the hard questions that Christianity asks us is, Do you still want to believe in a God who doesn't always do what you want him to do? 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:19.360 Let's keep reading. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:22.079 The Bible says this in verse 45. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.839 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.560 And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:35.600 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judah to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:39.600 So Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:43.279 The official said to him, Sir, come down before my child dies. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:46.240 And Jesus said to him, Go, your son will live. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:49.600 And the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went on his way. 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:54.079 And he was as he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:56.560 So he asked him the hour when he began to get better. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:00.639 And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him. 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:04.959 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, Your son will live. 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.240 And he himself believed in all of his household. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:12.959 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:16.800 Now there's a couple things I want to point out in the text before I get to my two little points this morning. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:18.800 First of all, the Bible says he was an official. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:19.759 Why does it say that? 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.639 It's like he's an official, and these people other people are non-officials. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:23.120 No. 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:26.720 He worked, and our parlance would be he worked in the government. 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:35.600 He was an official in the court of Herod Antipas, who was the man that kind of is it, kind of the mayor would be our word for of that region. 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:38.079 And so he was somebody, no, why do I tell you that? 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:44.800 If he works for the for the for Herod Antipas, the mayor, so to speak, you would think he would get preferential treatment. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:49.680 I don't know if you know this, but when Congress shut down, uh they still got a paycheck. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:50.480 I don't know if you know that. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.639 When the government shuts down, they all get paid. 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:53.920 Their insurance gets paid. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:06:01.279 That's what it's like because you know, if you're in government, you kind of get access to things that common people like you and I don't get. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:04.000 And so this guy had access to all the best medicine. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:08.720 He could have had his son sent to the mail clinic of the day, and the Bible still says he was near death. 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:14.800 I don't care what you believe, you're gonna have some conversations with God when your kid gets sick and you think they're gonna die. 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:15.519 Amen. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:20.000 You make promises to God, you tell God, I'll be in church every Sunday. 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:22.720 Yeah. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:23.759 Yeah, you do. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:25.680 Oh, God, I'll get baptized. 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:27.519 You heal my kid and I'll get baptized. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:29.360 I know I'm 64, but I'll do it. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:30.560 Your kid gets better. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:33.439 Well, you know, God, I was kind of, you know, that was just me and you in the hospital. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:34.879 We ain't gonna tell anybody about that. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:36.399 And God's not harsh. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:37.600 He didn't hold it over your head. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:38.959 Hey, remember what you said? 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:40.319 So this is what's going on. 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:44.639 This guy, he hears Jesus is coming, and all of a sudden, I want to point to one other thing. 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:51.199 When Jesus points to the guy and says, Hey, unless you people believe, it's down there in about verse 48. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:54.879 So Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:57.920 Uh it starts off singular and it gets into the plural. 00:06:58.079 --> 00:07:00.800 Jesus said to him, that's singular. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.160 Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:06.879 The you in that sentence is plural in the Greek, okay? 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:07.920 Why do I say that? 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:11.199 Because God's not going to drag you in front of the class and make an example out of you. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.759 He's not going to hold you up and say, hey, look at this guy. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:16.000 He needs signs and wonders or he won't believe. 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:17.199 Let's all laugh at him. 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:18.240 Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:18.959 No. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:24.720 I had a teacher when I was in the fifth grade that did not, or excuse me, fourth grade, that for whatever reason did not like me. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:28.560 I was mischievous and full of life, and for some reason, that's a problem. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:31.600 I was ADD before they had the diagnosis, okay? 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:34.399 And so she would say some of the harshest things to me. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:37.519 Like I would be late, and she would say, Everyone, look at Neil. 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:38.800 He can't get here on time. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.199 And I'd be like, because my stepmother's hung over. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:42.639 That's why we can't get here on time. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:43.839 Why is that my fault? 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.839 And I'd go to the office for things like that. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:50.240 So I did not like that woman because she sought every opportunity to single me out. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:51.199 Look at me. 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:54.160 God is not a God that looks to embarrass you. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:56.160 He's talking to all these people. 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.360 And he says to all these people, you guys need signs and wonders. 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:01.759 Like, I gotta prove myself to you all the time. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.000 I grew up here, okay? 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:05.120 Give me a break. 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:06.959 Then they're gonna give you a break. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:08.399 No, they're not. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:13.040 And so that's why Jesus said, uh, hey, a prophet is without honor, even in his hometown. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:16.879 And so here's the other thing I want you to begin to seed your mind towards. 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:19.759 The Bible says that Jesus says, Hey, go, your son's gonna be okay. 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:20.560 He's gonna be fine. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:25.439 And the Bible says that this official believed Jesus' word and departed. 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:29.600 And then he's on the way home and he sees some of his servants, and he they said, Hey, how's my son? 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.600 He goes, Hey, actually, the fever broke. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:32.960 He's better, he's gonna live. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:34.720 Oh my gosh, when did that happen? 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:38.000 Yesterday about the seventh hour, the exact time Jesus said. 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:39.840 And then the Bible says this crazy thing. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:42.799 It's already said, he believed the word that Jesus spoke. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:47.039 And then it says here, he believed and his entire household. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:47.919 Look at me. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:50.799 Here's the thing I want to lay on you and get you to begin to think about. 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:55.200 You can believe all the words of Jesus and never believe in Jesus. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:09:09.200 You can come to church every Sunday and go, mmm, ah, mm, oh good, ah, mm, ah, da da da, and walk out this door and never have a personal, life-altering, intimate, consequential relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:14.320 This man could have walked away and said, I believe the word and died and gone to hell. 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:17.039 And all of us can do the same thing. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:21.519 That's why I say to you, I want to talk to you about analyzing the nature of your belief in God. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:22.159 Two points. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:23.759 The first one from the text is simply this. 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:25.279 What do we take away from this? 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:27.919 Talk publicly about Jesus. 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:30.399 Talk publicly about Jesus. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:31.679 Look at verse 47. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:34.080 He says, I'll start in verse 46. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:39.679 He says, Uh, so he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made water into wine. 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:41.360 He has a reputation here. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:44.159 And at Capernaum, there was an official whose son was ill. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:49.919 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, how does he hear? 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:52.240 Because there's a buzz on the streets. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:54.240 Ask yourself this question today, beloved. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:57.840 How often in your daily dialogue does Jesus come up? 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:00.559 And I don't mean just with other Christians. 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:05.919 You see, by publicly, I mean out loud with believers and non-believers out in public. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:10.799 And the problem with American Christians is that we talk for reinforcement, not consequence. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:20.559 When we talk for reinforcement, we talk to other moms that believe like we do and have the same allergies that our kids have so we can get together and hang out and have play dates, and reinforcement is great. 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:22.639 You need to be encouraged by other believers. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:25.600 But you also need to talk in the public square. 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:41.440 When I say I mean out in public and just the warp and woof of your life for consequence with people that do not think like you, that have a different worldview, that think that Christianity is for the intellectual weak or whatever, because it's in that environment that Christianity stands out. 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:46.159 Because here's one of my concerns Christians complain about, oh, we've been marginalized by the culture. 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:48.559 The culture doesn't have the capacity to marginalize us. 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:51.600 We've been marginalized because we don't know how to talk. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:53.440 I saw it Friday night. 00:10:53.600 --> 00:11:02.159 My wife and I were invited to this very great event, this uh this uh dinner for the Republican Party in Fort Bean County, and they said, Hey, would you say the invocation? 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:03.840 And I said, Sure, I'd be honored to. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:06.159 And I was like, hey, I I I just pray and leave. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:10.240 You know, that hey, you can bring a guest, and I'll like, I'll bring my wife so I have somebody to talk to. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:13.840 So I got there and I'm thinking, I'll pray and sit over here in the back 40. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:16.720 We checked in and they said, You're at table number four. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:19.840 And I was like, Great, maybe that's over here by the door. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:26.240 So when I no, no, walked in, table 98's at the back of the room, table four is in the front row. 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:29.120 And I was like, awesome, awesome. 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:30.240 Nothing wrong with that. 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:37.840 I just don't like being up there because everyone, and then the people are seated at my table on my left was Reed Ryan, the president of the Astros. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:42.399 I resisted the temptation to say, can you break a brother awesome tickets, okay? 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:44.240 Uh so we're just chatting it up. 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:47.120 He's talking about his kids, his kids in cheerleading, all this kind of stuff. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:48.399 My wife's on my right. 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:55.279 Next to her is the attorney general, next to him is Ted Cruz, the senator, and there's these other people, then the ag commissioner, something's over there. 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:57.600 Great guy, he's got a beautiful Stetson hat. 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:02.399 And I just like to be in those environments and just be there, and I'm just hanging out like I can pray and leave. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.840 And my friend said, No, we'll feed you. 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:05.120 I'll pray and stay then. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:11.600 So I'm enjoying my steak and my chicken, and it was great, had artichokes on it with a nice little cream sauce. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:16.399 And I'm I get in those environments and I have to tell myself, don't say something stupid. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:21.519 Like I wanted to say out loud, I find Hillary Clinton to be a consequential global thinker. 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:25.440 I had to push that down. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:38.720 My wife, who can speak publicly about Jesus in really interesting ways, turns to one of the people at our table and said, Hey, in this environment, how do you stay connected inwardly? 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:41.440 And he goes, Man, that's a great question. 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:43.840 And I was like, I got great questions over here. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.600 Gonna hear my great questions? 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:47.759 And so there's a whole conversation. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:50.399 And really, it was great because the tables were turned. 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:53.200 My wife was talking and I was waiting on my wife. 00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:58.559 And I was like, this is awesome because she's better at this sometimes than I am, especially in those environments. 00:12:58.639 --> 00:12:59.200 It was great. 00:12:59.440 --> 00:13:04.720 By the way, don't ever look at people like in politics and think they've all sold their soul to the death. 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:05.200 No. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:10.960 They want to make our country uh great, they want to make our country better, they want to make our cities better. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.600 And this is the venue in which they've given their lives to do that. 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:15.679 So don't vilify people you don't know. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:19.519 They have wives, they have kids, they have all that kind of stuff. 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:27.279 I'm just saying, when we talk about talking publicly about Jesus, it's not necessarily taking an assigned to an abortion clinic. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:30.080 Though if that's your thing, I don't have a problem with that. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:37.279 I'm just saying, it sometimes it's not uh uh as intimidating as we make it out to be. 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:54.080 Uh when I say talk publicly because we're not verbal in the public square with our gospel propositions, my concern is that educators, we look to educators and politicians and pundits uh to fill the void and come up with these propositions which only lead to contentiousness and division. 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:58.559 Because here's why, beloved, you cannot legislate what only the gospel can produce. 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:03.679 We've got to stop looking to the president and saying, he's gonna make America great again, and blah, blah, blah. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:05.279 I pray for our president. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:11.679 I'm like, you go make changes, but it's not his responsibility to do our part for us. 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:13.200 Do you hear what I'm saying? 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.639 And you cannot legislate what only the gospel can produce. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:17.279 What do you mean? 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:23.679 A guy named Greg Steer, uh I was trying to read up a couple of weeks ago when I'm writing on this uh about just public dialogue. 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:25.279 And the guy named Greg Steer said this. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:35.919 He said, What's exciting about this out loud with words, set of propositions, is that it can and should lead to real equality, racial unity, and radical generosity. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:39.039 This is exactly what unfolded in the early church. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:46.559 Here are those three things again: real equality, racial unity, and radical generosity. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:49.360 This is what unfolded in the early church. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:50.799 This is what the gospel does. 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:51.440 What do you mean? 00:14:51.600 --> 00:14:52.639 Take them one at a time. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:53.679 Real equality. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.000 Galatians chapter 3, verse 28. 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:03.279 There's neither Jew nor Greek, there's neither slave nor free, there's no male and female, for you're all one in Christ. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.039 How would you like to get a job at a company? 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:06.320 And they told you that on day one. 00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.320 By the way, we treat everyone the same. 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.879 You're not better, you're not better. 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:23.279 We're not gonna accuse you of white privilege, we're not gonna play on white guilt, or we're not gonna say, hey, this is wrong and this is right, and this person, this person, but we're not gonna elevate white males and say, hey, if you're a white conservative male, that makes you great. 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:24.159 No, no, no. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.320 Everyone's one in Christ. 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:27.759 Real equality. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:29.840 Second one, racial unity. 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:32.480 Ephesians chapter 2, verse 14. 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:52.799 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and it's broken down in his flesh, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 00:15:53.120 --> 00:16:02.480 Only, look at me, beloved, only the gospel kills the hostility that gets fomented and stirred up between races, killing the hostility. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:07.279 And he came and he preached peace to you who are far off, and peace to those who are near. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:11.039 For through him we both have access in one spirit to the Father. 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:13.600 The third one, radical generosity. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:14.399 What do I mean? 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:17.200 This is 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verses 1 to 5. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:30.799 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches in Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:35.120 Hear those phrases again, because they do not go together in our mind. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:46.240 Hear these phrases, but a severe test of affliction, extreme poverty, abundance of joy, and a wealth of generosity. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:55.360 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:17:01.840 And this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:04.480 This is radical generosity. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:08.079 And before I became the pastor, I used to travel around and preach all over the country. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:12.960 And on occasion, uh I would have to go to Hawaii and teach the Bible for like a week. 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:17.200 I know it was hard, but they would call and say, Can you give us a week of your calendar? 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:24.880 And I would say, Let me pray, and I would cover the phone up and say, Lord, if you don't want me to go to Hawaii, make my wife's head explode right now. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:27.839 And it never exploded. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:31.039 So I would say, back into the phone, I will be there. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:36.319 Uh the church in Hawaii, you're preaching, and it's just like here, it's not like, oh, it's crazy. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:38.000 Hawaii's part of the United States. 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:39.440 I don't know if you know that or not. 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:42.960 Uh and so you're sitting there, this is radical generosity. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:45.519 The pastor got up and he said, Now we're gonna receive our offering. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:48.799 And their people jumped up and started giving a standing ovation. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:50.880 I thought, ooh, what just happened? 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:52.640 And the guy said, relax. 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:58.960 He said, We believe that the Lord loves a cheerful giver, and so whenever we come to give, our people are excited to give. 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:02.720 What kind of crazy people you got up in here? 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:08.000 I mean, they had everything from poor people to a man that owned a mountain. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:12.880 I just kept staring at him like, Where do you buy a mountain? 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:16.160 Because they were like, hey, that mountain right over there, he owns that. 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:17.759 I was like, shut up. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:19.119 Like, no, he does. 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:21.519 He has a compound on the top of it. 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:24.079 Does he need a personal chaplain? 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:26.480 Because I'm I'm available. 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:27.039 Radical. 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:27.920 Here's my point. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:29.200 Look at me, don't miss the point. 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:39.759 The point is that we cannot legislate and we cannot look at our legislators and expect them to do for us what the gospel's already done in us and needs to be manifested in the culture. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:44.000 So when we talk publicly, here's what we do about Jesus. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:49.440 We give we we force the culture to get a different set of terms to define Christians. 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:50.960 What do you mean? 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:59.359 They have to come up with something different besides homophobic, misogynistic, all this kind of stuff that you hear bantered about in the culture. 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:03.920 And that happens because we begin to open our mouth and the gospel comes out. 00:19:04.240 --> 00:19:09.119 This man has heard enough about Jesus to know that he needs something, that he goes looking for it. 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:17.440 You want to talk about Jesus in ways that remind and reorient people towards him, not just their needs, but with their very being. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:18.319 Because here's the thing. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:19.279 Look at me, beloved. 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:25.920 You can have all your needs met in this life and lay in bed and have this gnawing sense that something's missing. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:28.640 And that doesn't wash off in the shower. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.720 Second thing from the text this morning is just think deeply about how you believe. 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.440 Think deeply about how you believe. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:36.799 It's verse 48. 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:38.319 The Bible says this. 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:42.319 This man heard that Jesus in verse 47 had come from Judea to Galilee. 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:44.319 He went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son. 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:45.759 For he's at the point of death. 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:50.079 And so Jesus said to him, Unless you guys see signs and wonders, you will not believe. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:53.279 The official said to him, Sir, come down before my child dies. 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:54.960 Jesus said to him, Go. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:56.000 Your son will live. 00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:58.559 And the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him. 00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:00.079 Hear that, beloved. 00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:05.759 The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went on his way. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:07.599 I mean, that's awesome, isn't it? 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:09.599 There's two types of belief in this passage. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:13.200 Number one, there's what I call intellectual faith or intellectual belief. 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:15.759 This is a mere acknowledgement of some factor event. 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:17.359 He believed what Jesus said. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:19.119 He gives mental acknowledgement to that. 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:21.119 And it's like, great, look at me. 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:23.440 If you're a student, let me talk to you for a minute. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:28.240 It's easy when you're younger to believe, when you when you're in that building right there, children's building, to believe. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:33.759 You get in the warehouse, you get to be about 16 or 17, and culture begins to assault your belief. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:38.319 And you begin to think it's not hip or cool or mature to believe the gospel anymore. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:41.039 I would just say to you, you never outgrow the gospel. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:42.960 You never do. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:48.880 And so this guy gives mental assent and he says, Hey, I yeah, I I I believe the words that Jesus has spoken. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:53.039 The Bible talks about this kind of belief in James chapter 2, about verse 19. 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:55.039 He says, You believe that God is one. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.559 It's great orthodoxy. 00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:58.559 You believe that God is one, you do well. 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:01.440 Even the demons in hell believe that and they shudder. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:05.279 So it's not enough just to believe this intellectual faith. 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:09.119 When I say intellectual faith, what I mean is you believe that. 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:10.720 Let me give you some phrases. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:11.599 It's believe that. 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:13.680 Not believe in, it's I believe that. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:16.480 It starts on the outside and it never moves inward. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:23.680 Or said differently, it starts in your head and it never drops into your heart and gets expressed in your hands, in how you leave. 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:32.480 And by the way, if it's always intellectual, then it's always uh the bar, the determining factor is what you're willing to believe. 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:40.079 Like when people come to see me for counseling, one of the first things I ask them, the first time I meet with them is, hey, tell me your frame of reference spiritually, what's ultimate for you? 00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.920 Who or what do you submit to? 00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:47.119 And a while back I'm having a conversation with a man and I said, Tell me about you spiritually, what do you believe? 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:55.839 Because unapologetically, I come at this from the perspective of the gospel, Christianity, not because I'm a pastor, because I'm a Christian and I think the Bible is the truth. 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:58.240 And he smiled and said, What do you mean when you say that? 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:02.240 And I said, If the Bible says That's the last and final authority for me. 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:06.720 I have to submit to that, or else I live in error, or what the Bible calls sin. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:10.880 They go, Well, we might have a problem with that, and I like this already. 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:13.359 Not because I want to have an argument. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:15.039 I love honest people. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:20.000 I love because if you're willing to tell the truth about yourself, there's nothing you can't work through. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:21.200 So I said, So tell me. 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:22.720 And he said, Well, I mean, I believe in God. 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:23.839 I said, Good, good, whatever. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:27.359 Well, I mean, I know Jesus died on the cross, and but I just don't believe some of that other stuff. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:27.920 Like what? 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:30.240 Well, I mean, like, you know, I don't know creation. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:33.440 I think the earth is 65 billion years old and fossil records. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:35.839 I said, paging Charles Darwin, go ahead. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:41.680 Actually, I said, you know that Darwin fabricated some of his research with tree moths? 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.400 And he looked at me and he goes, How do you know that? 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:48.400 I said, I know I'm a preacher and we're all stupid and couldn't get real jobs. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:51.599 But I was a manager at Taco Bell once. 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:54.160 And I said, keep going, what else do you not believe? 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.480 I mean, that guy lived in the belly of a well three dollars. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:57.440 I don't believe that either. 00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:58.720 And he'd listen off all this stuff. 00:22:58.799 --> 00:22:59.839 And he got to the New Testament. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.359 He goes, and I don't believe, I don't believe that virgins have babies. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:06.720 And I was like, ooh, can we drill down on that one? 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:07.759 He goes, What do you mean? 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:11.200 And I said, by the way, I'm not here to fight you or to compete with you. 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:16.559