1 00:00:14,119 --> 00:00:17,359 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast. 2 00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:24,100 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you. 3 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:27,079 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:34,820 --> 00:00:39,719 So, if you could please turn your Bibles to Acts chapter 15. 5 00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:49,740 We're only looking at six verses today, finishing up chapter 15. 6 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:59,920 And today's message is, God will get his victory even when Christians disagree. 7 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:01,380 Aren't you happy about that? 8 00:01:02,700 --> 00:01:06,099 Yeah, so let's pray and thank the Lord for his word. 9 00:01:06,379 --> 00:01:08,719 Father God, we thank you for your word. 10 00:01:08,859 --> 00:01:12,879 We thank you for how it always applies to us. 11 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:18,840 It's always sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing soul, spirit, joint, marrow, 12 00:01:19,219 --> 00:01:21,219 thoughts and intentions, Lord God. 13 00:01:21,219 --> 00:01:24,579 So we ask you to do that today with your powerful word. 14 00:01:24,780 --> 00:01:28,659 We ask your Holy Spirit to really occupy this place 15 00:01:29,379 --> 00:01:34,200 and use the word of God to really cut deep into us, Lord God, 16 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,359 and infuse something, a new illustration or a new illumination, Lord, of your word, 17 00:01:40,359 --> 00:01:43,920 so that we can truly leave here with transformed minds. 18 00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:46,640 So we thank you in Jesus' name. 19 00:01:48,819 --> 00:01:51,120 So, you know, Christians disagree. 20 00:01:51,540 --> 00:01:52,859 Could you attest to that? 21 00:01:54,120 --> 00:02:00,840 People have always been disagreeing about so many things and Christians do so as well. 22 00:02:01,959 --> 00:02:03,540 We disagree about so many things. 23 00:02:03,799 --> 00:02:05,439 Halloween, right? 24 00:02:06,019 --> 00:02:09,479 How your family or how you conduct yourself on Halloween. 25 00:02:09,659 --> 00:02:12,719 Some people like off-limits, don't want to go near it. 26 00:02:13,099 --> 00:02:14,219 You know, I'm just going to pray. 27 00:02:14,759 --> 00:02:16,199 Awesome, you know, praise the Lord. 28 00:02:16,199 --> 00:02:18,199 Others know I'm going to give out tracts. 29 00:02:19,039 --> 00:02:22,840 Others are going to dress up like biblical characters or superheroes 30 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,580 or even gobbledygoops or, you know, dead people. 31 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:28,180 I don't know. 32 00:02:28,259 --> 00:02:30,199 I wouldn't be suggesting that. 33 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,699 But, you know, we just handle Halloween differently. 34 00:02:33,219 --> 00:02:34,979 And we think of things so differently. 35 00:02:35,180 --> 00:02:41,120 You know, we can disagree with how our family spends money. 36 00:02:41,659 --> 00:02:45,060 What church or denomination we belong to? 37 00:02:45,780 --> 00:02:47,439 What how we worship? 38 00:02:47,599 --> 00:02:52,000 What kind of worship music is most edifying to us? 39 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,939 We can disagree on theological things. 40 00:02:56,860 --> 00:02:58,439 Yesterday, we had a men's breakfast. 41 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:05,740 Scott Shaw came and did an amazing job to share in the history of really mankind 42 00:03:05,740 --> 00:03:12,900 and God interacting with us and talked about, you know, the rapture and tribulation and so forth. 43 00:03:12,900 --> 00:03:15,340 There's so many disagreements about that. 44 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,860 And, you know, it's like, OK, just, you know, know about all the versions. 45 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,939 And in the end, we're going to be with the Lord anyway. 46 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:26,360 So that's why I don't spend a ton of time until we come to it, 47 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,080 you know, haggling over that because we can disagree over end times. 48 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:33,460 No, no, I'm not going up in the air when he comes. 49 00:03:33,599 --> 00:03:34,240 Well, I am. 50 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:35,719 I'm going wherever he's calling me. 51 00:03:36,159 --> 00:03:36,360 Whatever. 52 00:03:36,979 --> 00:03:38,979 If I hear a trumpet, I'm going. 53 00:03:39,460 --> 00:03:42,259 OK, I'm assuming he's calling me. 54 00:03:42,259 --> 00:03:46,039 So but, you know, we can disagree about so many things. 55 00:03:46,180 --> 00:03:52,400 Our favorite, you know, podcast or preacher or so forth, you know, 56 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,479 we can disagree about so many things, you know, and it's just 57 00:03:55,479 --> 00:04:01,139 and it's always been that way, by the way, you know, Jesus's own disciples. 58 00:04:01,860 --> 00:04:03,580 OK, how many times did they disagree? 59 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,020 No, I'm the greatest. 60 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:06,740 No, I'm the greatest. 61 00:04:07,099 --> 00:04:08,800 You know, and then they disagree. 62 00:04:08,919 --> 00:04:12,020 Who's going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God? 63 00:04:12,020 --> 00:04:15,139 Like, you know, we're going to we're going to argue about that, too. 64 00:04:15,439 --> 00:04:19,560 Someday, you know, who's going to be greater than arguing about, hey, 65 00:04:19,660 --> 00:04:20,319 how dare you? 66 00:04:20,439 --> 00:04:22,019 You're not allowed to cast out that demon. 67 00:04:22,180 --> 00:04:23,139 You're not one of us. 68 00:04:23,399 --> 00:04:28,000 OK, I mean, just disagreement, you know, and and Jesus was always 69 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:28,980 correcting him that. 70 00:04:29,339 --> 00:04:31,959 How about Peter disagreeing with Jesus? 71 00:04:32,660 --> 00:04:34,540 You know, you're not going to wash my feet. 72 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:39,300 Well, you better think differently because unless I wash your feet, 73 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:40,620 you won't be clean. 74 00:04:41,180 --> 00:04:43,259 Oh, then bathe the whole body. 75 00:04:43,459 --> 00:04:46,480 You know, I mean, Peter is always you're not going to Jerusalem. 76 00:04:46,699 --> 00:04:47,680 They're going to kill you there. 77 00:04:47,860 --> 00:04:48,620 How dare you? 78 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:49,720 He's rebuking Jesus. 79 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,160 You know, people are just going to disagree all the time. 80 00:04:53,620 --> 00:04:58,060 And you would think with the Holy Spirit, which we all have, 81 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,439 praise the Lord, that you would think we would disagree less. 82 00:05:02,199 --> 00:05:03,800 You know, but not always. 83 00:05:04,060 --> 00:05:04,279 Right. 84 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:10,740 And in fact, last week we read about Christians disagreeing 85 00:05:10,740 --> 00:05:12,180 about circumcision. 86 00:05:12,420 --> 00:05:15,259 No, these new Gentiles have to follow Mosaic laws. 87 00:05:15,459 --> 00:05:17,279 They got to do all the things that we do as Jews. 88 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,740 And there was a couple of disagreements down in Antioch, 89 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,959 in Jerusalem, you know, disagreements, you know, 90 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:25,319 and you would think that wouldn't be. 91 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:28,899 Well, today we're going to read about a disagreement that 92 00:05:28,899 --> 00:05:30,699 is well-studied. 93 00:05:31,379 --> 00:05:35,839 And so many people point to this story as like an example 94 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:36,819 of disagreements. 95 00:05:37,620 --> 00:05:41,120 And what makes it so astounding is that these are two 96 00:05:42,159 --> 00:05:49,579 well-respected, God-fearing, God-loving, mature believers 97 00:05:50,420 --> 00:05:51,800 who partnered together. 98 00:05:51,959 --> 00:05:56,300 In fact, Barnabas brought Paul into the church family. 99 00:05:56,300 --> 00:06:00,759 You know, he was his mentor and he was his encourager. 100 00:06:01,199 --> 00:06:03,639 And now they're going to disagree to such a degree 101 00:06:03,639 --> 00:06:05,500 that they would part ways. 102 00:06:05,779 --> 00:06:06,199 Okay. 103 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:07,879 And we're just going to look at that. 104 00:06:07,879 --> 00:06:09,920 And we're also going to look ahead what will happen 105 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:14,019 in the future, because here they were probably so seething 106 00:06:14,019 --> 00:06:17,439 with disagreement and judgment on each other. 107 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,459 And then later on, we're going to just see how it all 108 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:20,680 reconciles. 109 00:06:20,899 --> 00:06:23,779 And maybe we can take note to this so that we don't get 110 00:06:23,779 --> 00:06:27,120 so caught up in our opinions. 111 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:30,180 You ever notice, I don't know, the older I get, the more 112 00:06:30,180 --> 00:06:33,680 I realize I need to be listening more. 113 00:06:34,939 --> 00:06:37,259 You know, in fact, the word says that, doesn't, you know, 114 00:06:37,579 --> 00:06:42,600 listen more, use fewer words, listen more, speak less, 115 00:06:42,899 --> 00:06:46,060 you know, because the wrath of man does not bring 116 00:06:46,060 --> 00:06:47,639 God's righteousness, right? 117 00:06:47,879 --> 00:06:51,980 And so really just to listen, you know, we just need 118 00:06:51,980 --> 00:06:53,420 to listen to each other. 119 00:06:53,420 --> 00:06:57,699 So we're going to dive into Acts chapter 15. 120 00:06:58,339 --> 00:07:03,800 And we're just going to read from verses 36 to 41. 121 00:07:06,339 --> 00:07:07,459 So let's dive in. 122 00:07:07,980 --> 00:07:11,040 Then after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, 123 00:07:11,399 --> 00:07:16,120 let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city 124 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,000 where we have preached the word of the Lord 125 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:21,160 and see how they are doing. 126 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,600 Now, Barnabas was determined to take with them 127 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,860 John called Mark, that's John Mark, his cousin. 128 00:07:30,220 --> 00:07:34,139 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them 129 00:07:34,139 --> 00:07:38,000 the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia 130 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,019 and had not gone with them to the work. 131 00:07:42,100 --> 00:07:45,660 And then the contention became so sharp that they 132 00:07:45,660 --> 00:07:47,079 parted from one another. 133 00:07:47,959 --> 00:07:51,839 And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. 134 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,920 But Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended 135 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,379 by the brethren to the grace of God. 136 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,839 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, 137 00:08:03,779 --> 00:08:05,699 strengthening the churches. 138 00:08:07,639 --> 00:08:09,779 So there's a split. 139 00:08:10,759 --> 00:08:12,959 If you've ever been through a church split, 140 00:08:13,100 --> 00:08:15,519 I guess this is kind of the first church split 141 00:08:15,519 --> 00:08:18,500 we're seeing two people splitting up. 142 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,980 And if you can recall, let's show that first. 143 00:08:22,439 --> 00:08:23,819 Hi, JT, by the way. 144 00:08:25,540 --> 00:08:27,220 Let's look at this first slide. 145 00:08:27,459 --> 00:08:32,220 This is a map of their first, I gotta get closer. 146 00:08:32,940 --> 00:08:37,299 The first missionary journey when Paul Barnabas 147 00:08:37,299 --> 00:08:42,679 and John Mark left from Antioch and went first to Cyprus. 148 00:08:43,139 --> 00:08:44,519 Okay, everything was hunky-dory. 149 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:47,779 Then they get to Perga of Pamphylia. 150 00:08:48,419 --> 00:08:53,179 And suddenly, we don't know why, but John Mark bailed on them. 151 00:08:53,860 --> 00:08:56,500 He went back home to Jerusalem. 152 00:08:56,700 --> 00:08:57,700 That's where he was from. 153 00:08:58,279 --> 00:08:59,019 And we don't know why. 154 00:08:59,139 --> 00:09:00,700 It doesn't say why, okay? 155 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:06,559 And so meanwhile, Paul and Barnabas went on through that journey. 156 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:08,960 And this is right around where he got stoned, 157 00:09:09,419 --> 00:09:13,200 left for dead, and the saints gathered around him 158 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,779 and he bounced back up and walked back into Lystra. 159 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:17,539 There's some guts for you, right? 160 00:09:18,399 --> 00:09:22,960 And so here, John Mark left, okay? 161 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:27,879 And so Barnabas, being an encourager, 162 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,299 second chances, being one who sees potential in people, 163 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:35,899 being related to John Mark says, 164 00:09:36,399 --> 00:09:37,639 you know, come on, let's bring him. 165 00:09:38,539 --> 00:09:41,779 He learned a lot since then, supposedly, right? 166 00:09:41,779 --> 00:09:45,840 In fact, it had been probably about almost three years 167 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:50,159 since John Mark chickened out on the mission trail, okay? 168 00:09:50,279 --> 00:09:52,320 I mean, three years, a lot can happen in three years, right? 169 00:09:52,620 --> 00:09:53,720 I know in my life, I mean, 170 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,720 doesn't the Lord change you year by year, day by day? 171 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,320 I mean, thank God for that. 172 00:09:59,500 --> 00:10:01,299 So we all mature in different ways. 173 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,360 And so Barnabas was saying, no, let's bring him. 174 00:10:04,940 --> 00:10:07,860 And of course, Paul was saying, no way. 175 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:09,460 And, you know, can you blame him? 176 00:10:09,460 --> 00:10:14,000 You know, Paul was stoned and left for dead. 177 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:15,480 I believe he died, you know, 178 00:10:15,539 --> 00:10:19,200 because Paul talks about deaths often, you know? 179 00:10:19,580 --> 00:10:20,980 Perhaps he even literally died 180 00:10:20,980 --> 00:10:22,960 and they brought him back to life through prayer, right? 181 00:10:23,539 --> 00:10:26,500 And so if you were him and you're thinking, 182 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,620 you want me to bring someone who's going to bail out 183 00:10:29,620 --> 00:10:31,840 on the most critical times, you know, 184 00:10:32,139 --> 00:10:35,000 when there's a lot of things to be fearful of, 185 00:10:35,620 --> 00:10:38,960 you know, and he just didn't trust bringing John Mark, okay? 186 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,080 So they had a difference of opinions. 187 00:10:41,779 --> 00:10:46,539 And so they split up and we have that second slide. 188 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:55,779 And this is the next journey that Paul is going to travel. 189 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:57,419 Okay, that's the end of the trip. 190 00:10:57,559 --> 00:10:59,320 He travels from Antioch and he brings, 191 00:10:59,879 --> 00:11:02,720 as we just read, Silas, right? 192 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,820 And he goes along from city to city to city, okay? 193 00:11:08,260 --> 00:11:12,240 But Barnabas brought John Mark and went to Cyprus. 194 00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:15,980 Now, why would he go to Cyprus first? 195 00:11:16,220 --> 00:11:17,179 Well, we don't know for sure, 196 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,379 but we know that that's where they started the journey, 197 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,220 the first missions trip, right? 198 00:11:22,659 --> 00:11:24,720 So maybe he wanted John Mark to say, 199 00:11:24,779 --> 00:11:27,240 okay, remember we got here before, okay? 200 00:11:27,519 --> 00:11:29,080 Are you good? Good. 201 00:11:29,639 --> 00:11:32,600 Not only that, but actually Barnabas was from Cyprus. 202 00:11:33,460 --> 00:11:36,120 So he was bringing John Mark really back home 203 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:37,600 to his home, okay? 204 00:11:37,919 --> 00:11:39,440 And probably when he got there, 205 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:41,299 he introduced him to family members 206 00:11:41,299 --> 00:11:43,559 and he made him feel comfortable. 207 00:11:44,139 --> 00:11:45,320 And you know what I picked up on that? 208 00:11:45,460 --> 00:11:47,139 It's interesting, missions. 209 00:11:47,740 --> 00:11:51,919 You know, people hear missionary's come 210 00:11:51,919 --> 00:11:55,059 and share about these cool adventures. 211 00:11:55,539 --> 00:11:58,480 You know, probably when you hear PB, you know, 212 00:11:58,620 --> 00:12:01,460 Bill Devlin preaching about Nigeria, 213 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,740 you're thinking, yeah, I want to do something like that. 214 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:05,500 Maybe not there, okay? 215 00:12:05,500 --> 00:12:07,480 It's pretty dangerous there, but somewhere else, 216 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,320 like I want to be an adventurer. 217 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,500 Well, you know, it kind of starts at home, doesn't it? 218 00:12:13,620 --> 00:12:16,340 Like a lot of people think they want to be that guy. 219 00:12:16,340 --> 00:12:20,919 And yet your mission field is always all around you. 220 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,440 Okay. It doesn't have to start out there. 221 00:12:23,580 --> 00:12:24,440 It can just start here. 222 00:12:24,779 --> 00:12:27,879 And I wonder if part of that was, you know, Barnabas saying, 223 00:12:27,879 --> 00:12:30,240 you know, let's just, let's take it slow. 224 00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:34,960 Let's go back to my hometown and we can try again. 225 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:38,480 Because that's, he wants to encourage John Mark 226 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,279 to get well acclimated, get his feet wet again, right? 227 00:12:43,259 --> 00:12:47,000 And I think for us, you know, if you're ever thinking that way 228 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,960 about, you know, what would it have been 229 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:50,860 if I could have gone on a trip to here, 230 00:12:50,879 --> 00:12:51,700 there and the other place? 231 00:12:52,059 --> 00:12:54,559 And I get a lot of invitations to like Nepal. 232 00:12:55,519 --> 00:12:57,419 And I just think of a journey and I think 233 00:12:57,419 --> 00:12:59,379 I might be in selfish Lord, you know? 234 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,600 I mean, why don't I want to go to Nepal 235 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,539 and climb, you know, tens of thousands of feet high mountains 236 00:13:05,539 --> 00:13:08,220 and through villages and, you know, 237 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:11,100 and teach through a translator and, you know, 238 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:14,080 oh, you know, so my, I don't know. 239 00:13:14,419 --> 00:13:16,100 The Lord will reconcile that. 240 00:13:16,179 --> 00:13:17,740 But I have things to do here, you know? 241 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,240 Or PB is always saying, come to Nigeria, 242 00:13:20,539 --> 00:13:22,240 come to Cuba, come to these places. 243 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:23,399 And I'm like, you know, 244 00:13:23,500 --> 00:13:27,179 but we can really minister wherever we are. 245 00:13:28,019 --> 00:13:29,899 So, you know, first Fridays, 246 00:13:29,899 --> 00:13:32,019 we always encourage people, just check it out. 247 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:33,139 Come on out with us. 248 00:13:33,759 --> 00:13:34,379 City Hall. 249 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:36,779 Jerry Dover is right there, right? 250 00:13:36,899 --> 00:13:38,480 Give a little wave, Jerm, okay? 251 00:13:38,860 --> 00:13:41,779 He said, just to mess with me today, he says, 252 00:13:42,159 --> 00:13:44,559 you know what, I want your blessing. 253 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:48,299 I'm going to wear nail polish next Sunday. 254 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:51,539 Do I have your blessing on half your year last Sunday? 255 00:13:51,659 --> 00:13:52,419 You know what I'm talking about. 256 00:13:52,860 --> 00:13:54,919 But anyway, and I said, absolutely. 257 00:13:56,660 --> 00:13:57,500 Not, no. 258 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,980 But anyway, but you can see Jerry, 259 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:03,039 if you want to check out the City Hall ministry. 260 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:04,039 And it's fun. 261 00:14:04,259 --> 00:14:06,940 It's easy in terms of, you know, 262 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:08,559 they have everything set up. 263 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:10,460 I just think we should start easy. 264 00:14:11,259 --> 00:14:12,200 You know, why throw our, 265 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:14,539 probably John Mark wasn't ready for it, right? 266 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,679 He had never been out of Jerusalem, probably, right? 267 00:14:17,779 --> 00:14:19,340 That's where his hometown was, Jerusalem. 268 00:14:19,740 --> 00:14:23,019 And he's going to a land with people that he's like, 269 00:14:23,299 --> 00:14:25,039 that weren't Jewish at all, 270 00:14:25,220 --> 00:14:27,179 had different cultures, different Gods. 271 00:14:27,179 --> 00:14:29,779 And he's probably like, man, I'm not in Kansas anymore. 272 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,000 You know, I'm not in Jerusalem anymore, right? 273 00:14:32,279 --> 00:14:36,879 So we can understand how this dispute formed, you know? 274 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:39,500 You know, when we talked about, 275 00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:41,899 like a lot of arguments and disagreements 276 00:14:41,899 --> 00:14:43,899 probably do stem from pride. 277 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:44,919 You know, like we just, 278 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:46,240 we're talking about the disciples. 279 00:14:46,539 --> 00:14:47,039 I'm the greatest. 280 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:49,120 No, I'm the great, you know, all this. 281 00:14:49,179 --> 00:14:50,080 You can't do that. 282 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:50,919 You're not one of us. 283 00:14:50,980 --> 00:14:52,279 All this pride. 284 00:14:52,460 --> 00:14:55,340 But I think a lot of times it's personalities, isn't it? 285 00:14:55,860 --> 00:14:58,360 You know, it's just personalities. 286 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:04,100 Like some people are more like in the box thinkers, okay? 287 00:15:04,279 --> 00:15:06,820 Like, no, this is where it's at, right here. 288 00:15:07,259 --> 00:15:09,340 Because we can control it, we understand it. 289 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:10,600 And then other people are like, 290 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:11,580 I don't want to be in the box. 291 00:15:11,860 --> 00:15:13,080 I don't want to be all the way out here. 292 00:15:13,220 --> 00:15:16,039 And I'm like, I don't want anywhere but the box, okay? 293 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,259 I got to just, I want, I have to dream. 294 00:15:18,519 --> 00:15:21,659 I have to, you know, fascinate about things, you know? 295 00:15:21,659 --> 00:15:27,200 And really, probably truth is found in all of it, you know? 296 00:15:27,259 --> 00:15:29,379 Like we really need each other, you know? 297 00:15:29,419 --> 00:15:34,059 That's why we're new wineskins, to be flexible, you know? 298 00:15:34,460 --> 00:15:35,879 And I just find more and more, 299 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:38,080 like if you're all extreme in one area, 300 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,480 probably you have a blind spot, okay? 301 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,539 And maybe someone else can share with you 302 00:15:45,539 --> 00:15:48,240 the benefits of being in the box and vice versa. 303 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:49,700 If we're just rigid, 304 00:15:49,700 --> 00:15:54,320 and Paul was probably a rigid guy, can we just admit it? 305 00:15:54,679 --> 00:15:56,740 He was religious, okay? 306 00:15:57,720 --> 00:15:59,840 Hyper-religious, he says it himself, okay? 307 00:16:00,379 --> 00:16:04,220 And he liked knowing the guardrails. 308 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,879 He liked everything being predictable, okay? 309 00:16:08,039 --> 00:16:08,620 In a sense. 310 00:16:09,220 --> 00:16:12,700 And yet at the same time, over time, he was transforming. 311 00:16:12,899 --> 00:16:15,120 The Lord was transforming his thinking. 312 00:16:15,679 --> 00:16:18,019 And he was realizing more and more things. 313 00:16:18,019 --> 00:16:20,559 I can just show you one quick example. 314 00:16:23,039 --> 00:16:27,519 Probably a year, well, probably three years after this, okay? 315 00:16:29,279 --> 00:16:32,159 After this missions trip he's going on, 316 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:33,940 they're back in Antioch again. 317 00:16:34,059 --> 00:16:35,879 They're having this big conference, okay? 318 00:16:36,519 --> 00:16:40,720 And Peter, you know, Peter and James, 319 00:16:41,159 --> 00:16:42,620 or at least people from James, 320 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,740 like the church leadership in Jerusalem. 321 00:16:45,740 --> 00:16:49,100 These are the most important people, right? 322 00:16:51,099 --> 00:16:54,220 In Christendom, they come down to Antioch. 323 00:16:54,519 --> 00:16:57,620 Really, it's up, but it's down because it's lower elevations. 324 00:16:57,740 --> 00:17:00,940 So they come to Antioch and they're looking at everything 325 00:17:00,940 --> 00:17:02,559 and they're saying, you know, this is great. 326 00:17:02,779 --> 00:17:03,940 And Peter gets there early. 327 00:17:04,059 --> 00:17:05,599 He's hanging out with the Gentiles. 328 00:17:05,799 --> 00:17:07,839 He's like, man, I was waiting for this day 329 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:09,539 that you would finally come to Christ 330 00:17:09,539 --> 00:17:11,579 and he's enjoying his meal with them. 331 00:17:11,900 --> 00:17:13,640 And they're eating, they're having a great time. 332 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:20,119 Suddenly, the rest of the Jerusalemites show up 333 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:27,539 and they were still sorting this Gentile thing out, okay? 334 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:31,359 Like, you know, I know they don't think it's circumcised, 335 00:17:31,539 --> 00:17:34,500 but they're still living in the things that we're doing, right? 336 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,079 And they're still, because they're in Jerusalem. 337 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,720 That's all you see, right, is structure, you know? 338 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:44,880 And still, all around you are the same scenes 339 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:49,180 that you grew up under, which was the law, the Mosaic law. 340 00:17:49,819 --> 00:17:53,259 And so, they're still sorting out this freedom 341 00:17:54,079 --> 00:17:58,039 and they get to Antioch and when they get there, 342 00:17:58,339 --> 00:17:59,720 suddenly Peter's like, yeah, 343 00:17:59,839 --> 00:18:02,839 so have a great time during this conference, okay? 344 00:18:02,940 --> 00:18:05,119 I'm going to sit over here, okay? 345 00:18:05,559 --> 00:18:09,319 Suddenly, he's sitting with his fellow Jews from Jerusalem, okay? 346 00:18:09,319 --> 00:18:12,559 And you're like, well, what's wrong with that? 347 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:15,099 But Paul doesn't like that. 348 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:17,920 Like, what's this sudden shift in your behavior? 349 00:18:18,579 --> 00:18:22,099 Like, why do you have to sit with them now 350 00:18:22,099 --> 00:18:25,200 and not these guys, the Gentiles? 351 00:18:25,579 --> 00:18:29,460 And he talks about this in Galatians 2, verses 11. 352 00:18:29,700 --> 00:18:32,059 He says, now when Peter had come to Antioch, 353 00:18:32,559 --> 00:18:37,079 I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed. 354 00:18:37,799 --> 00:18:40,400 For before certain men came from James, 355 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:43,240 he would eat with the Gentiles. 356 00:18:43,619 --> 00:18:47,180 But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, 357 00:18:47,539 --> 00:18:50,279 fearing those who were of the circumcision. 358 00:18:51,099 --> 00:18:54,740 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him 359 00:18:54,740 --> 00:18:58,579 so that even Barnabas was carried away. 360 00:18:58,740 --> 00:19:01,420 By the way, by then they were friends again, okay? 361 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:03,700 Carried away with their hypocrisy. 362 00:19:04,259 --> 00:19:08,640 But when I saw that they were not straightforward 363 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,519 about the truth of the gospel, 364 00:19:11,059 --> 00:19:13,400 I said to Peter before them all. 365 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:15,380 Now, I know some of you are probably saying, 366 00:19:15,460 --> 00:19:18,039 good, set him straight. 367 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:19,140 Who does he think he is? 368 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:20,940 This hypocrite, okay? 369 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:25,000 But I kind of also see things a little differently. 370 00:19:25,279 --> 00:19:30,279 Now, you're trying to foster this new creation mindset, 371 00:19:30,420 --> 00:19:32,839 this freedom to the Pharisees, okay? 372 00:19:32,839 --> 00:19:36,680 Those who are still coming out of religion, 373 00:19:37,319 --> 00:19:39,220 you know, let's just take this a little slow. 374 00:19:39,759 --> 00:19:43,180 And Paul's just like, you hypocrite, look at you. 375 00:19:43,319 --> 00:19:45,220 I saw what you were doing before they got it. 376 00:19:45,619 --> 00:19:46,740 Like he's calling them out. 377 00:19:46,799 --> 00:19:50,240 Now, I'm not saying he wasn't right, 378 00:19:50,660 --> 00:19:55,099 but I'm just saying we could be sensitive to dynamics, right? 379 00:19:55,599 --> 00:19:59,240 And was it great that he called Peter, Peter, right? 380 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,500 The rock out in front of all of them? 381 00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:03,579 Or wasn't there other ways? 382 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:04,859 Now, I don't know, okay? 383 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:06,339 And I'll be straightening out in heaven. 384 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:10,140 But in the meantime, everything in life is that way, isn't it? 385 00:20:10,519 --> 00:20:14,839 Sometimes it's how you handle things are so much more important. 386 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,960 Yeah, hey, Peter, like, how are we going to navigate? 387 00:20:18,140 --> 00:20:19,380 I know you're doing this. 388 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:24,140 Like, what am I going to tell my friends, the Gentiles, 389 00:20:24,319 --> 00:20:26,200 why you're suddenly not sitting with them? 390 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:28,000 Like a discussion. 391 00:20:28,799 --> 00:20:29,940 But here we go. 392 00:20:30,059 --> 00:20:31,599 This is what he says he did, you know? 393 00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:36,859 But what I love, okay, is when you read deep in Scripture, 394 00:20:36,859 --> 00:20:39,420 how you suddenly see how things reconcile 395 00:20:39,420 --> 00:20:40,660 if you're paying attention. 396 00:20:41,420 --> 00:20:46,420 And I just love probably 15 years, at least, 397 00:20:46,539 --> 00:20:48,980 after all of that you just read, okay? 398 00:20:49,140 --> 00:20:52,240 Because I don't know how it ended with them, 399 00:20:53,140 --> 00:20:59,440 but how Peter wrote about Paul with such honor and admiration. 400 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:05,460 He says this in 2 Peter chapter 3, verses 15 to 16. 401 00:21:06,180 --> 00:21:10,380 He says, and consider what the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, 402 00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:14,519 as also our beloved brother Paul, 403 00:21:14,940 --> 00:21:17,319 according to the wisdom given to him, 404 00:21:17,319 --> 00:21:21,099 has written to you as also in all his epistles, 405 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:23,880 speaking in them of these things in which 406 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,619 are some things hard to understand. 407 00:21:26,619 --> 00:21:30,339 I mean, Paul can be difficult to track sometimes, can he? 408 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:36,259 Which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction 409 00:21:36,780 --> 00:21:38,960 as they do also the rest of Scripture. 410 00:21:39,380 --> 00:21:41,380 So, you see, they were friends. 411 00:21:42,059 --> 00:21:43,240 They had a disagreement. 412 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:45,859 But over time you realize, you know, 413 00:21:46,420 --> 00:21:50,299 we're all sometimes a little off from the perfect. 414 00:21:50,559 --> 00:21:52,339 We just have to be in the spirit 415 00:21:52,339 --> 00:21:54,500 and really think the best of each other 416 00:21:54,500 --> 00:21:57,480 and really work on that unity, you know? 417 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:04,440 So, you know, Paul refused to go with them, 418 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:05,880 or you notice he avoided Cyprus. 419 00:22:06,140 --> 00:22:08,140 If they're going to Cyprus, I'm not going to Cyprus, right? 420 00:22:08,859 --> 00:22:11,480 But in the end, it's great to see by, 421 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,960 do you know by the third missionary journey, 422 00:22:14,019 --> 00:22:16,720 we just talked about they're starting the second one. 423 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,539 By the third missionary journey, only a couple years later, 424 00:22:22,220 --> 00:22:24,240 he and Mark are like this. 425 00:22:24,500 --> 00:22:27,799 He was probably saying, you know what, Barnabas, 426 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,680 I'm so glad that you trained up, 427 00:22:33,140 --> 00:22:35,480 that you invested in John Mark. 428 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:37,119 Here's some of the things he says. 429 00:22:37,740 --> 00:22:42,700 If you can put up Colossians 4.10 with 2 Timothy 4.11. 430 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,420 If you could put the next slide up. 431 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:53,680 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner greets you with Mark, 432 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,539 the cousin of Barnabas, about whom you received instructions. 433 00:22:57,960 --> 00:22:59,720 If he comes to you, welcome him. 434 00:23:00,339 --> 00:23:03,579 He also says in another place, only Luke is with me. 435 00:23:03,779 --> 00:23:05,960 Get Mark and bring him with you, 436 00:23:06,099 --> 00:23:08,579 for he is useful to me for ministry. 437 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,819 He writes to Philemon that, you know, 438 00:23:11,039 --> 00:23:14,440 Mark is one of my inner circle guys. 439 00:23:14,519 --> 00:23:16,200 You know, he's one of my travelers. 440 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,519 Isn't it so wonderful to see reconciliation 441 00:23:21,179 --> 00:23:23,619 over after what was a dispute? 442 00:23:23,839 --> 00:23:25,339 You know, God can do that. 443 00:23:25,799 --> 00:23:27,720 When we disagree, we have to say, 444 00:23:27,940 --> 00:23:30,019 yeah, but Lord, what are you going to do with this? 445 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,180 Like, how are you going to reconcile this? 446 00:23:32,980 --> 00:23:34,779 Because he gets the victory. 447 00:23:35,380 --> 00:23:39,039 He wants to be successful. 448 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,720 And if he can't use you to do it, 449 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:43,799 he's going to use someone else, 450 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:46,079 or he'll override all of us. 451 00:23:46,079 --> 00:23:47,539 And do it on his own, okay? 452 00:23:48,220 --> 00:23:51,839 But if we're just willing to yield, 453 00:23:51,980 --> 00:23:55,180 in fact, James talks about wisdom from above is yielding, 454 00:23:55,539 --> 00:23:58,880 you know, and gentle, and listen. 455 00:23:59,519 --> 00:24:02,000 So anyway, so what are we to take from all this? 456 00:24:02,079 --> 00:24:03,160 Before we take communion, 457 00:24:04,079 --> 00:24:06,759 I think there's three good things we can remember 458 00:24:07,279 --> 00:24:08,319 about all this. 459 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,759 And three things to remember. 460 00:24:11,900 --> 00:24:13,039 How about the first one? 461 00:24:13,779 --> 00:24:15,960 Everyone has a blind spot. 462 00:24:16,799 --> 00:24:17,839 Do you have a blind spot? 463 00:24:18,660 --> 00:24:20,559 We all have blind spots, right? 464 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,599 Where we don't see our own weakness or naivety, 465 00:24:25,559 --> 00:24:28,019 consider other Godly opinions. 466 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:30,380 I love what Proverbs 11, 14 says, 467 00:24:30,740 --> 00:24:33,400 where there is no counsel that people fail, 468 00:24:33,599 --> 00:24:37,259 but in the multitude of counselors, there is safety. 469 00:24:37,940 --> 00:24:40,500 You know, we as elders, I share this a lot, 470 00:24:40,500 --> 00:24:44,339 how we talk it through. 471 00:24:44,519 --> 00:24:46,519 We pray it while we pray a ton in the beginning, 472 00:24:46,819 --> 00:24:48,079 and then we talk it through. 473 00:24:48,180 --> 00:24:50,079 And a lot of times, we don't have all the same 474 00:24:50,079 --> 00:24:51,900 exact opinions with each other, 475 00:24:52,059 --> 00:24:54,779 but we sort it out and just wait for God 476 00:24:54,779 --> 00:24:56,339 to bring some kind of unity. 477 00:24:56,519 --> 00:24:58,319 And sometimes we'll say, you know, well, 478 00:24:58,660 --> 00:25:02,099 if that's what everyone else believes or trusts, 479 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,299 then, you know, I'll yield to that, 480 00:25:04,299 --> 00:25:07,380 because, you know, let's see what God does with this. 481 00:25:07,380 --> 00:25:10,519 So it's okay to realize that all of us 482 00:25:10,519 --> 00:25:12,019 have a blind spot. 483 00:25:12,380 --> 00:25:14,359 You know, perhaps my blind spot, 484 00:25:14,420 --> 00:25:16,019 in fact, early on in ministry, 485 00:25:16,279 --> 00:25:17,359 I'll just be admitted, 486 00:25:17,779 --> 00:25:20,160 like I was just so inclusive, 487 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:21,920 so inclusive. 488 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:23,140 And I still am. 489 00:25:23,339 --> 00:25:25,779 I mean, the Lord hasn't beat that out of me, 490 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,079 but just so like, you know, 491 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:29,799 if I can do this, anybody can do this. 492 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:30,980 And I was just like, hey, you know, 493 00:25:31,099 --> 00:25:33,920 and just very without maybe being 494 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:38,000 as sensitive to the spirits leading on it. 495 00:25:38,900 --> 00:25:40,940 And, you know, sometimes you run into a rough patch 496 00:25:40,940 --> 00:25:43,000 because you're just so like, you know, 497 00:25:43,099 --> 00:25:44,119 yeah, why don't you do this? 498 00:25:44,299 --> 00:25:44,799 Why don't you do that? 499 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:46,299 And you're like, without maybe 500 00:25:46,299 --> 00:25:49,480 necessarily being discerning, you know, discernment. 501 00:25:50,660 --> 00:25:54,980 And so we all, you know, have blind spots. 502 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,440 Other people are just hyper kind of, 503 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:58,940 they come from more of a legalistic, 504 00:25:59,019 --> 00:26:00,779 and I wasn't legalistic ever. 505 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:02,880 So more of a legalistic kind of, 506 00:26:03,039 --> 00:26:05,460 no, no, you know, it has to be like this, 507 00:26:05,579 --> 00:26:07,079 and we need to make sure. 508 00:26:07,319 --> 00:26:08,259 And they're more of that. 509 00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:09,440 That's not wrong. 510 00:26:09,900 --> 00:26:11,920 It's like, how can we yield? 511 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:13,619 How can we bring this together? 512 00:26:14,259 --> 00:26:14,599 You know what I mean? 513 00:26:14,900 --> 00:26:17,819 Because maybe we do need more discernment 514 00:26:17,819 --> 00:26:21,099 and safety and security. 515 00:26:21,539 --> 00:26:23,400 At the same time being, you know, 516 00:26:24,980 --> 00:26:25,920 flexible wine skins, 517 00:26:26,140 --> 00:26:28,119 being open to see what God does. 518 00:26:28,279 --> 00:26:31,440 I mean, being excited about what God is doing, right? 519 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:33,200 Somewhere it's in the middle. 520 00:26:33,299 --> 00:26:35,500 You know, life is so much about balance, isn't it? 521 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,920 You can get just so much over here 522 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:38,920 and before you know it, you're like, 523 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:40,799 oh, this is a mess, you know? 524 00:26:41,220 --> 00:26:42,799 And then you go back the other way. 525 00:26:42,900 --> 00:26:43,839 That's how people do a lot. 526 00:26:44,019 --> 00:26:44,720 And then all of a sudden, 527 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:47,480 now it's like a seesaw, right? 528 00:26:47,660 --> 00:26:48,380 Now I'm over here. 529 00:26:48,779 --> 00:26:51,819 But balance is so important in life, isn't it? 530 00:26:53,039 --> 00:26:55,220 So what's another thing we can remember? 531 00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:59,720 Be okay to part ways. 532 00:27:01,580 --> 00:27:03,740 You know, perhaps you will merge again, 533 00:27:03,779 --> 00:27:08,200 like Paul did with Barnabas and with John Mark, right? 534 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:10,059 They reunited with Peter. 535 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:11,619 Like it was, you know, 536 00:27:11,859 --> 00:27:14,319 but there might be a season that this is saying, 537 00:27:14,380 --> 00:27:18,839 all right, yeah, I don't think we can fix this issue between us. 538 00:27:20,259 --> 00:27:24,859 So for now, let's just part ways in this particular work 539 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,039 and see what happens later, you know? 540 00:27:28,039 --> 00:27:31,000 And, you know, I love being wrong 541 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,019 when my view is, you know, pessimistic. 542 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,079 I'm like, I hope I'm wrong, you know? 543 00:27:37,599 --> 00:27:40,039 Because I don't want to be right about some things, you know? 544 00:27:40,140 --> 00:27:41,880 I want to be wrong, you know? 545 00:27:41,940 --> 00:27:42,599 And that's okay. 546 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,440 But we must be like-minded to serve together. 547 00:27:46,559 --> 00:27:48,099 I mean, there's some churches, quite honestly, 548 00:27:48,180 --> 00:27:51,039 we would never serve with, ever, okay? 549 00:27:51,420 --> 00:27:55,240 I mean, their whole theology, everything is just so 550 00:27:55,240 --> 00:28:00,680 contaminated with man's lustful desires in no way, 551 00:28:01,019 --> 00:28:02,519 but other ones we can, you know? 552 00:28:02,940 --> 00:28:06,900 And so, you know, we just have to realize that, 553 00:28:06,900 --> 00:28:09,339 you know, sometimes we need to part ways. 554 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:11,019 And then the final thing to remember 555 00:28:12,759 --> 00:28:20,019 is we are on God's mission, not our own, you know? 556 00:28:20,279 --> 00:28:24,460 I mean, did you notice Barnabas took the mainland? 557 00:28:24,460 --> 00:28:26,079 I'm still going to serve. 558 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:28,700 I don't have to go with you, I'm still going to serve, okay? 559 00:28:29,079 --> 00:28:30,200 And what did Barnabas say? 560 00:28:31,619 --> 00:28:33,119 Paul, you're missing it. 561 00:28:34,140 --> 00:28:35,299 I'm going this way. 562 00:28:35,900 --> 00:28:36,740 But what did they do? 563 00:28:36,940 --> 00:28:37,559 They kept serving. 564 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:38,980 They kept going, right? 565 00:28:39,619 --> 00:28:43,640 They kept serving God because all of us are on a mission. 566 00:28:44,180 --> 00:28:46,420 And it's not our own, it's God's. 567 00:28:47,059 --> 00:28:50,440 So, I get really sad when I hear people say, 568 00:28:50,759 --> 00:28:52,920 oh, you know, yeah, I used to do this, 569 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:53,819 I used to do that. 570 00:28:55,940 --> 00:28:59,339 But, you know, church hurt, like that's a phrase. 571 00:28:59,819 --> 00:29:00,599 What's church hurt? 572 00:29:00,700 --> 00:29:02,799 I've never had church hurt, praise the Lord. 573 00:29:03,339 --> 00:29:07,000 Okay, I just, I love my church experience. 574 00:29:07,380 --> 00:29:09,559 And, you know, not that anyone was ever perfect 575 00:29:09,559 --> 00:29:11,660 because none of us are, and they weren't, right? 576 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:17,900 But you just, you know, it's why lay on God's God 577 00:29:17,900 --> 00:29:22,319 the responsibility of how you were hurt by people, okay? 578 00:29:22,319 --> 00:29:23,880 You're still on a mission. 579 00:29:24,359 --> 00:29:25,299 You're not off the job. 580 00:29:25,460 --> 00:29:26,880 You're always on the job, okay? 581 00:29:27,140 --> 00:29:28,619 And it's a good job, right? 582 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:30,160 To serve the Lord. 583 00:29:31,079 --> 00:29:34,680 And so, you know, just keep going and keep moving. 584 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,640 So, let's bring the communion elements up, please. 585 00:29:46,380 --> 00:29:49,400 This will tell a little story while they're bringing it around. 586 00:29:50,519 --> 00:29:53,059 And if the worship team could come up, too. 587 00:29:57,920 --> 00:29:59,799 Thank you guys for doing this. 588 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,660 Appreciate it, delivering the communion. 589 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:10,339 You know, our, I know I told this story before, 590 00:30:10,519 --> 00:30:13,579 but you probably weren't listening or forget. 591 00:30:13,900 --> 00:30:14,700 So I'm gonna tell it again. 592 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:17,819 That's the good thing. 593 00:30:17,819 --> 00:30:20,960 You can bank on people not listening the previous time. 594 00:30:21,079 --> 00:30:22,140 Maybe they'll listen this time. 595 00:30:22,539 --> 00:30:24,140 But anyway, no, I got one there. 596 00:30:25,500 --> 00:30:28,359 But when we were, you know, 597 00:30:28,799 --> 00:30:30,859 we knew the people who had this church before. 598 00:30:31,420 --> 00:30:32,460 Love them, you know? 599 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,940 And Pastor Amanda, what a gracious lady she was. 600 00:30:36,140 --> 00:30:39,680 And she let us use this place for a couple of months. 601 00:30:40,079 --> 00:30:42,720 And, you know, we helped out, you know, 602 00:30:42,940 --> 00:30:43,880 paid rent and stuff. 603 00:30:44,119 --> 00:30:46,279 But, you know, it was a real blessing to us. 604 00:30:46,279 --> 00:30:49,900 And then over time, we asked, hey, we said, 605 00:30:50,059 --> 00:30:51,279 can we use your kitchen? 606 00:30:51,519 --> 00:30:53,039 Because we were nomads back then. 607 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,819 We didn't have any stable place to go. 608 00:30:56,480 --> 00:30:57,859 And we said, you have a great kitchen. 609 00:30:58,059 --> 00:31:01,380 Can we have a Christmas meal on Christmas Day 610 00:31:02,419 --> 00:31:04,640 for the needy, the homeless? 611 00:31:05,119 --> 00:31:05,980 And it was just awesome. 612 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,380 I still want to do it again, but I'm getting some pushback. 613 00:31:08,900 --> 00:31:09,380 Not, anyway. 614 00:31:12,140 --> 00:31:13,680 No, we got a vote on it. 615 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:16,279 Would you show up on a Christmas day? 616 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:18,200 I don't know. 617 00:31:18,380 --> 00:31:19,680 There's not a lot of hands, a couple. 618 00:31:21,060 --> 00:31:22,720 But Ben, you were the cook. 619 00:31:23,380 --> 00:31:24,819 You were the chef, right? 620 00:31:25,460 --> 00:31:29,720 So anyway, so we had a Christmas meal here, okay? 621 00:31:30,319 --> 00:31:32,140 And then about a year or two later, 622 00:31:32,259 --> 00:31:34,279 we reached out to this church. 623 00:31:34,460 --> 00:31:36,440 We said, hey, you want to do it again? 624 00:31:36,559 --> 00:31:37,920 Yeah, we were hoping you'd call. 625 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:39,079 Do you want to do it here again? 626 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:39,900 Yeah, that's great. 627 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,259 We still had no home building. 628 00:31:42,259 --> 00:31:44,200 And so we did it again. 629 00:31:44,759 --> 00:31:47,140 And what they did was they would help us serve food. 630 00:31:47,519 --> 00:31:49,819 And we would do the music. 631 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:51,279 We would do the preaching. 632 00:31:52,079 --> 00:31:55,759 And it was really, the Lord was using our church to really, 633 00:31:55,900 --> 00:31:59,200 as the engine, and they were helping out. 634 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:03,279 And no offense, but some just denominations 635 00:32:03,279 --> 00:32:06,460 are forgetting the gospel, right? 636 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,599 They just forget that Jesus Christ saves. 637 00:32:10,159 --> 00:32:12,380 Without Him, you got nothing, right? 638 00:32:12,839 --> 00:32:15,880 It's just another nice place to be. 639 00:32:16,460 --> 00:32:18,140 It's Jesus Christ, right? 640 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:22,900 So then another time, I reached out and I said, 641 00:32:23,119 --> 00:32:23,759 yeah, you know what? 642 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:25,099 Yeah, I'm glad you reached out. 643 00:32:25,339 --> 00:32:26,920 So do you want to help us out this year? 644 00:32:27,079 --> 00:32:29,079 I'm like, help you out. 645 00:32:29,460 --> 00:32:32,339 That seems like a different tone, okay? 646 00:32:33,180 --> 00:32:34,680 And I'm like, well, what do you mean? 647 00:32:34,779 --> 00:32:35,980 Well, yeah, we're not going to do 648 00:32:35,980 --> 00:32:37,759 the whole program this Christmas. 649 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:39,660 We're just going to do the meal. 650 00:32:41,259 --> 00:32:43,440 And I'm like, what do you mean by the program? 651 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:45,279 You know, the speaking and the music, 652 00:32:46,319 --> 00:32:48,660 like the everything, like the gospel. 653 00:32:49,700 --> 00:32:52,400 Oh, so we want to just leave Jesus out of Christmas. 654 00:32:52,740 --> 00:32:55,339 So we're just going to have a mess, okay? 655 00:32:55,500 --> 00:32:56,140 We're going to miss. 656 00:32:56,980 --> 00:32:58,859 We'll have a mess, I guess. 657 00:32:59,119 --> 00:32:59,619 I don't know. 658 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,799 And I'm like, yeah, no, no, we're not going to do that. 659 00:33:04,259 --> 00:33:04,599 You know? 660 00:33:04,599 --> 00:33:08,160 And I remember just so sad because the guy, 661 00:33:08,319 --> 00:33:12,500 I just love the guy and I don't think it was his decision. 662 00:33:13,099 --> 00:33:15,440 In fact, it almost seemed like he was a little ashamed 663 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,119 as he was telling me, you know? 664 00:33:18,619 --> 00:33:19,680 And I just remember saying, 665 00:33:19,839 --> 00:33:23,559 Lord, why do these denominations have such cool buildings 666 00:33:24,079 --> 00:33:25,420 and they're dead inside? 667 00:33:25,819 --> 00:33:27,299 Can't you get us one of them, Lord? 668 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:28,900 Here we are. 669 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:33,640 You know, because the Lord snuffed out. 670 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,039 He moved their lampstand. 671 00:33:36,319 --> 00:33:37,799 You're reading Revelation, you know? 672 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,980 If you keep up with what you're doing or not doing, 673 00:33:41,359 --> 00:33:43,339 I'll remove your lampstand. 674 00:33:43,460 --> 00:33:45,200 Well, the lampstand has been removed. 675 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:47,779 I wish he would go around to all the churches 676 00:33:47,779 --> 00:33:49,980 that aren't preaching the gospel and say, 677 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:53,079 yeah, your time has ended. 678 00:33:53,759 --> 00:33:55,319 We're going to give this to another church 679 00:33:55,319 --> 00:33:57,460 that preaches the gospel. 680 00:33:57,740 --> 00:34:00,720 It's all about Jesus Christ, amen? 681 00:34:01,279 --> 00:34:02,380 And so, you know, yeah, 682 00:34:02,420 --> 00:34:04,180 so we were on that journey with them, 683 00:34:04,279 --> 00:34:05,779 but it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 684 00:34:05,940 --> 00:34:09,960 And we never came back together because they missed it. 685 00:34:10,260 --> 00:34:10,880 They missed it. 686 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:15,039 You know, as long as we're all focused on Jesus Christ, 687 00:34:15,139 --> 00:34:17,179 we can get past so many disagreements 688 00:34:17,179 --> 00:34:19,420 and realize, yeah, that's your style. 689 00:34:19,820 --> 00:34:20,900 This is my style. 690 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:23,219 Okay, I'm not judging you. 691 00:34:23,300 --> 00:34:23,940 You're not judging me. 692 00:34:24,059 --> 00:34:25,659 We're going to the same place. 693 00:34:26,699 --> 00:34:29,340 As long as they know that Jesus Christ 694 00:34:29,340 --> 00:34:31,099 is the Son of God 695 00:34:31,740 --> 00:34:35,239 and the only one who can take away sins. 696 00:34:35,599 --> 00:34:36,760 It's only him. 697 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,860 Any other gospel, as Paul says, is witchcraft. 698 00:34:41,639 --> 00:34:42,559 It's a lie. 699 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:44,860 It's, well, maybe I'll be good enough. 700 00:34:45,179 --> 00:34:45,880 No, you won't. 701 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:48,460 I could, trust me, you won't be good enough. 702 00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:52,460 It's Jesus Christ and him alone. 703 00:34:53,039 --> 00:34:54,980 Narrow is the way that enters into heaven, 704 00:34:55,260 --> 00:34:58,000 but vast and wide is the pathway 705 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,159 that leads to destruction. 706 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:02,940 And many pass through it. 707 00:35:03,659 --> 00:35:05,059 Few find an arrow way. 708 00:35:06,079 --> 00:35:09,760 Many pass through the wide gate of destruction. 709 00:35:10,019 --> 00:35:11,360 That's like scary, isn't it? 710 00:35:11,559 --> 00:35:13,980 That means most of the world is lost 711 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:18,079 and in need of knowing the Savior, Jesus Christ. 712 00:35:19,159 --> 00:35:20,480 So as we have this communion, 713 00:35:25,059 --> 00:35:27,579 we just celebrate what he did for us 714 00:35:27,579 --> 00:35:28,199 on the cross. 715 00:35:28,340 --> 00:35:29,780 As you look at this bread, you think, 716 00:35:30,199 --> 00:35:33,019 you know, he became sin on the cross 717 00:35:33,019 --> 00:35:36,139 so that we could be the righteousness of Christ. 718 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,099 So Father God, we thank you for this bread. 719 00:35:41,219 --> 00:35:42,500 If anyone does not know you 720 00:35:42,500 --> 00:35:43,880 as their Lord and Savior right now, 721 00:35:43,900 --> 00:35:44,980 we pray right now 722 00:35:44,980 --> 00:35:47,920 that they would just cry out to you 723 00:35:48,599 --> 00:35:50,539 either audibly or in their heart 724 00:35:51,099 --> 00:35:54,440 that they would surrender their life to you right now. 725 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:00,480 In Jesus' name and Father God, 726 00:36:00,579 --> 00:36:02,699 we thank you for your beloved son 727 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,300 in whom you are well pleased. 728 00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,519 You see it at the right hand of the Father right now. 729 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:09,940 And as we eat this bread, 730 00:36:10,039 --> 00:36:11,820 we do what you told us to do. 731 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,059 We do this in remembrance of you. 732 00:36:15,460 --> 00:36:16,800 Amen. Let's eat. 733 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,019 Without the shedding of blood, 734 00:36:27,019 --> 00:36:30,659 there is no remission of sins. 735 00:36:34,019 --> 00:36:34,860 Father God, we thank you 736 00:36:34,860 --> 00:36:36,880 that you said yours is the only blood 737 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:37,699 that we can drink. 738 00:36:39,500 --> 00:36:41,139 All other blood is forgiven 739 00:36:41,139 --> 00:36:42,900 because it's contaminated, Lord. 740 00:36:43,019 --> 00:36:43,940 As we drink this cup, 741 00:36:44,300 --> 00:36:46,780 we really envision that it's your blood 742 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:49,860 that's pouring into us 743 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:53,539 to give us new creation life. 744 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:56,139 Lord God, we ask you right now 745 00:36:56,219 --> 00:36:57,280 as we drink this cup 746 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:01,559 that you would purge us of any selves 747 00:37:02,140 --> 00:37:04,880 that you did not design for us to have. 748 00:37:05,860 --> 00:37:07,900 Anyone who has cancer in this place 749 00:37:07,900 --> 00:37:08,940 as we drink this cup, 750 00:37:09,159 --> 00:37:11,340 we ask you, Lord, to heal us 751 00:37:11,340 --> 00:37:13,639 of any cancers, Lord God. 752 00:37:14,539 --> 00:37:16,280 As we drink this cup, Lord God, 753 00:37:16,500 --> 00:37:17,659 we ask you to heal 754 00:37:17,659 --> 00:37:20,199 any ailments that we might have, Lord God. 755 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,300 We drink this cup because you are pure. 756 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:24,500 You are pure. 757 00:37:25,139 --> 00:37:27,000 Lord God, as we drink this cup, 758 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:30,840 we ask you to heal any financial crisis 759 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:32,920 that we might find ourselves in, Lord. 760 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,000 Lord, we drink this cup asking you 761 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,820 to bring prosperity to our lives, 762 00:37:38,980 --> 00:37:40,699 to our families, Lord God, 763 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:42,119 to our relationships. 764 00:37:42,940 --> 00:37:44,760 As we drink this cup, Lord God, 765 00:37:45,059 --> 00:37:47,519 we receive your life in us. 766 00:37:48,460 --> 00:37:50,500 And Lord, we want to live your life. 767 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:53,039 And we thank you in Jesus' name. 768 00:37:53,199 --> 00:37:53,380 Amen. 769 00:37:53,380 --> 00:37:54,400 Let's drink. 770 00:37:57,599 --> 00:37:59,119 So you guys ready to worship? 771 00:38:00,059 --> 00:38:01,719 Man, this is an amazing... 772 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:02,940 Can we give the Lord a thank? 773 00:38:03,519 --> 00:38:04,639 Thank all flames 774 00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:08,380 for this amazing worship team 775 00:38:08,380 --> 00:38:09,619 that the Lord has anointed us. 776 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:10,860 And there's so many teams 777 00:38:10,860 --> 00:38:12,320 that the Lord has blessed us with. 778 00:38:12,539 --> 00:38:14,900 And let's all stand up and worship. 779 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:16,679 Father God, we thank you 780 00:38:17,280 --> 00:38:19,579 that you are large and in charge. 781 00:38:20,539 --> 00:38:23,139 You are victorious, Lord God. 782 00:38:23,380 --> 00:38:24,920 And we pray that we would never 783 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:26,239 get in the way of that, 784 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:28,920 that we would love people more 785 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:31,400 than we disagree with them in opinions 786 00:38:31,940 --> 00:38:34,300 and things that are so less priority 787 00:38:34,820 --> 00:38:36,820 than seeing you glorified 788 00:38:36,820 --> 00:38:39,059 on earth as you are in heaven. 789 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,179 And we thank you in Jesus' name. 790 00:38:41,519 --> 00:38:41,820 Amen. 791 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:43,539 Praise the Lord. 792 00:38:49,420 --> 00:38:50,900 Thanks for joining us 793 00:38:50,900 --> 00:38:52,239 at Lansdale Life Church 794 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:53,420 as we praise God 795 00:38:53,420 --> 00:38:54,780 and discuss His Word. 796 00:38:55,460 --> 00:38:56,719 Don't forget to join us 797 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:58,519 for Worship Lives Sunday mornings 798 00:38:58,519 --> 00:39:00,920 at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube. 799 00:39:01,940 --> 00:39:04,019 Be blessed and have a great day!