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In the Same Boat

Fresh Life with Levi Lusko

December 13, 2020

27:29

Pastor Levi Lusko from Fresh Life Church teaches the Bible and brings a message of hope.

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In the Same Boat

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If you have a Bible, we'regoing to actually look
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at two passages of scripture.
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We're going to start in Jonah.
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So if you have acopy of the Bible
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or if you have an appwhere you can do that,
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look to Jonah chapter 1.
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And then we'll jump into anotherpart of scripture in the New
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Testament in just a minute.
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The title of my messageis In The Same Boat.
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In The Same Boat, like, right?
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Like did you do yourhomework assignment?
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Nah.
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Nah, I'm in thesame boat because I
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didn't do mine, right?
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The same boat.
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Come on.
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Someone say, in the same boat.
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In the same boat.
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We're going to look at twoboat stories in the Bible.
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The first is fromthe Old Testament.
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The second will be from the new.
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Here's what Jonah says.
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And of course, ifyou don't know,
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if you didn't growup in Sunday school
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having this story depicted byVeggieTales type situations,
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there is this guy named Jonahwho got asked to preach.
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Actually, he didn'treally get asked.
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God doesn't much ask.
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He sort of justtells us what to do
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and just leaves it there, right?
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And so He says toJonah, I want you to go
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and preach to this people.
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Now, context wise, it wasa terrible assignment.
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I've had some rough ministryassignments in my life
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where God just reallyputs in my heart,
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like, you need togo do this thing.
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Because I'll get askedto go preach places,
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asked to do thingsand pray through it.
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And you know, it's like I neverget asked to go preach in Fiji.
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You know what I'm saying?
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But if anyone'sout there, right?
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Like I've had your water.
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It seems great, right?
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But and you know, sometimes Godjust really puts into my heart,
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even if it's notconvenient, maybe
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sometimes especiallywhen it's not
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like this is something for you.
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And I can't doeverything that's asked.
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And so we have a kind offilter we run it through.
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And prayerfully we'lltake assignments
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were God just reallyimpresses on our heart, yes.
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This is something you'resupposed to be doing.
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It's a good use of the time.
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And anyhow, there's beentimes when I'm like, no.
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I don't want to do that.
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And God's like, yes.
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And it happened recently.
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I felt God really callingme to go preach something.
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I would probablytraditionally say no to this.
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And when I got there, it wasjust like thing after thing
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after thing that just showedme, this is why you said yes.
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This is why.
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Not even so much the preaching.
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It was this momentright here, you see?
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And anyhow, Jonahwas told, go preach.
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And he was like, nah, I'm good.
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Nah.
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Nah, I'm good.
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'Cause he happenedto hate the people
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he was told to preach to.
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That's tough, right?
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It's tough.
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Sort of the love mercything's kind of important,
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kind of a big deal,you know, preaching.
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And he was like,nah, I'm straight.
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And so what he did washe got into a boat.
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And he went in the exactopposite direction.
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And so now Jonah is in a boat.
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And the Bible says that ashe sat there-- so I'm just
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going to sit here in my boat.
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It says in Jonahchapter 1 verse 4
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as Jonah's in his boat going inthe exact opposite direction,
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mind you.
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God was like, I wantyou go to Nineveh.
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He was like, you knowwhat sounds great?
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Spain.
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That's where I want to be.
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It's nice this time of year.
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So Jonah's headed to Spain.
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Verse 4, "But the Lord."
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Someone say, but the Lord.
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But the Lord.
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"Sent out a greatwind on the sea.
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And there was a mightytempest on the sea
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so that the ship wasabout to be broken up."
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Y'all, I would not want to bein a storm on the sea in this
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boat.
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That would be BadNews Bears, right?
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"Then the mariners were afraid.
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And every man criedout to his God.
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And they threw the cargothat was in the ship
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into the sea tolighten the load.
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But Jonah had gone down intothe lowest parts of the ship
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and had lain downand was fast asleep.
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So the captain came tohim and said to him,
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'What do you mean, sleeper?
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Arise.
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Call on your God.'"
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Like they're like,calling all gods.
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Like, we don't even care.
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Like, we're not being picky.
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Like, are you a Buddhist?
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You a Muslim?
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Whatever.
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Get out here and dosomething, right?
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Just we're calling all gods.
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"'Perhaps your God will considerus so that we may not perish.'
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And they said toone another, 'Come.
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Let us cast lots that we mayknow for whose cause this
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trouble has come upon us.'
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So they cast lots andthe lot fell on Jonah.
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Then they said tohim, 'Please tell us
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for whose cause has thistrouble come upon us?
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What is your occupation?
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And where do you come from?
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What is your country?
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And of what people are you?'"
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Someone say awkward.
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Awkward.
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Because now he has tosay, I'm kind of a pastor
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and I'm sort of from Israel.
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And my God is sortof the one who
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made the heavens and the earth.
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Right?
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It's tough.
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Verse 9, "So he said tothem, 'I am a Hebrew.
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I fear the Lord.'"Yeah, we can see that.
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You really, obviouslyare really great at that.
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"'The God of heaven who madethe sea and the dry land.'
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Then the men were exceedinglyafraid and said to him--"
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look at this--
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"'Why have you done this?
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Why would you not obey God?'
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For the men knew that he fledfrom the presence of the Lord,
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because he told them."
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You gotta respect that.
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Hey, I'm a preacher,but I won't preach.
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I ran.
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I ran.
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That storm is because of him.
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"Then they said to him, 'Whatshall we do to you that the sea
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may be calm for us?'
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For the sea was growingeven more tempestuous.
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He said to them, 'Pick me upand throw me into the sea.
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Then the sea willbecome calm for you,
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for I know this greattempest is because of me.'"
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Translation, I'd rather bedead than preaching in Nineveh,
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right?
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Verse 13, "Nevertheless, themen rode hard to return to land
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but they could not."
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They don't want to havehis blood on their hands.
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"For the sea continuedto grow even more
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tempestuous against them.
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Therefore they cried out tothe Lord and said, 'We pray,
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O Lord, please do not let usperish for this man's life
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and do not charge uswith innocent blood.
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For you, O Lord, havedone as it pleased you.'
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So they picked up Jonah andthrew him into the sea."
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We're in a series of messagescalled Mad About the House.
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And in this collectionof talks, we're
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examining our care forwhat Jesus died for.
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We're trying tostir up our passion
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for the church and all that.
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And this week, what I reallyhave on my heart for us to see
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is, what we do whenwe're out of the house
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reflects on the house.
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What we do out of thehouse-- because we
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spend our lives coming andgoing from the church, right?
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Like David said, I'mjealous of the birds.
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The birds get to live inthe church all the time.
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But that's notGod's plan for us.
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God's plan for us isthat we would come and go
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from the church, come and go.
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That weekly wewould come and go,
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coming to gather on theweekend so we can scatter
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into our lives and love people.
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Coming and going,always seeing ourselves
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in the regular rhythm.
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Not missing theopportunity to gather
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and always staying ina scattered formation.
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For when we're always ina scattered formation,
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we can't have thepower and strength
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that comes from the gathering.
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But neither are wesupposed to all--
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and you can err onthe other side, too.
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Where everything's just,all you're ever around
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is Christians.
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So what we're tryingto live out is
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this rhythm of coming andgoing, gathering and scattering.
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Being a part ofthe large groups,
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getting together with eachother in the small groups,
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all so that we mightbe strengthened
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and equipped to do what God hascalled us to do in the world.
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Because we can't reacha world we've abandoned.
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So we come together so wecan go out and scatter.
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It's this regular rhythm.
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And whatever we do, someonesay, whatever we do.
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Whatever we do.
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We do so seeing it as amission for King Jesus.
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That's our heart, thatwhatever my job is, wherever
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my neighborhood is,whatever's going on
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with my kid'sgymnastic thing, I'm
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seeing it as amission for King Jesus
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that I'm here, a partof this in this moment.
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And so what we'retrying to be aware of,
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because we spent thefirst several weeks
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of this series really talkingabout the power of the house
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and power of what God's doingthrough the local church,
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His bride.
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And just this idea of thechurch as this earthen vessel
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that's imperfect and marred.
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And yet full of theknowledge of the glory of God
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and the face of Jesus Christ.
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And if you missedany of the messages,
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you can catch up on YouTube.
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But now I want to talk aboutwhat happens when we scatter.
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And specifically,what happens when
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we're not a good representationof the house as we go.
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GK Chesterton once said, "Byfar, the most powerful argument
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against the truth ofChristianity are Christians."
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And the reality isthat studies have
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found that for many people, oneof the big barriers to becoming
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followers of Jesus isn't thatthey don't believe in God
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or what the Biblesays about God.
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But their big--for many people--
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objection toChristianity is that they
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don't believe what theBible says about the church.
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And that they don't believein this idea of the church,
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because they've met peoplewho call themselves Christians
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and live like Jonah, whose livesdon't match up to their lips.
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And we hear it saidas, the church is
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just full of hypocrites, right?
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And what we want to tryand face up to this week
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is the fact that at times,tragically, for all of us,
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that's true.
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That's true that we attimes can be like Jonah,
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causing collateral damage.
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That's the first headingI want you to jot down.
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When we don't walkthe talk, when
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we come in here andworship but then
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we go and our worshipstopped at the door.
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Because our mentalityshould be that
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we want to live alife of worship.
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Worship is notless than singing,
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but it's certainlymore than singing.
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When we raised ourvoices a moment ago
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and sang out thosebeautiful songs
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and the bands were leadingus, that is worship.
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But listen to me.
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As we gave a minuteago, that was worship.
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And hopefully, that'sjust the beginning.
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That we're propelledout of life--
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even right now as we receivethe word with eagerness,
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we can do that as aspirit of worship.
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But we should also, as we raiseour kids, see that as worship.
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As we love our families and takethem on a vacation this summer,
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see that as an act of worship.
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As we love our neighbor, seeingthat as an act of worship.
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As we show up for work,we can in the parking lot
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say, reporting for duty.
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I see that as an act of worship.
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And when we don't do that,to the degree that we
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don't do that, there isalways collateral damage.
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And the collateraldamage for Jonah
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was that, here's thesemen who were in his boat.
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And he brought hisdisobedience into the boat.
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But you're neveralone in a boat.
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There's always otherpeople in the boat.
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There's always otherpeople in the situation.
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Always other peoplein that public space
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for having your meltdown andyour tantrum and hissy fit.
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Because, what?
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You didn't get a table.
00:11:14.033 --> 00:11:15.034
Because, what?
00:11:15.134 --> 00:11:16.635
You're not going to get a seaton the plane or whatever it is.
00:11:16.736 --> 00:11:18.204
In those moments when we'renot representing what we say,
00:11:18.304 --> 00:11:21.307
I believe in God,the God of the Bible.
00:11:21.407 --> 00:11:23.743
All you fools withyour lame idols.
00:11:23.843 --> 00:11:25.478
I believe in the real God.
00:11:25.578 --> 00:11:26.746
Well, why are you notpreaching somewhere?
00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:29.081
I don't know.
00:11:29.215 --> 00:11:30.015
I don't do what he says.
00:11:30.082 --> 00:11:30.649
Right?
00:11:30.750 --> 00:11:31.217
It's like, wait.
00:11:31.317 --> 00:11:31.984
Wait a minute.
00:11:32.084 --> 00:11:32.852
You believe in God?
00:11:32.918 --> 00:11:33.753
This is the personwith the sticker
00:11:33.886 --> 00:11:34.987
on their car driving badly.
00:11:35.087 --> 00:11:36.355
This is the personwho leaves an invite
00:11:36.422 --> 00:11:38.057
to church in the billfold at therestaurant with a crappy tip,
00:11:38.157 --> 00:11:40.926
right?
00:11:41.026 --> 00:11:41.660
Ouch, right?
00:11:41.761 --> 00:11:42.762
I'm going to preach itreal up in here, right?
00:11:42.895 --> 00:11:44.230
This is the personwho says one thing,
00:11:44.330 --> 00:11:46.699
but then everyone's seeingyou yell at your kids.
00:11:46.766 --> 00:11:49.668
Everyone's seeing you bad talkand gossip and do a bad job.
00:11:49.769 --> 00:11:54.006
What happened?
00:11:54.106 --> 00:11:54.940
There's collateral damage.
00:11:55.074 --> 00:11:56.542
And the image of whatit means to follow Jesus
00:11:56.609 --> 00:11:59.612
suffers because oftragically, at times, how we
00:11:59.745 --> 00:12:03.082
live like Jonah, off mission.
00:12:03.182 --> 00:12:05.351
Listen to me.
00:12:05.451 --> 00:12:06.619
When we're off mission,other people suffer.
00:12:06.752 --> 00:12:09.722
When we're off mission,other people suffer.
00:12:09.789 --> 00:12:12.057
Here's all these sailors.
00:12:12.124 --> 00:12:13.459
Now, they're about toget killed in this storm.
00:12:13.559 --> 00:12:15.795
And it's not a stormof their doing.
00:12:15.895 --> 00:12:17.596
They were in this stormbecause of what he was doing.
00:12:17.696 --> 00:12:20.800
They just had a great trip onthis boat right across the bay.
00:12:20.933 --> 00:12:24.436
They'd have had a greattime going to Spain to sail.
00:12:24.537 --> 00:12:26.572
Now they're throwingtheir cargo off.
00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:28.274
Other people are suffering asa result of his selfish living.
00:12:28.374 --> 00:12:33.245
We need to own that.
00:12:33.312 --> 00:12:34.480
I think we need toown that a little bit.
00:12:34.613 --> 00:12:35.648
We need to personalize that.
00:12:35.781 --> 00:12:37.249
It's easy to go, well, there'sother churches [inaudible]..
00:12:37.316 --> 00:12:39.451
How about the hypocrisyin all of our own lives?
00:12:39.552 --> 00:12:41.487
Heaven help us to seeand have our eyes open
00:12:41.587 --> 00:12:43.722
to the ways in which we're notliving what we know is real,
00:12:43.823 --> 00:12:47.326
right?
00:12:47.459 --> 00:12:48.494
The world knowswhat Jesus preached.
00:12:48.627 --> 00:12:49.495
He preached love, right?
00:12:49.595 --> 00:12:51.096
Love God, love your neighbor,love people, care for the poor.
00:12:51.163 --> 00:12:54.300
These things, the waywe spend our money.
00:12:54.400 --> 00:12:56.001
All of these things shouldreflect what we say is true.
00:12:56.101 --> 00:12:59.605
And tragically, at times, it'snot the case for all of us.
00:12:59.672 --> 00:13:03.509
Let's all own that.
00:13:03.609 --> 00:13:04.410
Let's all say, hey, God.
00:13:04.510 --> 00:13:05.845
Show me my heart the waythat I'm not living this out.
00:13:05.978 --> 00:13:09.348
I want to do--
00:13:09.481 --> 00:13:10.449
[applause]
00:13:10.516 --> 00:13:13.018
When David was involved in thisadulterous affair and cover
00:13:14.687 --> 00:13:19.959
up and this wholething, there were
00:13:20.025 --> 00:13:21.694
lots of consequences, lotsof things he was told,
00:13:21.794 --> 00:13:24.196
lots of things that happened.
00:13:24.296 --> 00:13:25.364
And it haunted himfor a long time.
00:13:25.464 --> 00:13:28.334
I think the mostpainful thing that he
00:13:28.434 --> 00:13:30.469
heard was when thepastor told him this.
00:13:30.536 --> 00:13:32.671
In 2 Samuel chapter 12 he said,"'David, you've given by this
00:13:32.771 --> 00:13:36.709
deed great occasion tothe enemies of the Lord
00:13:36.842 --> 00:13:40.012
to blaspheme.'"
00:13:40.112 --> 00:13:40.846
And what a thing to thinkand what a thing to carry.
00:14:41.206 --> 00:14:44.009
Let's live withthat in our hearts.
00:14:44.109 --> 00:14:46.045
I love to think sometimes whenI'm praying in the morning
00:14:46.178 --> 00:14:48.681
and having my devotionallife, God, help me not
00:14:48.747 --> 00:14:50.616
do anything todaythat would give people
00:14:50.716 --> 00:14:52.351
occasion to not believethe truth of the gospel.
00:14:52.418 --> 00:14:55.054
Because the problem'snever the gospel.
00:14:55.187 --> 00:14:57.690
It's never a product problem.
00:14:57.756 --> 00:14:59.692
It's always a PR problem.
00:14:59.758 --> 00:15:01.260
And the PR is us, right?
00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:02.861
And so, heaven help us tonot give anyone a reason
00:15:02.928 --> 00:15:06.598
to not believe inwhat they need,
00:15:06.699 --> 00:15:07.967
what will ultimatelyhelp them, and that
00:15:08.067 --> 00:15:09.735
is a relationship with Jesus.
00:15:09.868 --> 00:15:11.704
[applause]
00:15:11.770 --> 00:15:14.807
Fortunately, though,it's not just that there
00:15:19.044 --> 00:15:20.946
can be collateral damage.
00:15:21.046 --> 00:15:22.715
Here's something positive.
00:15:22.815 --> 00:15:24.049
What's true for evil canalways be true for good.
00:15:24.149 --> 00:15:26.719
So when we do walk the talk, OK?
00:15:26.819 --> 00:15:28.387
Now let's flip it, whenwe do walk the talk,
00:15:28.454 --> 00:15:31.457
there can be blessing byassociation, blessing by-- see,
00:15:31.557 --> 00:15:35.227
you've heard ofguilt by association?
00:15:35.294 --> 00:15:37.129
Right?
00:15:37.229 --> 00:15:38.297
You're implicated becauseyou were in the car.
00:15:38.397 --> 00:15:39.465
You didn't do anything.
00:15:39.565 --> 00:15:40.966
But you were just there whenthat crime was committed.
00:15:41.066 --> 00:15:41.967
Guilt by association.
00:15:42.067 --> 00:15:43.168
Well, how aboutblessing by association?
00:15:43.268 --> 00:15:44.937
How about what happens whensomeone is with a pure heart.
00:15:45.070 --> 00:15:48.841
Not perfectly, that'snever going to happen.
00:15:48.941 --> 00:15:50.776
I don't want you to havean unrealistic expectation.
00:15:50.909 --> 00:15:53.145
You are going to blow it, right?
00:15:53.245 --> 00:15:55.147
We're all goingto have bad days.
00:15:55.247 --> 00:15:56.915
The Bible says, if someonedoesn't get caught up in sin,
00:15:56.982 --> 00:15:59.151
he's perfect.
00:15:59.251 --> 00:16:00.319
And there is approximatelyzero perfect people
00:16:00.419 --> 00:16:02.921
short of JesusChrist Himself, OK?
00:16:03.022 --> 00:16:05.758
But the goal is thatwe're going to follow
00:16:05.824 --> 00:16:07.526
Christ with a pure heart.
00:16:07.626 --> 00:16:09.028
We're going to follow Jesuswith everything within us.
00:16:09.128 --> 00:16:11.030
We're going to seek to livea life of worship and honor
00:16:11.130 --> 00:16:14.666
and generosity and kindness.
00:16:14.767 --> 00:16:16.101
We're going to stir thosethings up in our hearts,
00:16:16.168 --> 00:16:17.936
call those thingsout in our lives.
00:16:18.003 --> 00:16:19.438
And when we do that,here's what I believe.
00:16:19.538 --> 00:16:21.273
It's not just going tobring blessing to us.
00:16:21.373 --> 00:16:23.842
It's going to bring ablessing by association.
00:16:23.942 --> 00:16:26.512
What am I trying to say?
00:16:26.612 --> 00:16:27.880
I'm trying to say, here'show I wrote it down.
00:16:27.980 --> 00:16:29.448
When we are on mission now,because we talked about what
00:16:29.515 --> 00:16:31.116
happens when we're off mission.
00:16:31.183 --> 00:16:32.451
What happens?
00:16:32.518 --> 00:16:33.285
Other people suffer.
00:16:33.385 --> 00:16:34.520
But when we are on mission,the favor on our life
00:16:34.620 --> 00:16:37.723
is infectious.
00:16:37.823 --> 00:16:39.191
When you live a life onmission and you show up
00:16:39.291 --> 00:16:41.860
tomorrow morning at workand you say, you know what?
00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:43.996
I'm on mission, King Jesus.
00:16:44.129 --> 00:16:45.297
Reporting for duty.
00:16:45.397 --> 00:16:46.732
Here's my assignment.
00:16:46.832 --> 00:16:47.800
Fill me with Your spirit.
00:16:47.866 --> 00:16:48.801
Give me that strength.
00:16:48.901 --> 00:16:50.335
Have something in your heartthat's there for the hard
00:16:50.469 --> 00:16:52.905
moments, right?
00:16:53.005 --> 00:16:54.339
Like do you ever get hangryin the church, right?
00:16:54.473 --> 00:16:57.042
I mean, I get hangry.
00:16:57.142 --> 00:16:58.077
So I know that I get hangry.
00:16:58.177 --> 00:17:00.312
And so I bring inthese little packets.
00:17:00.412 --> 00:17:02.681
I bring in theselittle things of nuts.
00:17:02.815 --> 00:17:05.717
What am I doing?
00:17:05.818 --> 00:17:06.652
I'm getting ahead of it.
00:17:06.718 --> 00:17:07.820
I know I can breakglass and do this.
00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:09.655
I could breakglass and eat this.
00:17:09.755 --> 00:17:12.257
I'm thinking throughhydration, right?
00:17:12.357 --> 00:17:14.493
I get cranky and headache-ywhen I'm dehydrated.
00:17:14.560 --> 00:17:17.396
I get cranky and headache-y whenI don't have enough caffeine.
00:17:17.496 --> 00:17:20.866
So I've got stashes of caffeine.
00:17:20.999 --> 00:17:23.836
I think through coffee.
00:17:23.902 --> 00:17:25.037
I'm like, is theregoing to be coffee?
00:17:25.170 --> 00:17:26.338
I need a coffee onthe way to get coffee.
00:17:26.405 --> 00:17:28.006
I need a coffee on the wayto get the coffee that's
00:17:28.107 --> 00:17:29.541
going to be tiding me overtill I get the coffee, right?
00:17:29.675 --> 00:17:31.844
It's like, you want coffee?
00:17:31.944 --> 00:17:33.178
Yes.
00:17:33.245 --> 00:17:34.213
Yes.
00:17:34.346 --> 00:17:35.247
And like, want togo to get a coffee?
00:17:35.347 --> 00:17:36.515
What, you're getting coffee now?
00:17:36.582 --> 00:17:37.883
Yeah, but I get coffeeon the way to the coffee.
00:17:38.016 --> 00:17:39.351
I'm just like, this is mypre-coffee coffee, right?
00:17:39.451 --> 00:17:41.553
And so I just think about--
00:17:41.687 --> 00:17:44.056
I'm getting ahead of it.
00:17:44.189 --> 00:17:45.724
I'm getting aheadof the dehydration.
00:17:45.858 --> 00:17:47.192
And so I wonder if inyour spiritual journey
00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:49.361
you're aware of thetimes when you're
00:17:49.428 --> 00:17:50.963
susceptible to theattacks of the enemy.
00:17:51.063 --> 00:17:52.698
When do you get snippy?
00:17:52.798 --> 00:17:54.600
When do you get depleted?
00:17:54.700 --> 00:17:56.201
How can you get ahead of it byputting a verse in your heart?
00:17:56.301 --> 00:17:58.137
Don't be rushing off intoyour day with Instagram open.
00:17:58.237 --> 00:18:00.706
Come on.
00:18:00.772 --> 00:18:01.807
Get a scriptureup in your heart.
00:18:01.907 --> 00:18:03.108
Open up that littleBible app on your phone.
00:18:03.208 --> 00:18:03.876
Come on.
00:18:03.942 --> 00:18:05.144
Throw that little BethMoore devotional on.
00:18:05.244 --> 00:18:06.111
Put some worship music on.
00:18:06.211 --> 00:18:07.579
You have that angry co-worker?
00:18:07.713 --> 00:18:08.947
Well, drive in doingsome inoculation.
00:18:09.047 --> 00:18:11.884
You got to get yourvaccination on.
00:18:11.984 --> 00:18:13.485
You've got to throw some FreshLife worship up in your spirit.
00:18:13.585 --> 00:18:17.823
So that into thosemoments you're ready.
00:18:17.923 --> 00:18:19.825
So it's ready to spill out.
00:18:19.925 --> 00:18:21.660
[applause]
00:18:21.760 --> 00:18:22.961
Imagine yourself honoring Jesus.
00:18:23.061 --> 00:18:25.063
What does that look like?
00:18:25.130 --> 00:18:26.398
You think about the timethat you got irritable
00:18:26.465 --> 00:18:29.001
and you got cranky andyou cut someone down.
00:18:29.101 --> 00:18:32.104
See yourself doing it.
00:18:32.237 --> 00:18:33.672
Think about how you didn't likehow that reflected on Jesus.
00:18:33.772 --> 00:18:36.909
And then insteadof that, visualize
00:18:36.975 --> 00:18:39.311
what you're going todo different next time.
00:18:39.411 --> 00:18:41.180
When they say this, maybeyou're just as simple as, oh.
00:18:41.280 --> 00:18:43.615
Oh.
00:18:43.749 --> 00:18:44.416
Oh.
00:18:44.483 --> 00:18:45.250
Oh.
00:18:45.350 --> 00:18:46.518
You know, here's the coolthing about closed mouths,
00:18:46.618 --> 00:18:48.153
they can gather no feet.
00:18:48.253 --> 00:18:50.355
And someone said onetime, it's better
00:18:50.455 --> 00:18:53.125
to keep your mouthclosed and let
00:18:53.258 --> 00:18:54.493
people think you're stupidthan open your mouth
00:18:54.593 --> 00:18:56.695
and dispel all doubt, right?
00:18:56.795 --> 00:18:58.130
So sometimes it's justnice to say nothing, right?
00:18:58.263 --> 00:19:00.432
Mama had it.
00:19:00.499 --> 00:19:01.033
Mama said it best.
00:19:01.133 --> 00:19:02.534
If you've got nothing niceto say, say nothing at all.
00:19:02.634 --> 00:19:04.336
So when you live in that way,there is a favor on your life.
00:19:04.436 --> 00:19:10.442
Read the beatitudes.
00:19:10.542 --> 00:19:13.045
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
00:19:13.145 --> 00:19:14.313
Blessed, blessed,blessed, blessed.
00:19:14.446 --> 00:19:16.315
And when there's blessingon your life, listen to me,
00:19:16.448 --> 00:19:18.483
it drips on other peoplewho get up in your boat.
00:19:18.617 --> 00:19:21.286
So the people in your boat,what's that going to look like?
00:19:21.353 --> 00:19:23.889
Well, let me showyou in Acts 27, OK?
00:19:23.989 --> 00:19:26.725
Great story.
00:19:26.825 --> 00:19:27.960
Now here's the exactopposite scenario.
00:19:28.060 --> 00:19:29.795
Why was Jonah in a storm?
00:19:29.895 --> 00:19:30.963
Because he didn't obey God.
00:19:31.029 --> 00:19:32.231
Paul the Apostle oneday ended up in a storm
00:19:32.331 --> 00:19:34.566
because he did follow God.
00:19:34.666 --> 00:19:36.835
God told him to preach.
00:19:36.969 --> 00:19:38.070
And he got arrestedfor preaching.
00:19:38.170 --> 00:19:39.838
And he ended up in abunch of jail cells.
00:19:39.972 --> 00:19:42.307
And finally he got sick of it.
00:19:42.407 --> 00:19:43.909
And he said, I appeal to Caesar,because he was a Roman citizen.
00:19:44.009 --> 00:19:46.478
So he knew how towork the system.
00:19:46.578 --> 00:19:47.913
Listen to me.
00:19:48.013 --> 00:19:49.248
God wants you to trustHim for what He can do.
00:19:49.348 --> 00:19:50.549
But He also wants you todo what only you can do.
00:19:50.649 --> 00:19:52.851
And so he said, hey.
00:19:52.985 --> 00:19:53.719
I know my rights.
00:19:53.819 --> 00:19:54.586
I appeal to Caesar.
00:19:54.686 --> 00:19:55.821
And he did what he needed to do.
00:19:55.921 --> 00:19:57.656
As a church, we value somethingcalled being a snake bird.
00:19:57.756 --> 00:20:01.093
Because Jesus said beharmless like a dove,
00:20:01.193 --> 00:20:02.995
but also be cunninglike a serpent.
00:20:03.095 --> 00:20:04.863
And so what does that mean?
00:20:04.997 --> 00:20:06.031
That means thatwe're going to trust
00:20:06.164 --> 00:20:07.866
God but keep ourpowder dry, like they
00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:09.735
said in the Revolutionary War.
00:20:09.835 --> 00:20:11.270
We're not going to prayfor a job but not apply.
00:20:11.370 --> 00:20:13.505
We're not going toask God for a wife
00:20:13.572 --> 00:20:15.107
but then not brush our teeth.
00:20:15.207 --> 00:20:16.174
You see what I'm saying here?
00:20:16.241 --> 00:20:17.509
[laughing]
00:20:17.576 --> 00:20:20.178
I'm not going to askGod to bless my marriage
00:20:20.245 --> 00:20:22.247
but then not take mylady out on date nights.
00:20:22.347 --> 00:20:24.182
You see what I'm saying?
00:20:24.283 --> 00:20:26.084
I'm going to do whatI can do but trust God
00:20:26.184 --> 00:20:27.919
for what He can do.
00:20:28.020 --> 00:20:29.354
Some of you today, you'repraying for something
00:20:29.421 --> 00:20:31.023
that God has put intoyour capacity to control
00:20:31.123 --> 00:20:33.859
the outcome of the situation.
00:20:33.959 --> 00:20:35.394
God will never do for youwhat you can do for yourself.
00:20:35.527 --> 00:20:38.096
So you need to bedoing what you can do.
00:20:38.196 --> 00:20:40.198
Appeal to Caesar, but then trustGod for what only He can do.
00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:42.868
So Paul ends up in a--
00:20:42.934 --> 00:20:44.036
Boat.
00:20:44.102 --> 00:20:44.970
I'm on a boat, Mom, right?
00:20:45.070 --> 00:20:46.305
He's headed to Rome on a boat.
00:20:46.405 --> 00:20:48.974
But now he ends up in a storm,not because he did something
00:20:49.074 --> 00:20:52.644
wrong, but because hedid something right
00:20:52.744 --> 00:20:54.546
and because some otherpeople did something wrong.
00:20:54.646 --> 00:20:56.815
OK.
00:20:56.915 --> 00:20:58.383
We're going to read a bunch ofselected verses from Acts 27
00:20:58.483 --> 00:20:59.951
now.
00:21:00.052 --> 00:21:00.719
This is great.
00:21:00.819 --> 00:21:01.553
This is the best.
00:21:01.653 --> 00:21:02.554
This is betterthan Indiana Jones.
00:21:02.621 --> 00:21:03.755
This is better than anything.
00:21:03.889 --> 00:21:05.891
Paul, I'm telling you.
00:21:05.957 --> 00:21:07.225
This is Paul of theCaribbean, y'all.
00:21:07.292 --> 00:21:08.994
This is Paul.
00:21:09.094 --> 00:21:12.664
Just, this is great.
00:21:12.764 --> 00:21:15.233
Paul comes to the captain.
00:21:15.334 --> 00:21:16.768
Now, he's a prisoner on aboat because of his obedience
00:21:16.902 --> 00:21:20.572
to God.
00:21:20.672 --> 00:21:21.740
And he comes to thecaptain, verse 10, saying,
00:21:21.840 --> 00:21:23.508
"'Men, I perceive that thisvoyage will end with disaster
00:21:23.608 --> 00:21:26.011
and much loss.
00:21:26.111 --> 00:21:27.579
Not only of the cargo andship but also our own lives.'"
00:21:27.646 --> 00:21:29.915
Imagine that.
00:21:30.015 --> 00:21:31.016
God spoke to Paul.
00:21:31.116 --> 00:21:32.351
There's a storm and theyneed to listen to him.
00:21:32.451 --> 00:21:33.819
And so he tells them.
00:21:33.919 --> 00:21:35.520
The centurion, though,verse 11, "Was more
00:21:35.620 --> 00:21:37.456
persuaded by the helmsmanand the owner of the ship
00:21:37.589 --> 00:21:40.258
than by the thingsspoken by Paul."
00:21:40.325 --> 00:21:41.827
Why?
00:21:41.927 --> 00:21:42.828
Because Paul was a prisoner.
00:21:42.928 --> 00:21:44.429
And this guy, the people hewas listening to were experts.
00:21:44.496 --> 00:21:46.932
So he denied Paul's advice.
00:21:46.998 --> 00:21:49.301
Said, thanks for-- and I'msure Paul respectfully gave it.
00:21:49.434 --> 00:21:51.636
They said, we're notlistening to you.
00:21:51.770 --> 00:21:53.638
We're going to press on.
00:21:53.772 --> 00:21:54.506
Paul was saying,we need to stop.
00:21:54.606 --> 00:21:55.841
We need to weatherthe storm out.
00:21:55.941 --> 00:21:56.975
We do not try andpush through it.
00:21:57.109 --> 00:21:58.176
This sucker isgoing to be fierce
00:21:58.276 --> 00:21:59.678
and it's going to be bad.
00:21:59.778 --> 00:22:00.946
And the guy turnedto the captain
00:22:01.012 --> 00:22:02.948
and the owner of the ship.
00:22:03.048 --> 00:22:04.015
And, what do you guys say?
00:22:04.116 --> 00:22:05.117
Oh, we can make it through.
00:22:05.183 --> 00:22:06.118
Oh, yeah.
00:22:06.184 --> 00:22:06.818
We're great.
00:22:06.952 --> 00:22:08.120
With this thing?
00:22:08.186 --> 00:22:09.554
Oh, this old Bessie, Bessie'sgoing to get us through.
00:22:09.654 --> 00:22:11.823
This is going to be great.
00:22:11.957 --> 00:22:12.624
Oh, no.
00:22:12.724 --> 00:22:13.291
We're fine, right?
00:22:13.358 --> 00:22:14.960
Not great.
00:22:15.026 --> 00:22:16.395
Verse 14, "But not longafter, a tempestuous headwind
00:22:16.495 --> 00:22:19.297
rose called Euroclydon."
00:22:19.398 --> 00:22:20.866
Y'all, when they give aname to the storm, not good.
00:22:20.966 --> 00:22:23.802
Not good deal.
00:22:23.902 --> 00:22:24.870
They name the thing.
00:22:24.970 --> 00:22:25.971
That's bad, bad, bad.
00:22:26.071 --> 00:22:27.539
Verse 18, "And because we wereexceedingly tempest-tossed,
00:22:27.639 --> 00:22:31.143
the next day theylightened the ship."
00:22:31.209 --> 00:22:32.577
Now they're throwingstuff overboard.
00:22:32.677 --> 00:22:34.579
Verse 20, "Now, when neithersun nor stars appeared
00:22:34.679 --> 00:22:37.482
for many days," thisis a long ordeal,
00:22:37.549 --> 00:22:40.552
"And no smalltempest--" don't you
00:22:40.652 --> 00:22:42.521
love that Luke the doctorcan't just say, a big tempest?
00:22:42.654 --> 00:22:45.590
He has to say, nosmall tempest, right?
00:22:45.690 --> 00:22:48.326
Leave it to a doctorwriting your biography.
00:22:48.427 --> 00:22:50.195
That's what's going to happen.
00:22:50.328 --> 00:22:51.396
"No small tempest beat on us.
00:22:51.496 --> 00:22:52.998
All hope that we would besaved was finally given up."
00:22:53.064 --> 00:22:55.667
Now listen, Paul's story'sbeing written by Luke.
00:22:55.767 --> 00:22:59.571
And Luke here says, we gave up.
00:22:59.671 --> 00:23:02.240
That's a bad deal whenthe biographer says,
00:23:02.340 --> 00:23:04.376
biography's over.
00:23:04.509 --> 00:23:05.343
It's done, right?
00:23:05.410 --> 00:23:06.745
This is Acts 27.
00:23:06.845 --> 00:23:08.113
There's not going to be an Acts28 is what he's saying here.
00:23:08.213 --> 00:23:09.881
This is over.
00:23:10.015 --> 00:23:10.849
We've all given up, right?
00:23:10.949 --> 00:23:12.684
Paul sees Luke.
00:23:12.784 --> 00:23:13.885
He's crossing himself,putting a life jacket on,
00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:15.353
ready to jump intothe life raft.
00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:16.688
He's like, whereyou going, right?
00:23:16.788 --> 00:23:18.723
Where's the faith?
00:23:18.857 --> 00:23:19.925
Verse 21, "But after along absence from food--"
00:23:20.025 --> 00:23:22.727
you can't eat when you'retossing around in a tempest.
00:23:22.861 --> 00:23:25.697
They were probably gettingseasick, puking everywhere.
00:23:25.797 --> 00:23:28.533
It's like one of thoseRoyal Caribbean, you know,
00:23:28.600 --> 00:23:30.735
advertisements.
00:23:30.869 --> 00:23:31.269
They're awful.
00:23:31.369 --> 00:23:33.305
Paul-- I never got theappeal of a cruise, man.
00:23:33.405 --> 00:23:35.540
People like, you wantto go on a cruise?
00:23:35.607 --> 00:23:36.608
I'm like, no.
00:23:36.708 --> 00:23:37.642
It seems like prisonbut at the ocean.
00:23:37.742 --> 00:23:39.144
"Then Paul stood in themidst of them and said,
00:23:39.244 --> 00:23:43.982
'Men.'" But it'sall you can eat.
00:23:44.082 --> 00:23:46.251
That's the problem.
00:23:46.384 --> 00:23:47.719
I'm already going intobathing suit season with some
00:23:47.819 --> 00:23:49.387
all-you-can-eat that I'vehelped myself to all winter.
00:23:49.488 --> 00:23:52.424
"'Men.'" I'm on a boat.
00:23:52.557 --> 00:23:56.294
"'You should havelistened to me.'"
00:23:56.394 --> 00:23:58.597
Don't you love thatPaul starts his speech
00:23:58.730 --> 00:24:00.499
in the middle of thestorm by saying, "Men, you
00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:02.567
should have listened to me"?
00:24:02.634 --> 00:24:04.903
Sounds like my wife.
00:24:05.003 --> 00:24:06.171
All right.
00:24:06.271 --> 00:24:07.772
"'You should have listened to meand not have sailed from Crete
00:24:07.906 --> 00:24:13.078
and incurred thisdisaster and loss.
00:24:13.178 --> 00:24:16.181
But now I urgeyou to take heart,
00:24:16.281 --> 00:24:18.183
for there will be noloss of life among you,
00:24:18.283 --> 00:24:20.318
but only of the ship.'"
00:24:20.418 --> 00:24:21.586
You're like, Paul,how do you know that?
00:24:21.686 --> 00:24:23.088
How do you know that?
00:24:23.154 --> 00:24:24.256
You can't give themfalse assurance.
00:24:24.322 --> 00:24:25.257
You can't give them false hope.
00:24:25.323 --> 00:24:26.458
Verse 23, he shows his math.
00:24:26.591 --> 00:24:28.860
Oh, by the way, math.
00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:30.428
Mad about the house.
00:24:30.495 --> 00:24:33.265
Paul was mad about the house.
00:24:33.331 --> 00:24:34.966
Now he's going to show his math.
00:24:35.100 --> 00:24:37.335
And here's what he says.
00:24:37.435 --> 00:24:39.004
"'For there stood by me thisnight an angel of the God
00:24:39.104 --> 00:24:42.774
to whom I belongand whom I serve.'"
00:24:42.874 --> 00:24:45.810
I know it seemsoutrageous, but an angel
00:24:45.944 --> 00:24:47.679
stood by Paul's headand whispered things
00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:49.447
to him while he slept.
00:24:49.548 --> 00:24:51.850
That's awesome.
00:24:51.950 --> 00:24:53.785
"'Saying, 'Do notbe afraid, Paul'"--
00:24:53.852 --> 00:24:55.687
Paul, Paul, Paul, Paul, Paul.
00:24:55.787 --> 00:24:58.823
Because always reverbwhen it's an angel.
00:24:58.957 --> 00:25:01.293
"'You must be broughthere before Caesar.
00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:04.062
And indeed, God has granted youall those who sail with you.'"
00:25:04.162 --> 00:25:09.467
I'm going to stop right there.
00:25:09.534 --> 00:25:12.337
You're going to get to Rome.
00:25:12.470 --> 00:25:14.172
You're not goingto die in the ship.
00:25:14.306 --> 00:25:16.007
But they're not going to diebecause they're with you.
00:25:16.141 --> 00:25:19.477
Blessing by association.
00:25:19.544 --> 00:25:22.147
I'm just tellingyou, when you're
00:25:22.247 --> 00:25:23.982
doing what God's called you todo, your life becomes magnetic.
00:25:24.082 --> 00:25:28.186
It attracts blessings.
00:25:28.320 --> 00:25:29.754
Goodness and mercy shall followme all the days of my life.
00:25:29.854 --> 00:25:33.425
And I will dwell in the house.
00:25:33.525 --> 00:25:35.026
I'm telling you, when you gotthe good math and the good math
00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:37.562
is mad about thehouse, all of a sudden,
00:25:37.662 --> 00:25:40.599
there's just afavor on your life.
00:25:40.699 --> 00:25:42.500
All of a sudden, there'sa blessing on your life.
00:25:42.567 --> 00:25:44.569
I'm not saying everythingis going to go good.
00:25:44.669 --> 00:25:46.338
There's stillgoing to be storms.
00:25:46.404 --> 00:25:47.706
But in the storms, youcan know that everything's
00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:49.708
going to be OK, that God's gotthis, that He's got a-- man,
00:25:49.841 --> 00:25:52.510
this is a tempest.
00:25:52.611 --> 00:25:53.578
I'm riding the waves here.
00:25:53.678 --> 00:25:55.013
I'm just telling you,even when there's waves,
00:25:55.113 --> 00:25:57.015
even when it's bumpy,even when it's difficult,
00:25:57.082 --> 00:25:59.618
even when you'rein the hospital,
00:25:59.718 --> 00:26:01.186
even when someone gets laidoff, even when someone's sick,
00:26:01.286 --> 00:26:03.955
I'm just telling you, youcan just know God's with me.
00:26:04.055 --> 00:26:06.191
Come on, He's going to sendhis angels to watch over me.
00:26:06.257 --> 00:26:08.860
He's going to tell me it'sgoing to be all right.
00:26:08.927 --> 00:26:10.862
But there's going tobe a blessing that's
00:26:10.962 --> 00:26:12.631
going to spill on over tothose who I work around.
00:26:12.731 --> 00:26:15.533
I'm telling you,when God blesses me,
00:26:15.634 --> 00:26:17.202
I'm going to blessthose around me.
00:26:17.268 --> 00:26:18.970
I'm going to show kindness.
00:26:19.070 --> 00:26:20.271
I dare you to get up in my life.
00:26:20.372 --> 00:26:21.973
I'm going to bless you.
00:26:22.073 --> 00:26:22.941
I'm going to pray for you.
00:26:23.041 --> 00:26:23.742
I'm going to encourage you.
00:26:23.875 --> 00:26:25.210
I'm going to make it my goalthat you feel your worth
00:26:25.276 --> 00:26:27.779
and you feel your value, thatyou sense that God loves you.
00:26:27.879 --> 00:26:30.815
Just get up aroundme when God showed me
00:26:30.915 --> 00:26:33.084
something in the Word.
00:26:33.218 --> 00:26:34.085
I'm going to show it to you.
00:26:34.219 --> 00:26:35.587
I'm going to tell you whatI learned in my quiet time.
00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:37.656
I'm going to getexcited about a song.
00:26:37.756 --> 00:26:39.324
I'm going to tellour worship team,
00:26:39.424 --> 00:26:40.625
our whole church needsto sing this song.
00:26:40.725 --> 00:26:42.160
Why?
00:26:42.260 --> 00:26:43.061
It lit my heart up.
00:26:43.128 --> 00:26:43.995
We need to sing this song.
00:26:44.095 --> 00:26:44.763
Why?
00:26:44.896 --> 00:26:45.730
There's a blessingby association.
00:26:45.797 --> 00:26:47.465
When you're part ofthe house, one part
00:26:47.565 --> 00:26:49.934
suffers, we all feel it.
00:26:50.068 --> 00:26:51.503
One part's blessed,we all feel it.
00:26:51.603 --> 00:26:53.738
I'm just telling you something.
00:26:53.838 --> 00:26:55.273
Like Paul, you get in a boatwith someone who's blessed,
00:26:55.407 --> 00:26:58.843
there's a blessingthat touches you.
00:26:58.943 --> 00:27:00.645
Why?
00:27:00.745 --> 00:27:02.013
Because a rising tide liftsall those who are in the ship.
00:27:02.113 --> 00:27:05.283
And that's the second point.
00:27:05.417 --> 00:27:06.751
Third thing, jot this down.
00:27:06.818 --> 00:27:08.787
I'm going to get seasickpreaching this sermon.
00:27:08.920 --> 00:27:12.691
I'm not done withthat point yet.
00:27:12.791 --> 00:27:16.361
God loves the peoplein your life so much
00:27:16.461 --> 00:27:19.097
He put you in their path.
00:27:19.197 --> 00:27:21.433
That's how I want you--
00:27:21.533 --> 00:27:22.934
I just want you to have onthe whole new permission.
00:27:23.001 --> 00:27:24.536
When you show up inyour scrubs, reporting--
00:27:24.636 --> 00:27:26.438

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In the Same Boat

In the Same Boat

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In the Same Boat

In the Same Boat

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