Changing the Leaven
1) There is a well of living water opening up that is going to become a river of life in the earth.
a) I believe life is the essential quality, and that breaking the traditions of men that choke life is at the heart of what God is doing.
b) Changing the leaven in how we read scripture – we are going to look at 3 passages of scripture.
c) We want to see and hear the Father’s heart.
2) PASSAGE 1 – 2 Timothy 4:1–4 (NKJV) — 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
a) We can use scripture in a manipulative way that motivates through guilt, manipulation and external coercion, but when we realize all of those things are manifestations of the kingdom of darkness rather than light, that they bring death rather than life, we wrestle with scriptures so they bring life not death.
b) Charged to preach the Lord in light of the judgment! Fear of punishment or passion for reward.
i) Multi-layered – to deliver people from death we preach the Word?
c) Convince, rebuke, exhort – with patience
i) Witnessed a wonderful rebuke this week.
ii) Self-righteous champion of truth or compassion?
iii) This spirit of self-righteous judgment – the traditions of men create a compulsion to speak the truth without discerning whether it will promote or harm the kingdom.
3) PASSAGE 2 – Philippians 1:12–18 (NKJV) — 12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
a) A powerful framing of the narrative – obviously because the spirit of darkness was choking life among some believers because Paul was in prison.
b) Others saw the same situation and it encouraged them to be bold and fearless.
c) “Never miss the opportunity to frame a crisis” – some used Paul’s chains to promote their agenda.
i) They preached Christ out of jealousy and strife
(1) Not uncommon for there to be weeds and wheat in our lives. – They wanted to beat him when in the natural he could easily be down.
(2) He tells us they are motivated by selfish ambition.
(3) HOW DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD ASSESS THE MINISTRY OF SUCH PREACHERS?
d) The Father’s heart – he rejoiced that Christ is preached.
4) Matthew 7:21–23 (NKJV) — 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
a) This is an extremely encouraging passage to me – it proves that God can use anyone!!!
b) This passage is often used to motivate people from fear to act externally as legalism requires.
c) The first problem is that scripture interprets scripture, and when the gospels describe the judgment, the righteous who inherit did not even realize they did good works
i) The good works can be summarized by bringing life not death.
ii) They bore good fruit because of the work of grace in their lives – it is who they are. (Previously… Beware of wolves who come as sheep, trees only bear fruit of who they are. Maybe judgment is just a separation of what we are – WHY WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN).
d) I think Jesus speaks like this to get us to ask questions so we discover what really matters.
e) People often focus on the miraculous as proof of spirituality or authenticity.
f) Lawlessness, when the law is about loving – LOVE IS THE TRUE MEASURE!
5) PASSAGE 3
a) Romans 14:1–4 (NKJV) — 1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
b) Romans 14:5–10 (NKJV) — 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
6) The point of reading these scriptures is to break the traditions of men that choke out our life and choke life in one another.
a) Changing the leaven
b) Revival – live again – Maybe even more life than we have ever experienced – a river of life.
c) Life under the sun has a way of choking true life.
d) Life under the light of His presence is glorious.
e) Wrestling with life under the sun until we go to the sanctuary
f) There is an abundance of life God wants each of us to experience, it is what Christ died that we might receive.
Transcription
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Check check test I wanna test the sound before I get into preaching because I heard a lot of funk funk sounds from the microphone earlier seem does it seem OK
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Perfect
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The title of today’s message is changing the Levi
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One of the themes that we’ve been talking about for a while here is that there is a well of living water opening up that is going to become a river of life in the earth
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When I tell you that almost every week I run into people who give us this word
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It really does happen And it’s amazing to me and there’s just a sense that God is moving that God is trying to do something that he’s trying to be something that’s gonna be transformational So the thought behind the title of the message is that Levi
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is connected to bread isn’t it
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It’s connected to other things too but it’s connected to bread And what we want is to have good bread to give to the world The world is hungry they’re starving they’re starving for Jesus they’re hungry for life And there’s something about changing the Levi in the church that can cause us to have the kind of bread that will bring life to our generation and to our culture and even to the nations
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Now I believe that life that’s why I like that idea Life springs a river of life I believe that life is the essential quality and that breaking the traditions of men that choke life is at the heart of what God is doing
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That’s why I chose the word Levin because Jesus kept talking about the Levi of the Pharisees and the sad and beware of that Levi So there’s 11 that does not nurture life and there’s 11 of the kingdom that nurtures life in the earth Does that make sense And I think what God wants us to do is to get out of our lives the 11 that chokes life
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And we might think I don’t have any of that love And I’m a Christian
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I will challenge you that people can take the very word of God and use it as a 11 that chokes life rather than brings life
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It’s all about recognizing discerning and nurturing life What brings it forth and what kills it
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And to me it’s actually exciting
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It’s exciting Can we turn this down a little bit Thank you Uh That way I can bring it closer Good to me It’s really exciting that we can be unafraid and unashamed to come before the Lord and say Lord everything in my life
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that robs me and others of your life save me from it
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because God has so much more for each and every one of us But it’s often these traditions of men or it’s these inherited world views or ideas or perceptions And we don’t even often realize we have them until all of a sudden God’s Holy Spirit gives light
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And suddenly we find ourselves free and alive in a new and fresh way So that’s really at the heart of what this these series of messages are about It’s about changing the Levi and how we read scripture
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So we’re gonna look at three passages of scripture
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and hopefully it’s gonna be very nuanced But hopefully you’ll get a picture of how Levin can impact how we read scripture and how just a little bit of a shift can take the very same scriptures and just let them abound with life rather than that which chokes life
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And if I was to put it in a very simple fashion
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we want to hear the Father’s heart in the word of God
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Does that make sense
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We should expect that the Father’s heart is going to be in the word of God And if all of a sudden we find the devil’s heart I mean I’m being cheeky
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we probably missed it
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Does that make sense So passage one
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second Timothy 41 through four I charge you that wait let me do it different I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom
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preach the word
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I’m exaggerating very significantly There aren’t I
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But I want I have to do that because the nuance is so nuanced the difference how these things permeate our ideas But let’s think about just the words I charge you Therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom preach the word
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It’s the fact that he mentions I charge you And all the second he sudden he’s talking about who will judge the living and the dead that is appearing
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And the subtle temptation there is to um
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focus on fear isn’t it
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But let me read the whole passage If I if I pause every time where it’s gonna take way too long
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preach the word be ready in season and out of season
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But even that little first there could be ready in season and out of season can become legalism
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Convince rebuke exhort with all luck suffering and teaching for the time will come where they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables
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If you look at almost every closet there you could take those clauses and use them in a way that chokes life
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these itch
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people with itching ears these teachers
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they teach whatever
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they want
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Those bad churches Thank God We’re not like one of them
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Thank God I’m not like the sinner here
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right
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We can use scripture in a manipulative way that motivates through guilt manipulation and external coercion
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But when we realize those things are manifestations of the kingdom of darkness rather than light that they bring death rather than life Then we then we begin to wrestle with scriptures
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until we discover how they bring forth life
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That’s how we changed Levi
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that’s how we have better bread to give people
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I know this is very nuanced and it’s hard to see But there’s subtle ways where these traditions of men get into the way we read scripture and then we present it in ways that chokes life rather than brings life
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you know like and so I have just a couple of points from this that I was noticing we’re charged to preach the Lord in light of the judgment
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The temptation could be to use fear of punishment to motivate
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right
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And if you do that it doesn’t bring life
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and you and you can switch it like well think about the rewards you can get on that day
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but still like but still this kind of rewards and punishment is still operating in the same realm isn’t it
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Right
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I’m afraid of missing the reward
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It’s getting that fear out But
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what if it’s just simple like
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he got that Paul is pointing out the fact that there is a day coming
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where this whole history is going to wrap up and all injustice is going to be removed and all that is out of order is going to be put in order
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And that’s an exciting thing
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right
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Or that your labor is not in vain
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that when you stand for righteousness and you do what’s right Even if it feels like you suffer in this
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life
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it has an eternal
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reward I mean there’s so many other ways to take that idea of the judgment seat of Christ
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and make sure that it has good loving rather than bad Does that make sense
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But it’s so easy to use those same scriptures to motivate you’re gonna stand before God on judgment day so you better get busy
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you see what I mean
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And it it can become so coercive and it’s not
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right
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Um
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I really think that
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many parts of that passage can kind of trigger that coercive
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traditions of men
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There’s a little passage in there where he talks about convincing exhorting
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notice He connects it to in my translator or New King James version Long suffering or patience right But there’s a word in the middle there rebuke
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and sometimes we’re going through this passage Oh to convince yes I’m persuading Definitely That’s life giving right I’m persuading you I am
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honoring the image of God in you and exhort I’m exhorting you Yes I’m encouraging you Yes I get it But oh I got a moral responsibility to rebuke you
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I’m doing my job of rebuking you
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You see how just that word can come with a mental image in our mind that when we try to execute on it we become
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life drainers
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right
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So I was telling people there was an encounter this last week where there was somebody that I saw that I started praying for
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because they had a very off putting persona right
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I give it too many
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specifics because you gotta be careful publicly
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right But this person had a real off putting persona And I was saying to the Lord I said Lord I know
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you love this person
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I know you have compassion for this person
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I also
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know that generally if you actually get to know people then you start to appreciate
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them But when all you see is this persona right
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Your immediate response and the
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flesh is and I have so much compassion for you where I really appreciate you
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Does that make sense But I was like but Lord that’s how you are And then this
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I saw this
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older woman
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just start talking to this person connect with them
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and I was just like God thank you And then I was hearing this person’s heart and I was like thank you They’re becoming real And then my jaw dropped
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and I wish I had been here I wish I had been eavesdropping more
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because I wish I could have gotten it and taken notes and learned from
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them Because
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at one point I heard them saying the person who had that off pro persona that really like stay away from me said yeah I like to talk to everyone
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and this woman just so gently and kindly without offending her
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rebuked her
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She says I find that hard to believe She says I find that hard to believe And she goes why she goes Because you’re
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might not have been the exact words but your persona is so off putting
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And you would think whoa thunderstorm there’s gonna be a fight they’re going to be offended There was no offense
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I was like jaw on the ground mad skills right
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And she’s like yeah and then I just watch this conversation unfold and I go that’s rebuking
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with compassion
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with patience bringing life It’s that’s what I’m saying These things are so nuanced I said oh my gosh that is a mad skills Lord give them to me give them to us all to be able to actually help people rather than kill people
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What a blessing isn’t it
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huge blessing
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And that’s what I’m saying The difference between life
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and death between good loving and bad loving is often so subtle that it’s really hard to grasp But I think if we grasp it we’re going to start to have a radical transformative influence
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really it could be just even beyond this church I really feel the Lord is trying to do something in the body of Christ that is going to change everything
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You see that word rebuke
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Could we often use it like a like we are a self righteous champion of truth
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I have a moral responsibility to tell you the truth I have a moral responsibility to tell you you’re out of order the moral
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responsibility And a lot of I’m saying that kind of half hearted but I run into people all the time and they’re like really genuinely torn in their conscience Like I have this moral obligation to call it out to speak it out to confront it
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And if they don’t then they go away feeling guilty
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and then the spirit of God who read Proverbs will definitely help us teaches us to really recognize will this bring forth life
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Do I have the skills in this context to bring life rather than death
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and to free us from that guilt and manipulative traditions of men that we’ve inherited that If we don’t confront it on the spot and make a giant mess we feel guilty like we failed to speak up for the Lord
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Does that make sense Roy Or is that too many words Because it’s hard to follow right I get it But it’s like I said this is very nuanced and subtle but I’ve talked to people again and again where they’re in these situations and they hear things that they completely disagree with and it’s not right It’s you know it’s not bringing life to people you know what their world view or their opinion or their behaviors or actions whatever it is And they feel a moral responsibility that I have to sort it out before God
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But in doing so they actually
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further this world from a manifestation of heavenly rule
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And I’m not saying that you’re not supposed to The question is a measurement Has God given me the grace and the anointing and the spirit and the wisdom to handle this to bring life
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I mean these are challenging things that require us to be very close to the Lord
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to study to show ourselves to be approved to be people of prayer to let love and compassion really grow in our hearts because that’s really where the skill comes from isn’t it
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But a lot of times it is a self righteous I have to do right by God I have to tell the truth and we’re killing people
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But at the same time people’s lives attitudes perspectives that are not in agreement with heaven are killing them
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and that is true too So what is the solution We’ve got to find love and compassion
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And when we find love and compassion and grace in his anointing
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then he gives us the ability to bring life rather than death It’s changing the 11
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It’s exciting isn’t it Lord do that in us teach us train us empower us equip us We need to bring life not death We need to be champions of his life
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00:16:21.289 – 00:16:22.979
not just truth
Speaker#2:
00:16:25.08 – 00:16:28.789
It’s a subtle difference but when we get it it’s going to change everything
Speaker#2:
00:16:30.159 – 00:16:33.63
because people will start bringing life to the dead
Speaker#2:
00:16:34.549 – 00:16:39.27
Rather than like can you really kill something that’s dead Well apparently you can kill it more
Speaker#2:
00:16:44.71 – 00:16:56.19
the spirit of self righteous judgment The traditions of men create a compulsion to speak truth without discerning whether it will promote or harm the kingdom That was the point I was trying to make
Speaker#2:
00:16:58.94 – 00:17:03.969
And then the one thing I just couldn’t help myself on this one just because this was one of my bad pet doctrines
Speaker#2:
00:17:05.099 – 00:17:06.438
I charge you
Speaker#2:
00:17:07.55 – 00:17:08.869
to preach the word
Speaker#2:
00:17:10.239 – 00:17:11.42
pet doctrine
Speaker#2:
00:17:12.16 – 00:17:18.17
Who’s he charging the preacher No Yes OK Yes that’s true too
Speaker#2:
00:17:18.729 – 00:17:21.438
But my pet doctrine is we are all
Speaker#2:
00:17:22.229 – 00:17:50.4
ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ every single one of us I mean one of the biggest passions in my life is that Christ has hidden his life and his people and his body And if we could if everybody could be activated in their calling and anointing and their callings and anointing become integrated without activation and integration we will never have the explosive power in the world
Speaker#2:
00:17:51.06 – 00:17:51.92
if everybody is
Speaker#1:
00:17:51.93 – 00:17:54.14
activated but it’s not integrated to work
Speaker#2:
00:17:54.15 – 00:18:14.479
together we still won’t have explosive power If the church is integrated but we don’t we’re not activated in the anointing and calling It’s all machinery We’ll never have the impact on the world we’re supposed to have But when we are all activated and our calling and anointing and it’s integrated to work together
Speaker#2:
00:18:16.26 – 00:18:22.27
we will have an explosive transformative life giving impact on this world
Speaker#2:
00:18:22.51 – 00:18:48.51
So I just couldn’t help when it says I charge you We that’s what I mean It’s it’s these traditions of men It’s another form of that Levi that I’m talking about every form of Levin that keeps us from activating or keeps us from the fullness of life that Christ has for us So if we read scripture and it says I charge you Timothy Well Timothy is a minister and I’m not a minister Therefore I’m not responsible
Speaker#2:
00:18:49.17 – 00:18:56.579
It’s another form of bad lea change the Levin That word is for me it is for you It’s for all
Speaker#2:
00:18:57.209 – 00:19:06.209
Do you see what I’m saying And just subtle little shifts of the le all of a sudden scripture starts to have incredible power on the earth
Speaker#2:
00:19:07.109 – 00:19:11.31
I believe that’s part of what God is trying to do in his church
Speaker#2:
00:19:12.06 – 00:19:16.689
So passage two Philippians 1 12 through 18
Speaker#1:
00:19:18.14 – 00:19:20.26
But I want you to know brethren
Speaker#1:
00:19:21.06 – 00:19:23.14
that the things which happened to me
Speaker#2:
00:19:23.15 – 00:19:24.81
which was he was thrown in prison
Speaker#2:
00:19:25.55 – 00:19:26.719
the things that have happened
Speaker#1:
00:19:26.729 – 00:19:37.3
to me actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ
Speaker#1:
00:19:37.869 – 00:19:45.88
and most of the brethren and the Lord having become confident by my chains are much more bold to speak the word
Speaker#2:
00:19:45.89 – 00:19:47.04
without fear
Speaker#2:
00:19:51.55 – 00:19:52.459
Turn the page
Speaker#1:
00:19:56.31 – 00:20:16.54
Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife and some also from goodwill the former preach Christ from selfish ambition not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my chains But the latter out of love knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel What then
Speaker#1:
00:20:16.819 – 00:20:27.0
only that in every way whether in pretense or in truth Christ is preached in this and in this I rejoice Yes and will rejoice
Speaker#1:
00:20:27.91 – 00:20:30.079
It’s a very interesting passage isn’t it
Speaker#1:
00:20:31.449 – 00:20:37.619
And I and I really want to I’m working through these passages to help us to really think about changing of the 11
Speaker#1:
00:20:39.05 – 00:20:41.949
So the first thing that I want to point out here is that
Speaker#1:
00:20:42.55 – 00:20:48.489
even Paul’s beginning of this passage you could say is a powerful framing of the narrative
Speaker#1:
00:20:52.04 – 00:21:00.55
obviously because the spirit of darkness was trying to choke life among some believers because Paul was in prison
Speaker#1:
00:21:02.479 – 00:21:12.79
We we we pause and have to look at this and say well Paul why did you write this I want you to know that the things that have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel
Speaker#1:
00:21:14.239 – 00:21:34.38
Because the challenge was to think man Paul is in prison it’s all over or I mean there’s so many negative um non life giving ways to frame circumstances and situations And Paul full of the Holy Spirit of God framed his situation by focusing
Speaker#2:
00:21:34.39 – 00:21:35.52
on life
Speaker#2:
00:21:38.319 – 00:21:45.359
Could have been man this really stinks the sort of God Now I’m in chains and the chains hurt and my things are raw and I’m miserable and
Speaker#1:
00:21:45.369 – 00:21:47.089
I’m not I mean like
Speaker#1:
00:21:47.68 – 00:21:56.339
but we do that in our own lives all the time don’t we We frame on the negative rather than on the positive And when we do that we don’t have life
Speaker#1:
00:21:57.109 – 00:22:08.349
So Paul is trying is teaching us how to frame things in the positive and see God at work And then once we see God at work then it starts life starts to happen again
Speaker#1:
00:22:09.39 – 00:22:10.709
It’s exciting isn’t it
Speaker#1:
00:22:11.54 – 00:22:12.25
But
Speaker#1:
00:22:12.88 – 00:22:16.369
it gets really interesting This passage gets really interesting to me
Speaker#1:
00:22:16.89 – 00:22:17.619
Um
Speaker#1:
00:22:19.04 – 00:22:21.089
People who see
Speaker#1:
00:22:21.65 – 00:22:23.93
rightly Paul’s situation
Speaker#1:
00:22:24.92 – 00:22:29.739
it took the fear out of them and gave them confidence to preach the word
Speaker#2:
00:22:30.939 – 00:22:37.119
the economy could collapse You know the soldiers could come you know like all these kind of fears
Speaker#2:
00:22:37.75 – 00:22:41.119
And then we talk about fears We’re no longer giving life Are we
Speaker#1:
00:22:41.93 – 00:22:53.989
people get so obsessed with their fears and their prophecies of the future and how bad things are on the way all the time We focus so much on what the devil is doing rather than what God is doing
Speaker#1:
00:22:54.699 – 00:23:07.689
And if we’re always preaching what the devil is doing Why do we think the gospel will prevail It’s a good question isn’t it Why do we believe we can bring light to the world when we’re talking about what the devil is doing Constantly
Speaker#1:
00:23:09.849 – 00:23:12.119
I become a minister of darkness
Speaker#1:
00:23:13.05 – 00:23:18.579
You’ve given me great faith in the power of the devil rather than the power of God
Speaker#1:
00:23:19.839 – 00:23:20.65
Hm
Speaker#1:
00:23:24.39 – 00:23:29.79
It’s interesting isn’t it So this whole framing of everything look what God’s doing I’m in prison
Speaker#1:
00:23:31.64 – 00:23:41.28
Don’t be afraid It wasn’t as bad as you would have you imagined in your fears I still I’m still alive and God is still using me
Speaker#1:
00:23:42.079 – 00:23:43.229
if it did it for Paul
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00:23:43.239 – 00:23:45.03
Alright I’m gonna preach boldly
Speaker#2:
00:23:45.719 – 00:23:46.5
You see how
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00:23:46.51 – 00:23:54.829
little things can make such a big difference but people could have focused on the negative What’s the point Paul’s in prison Look where it got you Look
Speaker#2:
00:23:54.839 – 00:23:56.79
where serving God gets you and
Speaker#1:
00:23:56.8 – 00:24:02.03
it gets better than that and say he goes on and he goes some indeed preach Christ
Speaker#1:
00:24:03.089 – 00:24:03.729
from
Speaker#2:
00:24:03.739 – 00:24:04.63
envy
Speaker#2:
00:24:05.31 – 00:24:06.569
and strife
Speaker#1:
00:24:08.819 – 00:24:18.069
and some also from goodwill the former preach Christ from selfish ambition not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my chains
Speaker#1:
00:24:19.109 – 00:24:22.109
This whole portion here is intriguing isn’t it
Speaker#1:
00:24:23.81 – 00:24:28.67
They’re preaching out of envy that means they were jealous God’s using Paul
Speaker#1:
00:24:29.89 – 00:24:31.829
Who does he think he is I’m just as good
Speaker#2:
00:24:31.839 – 00:24:32.709
as Paul
Speaker#1:
00:24:32.989 – 00:24:46.829
I’m better than Paul I have better insight than Paul I’m a better speaker than Paul I have more love than Paul I’m more charismatic than Paul I’m better looking than Paul then Unfortunately I can say none of those is true about me But
Speaker#2:
00:24:46.839 – 00:24:47.77
whatever
Speaker#2:
00:24:49.949 – 00:24:54.38
I really don’t know I guess I never really saw him So there’s always hope
Speaker#1:
00:24:57.76 – 00:24:59.349
the point is
Speaker#1:
00:25:00.0 – 00:25:10.839
and jealousy is a real thing and people can minister out of jealousy and they can minister to be seen by men and they have a need for importance and they have all these negative things that drive them
Speaker#1:
00:25:12.14 – 00:25:23.829
and for strife it says they’re preaching for strife They’re trying to divide they’re trying to turn people against Paul They’re trying to paint Paul like a giant big fat loser stuck in prison
Speaker#1:
00:25:26.53 – 00:25:31.239
And they’re doing it even says that they’re preaching for selfish ambition
Speaker#2:
00:25:32.52 – 00:25:34.859
and most of us will be like oh yeah
Speaker#2:
00:25:35.469 – 00:25:40.0
you are awful and wretched and terrible and miserable How dare you
Speaker#2:
00:25:41.75 – 00:25:44.88
We can even probably name some of the names
Speaker#2:
00:25:47.89 – 00:25:48.589
Hm
Speaker#2:
00:25:50.359 – 00:25:53.069
And then we end up being ministers of strife don’t we
Speaker#2:
00:25:54.05 – 00:25:55.31
I mean I don’t really know him
Speaker#2:
00:25:56.479 – 00:26:04.78
I really don’t know the weeds and the wheat I really don’t know their story I really don’t know what’s going on I really haven’t seen it personally I really don’t have a good opinion
Speaker#2:
00:26:06.209 – 00:26:08.56
because I’m not really a witness of it
Speaker#2:
00:26:09.439 – 00:26:16.579
And even if I was there man sometimes things are hard to discern the weeds and the wheat are hard to tell the difference until they come to maturity
Speaker#2:
00:26:18.28 – 00:26:28.4
I think maybe that whole question I asked about the judgment seat of Christ at the beginning If we have time and we land in the Romans it comes up again maybe judgment is reserved for God
Speaker#2:
00:26:30.939 – 00:26:36.9
because we can’t see all things and know all things and understand all things But this is definitely interesting what’s
Speaker#1:
00:26:36.91 – 00:26:43.68
going on here and yet you can see how that bad Levin can judge those that are doing it for selfish ambition Those are
Speaker#2:
00:26:43.689 – 00:26:47.709
terrible terrible pastors and ministers and churches
Speaker#1:
00:26:47.92 – 00:26:49.15
not like us
Speaker#1:
00:26:49.5 – 00:26:57.439
mean it was like like by by the way the earlier one when it says you know they’ll have itching ears and heap up teachers they will say whatever they want We
Speaker#2:
00:26:57.449 – 00:27:03.81
often go terrible awful teachers Well by the way was those teachers are there because the people had the itching ears
Speaker#2:
00:27:06.79 – 00:27:11.939
or all those horrible Christians with itching ears They have the crummiest teachers It’s all just self help
Speaker#2:
00:27:14.51 – 00:27:15.079
Yeah
Speaker#2:
00:27:16.839 – 00:27:24.5
Boy I really encourage you today to follow Jesus and be in love with him haven’t I You see when you you see how sneaky that Levin is
Speaker#1:
00:27:25.26 – 00:27:27.479
to be ministers not of life
Speaker#2:
00:27:28.689 – 00:27:29.829
The log in the speck
Speaker#1:
00:27:29.839 – 00:27:30.609
is very real
Speaker#2:
00:27:30.619 – 00:27:33.14
Jesus didn’t tell us about it for no reason Did he
Speaker#2:
00:27:34.489 – 00:27:39.489
beware of this Le beware of it Get it out bring life not death
Speaker#1:
00:27:40.609 – 00:27:44.38
And so he said and now if you want to talk about
Speaker#2:
00:27:44.39 – 00:27:47.959
something amazing it was Paul
Speaker#1:
00:27:47.969 – 00:27:56.13
that some of these people are intentionally trying to harm Paul make him feel bad and divide him and undermine his ministry undermine his reputation
Speaker#1:
00:27:57.14 – 00:28:01.92
undermine his character What’s Paul’s assessment of these selfishly
Speaker#2:
00:28:01.93 – 00:28:03.459
ambitious preachers
Speaker#2:
00:28:06.65 – 00:28:07.66
I rejoice
Speaker#2:
00:28:09.5 – 00:28:12.439
that Christ is preached and I will rejoice
Speaker#2:
00:28:15.38 – 00:28:23.18
That is the ministry of Grace working in a person’s life That’s wisdom that’s discernment That
Speaker#2:
00:28:23.849 – 00:28:25.14
what do you mean Paul
Speaker#2:
00:28:26.64 – 00:28:28.51
There is no perfect preacher
Speaker#2:
00:28:29.849 – 00:28:31.949
There is no perfect Christian
Speaker#2:
00:28:32.739 – 00:28:35.829
God works through broken people
Speaker#2:
00:28:36.849 – 00:28:46.55
You can find faults with anyone any person any church any organization any nation any society any culture
Speaker#2:
00:28:47.63 – 00:28:55.699
And when you start focusing on the negatives you become part of the ministry of accusation you become a life killer
Speaker#2:
00:28:56.55 – 00:28:58.959
Heresy hunters are usually
Speaker#2:
00:28:59.89 – 00:29:00.869
lifeless
Speaker#2:
00:29:02.18 – 00:29:07.489
Champions of orthodoxy are often life drainers
Speaker#2:
00:29:09.729 – 00:29:12.109
and it’s hard to understand isn’t it
Speaker#2:
00:29:12.689 – 00:29:26.06
But but if we really look at the fruit that’s what it is And Paul can rejoice that Christ is preached by these selfishly ambitious preachers who are envious and full of strife
Speaker#2:
00:29:27.13 – 00:29:27.619
Yeah
Speaker#2:
00:29:28.729 – 00:29:36.27
I’ve seen some of the stuff with my own eyes because it’s not all it No community is all about one person
Speaker#2:
00:29:37.5 – 00:29:45.52
those preachers preaching to itching ears and the people with itching ears But I’ve seen it God when people are hungry God shows up
Speaker#2:
00:29:46.349 – 00:29:48.89
even in the midst of great imperfection
Speaker#2:
00:29:49.68 – 00:29:54.26
even people that are selfishly ambitious can be used by God
Speaker#2:
00:29:56.18 – 00:30:06.68
even people that are impure and seem to be like way more leaning on to like I’m not so sure I’m comfortable with that God can use them and that can offend me easily
Speaker#2:
00:30:08.209 – 00:30:12.079
And then I see somebody with Paul and I say man Paul I see the father’s heart
Speaker#2:
00:30:13.43 – 00:30:14.56
I see wisdom
Speaker#2:
00:30:15.079 – 00:30:18.349
I see good loving Lord Let me be more like him
Speaker#2:
00:30:19.26 – 00:30:31.76
I mean it’s beautiful isn’t it Because so many people would have got caught up in that strife in that division and disunity and ended up becoming a life drainer rather than a life giver
Speaker#2:
00:30:32.569 – 00:30:33.78
changing the 11
Speaker#2:
00:30:39.25 – 00:30:42.329
Matthew 7 21 through 23
Speaker#2:
00:30:43.16 – 00:30:44.189
This is interesting
Speaker#1:
00:30:44.199 – 00:31:02.14
Not everyone who says to me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my father in heaven Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesized in your name and cast out devils in your name and done many wonders in your name and I’ll declare to them I never knew you depart from me
Speaker#2:
00:31:02.17 – 00:31:04.41
You who practice lawlessness
Speaker#2:
00:31:07.479 – 00:31:09.729
that passage Well first of all
Speaker#1:
00:31:10.26 – 00:31:13.599
I mean you can see just by reading that passage how you could use
Speaker#2:
00:31:13.609 – 00:31:17.4
that to manipulate to coerce to cause fear right
Speaker#2:
00:31:18.969 – 00:31:19.959
But to what end
Speaker#2:
00:31:21.349 – 00:31:29.829
Oh you might do all these things but you’re lawless and you’re not real But wasn’t that the kind of people that Paul just talked about And he rejoiced in their ministry
Speaker#2:
00:31:31.02 – 00:31:32.959
Hm And I’ve had these
Speaker#1:
00:31:32.969 – 00:31:37.01
discussions Well then it will look like they they don’t look like this Well how do we
Speaker#2:
00:31:37.02 – 00:31:38.75
even know what they’re supposed to look like
Speaker#2:
00:31:39.78 – 00:31:41.92
Weeds and wheat look the same when they’re young
Speaker#1:
00:31:41.93 – 00:31:47.8
And it says that the righteous on the day of judgment said Lord when do we do these things We didn’t even know we were doing them We weren’t
Speaker#2:
00:31:47.81 – 00:31:48.92
trying to do them
Speaker#2:
00:31:50.089 – 00:31:51.01
right
Speaker#2:
00:31:52.349 – 00:31:59.05
It says a good tree bears good fruit A bad tree bears fat bad fruit make the tree good and it will bear good fruit whether it knows it’s bearing fruit or not
Speaker#1:
00:32:01.06 – 00:32:02.959
right after it says beware of those
Speaker#2:
00:32:02.969 – 00:32:03.959
who come
Speaker#2:
00:32:05.05 – 00:32:15.089
they the the beware of wolves who come in sheep’s clothing they come as Christians Well so Jesus did warn us but its stuff is challenging isn’t it
Speaker#2:
00:32:15.8 – 00:32:22.369
But one of the things I would say about this was I I look at this passage and I say man this is one of the most encouraging passages of scripture
Speaker#2:
00:32:23.449 – 00:32:24.349
What do you mean
Speaker#2:
00:32:25.359 – 00:32:27.38
these people who
Speaker#1:
00:32:27.39 – 00:32:30.829
perished were actually doing mighty works for God
Speaker#1:
00:32:31.339 – 00:32:33.39
If he could use them maybe
Speaker#2:
00:32:33.4 – 00:32:34.54
he could use us
Speaker#2:
00:32:36.75 – 00:32:37.54
right
Speaker#2:
00:32:38.319 – 00:32:39.05
I mean heck
Speaker#1:
00:32:39.689 – 00:32:48.359
they’re they’re perishing they’re workers of lawlessness but they prophesized and heal the sick and cast out devils They cause people to experience
Speaker#2:
00:32:48.369 – 00:32:49.359
the love of God
Speaker#1:
00:32:49.369 – 00:32:53.56
and the real reality of God loving them personally in profound
Speaker#2:
00:32:53.569 – 00:32:54.339
ways
Speaker#2:
00:32:56.109 – 00:32:56.949
Yeah
Speaker#2:
00:32:57.479 – 00:32:59.8
God could use them He could use me
Speaker#2:
00:33:00.949 – 00:33:02.209
He could use you
Speaker#2:
00:33:03.209 – 00:33:05.51
It’s exciting What an encouragement
Speaker#2:
00:33:06.839 – 00:33:24.609
but it does make you ask all kinds of questions They did all those things and yet they perished I think that’s exactly why Jesus told stories like this Not to be used as a club to beat people into submission to how we think they should be living But to ask us to make
Speaker#2:
00:33:25.14 – 00:33:26.949
or to ask good questions
Speaker#2:
00:33:27.619 – 00:33:37.93
Why What do you mean Lord What is lawlessness It’s transgression of the law What is the law How to love one another Oh Maybe what what is it They didn’t have love
Speaker#2:
00:33:38.68 – 00:33:40.459
but they did real things
Speaker#2:
00:33:41.64 – 00:33:48.02
and help people on their journey but they lack love So maybe the Lord is trying to show us
Speaker#2:
00:33:49.01 – 00:33:52.26
that the most important thing is that we love one another
Speaker#2:
00:33:53.599 – 00:34:03.68
We love one another We have compassion for one another that we’re tenderhearted towards one another that we have mercy for one another And we use this this great like
Speaker#2:
00:34:04.439 – 00:34:15.09
profound scary imagery right I thought I was serving God I healed the sick and cast out devils prophesized and I’m going to hell
Speaker#1:
00:34:15.479 – 00:34:16.33
what
Speaker#2:
00:34:17.31 – 00:34:36.719
But these things are very much I mean they challenge I think that Christ teaching is not meant to be used as a stick to make us feel bad coerce or manipulate because really how do we even know what they’re supposed to look like in their final product anyway Only only the designer knows that and he designed each of us different anyway right
Speaker#2:
00:34:38.35 – 00:34:39.25
But why
Speaker#2:
00:34:39.87 – 00:34:40.6
Well
Speaker#2:
00:34:41.11 – 00:34:52.148
one of the temptations of human beings is well I healed the sick and prophesized and cast out devils I even raised the dead I must be the true authority on everything True
Speaker#2:
00:34:52.85 – 00:35:00.62
I must be the super Christian I all bow down and worship me because I’m the coolest Christian that has ever lived
Speaker#1:
00:35:01.37 – 00:35:05.28
But we get so chuffed up on like miracles signs and
Speaker#2:
00:35:05.29 – 00:35:07.469
wonders healing the sick and casting out devils
Speaker#1:
00:35:07.479 – 00:35:09.29
And I must be more holier
Speaker#2:
00:35:09.3 – 00:35:10.939
than you are because I did it
Speaker#1:
00:35:11.399 – 00:35:13.36
or more super spiritual because I
Speaker#2:
00:35:13.37 – 00:35:14.01
did it
Speaker#2:
00:35:16.77 – 00:35:28.26
These people ended up in hell according to Jesus So that obviously is not a sign of super spirituality or super holiness or even of God’s total approval
Speaker#2:
00:35:29.489 – 00:35:34.659
I love it It just gives us great perspective Well are these things important Yeah he still did it through them
Speaker#2:
00:35:35.5 – 00:35:37.919
because it’s ways that God loves people
Speaker#2:
00:35:38.86 – 00:35:49.61
when you get a word from the Lord through prophecy and it reads your mail and you’re like wow God loves me and knows me and cares about me and open prison doors and set me free Praise God
Speaker#2:
00:35:50.169 – 00:35:52.199
That must be a super holy
Speaker#1:
00:35:52.679 – 00:35:53.8
Christian Hindu
Speaker#2:
00:35:54.79 – 00:36:09.62
That’s what the world that’s the pagan world the super holy priest or you know Hindu holy man or whatever shaman No we’re Christians It’s Jesus Don’t think this is happening because we’re anything special He’s the one that is special
Speaker#2:
00:36:11.37 – 00:36:14.199
healing Oh He must be real His everything he
Speaker#1:
00:36:14.209 – 00:36:16.27
speaks must be true because he healed
Speaker#2:
00:36:16.28 – 00:36:18.159
and he cast out devils No
Speaker#2:
00:36:18.79 – 00:36:25.53
God just loves people They got they were used by him and that is an expression of his love trying to even woo them
Speaker#2:
00:36:26.77 – 00:36:28.449
But what matters is love
Speaker#2:
00:36:29.35 – 00:36:29.969
Oh
Speaker#2:
00:36:31.25 – 00:36:37.61
well then why even bother with the healing and miracles and signs and wonders and casting out devils because it’s an expression of love
Speaker#2:
00:36:39.77 – 00:36:41.209
But don’t let it go to our head
Speaker#2:
00:36:42.78 – 00:36:46.169
Don’t don’t make it something more than it really is
Speaker#2:
00:36:46.81 – 00:36:48.989
It’s really just an expression of God’s love
Speaker#2:
00:36:50.899 – 00:36:52.8
doesn’t make you a super apostle
Speaker#2:
00:36:54.209 – 00:37:01.81
Just challenging stuff Scripture right And it’s used and I guess that’s that’s kind of like healthy rebuke isn’t it
Speaker#2:
00:37:02.59 – 00:37:05.669
It’s non coercive it’s transformational
Speaker#2:
00:37:07.37 – 00:37:12.629
You see what I mean Trying to get change the 11 to bring life
Speaker#1:
00:37:19.36 – 00:37:23.01
I think that that little passage I read
Speaker#1:
00:37:24.169 – 00:37:25.35
we could summarize
Speaker#2:
00:37:25.36 – 00:37:27.729
it as this Love is the true measure
Speaker#2:
00:37:29.61 – 00:37:32.03
Love is the true measure of greatness
Speaker#2:
00:37:32.909 – 00:37:36.34
Love is the true measure of holiness Love is the true measure
Speaker#2:
00:37:36.87 – 00:37:38.04
of success
Speaker#2:
00:37:40.87 – 00:37:42.139
but it’s not from you
Speaker#2:
00:37:44.61 – 00:37:45.939
It’s a fruit of the spirit
Speaker#2:
00:37:47.379 – 00:37:50.35
If we have love it’s because he first loved us
Speaker#2:
00:37:50.949 – 00:37:53.5
He is forgiven much loves much
Speaker#2:
00:37:54.169 – 00:37:57.54
So we can’t even if we become great in love
Speaker#2:
00:37:59.469 – 00:38:04.129
it’s only because he did it We can’t let anything go to our head
Speaker#2:
00:38:05.6 – 00:38:07.59
Pride does come before the fall
Speaker#2:
00:38:08.949 – 00:38:22.169
We want to be humble and contrite and tremble as we But really recognize we’re transformed from the inside out as we experience his love but he saved us He redeemed us It wasn’t us
Speaker#2:
00:38:22.729 – 00:38:24.209
We were all a bunch of jerks
Speaker#2:
00:38:26.03 – 00:38:27.639
and that’s what our flesh is
Speaker#2:
00:38:28.969 – 00:38:30.699
The old man is a jerk
Speaker#2:
00:38:31.419 – 00:38:39.3
He he’s mean and nasty and selfish and envious and everything that you can think of that really makes life miserable
Speaker#2:
00:38:40.199 – 00:38:42.76
if we’re saved from it He did it not us
Speaker#2:
00:38:43.77 – 00:38:49.659
And so it just makes us praise him and worship him and appreciate him and it gives us compassion for people
Speaker#2:
00:38:50.51 – 00:38:54.879
It brings something it brings forth what is authentic and that’s what we want
Speaker#1:
00:38:56.02 – 00:38:57.909
So another I I as I was bad at
Speaker#2:
00:38:57.919 – 00:39:02.679
counting this when I got up early I counted three passages Turns out it was four
Speaker#1:
00:39:03.58 – 00:39:07.32
Roman in Romans 14 We’ll just
Speaker#1:
00:39:08.12 – 00:39:13.51
one through a whole bunch but we’ll start with one through four Receive one who is weak in the faith
Speaker#1:
00:39:15.05 – 00:39:17.25
Well yeah we should receive everyone Right
Speaker#1:
00:39:17.889 – 00:39:27.939
Well it actually this is actually kind of funny though because those who are weak in the faith like to cause division They like to judge They like to tell you you’re not spiritual
Speaker#2:
00:39:27.949 – 00:39:28.889
and you’re no good
Speaker#1:
00:39:29.27 – 00:39:29.78
You’re not as
Speaker#2:
00:39:29.79 – 00:39:33.01
holy as I am because you eat meat
Speaker#1:
00:39:34.32 – 00:39:43.77
says receive one who’s weak in the faith but not to disputes over doubtful things because they want to dispute about it and teach you that they’re right and you’re wrong
Speaker#1:
00:39:44.679 – 00:39:50.59
For one believes he may eat all things but he is weak eats only vegetables
Speaker#1:
00:39:51.55 – 00:40:01.26
that not Him who eats despise him who does not eat and let him who does not eat Judge him who eats for God has received Him
Speaker#1:
00:40:02.26 – 00:40:11.209
Who are you to judge another servant to his own master He stands or falls indeed He will be made to stand for God is able to make him stand
Speaker#1:
00:40:12.969 – 00:40:17.169
That little passage Here is so interesting to me but it’s telling you
Speaker#1:
00:40:18.01 – 00:40:19.689
church is funny
Speaker#1:
00:40:21.149 – 00:40:23.28
The normal Christian life is funny
Speaker#1:
00:40:25.26 – 00:40:36.06
and we’re supposed to have love for one another and grace for one another and understand if somebody is all gung ho because you’re not supposed to meet on Sundays but only on Saturdays and we got it all wrong
Speaker#1:
00:40:38.5 – 00:40:39.399
and they want a dispute
Speaker#2:
00:40:39.409 – 00:40:44.629
about it We’re still they’re still our brothers and sisters in Christ Don’t fall for it Love one another
Speaker#2:
00:40:45.629 – 00:40:51.03
How do we unify people with such various opinions
Speaker#1:
00:40:52.389 – 00:40:54.729
and still be a united body of Christ
Speaker#1:
00:40:56.12 – 00:40:57.76
challenging question isn’t it
Speaker#1:
00:40:58.59 – 00:41:02.57
But this stuff is in scripture because this is the real stuff that we we have to deal
Speaker#2:
00:41:02.58 – 00:41:03.669
with in real Christian
Speaker#1:
00:41:03.679 – 00:41:07.489
community If you don’t have real community and real relationships and
Speaker#2:
00:41:07.679 – 00:41:09.29
you don’t have to deal with this stuff
Speaker#2:
00:41:10.149 – 00:41:10.919
But in
Speaker#1:
00:41:10.929 – 00:41:21.04
real Christianity people get all passionate about all kinds of ideas and they’re fully convinced that they’re absolutely right and they start to think everybody else doesn’t see it and they’re totally
Speaker#2:
00:41:21.05 – 00:41:30.179
wrong and and and so easy to divide and Paul with that father’s heart is teaching us love and mercy and grace and you
Speaker#1:
00:41:30.189 – 00:41:31.929
can’t always win it but he’s
Speaker#2:
00:41:31.939 – 00:41:37.159
challenging us to win it or to try to win it isn’t he Here It’s really interesting
Speaker#1:
00:41:37.169 – 00:41:37.889
stuff
Speaker#1:
00:41:38.84 – 00:41:44.54
and keep going on because it’s just so interesting to me One person esteems one day above another
Speaker#1:
00:41:46.35 – 00:41:54.409
another esteems every day alike that each be fully convinced in his own mind But shouldn’t we have unity and it’ll be all agreed No this
Speaker#2:
00:41:54.419 – 00:41:56.439
is true unity and true
Speaker#1:
00:41:56.449 – 00:42:02.28
love This disagreement this conflict and learning to see I really think was with Pastor
Speaker#2:
00:42:02.29 – 00:42:09.12
Mike a couple of weeks and I was like wow Covid really was a prophetic word from God teaching us how to love each other
Speaker#2:
00:42:09.939 – 00:42:25.61
Even though we had radically different ideas of whether we should wear a mask or not wear a mask or whether you you know you know what to believe But are we still brothers and sisters It was a sign in many ways that we are being divided arguing over these things that Paul is addressing
Speaker#2:
00:42:29.81 – 00:42:38.37
let everyone be fully convinced in their own mind and everyone is fully convinced in their own mind and they still are and might still like to have a good fight about it Right
Speaker#1:
00:42:38.899 – 00:42:42.62
I also do think it was a prophetic sign that that we’re living in a
Speaker#2:
00:42:42.629 – 00:42:43.85
time where there’s a battle
Speaker#1:
00:42:43.86 – 00:42:53.899
over humanity isolationism disconnection hide your face We’re no longer human we’re no longer real A I will never
Speaker#2:
00:42:53.909 – 00:42:55.76
have compassion and love
Speaker#2:
00:42:56.6 – 00:43:00.08
Only humans do Humans can never be replaced
Speaker#2:
00:43:01.27 – 00:43:05.33
It’s impossible They are teaching us that knowledge puffs up But love builds up
Speaker#1:
00:43:05.979 – 00:43:08.25
the A I will nail you when it comes
Speaker#2:
00:43:08.26 – 00:43:09.239
to knowledge
Speaker#2:
00:43:09.959 – 00:43:24.31
And that’s what our whole education system is Let’s try to cram down knowledge And now you realize I can’t even compete and I have access to all knowledge I need on the internet Well it must be about something else maybe character and compassion and integrity and values And whoa
Speaker#2:
00:43:25.149 – 00:43:26.02
you see it’s
Speaker#1:
00:43:26.03 – 00:43:37.149
interesting stuff isn’t it But these are the kind of about it’s all the stuff we’re reading is a battle over humanity isn’t it And being human and loving one another in the midst of truly
Speaker#2:
00:43:37.159 – 00:43:39.84
different ways of seeing
Speaker#2:
00:43:40.429 – 00:43:43.719
in values and it can become a hugely contentious can’t it
Speaker#1:
00:43:45.06 – 00:43:50.469
He observes one day observes it to the Lord He does not observe the day to the Lord
Speaker#1:
00:43:52.81 – 00:44:13.919
This is a recipe for a mess He who eats eats to the Lord for he gives thanks to God and he who does not eat to the Lord he does not eat and he gives thanks for none of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself For if we live we live to the Lord If we die we die to the Lord Therefore whether we live or die we are the lords We belong to him
Speaker#1:
00:44:14.57 – 00:44:23.52
for to this end Christ died and rose and lived again that he might be lord of both the dead and the living But why do you judge your brother
Speaker#1:
00:44:24.449 – 00:44:29.35
or do you show or why do you show contempt for your brother for We shall all stand
Speaker#2:
00:44:29.36 – 00:44:39.389
before the judgment seat of Christ There we started out with Timothy you know Paul’s exhortation to Timothy the judgment seat of Christ Here it is coming up again Really does seem to be
Speaker#1:
00:44:39.399 – 00:44:41.61
like hey guys what’s that
Speaker#2:
00:44:42.52 – 00:44:43.55
Only God
Speaker#1:
00:44:43.56 – 00:44:44.719
has the wisdom
Speaker#2:
00:44:44.729 – 00:44:50.669
and can see the secrets and tensions of the heart and knows the whole only God can rightly judge
Speaker#2:
00:44:52.919 – 00:44:55.07
He just called us to love one another
Speaker#2:
00:44:55.6 – 00:45:02.81
It sounds so easy when you read it in scripture But then when you really like it comes down to it you’re oh you’re a Christian You can’t drink coffee
Speaker#2:
00:45:05.31 – 00:45:06.919
Oh God I’m doomed
Speaker#1:
00:45:10.57 – 00:45:14.84
But these things are what we argue about We fight about and we divide about
Speaker#2:
00:45:15.409 – 00:45:16.31
divide
Speaker#1:
00:45:16.32 – 00:45:18.409
about what you can and can’t do what
Speaker#2:
00:45:18.419 – 00:45:27.57
can we eat and what can we drink or not drink how you know we fight about what kind of worship or you know like that literally has become where are we supposed to celebrate
Speaker#2:
00:45:28.669 – 00:45:32.02
Jesus You know come together on Saturdays or Sundays
Speaker#2:
00:45:33.29 – 00:45:37.429
I mean the list goes on and on and on and on about the things that we can argue about
Speaker#2:
00:45:38.59 – 00:45:41.1
Well that’s not good Well no maybe it is good
Speaker#2:
00:45:42.8 – 00:45:46.659
because these are the context for us to learn to love one another
Speaker#2:
00:45:48.889 – 00:45:53.919
Christians shouldn’t be such jerks if they weren’t such jerks how am I gonna learn to forgive and love
Speaker#1:
00:45:57.169 – 00:45:58.189
There’s such a pain in the
Speaker#2:
00:45:58.199 – 00:45:58.949
rear end
Speaker#2:
00:46:00.0 – 00:46:03.32
How am I gonna learn to love If if if all the Christians are truly just
Speaker#2:
00:46:03.949 – 00:46:06.469
perfect how am I gonna really learn to love
Speaker#2:
00:46:07.07 – 00:46:15.489
How am I gonna learn to forgive How am I gonna learn to show grace How are we going to reveal the glory of God if the church is perfect
Speaker#2:
00:46:16.11 – 00:46:20.479
and how are we going to go out and love the world if we haven’t learned it in the church
Speaker#2:
00:46:21.52 – 00:46:23.51
Some interesting ideas aren’t they
Speaker#2:
00:46:24.1 – 00:46:25.939
It’s a new it’s a different level
Speaker#2:
00:46:27.659 – 00:46:28.669
So I said the point of
Speaker#1:
00:46:28.679 – 00:46:29.959
reading all these scriptures
Speaker#2:
00:46:29.969 – 00:46:35.09
is to break the traditions of men that choke out our life and choke life in one another
Speaker#2:
00:46:36.649 – 00:46:42.219
The point is to try to have good bread to give this world that is hungry
Speaker#2:
00:46:45.409 – 00:46:47.28
It’s about changing the 11
Speaker#2:
00:46:47.879 – 00:46:56.459
getting rid of everything that tries to coerce externally and letting the love of God transform from the heart outward Awesome
Speaker#2:
00:46:58.37 – 00:46:59.01
It’s about
Speaker#1:
00:46:59.36 – 00:47:01.629
no somewhat
Speaker#2:
00:47:01.639 – 00:47:02.949
about revival
Speaker#2:
00:47:03.899 – 00:47:07.429
because revival literally means live again
Speaker#2:
00:47:09.0 – 00:47:15.51
But maybe it’s even more than that Maybe it’s about living at a level that we’ve never experienced yet
Speaker#2:
00:47:16.53 – 00:47:23.51
A river of life Maybe there is a ministry of grace maybe there’s a Ministry of Love
Speaker#1:
00:47:23.52 – 00:47:25.54
maybe there’s a ministry of compassion
Speaker#2:
00:47:25.55 – 00:47:27.58
Maybe there’s an experience of the love
Speaker#1:
00:47:27.59 – 00:47:29.699
and grace of God that is beyond
Speaker#2:
00:47:29.709 – 00:47:32.36
anything that we’ve ever experienced before
Speaker#2:
00:47:33.239 – 00:47:36.09
an abundance of life A river of life
Speaker#2:
00:47:37.09 – 00:47:38.07
I just want to say
Speaker#1:
00:47:38.08 – 00:47:41.139
that life under the sun has a way of choking life
Speaker#1:
00:47:42.37 – 00:47:43.54
Life under the sun
Speaker#2:
00:47:43.55 – 00:47:50.51
is you know what Ecclesiastes means where you’re seeing the world without God
Speaker#2:
00:47:51.389 – 00:48:03.209
But it’s really just the world that we live The day in the day out the grinds the hurts the confusion the pain the ways that people treat us the way hope is
Speaker#1:
00:48:03.219 – 00:48:05.949
deferred the way things um
Speaker#2:
00:48:06.659 – 00:48:15.11
come through the news media often you know like there’s just such a barrage of life under the sun that we don’t even realize it chokes the life
Speaker#2:
00:48:16.479 – 00:48:27.33
But then we go up into a sanctuary we get into his presence and we see these chains are not of the devil These are from God and God’s word is not chained
Speaker#2:
00:48:27.87 – 00:48:37.639
and you can be bold and you can be unashamed And every situation that there are arguments and bickering in the church is not it’s not of the devil this is of God
Speaker#2:
00:48:37.84 – 00:48:53.879
but oh my God have mercy It’s the devil starts to lose when this new leven comes in because all we see is opportunity to show the love and mercy and grace of God and to love one another and to proclaim his victory and proclaim his triumph and
Speaker#1:
00:48:53.889 – 00:48:56.979
show the world the radical transformation
Speaker#2:
00:48:56.989 – 00:49:05.05
that has happened in our hearts because Christ has died Christ has risen and he lives in us It’s beautiful isn’t it
Speaker#2:
00:49:06.52 – 00:49:09.689
Life under the light of his presence is glorious
Speaker#2:
00:49:11.05 – 00:49:17.01
When we get rid of that old Levi and the traditions of men it’s like the clouds part
Speaker#2:
00:49:17.57 – 00:49:21.08
and grace comes in and we just fall in love again
Speaker#2:
00:49:21.6 – 00:49:29.26
at a deeper level than we ever have And we just abound in life and that life is attractive Like I was saying guilt and shame
Speaker#2:
00:49:30.239 – 00:49:33.889
If you are under guilt and shame which he took away at the cross
Speaker#2:
00:49:34.54 – 00:49:44.679
how are you going to give life to somebody If you’re under fear if you’re under resentment if you’re under frustration if you’re under discouragement if you’re under hopelessness
Speaker#1:
00:49:44.689 – 00:49:47.469
how do you how do you have any good news
Speaker#2:
00:49:48.129 – 00:49:50.12
All of that is part of bad loving
Speaker#2:
00:49:51.62 – 00:50:07.77
you get that bad leven out and take in the good leven and all of a sudden you abound with life A river of life flows This world starts to see light and beauty and glory and wonder and curiosity and humanity And they say I want what you have
Speaker#2:
00:50:08.889 – 00:50:12.169
Where did you get it Uh This guy named Jesus
Speaker#2:
00:50:12.989 – 00:50:16.86
literally wasn’t for me I was a jerk
Speaker#2:
00:50:17.8 – 00:50:20.27
I was you know I but Jesus
Speaker#2:
00:50:20.82 – 00:50:22.01
but Jesus
Speaker#2:
00:50:22.669 – 00:50:24.77
and he wants us to experience him again
Speaker#2:
00:50:25.969 – 00:50:33.56
He wants us to get again into his sanctuary into his presence There is an abundance of life God wants each of us to experience
Speaker#2:
00:50:34.36 – 00:50:36.959
It’s what Christ died that we might receive
Speaker#2:
00:50:37.56 – 00:50:45.399
That’s really what this is about The old Levi keeps us from the fullness of life that Christ died to give us
Speaker#2:
00:50:47.05 – 00:50:49.53
The goal is Lord give us the 11
Speaker#2:
00:50:50.469 – 00:50:55.06
that causes us to receive all that you’ve given us
Speaker#2:
00:50:55.889 – 00:50:57.439
to your death and resurrection
Speaker#2:
00:50:58.379 – 00:51:00.52
And through the outpouring of your holy spirit
Speaker#2:
00:51:01.53 – 00:51:08.08
it’s like darkness to light death to life bondage to freedom
Speaker#2:
00:51:08.909 – 00:51:10.699
from ashes to beauty
Speaker#2:
00:51:11.86 – 00:51:13.55
A river of living water
Speaker#2:
00:51:14.34 – 00:51:16.719
a river of life Lord
Speaker#2:
00:51:17.34 – 00:51:18.879
get this 11
Speaker#2:
00:51:20.169 – 00:51:28.739
of the Pharisees and sad yous out Get the Levin of legalism out and let the Levin of life reign
Speaker#2:
00:51:29.969 – 00:51:31.1
in our lives
Speaker#2:
00:51:31.82 – 00:51:32.62
Amen