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. 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:24.399 Yeah, yeah. 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:25.600 Let's pray together. 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:30.640 Uh God, we just confess that uh you're you're faithful when we're not always faithful. 00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:35.840 Uh and one of the ways you express your faithfulness is that every morning the Bible says your mercies are new. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:39.840 And so uh when we put it in the ditch, you got new mercy for us. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:50.079 And mercy teaches us, grace and mercy both teach us to say no to ungodliness, not just to take you for granted, but to learn from our mistakes and move away from that kind of behavior. 00:00:50.240 --> 00:00:57.039 And so, Lord, we're here to just extol your faithfulness, but also to embrace the responsibility to be faithful men and women. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:00.159 And so, Lord, nourish us from your word and by your spirit. 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.359 We pray in Jesus' name. 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:03.200 And everyone said, Amen. 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:04.799 You can have a seat if you've got a Bible. 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:07.599 I invite you to take and open it up to Romans chapter 12. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.040 Romans chapter 12. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.439 If you didn't bring a Bible, you don't have a Bible, that's okay. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:12.400 There's one in your row. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.159 I'm on page 948. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:16.959 If you're our guest, let me just say welcome, uh, relax. 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:21.200 Uh we're in a uh we're finishing today a four-part series on our core values. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:22.319 Our core values. 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:31.120 These are the things that kind of direct and guide, inform, influence uh who we are as a church, how we do what we do, what we do, what we love, etc. 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:32.799 And here are our four core values. 00:01:32.879 --> 00:01:36.400 They are gospel, community, mission, and blessing. 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:37.439 Let me say that again. 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:41.040 They're gospel, community, mission, and blessing. 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:53.439 We believe the gospel, the good news of Christianity, produces a community of people that live in love in relation to each other in such a way that other people see the way we treat each other and love each other, and they want to become a part of this. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:54.640 They want to understand it. 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:56.560 It's what you saw in the baptism earlier. 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:00.959 Geneva saying to Pat, hey, I kind of see something in you and I want this. 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:06.159 Coming to a women's retreat and saying, My gosh, these people care about each other, okay? 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:07.280 That's community. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:12.879 Uh the gospel produces this community of people on the shared mission, and central to that is to be a blessing. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:15.120 I want to talk about what I mean by blessing today. 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:17.199 So let me begin before I read the text. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:21.680 Uh, let me begin with a definition so that we don't misunderstand what I mean by blessing. 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:30.960 When I say blessing, what when we say is a church blessing, uh, to be a blessing is to apply biblical doctrine to my actual lived out life. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:32.240 Let me say that again. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:37.039 To be a blessing is to apply biblical doctrine to my actual lived out life. 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:40.159 Now, I want to draw your attention to that last part, last four or five words. 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:42.159 My actual lived out life. 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:53.280 Not the life I want to live, not the life I want you to think I live, but the life I actually live with two kids and a wife and a mortgage and a minivan. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:59.199 I saw a sticker on the back of a minivan yesterday, and it said, Awesome van, said nobody. 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:03.919 And I was just reminded, I'm just here I am in Loserville. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:08.960 Uh but yeah, in my actual lived-out life, and here's why this is important, okay? 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:16.800 Uh, to unleash good apart from the truth of God is to practice cultural activism, which helps nobody over the long haul. 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:23.599 And what happens is we end up solving problems for people, uh, but we never represent God or the gospel with our activism. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:29.360 And what's even more tragic is our behavior becomes a statement about us or our church and never about God. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:38.400 And then here's the the last consequence of that is simply this is that people have no idea, or excuse me, people have an idea of what the church should be doing. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:40.560 I'm talking about people in the world that don't go to church ever. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:47.039 They all seem to have an idea of what the church should be doing, but they don't have an idea or understanding of who the church is. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:53.439 And that's because we think blessing is going to the mall and putting a$5 bill in a track and leaving it on people's windshield. 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:54.479 That's not a blessing. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:55.759 That's desperation. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:59.759 That's that that's good intentions, not great execution. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:04.879 And so when I say it's to apply biblical doctrine to my actual lived out life, here's what I mean. 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:09.759 It's taking the Bible, what the Bible says, and kind of trafficking that in your life. 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:13.759 We're gonna read a section of it, Romans chapter 12, starting verse 9. 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:15.759 Uh, this is what it means to be a blessing. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:24.079 He says, let love be genuine, abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:27.839 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:35.439 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:37.439 Bless those who persecute you. 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:39.120 Bless and do not curse them. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:40.959 Rejoice with those that rejoice. 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:42.480 Weep with those who weep. 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:44.160 Live in harmony with one another. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:46.639 Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.399 Never be wise in your own sight. 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:53.279 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:57.279 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:01.199 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:05.439 For it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:08.319 To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:10.560 If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:14.319 For for by so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:19.360 Do not over do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:21.279 Look at that last verse again. 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:23.120 Do not be overcome with evil. 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:26.560 The longer you live in this world, the harder that will begin to feel. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.639 You look around and you think, does it matter? 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:29.759 Is this making a difference? 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:30.959 Is anybody paying attention? 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:31.839 Blah, blah, blah. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:35.839 Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.360 What does it mean to be a blessing? 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:41.279 It means five things I'm gonna pull from the text that I think the Bible clearly says today. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:43.680 And the first one is this love authentically. 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:44.720 Love authentically. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:46.160 Verse 9, let love be genuine. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.199 Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:51.120 And it says, let love be genuine. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:53.600 That word genuine is that it means undisguised. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:06:00.240 It means people are gonna try to convince you that they love you, but they move towards you, and they want you to think, oh, you love me. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:00.959 No, no, no. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.240 They want to use you, they love themselves and they love their agenda. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:10.160 And so to love uh genuinely is to love without any pretense, any in any disguise. 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:11.600 You're not hiding anything. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:15.759 Because he says this abhor what is evil and cling to what is good. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:17.040 Let me say this, beloved. 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:20.639 Real love doesn't love everybody and everything. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:24.639 Let me stop just a second because some of y'all are like you're writing notes and you stop. 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:27.040 When the Bible says love genuinely, okay? 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:32.800 Abhor what is evil, that means to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:39.199 Now, the Bible never just if you're visiting today or you're you're like, hey, I'm not a Christian, I don't believe this. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.879 I just came with a friend because he said there was free shiner at the Super Bowl party. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:43.600 Stay with me. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.040 I'll get you to the party on time. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:45.600 Amen? 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:47.439 Yeah. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:51.279 Some of y'all are like, did you look in my garage fridge this morning? 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:52.399 Yes, yeah. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:54.079 Hey, hey, here's the thing. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:59.839 Now, when the Bible says, hey, love, let love be genuine, abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.839 The Bible doesn't turn you into that kind of person who's just against everything. 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:05.360 I hate evil. 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:09.279 Uh when it says cling or hold fast, it's a Greek word kaleo. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:11.120 It's where we get our English word glue. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:13.920 The Bible says glue yourself to that which is good. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.000 Adhere yourself to that which is good. 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:17.519 And he says, Well, what do you mean, abhor? 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:18.639 Hate what is evil. 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:23.839 When I say genuine love, real love doesn't love everybody or everything, I'll go first. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:31.120 For example, I hate the law that New York recently passed that says abortion is legal right up to the point of birth. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:31.920 I hate that. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.560 I hate that with the white hot passion of a thousand sons. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:36.800 Someone called me and said, Pastor, what do you think about that? 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:37.600 Can you believe this? 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:39.519 I said, I hate that in Jesus' name. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:41.759 And the person's like, Oh, well, you're a pastor. 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:42.720 You shouldn't be hating things. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:43.360 Yeah, you should. 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:46.160 Now, by the way, I don't hate women that have had an abortion. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:50.079 I love the fact that they understand that there's forgiveness in Jesus for that. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:52.560 I have friends who've had an abortion. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:56.959 And they say to me, uh, man, I really appreciate you not looking down on me. 00:07:57.040 --> 00:07:58.399 And I say, I don't look down on you. 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:00.720 My sin's just as black as your sin, okay? 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:08.079 You are forgiven because what Jesus did on the cross, he paid the price for all sins, even the ones that you can't forgive yourself for. 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:14.720 And I have one friend in particular, every time it comes up on what would be this, the baby's birthday, she gets really, really down. 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:17.439 And I'm just like, I she'll send me a text, hey, pray for me. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:18.720 I'm struggling today. 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:21.040 And I write back, hey, you are forgiven? 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:23.279 I have no idea what you're referring to. 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:25.279 And she goes, You mean you've forgotten? 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:28.639 I said, No, but I'm reminding you of a God who chooses to forget. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:30.800 She said, What do you mean? 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:35.519 The Bible says God throws your sin into the sea and he remembers it no more. 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:41.279 So if you hear anything today, you hear this that whatever you've done, God's not up there looking, kind of going, uh-huh. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:43.600 Well, yeah, wait till I get you up here. 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:44.320 No, no. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:46.320 There's forgiveness because of Jesus. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.600 There's forgiveness that you get in Christ that you don't get in religion. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:56.960 So when the Bible says let love authentically, let love be genuine, it's saying, hey, real love doesn't love everybody and everything. 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:57.840 I hate that. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:58.480 I love. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:00.159 I cling to what is good, though. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:01.919 I love when people understand. 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:03.519 You mean I can be forgiven? 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:04.720 And this is free. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:09.039 Religion doesn't, I mean, excuse me, forgiveness doesn't come because of religion. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.600 Forgiveness comes in a relationship. 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:13.679 It comes in a relationship. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:18.000 And so you can't separate the forgiveness of God from a relationship with God. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.080 And so, what does it mean to be a blessing? 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:21.679 It means you love authentically. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:23.919 Secondly, it means you live in the big picture. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:25.039 You live in the big picture. 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:26.320 Look at verse 10 and 11. 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:30.159 Love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:33.039 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:34.080 Let me ask you a question. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:36.879 You ever come to church and hear the preacher read things like that? 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:43.039 You're kind of like, oh, well, each one, it's just like the religious to-do list is getting longer and longer and longer. 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:45.759 And you think, there's no way I could do that. 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:49.120 I'm just gonna give up and try to not feel guilty the rest of my life. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:51.120 They just because it goes on after this. 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:54.879 There's just more commands, and you're like, okay, hang on a second. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.960 Oh, okay, fervent and who, and hear it again. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:01.279 Love one another with brotherly affection. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.480 You know some of the hardest people to love are sitting right around you right now. 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:05.519 You know that, right? 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:08.799 Yeah, yeah. 00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:10.559 Somebody's been to church for a while. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:13.200 The rest of y'all are kind of like, oh, brother, not here. 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:13.519 Yeah. 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:16.639 I'll introduce you to some of my after the service if come up to me. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:19.200 Hey, I want loving people, brotherly affection. 00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:21.519 Hey, and it's not that they're not loving, it's just this. 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:24.320 Some of y'all are easier to love than others. 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:28.159 Some of y'all are in that EGR category. 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:30.159 Extra grace required. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:36.080 And we love you, but we tell you, hey, come on, man, you're killing us here, okay? 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:37.840 Uh what what what I mean? 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:38.720 Live in the big picture. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.440 When I say live in the big picture, let me let me back up a little bit. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:45.600 Life by nature is a series of little pictures. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:48.879 Life by nature is a series of little pictures. 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:54.960 Like there was a couple of 18-year-old freshmen, college freshmen, came home with my daughter to work in Disciple Mal or Shooter Mistress this weekend. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:56.320 They're in my house on Friday. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:00.879 I sat in the living room for five minutes, and I just thought I'm losing my mind. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:02.639 Uh, not because it was bad. 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:04.559 I don't think like an 18-year-old girl. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:06.000 Hang on a second. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:10.960 And they were talking about it, and I was just like, I'm gonna go in my room and watch a golf tournament. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:13.120 And I just got up and I said, Hey, girls, remember this. 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:18.480 When it comes to these guys, the boy in them has to die so the man in them can get out, all right? 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:20.879 And there ain't no men where you go to college. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:25.120 All that is is 14,000 ticks and no dog. 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:31.919 And they were crazy, they were like, I thought I was being helpful. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.120 I thought these people are gonna tip me on the way out the door. 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:36.720 My wife just shook her head. 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:38.320 Go take a nap and watch golf. 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:38.879 All right, all right. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:41.519 Please burma, don't throw me that prayer patch. 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:43.519 But here's the thing: look at me. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.480 Life by nature is a series of small pictures. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:56.720 It's when you're in high school, it's me and my relationships, be there with with my with my friends, with my boyfriend, with my girlfriend, and then it's me and my education, me and my marriage, me and my house. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:02.879 I love my house until I watch Fixer Upper and I hate chipping Joanna and my house. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.039 Somebody said, Hey, you want to go to the house to the home show? 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:10.000 No, just more reasons to hate my house, okay? 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:17.519 I want to just get the little picture of me and my house, then the picture becomes me and my kids, and then it's me and my dog, and then it's me and my fears. 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:20.320 And when I say live in the big picture, here's what I mean. 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:23.600 He said, He lists off these things in verse 10 and 11. 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:27.360 Love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.919 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:33.360 And if you're not careful, you're like, ah, those four things there just exhaust me. 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:34.240 I don't even know what they mean. 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:35.279 They make me tired. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.799 Then just hear these last three words at the end, because there's a comma. 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:40.879 Then it says, serve the Lord. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:41.919 Serve the Lord. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:43.519 Here's what the Bible's saying. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:46.960 It's not these behaviors, these are these are small commands. 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:49.679 The big picture is that you serve the Lord. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:58.080 What that looks like is that you and I should have people in our lives that they are so good to us that it almost makes you question their motives. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:02.159 It makes you kind of think, hey, why is he or she being this way? 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:06.480 But what you should realize is that you're the benefactor, but you're not the motivation. 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:09.919 Because the way they relate to you is the little picture. 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:12.720 The big picture is I'm just serving the Lord. 00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:18.320 I have a friend like this, it is very convicting, and he's been this way towards me for years. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.159 I would say probably 25 years. 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:26.559 If he eats, if my friend John eats at a restaurant, that it's great, I get a gift card and a handwritten note. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.000 Hey, Kell and I were here, and man, the steak was incredible. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:30.960 And I thought about you. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:32.879 Here's a gift card, take Marcy. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:38.320 And I think first when he started doing it, I was like, uh what do you want? 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:40.960 He was unnerving. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.480 And then I read Romans 12 one day, and the Holy Spirit said, Hey, John's that way because he's just serving the Lord. 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:47.679 He's not serving you. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:52.960 And then, yeah, it got better because after that, the Holy Spirit said, Why aren't you this way? 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:00.080 I saw him over, he he lives in McKinney. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:01.039 I saw him over Christmas. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:04.879 He was in town seeing his kids, and he said, Hey, Kellen, I'd like to get together with you. 00:14:04.960 --> 00:14:08.639 And I knew I got to go get a present because he's gonna have a present. 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:09.840 And he did. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:13.120 He said, Hey, I got I got this coffee. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:15.440 And then somebody said, This is this organic, blah, blah, blah. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:17.360 I know you love coffee, and I just want to bless you. 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:18.559 He never says thank you. 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:20.159 He always says bless you. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:25.200 I've been with him in restaurants and waiters are like, Oh, I know you, you're that bless you guy. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:37.440 And I'm like, uh he said, I just, I just, and I'm like, ah, oh now, if you're thinking, what would it be like when you get a group of people all living this way, what would that be called? 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:39.200 It would be called the church. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:41.360 Let me show you what I mean. 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:42.960 Right here in Romans chapter 12. 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:44.320 Look up in verse 3. 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:55.679 Romans chapter 12 for by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 00:14:55.840 --> 00:15:00.320 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:01.759 Glory to his name. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:09.120 Uh so, verse 5, so we, though many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another, he's talking about the church. 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:13.679 And he says, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:28.399 If prophecy in proportion to our faith, if service in our serving, the one who teaches in his teaching, the one who exhorts in his exhortation, the one who contributes in generosity, the one who leads with zeal, the one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness. 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:40.480 You see, different people have different gifts, but when they all exercise these gifts and they serve the Lord, like I have another friend uh who calls me periodically on the phone, his gift, his spiritual gift is exhortation. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.720 It's not, it's beyond encouragement. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:49.120 He will call me on the phone and and spend 15 minutes just affirming me and complimenting me. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:56.159 And I'm like the witch and the wizard of oz, like, what a world, what a world! Because here's the thing, and this isn't always healthy. 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:57.919 I can handle adversity. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:02.320 I'm like the redneck in me is like, oh, bring it on, let's take our shirts off. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:05.440 Prosperity scares me. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:12.799 Acceptance, affirmation, because I'm like, what you getting at here? 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:13.759 What's the real? 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:15.519 What's the real deal? 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:20.639 Because when you grow up the way I grew up, you don't trust people's goodness. 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:23.120 Because you're used to dealing with badness. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:25.919 I'm just saying, be careful. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:30.159 Be careful when I say the big picture, that's what that's what the church is. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:39.919 You should have people in your life that are so different to you that it's unnerving and realize, hey, you're you you may be the benefactor, but you're not the motivation. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:41.120 They are serving the Lord. 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.240 The third thing the Bible says to be a blessing says, keep doing old things. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:45.360 Keep doing old things. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:46.639 Verse 12 and 13. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:48.159 Rejoice in hope. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.159 Be patient in tribulation. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:58.240 Be conbulation, be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:03.919 Uh because it's so easy to start doing new things, we need to keep doing some old things. 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:07.200 The tenses of these verbs refer to ongoing action. 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:15.759 So when I say old things, I mean things, I'm referring to things like rejoicing, persevering, praying, contributing, and practicing. 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:17.680 Uh just take the first one, verse 12. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.200 He says, rejoice in hope. 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:23.039 The Bible was written in Greek originally, translated in different languages. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:24.799 Nothing was lost in the translation. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:29.200 But when it says rejoice in hope, that's not an event, that's an ongoing reality. 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:33.359 And so the literal translation, the tense of the verb is rejoicing in hope. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:37.359 So I've come to ask you today, not do you have hope or are you hopeful? 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:42.319 I came to ask you, do you feel still find joy in what you have hope in? 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:46.000 Do you still find joy in what you have hope in? 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:50.160 Because what you'll see, if the answer is no, then you have hope in the wrong thing. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:57.039 Like my hope is not, stay with me, my hope is not in the Houston Texans to win the Super Bowl. 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:00.880 That would be great, but I'm not gonna hang my hat on that, okay? 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:02.079 It's just not. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.960 And so there's a lot of things in this world that we have hope in. 00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:09.440 And you gotta ask yourself, hey, do I still find joy in what I have hope in? 00:18:09.599 --> 00:18:12.319 That's the great thing about the gospel, about Christianity. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:18.160 It's just all it's this consistent source of constant hope, which produces joy in us. 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:23.680 That means people should see us just living our life and be like, man, there is something different about that person. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:32.799 Secondly, he says in the latter part of verse 12, after he says, hey, uh, uh, rejoicing in hope, he says these words, uh, be patient in tribulation. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:35.039 Be patient in tribulation. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:37.759 The little rendering is patiently persevering. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:39.279 Let me just ask you this question. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:43.359 Have you ever noticed how hurried you get in the midst of tribulation? 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:52.480 When it gets kind of hard, and I don't mean just in the way you live life, but in your thoughts and in your emotions, how you go from zero to 60 in about 0.2 seconds. 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:57.279 You go from, oh, I don't have a date, all of a sudden it's spooled out to where the world's ending. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:05.359 I'm never gonna get married, I'm gonna die with 27 cats, no friends, no money, I'm gonna be just covered in cat hair, which is glitter for lonely people. 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:07.279 Somebody come and discover me. 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:13.200 I mean, you just kind of get away from it, and yet the Bible says, hey, patiently persevere. 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:17.759 And when it says persevere, it's the Greek word hupomeno, which means come up under. 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:22.000 Come up under there and stay put until God's done with you. 00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:26.240 Thirdly, he says, be constant in prayer or just praying constantly. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:28.559 Don't limit and teach your children this. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:32.160 Don't limit prayer to something you do at bedtime and before a meal. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:34.559 Just pray constantly. 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:37.599 Just and sometimes you don't got to use words. 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:40.960 Sometimes you can just think to the Lord, God, this is what I'm thinking about. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:42.640 God, would you do something about this? 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:43.519 Act on this. 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:47.440 I prayed with a woman this morning who this past week got a diagnosis of breast cancer. 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:52.319 And I said in my prayer, God, you're our shield and you're our protector. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:20:03.920 That means that you go before us and you and you guard us against things we see, and and you got our sticks, you got our back, you protect us from things we can't see, like a diagnosis of cancer that we never saw coming. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:05.920 And it got done, and she's like, Oh. 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:07.440 Yeah. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:08.319 Yeah. 00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:12.400 And I say, things catch us off guard, but they don't catch God off guard. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:14.240 They just don't. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:17.759 The the word, the big theological word for that is is sovereign. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:19.759 He says, contribute to the needs of the saint. 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:22.480 Again, contributing to the needs of the saint. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:28.400 When you went to the saints, the church, we should treat each other in a way that we don't treat anybody else. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:35.119 And when you practice the biblical habit of giving or tithing is the Bible word, you're contributing to the needs of the saints. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:37.599 Lastly, he says, practice hospitality. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:42.240 Again, uh, it's just ongoing action, practicing hospitality. 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:43.839 Now let me get at you for a minute. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:48.400 I want to distinguish between two words: hospitable and hospitality. 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.200 Hospitable and hospitality. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:55.039 My wife has read this book and she's like passionate and it's great. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.400 And I'm not making light of my wife. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:56.799 It's great. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:00.480 She's like, I'm having women over on this day, and there's gonna be like six to ten of us here. 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:01.519 And I'm like, what day is that? 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:05.680 Because I'm going to the golf course, play 36 holes, not come back till dark, okay? 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:07.519 And she goes, that'd be great with me. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:10.400 Uh sometimes I'm like, I don't think you miss me enough. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:12.000 But anyway, they're getting together. 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:15.759 They read a book called The Gospel Comes with a House Key, and it's about hospitality. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:22.079 But I want to make an appearance and say, hey, by the way, uh, make sure you don't confuse being hospitable with hospitality. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:28.240 Having your girlfriends over from the church to have like a Dixie Chick's luncheon, that's hospitable. 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:31.359 Hospitality means love of stranger. 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:36.720 And so let's be careful, church, so we don't convince ourselves, oh, we're practicing hospitality. 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:41.200 If everybody eating at your table, you already know you're being hospitable. 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:45.440 You should have some strangers every once in a while in your home. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.640 Now, can you feel it in here? 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:51.440 Some of y'all are like, I don't like you anymore. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:54.640 I like you a minute ago when you were funny, but right now you're up in my business. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.160 I'm gonna stay up in your business. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:21:59.759 Because here's the thing Jesus said this. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.839 What credit is it to you if you love people who love you back? 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:05.519 Translation, what do you want? 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:06.559 A trophy? 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:09.279 You know there's people in your life. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:12.000 It's just, hey, I can love these people, and it's easy. 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:15.200 Here's the fourth thing the Bible says this involves being a blessing. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:16.400 Practice harmony. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:17.440 Practice harmony. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:18.000 Bless you. 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:19.920 Verses 14 to 16, look what it says. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:21.440 Bless those who persecute you. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:23.039 Bless and do not curse them. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:26.319 Now, when it says curse, it's not talking about profanity. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:27.519 You shouldn't do that either. 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:32.000 But bless, to bless means to wish well, to wish God's favor upon this person. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:36.160 To curse means you want to call down the wrath of God on them. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:40.240 Have you had a desire to call down the wrath of God on somebody lately? 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:42.720 There's an honest person. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:44.240 The rest of y'all are freed up. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:46.319 The rest of y'all are like, well, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:49.039 Somebody down here like, oh, yes, Lord. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:50.240 What time is it? 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:52.160 About two hours ago on the way to church. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:53.599 Yeah. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:54.960 Yeah, absolutely. 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:55.920