WEBVTT 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:00.959 Amen. 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:01.919 Let's pray together. 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:10.160 Lord, we've come to echo that very same thing and to say, Jesus, what you said in the garden, not my will, but yours be done. 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:15.519 Life takes on deeper, richer, fuller meaning when we can say that and mean it. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:21.440 When we can say it's a good thing that I don't get my way, because there's a God who's better than me and He's getting His way. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:24.640 He works all things out for my good so I can trust Him. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:25.839 I can live by faith. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.239 Faith is not just a noun, it is a verb. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:35.200 It is the reality that I apply to my life and leverage me to act in a way that is in keeping with the worth of the gospel. 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:39.679 This is why the Bible says, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:46.560 Let your life reflect to everyone around you the sufficiency and the value of both God and gospel. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:48.159 This is our privilege, God. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:50.799 We do that by faith and we do it in Jesus' name. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:01:00.000 And so, Holy Spirit, so illuminate the scripture today that our capacity to do that, our pleasure in doing that is enhanced and increased. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:01.600 This is our prayer, God. 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:02.640 Make it our experience. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:05.760 We pray in Jesus' name, and everyone said, Amen. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:06.159 Amen. 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:07.519 You can have a seat if you got a Bible. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.079 I invite you to take it and open up to Genesis chapter 12. 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:13.599 And we are finishing up a four-part series on our core values today. 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:19.439 If you're visiting our church, uh, we have four core values, four things that guide and govern everything we do. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:20.560 And they are sequential. 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:22.000 They're in order for a reason. 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:25.680 They are gospel, community, mission, and blessing. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:31.519 We believe the gospel produces a community of people on the shared mission, and central to that is to be a blessing. 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:34.159 And so we've been unpacking each one of those. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:36.079 Today we're to the last one of blessing. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:37.120 You say, What do you mean? 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:40.159 I want to talk to you today about the privilege of being a blessing. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:42.400 The privilege of being a blessing. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:43.920 Everybody wants to be blessed. 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:44.640 Amen? 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:46.000 Sure you do. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:47.120 Nothing wrong with that. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:48.959 But do you want to be a blessing? 00:01:49.120 --> 00:02:02.239 Because what you're going to see in the way God relates to this man, Abram, in Genesis chapter 12, whose name is later changed because it to Abraham, is that God blesses his people in order for them to be a blessing. 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:04.640 So you cannot just say, I want to be blessed. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:09.599 You have to grapple with the biblical responsibility to be a blessing. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:12.080 Otherwise, the blessing stops with you. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:16.400 And one of the problems in America is individualistic Christianity. 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:20.000 It's just me and my wife and our two kids, us four and no more. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:24.240 If our prayers don't extend beyond our household, we're not a blessing, okay? 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:25.680 You're not going to be a blessing. 00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:31.199 And I want us, because God wants to bless you so that you would turn then in turn be a blessing. 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:34.319 So the privilege of being a blessing, uh, Genesis chapter 12. 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:35.840 I'll read the first four verses. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:48.159 Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you, and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:52.159 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse. 00:02:52.319 --> 00:02:56.560 And in all in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.240 So Abram went. 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:04.960 And as the Lord had told him, and Lot with him, Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Haran. 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:06.319 We'll just stop right there. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:11.439 See, there's four things that people uh lot like Abram understand. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.400 The people that are understand the privilege of being a blessing. 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:17.919 There's four things from what we just read that they demonstrate in their life. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:19.759 You see this in the life of Abram. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.840 Uh, and the first one is simply this is that obedience is often disruptive. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:26.560 Obedience is often disruptive. 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:32.000 When God asks you to do something, he knows full well the ramifications involved in the obedience. 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:34.080 And so, can we just agree on that this morning? 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:34.960 Let me say it again. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:41.039 When God asks you to do something, he understands already the ramifications of what he's asking you to do. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.360 If that makes sense, would you say amen? 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:51.120 Because a lot of times God asks us to do something or tells us to do something, and our first response is, well, yeah, but what about and da-da-da-da-da. 00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:55.759 And if you're not careful, you can insult the sovereignty of God that God already knows. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:58.400 There's nothing we can inform him about. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:05.360 Now you can tell him how you feel, and I think that is great, but it doesn't change the nature or the certainty of what God knows. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:09.840 And so I just want us to just embrace that obedience is often disruptive. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:10.879 You say, What do you mean? 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:15.360 He says there, uh, go from your country, your kindred, and your father's house. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:15.840 Okay? 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:16.879 Just stop right there. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.639 Translation: leave your nation, your tribe, and your people. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:23.120 Go from everything you've ever known. 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:34.800 Now, this is fresh on my mind because my wife and I and our youngest daughter drove up to Birmingham on Thursday, spent the night, got up Friday, moved into the old college dorm, third floor, no elevator. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:38.399 I'm not bitter or anything, but I'm like, come on, what's the endowment at this school? 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:45.519 And so we're lugging stuff up there, get moved in, and they said, Hey, we want the parents to be out by five o'clock because we got things starting at 5 30. 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:50.160 And at about 4 50, I'm looking at the clock and I said, Hey, we need to get going. 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:53.040 We all stood up, we all hugged, and I said, Let me pray. 00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:58.480 Started praying, got about two sentences out, broke down, wife started crying, daughter started crying. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.399 I said, God, you've been good to this family and you've been good to this girl for a long time. 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:03.920 You're not gonna stop being good. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:14.879 It was great, kind of pulled it together, walked out, got took all the trash out on the way out, threw it in the dumpster, got to the parking garage, got in the elevator, door closed, my wife burst into tears. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:16.879 Just turned towards me. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:19.680 And I just got, now, if you're not married, this is for you, okay? 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:23.279 There are going to be moments in marriage that do not require words. 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:26.000 Okay, just shut your mouth. 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:29.439 Don't say, God's good and God's sovereign, God got baby girl. 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:30.399 I just say, Come here, baby. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:31.279 And I just held my wife. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:35.839 And I was like, please don't let this thing stop on the next floor and the door open and somebody get on. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:38.240 Y'all didn't take the stairs, we're not done here yet. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:42.079 And we got to our floor, got to the ground floor, and we got in the van. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:42.959 It was kind of quiet. 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:52.319 My wife was kind of a little bit weepy, and I I'm feeling, I'm just kind of like, so when I read in the Bible this morning, God says to Abram, Go from your country, your candidate, and your father's house. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:53.839 Very fresh for me. 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:57.519 Later on in the night, I thought this was helpful, but apparently it wasn't. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:00.319 I said, We raised them to leave. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:02.560 Yeah. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:04.000 Do you feel that? 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:07.600 Oh, you women kind of took a deep breath, like, you idiot. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:09.279 You didn't say that out loud, did you? 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:14.800 I thought, not only did I say that loud, I thought right before I said it, I thought this will really be helpful. 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:21.360 And the look on her face was just like, what are you, a moron? 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:22.959 I was like, never mind. 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:23.680 Never mind. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:26.800 I was so, I was so fluxed, I just threw the remote to her. 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:29.439 Here, you can you can watch something now on the TV. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:30.399 I'm gonna go to bed. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.720 We've got to get up early and drive back with everyone who's fleeing New Orleans from the hurricane. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:38.800 And so I said, We're not going down to I-10, we're going down Interstate 20 all the way to Street Port, drive it down. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:40.480 It's a little bit longer, but we're gonna get there. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:41.519 So here's my point. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:45.040 Fresh on our head and heart today is this whole idea. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:50.000 God says, hey, I understand obedience is often disruptive. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:52.959 Leave your nation, your tribe, your your people. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:54.399 And now why? 00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:56.639 Why would God say, do that? 00:06:56.879 --> 00:06:59.920 You gotta ask yourself, what motivates your obedience? 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:06.720 When God tells you to do so, do you motivate, are you are you motivated out of fear or understanding or trust or experience? 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:08.480 Hey, you know what, God, we've been here before. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:12.079 You said you disrupted our life or you disrupted me in this moment. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:16.399 And I've learned to trust you because obedience is often disruptive. 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:18.079 I like what Eugene Peterson says. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:23.040 He says that obedience is the thing, living in active response to the living God. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:28.959 The most important question we ask of this text is not what does this mean, but what can I obey? 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:37.360 A simple act of obedience will open up our lives to the text far more quickly than any number of Bible studies and dictionaries and concordances. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:42.399 All that is good, but there's no that there's a difference in information and experience. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:52.959 When you read the Bible, you should just ask, hey, not just what does this mean, but what what can I obey in this passage to get the meaning of any verse in the Bible? 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.920 Just ask this question what does this require of me? 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:00.480 Because if you're not careful, uh because you should notice this in some people. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:03.600 Many people stop growing spiritually in relation to the Bible. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:06.639 It's not they stop reading the Bible, it's not they stop coming to church. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:09.120 Some of you may be in here today and it's kind of like, you know what? 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:10.240 I kind of relate to that. 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:10.879 Keep talking. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:11.839 Okay, I will. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:20.480 Uh, you can keep doing all the right things, but what's happened is okay, you're reading and you're getting information, but you are not obeying what you already know. 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:23.439 So God stops revealing things to you. 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:34.159 And it's a terrible feeling to be doing all the right things, going through all the emotions, coming to church, it's like, hey, if anybody knew how disconnected I am to all of this, they would think I'm a big hypocrite. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:39.200 No, you're not a hypocrite, it's just that this has become information, not experience. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:45.519 And here's the thing about the Bible: the learning is for living, it is for bearing that out. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:49.840 And so when I say that obedience is often disruptive, this is what I mean. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:56.240 Because if you stop obeying what you know, God will limit what you can know in the future. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:08:59.200 Because God doesn't want to produce hypocrisy in you. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:07.840 And it's not that God's mad at you, it's just that God understands, I can't really trust you with much more because you're not obeying with what you've already got in your life. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:15.279 And so the first thing that the people that understand the privilege of being a blessing, they understand is that obedience is often disruptive. 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:15.679 Okay. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:18.240 Secondly, they understand that God reveals. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:19.840 That God reveals. 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:20.879 What do you mean? 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:26.559 He says to Abram, go from your country, your kindred, and your father's house, very disruptive. 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:31.600 Here's the back half of the sentence to the land that I will show you. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:34.240 To a land that I will show you. 00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:38.480 When God says, go from, look at me, he already knows the two. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:43.679 When he says, Go from this to a land that I will show you, he already knows. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:44.879 He already knows. 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:49.279 And sometimes you have to leave, you have to go in order for him to show. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.080 He's not going to stay here and you go, well, exactly where we go. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:54.720 I mean, this would be like, get this in context. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:57.120 This man is 75 years old, okay? 00:09:57.279 --> 00:09:58.639 He's lived in the same place. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:02.000 He's got his grandparents, his parents, everybody lives right down the street. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:04.399 If they had kids and they don't, we'll get to that in a minute. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:05.840 It'd be free babysitting. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:06.960 It would just be incredible. 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:08.559 Just this little, hey, right here. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:10.240 And 75 years old. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:17.440 It'd be like going to your grandma's house today, unannounced, backing up a U-Haul truck, and just ringing the doorbell, walking in and going, hey grandma, hugging her. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:22.799 All right, get your stuff, get your yadro figurines, get your precious moment collection, get on the U-Haul. 00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:23.279 We're going. 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:24.639 And your grandma's like, What in the world? 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:25.200 What are you talking about? 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:25.840 Where are we going? 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:26.559 It doesn't matter. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:28.480 Just get in the U-Haul, grandma. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:34.960 Your grandma's like, hang on a second, look at her point, where's my piss so I can shoot a fool? 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:38.399 This is exactly what happens. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:40.399 This is exactly what happens. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:45.759 Now you have to believe that God is a God of revelation, or else you're gonna be like, uh, uh, uh, uh. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:50.960 He says, go from to the land I will show you. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.600 Okay, go from to go to. 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:55.840 You gotta go from before you can get to. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.039 And some of us can't go from and we never get to. 00:10:59.200 --> 00:11:00.960 Like I use my own life as an example. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:06.320 When I was in college, uh, now towards my senior year, there was a lot more pretty girls in my college. 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:09.039 I don't know if I noticed or there was just an influx, they bust them in. 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:12.879 But when I first got there, there was maybe five girls that every guy wanted to date. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.519 And by the grace of God, I happened to get to date one of those. 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:17.759 The relationship was enjoyable, she was beautiful. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:20.720 A friend of mine said, that's probably one of the prettiest girls I've seen. 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:24.080 I mean, like, I mean, that's like she is great, man. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:25.039 And oh my gosh. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:26.559 And I was like, hey, dude, that's my girlfriend. 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:28.080 Don't be weird about it, okay? 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:32.000 And so we're going along there, and we've been dating, I don't know, three, four months, five months. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:34.799 And it was, she was like, hey, I think this is going somewhere. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:36.320 And I was like, Me too. 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:38.320 Uh you're pretty, I'm pretty. 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:40.320 Uh, yeah, okay, let's be pretty together. 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:42.639 Uh and so, and one night I'm sitting in my room. 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:43.759 This is how long ago it was. 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:45.679 I was on the cutting edge of technology. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:52.480 I had a Sony Walkman Sport Edition, yellow, with the little clasp that locked it down, and the little headphones that go in your ear. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:12:02.159 I'm at my desk in my room studying, listening to music, and my roommate Joey's across the room, and clear as a bell, it wasn't audible, but it felt tangible in my spirit. 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:05.440 Clear as a bell, the Holy Spirit said, Hey, I want you to break up with her. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:07.519 This relationship has come as far as it can. 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:14.480 And I was like, Lord, the devil's trying to get me to break up with one of the five pretty girls on this campus. 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:15.759 Now get back, devil. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:19.759 Uh and I sat there, and I mean the Bible says test the spirits and see if they be of the Lord. 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:22.399 And the longer I sat there, the more it was just confirmed. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:26.960 So I got out a piece of paper, I wrote a letter, I walked out of my roommate and said, Where are you going? 00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:31.360 Because we would study till midnight, stop, and then go to the hot biscuit and eat breakfast at midnight. 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:32.879 Because you were in college back then. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:35.919 Uh by the way, the other night I went to bed at 8 47. 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:39.919 Because I'm a loser, that's why, okay? 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:41.519 And I was glad to be in bed. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:43.120 My wife said, Are you going to bed right now? 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.600 And I went, shamer, turn the light out. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.000 Uh but I said, Hey, I'll be back. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:48.720 He said, What do you do? 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:49.360 What are you doing? 00:12:49.519 --> 00:12:50.639 I said, I'm going to go obey. 00:12:50.799 --> 00:12:52.799 Walked across the campus to her dormitory. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:55.679 It was Merle Bruce, and I called her down. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:13:01.360 Oh, excuse me, Lineberry, the one of the girls dormant at my college, and I called her down, and I talked to her, I said, Hey, my car. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.960 She goes, Oh, I didn't think I was going to see you. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:03.840 I'm so glad to see you. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:05.360 I'm like, this is not making this better. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:08.399 So we get in the car, and I thought, because you said, Why'd you write a letter? 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:12.720 Because I thought I'll get over there and I'll just look at her and kind of go, you're really pretty. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:13.759 Never mind, God. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:15.600 You want to go to Hot Biscuit? 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:20.639 Uh, but instead, I just said, Hey, take a moment and read this, let's talk about it. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:23.279 I thought that was a very gentlemanly thing to do. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:31.039 She got about halfway through the ladder and she went, Oh no, nobody breaks up with me. 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:32.480 That's a quote. 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:36.639 And I thought, I wasn't very discerning back then, but I thought, this isn't going well. 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:43.919 I thought in my dorm room I was going to be honest with her because I said I said in the letter, uh, thank you for the time, this opportunity to get to know you. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:48.000 I've so enjoyed getting to know you, but this relationship has come as far as it can. 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:55.679 And for me to stay in it any longer would be me defrauding you, me leading you on, and trying to make you think that my heart is somewhere it's not. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:57.440 My heart has come to a stop. 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:59.679 And so I think it's time to end this relationship. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:04.480 I thought this as well, ladies, Hallmark is gonna want me to write cards after this. 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:10.000 This is so well, this is so, because my thing back then was just be honest, just tell the truth. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:11.840 I wasn't ruthless, I was truthful. 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:15.360 I mean, she wadded that up and threw it against a dashboard in my car. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:16.639 What do you think you're doing? 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:18.879 I said, I'm trying to be honest with you. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:25.519 Ah, wow, and at a small private Baptist school, when you break up with one girl, you break up with all of them. 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:29.679 I went to the cafeteria the next day, I was at the salad bar, and a girl called, Oh, who do you think you are? 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:30.320 And Yama McLean. 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:32.639 I was like, I hi, my name is Neil. 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:33.120 What's your name? 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:34.480 It doesn't matter. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:36.720 So-and-so lives on my floor. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:37.919 You broke her heart. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:38.799 I said, So what? 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:41.120 So I just stay in the relationship when I know that I'm done. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:42.159 How do you know it's done? 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:44.879 You should just keep dating and see if God changes your heart. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.639 That's disobedience. 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:48.480 That's called defrauding. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:49.840 Guys do it all the time. 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:50.879 I just don't want to do that. 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:52.159 Oh, shut up. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:54.720 Just for the record, we all hate you. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:56.320 And I'm standing there holding my track. 00:14:56.480 --> 00:14:57.200 I'm not making this up. 00:14:57.279 --> 00:14:59.200 I'm like, well, welcome to this Christian college. 00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:00.399 This is going well. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:03.759 Uh should have gone to AM, huh? 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:04.559 Yeah. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:05.200 Oh. 00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:08.879 That never happens at AM. 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:12.720 I went up on Northgate and I come back, and there was a woman in my apartment. 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:13.919 What happened here? 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:20.159 I was just like, yeah, it was really, I was thrown because I thought I'm doing the right thing. 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:23.360 Now, why do I tell you that? 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:27.440 Almost four years later, I'm in grad school. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:31.440 Not dating anybody, traveling all over the country. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:35.919 And so I'm I'm out almost every weekend, and I'm just standing talking to the baby. 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:44.399 We're walking, and I look up, and probably 50, 60 yards away, I see this long blonde hair blowing in the wind, faded Levi's, a white t-shirt, no makeup and boots. 00:15:44.480 --> 00:15:46.559 And I said to a friend of mine, I said, Hey, who is that? 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.480 And he goes, Oh, that girl's from Florida. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:49.679 Her name's Marcy. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.720 She doesn't date, she's like God's girlfriend. 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:54.879 That's a quote. 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:58.159 And I said, I think God wants to break up with her. 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:08.799 Now, fast forward in that, and by the way, in that moment, you know I went back to in my head and in my heart was four years earlier when God said, Break up with this really pretty girl. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.440 It didn't make sense until that moment. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:15.039 Now that Marcy and I have been married for 28 years. 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:20.240 And it's been, my cat, is it hard to be married a long time? 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:21.840 Not when you're married to this. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.519 This is easy. 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:26.879 My wife's reading the magazine, she went, uh-huh. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:32.799 Yeah, but that was, and it didn't make sense, and I was just like, it made sense now. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:33.840 What am I saying? 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.480 Here's the thing: God reveals, look at me. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.840 He reveals, but he doesn't always explain. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:42.879 Let me say that again. 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:44.080 God reveals. 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.440 Leave the land of your fathers and go to a land that I will show you. 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:48.720 But he doesn't always explain. 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:51.840 Hey, Neil, this relationship has come as far as it can. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:52.799 What? 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:53.919 Say what? 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:57.360 But he doesn't always explain. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.240 And so when I say God reveals, this is what I mean. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.480 He's not in the habit of explaining himself. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:10.319 I don't have time to go into this, but you you do not want, and I've heard it a few times in my life, and it scared me to my core. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:13.039 You do not want to hear God say, never mind. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:17.839 Because if you won't do it, he'll find somebody else that will. 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:25.519 And there's been a few times in my life where I've tried to negotiate with God and be like, oh, well, you know, uh, uh, and God's like, never mind. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:26.960 I didn't mean to bother you. 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:29.200 Go on with your really busy life, Neil. 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:35.680 Here's the third thing that the people understand, people that understand, like Abram, the privilege of being a blessing. 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:39.519 Here's the third thing they understand that God sees his promises through the lens of himself. 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:42.400 God sees his promises through the lens of himself. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.000 That means it cuts both ways. 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:45.440 Some of you struggle with worthiness. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:46.559 Well, I'm not worthy. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.599 I'm not worthy. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:51.759 He doesn't give it to you because you're worthy, because on your best day you weren't worthy. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:54.400 So you don't have to live in fear of your worst day. 00:17:54.640 --> 00:18:03.039 On our best day, I mean, the Bible says in Isaiah that all your righteous deeds, all the good things you've done, are like filthy rags on the sight of a holy God. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:05.200 So on your best day, you didn't deserve it. 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:09.200 So you don't have to live in fear of people finding out about your worst day, okay? 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:12.240 And so God sees the promises through the lens of himself. 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:12.880 Where do you get that? 00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:13.759 Verse 2. 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:27.759 After he tells him, Leave your kindred, your country, your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you, verse 2, and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:34.319 When I say he sees the promises through the lens of himself, I brought a graphic that will help us understand this or at least visualize it. 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:37.440 Now that big line in the middle, that's like that, that's like a wall. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.039 You're on one side of the wall. 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:44.880 Now, by nature, most of us, if you're like me, uh your eye and your affection and your attention is drawn to will. 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:46.079 God says, I will. 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:46.640 And you know what? 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:50.480 Sometimes the first thing I think is, will you really? 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:51.599 I mean, really? 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:56.799 I mean, because I mean, I know you said you would, but when and how and oh what? 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:02.880 15 years ago, it's been over 15 years ago now, I started this church as the pastor. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:05.039 All we had was this one building right here. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:07.440 Uh and it didn't even look like this. 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:08.799 It looked totally different. 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.200 Uh it was not very well cared for. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.200 It needed some tender love and care. 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.400 I'll just say it like that. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:22.079 Uh, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God said, when people of this church reached out to me and said, Hey, we'd like, I remember a man followed me out that door and the other door. 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:23.359 I had a suburban back then. 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.039 I missed that suburban, by the way. 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:28.160 Uh, I sold it to a man in our church who still has it. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:31.279 Every time I see him, I'm like, You still got my suburban? 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:41.440 Anyway, so I'm walking out to get in my suburban, and a man follows me out and says, Hey, Neil, uh, people are writing notes and putting in the offering plate and saying, Hey, have you talked to Neil about being our next pastor? 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:44.720 Because he's a member here, he's hardly ever here, and stood right there. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:48.079 And that man looked at me and said, Would you prayerfully consider being our pastor? 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:50.000 And I looked at him and said, No. 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:52.799 I wasn't a very good Baptist. 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:54.319 Baptists always say, I'll pray about it. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:55.759 That's Baptist for no. 00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:58.640 I said to him, You have lost your mind. 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:01.119 You don't want me, I've never done this. 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:03.680 And and and this is no, no. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:05.839 And I got in my suburban, drove home. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:07.599 My wife said, Hey, I thought you were talking to so-and-so. 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:08.400 What was that about? 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:13.200 He said, People are writing down on pieces of paper, have you talked to Neil about being our next pastor? 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:15.759 He's here, he's a member of our church, he's hardly ever here. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:17.599 And my wife just said, Well, what'd you say? 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:19.200 I said, Absolutely not. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.720 I eat out and live in hotels 190 days a year. 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:24.240 I like this gig. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:28.400 And my wife said, I don't know if you get to say that. 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:31.759 You shut your filthy mouth right now. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:33.519 You. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.400 Because you see, here's my problem. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:40.480 I was looking at, you know, because they were like, we will, we will, we will. 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:41.680 Because I mean, I was honest. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:42.400 I said, you know what? 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.440 I he said, why not? 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:45.519 I said, because I'd blow this thing up and start over. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:49.039 I was looking at it through the lens of myself. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:49.839 Okay. 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:53.680 But other people were looking at it through the lens of God. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:57.680 See, God sees the promises through the lens of himself. 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:04.000 We're drawn to will he, will he not, ah, ah, I God's drawn to I. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:11.839 God is very uh uh very has a very high opinion and high view of himself. 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:14.799 If you read the Bible, that's one of the things that you will see. 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:18.240 God loves God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:18.720 Okay? 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:20.559 God is really into God. 00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:32.000 Now that sounds crazy or egocentric, or if you're just visiting a church for the first time today, or you're listening to the podcast, or you're part of our online community and you're at home checking it out, you're like, no, wait a minute, what did you just say? 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:33.359 Yes, let me say it again. 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.759 God is very into God. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:37.839 God is very God-centered. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:42.240 God loves God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:43.920 You say, Well, that doesn't sound right. 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:47.759 Only because you want him to put you at the center of his affections. 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:51.119 And you've been told and taught, oh, yeah. 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:58.559