Speaker 1: [inaudible] what we're asking for as we come your body, the body right
Speaker 2: Christ here in spring branch.
Speaker 2: Uh, we want to submit to you so that you might dwell in us richly, slow through us fully and impact this area for your kingdom that people might be served and loved in the light of the glory of the gospel might be seen clearly through us.
Speaker 2: And so I pray today that you would use your word and work through your spirit on our hearts that our hearts might be submitted to you, King Jesus.
Speaker 2: And so I pray you do that work today.
Speaker 2: I pray for those who are suffering this morning, those even who are live streaming and caring for families and walking through deep trials.
Speaker 2: Would you give grace to us today that we might be able to hear you and that our hearts might respond in humility about when they need a King Jesus.
Speaker 2: And so I pray you'd use today's sermon fear for your glory, for our good in Jesus name.
Speaker 2: Amen.
Speaker 1: Welcome.
Speaker 1: Sorry.
Speaker 1: Sorry about the traffic.
Speaker 1: Carlton is introing in gently love this cat.
Speaker 1: Well done.
Speaker 1: Sorry about the traffic y'all is go ahead and squeeze together.
Speaker 1: Make room.
Speaker 1: We still got a whole bunch of people coming in.
Speaker 1: Uh, we even ended a minute early.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's service.
Speaker 1: So it's just a big issue.
Speaker 1: So thanks for being willing to sit out on two 81 and uh, we're working on it.
Speaker 1: Uh, we're working on it.
Speaker 1: Uh, we want to be a family who is formed in the image of Jesus and be fruitful.
Speaker 1: There's some big decisions we're walking through those decisions with the facilities project looking at that, but our heart isn't just to grow bigger.
Speaker 1: We want to grow deeper and wider.
Speaker 1: And so we're just taking time to pray and say, Jesus, what do you have for us?
Speaker 1: So if you would pray with us and pray for us, we don't want to just make quick decisions and say, here's what we think we should do.
Speaker 1: We won't really want to hear from Jesus.
Speaker 1: He's the the head pastor, the lead pastor here.
Speaker 1: So we want him to direct us.
Speaker 1: So thanks for being willing to sit on two 81.
Speaker 1: I know it's kind of a headache, but bring a who know, play with the kids and have a good time right now if you're an a this your first time I met a bunch, he all um, some of my recovery community, first time, uh, alcoholics addicts.
Speaker 1: So glad you're here.
Speaker 1: This is our hillside family and we love you and we are glad that you're here.
Speaker 1: Like I said, we want to be formed in Jesus's image.
Speaker 1: We want to be fruitful and we are so glad that you would join us on that journey.
Speaker 1: We open up each year with the church series looking at how Jesus called us out of the world, out of the kingdom of darkness that we might proclaim his excellencies.
Speaker 1: He's a really good King.
Speaker 1: He saved us, drew us out, gave us new life direction.
Speaker 1: Purpose is really good.
Speaker 1: And then we look at being called into community.
Speaker 1: If this is the only thing you experienced as far as church, if it's just a large group gathering, you're actually gonna feel more lonely because you come in and hopefully you got a donuts and coffee, somebody handed you a bulletin.
Speaker 1: But we want to be a place where people know you know your name.
Speaker 1: And so we, we don't just do big group gatherings.
Speaker 1: We, we, we gather in community groups throughout the week.
Speaker 1: Love to get you plugged into that community is difficult.
Speaker 1: It isn't easy.
Speaker 1: We're not a dating service.
Speaker 1: I can't find the right.
Speaker 1: I can't, I don't, I don't.
Speaker 1: E harmony has their test.
Speaker 1: I don't.
Speaker 1: So we just pray and we want to get you connected because we know that that health and healing and life transformation happens in the context of community.
Speaker 1: For me, the opposite of, of addiction wasn't sobriety.
Speaker 1: The opposite of addiction was community where I could walk in the light.
Speaker 1: And being known in this community has helped me, uh, deeply and profoundly with that.
Speaker 1: But not only are we called out and called into community, we're also called under authority.
Speaker 1: So this by far is my favorite sermon.
Speaker 1: I get the best response cards year after year on this one.
Speaker 1: It's really good because our nation is really good at submitting to authority and this area of Texas, this area of Texas just loves it.
Speaker 1: They're like, give us more about submission to authority.
Speaker 1: Kidding, having fun with he.
Speaker 1: Let me, let me read the texts for today and then we're just going to enjoy it together and I'm going to share with you how these truths have transformed my life.
Speaker 1: Why I, why Brooke and I are members here, I'll share how Jesus has used this.
Speaker 1: I don't I, many of you have been used, abused, hurt and harmed by those in authority.
Speaker 1: I'm very aware of that.
Speaker 1: So before I even step into this, let me say this.
Speaker 1: If you hear anything that sounds like using, abusing, hurting, harming, pressuring or guilty, knew that is not my heart.
Speaker 1: The leadership here.
Speaker 1: I want to serve, support and encourage and equip you.
Speaker 1: So hopefully today I'll share my story why I'm a submitted member here.
Speaker 1: Why Brooke and I are members here and I just want to share with you how Jesus has used that to take just a washed up meth addict and alcoholic and bring beauty out of ashes.
Speaker 1: So let me read the text to you.
Speaker 1: We're going to be in Hebrews chapter 13 uh, we'll read verse 17 God says, the author of Hebrews writes, obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.
Speaker 1: Let them do this with joy and not grief for this would be unprofitable for you.
Speaker 1: There is, it's a beautiful verse and there's so much in that I want, I want it to begin picking it apart, but I want to do it from a broader lens.
Speaker 1: So let me begin with a big field logical perspective that we can hopefully hang our thoughts on and walk through this together.
Speaker 1: If you read straight through the Bible, you would understand this truth that God is sovereign, he's in control of everything and he has given all authority to his son.
Speaker 1: His name is Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: Matthew 28 18 Jesus himself said it all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
Speaker 1: So that, that's the big theological picture.
Speaker 1: Jesus has all authority.
Speaker 1: Now, if you're here, I know some of my atheist, agnostic friends, Buddhist, eh, Dave, we don't believe that.
Speaker 1: That's fine.
Speaker 1: I'm just telling you what the Bible says.
Speaker 1: You can say, I don't believe the Bible.
Speaker 1: And that's, that's a valid position.
Speaker 1: I'm just telling you, this is what the Bible says and what history has played out.
Speaker 1: Jesus has all authority.
Speaker 1: Now, the small theological picture is this sin is rebellion against Jesus's authority, specifically and against authority in general.
Speaker 1: We just don't like it.
Speaker 1: How many of you have a little rebel inside that when somebody tells you what to do, you're like, yeah, I can.
Speaker 1: I'll, I'll show you what to do with that command.
Speaker 1: And I joke with Brooke, we've got, because I've got a rebel inside, I say, baby, don't tell me what to do.
Speaker 1: Uh, and, and she laughs and I laugh.
Speaker 1: I, I've got this rebel inside.
Speaker 1: It happens all the time yesterday leaving going to Sam's club.
Speaker 1: It's not that far from my house.
Speaker 1: I drive up Marshall road.
Speaker 1: They blocked the road.
Speaker 1: It was like a weekend officer and not a real, it's like a semi-sweet officer is not like a full cop, but like kind of a renter cop on weekends and like, I don't think you have the authority to give me a ticket if I just go around here.
Speaker 1: Are you going to chase me?
Speaker 1: That's the rebel.
Speaker 1: We all have it.
Speaker 1: That's just my story from yesterday.
Speaker 1: It happens every day that I have.
Speaker 1: That's what sin does.
Speaker 1: Now, here's the beauty.
Speaker 1: If you've never read through the Bible, God has all authority, gave all authority to Jesus.
Speaker 1: Jesus knew he was going to lead us in order to lead us well.
Speaker 1: What the one with all authority did was he emptied himself of all the authority.
Speaker 1: He became nothing.
Speaker 1: Jesus the one who with all authority became a servant, a slave flipping chapter two and he became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
Speaker 1: So we have a leader that knows what it means to submit.
Speaker 1: The Christian has a leader that knows how to treat his followers because Jesus is at the bookends of this thing, all authority and all submission.
Speaker 1: What he's done is beautiful.
Speaker 1: He's left us the body of Christ, the church behind enemy lines to one gathered together and just sing and proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness to to practice the gospel in community groups, community groups, difficult communities, difficult.
Speaker 1: So we practice walking out the gospel together and now we're going to picture, we're going to be a picture individually and corporately from a position of submission.
Speaker 1: We're going to encourage the world come submit to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: He's so good to us.
Speaker 1: So that's what, that's what this sermon is.
Speaker 1: If you hear guilt, shame, pressure, manipulation, that may be the rebel in inside of me and I would ask you to forgive me for that.
Speaker 1: What I want to proclaim is I want every heart to be submitted to Jesus Christ because he's a great King.
Speaker 1: He took my shame.
Speaker 1: He took my sin, he took my depression, he took my inclination towards suicidal tendencies.
Speaker 1: He took everything bad and he's given me goodness and life and peace and joy and a wife and children in a community that I love.
Speaker 1: He is altogether a good King.
Speaker 1: And so today I just want to walk through this text with you.
Speaker 1: We'll look at the gift of authority and submission.
Speaker 1: So I want to shift your paradigm.
Speaker 1: I want to shift your perspective on this.
Speaker 1: No matter where you're at, authority and submission to that authority is a gift.
Speaker 1: Then I'm going to look at the guide Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: For those of you who are in authority and honestly all of us have some authority, even the kids, you get authority over your bike or your skateboard, you've got authority.
Speaker 1: The question is do you model, mirror, image and reflect Jesus and what he did with his authority, he served and he gave it away to love.
Speaker 1: So whatever authority you have, we want to look at the guide to authority and then we're going to look at the goal and I'll just share my story.
Speaker 1: Why I'm I, I'm not just the pastor here.
Speaker 1: I'm a member of hillside fellowship and I submit to the leadership here and I want to, I want to share with you why.
Speaker 1: So the gift, we'll start out with this, watch this in your notes.
Speaker 1: It's, it's 0.1, Hebrews 1317 the gift.
Speaker 1: Obey your leaders and submit to them.
Speaker 1: Bring yourselves under their authority because God gave it to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account for your souls, like your, your shepherds, your leaders here.
Speaker 1: And we've got some elders, Chris, we're going to stand before Jesus is going to say, tell me, tell me how you shepherd and cared for Bobby and Jen.
Speaker 1: Let's walk through that.
Speaker 1: That's big.
Speaker 1: So he says, let them do this.
Speaker 1: Let them lead.
Speaker 1: Let them shepherd with, with joy and not grief for this would actually be unprofitable for who you are.
Speaker 1: And so he wants your joy, he wants your happiness and he says, submit.
Speaker 1: Align yourself so that there might be an abundant or a bounding joy.
Speaker 1: So let's start off.
Speaker 1: I just want to shift your perspective on authority and submission to authority.
Speaker 1: Did you know that authority and submission actually exist within the context of the triune Godhead father, son, and Holy spirit.
Speaker 1: See the father, the son and the Holy spirit eternally existed eternally.
Speaker 1: One perfect unity, unity and harmony.
Speaker 1: The Trinity has never had a bad day, but authority and submission exist within the context of the eternal triune Godhead.
Speaker 1: That means when the father said, son, it's time to go.
Speaker 1: The son said, yes, father, go.
Speaker 1: God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son and the son submitted to the father and then the son and the father, the son Jesus prayed to the father to send the spirit in the son and the father sent the spirit and the spirits submitted and came.
Speaker 1: Authority and submission apparently get this is a way to express an experience and exchange love.
Speaker 1: It's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 1: It's not just in a fallen world.
Speaker 1: It's a way to express love and to bring oneself under another to experience that love, but it's not only that authority and submission are also a good gift because in a fallen world, authority and submission, the call to submit to that authority actually exposes the rebel inside of us.
Speaker 1: And you all admitted you had a rebel inside.
Speaker 1: So we're all on the same page.
Speaker 1: This is profound because it happens day in, day out, week in, week out, the rebel gets exposed.
Speaker 1: It's astounding to me because every year in Texas, this happens.
Speaker 1: In fact, I think this year in our County it was upwards seven, eight, 900 people had to be rescued from high water crossing.
Speaker 1: Now finish this sentence for me because we've spent millions of dollars to make sure you know it.
Speaker 1: Turn around, don't know.
Speaker 1: You know it good.
Speaker 1: How come so many of us, when the state lovingly puts out those roadblocks, we go around it, something in us as text and say, I think that's a dare.
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 1: not that they don't mean it just a little water, Jared, AKA how bad could it be?
Speaker 1: And so all of a sudden we find ourselves going around these roads.
Speaker 1: The revelent side comes out.
Speaker 1: Let me, let me show you.
Speaker 1: I just want to give you some content.
Speaker 1: Why we typically rebel against this.
Speaker 1: This principle, this truth is theological truth of authority and submission is because when we preach, it will normally take one piece, one part at a time.
Speaker 1: So we'll aim at the little kids.
Speaker 1: Ephesians six one children obey your parents, submit to them for this is right honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise that life may go well and we'll really, we'll hammer the kids submit and then the pastor will get up next week.
Speaker 1: Wives submit to your husbands and the husbands like, yeah, that's right, but we whisper it because we want our days to go.
Speaker 1: Well
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 1: right and, and so we, we tend to sliver and slice this idea of authority and submission.
Speaker 1: Let me give you the full picture so that we, we can all be offended equally together and we'll all just be like, ah, the rebel inside wants to come out.
Speaker 1: God's so good.
Speaker 1: He has giving us, he has given us layers and layers and layers and layers of authority that we're to submit to.
Speaker 1: I don't care who you are, I don't care who you are.
Speaker 1: I don't care how high you make it.
Speaker 1: You can be the president of the United States and even the presidents will say, man, it's so hard to get anything done.
Speaker 1: Well, you're the most powerful man on the face of the earth.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and there's still layers and layers of authority that that will be over you.
Speaker 1: God is so good.
Speaker 1: He has put us sending consequences over us so that we might learn that ultimately our heart rebels against our creator and he has put these ascending consequences so that by the time we get to the eternal consequences, hopefully we have learned to submit to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: Watch.
Speaker 1: Here's me.
Speaker 1: So little baby.
Speaker 1: Dave was born January 3rd, 1975 in Curry County, gold beach, Oregon, and there was already authority over me.
Speaker 1: I didn't know it, but I would come to learn it.
Speaker 1: Ephesians six one children obey your parents in the Lord.
Speaker 1: This is right on your father and mother first commandment with a promise.
Speaker 1: Now, as a child, I wasn't very submissive.
Speaker 1: I wasn't like all of y'all perfect people and so I gum off the sidewalk.
Speaker 1: I fought with brothers, I fought with neighbors, I got in all kinds of trouble, detentions.
Speaker 1: I had time out back then.
Speaker 1: They didn't do timeouts, but I don't.
Speaker 1: My parents spanked me.
Speaker 1: They lit me up because back then you could do that.
Speaker 1: Now I'm afraid to say that cause somebody might come take all my kids.
Speaker 1: So you might get timeouts, there'll be difficulties, there'll be all kinds of dysfunction at home.
Speaker 1: That's what I experienced.
Speaker 1: That's a consequence of rebellion against authority.
Speaker 1: But God puts other layers and levels of authority over us.
Speaker 1: First Peter, three one wives submit to your husbands.
Speaker 1: God's God's put him there to lead.
Speaker 1: Let him lead.
Speaker 1: Submit to him.
Speaker 1: Leadership is hard.
Speaker 1: Now if you don't like that, you're like Dave, that's dumb.
Speaker 1: I don't like that.
Speaker 1: Well let me know how your life turns out cause home is going to be pretty contentious, isn't it?
Speaker 1: You're going to be frustrated.
Speaker 1: He's going to be frustrated.
Speaker 1: Kids are going to be frustrated.
Speaker 1: The neighbors are going to hear about it.
Speaker 1: Everybody's going to be frustrated.
Speaker 1: Let me know how that works out for you.
Speaker 1: Then he says, Colossians three 22 husbands and wives, if you're at work, slaves, submit to your masters, your bosses, those people who tell you what to do, and don't just do it with lip service or eye service.
Speaker 1: I mean, do your work as unto the Lord.
Speaker 1: Even on unruly bosses, God's put you there to show them how good it is to submit to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: You don't like that?
Speaker 1: Okay, let me know how the job works out for you.
Speaker 1: Like you're probably get fired.
Speaker 1: You'll be frustrated and you'll go through life like me.
Speaker 1: Oh, it's my parents' fault.
Speaker 1: They were mean, Oh, it's my mom's fault.
Speaker 1: Oh, it's my dad's fault.
Speaker 1: Oh, it's my boss's fault.
Speaker 1: Oh, it's my teacher's fault.
Speaker 1: No, you're a rebel and you need to learn to submit to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: Well then he gives us the church.
Speaker 1: Hebrews 1317 says, obey your leaders and submit to them.
Speaker 1: So we're going to corporately get together and willingly.
Speaker 1: I'm not going to put, I'm not ever going to put pressure on you.
Speaker 1: In fact, I encourage a lot of people to lead hillside fellowship.
Speaker 1: I don't want more members.
Speaker 1: I want to grow smaller and deeper that you keep showing up and you invite people like these are the sermons where I'm like, listen, you pass 32 churches on the way here go there.
Speaker 1: They're great people there.
Speaker 1: You see, we're going to gather so that we can willingly humbly submit to King Jesus and all of the authority he has put over us.
Speaker 1: We hillside.
Speaker 1: We express that through membership.
Speaker 1: Now let, let me just dive into the deep pool.
Speaker 1: Do I think you should be a member here?
Speaker 1: I don't know.
Speaker 1: I would encourage you not to.
Speaker 1: I would encourage you to ask Jesus, where does he want you to connect?
Speaker 1: I are you a better Christian?
Speaker 1: If you're a member, man, that was kind of quiet.
Speaker 1: You can use your B.
Speaker 1: It's a simple, it's a simple, simple answer.
Speaker 1: Are you a better Christian if you're a member?
Speaker 1: No, not one of you is a gold star Christian.
Speaker 1: And then the non members were like, Oh, don't shake their hand.
Speaker 1: They're, they're a bronze star Christian.
Speaker 1: We don't, there's no better Christian.
Speaker 1: Worst Christian.
Speaker 1: You're either in Christ or you're not.
Speaker 1: If you're in Christ, you have all the righteousness of God.
Speaker 1: You're secure for all eternity.
Speaker 1: You're adopted in Christ, accepted in Christ, adored in Christ, beloved in Christ, born of God.
Speaker 1: You have all that Jesus Christ, all the righteousness of Christ.
Speaker 1: Being a member here isn't, isn't going to give you extra.
Speaker 1: It's not in Dave.
Speaker 1: Why do we do membership?
Speaker 1: We do membership because I love to practice submission.
Speaker 1: I know where this whole mug ends up.
Speaker 1: This whole story ends up with every single one of us bowing the knee, the King Jesus and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Speaker 1: We're all going to submit to him and hillside.
Speaker 1: We just want to practice that early and we want to give you opportunities to practice that.
Speaker 1: So we practice submission here.
Speaker 1: Um, God is so good.
Speaker 1: If you don't want to do that and you want to rebel against authority here, let me know how that works out for you.
Speaker 1: At some point I'm going to be like, uh, why do you keep coming just to tell me how horrible I am.
Speaker 1: Like, is that your goal in life?
Speaker 1: Because you're not even committed here.
Speaker 1: So you don't like the parking and they don't like the donuts.
Speaker 1: You don't like the coffee.
Speaker 1: You don't like me.
Speaker 1: You don't like the temperature of the seats.
Speaker 1: Leave I love you.
Speaker 1: Like go somewhere where they cater to you and they let you do whatever you want whenever you want to.
Speaker 1: Uh, I'm, I'm not going to pressure you.
Speaker 1: I'm going to invite you.
Speaker 1: See what some leaders do is they sit down at the dinner table to have a meeting and some leaders will slam the table and say, you be a member.
Speaker 1: What does leaders do when they slam the table is invite a fight.
Speaker 1: I'm not inviting a fight.
Speaker 1: You see, what Jesus does is he sets the table for us.
Speaker 1: He doesn't slam the table and he says, I don't want to invite a fight.
Speaker 1: I want to invite you to a feast.
Speaker 1: Come submit to me and be part of what I'm doing through the body of Christ in a lost and dying world.
Speaker 1: If you don't want to do that, that's fine.
Speaker 1: There's a lot of churches you can just go.
Speaker 1: You never have to connect, but man, that rebel is going to stay inside.
Speaker 1: Then in Romans 13 one he says, all of you be in subjection to the governing and authorities, Kings, princes, every authority that exists is there because God put it there to expose the rebel and side because he loves you and he's for you and he cares for you.
Speaker 1: He wants to expose that rebel inside so you can repent and look more like our Redeemer and less like a rebel.
Speaker 1: Now, if you don't like that, Romans 13 one you're like, ah, I don't want to submit to the government Trump.
Speaker 1: He tweeted 148 times and that's dumb.
Speaker 1: Okay, all right, let's play that out.
Speaker 1: Then you're going to hate the IRS.
Speaker 1: You're going to try and get around government.
Speaker 1: Let me know how that works out for you.
Speaker 1: I'll come visit you in the federal pen, right?
Speaker 1: It doesn't work out well.
Speaker 1: So he calls you to submit all of us.
Speaker 1: And here's why.
Speaker 1: If you think you can get around every high water roadblock of authority, if you think you can go through this life doing your own thing, being in charge of your own life and never submitting to authority, you're wrong.
Speaker 1: And one day when you get past all of these earthly consequences, you one day, Romans chapter 1411 and 12 all of us are going to stand before our creator and maker and those aren't earthly consequences.
Speaker 1: Those are eternal consequences and your knee will bow and you will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Speaker 1: He's given you opportunity after opportunity now to practice submitting to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: So that's the gift.
Speaker 1: He has put a lot of authority over you.
Speaker 1: So I only went through a couple layers mean you got the federal government, then the state government, then the County government, then the city government, and then you got the HOA.
Speaker 1: I got HOA, they wrote me another letter.
Speaker 1: They took a picture, they take pictures now I can't dispute it.
Speaker 1: It's irrefutable evidence.
Speaker 1: I left my garbage cans out and I have weeds and the pictures come in color now.
Speaker 1: And so I get to submit to the HOA and actually thank them for what they're doing.
Speaker 1: Do I like it?
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 1: Oh, I want to do what I want with my front yard.
Speaker 1: If I want weeds, I want to grow weeds.
Speaker 1: My neighbors don't like that.
Speaker 1: So he has put layer after layer, after layer, after layer after level of authority, you for your good so that you and I might learn to repent and follow Jesus Christ, the ultimate submissive one.
Speaker 1: Now, uh, I told you this, um, I just want to walk through with the last seven minutes.
Speaker 1: Why Brooke and I are members here.
Speaker 1: I just want to share my own story.
Speaker 1: You see at hillside, we express this submission willingly.
Speaker 1: We're not going to ever pressure you, never asked you for money.
Speaker 1: Never.
Speaker 1: I say, I'm never going to beg you.
Speaker 1: I'll never demean you.
Speaker 1: I'll never dismiss you if you are or aren't a member.
Speaker 1: We practice willing submission to the authority that God has put here.
Speaker 1: So I just wanted to share with you why Brooke and I remembers here I, I want to share with you my story, the 20 years I've been here.
Speaker 1: Why I'm a member here and I'll just walk through some scriptures with you so that hopefully from my story, my brokenness, um, and the Lord might encourage you.
Speaker 1: So we'll start out with Hebrews.
Speaker 1: Go ahead, pull up Hebrews 1317.
Speaker 1: First thing I would tell you, I'm a member here because I, one of my goals, um, man, if my life clock gives me to about 72, I don't have much longer to live and that's not that far away.
Speaker 1: I wanna finish this race.
Speaker 1: Well, I want to finish this race on earth.
Speaker 1: Well, does the scripture say obey?
Speaker 1: Are leaders submit to them for the day?
Speaker 1: Watch this.
Speaker 1: Keep watch over your souls.
Speaker 1: I want to finish.
Speaker 1: Well, and there's one thing I know about Dave Tooker.
Speaker 1: I am prone to wander and prone to leave.
Speaker 1: The God I love anybody else.
Speaker 1: They get that can just, if this were a safe place, this were like a recovery community.
Speaker 1: Anybody else?
Speaker 1: Could you, could you just own that?
Speaker 1: Like I'm prone to wander.
Speaker 1: Dave took her left to himself is prone to find easier ways and that always leads me to alcoholism and addiction.
Speaker 1: And I love the fact that God has put multiple communities around me, some even here that have helped me stay sober.
Speaker 1: They have loved me, they have served me, they have walked with me because I want to finish well and I know I need rumble strips on the highway of life.
Speaker 1: Anybody else?
Speaker 1: Grateful for rumble strips.
Speaker 1: It's like when I'm texting and listening to music and watching a movie and driving those rumble strips, cause you can do all of that right now.
Speaker 1: Now you can laugh at it.
Speaker 1: But I had an elder here earlier.
Speaker 1: I zipped by him and he was like, man, it looks like you're a busy text.
Speaker 1: And I didn't even see him because I was texting.
Speaker 1: Uh, I'm, I'm breaking the habit.
Speaker 1: It's kids don't text and drive.
Speaker 1: It used to be, don't drink and drive.
Speaker 1: Don't text.
Speaker 1: And drive.
Speaker 1: Don't do it.
Speaker 1: But why was I talking about that?
Speaker 1: Oh, the rumble strips save your life.
Speaker 1: They will.
Speaker 1: It's your driving, minding your own business and all of a sudden, dude, it's like a pacemaker wakes you up.
Speaker 1: You get back on the road.
Speaker 1: Have you ever driven on a road like Yosemite or the redwoods in California driving up that road?
Speaker 1: There's no rumble strips and no, no safety guard rail.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I was just there for Brooke's 40th birthday.
Speaker 1: We're driving up.
Speaker 1: It's beautiful.
Speaker 1: Looks like, Oh look, I'm like[inaudible] no, no baby.
Speaker 1: Don't ask me to look.
Speaker 3: [inaudible]
Speaker 1: some of you are living life without a guardrail or rumble strips.
Speaker 1: That's what life without a community is.
Speaker 1: And you will go off and without community.
Speaker 1: I will get dumb.
Speaker 1: And when I'm dumb, I get in my addiction.
Speaker 1: I'm the worst person I know.
Speaker 1: So why am I a member here?
Speaker 1: I love having guys who keep watch over my soul.
Speaker 1: Is it perfect?
Speaker 1: No, it's the world's imperfect.
Speaker 1: So I love having you guys in my life because it's the same people who can keep watch over yourself.
Speaker 1: Let them do this with joy.
Speaker 1: Not with grief for that would be unprofitable for you.
Speaker 1: I love joy.
Speaker 1: I'm not unlike you.
Speaker 1: I love happiness.
Speaker 1: I love to be happy.
Speaker 1: I love to experience joy.
Speaker 1: I love to laugh.
Speaker 1: One of my favorite things, day in and day out, it's just laughing.
Speaker 1: Tickling my kids, playing with them, wrestling them and laughing.
Speaker 1: He says, you really want joy overflowing, submit to your leaders because something happens when you submit your leaders.
Speaker 1: All of a sudden everybody is in the flow and everybody is moving together and joy flows down.
Speaker 1: Man.
Speaker 1: When a husband will submit to a boss, the church, the government, some of you guys still haven't figured it out and I see it on your faces.
Speaker 1: You come home and you're like, Oh, my boss is an idiot and a president's an idiot and the cops are idiots.
Speaker 1: And then your your kids rebelling against you and you call me and say, Dave talked about kid.
Speaker 1: He's an idiot.
Speaker 1: And I literally wonder if you're in touch with reality because that's what you're teaching them.
Speaker 1: There's no joy in your home because you're bringing rebellion and anger and hate home.
Speaker 1: Try submitting, confessing the rebellion, submitting to your leaders and watch joy flow down as your wife sees a submitted man and your kids see a submitted dad and they say, this is the way that life works.
Speaker 1: We all submit to King Jesus and all of the layers that he's put over us.
Speaker 1: It will change your home.
Speaker 1: You don't need to send your wife to counseling.
Speaker 1: She's not the issue.
Speaker 1: Dude, you're the leader.
Speaker 1: I'll say it again.
Speaker 1: Don't ask me where you can send your wife.
Speaker 1: You're bringing this foolishness home.
Speaker 1: TWI.
Speaker 1: There's no joy.
Speaker 1: I love joy, so I love submitting to the leaders and the joy has flown down.
Speaker 1: You.
Speaker 1: You watch the team here.
Speaker 1: We have so much fun.
Speaker 1: We laugh until we cry.
Speaker 1: It's because everybody has submitted themselves to Jesus as King into the layers and levels of authority.
Speaker 1: He's put.
Speaker 1: He's put over us.
Speaker 1: Watch this one.
Speaker 1: Matthew 1817 you see your brother and sin confront him.
Speaker 1: He doesn't listen.
Speaker 1: Bring two.
Speaker 1: If he doesn't listen to them, if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile or tax collector.
Speaker 1: Why am I submitted to the leaders here?
Speaker 1: Why are Brooke and I members here?
Speaker 1: Because I want to be disciplined.
Speaker 1: Well, I want to be disciplined.
Speaker 1: Well, when I'm in my addiction, I am evil.
Speaker 1: I don't know anybody worse than me.
Speaker 1: I can own that.
Speaker 1: When I'm in my sin, when I'm in my addiction, I will ask you if I can come over for dinner.
Speaker 1: You want to know why I want to come over to your house for dinner so I can rifle through your bathroom and find your coating, your Vicodin, your Tylenol three.
Speaker 1: It's horrible.
Speaker 1: You addicts in the room can laugh because that's why we want to come over to your house because all you normally keep all the pills in the, in your medicine cabinet right there for all of us.
Speaker 4: Yeah,
Speaker 1: and we don't know how.
Speaker 1: You just leave it there.
Speaker 1: You see, I want to be disciplined.
Speaker 1: Well, I need a a church community that confront me.
Speaker 1: Kay can confront me with truth and say, Dave, this is not good.
Speaker 1: This is not good, and we're calling you to walk in truth with us.
Speaker 1: You see, we live in a day and age that really we idolize love and compassion, but it's love and compassion according to what we think love and compassion is.
Speaker 1: Here's what I'm going to tell you.
Speaker 1: The elders here will never have to fire me.
Speaker 1: If any of your elders ever get up and read a resignation letter signed by me, it's because I wrote it because I want to be disciplined.
Speaker 1: Well, they'll never have to fire me.
Speaker 1: All they have to do is is date the resignation letter because I've already written.
Speaker 1: I want to be disciplined.
Speaker 1: Well, because I know that sin is devious.
Speaker 1: It's deceitful, it's cunning, it's sly and it will kill us.
Speaker 1: I would ask you, please don't be more compassionate than Christ.
Speaker 1: Please don't be more compassionate with Ben Christ with me.
Speaker 1: If you see me in sin, if you see me in my addiction, don't be like, Oh, Dave, it's because you're an addict.
Speaker 1: It's a disease.
Speaker 1: It's okay.
Speaker 1: Don't love me all the way to devastation and destruction.
Speaker 1: That's not actually love.
Speaker 1: That's not how I community functions.
Speaker 1: See, that's what the world says because they've taken compassion and taken it too far.
Speaker 1: They're actually more compassionate than Christ.
Speaker 1: Go ahead and pull up the next one.
Speaker 1: I'm a little bit over.
Speaker 1: Watch this one.
Speaker 1: Uh, first Peter.
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 1: First Corinthians five, four and five.
Speaker 1: This is the the surgical principle in the name of our Lord.
Speaker 1: Paul is dealing with a dude that was sleeping around in the church at Corinth and the name of our Lord Jesus.
Speaker 1: When you're assembled and I with you in spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus, I've decided to to deliver this cat to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Speaker 1: I'm a member here because I want to protect well and I want my family to be protected well and I want doctrine to be protected and I want you to be protected.
Speaker 1: See, when sin works its way in, it's subtle, it's sly, it's devious and it's destructive and sometimes if I go heretical, I need the elders to be able to cut me out because I'm a cancer in the body and sometimes we have to cut members out and remove them because that cancer will spread and kill everyone.
Speaker 1: I want to be discipled well.
Speaker 1: I want to protect.
Speaker 1: Well, this is how the body works.
Speaker 1: Sometimes when cancer grows, you've got to go in and cut it out.
Speaker 1: Is it hard?
Speaker 1: Absolutely.
Speaker 1: Is it heart-wrenching?
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 1: It's very loving to the body to cut a cancer out so that the body may continue to grow in health.
Speaker 1: Pull up the next one.
Speaker 1: First Peter chapter five verse five.
Speaker 1: You younger men, likewise be subject to your elders.
Speaker 1: You young cats who are here, not Mary J and all of you.
Speaker 1: Clothe yourself with humility towards one another for God as opposed to the prophet gives grace to the humble.
Speaker 1: I want to disciple my kids.
Speaker 1: Well, that may not be on your five, 10 year list on your goal.
Speaker 1: I literally, one of my, one of my 20 year goals is to disciple my children.
Speaker 1: Well, what this means is that every day when I go home, when I'm at home, I'm teaching my sons what it means, John and Paxton, I'm teaching them by example what it means to be a man under authority every single day.
Speaker 1: My words, my actions, what I'm doing at home, I'm teaching my sons what it means to be a man under authority and I'm teaching my daughters what kind of man they're supposed to look for.
Speaker 1: You know that dad, do you know that every single day you're teaching your daughters the type of man to look for, so you're bringing that rebellion crap, that trash home.
Speaker 1: They're going to find a rebel.
Speaker 1: Your daughters are going to go find a rebel that says, I hate the government.
Speaker 1: I hate the cops.
Speaker 1: I hate the HOA and your daughter is going to go find an unstable element.
Speaker 1: It's called a radioactive isotope.
Speaker 1: There'll be attracted to that because all of a sudden they love the bad boy.
Speaker 1: Oh, he's a bad boy, but I can reform him.
Speaker 1: You can't maybe girl none.
Speaker 1: No, no, no, no.
Speaker 1: And I'm dead serious.
Speaker 1: I get, I see it every year.
Speaker 1: You're drawn to this bad boy.
Speaker 1: You're drawn to this radioactive particle, this element that shooting off radiation.
Speaker 1: You've got red flags in your head, but you're like, maybe it'll be okay.
Speaker 1: It won't.
Speaker 1: You're going to be miserable.
Speaker 1: You're going to spend your life miserable and I don't want that for you and dad.
Speaker 1: You're teaching her that.
Speaker 1: You're showing her that.
Speaker 5: [inaudible].
Speaker 1: Listen sweetie, he may have a six pack.
Speaker 1: He may be super tough.
Speaker 1: He may have tattoos.
Speaker 1: You may have an eight pack.
Speaker 1: He may have a nine pack like Batman, that nine packs going to turn into a keg.
Speaker 1: Hot, ripped, good looking dudes that runs skin deep, angry, abusive, hateful and hurtful runs clear to the bone.
Speaker 1: Can I get an amen?
Speaker 1: And that comes from people who have experienced the rebel that will hurt and harm and wounds you.
Speaker 1: You look for a guy that's submitted to King Jesus, submitted to the church, submitted you listen to how he speaks about authority, because a dude that doesn't know how to submit to authority will not know how to treat you like the princess.
Speaker 1: You should be treated like sweetie and you guys.
Speaker 1: You're looking, you're running around looking for a Hottie hot stuff because all you see in all the ads are Hottie hot stuffs.
Speaker 1: Well, she's so hot, she's airbrushed.
Speaker 1: That's not real, bro.
Speaker 1: How long have you been alive?
Speaker 1: That's not the real deal.
Speaker 1: And I will tell you that Hottie hot stuff runs skin deep, mean, angry, vindictive, bitter, gossiping that goes clear to the bone, way down deep.
Speaker 1: Solomon wrote about it, read about it, and Proverbs get to 24 25 26 Solomon said, it's better to live on the corner of a rooftop than in a house with a contentious woman.
Speaker 1: Your dream vacation dude, if you get that Hottie hot stuff, girl, girl, that isn't submitted to authority, your dream vacation will be living in a van down by the Guadalupe river all alone because at least she's not there.
Speaker 1: This and we can laugh that this is why dudes go to work.
Speaker 3: Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's really sad and I watch it over and over and over and over and over again.
Speaker 1: It's not how God created nor intended this thing and I want to disciple my kids well, and so I'm very careful with how I speak about authority and I will praise and praise and praise authority because what it's taught my kids is authority is a good gift from a good God who has a good plan to expose the rebel inside so that we might look more and more like Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: I'm way over.
Speaker 1: Let me end with this.
Speaker 1: You don't like membership?
Speaker 1: That's fine.
Speaker 1: You think membership is is ungodly, unbiblical, even if all of that is true.
Speaker 1: Listen, I understand your perspective.
Speaker 1: I understand that the church exists in a fallen, broken world and a lot of people use the church to launder money.
Speaker 1: Congress has done a great job and I praise Congress, I praise the house and the Senate.
Speaker 1: They haven't passed any laws restricting free speech or houses of worship.
Speaker 1: Your, your senators and congressmen have done well on that.
Speaker 1: But 1961 de LA Sal Institute versus the U S government, the definition of a church was never defined and therefore you look at the um, the high courts rendering and reading on this, they didn't seek to define it but the IRS did.
Speaker 1: So look up church IRS on your Google machines.
Speaker 1: It's on the line.
Speaker 1: One of the things that the IRS requires that the church do is keep membership roles so that in a fallen broken world, um, they can restrict money laundering because apparently a ma, a lot of lot of money goes through the church and it can be sent to terrorist entities and all.
Speaker 1: So one of the ways that we can exist in a fallen broken world and submit to the government, it's just keeping active roles, membership roles.
Speaker 1: And that's what we do.
Speaker 1: Urine in, year out, we'll call you up.
Speaker 1: We will make sure you, because it's a way we get to shine and support, uh, and function in submission to the government that's over us to bring a lot of glory to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: With that, all of that being said, now we function as a group of people who in submission from a position of submission to Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: We invite everyone around us.
Speaker 1: Come submit to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: His rule is good.
Speaker 1: His rain is good.
Speaker 1: His care for his children is good.
Speaker 1: His kindness and compassion is King towards us is good.
Speaker 1: He humbles himself.
Speaker 1: He serves us.
Speaker 1: He loves us.
Speaker 1: He encourages us.
Speaker 1: Come submit to King Jesus.
Speaker 1: In a world where people have been used, abused, hurt, and harm by those in authority were served and loved.
Speaker 1: We've been cared for by King Jesus.
Speaker 1: So from that position of submission, we invite everybody.
Speaker 1: Come follow King Jesus.
Speaker 1: He's good.
Speaker 1: Amen.
Speaker 1: Let's pray.
Speaker 1: I've got thanks for the time this morning to look at how good you are, how good your son, Jesus Christ is.
Speaker 1: Jesus.
Speaker 1: Thank you that even though you had all authority, you emptied yourself and humble yourself to come love and serve me.
Speaker 1: Father, thank you for all of the levels and layers of authority you've put over me and put over us.
Speaker 1: Would you continue to expose that rebel and put them to death that I might walk like Jesus Christ submitted to you, walking by faith, trusting you, and shining as a light in a world of darkness?
Speaker 1: Would you use us to make much of yourself?
Speaker 1: I mean, Jesus name.
Speaker 1: Amen.