back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 2/6/2022
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for us to gather together and to worship our God. 00:08:32.760 |
So let us begin through the singing of a song of worship 00:08:37.680 |
and we're gonna sing a song, "Undivided Heart." 00:11:51.600 |
but first of all, Pastor Peter Chung is gonna come 00:11:53.600 |
and give his announcement for the family ministry. 00:12:14.520 |
you can qualify whether you're a member of the church 00:12:30.520 |
and so even if you're not a member of the church, 00:12:41.520 |
is within about two months from February 19th, 00:12:48.520 |
so that we can get enough of a head count for the food, okay? 00:12:51.520 |
So FAM 245, Saturday, next Saturday, the 19th, 00:13:04.520 |
or you can contact Jason Choi or myself, okay? 00:13:12.520 |
the equipping classes that are starting today at 2 p.m., 00:13:16.520 |
so if you've signed up for the New Testament survey class, 00:13:39.440 |
Timothy Tang, he's gonna come up and give his testimony, 00:13:44.440 |
so again, if you are giving your offering physically, 00:13:47.440 |
we have a physical box underneath the clock over there, 00:13:55.440 |
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much, Lord God, 00:14:04.520 |
and to worship you, to call you our Abba Father, 00:14:10.440 |
both physically and even spiritually, Lord, with you. 00:15:18.120 |
All right, so as a reminder for those sitting outside, 00:15:34.120 |
and for those inside, would you please stand with us 00:16:54.120 |
♪ You came down to find us, let us out of death ♪ 00:17:55.120 |
♪ You came down to find us, let us out of death ♪ 00:18:58.120 |
♪ You came down to find us, let us out of death ♪ 00:19:05.120 |
♪ To you alone belong to the highest praise ♪ 00:19:11.120 |
♪ And you alone can rescue, you alone can save ♪ 00:19:23.120 |
♪ You came down to find us, let us out of death ♪ 00:19:30.120 |
♪ To you alone belong to the highest praise ♪ 00:19:36.120 |
♪ To you alone belong to the highest praise ♪ 00:19:42.120 |
♪ To you alone belong to the highest praise ♪ 00:22:07.120 |
♪ See the price, see the price of our redemption ♪ 00:22:34.120 |
♪ Come behold, come behold the wondrous mystery ♪ 00:23:12.120 |
♪ Christ in power, resurrected as we will be ♪ 00:23:31.120 |
♪ Christ in power, resurrected as we will be ♪ 00:23:50.120 |
♪ Christ in power, resurrected as we will be ♪ 00:24:26.120 |
The messiness of the divorce left a lasting wound 00:24:32.120 |
my parents would take me to church habitually. 00:24:39.120 |
Even so, I did not understand what was going on around me, 00:24:42.120 |
and that feeling changed when my parents left to China. 00:24:49.120 |
I began hopping around different auntie, uncles' houses, 00:24:55.120 |
my youth group pastor took a stint taking care of me 00:25:00.120 |
I bought into the idea that Christ is my savior 00:25:02.120 |
and started attending church due to the overwhelming love 00:25:11.120 |
that would lead me astray throughout high school 00:25:17.120 |
I became reliant on false pretenses I had of Christ, 00:25:23.120 |
and Christ will pour his care over me in the way I desired. 00:25:35.120 |
these misconceptions of the Lord came to a head, 00:25:40.120 |
I started to look for the meaning of my faith in the word 00:25:55.120 |
and is still better than most brothers and sisters I know. 00:26:13.120 |
"and will remind you of everything I have said to you." 00:26:17.120 |
how to cherry-pick the word and twist the word 00:26:23.120 |
My experience with the cult soured continually 00:26:28.120 |
By the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit, 00:26:30.120 |
I started to find small holes in their arguments, 00:26:36.120 |
and I left the cult unsure of where I stood with my faith 00:26:49.120 |
I would look at my previous experiences of my faith 00:26:56.120 |
I decided to forego my relationship with the Lord 00:27:18.120 |
But when quarantine started, my business was shut down, 00:27:20.120 |
and I was alone with myself in my apartment in Irvine, 00:27:31.120 |
However, I had time to reflect on my spiritual health, 00:27:43.120 |
and it all came from a heart that was too scared 00:27:49.120 |
I could not escape the facts laid out in the world 00:27:54.120 |
beckoning me to trust in him and in him alone. 00:27:57.120 |
The Almighty God, who has died for my transgressions against him, 00:28:08.120 |
I never thought I would consider myself Christian again 00:28:11.120 |
in my life, but my only response was to go back 00:28:20.120 |
encouraged me to look through the word myself, 00:28:27.120 |
Through God's endless grace and gentle guidance 00:28:31.120 |
I learned how to read and apply the word in my life 00:28:40.120 |
I finally understand that Christ is my Lord and Savior. 00:28:56.120 |
I am no longer lost amidst the solution of the word 00:30:13.900 |
All right, thank you Tim for that great testimony 00:30:26.320 |
We're gonna finish up this text, verse 17 to 19. 00:30:41.800 |
It says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, 00:30:49.160 |
"Let them do this with joy and not with grief, 00:30:54.120 |
"Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience 00:30:57.280 |
"desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. 00:31:10.580 |
help us to see a greater glimpse of who you are, 00:31:14.100 |
that we may submit ourselves, Lord God, to your word, 00:31:21.800 |
I wanna read you a poem that I wrote when I was 23. 00:31:32.800 |
and basically I wrote this in a period of discouragement 00:31:38.500 |
just to kind of remind myself to give me strength 00:31:40.760 |
to persevere, and basically the poem goes like this. 00:31:45.760 |
I have come too far to retreat, to remain in my defeat. 00:31:57.920 |
to finally know the joy and peace he'll bring. 00:32:07.100 |
My thoughts go back to that night in December 00:32:18.520 |
I don't even remember the context in writing that, 00:32:27.240 |
and thinking to myself, just kicking and screaming, 00:32:36.080 |
and I'll do whatever else, but pastoral ministry. 00:32:42.640 |
that I have with childhood was somehow connected to church 00:32:47.360 |
And so when I knew going in that that was gonna come, 00:32:55.720 |
the interpersonal relational conflict started to come, 00:33:12.760 |
I just, back then I used to write songs and write poems, 00:33:19.140 |
But as I was writing that, looking back at it now, 00:33:35.580 |
that at least I had some inkling, I had some idea. 00:33:51.000 |
30 years have gone by since I wrote that poem, 00:34:00.040 |
he only gives you enough to know at that moment. 00:34:06.880 |
like how many of us would be able to persevere, 00:34:20.880 |
the biblical calling of leaders in the church, 00:34:27.480 |
sometimes to the point where people are frustrated 00:34:29.600 |
that we need to have a very high view of the church. 00:34:42.080 |
automatically the church will be compromised. 00:34:48.040 |
the congregation needs to commit to the leadership. 00:34:50.960 |
And so last week we looked at to obey and submit. 00:34:53.840 |
Obey and submit basically means to place yourself under, 00:35:08.760 |
because I'm basically asking for prayer this morning. 00:35:19.660 |
I get an email from our sister Helen once a month, 00:35:26.040 |
And so most of the prayer requests that I give 00:35:30.280 |
is probably looks the same as the previous months 00:35:33.360 |
because a lot of things that we get entangled with 00:35:36.960 |
And so we have to sift through what can I share, 00:35:56.200 |
you can pray for us in more detail, more accurately. 00:35:59.380 |
The prayer request falls into two categories here. 00:36:05.580 |
"Pray for us for we are sure that we have a good conscience 00:36:08.040 |
"desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things." 00:36:11.440 |
So the first thing is to pray for our own sanctification. 00:36:14.780 |
Pray for the sanctification and maturity and growth 00:36:25.760 |
"Pray for us for we are sure that we have a good conscience 00:36:28.680 |
"desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things." 00:36:36.040 |
he's not just saying that we should pray for ourselves, 00:36:38.280 |
he's saying that we should pray for ourselves 00:36:42.800 |
"Pray for us for we are sure that we have a good conscience 00:36:45.800 |
"desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things." 00:36:51.120 |
to praying for that they would have a good conscience, 00:36:54.880 |
and then he says to conduct ourselves honorably 00:36:58.040 |
he's talking about sanctification inside and out. 00:37:09.800 |
and so everything that pertains to running the church, 00:37:13.800 |
And be completely a different person internally. 00:37:18.640 |
In fact, Pharisees were the godliest people on the surface, 00:37:23.640 |
probably more than majority of the people in our generation. 00:37:40.320 |
he said, "You are no different than a whitewashed tomb." 00:37:47.440 |
but inside it's just filled with dead men's bones. 00:37:54.920 |
we can preach and teach and evangelize and counsel 00:38:04.940 |
Where we can do all these things and make disciples, 00:38:31.260 |
because we're concerned because there's immediate consequences 00:38:33.480 |
if we don't get the external things correctly 00:38:41.000 |
"because we are trying hard to have a good conscience 00:38:43.240 |
"and desiring with all our might to conduct honorably." 00:38:52.240 |
unless there is righteousness inside and outside. 00:38:55.820 |
Everybody, I mean, you guys are all in different fields. 00:39:03.440 |
there's a special kind of skill that you need 00:39:11.840 |
you had all kinds of things that you needed to do 00:39:15.160 |
Well, on the surface, the church is no different. 00:39:20.760 |
I don't think on the surface the church is more difficult 00:39:27.800 |
If you're a good manager, if you're good with people, 00:39:34.580 |
But you cannot bear fruit because the Bible says 00:39:39.180 |
that you cannot bear fruit unless you abide in me. 00:39:42.040 |
Unless there is an abiding that is taking place 00:39:45.440 |
in the leadership, in conscience, and in conduct, 00:39:52.320 |
We can get you to maybe thank us and adore us, 00:39:55.600 |
but the real fruit that comes from the conviction 00:40:04.600 |
have a clear conscience before God, inside and out. 00:40:10.660 |
"In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always 00:40:13.720 |
"a blameless conscience before God and before men." 00:40:23.620 |
"those who revile your good behavior in Christ 00:40:29.240 |
He said the reason why leaders have to be above reproach 00:40:42.480 |
but the leaders are to be an example of this. 00:40:49.760 |
that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 00:40:53.260 |
that you need to repent and humble yourself before this king 00:40:57.920 |
and until you turn from the empty way of life, 00:41:01.960 |
there is no salvation, there is no hope beyond this life. 00:41:07.360 |
then I've turned you away from your sin to eternal life, 00:41:14.720 |
'cause I just call your whole way of life empty, 00:41:22.280 |
and that there is eternal judgment waiting for you. 00:41:30.740 |
is a very offensive message if they do not believe, 00:41:52.140 |
if somebody comes into your room early in the morning 00:41:55.880 |
and they flip the light on, right, it's still dark, 00:42:05.560 |
You have a job at 5.30 and if you don't get there in time, 00:42:09.520 |
So if somebody comes in and flicks the light on, thank you 00:42:12.840 |
'cause if you didn't do that, I would've just slept through 00:42:17.120 |
You may respond that way depending on the context 00:42:29.480 |
and then the only day you have to sleep in is Saturday 00:42:32.560 |
and maybe the person flicking the light on forgot 00:42:34.760 |
that was the case and they flipped the light on. 00:42:52.720 |
in the best dream of my life and you woke me up. 00:43:10.560 |
Or is it disturbing you or where you want to stay? 00:43:19.040 |
to get you to move from where you are to somewhere else. 00:43:22.040 |
But if you don't want to move, the gospel is very disturbing. 00:43:29.440 |
And so because of that, if the elders were called 00:43:34.600 |
some people will thank us and many will find ways 00:43:40.440 |
So if the leaders of the church are not above reproach 00:43:46.240 |
well, look at you, and if any of that sticks, 00:43:50.320 |
they nullify the message because they've nullified 00:44:03.120 |
Right before this text, Apostle Paul tells Timothy 00:44:09.200 |
command them to stop teaching these false doctrines. 00:44:12.640 |
So he's telling Timothy to gear up for this fight. 00:44:19.560 |
he says, remember that even in the midst of this fight, 00:44:28.320 |
But he says, but from a pure heart and a good conscience 00:44:41.800 |
that Christ came and says what characterized us 00:45:33.320 |
that we can do in the flesh than to love somebody 00:45:45.240 |
just being broken because everything in my flesh 00:45:52.280 |
that whatever sermon that I give, that I'm a fake. 00:46:01.320 |
and it's with my mouth, but not with my life. 00:46:13.680 |
And a leader cannot do this until his conscience is clear, 00:46:23.320 |
This calling for the leadership in the church 00:46:35.240 |
who has more courage than the average person? 00:46:45.040 |
and we have this title of leader or whatever it may be, 00:46:54.840 |
So a lot of times we have to tell our elders, 00:46:56.640 |
sometimes they follow you more than they follow us 00:47:05.960 |
Every temptation you struggle with, I struggle with. 00:47:09.000 |
You want the best things for your kids, so do we. 00:47:13.880 |
You wanna live in a nice house instead of a shack, me too. 00:47:25.160 |
I wanna make sure that there's enough to retire on. 00:47:27.720 |
I wanna make sure that my wife is taken care of, 00:47:32.720 |
You struggle with that, you're tempted by it, so am I. 00:47:35.480 |
I have to constantly fight against my own flesh. 00:47:40.920 |
And I'm not saying any of that stuff is wrong, 00:47:49.920 |
and it says all these things shall be added unto you. 00:47:52.560 |
I don't know how many times I've repeated that verse 00:48:06.680 |
so I grew up determined that I'm gonna make money 00:48:16.120 |
we're gonna make sure that you ride limousine 00:48:23.720 |
Today's version was I'm gonna buy you the best Tesla. 00:48:26.200 |
We're gonna make sure 'cause you suffered enough. 00:48:28.360 |
Just like a lot of the kids do, we did the same thing. 00:48:43.440 |
I had to let that go and give it in God's hand. 00:49:02.320 |
But I don't have this longing to live in a big house. 00:49:19.720 |
and just wake up in the morning at the beach. 00:49:24.160 |
So I don't have this big vision of I want nice things. 00:49:39.760 |
And I really remember when we started having kids, 00:49:43.440 |
the temptation, because we really had nothing. 00:49:52.320 |
And then not having air conditioning in the car 00:50:14.120 |
And all these things shall be added unto you. 00:50:18.240 |
So throughout the years, I had to repeat that in my head 00:50:24.800 |
to chase after that, you know, is always there. 00:50:36.080 |
But I know that this is not something you can do part-time. 00:50:39.280 |
Like either I believe it and give my life like Apostle Paul, 00:50:51.240 |
this command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, 00:50:53.560 |
in accordance with the prophecies previously made 00:50:55.680 |
concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight. 00:51:12.280 |
Like 'cause you get paid, you do certain things, 00:51:17.000 |
and we get paid, so that's how we take care of our family. 00:51:20.040 |
But this is not a ministry that you can do as a job. 00:51:22.640 |
This is a ministry where you have to be called. 00:51:34.920 |
Sometimes you may eat well, sometimes you may not. 00:51:37.200 |
Sometimes the bills are paid, sometimes you are not. 00:51:46.920 |
Then sooner or later, you're gonna end up walking away. 00:52:03.060 |
Especially now that the church is certain size 00:52:06.440 |
and so many people volunteering and helping out, 00:52:16.820 |
I don't have to wrestle, and there's a sense of urgency 00:52:21.300 |
to get you gathered because you're gonna come. 00:52:23.660 |
So the temptation is to just get it done, right? 00:52:32.820 |
that the urgency to get the gospel out is no different 00:52:42.900 |
It's just that there's a temptation for us to settle. 00:52:58.740 |
Crescent has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia, 00:53:04.100 |
This is the very last letter Paul wrote before he died. 00:53:14.940 |
Some of the last letters that he wrote was very depressing. 00:53:37.980 |
And then he's telling his next generation young pastors, 00:53:48.400 |
"so that you may please the commanding officer." 00:53:51.980 |
He's saying this in the context with all these other people. 00:53:54.700 |
Demas is mentioned in Philemon as his co-worker. 00:54:05.540 |
And that's why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9, 26, 00:54:11.760 |
"but I discipline my body and make it my slave 00:54:40.860 |
"I need to discipline my body, make it my slave, 00:54:51.720 |
"We need your prayers, because this is beyond us. 00:54:55.800 |
"This is not something we can do by our own might, 00:55:01.180 |
"Oh, these men are more courageous than average people. 00:55:39.740 |
"our life, inside and out, will be pleasing to the Lord. 00:55:43.700 |
"We are being sanctified, as you are being sanctified." 00:55:52.480 |
Hebrews 13, 19, he says, "I urge you all the more 00:55:55.000 |
"to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner." 00:56:00.000 |
There's a lot of people who think it's Barnabas 00:56:01.800 |
and various other people, but I've gone through this text 00:56:04.720 |
verse by verse for about five or six times now, 00:56:11.560 |
Some people believe it is, and some people believe 00:56:13.920 |
it's somebody else, but I'm gonna talk to you like it is. 00:56:18.100 |
Apostle Paul had, he was just one-track mind. 00:56:24.140 |
Like, life or death, he needs to preach the gospel. 00:56:31.440 |
This man, who literally was sitting in prison, 00:56:53.200 |
He says, not only am I willing to go to prison, 00:57:00.620 |
And he's sure, just as he said, he got bound, 00:57:13.440 |
He says in Ephesians 6, 19, pray for boldness 00:57:16.120 |
to preach the word in season and out of season. 00:57:22.680 |
Can you think of another person who literally got stoned, 00:57:31.320 |
And he said, oh my gosh, the thought that somebody 00:57:37.400 |
probably will keep us away from the doors closed 00:57:42.320 |
When we say, Lord, open the door for the gospel to enter, 00:57:46.120 |
oftentimes we're praying for a red carpet to be thrown out. 00:57:49.160 |
We'll give you this money, all the food's ready, 00:57:52.200 |
we have a church there, and here's a pulpit ready, 00:58:02.240 |
he's talking about people who's trying to kill me, 00:58:04.360 |
help me to stay safe so I can get over there. 00:58:14.560 |
'cause he was struggling with that, 'cause he's human. 00:58:17.260 |
He remembers the pain of getting hit by rocks. 00:58:27.560 |
He remembers being shipwrecked, almost dying. 00:58:30.040 |
He remembers being whooped to the point of death. 00:58:32.760 |
And on top of all of that, his fellow countrymen, 00:58:46.520 |
Simply because they didn't like what he had to say. 00:59:00.760 |
Your letters are strong, but your presence is weak. 00:59:07.200 |
trying to defend his apostleship to the very people 00:59:09.600 |
that he risked his life to get the gospel to. 00:59:32.460 |
People are constantly, and he says that in Philippians. 00:59:59.660 |
I don't think he was talking about physical suffering. 01:00:04.000 |
I don't think it was just about being shipped there. 01:00:05.560 |
I think he's talking about the people that he loved, 01:00:16.900 |
that God will open up for us the door for the word, 01:00:18.960 |
so that we may speak from the mystery of Christ, 01:00:23.180 |
so that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. 01:00:27.540 |
and every pastor, every leader struggles with that. 01:00:39.320 |
so that I can do a good job presenting the truth. 01:00:45.080 |
Philippians 1, 20, according to my earnest expectation 01:00:48.480 |
and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything, 01:00:57.200 |
Paul's sitting in prison, possibly about to die, 01:01:04.240 |
Pain's coming, struggle is coming, pray for me. 01:01:23.800 |
he says pray for me so that I don't fail this, 01:01:32.840 |
and even Jesus, I mean, it was prophesied, prepared. 01:01:41.960 |
and yet the night before he went to the cross, 01:01:43.920 |
he prayed to his father, Lord, is there any other way? 01:01:46.920 |
And he agonized in his prayer, in his humanity. 01:02:05.040 |
this is not something that man can do by being smart. 01:02:15.920 |
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble, 01:02:21.320 |
get in another line, 'cause disaster's coming. 01:02:32.000 |
to consider anything as coming from ourselves, 01:02:36.960 |
who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant. 01:02:44.160 |
I mean, think about how God put the church together. 01:02:55.440 |
In fact, Paul says, whenever they started getting proud 01:02:57.480 |
and competing with each other in 1 Corinthians, 01:02:59.480 |
he's like, "Did you forget how dumb you were? 01:03:13.280 |
"In fact, God chose you because you were dumb. 01:03:16.040 |
"God chose you because you didn't have anything to offer." 01:03:19.680 |
He said, "Why are you trying to up one another? 01:03:27.680 |
He said, "The whole reason why the church is falling apart 01:03:39.880 |
he chose people who were gonna get out of the way. 01:03:43.160 |
He deliberately chose people who were gonna be humble. 01:03:54.480 |
he said, "Okay, they're all fair to you, but not me." 01:04:02.040 |
than any other disciples 'cause he had the greatest pride. 01:04:05.240 |
He was trying to show them this is impossible, 01:04:15.160 |
That's why Paul says, "When I am the weakest, 01:04:18.040 |
Look at this church, the church that we run, right? 01:04:27.440 |
'Cause this room is filled with a bunch of weirdos. 01:04:49.360 |
no matter how socially well-adjusted you may be, 01:05:02.520 |
So it doesn't matter how well-adjusted you are, 01:05:14.440 |
Outside of Christ, we all have different opinions. 01:05:16.480 |
Look at the way the pandemic is handled, right? 01:05:19.280 |
Some of you are angry that we're not wearing masks. 01:05:27.960 |
And then some of you is like, "We're not communists." 01:05:38.800 |
We're serving the Lord together in the same room. 01:05:44.640 |
And I remember when we were doing the building, 01:05:48.080 |
I realized how separate the world becomes easily. 01:06:11.360 |
but there's a group of people that go that direction, right? 01:06:17.440 |
If you're good at tissue, or if you're into rap music, 01:06:33.320 |
you end up going through with blue collar people. 01:06:40.360 |
So if you're a blue collar worker, and that's it, 01:06:43.760 |
These are the guys, I hate these white collar guys. 01:06:46.920 |
If you're an accountant, that's the world you're in. 01:06:57.080 |
Because you have the engineers and the contractors 01:07:03.640 |
And so what I noticed was the engineers are concerned 01:07:13.440 |
Contractors are concerned about the functionality. 01:07:28.640 |
"it may be sturdy, but no one's gonna go through this door. 01:07:34.320 |
So what's the point in having a strong structure 01:07:38.800 |
And the engineers, what's the use of having a door 01:07:47.360 |
So you have engineers and you have contractors 01:07:53.400 |
and both of them have realities that you need to abide by. 01:07:56.720 |
But when you try to bring these two people together, 01:07:59.360 |
after experiencing this building and the other building, 01:08:02.640 |
I still wonder how they don't kill each other. 01:08:05.840 |
I mean, literally, I've seen fights break out 01:08:25.640 |
And the only time you will rub shoulders with them, 01:08:29.520 |
'cause in any other context, you guys are just like, 01:08:37.760 |
It's like, and then you have some of you guys 01:08:55.880 |
"Hey, can you give me some suggestions on where to go?" 01:09:05.520 |
at 6.05, wash your face, 6.07, you know what I mean, 01:09:10.320 |
And it's like, "Oh my gosh, why would I even go on vacation? 01:09:23.200 |
And if they're not mature, they will not yield. 01:09:30.800 |
This building's gonna fall if we don't do this. 01:09:46.080 |
so that we can come together and love Christ. 01:09:49.480 |
But humanly speaking, you would never rub shoulders 01:09:59.600 |
So, the moment that you lose that attraction to Christ, 01:10:26.600 |
Obviously, I can share this 'cause they're not here. 01:10:28.800 |
They called me out and they said it was urgent. 01:10:32.280 |
So, I came out, 10 o'clock, and they were lecturing me 01:10:41.560 |
"'cause I wanna invite my non-Christian friends 01:10:43.520 |
"and when they come, it goes over their head. 01:10:48.040 |
And I said, "Well, that's just the way I'm gonna preach." 01:10:58.280 |
That same week, I got called out by another guy 01:11:06.560 |
there's so much going on here and you only touched this 01:11:08.800 |
and you need to do this and you need to get deeper. 01:11:11.320 |
Remember, as I was talking to this individual, 01:11:16.000 |
I was thinking, "I wanna introduce you to that couple 01:11:18.800 |
"so that you can get into this room and see who wins." 01:11:26.120 |
And then you come to an agreement where everybody's happy 01:11:57.680 |
and our church was a lot smaller at that time 01:11:59.480 |
and so people had an idea, let's encourage our pastors. 01:12:07.080 |
So without our knowledge, they started planning this thing 01:12:10.040 |
and I just kind of hearing through the grapevine, 01:12:20.400 |
And then I started hearing, "There's trouble." 01:12:29.120 |
"There's a group that wants to encourage you guys this way 01:12:32.800 |
"and then there's this group that wanted to encourage you 01:12:47.520 |
"I never wanna do anything with that group again. 01:12:54.480 |
And so by the time we got to the encouragement 01:12:59.360 |
and we're sitting there and they made this video 01:13:02.400 |
and the whole time I was sitting there thinking like, 01:13:09.340 |
"Pastor's Appreciation Day I've ever experienced in my life." 01:13:12.840 |
It almost like they came out of that thinking like, 01:13:36.080 |
to do what God calls us to do by our own strength. 01:13:41.720 |
On top of that, our church is run by volunteers. 01:13:51.500 |
"and you organize this and do that and do that." 01:13:54.120 |
Well, the difference between a corporation and this 01:13:57.160 |
and a corporation, if you do a bad job, you're fired. 01:13:59.800 |
And you just get the money, hire another guy. 01:14:03.000 |
So we can make the quality go up and up and up, 01:14:10.760 |
So even if that person may not be doing the best job, 01:14:30.520 |
because they get paid, and if they don't do that, 01:14:33.920 |
You get fired, and somebody else who's skilled gets done. 01:14:36.560 |
People may be grumbling and hate being there, 01:14:41.600 |
So as long as that's happening, then we're successful, 01:14:48.120 |
who may not be the best at what they're doing, 01:14:52.160 |
and we want to raise them up and make disciples, 01:14:59.400 |
when they're not focused, they drop the ball. 01:15:07.360 |
When they're discouraged, they drop the ball. 01:15:09.680 |
When they have relational problems, they drop the ball. 01:15:19.920 |
and then all of a sudden you're dating, you drop the ball. 01:15:23.360 |
and then you have children, and you drop the ball. 01:15:28.600 |
So a lot of the work is picking up the balls, right? 01:15:34.800 |
And on top of that, it keeps changing on us, right? 01:15:39.040 |
I've never passed in a church that's almost 1,000 people. 01:16:04.960 |
Like, oh, certain things were doing fine when it was 200, 01:16:09.840 |
And then 700, it was fine, but it doesn't work at 1,000. 01:16:15.720 |
On top of that, we don't get trained for any of this. 01:16:31.240 |
Pastors go get trained how to interpret the Bible. 01:16:41.000 |
'cause this is what the seminary prepared me to do, right, 01:16:58.560 |
What I could preach with confidence five years ago 01:17:06.480 |
when the Seeker Friendly Movement was blowing up, 01:17:11.480 |
They said, "Peter, you should be so stubborn. 01:17:12.840 |
"You need to follow what they're doing, what they're doing. 01:17:14.800 |
"You should be more cutting edge and doing this and that." 01:17:17.680 |
And it's already hard enough to kind of manage, 01:17:19.720 |
but I'm constantly, "You should do this, you should do that." 01:17:49.400 |
I'd rather dig ditches, and I used to say that a lot. 01:18:05.780 |
Just to keep everybody who's nominal satisfied in the church 01:18:09.640 |
so they can say, "Oh, this is a great church, 01:18:17.200 |
We're not practicing what he told us to practice. 01:18:20.440 |
Then at the end of the day, I committed to being fake. 01:18:25.220 |
So it's interesting 'cause people would come, 01:18:29.160 |
and they would ask, "Oh, does your church practice, 01:18:31.660 |
"does your church believe in predestination?" 01:18:38.320 |
And then all of a sudden, the Young Resident Reform Movement 01:18:41.480 |
come in, and then people younger would come into church. 01:18:44.960 |
It's like, "Do you guys practice church discipline?" 01:18:48.060 |
Like, the younger people were asking me this, 01:19:04.100 |
And then as a result, the church started to grow. 01:19:08.200 |
So not only does the church change, the culture changes, 01:19:23.360 |
The only way that the church can be the church 01:19:27.720 |
is if God's doing something supernatural in us. 01:19:42.920 |
If I take certain things out and say it in a certain way 01:20:03.340 |
If people are not being shaken out of their comfort zone 01:20:07.320 |
so that they can meet the true resurrected Christ, 01:20:12.460 |
And this is not something that I can do because I'm bold. 01:20:17.640 |
because they're more disciplined or knowledgeable 01:20:22.560 |
The only way that the church can be the church 01:20:28.280 |
is if this is a gathering of regenerate people 01:20:32.520 |
whose eyes have been opened to the gospel of Jesus Christ 01:20:36.760 |
and despite our differences, despite our struggles, 01:20:40.600 |
despite our temptations, despite our shortcomings, 01:21:07.020 |
I know there's times when you are discouraged 01:21:10.580 |
And I know even now, we know many people in this room 01:21:14.820 |
who are dealing with some heavy stuff in your life 01:21:21.720 |
Discouragement comes and there's always this constant 01:21:32.300 |
They have young children at home they're struggling with, 01:21:38.300 |
That our own sanctification, lift us up for us 01:21:48.980 |
You know, we live in a culture where everything 01:21:50.800 |
that Christ teaches going against the principles 01:21:58.680 |
but to do this year in and year out, we need your prayers. 01:22:03.700 |
So I'm gonna, again, before we open up the communion table, 01:22:08.700 |
right, and I'm gonna read this really for myself, right? 01:22:13.900 |
But I hope that as you remember this poem that I wrote, 01:22:23.780 |
that these are the things that we struggle with 01:22:26.180 |
that maybe it'll help you to pray for us more specifically. 01:22:29.580 |
I have come too far to retreat to remain in my defeat. 01:22:33.660 |
I have no other path to take for there are too many things 01:22:37.660 |
My soul thirsts to see the only king to finally know 01:22:48.460 |
my thoughts go back to that night in December 01:23:08.460 |
If I can ask the praise team to come back up. 01:23:37.340 |
And every time we participate in this communion 01:23:41.360 |
is a reminder to us that it is not by your strength. 01:24:41.940 |
Maybe some of you are discouraged by your own conscience, 01:24:47.820 |
And the only way for us to be delivered by that 01:24:51.280 |
is to come to Christ, receive his forgiveness, 01:25:00.900 |
and you're going through so much pain right now, 01:25:03.300 |
come to the communion table and receive his love. 01:25:11.660 |
will become more real to you through your suffering 01:25:39.220 |
"For I received from the Lord which I also delivered to you, 01:25:46.960 |
"and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 01:25:53.520 |
In the same way, he took the cup also after supper, 01:25:55.880 |
saying, "This cup is a new covenant in my blood. 01:25:58.600 |
"Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 01:26:01.920 |
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 01:26:04.620 |
"you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." 01:26:09.520 |
to take some time to pray and prepare your heart. 01:26:11.580 |
And again, this is for those who have been baptized believers 01:26:15.100 |
and so if you are here and you have not confessed Christ 01:26:25.340 |
And so I wanna give you guys just some time to pray 01:26:32.820 |
So let's take some time to pray before we participate. 01:28:19.800 |
I pray Lord God that your grace would be sufficient 01:28:22.040 |
to carry it onto completion until the day of Christ. 01:28:24.680 |
Lord, in our weakness, help us to find strength in Christ, 01:28:28.680 |
that Jesus would truly be the head of this church. 01:28:32.840 |
And so we ask Lord God as we participate in this communion, 01:28:49.180 |
May Christ be exalted and your body strengthened 01:28:56.260 |
Would you all take the wafer and if you would open it up 01:29:02.340 |
and then when you're ready, we'll participate together. 01:29:11.580 |
Would you all stand up with me for the closing praise? 01:30:00.460 |
♪ That all who come in faith find forgiveness at the cross ♪ 01:30:33.820 |
♪ The body of our savior Jesus Christ torn for you ♪ 01:30:46.820 |
♪ Eat and remember the wounds that heal the death ♪ 01:30:57.500 |
♪ Who brings us life paid the price to make us one ♪ 01:31:29.860 |
♪ The blood that cleanses every stain of sin shed for you ♪ 01:31:52.860 |
♪ Drink and remember he drained death's cup ♪ 01:31:57.860 |
♪ That all may enter in to receive the life of God ♪ 01:32:46.860 |
♪ So with thankfulness and faith we rise to respond ♪ 01:32:51.860 |
♪ And to remember our call to follow in the steps of Christ ♪ 01:33:45.440 |
- Lord, we thank you for the grace that sustains us, 01:34:04.420 |
to guide us, to build us, to give us hope, peace, and rest. 01:34:10.860 |
Lord, I wanna especially lift up our brothers and sisters 01:34:13.380 |
who are wrestling, struggling with various trials 01:34:28.540 |
We pray, Father God, for those who have been discouraged, 01:34:40.460 |
I pray you would strengthen them, encourage them, 01:34:43.400 |
give them the power that they need, Lord God, 01:34:47.720 |
We pray, Father God, that you would open our eyes 01:34:54.360 |
that we would not put any confidence in our flesh 01:35:01.700 |
our government, our culture, whatever it may be, 01:35:05.940 |
help us, Lord God, to be firmly rooted in Christ. 01:35:09.620 |
So wherever it is that you send us this week, 01:35:12.020 |
help us, Lord God, to be the aroma of Christ, 01:35:14.620 |
that Christ and Christ alone may be magnified.