WEBVTT - When Jesus Is Your Jury 0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:06.200 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.280 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.600 Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:13.640 new sermons every week. 0:00:13.960 --> 0:00:15.600 Hope you're blessed today. 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:23.079 I really am excited to continue a series today that 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:25.520 I started last week, and I'm. 0:00:25.400 --> 0:00:29.880 Calling the series. You're ready. I know that voice. 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:34.000 I know that voice, and we're talking about how to 0:00:34.159 --> 0:00:37.800 discern God's voice and then do what it says. 0:00:39.120 --> 0:00:40.440 Aren't both of those important? 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:44.040 You know what I noticed about us sometimes as believers 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:46.800 in Jesus, we get so caught up in the parts 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:49.440 of what God has spoken that are hard to discern, 0:00:50.560 --> 0:00:52.560 and we ignore the parts that are hard to do. 0:00:54.720 --> 0:00:57.160 Some things that God has spoken to us about they're 0:00:57.160 --> 0:00:58.080 not hard to discern. 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:01.400 He just told us to do that, to forgive, but 0:01:01.480 --> 0:01:05.000 that's hard to do. I'm gonna come over to this side. 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:07.720 I feel resistance on this side of the room. Maybe 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:09.679 it's better over here. I'm gonna just check the waters 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:10.640 on this side. 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.240 Sometimes the Lord will tell you confess your sins one 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:16.680 to another. That's easy to discern, that you need to 0:01:16.720 --> 0:01:20.160 be honest about your sin. It's hard to do because 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:22.000 I want you to see me like that, so I 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:24.920 want to keep this armor on. Well, we're talking about 0:01:24.920 --> 0:01:27.360 not only discerning the voice of God, but being able 0:01:27.400 --> 0:01:29.080 to do what he speaks. 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:31.400 And I want you to be seated today. 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:33.600 Normally I share my scripture while you're standing, but I 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:35.280 want you to be seated because I want to talk 0:01:35.319 --> 0:01:37.720 you into the scripture today. So take your seat wherever 0:01:37.760 --> 0:01:41.280 you are and turning your bible please to First Corinthians, 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:47.640 chapter four, verse one through five. First Corinthians four one 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:53.000 through five. Thank you for your word. 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:53.320 Lord. 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:59.200 Somebody say what Samuel said. Speak Lord, your servant is listening. 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:04.920 We talked about Samuel last week and how he attuned 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.600 his ear to the voice of God, and so that 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:09.800 before he spoke for God, he had to learn to 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:10.600 hear from God. 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:11.799 Very important. 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:16.120 The apostle Paul was another preacher who had to hear 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:19.400 from God before he could speak for God, because there 0:02:19.440 --> 0:02:22.320 was a time in his life when he persecuted followers 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:25.320 of Christ and he thought he was serving God, and 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:28.280 he had to come to that all important place that 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:30.760 really measures your maturity in the Lord, where he said 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:31.760 I was wrong. 0:02:33.360 --> 0:02:34.880 Try to say that one time. See how heart it 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:43.240 is to say I was by a vow wrong. 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:47.400 And he spent the rest of his ministry not trying 0:02:47.400 --> 0:02:50.120 to make it up to God, but trying to spread 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:52.440 the message of the God who had saved him by grace. 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:56.640 After spending his whole life trying to earn God's favor 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.840 through keeping the law in First Corinthians. After for Paul 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.359 is well into his established ministry and he's doing something 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:05.880 we would never think that someone. 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:07.000 Of his caliber would have to do. 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:12.920 He's defending himself to the Corinthian church. Not that like 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:15.040 they really had any right to judge. 0:03:14.880 --> 0:03:18.799 Him, because they were wild. They were so wild. 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:22.720 I'm talking about sexual immorality in the church. It was 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:29.080 different back then. They had stuff going so crazy that 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:32.560 believers were suing each other because they couldn't mediate any 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:33.040 other way. 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:34.120 It's different back. 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:37.320 Then, and they were also not only dysfunctional, but they 0:03:37.320 --> 0:03:39.760 were divided. So, yeah, one group in the church like 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:43.160 we like when Paul preaches. Then there was another group 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:45.400 that was like, well, we like when a Paulus preaches. 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:48.840 And Paul speaks into all of that, telling them you 0:03:48.880 --> 0:03:51.160 should be eating meat by now, but you still need 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:54.280 milk because you have not yet developed your digestive system 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:57.520 to realize that if God's word is being preached, he 0:03:57.560 --> 0:03:59.600 can use anything he wants to bring it to you, 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:02.080 the one he wants to bring it to you anytime 0:04:02.120 --> 0:04:03.000 he wants to bring. 0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:03.320 It to you. 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:06.480 But then it gets personal, and I've spent a lot 0:04:06.480 --> 0:04:09.280 of time debating how to share this message today because 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:12.320 it is personal to me. I have determined that the 0:04:12.360 --> 0:04:14.480 greatest way for me to make it personal to you 0:04:14.640 --> 0:04:16.680 is to share how it's personal for me. But first, 0:04:16.760 --> 0:04:19.720 let's see how it is personal for Paul. First Corinthians four, 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:23.279 verse one. This, then, is how you ought to regard 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:27.919 us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:32.880 the mysteries God has revealed. Let's read that again, entrusted 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:38.320 with the mysteries God has revealed. There are some mysteries 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:41.640 that God has not revealed. Paul says, we are not 0:04:41.720 --> 0:04:45.839 responsible for what God has not revealed. We are entrusted 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:49.400 with the mysteries God has revealed. There are some things 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:51.600 in your life that God has not shown you yet. 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:53.720 You are not responsible for what. 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:57.599 God has not revealed, and you get to trust Him 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:01.400 with those mysteries. But then, Paul says, we have been 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:05.240 entrusted with the mystery of the Gospel that has been 0:05:05.279 --> 0:05:07.520 revealed through Jesus Christ. 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:08.280 Look at verse two. 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:12.000 Now it is required that those who have been given 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:16.960 a trust must prove famous. No, that's what everybody in 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:19.200 our day wants to be, is famous. But Paul said, 0:05:19.760 --> 0:05:22.479 if you've been entrusted with it, you don't have to 0:05:22.640 --> 0:05:26.240 be famous. You just have to be faithful. You don't 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:28.120 even have to be that smart. You just have to 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:31.200 be faithful. You don't even have to be perfect, You 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:34.159 just have to be faithful. Verse three is where I 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:36.800 want to pick up our thought for today. I care 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:42.000 very little if I am judged by you or by 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:44.680 any human court, indeed touching nation. So I don't care 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:48.720 what you think about me. You didn't convince them. Say 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:51.760 it again. I don't care what you think about me. 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:55.240 Now ask them, do you like my outfit? Does it 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:56.799 look good on me? Does it make me look fat? 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:00.719 I hear a preacher one time, even preaching, he said, 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:02.360 I don't preach for the praise of men. 0:06:02.600 --> 0:06:08.880 Amen. Amen, I see the irony anyway. We all need validation. 0:06:10.080 --> 0:06:14.320 And so last week I talked about values. 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:19.719 You'll know God's voice when you have God's values. To 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:22.279 ask God to speak to me about something that he 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.800 hasn't revealed when I'm not doing what he has revealed 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.840 is kind of missing the point. Because if I have 0:06:28.880 --> 0:06:32.159 God's values, watch this. I can go to any college 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:34.960 and be a Christian. If I had God's values, I 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:37.040 could show up on any job and be a witness. 0:06:37.480 --> 0:06:40.400 If I have God's values, I can take a wrong decision, 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:42.080 repent and God will make it right. 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:46.440 Because when I have God's values, I hear God's voice. 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:48.640 Today, I want to switch it a little bit, and 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:54.680 I want to talk about not values, but verdicts. Verdicts. 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:57.880 It's a courtroom term, he said. He said, I care 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:02.080 very little if I'm judged by you Verse three. 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:04.800 So he must care a little bit, but not too much. 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:07.760 I kind of care, but not enough to be controlled 0:07:07.760 --> 0:07:09.880 by it. I'm gonna brush my teeth. I don't wanna 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:10.440 have bad breath. 0:07:11.320 --> 0:07:12.080 You know I'm gonna. 0:07:12.120 --> 0:07:14.240 I'm gonna try to do my best, but but I'm 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.400 not controlled by it. I care what you think, but 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:18.720 I'm not controlled by it. 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:21.000 I don't. I don't. 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:23.320 I don't have to prove it to you or any 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:26.760 human core And this gets deep Verse three part B. Indeed, 0:07:27.360 --> 0:07:33.520 I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, 0:07:34.360 --> 0:07:37.960 but that doesn't make me innocent because my heart is deceptive. 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:40.920 It is the Lord who judges me. 0:07:42.000 --> 0:07:46.440 Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time. 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:49.080 Wait until the Lord comes. 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:53.480 He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:58.080 and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time, 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:02.600 each will receive their praise from God. 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:05.360 Here's the title of my message. 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:11.120 I want to talk about when Jesus is your jury. 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:13.480 Come on, y'all, got quiet. 0:08:14.280 --> 0:08:15.880 I know you're trying to write it down, but you 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:19.600 can multitask shout while shout while you're right, when Jesus 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:26.880 is your jury? Because I'm telling you there are internal 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:30.160 verdicts that are happening in your mind and your heart 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:35.800 every single day about others, about yourself, about your life. 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:37.920 And I want to talk about that a little bit. 0:08:37.960 --> 0:08:41.319 And I chose the word jury because that's the job 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:45.880 of a jury, right to declare a verdict after examining 0:08:46.440 --> 0:08:50.680 evidence and in your heart. Even at this point in 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:55.520 my message today, you have already made certain verdicts about 0:08:55.600 --> 0:08:58.440 the word that I'm preaching today. You've already started deciding 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:00.240 is this for me or is this for someone else? 0:09:01.200 --> 0:09:02.400 Do I agree with what he's saying or do I 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.840 disagree with what he's saying. Do I think Pastor seven 0:09:05.920 --> 0:09:07.160 looks good with his shirt tucked in or does it 0:09:07.160 --> 0:09:08.640 look kind of weird because he normally does And I 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:09.479 can't decide. 0:09:09.559 --> 0:09:11.520 You know all the things that you think, and. 0:09:11.440 --> 0:09:14.000 You laugh at that, you laugh at that, but it 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:17.760 is a very peculiar thing to be a public minister. 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:20.959 And this is where I want to share with you personally. 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:25.079 My eighteen year old son, Graham is preaching a lot 0:09:25.160 --> 0:09:27.000 right now. And you say, you must be proud of 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:28.040 my am, But I'm proud. 0:09:27.840 --> 0:09:29.240 Of all my kids. They don't have to preach to 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:32.320 make me proud. Yet at the same time, it is 0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:35.400 kind of fun to teach him a little bit about preaching. 0:09:36.160 --> 0:09:38.920 And he started asking me questions about preaching, like how 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.240 do you do an introduction? And you know, how do 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:43.920 you transition from one point to the other. Here's one 0:09:43.920 --> 0:09:45.240 thing he said to me. And I don't know if 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:47.199 this means he's just like very self aware or a 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:48.760 little bit arrogant, but he goes. 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:50.520 I'm such a funny person. 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:53.360 How do I get my humor to come across more 0:09:53.400 --> 0:09:55.120 when I preach, because they don't laugh when I talk. 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:57.640 You see what he did. It's their fault they're not laughing. 0:09:57.760 --> 0:09:59.760 I'm funny. How do I get them to come. 0:09:59.679 --> 0:10:00.640 Up to the my level? 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:06.839 Delusion can be a tool for the preacher, But he. 0:10:06.880 --> 0:10:09.760 Is funny and he is learning. And one day he 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:11.640 walked past me where I study in the house. 0:10:11.679 --> 0:10:14.960 I'm going to share this personally, but it's not autobiographical. 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:17.080 It's for your application, So listen to this. 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:20.840 I study in our house at a dining room table 0:10:20.920 --> 0:10:22.439 with about seven empty chairs. 0:10:23.000 --> 0:10:25.040 I like studying there number one because it's. 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:29.920 Close to the food, and number two I like it 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:34.840 because those empty chairs help me prepare. Here's why I 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:37.440 sit with the Bible. I say, Lord, speak to me. 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:39.840 I need you to show me in your word what 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:42.840 it says, not what I think, not what I preached 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:45.400 about it last time. And Lord, even if I don't 0:10:45.400 --> 0:10:47.800 completely understand it, I want to share it because I 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:50.000 would rather give the people a word that is fresh 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:55.920 and messy than something that is moldy but has no meaning. 0:10:57.520 --> 0:10:59.559 So as I'm studying a lot of times, I get 0:10:59.559 --> 0:11:03.200 a little I love alliteration so I start making everything 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:05.240 start with P, like it's gonna do today in this 0:11:05.320 --> 0:11:07.920 sermon when I give you the outline. But after I've 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:10.079 made everything start with the letter P, and after I've 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:12.360 tried to figure out lines that I can say, stories 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.720 I can share, illustrations that I can do, I start 0:11:15.720 --> 0:11:17.040 talking to the empty chairs. 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:20.120 Please don't commit me to the outreach partner. 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:23.320 That helps with mental health when you hear this, but 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:25.559 I start talking to the empty chairs, or rather I let. 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:28.760 Them talk to me. And there are people in there 0:11:29.160 --> 0:11:32.280 helping me prepare to preach. They don't know. 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:37.400 They're there, but they're there. Eric, you're there. I shouldn't 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:38.920 tell you this. You might start wanting to get paid 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:41.160 or something like that. Help me with my sermon. 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:44.080 But sometimes when I'm all lost, and what does. 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:46.040 The Greek say? What does the Hebrews say? You know, 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:48.520 God speak to me, speak to me. I look at 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:50.280 the empty chair, and I say, if Eric was sitting 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:52.960 right there, and I know some of the strain and 0:11:53.000 --> 0:11:54.960 the stress that he's carrying. I've known him since we 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:57.240 were little boys. I know that he was adopted, and 0:11:57.280 --> 0:11:58.880 I know that that's complicated for him. 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:02.240 And I know that he instantly deals with the issues. 0:12:01.880 --> 0:12:03.880 From certain things that happened before he even had a 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:07.360 conscious memory. What does Eric need to hear from you Lord, 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:11.400 even if it doesn't start with a letter P, even 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:14.560 if it messes up my outline, even if it means 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.080 I'm not going to get up there to sound so smart? 0:12:17.120 --> 0:12:18.640 What does Eric need to hear? 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:23.920 Sometimes you're there, Matt's smart, So sometimes I'm like, you know, 0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:25.800 Matt's really smart, really successful. 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:27.720 But success brings pressure. 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:31.480 So what does the person who's successful but under pressure need. 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:34.360 To hear today? Because you tend to think that the only. 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:35.960 People who need a touch from the Lord are people 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:38.600 who are down low. But there is a pressure that 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:40.440 comes with blessings that you have to learn how to 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:41.200 manage as well. 0:12:41.920 --> 0:12:43.599 So what do I say to the person. 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:46.280 Who is winning and weary? I said, what do I 0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:49.280 say to the person that's winning and weary? So I 0:12:49.360 --> 0:12:52.160 bring them all around me. I bring Holly around me. 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:54.640 I bring Holly to the table, and I realize that 0:12:54.720 --> 0:13:00.000 she needs to hear honor your husband's and submit to them. 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:02.640 And then I put some kids in the church, you know, 0:13:03.000 --> 0:13:06.439 because they're not necessarily stressing about the same things that 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:08.800 you know a fifty seven year old is stressing about, 0:13:09.080 --> 0:13:11.560 So Lord, show me what my fifteen year old daughter. 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:14.000 So Abby's there and Holly's there, and it's just me 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:16.440 and a Bible to the naked eye. But I got 0:13:16.480 --> 0:13:22.760 every chair filled with people who have needs that only 0:13:22.840 --> 0:13:27.040 God knows and only God can meet. And I told 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:29.400 Graham one day he walked by and said, why do 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:32.280 you study in this room? I said, because these chairs 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:36.720 are full, because it reminds me that after I hear 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:40.400 from God, I'm speaking to them and it helps me 0:13:40.480 --> 0:13:45.160 to filter. Am I coming up here to be impressive? 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:47.880 Or am I coming up here to be a blessing? 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:51.720 One time the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He said, 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:54.640 you can impress them or bless them, but you can't 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:55.720 do both at the same time. 0:13:56.920 --> 0:13:58.160 And if your primary. 0:13:57.760 --> 0:13:59.960 Coast or listening to me, you think I'm talking about preacher, 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:02.680 and I'm talking about every room you walk into. I'm 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:05.840 talking about how you interact with your family. I'm talking 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:08.640 about how you show up in social situations. I'm talking 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:11.480 about sitting with someone who's going through something. Are you 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:15.720 trying to be impressive or a blessing? Paul said, one 0:14:15.760 --> 0:14:18.840 time I forgot everything I knew, so I could remember 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:21.800 the Cross of Christ. I count it all dung for 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:25.040 the sake of knowing him. I preach the foolishness of 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.080 the cross. It's foolishness to those who are perishing, but 0:14:28.200 --> 0:14:30.600 to those of us who are being saved, it's the 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.880 power of God. So when I preach, I want to 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:37.280 please Jesus and I want to help Eric. I want 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.840 to help Matt. I want to help Holly, she needs 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:43.560 a lot of help. She's married to me. I want 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:46.320 to help Abby. I want to help them. So they 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:49.080 are there and they are preaching to me, and I 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:52.360 showed Granddad. I said, before you can hear from God, 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:55.160 you need to remember that you're speaking to them and 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:58.040 you're a servant of God's purpose. 0:14:58.440 --> 0:14:59.400 Before you are. 0:14:59.400 --> 0:15:02.640 A speak you are not speaking for status. 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:05.280 You are a servant of the living God. 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:09.560 You serve the word of God, the bread of Heaven, 0:15:09.920 --> 0:15:13.160 French to the hearts of hurting people, and is a 0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:15.840 privilege to do it. And then I pulled out my 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:19.200 phone and I showed him a text message. I said, 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.520 I just got this text the other day from John. 0:15:23.280 --> 0:15:25.920 John has been in our church for almost twenty years. 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:30.160 He was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's. He's in the middle 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:33.640 of a battle with Parkinson's. And while I'm sitting here 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:38.040 preparing my sermon, parsing the sentences in the original languages 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:41.840 that I hardly understand, and trying to prepare to get 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:45.440 up here and preach to you, I'm remembering John and 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:48.080 the fact that he has Parkinson's, and he sent me 0:15:48.120 --> 0:15:51.760 a text that said, Pastor, these last few weeks of 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:55.240 preaching have helped me so much. You see, I have 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:58.320 pneumonia right now, and on top of the Parkinson's. 0:15:58.560 --> 0:15:59.240 It's a lot. 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:03.560 But with God's help, I will continue to fight and 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:05.240 show up every day. 0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:07.840 So I'm not preaching. 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:13.760 To be impression. If I'm preaching to help John. I'm 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:18.440 preaching to John today. Do you understand today that John 0:16:18.480 --> 0:16:21.160 would love to be in this building but he can't. 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:24.040 He would love to be in your seat and he can't. 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:27.760 And some of you are scrolling on snapchat. Well, I'm preaching, 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:31.720 and somebody would give anything to be in your seat, 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:35.360 you see, because the word of God, this is my 0:16:35.480 --> 0:16:45.120 weapon to fight through my weakness. I told Graham, your 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:50.800 job is to please Jesus and help John. That's all 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:53.680 you gotta do. That's all you gotta do when you preach, 0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:58.960 Please Jesus and help John. So I'm preaching for two 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:01.120 people today, Jesus and John. 0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:05.080 That's my job. Paul said, I got a job. 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.800 I love the apostle Paul because he understood the assignment. 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:09.720 He said, I got a job to do. 0:17:10.320 --> 0:17:12.879 I gotta take the gospel to the gentiles. Touch somebody, 0:17:12.880 --> 0:17:13.600 Say you got. 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:14.200 A job to do. 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:17.840 Look at them like you expect them to report and 0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.200 log their hours. Say you got a job to do. 0:17:21.400 --> 0:17:23.440 I got a job to do. You got a job 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:26.320 to do. Mom, you gotta raise those kids. No, you 0:17:26.320 --> 0:17:28.400 don't have to control them, but you gotta be there 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:28.960 for them. 0:17:29.280 --> 0:17:32.879 You gotta. You gotta co labor with God. Collaborate with 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:36.199 God to raise that child. And watch this. You have 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:38.840 a job. You have a job. 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:41.840 Students, you have a job. And it ain't just for 0:17:41.880 --> 0:17:44.159 you to chat. GVT your way to a c and 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:48.639 get out of this thing you got. You got a job. 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:52.680 Somebody in your great might commit suicide if they don't 0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:53.400 meet Jesus. 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:55.000 You've got a job to do. 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:57.960 You gotta show them the one who said you got 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:02.480 a reason to live. You gotta job. Say, I got 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:05.680 a job, not unemployed in the Kingdom of God. 0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:08.480 I've got a job. I've got a job to. 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:10.439 Do as a mom. I got a job to do 0:18:10.480 --> 0:18:12.240 as a student. I got a job to do as 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:14.720 a small business owner. I gotta figure this out. I 0:18:14.840 --> 0:18:17.119 got a job to do as a creative. I gotta 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:19.520 learn how to do this these graphics in a way 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:22.000 that inspire people. I got a job to do, not 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:23.639 just when I show up to work, but as I 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:24.520 work on myself. 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:25.840 I got a job to do. 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:28.480 I gotta work on me so that I don't pass 0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:31.440 down to the next generation what I struggled with, so 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:33.880 that I can be a chain breaker in my family. 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:35.920 I got a job to do. 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:44.000 And then I told Graham, you got to know your job, 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:51.560 but you also got to know your jury. 0:18:52.320 --> 0:18:54.320 Your jury. 0:18:54.480 --> 0:18:58.760 Let me ask you something, just me and you. You 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.159 love it when the preachers says that, like, there's a 0:19:01.160 --> 0:19:04.040 bunch of us, okay, But if it was just me 0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:07.640 and you and we could talk about it, who's your jury? 0:19:09.760 --> 0:19:12.800 Paul said to the Corinthian Church. You're not my jury. 0:19:13.400 --> 0:19:13.960 The Lord is. 0:19:14.960 --> 0:19:16.520 And he's not saying that so he can get away 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:21.119 with sin. You only God can judge me, Paul got stown, 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:27.000 But not like that, all right, not like that. He 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:28.880 wasn't saying that as excuse, just liv anyway he wanted 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:30.480 to is sin is actually a higher standard that. 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:31.679 I'm called to than what you think about me. 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.880 Because when people judge, they do it on the surface, 0:19:35.800 --> 0:19:40.560 and they do it as a summary, So they just 0:19:40.640 --> 0:19:43.080 label you at the level they can see you. And 0:19:43.119 --> 0:19:44.960 I think if Paul had had kids, he would have said, 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:46.480 I don't care if you think I'm a good dad. 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:50.720 You don't see how I parent my kids. So for 0:19:50.800 --> 0:19:55.040 every mom that has a job, who's your jury? Who 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:57.119 gets to render the verdict whether you're doing a good 0:19:57.200 --> 0:20:00.639 job at it or not? And does does that jury 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:03.360 exists in real life or only on your screen through 0:20:03.440 --> 0:20:08.800 cultivated moments that were curated to impress others, so that 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:10.879 you are comparing the mom that you are to the 0:20:10.920 --> 0:20:12.080 mom that they pretend to be. 0:20:14.400 --> 0:20:16.160 What's your job? Who's your jury? 0:20:16.600 --> 0:20:20.800 Whose popularity would you give anything to earn? Who are 0:20:20.840 --> 0:20:24.080 you doing it for? I want to break this message 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:26.879 down into three points that start with the letter P 0:20:29.200 --> 0:20:32.439 because John likes alliteration. You told me that one time, 0:20:33.640 --> 0:20:35.840 but I think it'd be simplest. If we talk about 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:36.800 the verdicts. 0:20:36.480 --> 0:20:37.919 In your heart. You know what I mean when I 0:20:37.920 --> 0:20:41.120 say verdict, You're no good at. 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:49.280 This, You're unworthy, You're the problem. You'll never change. It's 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:53.120 too big for you. You don't have the experience those 0:20:53.240 --> 0:20:56.760 verdicts in your heart. Those verdicts in your heart come 0:20:56.800 --> 0:21:00.760 from a jury. Who's your jury. We're going to talk 0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:03.639 about praise. That's the first thing we're going to talk about, 0:21:04.320 --> 0:21:07.800 and then we're going to talk about patience, and. 0:21:07.720 --> 0:21:10.600 We'll close the message in about three and a half hours. 0:21:13.160 --> 0:21:18.919 Talking about power, praise, patience. 0:21:19.720 --> 0:21:20.320 And power. 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:24.840 It's interesting that Paul uses this phrase in verse five. 0:21:25.560 --> 0:21:27.239 I'm gonna put it on the screen again for you, 0:21:28.000 --> 0:21:32.520 where he says, hang on, let me turn back there. Yeah, 0:21:32.960 --> 0:21:36.480 each will receive their praise from God. 0:21:36.560 --> 0:21:38.119 Do you see that right there at the bottom of 0:21:38.160 --> 0:21:38.520 the screen. 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:40.680 I'll give you a second to take it in because 0:21:40.680 --> 0:21:45.199 we're used to seeing give praise to God. But that 0:21:45.200 --> 0:21:46.800 looks kind of weird to see it on the screen 0:21:47.359 --> 0:21:54.600 that you also can receive praise from God. Now, who's 0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:58.440 praise you crave the most? Will tell me a lot 0:21:58.480 --> 0:22:05.320 about what you are chained Two who's praise you crave 0:22:05.920 --> 0:22:10.680 the most. So when I started explaining to Graham about 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:12.400 the jury, I had to tell him a story about 0:22:12.400 --> 0:22:15.720 another John. See, there is a part of me that 0:22:15.760 --> 0:22:17.679 when I preach, I want to be accurate. 0:22:17.720 --> 0:22:19.119 I want to be correct. I want to do a 0:22:19.160 --> 0:22:23.359 good job. And there's one memory that stands out in 0:22:23.359 --> 0:22:24.840 my mind. 0:22:24.880 --> 0:22:27.439 Several years ago, and this is the only time that 0:22:27.680 --> 0:22:32.520 this has ever happened. I was criticized for my ministry. 0:22:32.880 --> 0:22:34.480 I'll see if you believe that or not. 0:22:35.400 --> 0:22:37.320 Y'all know better than that because they say it to 0:22:37.440 --> 0:22:38.640 you too about going. 0:22:38.440 --> 0:22:40.200 To church here, so I get it right. 0:22:40.440 --> 0:22:42.159 And this is the part that's kind of personal, but 0:22:42.200 --> 0:22:44.160 I want to give it to you so it can 0:22:44.200 --> 0:22:49.000 be personal for you. There was a man named John 0:22:49.200 --> 0:22:52.760 one time who was being interviewed, and he is a 0:22:52.960 --> 0:22:54.280 great theologian. 0:22:54.320 --> 0:22:57.360 He's in heaven now and he is a great theologian. 0:22:57.760 --> 0:22:59.600 What's his name? John. 0:23:00.840 --> 0:23:02.879 They were doing a lightning round with him at a 0:23:02.920 --> 0:23:05.720 theological panel, and they were saying, we're going to say 0:23:05.760 --> 0:23:09.320 a name of a person, or the name of an event, 0:23:09.480 --> 0:23:11.520 or the name of an organization, and we want you 0:23:11.560 --> 0:23:15.440 to lightning round, just respond what you think about that person. Now, 0:23:15.880 --> 0:23:19.879 I was very unsuspecting because honestly, I really loved this 0:23:19.960 --> 0:23:24.040 guy's teaching, and I studied his books and seminary I 0:23:24.040 --> 0:23:27.200 mean cemetary, I mean seminary. 0:23:27.640 --> 0:23:29.720 And I studied his books to the point. 0:23:29.480 --> 0:23:33.480 Where I actually had started buying volumes of his different 0:23:33.520 --> 0:23:36.639 commentaries on the Bible. So it was really weird to 0:23:36.680 --> 0:23:39.000 me because I was just watching this thing on YouTube 0:23:39.000 --> 0:23:40.520 as a spectator, and I was like in the other 0:23:40.600 --> 0:23:42.400 room getting ready to go preach on a Saturday night, 0:23:42.920 --> 0:23:46.280 and they said my name, they go, they go Steven Ferdick. 0:23:47.280 --> 0:23:50.840 I'm like, is my mom in. 0:23:50.800 --> 0:23:53.080 Here somewhere calling me by my first and last name? 0:23:53.240 --> 0:23:56.840 Like did they say my name? And I got back 0:23:56.840 --> 0:23:58.439 to the screen just in time to see it. And 0:23:58.480 --> 0:24:01.399 I'll never forget it because it wasn't just what he said, 0:24:01.680 --> 0:24:03.720 It was how he sighed before he said it. 0:24:04.200 --> 0:24:07.320 I was expecting him to say who, because I don't 0:24:07.320 --> 0:24:09.840 think of myself as anybody that this man should know about. 0:24:09.880 --> 0:24:11.600 I read his books. But he goes. 0:24:11.359 --> 0:24:17.320 Ah, And what he said next was one word, but 0:24:17.400 --> 0:24:22.399 it felt like it had about a million syllables. He said, unqualified. 0:24:27.200 --> 0:24:34.520 I said, what did John just call me? And the 0:24:34.600 --> 0:24:37.160 first thing I wanted to do was's fight. 0:24:39.680 --> 0:24:40.360 You thought I was. 0:24:40.320 --> 0:24:42.760 Going to say pray. No, I didn't want to pray 0:24:42.800 --> 0:24:44.880 for him. I wanted to lay hands on him. 0:24:44.960 --> 0:24:46.680 Because that's in the Bible too. 0:24:47.080 --> 0:24:50.000 It's in the Bible, like something out of the Bible. 0:24:53.720 --> 0:24:56.399 I can share it with you now because there's no 0:24:56.520 --> 0:24:58.600 bitterness in my heart toward this man. 0:24:59.440 --> 0:25:01.640 I'm sure in heaven and I'm. 0:25:01.520 --> 0:25:05.320 Sure we'll eat grits and eggs together one day when 0:25:05.359 --> 0:25:07.080 I get there, because I'm gonna. 0:25:06.840 --> 0:25:08.679 Be there too, whether he wants me in there or not. 0:25:08.960 --> 0:25:09.880 And I'm gonna knock on. 0:25:09.880 --> 0:25:11.960 His door and I'm gonna say, I read your book. 0:25:12.119 --> 0:25:13.440 Let's have a book club, John. 0:25:18.320 --> 0:25:22.960 But you know what's weird is that sometimes when I 0:25:23.119 --> 0:25:27.639 sit down to study, even though I forgave him, even 0:25:27.680 --> 0:25:32.440 though I wrote a book called Unqualified. 0:25:32.400 --> 0:25:36.239 And sent him one hundred and twenty dollars tie and 0:25:36.320 --> 0:25:38.520 the book signed in the. 0:25:38.400 --> 0:25:41.760 Mail, Yeah I did that. I don't even know they made. 0:25:41.560 --> 0:25:44.760 One hundred and twenty dollars ties until I bought him one. 0:25:44.840 --> 0:25:49.200 Even though I'm gotten over it, there are still sometimes 0:25:49.720 --> 0:25:53.760 that I sit down to preach to one John and 0:25:53.880 --> 0:25:55.280 find myself trying to. 0:25:55.320 --> 0:25:56.800 Prove to another John. 0:25:58.200 --> 0:26:03.080 But God said that's the wrong Joe, God, because God. 0:26:02.880 --> 0:26:06.200 Did not call you to convince the jury. 0:26:06.680 --> 0:26:09.760 God called you to please Him and help John. 0:26:10.200 --> 0:26:13.600 So clap your hands. If you know I got nothing 0:26:13.640 --> 0:26:14.440 to prove. 0:26:20.960 --> 0:26:25.200 Wrong, John, write that down next time you find yourself 0:26:25.200 --> 0:26:28.920 trying to prove something to somebody who isn't even paying attention. 0:26:29.040 --> 0:26:31.560 By the way, you know what they're doing, trying to 0:26:31.640 --> 0:26:35.560 prove themselves to somebody who isn't paying attention. So they 0:26:35.600 --> 0:26:37.920 can prove themselves to somebody who isn't. 0:26:37.720 --> 0:26:40.240 Paying attention because they're proven. And what are you proven to? 0:26:40.520 --> 0:26:42.959 And what will it improve you if they do approve 0:26:42.960 --> 0:26:47.440 of you? Here what I said, What would it improve 0:26:47.480 --> 0:26:51.640 you if they did approve of you? So I'm saying, 0:26:51.680 --> 0:26:56.000 like Paul said, I care a little bit, but I 0:26:56.040 --> 0:27:00.600 can't be controlled by a jury when God has given 0:27:00.640 --> 0:27:06.480 me a job. Even if it's not a person saying it. 0:27:07.520 --> 0:27:08.679 I bet you've heard it before. 0:27:08.920 --> 0:27:09.840 Unqualified. 0:27:11.280 --> 0:27:15.280 Why do I make his voice sound like you on 0:27:15.359 --> 0:27:16.560 a respirator or something? 0:27:16.880 --> 0:27:21.800 Unqualified? I could hear, I could hear the jury. We 0:27:21.880 --> 0:27:24.560 have reached a verdict on. 0:27:24.720 --> 0:27:31.800 Verdict, your honor, we pronounced him unqualified, and I'm like, yeah, 0:27:32.200 --> 0:27:38.399 like Moses, Yeah, like the Virgin Mary, Yeah, like a 0:27:38.480 --> 0:27:43.399 shepherd boy named David, Yeah, like a cousin fisherman, the 0:27:43.520 --> 0:27:48.359 name Peter, anybody God ever use he bit it through. 0:27:48.800 --> 0:27:49.800 They're dysfunction. 0:27:50.440 --> 0:27:59.480 So come all right, we're talking about the praise that 0:27:59.640 --> 0:28:04.840 come from God. Say it, the praise that comes from God, 0:28:05.400 --> 0:28:06.080 the praise. 0:28:05.840 --> 0:28:06.560 I wrote this down. 0:28:06.880 --> 0:28:13.400 Stop performing for people that don't hold your prize. Say 0:28:13.440 --> 0:28:15.919 it again, vertie for the people in the back of 0:28:15.960 --> 0:28:19.240 the church who have been trying to impress somebody, but 0:28:19.320 --> 0:28:22.280 there's nothing at the bottom of the box. You'll remember, Cereal, 0:28:22.480 --> 0:28:24.440 you reach down in it and there's something at the 0:28:24.440 --> 0:28:27.159 bottom of the box. Some of you are reaching so 0:28:27.400 --> 0:28:31.080 far down for the approval of people, but there's nothing 0:28:31.119 --> 0:28:33.600 in the bottom of the box. It doesn't matter if 0:28:33.600 --> 0:28:35.080 they like, It doesn't matter if they don't. 0:28:35.200 --> 0:28:38.200 You can love them, but do not perform for. 0:28:38.120 --> 0:28:44.040 Them, because how can you commit to the praises of 0:28:44.120 --> 0:28:46.680 God if you are addicted to the praises of people. 0:28:51.920 --> 0:28:54.960 Mm hm m hm. 0:28:57.120 --> 0:29:01.080 Stop performing for people. Hold your prize. 0:29:01.640 --> 0:29:04.480 I didn't say something ministering to people who treat you 0:29:04.600 --> 0:29:06.760 mean that's called turn the other cheek. 0:29:07.000 --> 0:29:10.200 That's in the Bible. You gotta do that. God revealed that. 0:29:11.040 --> 0:29:12.120 But you don't have to perform for. 0:29:13.880 --> 0:29:17.680 I don't have to take first Corinthians four, verse five 0:29:17.720 --> 0:29:19.440 and then go to Revelation twenty three about the Great 0:29:19.440 --> 0:29:21.440 White Throne of judgment, the three different types of judgment 0:29:21.480 --> 0:29:23.960 in the Bible. Just because John might be watching me 0:29:24.000 --> 0:29:27.760 from heaven. I'm not preaching to that John. I'm preaching 0:29:27.800 --> 0:29:31.040 to you. I have a job to do today. You 0:29:31.120 --> 0:29:34.360 have a job to do. Are you performing for people? 0:29:34.480 --> 0:29:37.040 He said, the Lord has my prize, So the Lord 0:29:37.120 --> 0:29:40.800 is the one that I'm doing it for. I thought 0:29:40.840 --> 0:29:48.200 that was so freeing for me. See, when you are 0:29:48.240 --> 0:29:50.400 a servant, Okay, I'll go ahead and break down my 0:29:50.440 --> 0:29:53.760 pride barrier and just doing I was trying. 0:29:53.520 --> 0:29:58.680 To avoid it, but I can't now. I want to 0:29:58.680 --> 0:30:00.000 say it right. 0:30:00.640 --> 0:30:06.760 Look young up here, Okay, when you are a servant 0:30:06.960 --> 0:30:10.920 of God's purpose, you won't be a slave to people's praise. 0:30:16.240 --> 0:30:20.120 When you're a servant of God's purpose, I got to 0:30:20.160 --> 0:30:21.720 move on, but I want to talk to you about 0:30:21.720 --> 0:30:26.920 being a slave of people's praise. See, if you are 0:30:27.840 --> 0:30:32.680 a slave of people's praise, you will be a casualty 0:30:32.760 --> 0:30:39.720 of their criticism. So sometimes the danger isn't from the haters, 0:30:40.200 --> 0:30:45.400 it's from the praise. Because if you become too addicted 0:30:45.440 --> 0:30:48.120 to people's praise, people telling you you do a good job, 0:30:48.240 --> 0:30:50.120 what about when God calls you to do something that 0:30:50.160 --> 0:30:54.360 nobody's going to compliment you say, I know that voice. 0:30:54.800 --> 0:30:58.560 That's not the collapse of the crowd, that's the call 0:30:58.640 --> 0:30:59.080 of God. 0:30:59.280 --> 0:31:02.360 Do you know the difference. I have to learn the 0:31:02.360 --> 0:31:07.600 difference where the Lord will say to you sometimes I 0:31:07.640 --> 0:31:10.240 need you to do something that's going to make the 0:31:10.240 --> 0:31:11.320 crowd think you're crazy. 0:31:12.040 --> 0:31:16.560 But the crowd's crazy, not you. And if your jury. 0:31:16.240 --> 0:31:19.120 Of being a parent is other people telling you how 0:31:19.160 --> 0:31:22.120 much screen time your kids should have, are they paying 0:31:22.160 --> 0:31:25.880 for the data plan? You got to work that out 0:31:25.920 --> 0:31:28.640 with God. You might have to parent all your different 0:31:28.680 --> 0:31:30.640 kids different ways. The Bible says train up a child 0:31:30.640 --> 0:31:33.080 in the way that they should go, not in the 0:31:33.120 --> 0:31:35.240 way that your neighbor's child should go, not in the 0:31:35.280 --> 0:31:37.160 way that some experts said they should go. 0:31:37.760 --> 0:31:39.760 Get over it. There are no experts. 0:31:39.880 --> 0:31:42.760 There's just guides along the way, And there is a 0:31:42.800 --> 0:31:44.640 God who made you, and the God who made you, 0:31:44.760 --> 0:31:47.120 knows what's in you, and he's the only one who 0:31:47.200 --> 0:31:49.560 gets to decide if you've been responsible with what He've 0:31:49.600 --> 0:31:50.400 been trusted to you. 0:31:51.480 --> 0:31:53.480 And that's why it doesn't matter much. 0:31:53.320 --> 0:31:55.720 When people praise you, because people don't know what God 0:31:55.760 --> 0:31:59.200 gave you. So it could be possible that you were 0:31:59.240 --> 0:32:02.240 given much more than you're working with and people are impressed, 0:32:02.240 --> 0:32:03.280 but God is not pleased. 0:32:04.760 --> 0:32:06.320 Only God knows what he gave you. 0:32:06.760 --> 0:32:09.320 It could be possible that you are doing much better 0:32:09.360 --> 0:32:11.680 than people would think, but you were given a very 0:32:11.760 --> 0:32:14.960 rough start in life, and for you to be where 0:32:15.000 --> 0:32:18.760 you are right now is the grace of God. And 0:32:18.840 --> 0:32:23.320 don't let anybody's schedule intimidate you for where your life 0:32:23.360 --> 0:32:30.000 is supposed to be right now. So if I'm not 0:32:30.040 --> 0:32:34.400 a slave to their praise, I can't be a casualty 0:32:34.960 --> 0:32:36.400 of their criticism. 0:32:36.720 --> 0:32:40.400 Please God, help John, Please God, that's all I have 0:32:40.480 --> 0:32:40.720 to do. 0:32:40.880 --> 0:32:44.400 Please God, and help John and all of the Johns 0:32:44.400 --> 0:32:46.000 that are in this room. And I think you got 0:32:46.000 --> 0:32:49.720 to focus it down to know like Paul knew. He said, 0:32:49.880 --> 0:32:53.800 I am entrusted with what God has revealed to me. 0:32:54.040 --> 0:32:57.120 And that might be one certain thing for each season 0:32:57.400 --> 0:33:01.360 that God reveals and says you are respond this. You 0:33:01.400 --> 0:33:05.280 are not responsible for the outcome. You are only responsible 0:33:05.320 --> 0:33:09.959 to apologize. You are not responsible for the outcome. You 0:33:10.000 --> 0:33:14.680 are only responsible to show up. You are not responsible 0:33:14.840 --> 0:33:18.600 to create something wonderful. You're just responsible to create consistently. 0:33:19.240 --> 0:33:21.360 When I came off my summer break, I wrote. 0:33:21.160 --> 0:33:21.840 A lot of songs. 0:33:21.880 --> 0:33:24.320 Somebody said, did you write us a lot of great songs? 0:33:24.360 --> 0:33:27.080 I said, a lot of songs. I don't know if 0:33:27.080 --> 0:33:29.840 they're great yet. I'll let y'all decide that. That's not 0:33:30.000 --> 0:33:31.240 my job. 0:33:32.120 --> 0:33:35.040 I'm not the jury. I don't examine myself. I can 0:33:35.120 --> 0:33:35.920 only show up. 0:33:36.120 --> 0:33:40.640 That's all I can do and be what Paul called faithful. 0:33:41.080 --> 0:33:43.959 And this kind of faith requires and this is a 0:33:44.160 --> 0:33:46.360 very bad word, so we might need to bleep it out. 0:33:46.360 --> 0:33:51.280 The sermon number two patience, bleep. 0:33:51.040 --> 0:33:52.840 It out, or nobody's gonna watch the video. 0:33:53.520 --> 0:33:54.160 Patience. 0:33:55.920 --> 0:33:58.440 Verse five is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. 0:33:59.000 --> 0:34:02.920 And yet the Lord showed me something fresh for us today. 0:34:02.960 --> 0:34:05.280 Can I give it to you? Can I give it 0:34:05.320 --> 0:34:11.000 to you like God gave it to me? Somebody say, patience, Therefore, 0:34:12.400 --> 0:34:19.480 judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. 0:34:19.480 --> 0:34:21.799 What's he talking about. He's talking about the day when 0:34:21.840 --> 0:34:25.240 we'll stand before God. And you know, when I stand 0:34:25.280 --> 0:34:30.600 before God, no matter who's up there going unqualified. 0:34:30.440 --> 0:34:33.560 Don't let him in. I'm not gonna take a test 0:34:33.600 --> 0:34:38.680 to get in. I'm not gonna take a test. I'm 0:34:38.719 --> 0:34:39.560 just gonna do emotion. 0:34:40.800 --> 0:34:43.839 I'm gonna find the man on the middle cross and 0:34:43.920 --> 0:34:48.480 point and say it like this, I'm with him, And 0:34:48.520 --> 0:34:53.120 that's how I'm gonna get in. Because my eternal verdict 0:34:53.440 --> 0:34:57.839 hinges on my relationship with Jesus, and I have accepted 0:34:57.920 --> 0:35:00.920 him as the Lord and savior of my life, and 0:35:01.000 --> 0:35:04.200 he died for me, and he covered me, and all 0:35:04.280 --> 0:35:07.560 of the sin that I did was canceled. It's not 0:35:07.640 --> 0:35:11.120 only canceled, but God has so loved me with his 0:35:11.200 --> 0:35:14.680 love that he is conforming me to the image of 0:35:14.760 --> 0:35:18.600 his son Jesus, and that is settled. That is the 0:35:18.640 --> 0:35:22.279 eternal verdict over my life. But I'd like to say 0:35:22.320 --> 0:35:25.319 that there are also internal verdicts that we make in 0:35:25.360 --> 0:35:28.200 the meantime, and that's not always just based on your 0:35:28.200 --> 0:35:29.440 relationship with Jesus. 0:35:29.680 --> 0:35:31.880 That's based on your relationship with the Holy Spirit. 0:35:33.120 --> 0:35:36.200 So those verdicts that go on inside of you where 0:35:36.239 --> 0:35:41.239 you judge stuff. You judge stuff about yourself, like who 0:35:41.280 --> 0:35:44.040 you think you need to be to be qualified for 0:35:44.120 --> 0:35:45.960 a thing, or who you think you need to know 0:35:46.360 --> 0:35:48.640 to get in certain doors. All of those judgments how 0:35:48.680 --> 0:35:50.840 you think your life needs to turn out. Remember I 0:35:50.880 --> 0:35:54.000 said last week that we can't ask God for directions 0:35:54.160 --> 0:35:57.479 if we don't let him set the destination, like God 0:35:57.560 --> 0:35:59.880 is not like GPS, where you put in the destination 0:36:00.320 --> 0:36:01.880 and then God will just give you the directions to 0:36:01.880 --> 0:36:05.400 the destination you chose. And so, in the process of 0:36:05.440 --> 0:36:07.840 trusting God, in the process. 0:36:07.680 --> 0:36:10.560 Of hearing God, there are some times. 0:36:10.280 --> 0:36:14.600 Where I have to trust his timing even when I 0:36:14.640 --> 0:36:18.920 don't feel like he's talking. And sometimes he's talking, but 0:36:18.960 --> 0:36:20.520 I've already made up my mind what i want him 0:36:20.520 --> 0:36:23.640 to say, so I can't hear what he says because 0:36:23.640 --> 0:36:27.400 I already have the script written. This verse says something 0:36:27.440 --> 0:36:29.920 about the appointed time. 0:36:30.400 --> 0:36:31.160 Let's read it again. 0:36:31.880 --> 0:36:37.720 Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time. So Paul is saying, 0:36:38.400 --> 0:36:42.480 don't judge things that happen in your life, don't judge events. 0:36:43.680 --> 0:36:48.080 Don't even judge things that you call failure as being fruitless. 0:36:49.200 --> 0:36:52.120 Some of the greatest fruit in your life is born 0:36:52.200 --> 0:36:53.560 from the greatest failures. 0:36:54.960 --> 0:36:55.919 Shall I say it again? 0:36:56.680 --> 0:36:59.480 Some of the greatest fruit from your life will come 0:36:59.520 --> 0:37:02.359 out of the greatest failures. How many can testify to that? 0:37:02.480 --> 0:37:05.480 Just wave a hand at me, he says. Judge nothing 0:37:05.560 --> 0:37:08.040 before the appointed time. 0:37:08.280 --> 0:37:10.680 So right now this verse. 0:37:11.080 --> 0:37:15.319 Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time. 0:37:15.600 --> 0:37:15.920 Say it? 0:37:16.200 --> 0:37:24.640 Therefore, judge nothing before. Okay, therefore, judge nothing before in 0:37:24.760 --> 0:37:27.279 light of the fact that God is the judge, in 0:37:27.400 --> 0:37:29.759 light of the fact that God is the jury, in 0:37:30.280 --> 0:37:32.560 light of the fact that God knows what he has 0:37:32.800 --> 0:37:38.759 entrusted to you. He says, therefore, judge nothing before the 0:37:38.840 --> 0:37:39.720 appointed time. 0:37:39.960 --> 0:37:41.839 So what time is it right now? Somebody check your 0:37:42.080 --> 0:37:42.759 watch real quick. 0:37:45.160 --> 0:37:50.480 Ten forty two am Eastern Standard time? 0:37:50.880 --> 0:37:51.359 Is that right? 0:37:51.440 --> 0:38:00.440 Ten forty two Eastern Standard time on Sunday's today's day? 0:38:01.480 --> 0:38:05.200 What's wrong? Fili? 0:38:05.200 --> 0:38:12.080 Like I lost the room? Y'all seem distracted. Are y'all 0:38:12.120 --> 0:38:15.960 distracted by something? I'm trying to preach? But y'all see 0:38:16.040 --> 0:38:18.440 that nobody's looking at me. Y'all seem distracted by something. 0:38:19.880 --> 0:38:25.600 Y'all are distracted because you're judging something, something that you 0:38:25.640 --> 0:38:26.400 didn't expect. 0:38:27.520 --> 0:38:29.240 But something that I planned. 0:38:32.480 --> 0:38:38.879 Because before I preach the sermon, I told Davide, when 0:38:39.000 --> 0:38:41.680 I say what time is it, I want you to 0:38:41.760 --> 0:38:45.640 start walking from the back of the church and walk 0:38:45.680 --> 0:38:46.440 on the stage. 0:38:46.800 --> 0:38:49.440 And when you walk, act like you're doing. 0:38:49.239 --> 0:38:53.200 It on purpose, so the security doesn't snatch you. Act 0:38:53.800 --> 0:38:57.120 like you know where you're going, so some redneck doesn't. 0:38:56.960 --> 0:38:57.960 Jump up and tackle you. 0:38:58.520 --> 0:39:01.759 Somebody'd be like, oh, I get no, no, no, he's 0:39:01.800 --> 0:39:04.480 coming up here because I called him. 0:39:05.480 --> 0:39:06.640 Because I called him. 0:39:07.280 --> 0:39:12.080 See, you thought he was a distraction, but really he 0:39:12.320 --> 0:39:13.520 was a demonstration. 0:39:15.040 --> 0:39:17.880 You didn't know what he was there for. 0:39:18.880 --> 0:39:23.400 But I told him before he started walking up the 0:39:23.520 --> 0:39:27.040 stairs what I needed him there for. Because I said 0:39:27.200 --> 0:39:30.200 at a certain time in my sermon, I'm gonna say 0:39:30.200 --> 0:39:32.839 what time is it? At that moment, I don't want 0:39:32.880 --> 0:39:35.440 you to ask anybody's permission. I don't want you to 0:39:35.440 --> 0:39:38.160 push past anybody. I don't want you to second guest. 0:39:38.320 --> 0:39:41.160 When I say what time is it? Start walking and 0:39:41.360 --> 0:39:44.120 just stand there. And the people are gonna think, what's 0:39:44.120 --> 0:39:48.000 he there for? But I told you before what you're 0:39:48.120 --> 0:39:50.880 there for. Because I want to use you in this 0:39:51.040 --> 0:39:54.840 sermon illustration. There have been some things in my life 0:39:55.160 --> 0:39:58.520 where God put me in situations and I didn't know 0:39:58.560 --> 0:40:03.640 what I was there. But before Joseph ever got thrown 0:40:03.719 --> 0:40:07.960 into the prison, God knew what he would be there for, 0:40:08.680 --> 0:40:10.840 to feed his entire family. 0:40:11.280 --> 0:40:14.239 Y'all, don't hear me preaching. Paul was in prison in. 0:40:14.280 --> 0:40:18.800 Philippi and he started praising God at night, and suddenly 0:40:18.840 --> 0:40:23.239 everybody's chains came loose. He didn't start praising after the 0:40:23.360 --> 0:40:27.800 chains broke. He started praising before because he knew. 0:40:27.680 --> 0:40:28.400 What he was. 0:40:28.920 --> 0:40:33.760 Therefore, I'm trying to say that when you know your purpose, 0:40:34.239 --> 0:40:38.120 that when you know your father, when you know his fools, 0:40:40.520 --> 0:40:44.080 let me put it plain, stop judging stuff that God 0:40:44.160 --> 0:40:52.839 is not done with yet. Okay, that was pretty good 0:40:52.840 --> 0:40:53.920 punctuation mark. 0:40:54.880 --> 0:40:55.080 Yeah. 0:40:55.200 --> 0:41:00.000 See, because he's there for a purpose. You judged it 0:41:00.200 --> 0:41:05.279 before you knew what it was there for. You judged it. 0:41:05.440 --> 0:41:08.600 You are judging certain things about you, and you are 0:41:08.640 --> 0:41:14.000 calling them weaknesses. You are calling them weaknesses, but they're 0:41:14.040 --> 0:41:15.080 really not weaknesses. 0:41:15.280 --> 0:41:20.279 They're weapons. They are therefore God to use. 0:41:20.400 --> 0:41:22.880 Paul said, one time I had a thorn in my 0:41:23.000 --> 0:41:26.640 flesh and I asked God to take it away, but 0:41:26.760 --> 0:41:31.680 he left it there for a purpose, so that I 0:41:31.800 --> 0:41:38.280 might know his grace is sufficient. Don't judge it before 0:41:38.320 --> 0:41:42.640 you get to see what it was there, for God 0:41:42.680 --> 0:41:46.279 knows what he's doing. Am I preaching better than this 0:41:46.320 --> 0:41:47.800 Episcopalian church of shouting? 0:41:49.960 --> 0:41:51.080 I don't need their praise. 0:41:51.680 --> 0:41:55.160 Hey, cuse, the Holy Ghost is telling me this word 0:41:55.520 --> 0:42:01.720 is working, all right, Go sit back down. 0:42:00.480 --> 0:42:01.719 And don't run back up here again. 0:42:01.800 --> 0:42:04.560 If he runs back up here again, he's not authorized 0:42:04.560 --> 0:42:06.040 for an illustration. 0:42:08.200 --> 0:42:09.160 And a powerful april. 0:42:09.360 --> 0:42:13.040 I thought it was a distraction, but Pastor was using 0:42:13.080 --> 0:42:18.040 it for a demonstration. If that's true of me, how 0:42:18.160 --> 0:42:21.880 much more is God using things. You think it's a distraction, 0:42:22.000 --> 0:42:24.759 you're judging it, you think it's a disappointment. 0:42:24.800 --> 0:42:27.880 You're judging it. Don't judge it before God gets to 0:42:27.920 --> 0:42:28.359 show you. 0:42:28.280 --> 0:42:38.280 What it's all right, But paul says something so important 0:42:39.239 --> 0:42:41.920 that I hope you saved a little room for dessert, 0:42:43.040 --> 0:42:45.520 because if you read this what Paula is saying, He's like, 0:42:45.960 --> 0:42:49.680 you can't judge me. I'm holy, you can't judge me. 0:42:50.000 --> 0:42:51.279 I know I'm walking with God. 0:42:51.320 --> 0:42:52.520 In fact, he. 0:42:52.560 --> 0:42:54.640 Makes this statement, and I think this is the problem 0:42:54.680 --> 0:42:56.719 with only using this scripture, So I want to use 0:42:56.760 --> 0:42:57.680 one more today. 0:42:58.280 --> 0:43:03.840 For this installment, get something out of this. Praise the Lord. 0:43:06.760 --> 0:43:09.200 Oh that therefore befo A thing really really got me 0:43:09.239 --> 0:43:11.040 when I was studying, But. 0:43:12.480 --> 0:43:15.440 I realized there's somebody listening to me who doesn't know 0:43:15.440 --> 0:43:20.840 what it is. Therefore, and that what Paul said, not 0:43:20.960 --> 0:43:23.439 all of us can say. You know, when he said 0:43:23.440 --> 0:43:29.560 I don't judge myself verse four, my conscience is clear. See, 0:43:29.560 --> 0:43:33.960 we can't all say that when he said it is 0:43:34.000 --> 0:43:36.319 the Lord that judges me. Just a few words later, 0:43:37.400 --> 0:43:40.400 do you see that in verse four part B, it 0:43:40.440 --> 0:43:42.759 is the Lord that judges me. We can all say 0:43:42.800 --> 0:43:46.560 that because it's ultimately going to be God's job to 0:43:46.640 --> 0:43:47.080 judge us. 0:43:47.160 --> 0:43:51.000 Ultimately. Ultimately, I mean. 0:43:50.840 --> 0:43:53.000 That doesn't mean that people won't hand out consequences and 0:43:53.000 --> 0:43:55.680 that your life won't have certain verdicts that are just 0:43:56.600 --> 0:43:59.399 you know, handed to you by life. But it means 0:43:59.400 --> 0:44:02.560 that ultimately God will judge you. But the part that 0:44:02.600 --> 0:44:05.160 we might be tripping over is we can't all say, 0:44:05.280 --> 0:44:10.880 like Paul, my conscience is clear, because there are a 0:44:10.960 --> 0:44:13.040 lot of you who are listening to me, and you're 0:44:13.080 --> 0:44:19.319 hearing this through the filter of guilt. And when I 0:44:19.360 --> 0:44:22.440 read to you about Paul saying, you can't judge me. 0:44:24.440 --> 0:44:26.080 I know that my conscience is clear. 0:44:26.400 --> 0:44:29.719 You're thinking to yourself, people can't judge me because they 0:44:29.719 --> 0:44:30.279 don't even know. 0:44:30.239 --> 0:44:33.280 How bad I really am. 0:44:33.320 --> 0:44:37.279 And even sometimes listen to me, when someone tries to 0:44:37.320 --> 0:44:40.520 give you praise or a compliment or lift you up, 0:44:40.680 --> 0:44:43.160 you won't let it in because there is something that 0:44:43.239 --> 0:44:47.719 you know about you. So now I want to call 0:44:47.760 --> 0:44:51.960 on a third person named John. If you go to 0:44:52.040 --> 0:44:56.239 John chapter eight with me briefly, there is a perickopee 0:44:56.920 --> 0:45:03.560 about a woman who was caught in the act of adultery, 0:45:04.280 --> 0:45:08.520 and she was brought before Jesus to be judged by 0:45:08.600 --> 0:45:11.359 a jury of religious professionals. 0:45:11.400 --> 0:45:12.960 For our purposes. 0:45:12.440 --> 0:45:16.520 Today, you may not be dragged in front of Jesus 0:45:16.520 --> 0:45:19.640 to be judged by a group of people. It may 0:45:19.680 --> 0:45:25.920 be by your own regret, resentment, dark nostalgia, remembrances of 0:45:26.000 --> 0:45:29.319 things that you did, and current struggles with things. 0:45:29.360 --> 0:45:30.799 That you still do. 0:45:31.360 --> 0:45:35.000 The Bible says in John chapter eight, verse one, that 0:45:35.120 --> 0:45:38.520 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, and at dawn 0:45:38.640 --> 0:45:41.040 he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the 0:45:41.080 --> 0:45:44.640 people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them, 0:45:44.680 --> 0:45:45.480 so get the picture. 0:45:45.840 --> 0:45:47.200 It is as it should be. 0:45:47.760 --> 0:45:51.759 Jesus, the Savior, is at the center, and everyone is 0:45:51.880 --> 0:45:57.040 gathered around him, and he taught them. Verse three, The 0:45:57.080 --> 0:46:01.080 teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought a woman 0:46:01.640 --> 0:46:05.040 caught in adultery. So while the crowds are being taught, 0:46:05.400 --> 0:46:09.440 this woman is caught, and she is brought before Jesus, 0:46:09.760 --> 0:46:11.360 the one who taught the crowds. 0:46:11.440 --> 0:46:13.160 Now they brought the woman. 0:46:13.000 --> 0:46:16.600 Who was caught in adultery, and they get they do 0:46:16.719 --> 0:46:20.480 something that religion always does. See, when the passage started, 0:46:20.800 --> 0:46:22.040 Jesus was at the center. 0:46:23.040 --> 0:46:25.560 But when they got involved, Sin was at the center. 0:46:26.760 --> 0:46:30.759 So they say, look at her sin, Jesus, we caught her. 0:46:30.960 --> 0:46:33.760 The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. 0:46:33.400 --> 0:46:36.239 Brought a woman caught in adultery. 0:46:36.480 --> 0:46:39.640 They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 0:46:39.920 --> 0:46:44.239 teach her. This woman was caught in the act of 0:46:44.320 --> 0:46:48.960 adultery in the law. They're quoting scripture. This must be 0:46:49.000 --> 0:46:52.319 God in the law. They're talking about the Bible. This 0:46:52.440 --> 0:46:56.000 must be God in the law. Moses commanded us to 0:46:56.200 --> 0:46:57.360 stone such women. 0:46:57.680 --> 0:46:59.280 Now, what do you say. 0:46:59.560 --> 0:47:02.160 That is a dangerous question to ask Jesus if you 0:47:02.200 --> 0:47:04.279 don't really want to answer, don't ask him if you 0:47:04.320 --> 0:47:07.319 don't want to know, because Jesus might not agree with you. 0:47:08.200 --> 0:47:10.800 It is a dangerous thing when you have made a 0:47:10.920 --> 0:47:14.239 Jesus in your mind that only ever agrees with you. 0:47:15.040 --> 0:47:18.120 Jesus might think different about it than you. Jesus might 0:47:18.160 --> 0:47:22.400 see it different than you. Jesus is my jury. Jesus 0:47:22.560 --> 0:47:25.879 is my jury. So they asked the question, teacher, what 0:47:25.920 --> 0:47:28.800 do you say about it? Hey, there, what do you teaching? 0:47:28.840 --> 0:47:31.240 All these wonderful things? But we're bringing you a woman 0:47:31.400 --> 0:47:34.239 who was caught. We caught her red handed. We caught 0:47:34.239 --> 0:47:36.680 her in the act. We know what the Bible says. 0:47:36.840 --> 0:47:40.640 And they were using this question as a trap in 0:47:40.719 --> 0:47:44.520 order to have a basis for accusing him. But it's 0:47:44.520 --> 0:47:47.680 a bad idea to try to trap the answer with 0:47:47.719 --> 0:47:52.400 your questions. I said, you better not try to trap 0:47:52.440 --> 0:47:56.839 the answer with your questions. See, I've got to come 0:47:56.880 --> 0:47:59.799 to him and say what do you think? And I 0:47:59.800 --> 0:48:02.680 think the most powerful thing in the Bible is what 0:48:02.760 --> 0:48:03.719 happens right in the. 0:48:03.680 --> 0:48:08.480 Middle of the verse. But Jesus been down. 0:48:09.680 --> 0:48:13.720 And started to write on the ground with his finger. 0:48:14.200 --> 0:48:21.600 Notice he stoops before he speaks, he stoops before he speaks. 0:48:22.239 --> 0:48:25.759 He doesn't have to stoop. He's God. He doesn't have 0:48:25.840 --> 0:48:28.520 to stoop. He is the highest name, the name above 0:48:28.560 --> 0:48:30.439 every name, the name at which every need will bow. 0:48:30.760 --> 0:48:33.440 He doesn't have to stoop. But instead of. 0:48:33.400 --> 0:48:36.880 Clearing his throat to speak, he rolls up his sleeves 0:48:37.520 --> 0:48:40.840 to get dirty and get to work in the life 0:48:41.200 --> 0:48:45.239 of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery, 0:48:45.520 --> 0:48:48.600 and whatever he wrote in verse seven, they were not 0:48:48.760 --> 0:48:52.000 satisfied with his actions, the Bible said. When they kept 0:48:52.080 --> 0:48:56.640 questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, let 0:48:56.840 --> 0:49:00.240 any of you who is without sin be the first 0:49:00.320 --> 0:49:02.600 one to throw a stone at her. 0:49:03.040 --> 0:49:06.640 And again he stooped down and rode on the ground. 0:49:07.640 --> 0:49:12.040 And at this those who heard begin to go away, 0:49:13.080 --> 0:49:16.080 one at a time, the older ones. 0:49:16.239 --> 0:49:19.640 First, I wonder what they did in the sixties, baby, 0:49:20.400 --> 0:49:25.240 what were they doing at Woodstock? And this is really 0:49:25.360 --> 0:49:26.480 good news. 0:49:27.080 --> 0:49:37.120 Until only Jesus was left with the woman still standing there. 0:49:37.760 --> 0:49:43.399 And Jesus straightened up and asked her, woman, where is 0:49:43.960 --> 0:49:46.560 your jury? 0:49:47.400 --> 0:49:52.320 Has no one condemned you? No one, sir? She said, 0:49:53.120 --> 0:50:02.000 Then neither do I condemn you. Jesus declared, now and 0:50:02.080 --> 0:50:07.440 leave your life of sin. One Baptist preacher said, it's 0:50:07.520 --> 0:50:12.160 a good thing they drop their rock, because Jesus can 0:50:12.239 --> 0:50:16.160 change water into wine. And if he can change water 0:50:16.239 --> 0:50:18.920 into wine, if one of those boys would picked up 0:50:18.920 --> 0:50:21.920 a rock and thrown it at her, Jesus would have 0:50:22.000 --> 0:50:25.640 turned it into rubber mid air, and that rubber rock 0:50:25.680 --> 0:50:29.239 would have bounced off of her and bounce back into 0:50:29.239 --> 0:50:31.840 a rock and bust their brains out. That's what the 0:50:31.880 --> 0:50:35.879 Baptist preacher said. But just touch your neighbors, simply say 0:50:35.920 --> 0:50:36.520 you better. 0:50:36.400 --> 0:50:37.120 Drop your rock. 0:50:38.280 --> 0:50:41.800 You better drop your rock, because none of us really 0:50:41.840 --> 0:50:46.000 wants Jesus to start bringing forth all of the evidence, 0:50:46.719 --> 0:50:49.960 of all of the thoughts, and all of the things, 0:50:50.239 --> 0:50:53.759 and all of the times and all of the struggles. 0:50:54.120 --> 0:50:57.719 But what I love about the passage is that they 0:50:57.840 --> 0:51:01.239 were caught up in what a sinner she was. I 0:51:01.280 --> 0:51:04.919 don't know if you noticed, but they accused her. See, 0:51:05.040 --> 0:51:07.960 the Holy Spirit is not an accuser. That's Satan's job. 0:51:08.440 --> 0:51:12.600 The Holy Spirit is an advocate. And when Jesus is 0:51:12.680 --> 0:51:15.120 your jury, when Jesus. 0:51:14.800 --> 0:51:16.480 The perfect one, this thoughtless one. 0:51:16.480 --> 0:51:18.760 The lamb of God, the lion of the tribe of Judah, 0:51:18.880 --> 0:51:21.200 the Bride in the Morning Star, the Lily of the Valley, 0:51:21.400 --> 0:51:22.400 the Rose of Sharon. 0:51:22.640 --> 0:51:24.520 When that God gets. 0:51:24.400 --> 0:51:28.480 Down in the dirt, it doesn't matter what people declare 0:51:28.719 --> 0:51:34.160 over your life. Even you can't judge you when Jesus 0:51:34.680 --> 0:51:39.440 is your jury, because the Bible says, help me preach somebody. 0:51:39.640 --> 0:51:43.560 The Bible says that as he stooped down and began 0:51:43.640 --> 0:51:47.440 to ride in the dirt, they said, the law commands 0:51:47.520 --> 0:51:50.040 us to stone such women. 0:51:50.480 --> 0:51:54.600 Oh she's such a sinner. Oh she's such a sinner. 0:51:54.800 --> 0:52:02.319 So remember this power to change belongs to God. See 0:52:02.440 --> 0:52:06.520 Jesus did not tell her you have permission to keep sinning. 0:52:07.360 --> 0:52:10.279 He told her, now that you've met me, you have 0:52:10.440 --> 0:52:16.680 power to stop. So that's why anytime the enemy starts 0:52:16.719 --> 0:52:19.160 telling you you're such a sinner, you can't be used 0:52:19.200 --> 0:52:19.560 by God. 0:52:19.640 --> 0:52:20.520 You're such a sinner. 0:52:20.560 --> 0:52:23.000 God can't forgive you for that you're such a sinner. See, 0:52:23.040 --> 0:52:25.319 you're missing the whole point. The point isn't that I'm 0:52:25.360 --> 0:52:26.399 such a sinner or. 0:52:26.280 --> 0:52:28.680 That I'm such a saint. Is that he's such a savior. 0:52:30.920 --> 0:52:32.719 Come on, come on, come on, come on, he's such 0:52:32.719 --> 0:52:36.080 a savior. Yeah, but you're such a sinner. 0:52:36.600 --> 0:52:38.919 And so when the enemy starts beating your brains out 0:52:38.960 --> 0:52:42.080 with these rubber rocks, when the enemy starts throwing stuff 0:52:42.080 --> 0:52:44.680 at you and hurling, and there's verdicts in your head, 0:52:44.840 --> 0:52:47.440 you say, yeah, I'm such a sinner. I'm not here 0:52:47.440 --> 0:52:50.200 because I'm such a saint. I'm here because he's such 0:52:50.200 --> 0:52:53.480 a savior. As a matter of fact, he's such a 0:52:53.520 --> 0:52:56.880 savior that, in one gospel account, when the woman with 0:52:56.960 --> 0:52:59.839 the issue of blood snuck up and touched the hymn 0:52:59.840 --> 0:53:03.400 of his garment, didn't even touch him, just touch the 0:53:03.480 --> 0:53:06.400 him of his garment, the dirty part of his garment, 0:53:06.600 --> 0:53:09.480 the part that dragged through the streets when she touched 0:53:09.480 --> 0:53:12.920 the hem of his garments. Normally, if the unclean touches 0:53:12.960 --> 0:53:15.440 the clean, the clean becomes unclean. 0:53:15.760 --> 0:53:19.080 But he's such a savior. He's such a savior. 0:53:19.120 --> 0:53:22.160 That when you touch this savior, it doesn't make the 0:53:22.440 --> 0:53:26.800 clean unclean. Baby, it makes the unclean clean. He's such 0:53:26.800 --> 0:53:31.880 a savior. He's such a savior. He is such a savior. 0:53:32.760 --> 0:53:37.080 Touch somebody, say he's such a savior. He's such a savior. 0:53:37.480 --> 0:53:40.120 He's such a savior that when he got to the 0:53:40.160 --> 0:53:44.279 grave and it was four days into lazarus death, he 0:53:44.400 --> 0:53:47.920 had to call Lazarus by name because there was so 0:53:48.040 --> 0:53:51.040 much power in his word that if he had just 0:53:51.080 --> 0:53:55.000 said get up, every dead body in Jerusalem and Bethany 0:53:55.239 --> 0:53:58.720 would have got about the brave because it's such a savior. 0:53:59.120 --> 0:54:04.560 There's enough in one word from God. And he is 0:54:04.800 --> 0:54:09.160 such a savior that one drop of his blood can. 0:54:09.040 --> 0:54:10.240 Make the foul liss clean. 0:54:10.600 --> 0:54:13.680 He's such a savior that when the thief on the 0:54:13.760 --> 0:54:16.799 cross turned to the man in the middle and said, 0:54:16.840 --> 0:54:19.280 I know I don't deserve it. I know I've wasted 0:54:19.360 --> 0:54:21.839 so much time. I know I deserve to be up 0:54:21.840 --> 0:54:22.680 here and you don't. 0:54:22.960 --> 0:54:24.120 But would you remember me? 0:54:24.160 --> 0:54:26.120 I don't even know who you are yet, I don't 0:54:26.120 --> 0:54:28.719 even really get it yet. But would you remember me? 0:54:28.800 --> 0:54:32.680 And he said, today you'll be with me in paradise. 0:54:33.200 --> 0:54:36.480 So I'm telling you today, the power of my testimony 0:54:36.560 --> 0:54:39.040 and the power of my confession, and the power of 0:54:39.080 --> 0:54:41.640 my thought, and the power of my overcoming and the 0:54:41.680 --> 0:54:44.440 power of my victory is not that I'm such a saint. 0:54:46.080 --> 0:54:49.400 Is that he is such a savior. 0:55:00.120 --> 0:55:03.919 Law commands us to stone such a woman. She's such 0:55:03.920 --> 0:55:07.719 a sinner, don't you hear that sometimes about yourself. You're 0:55:07.760 --> 0:55:11.600 such an idiot. Yeah, but Jesus is sucher than you. 0:55:14.080 --> 0:55:15.759 I think I should preach a message called you know 0:55:15.760 --> 0:55:18.800 we talked about he's a savior. He's such a savior, 0:55:19.360 --> 0:55:23.440 and he's sucher than your sin. He's such a savior. 0:55:24.880 --> 0:55:29.440 He's such a savior that they only had the power 0:55:31.040 --> 0:55:35.640 to catch her in the act of adultery. But he's 0:55:35.680 --> 0:55:38.680 such a savior. He has the power to catch you 0:55:39.120 --> 0:55:51.120 when you fall and stand you back up again. So 0:55:51.200 --> 0:55:54.759 when the verdict goes in my mind, you're unqualified, or 0:55:54.760 --> 0:55:57.280 you're dirty, or you're unworthy, or you're a peace trash 0:55:57.400 --> 0:56:00.000 or and man, I gotta. 0:55:59.719 --> 0:56:00.279 Tell you something. 0:56:01.640 --> 0:56:04.960 In one of those chairs around my table is me. 0:56:06.760 --> 0:56:10.160 I ap preach to me because I hear it all 0:56:10.200 --> 0:56:14.200 the time. You're such a moron. Come on, how many 0:56:14.239 --> 0:56:16.000 of you liked me struggle with self talking. You're not 0:56:16.000 --> 0:56:17.759 gonna pay for therapy, so this is all you're gonna 0:56:17.760 --> 0:56:18.799 get today listening to me. 0:56:18.800 --> 0:56:20.040 Talk to you. 0:56:22.200 --> 0:56:24.600 When I went to therapy for the about the third 0:56:24.680 --> 0:56:27.720 or fourth time, I was describing all of these thoughts 0:56:27.719 --> 0:56:30.640 that go in my head. I was describing my jury. 0:56:30.840 --> 0:56:33.000 The therapist didn't call it that. That's what I've learned, 0:56:33.000 --> 0:56:37.800 that it's a jury making a verdict. But she interrupted 0:56:37.840 --> 0:56:40.400 me with a question. She said, Hey, I hear you 0:56:40.440 --> 0:56:42.360 saying some really harsh things about yourself. 0:56:42.760 --> 0:56:47.600 Whose voice is that? That's a good question. 0:56:50.600 --> 0:56:53.400 And sometimes my voice in my head sounds more like 0:56:53.440 --> 0:56:54.919 the serpent that accused us than. 0:56:54.840 --> 0:56:56.920 The Savior that advocates. 0:56:59.239 --> 0:57:02.880 So I shared First Corinthians four one through five to 0:57:02.960 --> 0:57:07.279 let you know that Jesus is your jury and that 0:57:07.400 --> 0:57:10.640 you have a job. But I read John eight to 0:57:10.719 --> 0:57:13.640 know that your job is not to be Jesus. 0:57:15.000 --> 0:57:17.960 Your job is to trust him. 0:57:18.120 --> 0:57:20.840 And he did for you what you couldn't do for you. 0:57:22.280 --> 0:57:25.120 And so when the when the such a start this week? 0:57:25.160 --> 0:57:25.640 And they will. 0:57:26.920 --> 0:57:29.320 You're such a You're such a You're such a bad man, 0:57:29.400 --> 0:57:33.400 you're such a Whose voice is that? It's not the 0:57:33.480 --> 0:57:36.240 voice of the savior, it's the voice of shame. And 0:57:36.280 --> 0:57:41.080 you know what, Shame can't lift you out of your sin. 0:57:44.280 --> 0:57:47.120 Shame can't lift you out of your sin, and grace 0:57:47.160 --> 0:57:48.240 will not leave you in it. 0:57:51.560 --> 0:57:54.120 Hey, I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, 0:57:54.680 --> 0:57:57.280 make sure to share it and subscribe so we can 0:57:57.320 --> 0:57:59.840 get you all of these new messages as soon as 0:57:59.880 --> 0:58:02.720 the available. I also want to take a moment and 0:58:02.800 --> 0:58:04.600 thank all of you who are a part of Elevation. 0:58:05.120 --> 0:58:08.440 Whether you support us financially, or serve with us, or 0:58:08.840 --> 0:58:11.560 just share these messages, it's because of you that we're 0:58:11.560 --> 0:58:14.520 able to reach people all around the world. And if 0:58:14.520 --> 0:58:17.040 you want more information on how to be a part 0:58:17.040 --> 0:58:20.959 of Elevation, click the link in the description. Thanks again 0:58:21.000 --> 0:58:23.960 for listening. Make sure to leave a review, share the message, 0:58:24.000 --> 0:58:24.840 and subscribe. 0:58:25.120 --> 0:58:34.480 God bless you.