WEBVTT 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:13.359 This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:18.399 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:27.440 This week we've included a portion of our service where Neil, our lead pastor, makes an announcement in regards to our plans for a new building. 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:29.600 After that, listen to the sermon. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:35.200 Amen. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:50.079 I want you to realize today, I think most of you realize this, some of you may not, that uh when we talk about the promises of God, that that's not just some things that God promised us some people a long time ago to kind of get the ball rolling on this, and now it's kind of like, hey, you're on your own. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:52.560 That the promises of God still apply to you. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:55.759 Let me say that again. 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:58.159 The promises of God still apply to you. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.000 You're not disqualified from that. 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:05.840 You're like, well, you know, ooh, there's that one situation or there's this addictive habit that I have. 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:12.879 The promises of God stand unchanged outside the context of your present situation or circumstance. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:17.599 They don't go up and down, they're not more true or less true based on how you live your life. 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:19.120 They're just true. 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:20.719 They're unchanging. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:28.879 This past week, uh, many of us in our church, we uh uh if you're visiting today, uh you're sitting, you're standing right now around some of the most authentic people you'll ever meet. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:34.640 Some of us were reading the 37th Psalm uh out loud every morning and every night, just to kind of remind ourselves. 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:37.519 Uh, I took a pen and just started underlining all the verbs. 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:42.959 Fret not, wait, keep, all these kind of things. 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:44.560 Because God says, Hey, I'm faithful. 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:47.920 The issue of faithfulness ain't on my side of the fence here, Skippy. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:49.680 It's on your side of the fence. 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:53.280 Because God says, I'm faithful, and I'm always gonna be faithful. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.840 We've gathered together today to worship and think about a faithful God. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:01:59.200 Do you realize that today? 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:02.879 And so if you're faithless, there's good news for you. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:06.319 This doesn't depend on your behavior, and I'm not minimizing your behavior. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:14.719 We're gonna read from the Bible here in a few minutes about a lady that absolutely put it in the ditch, and the promises of God still applied to her. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:16.560 So you're in a good place today. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.719 Do me a favor if you would before you sit down. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:20.000 I want you to just kind of look around. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.479 We'll bring the house lights up just a smidge. 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:24.319 I want you to look around and greet just a few people. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:26.560 Uh Teresa's gonna play us some browsing music. 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:29.439 We just want to welcome each other to worship today. 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:31.120 So y'all will feel at home. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:32.159 There you go. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:37.280 All right, do me a favor if you would and find your way back to your seat. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.439 Uh unhand the visitors, leave them alone. 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:45.439 And once you find your way back to your seat, go ahead and have a seat if you would. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:48.479 Uh if you're a guest today, we don't do this every Sunday. 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:50.719 I have a friend that's a member here and she hates this. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:53.759 She's like, I come in late because you're gonna make us greet each other. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:55.599 Uh and I'm like, relax, lady. 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:56.960 Okay, we don't do it every Sunday. 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:03.919 Uh we just, it's summer's kind of crazy, and coming out of the summer, some of us are are we sporadic in the summer, and here's why. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:07.520 Because the pastor thinks if you have a Harley, it's a sin not to ride it. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:10.240 And so some Sundays you shouldn't be here. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.400 You should be riding through the hill country with your buddies. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.080 Just kind of drinking it all in. 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:16.400 I spent this past week in Lano, Texas. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:21.680 Uh it's a town so small, every day I'd go for a walk, someone would stop me and say, Where are you from, boy? 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:23.360 And I wasn't offended. 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:24.240 They called me boy. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:25.520 I wasn't like, What do you mean boy? 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:26.560 I'm a grown man. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:28.960 I was like, uh, I'm I'm I'm from a town called Sugarland. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:30.560 What you doing in Llano? 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:33.599 One guy's like, You got any Copenhagen? 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:36.879 I said, No, but I used to dip. 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:38.479 And he's like, Do you miss it? 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:40.080 I said, Only in elder meetings. 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:41.039 Uh anyway. 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:44.960 Uh if you're our guest, just relax. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:04:01.120 Uh uh, we have a pastoral prayer time, which is this time right now, but I want to give you an update to our people uh about uh we we've been uh we had a plan in place since 2006, shortly after I became your pastor, uh uh about being good stewards of the of the of not just the property, but the position God has given us here in our city. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:02.319 And so I want to give you an update. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.639 We've been talking about a new sanctuary and the plans for that. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:05.840 I'm gonna give you an update on that. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:10.960 We've had a pre-design team, which means some people in our church have been a part of this, kind of shaping the dialogue. 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:14.639 And I will give you an update and I have some pictures to show you what we're talking about. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:16.399 Uh this is the footprint of our campus. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:18.079 It's like a big L, actually. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:19.600 And it goes way back there. 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:21.839 This is over here on that side there. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:23.920 Back there is this, it's called the warehouse. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:25.279 That's the student ministry building. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:27.439 And this is my cat tormentor, by the way. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:30.879 Uh and if y'all don't pay attention, I'll poke, I'll shine this in your eyes today. 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:32.720 Uh, anyway, this is the warehouse. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:34.879 That's where student ministry uh happens. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:37.920 This is a children's building, which is the building right back here. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:44.800 This is the building we're sitting in right now, and this is where that big green space out the side, right over here, is where this new sanctuary will go. 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:46.079 Uh, that's the back of it. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:48.720 It faces, this is the lobby, it faces the children's building. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:49.759 Let me give you another picture. 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:52.000 You can see the inside, what it'll look like on the inside. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:56.000 Uh, it's fan-shaped, very uh we don't believe in building cathedrals. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:59.920 We build well-made but practical and functional buildings. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:01.279 Uh here's the stage. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:03.279 Uh 1464 is out here. 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:07.120 This will add 112 new parking spaces, uh, and it'll see eight. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:08.319 Yes, I hear you. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:09.279 I hear you. 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:11.519 We gotta park way out there and walk. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:13.519 It's such a first world problem. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:15.199 Suck it up, buttercup. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:20.240 Anyway, if you're visiting today, I would never talk to you this way. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:24.079 But when you join, I'm gonna shoot you straight. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:27.120 Uh uh, this is uh this is flat surface right here. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:28.480 This is just polished concrete. 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:30.160 Uh, and that'll be chairs on the floor. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:31.360 And this, why do I tell you that? 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:33.680 Because this back here is what's called stadium seating. 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:35.120 It's slanted like this. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:37.920 Uh because it's not just an old shotgun style building. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.639 It's it's it's like that, it's a lot warmer acoustically and aesthetically. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:51.040 Uh and then out here is uh is a nice spacious wraparound lobby, and all God's people said, Because it feels like human pinball out here. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:56.480 Uh anyway, uh this over here, I don't know if you can see, right here is an information desk. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:03.199 Uh right here is a welcome desk, uh, right here, and then right over here, my my I I've played with this with my cat too much. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.240 Uh, right here is the Virginia G coffee bar. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:12.480 Uh anyway, uh if you're wondering whether that's Virginia G is the lady who comes every Sunday and makes coffee. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:15.120 Somebody asked me, they said, So you're a pastor this week. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:15.680 I said, Yeah. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:18.160 They said, Well, what does your church do when you're not there? 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:19.360 And I said, Party. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:22.319 Uh and they said, Well, you're not very central to the process. 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:24.800 I said, the only person central to the process is Virginia. 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:25.600 And they said, Who's that? 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:27.279 I said, She makes the coffee every Sunday. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:29.759 And the guy's like, I might come visit your church. 00:06:29.920 --> 00:06:33.600 Uh and so anyway, this is kind of the schematic what we're looking at. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:36.720 Uh now you say, Well, what's the path towards that? 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:40.879 Currently, uh, I brought you more information because we practice full disclosure, relax. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:43.600 There's not a there's not a sales pitch coming at the end of this, okay? 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:46.000 Uh currently, we owe$2.1 million. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.639 We believe in manageable debt, not crippling debt. 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:50.480 We do not do the field of dreams model. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:53.120 If we build it, they will come and help us pay for it. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.399 Uh, we don't do that. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:03.920 And so uh we need to pay down about half of this, at least half of this, so we can take that step uh in the most fiscally prudent uh and responsible manner. 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:07.600 Uh and so what we do, we do not do capital stewardship campaigns. 00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:11.279 If you may have heard that phrase, you may have been in church where you sign a pledge card and all that. 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:13.360 We do not disparage churches that do that. 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:19.519 The reason we don't do it is that we have to, all of a sudden, we have to know what you give, and what you give is none of my business. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:25.199 I I won't have a banquet where I'll have all the top 20% of the givers in our church because I don't know who gives what. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:26.879 That way I treat everybody the same. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:34.560 So if you're rich or you're poor or whatever, you don't get preferential treatment because we're all we're all on equal footing here. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:37.120 And so uh we need to pay at least half of this off. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:39.199 And we don't do capital stewardship campaigns. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:45.519 What we do is we designate a day in the future and say, on this day, let's pray and listen and obey and do whatever God tells us to do. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:47.040 It's called the Hilarious Sunday. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:50.000 And our next hilarious Sunday is on December the 16th. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:52.399 Uh, you say, no, why hilarious Sunday? 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:54.399 Uh I did not grow up in church, okay? 00:07:54.560 --> 00:08:00.079 Uh, and and and so I didn't understand uh all this until I became a Christian and started actually reading the Bible. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:02.000 Uh, this is where this comes from for us. 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:05.120 Uh is a verse in 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 6 to 8. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:06.959 The Bible says, the point is this. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:09.519 Whoever, by the way, I love that the Bible's that practical. 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.399 He goes, the point is this, uh, but I digress. 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.920 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.720 Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:23.680 Each one must give as he's decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:24.879 Now, what does that mean? 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:28.639 That means I'm not gonna take you to lunch and put a sales pitch on you. 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:31.199 If I take you to lunch, I just want to get to know you. 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.840 I'm not gonna put you under compulsion or whatever. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:39.200 You should give as you've decided in your heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:42.080 That word cheerful is the Greek word hilaros. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.159 Hilarious, excuse me, hilarious. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:46.639 And it's where we get our English word hilarious. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.080 And so, because that's what hilaros is cheerful giver. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:51.679 God loves a hilarious giver. 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:58.159 And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times you may abound in every good work. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:00.639 So, guys, we'll go back to the previous slide. 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:03.679 Um, that's the background for Hilarious Sunday. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:07.039 That's our next Hilarious Sunday offering on December 16th. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:07.919 What does that mean? 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:12.960 That means that we're just gonna, in the meantime, pray you listen and you obey uh our desire. 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:15.200 I'd love to pay all that 2.1 million off. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:19.120 That way we could go into that and be in an even better position financially. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:21.679 Uh, this will not become the focus of our church. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:26.480 We will not paint a red thermometer on the wall in the lobby uh and give updates every week. 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:28.879 You know, you want the level to go up, you better give. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:29.440 No. 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:34.000 Here's what we're gonna say: you just pray, you just listen, and you just obey. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:40.159 Now, I told you earlier, that's just kind of I'll send the email because some people aren't here because they're sinners and they're sleeping in or whatever. 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:46.639 Uh I'll send an email uh to the whole church uh just because we practice full disclosure. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:51.120 Uh but I told you earlier we have a pastoral prayer time, and I don't want us to pray about this today. 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:52.399 Uh here's why. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:59.840 Because there's bigger things in the world going on than us starting construction of a new sanctuary, like in the states of South and North Carolina. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.919 There's this woman named Florence that has paid them a visit, and we remember what that was like, do we not? 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:10.080 We know what it's like for some of you in this in this in this church got flooded. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:20.720 There's a family in our church that got flooded during Hurricane Harvey, got everything rebuilt, got the new furniture delivered, and the next day a pipe in their downstairs broke and flooded the downstairs of their house. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:22.960 Oh, help me, Jesus. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:24.559 So we know. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.080 I mean, you're sitting around some rednecks with power tools, by the way. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.879 Because last year when the hurricane hit, we showed up here in teams. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.799 We were going out, cutting out sheetrock. 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:36.000 I remember we walked in one lady's house and she was like, I don't know what to do. 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:38.159 One of our men was like, Bag up, ma'am. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:42.720 Uh just took a saw and started just cutting about 36 inches above the floor. 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:50.399 And we're ripping out sheetrock, pulling out wet uh insulation, all that stuff, pulling up wood flooring, putting it out by the curb because we remember what that's like. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:56.399 And the Bible says this the Bible says we comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:57.919 And so here's what I want us to do. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:01.279 I want us to pray for the people that have been affected by Hurricane Florence. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.759 And just pray, however, God puts on your heart to pray. 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:04.720 We know what it's like. 00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:06.639 One of them, here's a couple things that I'm praying. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:12.720 That people would see God's power and they wouldn't start to believe things about God that aren't true. 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:14.720 They'd see God's power. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:16.399 And it would be humbling for them. 00:11:16.960 --> 00:11:19.360 It wouldn't make them angry, it would be humbling. 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:26.240 I'm praying that the church in North and South Carolina, as it already is, would just kind of rise to the opportunity to demonstrate. 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:33.279 I met a guy, uh, my waiter yesterday, if you go to Atlanto, Texas, there's this cool little place to eat called Badu, B-A-D-U. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:35.279 They have a great brunch. 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:40.080 I had ex Benedict served on cornmeal with queso and saddle holiday sauce. 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:42.080 I was like, shut up. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:43.440 Yes, sir. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:48.000 Uh and I looked at the waiter and I said, You kind of got a restless, wandering spirit in you, don't you? 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:49.039 And he goes, I sure do. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:50.080 I said, Where were you born? 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:51.519 He said, Kissimmee, Florida. 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:53.679 And I said, and where'd you get that tattoo right there? 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:55.200 And he goes, I got that North Dakota. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:56.799 I was up there protesting the pipeline. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:00.159 I said, You smoke them left-handed Democratic cigarettes, don't you? 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:02.799 And he was like, Maybe, I don't know. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:05.120 And I said, relax, I'm not Johnny Law. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:06.240 And we just got to talking. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:09.039 And I just said to him, I said, What was it like up there? 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:10.320 And he said, You know what? 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:16.399 My truck, my truck broke down, I was in North Dakota, and church folk came out to the protest lines and helped me get my truck fixed. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:18.240 They took me in and they fed me. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:21.120 And I said, Church folk, what do you mean by that? 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:22.240 You know, religious people. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.799 I said, religious or people have a relationship with Jesus? 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:27.120 And he said, What's the difference? 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:33.919 And I said, Come into my lair, said the spider to the fly. 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:38.960 You boys serve alcohol this early in the morning, it's may take a while. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:39.360 No. 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:40.799 I said, There's a huge difference. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:42.559 And by the way, his name's Dakota. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:43.840 I pray for him. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:45.679 Great young man. 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:48.240 Just got abandoned as a kid. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:50.559 I said, now orphans can be ruthless. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:52.799 And he went, Oh man, I've been that. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:57.120 I said, be careful, it all doesn't depend on you, you rugged individualist. 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:00.720 He said, You, you, I said, Well, we'll bless you. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:03.519 He said, You're blessing me right now just by talking to me like this. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:05.919 Now, why did I bring that up? 00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:15.600 Because one thing he couldn't, this bell he couldn't unring is that the church, the Christians in North Dakota, came out to the protest lines and said, Hey, we fundamentally disagree with you. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:17.200 Would you like a home cooked meal? 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:21.200 That's civility, folks. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:22.960 That's also Christianity. 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:28.159 And so let's just pray to people in the church, believers in North and South Carolina, this opportunity. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:29.679 Let's pray together right now. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:09.840 We remember what that's like. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:12.639 Some of us uh uh it got close. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:16.799 Water came up to the front porch, some of it flowed the street, some of us were overwhelmed. 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:18.559 We had three feet of water in our house. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:23.200 So we know what it's like for strangers to show up and just just be Jesus with skin on. 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:27.279 So we pray for for Christians in the Carolinas to rise up and be the body of Christ. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:32.080 We don't need to we don't need a bunch of chucks and trucks from Texas to show up and try to do what they need. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:34.240 Uh what they can do. 00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:36.000 Uh we pray for them. 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:37.600 Uh God, we bless them. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:40.639 We pray you'd protect people from believing things about you that aren't true. 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:43.360 You're not mean and maniacal and out to get people. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:44.240 No, no, no. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:47.360 It's just your your power's greater than ours. 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:50.399 The Bible says that you keep winds in your storehouses. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:57.039 So you have a storehouse so big that Hurricane Florence can be kind of in that climate-controlled storage facility. 00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:58.399 That's how big you are. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.600 And so, Lord, we want to be humbled by that, not mad at that. 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:03.200 We want to be humbled by that. 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:08.399 And cause things like that to make us ponder and think about you and what you're really like. 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.720 Holy Spirit, lead us into the truth today. 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:12.879 Say something that has our name on it, we pray. 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:14.080 We pray it in Jesus' name. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:16.480 And everyone said, Amen. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:19.279 If you're our guests again, thanks for looking into a new church. 00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:20.879 Just be yourself here today. 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:28.720 Uh uh, we're gonna sing a few more songs, and I'm gonna come back and I'm preaching through the gospel of John, and we're just gonna pick it up where we left off last time, and we'll just go from there. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:32.080 We may sing some songs you've never heard before, or you don't know the words to. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:32.720 Look at me. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:37.840 That doesn't mean you're dumb, it doesn't mean you're unspiritual, or you are you shouldn't be here. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:44.879 No, it just means, hey, you keep coming and you'll learn some of the songs, and you'll find yourself kind of humming some of those and thinking about them. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:49.600 And we'll end our service with a great country song today because God loves country music. 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:50.000 Amen. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:51.759 That's all I got. 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:55.360 Amen. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:56.320 Let's pray together. 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:00.960 Oh, Lord Jesus, when we sing songs like that, we're not saying uh we want to be narrow-minded. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:03.360 We're saying that you have a better way of doing life. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:16.240 Uh, you said uh to people, because you're a straight shooter and a square dealer, you said to people, hey, broad is the path that leads to destruction, and many there be that find it, but narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that go between. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:18.320 We want to be those people that go between. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:20.080 Uh again, not being narrow-minded. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:24.559 We want to be the most gracious, generous, juiciest people anybody knows. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:29.200 So when they get around us, it's harder to be an atheist than it was before they met us. 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:33.600 Uh, not because we're special, just because we're we're peep we're the people of God. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:34.799 Uh we're Christians. 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:38.639 Uh we're the most winsome, liberated cat they've ever met, God. 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:41.600 And it creates in them a desire to know more about you. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:44.000 That's why we exist, that's why we breathe. 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:48.480 Not to pay down the visa so we get more stuff, uh, not to go on more vacations. 00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:50.320 Nothing wrong with any of that kind of stuff. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.080 But it's not the reason we're breathing. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:57.200 Remind us while we're breathing today and do so from the Bible, we ask in Jesus' name, and everyone said. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:16:57.919 Amen. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.279 You can have a seat if you've got a Bible. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.440 I invite you to take it, open up to John chapter 8. 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:03.039 If you don't have a Bible, there's one on your row. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.880 I'm on page 894. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:08.240 Page 894. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:12.559 And today I want to talk to you about the beauty of law and gospel. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.000 The beauty of law and gospel. 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:15.599 And you say, what do you mean, law and gospel? 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:16.240 Here's what I mean. 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:19.039 When you think of law, think of the rules, think of the Old Testament. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:20.400 That's what most people think about it. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.079 The beauty of law and gospel. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:23.839 The law is the Old Testament. 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:28.000 Uh, gospel is the word that we use in the church a lot, and it literally means good news. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:32.880 And so when you think about the good news, most people think about the New Testament, which is Jesus comes. 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:37.359 And a lot of people, I've had people say to me, I don't like old God in the Old Testament. 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:42.400 He seems like he's mad, but I like Jesus in the New Testament because he's really nice. 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.000 Well, here's what I would say to that: they're the same person. 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.599 You can't divide that. 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:50.079 And so you need the beauty of law and gospel. 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:52.480 And so, John chapter 8, I'll start reading verse 1. 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:54.880 Uh, let me give you the context so you can get up to speed. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:00.880 We we're going through the book of John, verse by verse, because that way you think about what the Bible says about everything. 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:07.759 And so, up to this point, Jesus has been gaining popularity, but not because he's running for office, but because he's telling the truth. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:14.240 And speaking of running for office, what we're gonna read this morning is kind of like the Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:15.920 It's like his confirmation hearings. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:17.279 I don't know if you saw any of that. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:22.400 People would bring up stuff and try to act stuff, and and eventually, this is horrible. 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.920 Uh, that would that it's this way nowadays, but it's been this way forever. 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:30.880 Eventually, if you can't get anything on the record, then get a woman to accuse this man of something. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:34.799 And all that is, is men using women for their own political means. 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:38.480 And by the way, that didn't start with a political nomination to the Supreme Court. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:40.400 That goes way back in the Bible. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:45.440 Because what we're gonna read about is the Pharisees, they were kind of like the religious police of the day. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:47.119 They hated Jesus, okay? 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:51.680 Because when the people heard Jesus talk, all the people said, I don't want to listen to you guys anymore. 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:53.599 I want to listen to this guy talk. 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:58.480 And so everyone was gathering to listen to him, and they like, we've got to do something about this. 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:05.359 And so they couldn't do anything, they couldn't come up with a way to contradict what Jesus was saying, so they set up a trap for him. 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:06.720 And that's what we're gonna read about. 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:11.839 They try to pin Jesus down in front of God and everybody and get him to incriminate himself. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:13.759 This is the way the Bible says it. 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:16.160 John chapter 8, verse 1. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:17.759 They went each to his own house. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:19.680 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:25.200 Early in the morning, he came again to the temple, and all the people came to him, and he sat down and he taught them. 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:29.759 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and placing her in the midst. 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:34.240 They said to him, Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:37.359 Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:38.640 What do you say? 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:43.519 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:46.640 And Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:54.400 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and he said to them, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:56.880 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:03.599 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.920 Jesus stood up and said to her, Woman, where are they? 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:09.440 Has no one condemned you? 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:12.079 And she said, No, no one, Lord. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:14.720 And Jesus said, Neither do I condemn you. 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:15.200 Go. 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.599 And from now on, sin no more. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:20.480 What do I mean when I say the beauty of the law and the gospel? 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:21.839 I want to here's what I want to do this morning. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:23.279 I want to make three points right out of the Bible. 00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:29.359 I want to point to three things in the Bible, and then I want to give you four or five questions just to kind of reflectively think about. 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:33.039 And the first point I want to make is simply this is that Jesus upholds the law. 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:34.480 Jesus upholds the law. 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:35.519 You say, what do you mean? 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:37.519 In verse 5, this is kind of where they start. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:41.599 They say, now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:53.119 Now they've invoked two sacred things in New Testament time: the law of God, I mean the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, the law, and Moses. 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:56.079 It's like a Republican bringing up Ronald Reagan, okay? 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:02.480 If you ever notice that, the closer anytime someone's running for president, they start quoting Ronald Reagan over and over and over and over. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:04.960 Moses was like that for these people. 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:13.200 It was kind of like two sacred things in the law, Moses, and in their mind, they're just smiling because they've kind of backed Jesus into a corner. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:16.319 In the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:17.839 So what do you say? 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:22.000 They said this to test him that he might have some basis to bring a charge against him. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.200 Now, when I say Jesus upholds the law, they start with the law. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:27.119 Now, why is this a big deal? 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.799 This is a big deal for three reasons. 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:30.000 Number one, historically. 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:38.079 It's a big deal historically because if Jesus breaks the law, then he's guilty of sin, and therefore he's in need of forgiveness and redemption, just like the rest of us. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:44.319 And so if Jesus breaks the law, who dies on the cross in Jesus' place for the sins of Jesus? 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:46.640 You got a problem right off the bat. 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:51.039 So that when I say Jesus upholds the law, it's a big deal historically in three contexts. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:53.359 Historically, secondly, situationally. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:22:01.359 Situationally, because they think they've kind of pinned him down, and now the people will turn on him because if he violates the law and most Moses, oh, it goes against Moses. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:03.759 They're like, oh man, we got you now. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:06.880 Thirdly, the context is currently. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:08.720 Currently, what what I mean? 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:16.240 We live in a culture that takes one verse out of this passage and builds a worldview around it, and it's all the Bible they know, so it applies to everything. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:20.079 There's most people you meet on the street, they don't know anything about the Bible, but they know two verses. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.319 Number one, judge not lest you also be judged. 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:25.759 Number two, whoever's without sin, let them be the first throw stone. 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:27.359 Who am I to judge you? 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:33.920 And so I get that, and I get why that universally appeals to people, but here's the problem: you end up with a culture. 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:35.279 Now, now think about this. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:43.279 When I describe this, there's probably not a culture anywhere in the world that exists like this, but if we're not careful, it will happen. 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:54.319