Scripture referenced
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Ezra 1:5 God stirred the hearts of priests, Levites and leaders of Judah to rebuild the temple
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin, the priests, and the Levites, all whose spirit God had stirred to go up rose up to build Yahweh’s house which is in Jerusalem.
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Keep this verse
Ezra 9
the people say God revived them and breathed new life into them to rebuild the temple
1 Now when these things were done, the princes came near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, even those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.”
3 When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled the hair out of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel were assembled to me, because of their trespass of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening offering.
5 At the evening offering I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God;
6 and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens.
7 Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
8 Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and revived us a little in our bondage.
9 For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 “Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,
11 which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land, to which you go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness.
12 Now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons. Don’t take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’
13 “After all that has come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant,
14 shall we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant, nor any to escape?
15 Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for no one can stand before you because of this.”
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Isaiah 11:1-9
read aloud in full as a Christmas passage about the coming reign of Christ and renewal of the earth
1 A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
2 Yahweh’s Spirit will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh.
3 His delight will be in the fear of Yahweh. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow and the bear will graze. Their young ones will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child will play near a cobra’s hole, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
9 They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of Yahweh, as the waters cover the sea.
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Daniel 7:18
the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom and will rule forever and ever
18 But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
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Luke 21:15
God will give words and wisdom that adversaries cannot resist when believers are called to stand before rulers
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.
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Jeremiah 1:7
God tells Jeremiah not to say he is only a youth, to go where sent and speak what commanded
7 But Yahweh said to me, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.
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Revelation 2:26
to those who are victorious and obey to the end, God will give authority over the nations
26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.
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Psalms 2
referenced as a hyperlink back to ruling the nations with an iron rod and smashing them like clay pots
1 Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will have them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his anger, and terrify them in his wrath:
6 “Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.”
7 I will tell of the decree. Yahweh said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your father.
8 Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore be wise, you kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish on the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.
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Revelation 5:9-10
the new song declaring Christ worthy because his blood ransomed people from every tribe, language, people and nation, making them a kingdom of priests who will reign on the earth
9 They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
10 and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on the earth.”
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Revelation 20
those beheaded for their testimony, who did not take the mark of the beast, came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years
1 I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years,
3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.
4 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
7 And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison,
8 and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up over the width of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them.
10 The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11 I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.
12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message was part of an ongoing series on resurrection and what Brian calls "the new assignment." The main focus was the biblical picture of believers ruling and reigning with Jesus, and what that future role has to do with how we live right now. The conversation was honest and wide-ranging, with the congregation genuinely pushing back and adding to what Brian was saying.
What was said
Brian opened by reminding the room where the series had been. Resurrection touches a person first when they invite Jesus into their life, then there is the promise of a new body, and now the series had arrived at a third piece: a new assignment. That assignment has three parts, renewing the earth, ruling with Jesus, and a future role in judging the angels. The first two had already been covered in prior weeks, so this gathering was meant to press further into what ruling with Jesus actually means.
Isaiah 11 anchored the conversation about the coming reign of Jesus. Brian pointed out that when we read that passage at Christmas we tend to squeeze its fulfillment into the first thirty-three years Jesus spent on earth. His point was that the passage is also describing something very real and geopolitical that is still coming, a literal reign where Jesus governs by righteousness, honors meekness, and makes decisions nothing like the ruthlessness that currently marks how the nations of the world operate.
That raised a question from the room: if we are called to meekness, are we not also called to be warriors? Brian did not try to dissolve the tension. He walked through the biblical pattern of overcoming the enemy not by force but by laying down your life, pointing to the story of Nate Saint and Jim Elliot as an example of how death can be the very thing that opens a door the gospel could not open any other way. He acknowledged that none of us feel ready for that, and pointed to Luke 21 where Jesus tells his followers not to worry about what to say when they are brought before kings, because he will give them the words in that moment.
From there Brian described a test he uses for knowing when to plant a flag and when not to. Three things have to converge: personal conviction, clear biblical standards, and specific direction from the Holy Spirit. Any one of those on its own can lead to arrogance or harm. When all three line up, that is territory worth standing on, even at cost. The mask and vaccine debates came up from the congregation as a live example of exactly that tension, and Brian let the conversation breathe rather than shutting it down.
Lissa connected the idea of spiritual warfare to the ordinary spiritual disciplines. The graduation ceremonies her kids have been through, she said, are small rehearsals that prepare you emotionally for the big goodbye of sending a child out the door. Fasting, Sabbath, silence, saying no to your appetite on a Tuesday night, these are the small rehearsals that build muscle memory so that when a much larger moment of surrender is required, it is not the first time you have done it.
Daniel 7:18 and then two passages from Revelation brought it to a point. The holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom and will rule forever and ever. That is not poetic language, Brian said. It is a literal coming reality. The question it raises is practical: how well are you practicing the kind of leadership Jesus models, the kind rooted in humility and meekness, so that when that assignment comes you are actually prepared for it? Spiritual maturity, he said, is not measured by years in the church or the volume of your prayers. It is measured by obedience and surrender, and those muscles get built in the small moments long before any large one arrives.
Touch points
Things you could actually do this week.
- If the Holy Spirit puts an encouraging word on your heart for someone this week, say it out loud instead of talking yourself out of it.
- Pick one small act of obedience you have been putting off and do it, treating it as practice for the bigger moments of faithfulness that may come.
- Grab a Christmas Eve invite card on your way out and hand it to someone you know.
- If you have never been baptized as a believing adult, talk to Brian after service about the baptism planned for the first Sunday in January.
- Ask the Lord each morning this week to show you a burden you are carrying that belongs at the foot of the cross, and then consciously leave it there.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Brian talked about the difference between driving past the Tetons at 75 miles an hour and actually stopping at the turnouts. Where in your own walk with God have you rushed through something that deserved more time and attention?
- Lissa shared a picture of someone carrying a pitcher of water through Whole Foods while people around them were dying of thirst, and making excuses not to offer it. What kinds of excuses do you find yourself making for not sharing what God has put in you?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Resumen en español
El mensaje resumido, en español.
El sermón de Brian giró en torno a la idea de que los seguidores de Jesús están siendo preparados ahora, en lo cotidiano, para un papel real y concreto en el reino venidero. Usando pasajes de Isaías, Daniel y Apocalipsis, Brian explicó que la Biblia habla de un gobierno futuro donde Cristo reinará sobre la tierra y los suyos gobernarán junto a él. Eso no es solo una imagen poética sino una promesa literal. La pregunta es si estamos desarrollando ahora el carácter necesario para ese papel, especialmente la mansedumbre y la obediencia, que son muy distintas a la cobardía o la debilidad.
La conversación en la congregación tocó una tensión real: ¿cómo se puede ser manso y también guerrero? Brian respondió que la Biblia muestra que vencemos al enemigo precisamente al entregar nuestras vidas, como hicieron mártires a lo largo de la historia. Y señaló que esa entrega no empieza en un momento dramático sino en decisiones pequeñas de cada día, negarse a algo que el Espíritu Santo señala, dar cuando es difícil, honrar a alguien en un banco, guardar el Sabbat. Esas pequeñas muertes al yo van formando la memoria muscular espiritual que nos prepara para los momentos más grandes.
Brian también subrayó que la madurez espiritual no se mide por cuántos años llevas siendo cristiano ni por cuánto sabes, sino por el nivel de obediencia y rendición a Dios. Mencionó el bautismo en agua como señal externa de esa muerte y nueva vida, con un servicio de bautismo programado para el primer domingo de enero.
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Pasajes bíblicos mencionados
- Isaías 11:1-9
- Daniel 7:18
- Ezequías 1:5 (el orador lo atribuyó al libro de Esdras, capítulo 1 versículo 5)
- Esdras 9
- Apocalipsis 2:26
- Apocalipsis 5:9-10
- Apocalipsis 20
- Lucas 21:15
- Jeremías 1:7
- Proverbios (citado de memoria: "de la abundancia del corazón habla la boca")
- Salmos 2 (mencionado como referencia cruzada)
Read the full transcript 13,311 words
Well, I don't wanna hit you. Preferably. Yeah. No. Over the other way.
Medina. But not that far. Do you like Justin here? Oh, okay. You can't see him at all?
Oh, okay. Go... You can go live. How about we stand together? I think we've got enough room this morning.
Repeat
I love that line. Alright, we have a tribe verse. Do you see it in there, Nina? Kinda like an extra one. She's like, no.
It says that he'll come again to rule and reign, riding on the clouds. So he came, he'll Let's sing that one more time. And I know these Christmas songs, you can just sing them and sing them and you've heard them a million times, but just really think about the words. That Jesus really truly is the joy to the world.
Joy to the world is coming again.
I'll just pray with you this morning. Lord, we just come before you this morning and we just exhale. We just lay everything at the foot of your cross where it should be today again. We just remind ourselves that you are God and we are not. Anything that we have picked up, any burden we're carrying today that is not ours to carry, we give it to you because your yoke is easy and your burden is light today.
We just have to apply that. Lord, just show us the burden we're carrying and let us be quick to repent and lay it down. It's the best place it can be is at your... At the foot of your cross. We give you all the glory and all the praise today.
Amen. Just invite him to come and speak to you today. Sing hallelujah. Hallelujah. You are lord.
You are. Just tell him you're so worthy, Jesus. Maybe there's distractions in your mind today that you just need to lay down. Just fix your eyes on him today. When I try to just fix my eyes on him, I get a picture in my mind of the angels in heaven just rejoicing, singing, just being in his presence.
They just sing, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. And then the picture I get when I go to, like, discipline my mind, I just I just picture the elders around the throne. I picture saints that have gone before laying their crowns before him and weeping, and I just... I see it from afar and then I join in, I walk forward and I just get to join in in it and I just feel like we just... We need to have those pictures and use what the word says to picture what's actually happening when we lift his name up.
That we're literally joining our voices with the angels in heaven right now. Let me just tell you we love you. You're worthy of our worship. You're worthy of everything that we are today and every day. We run to you.
We run to you.
You're never gonna let. You're never gonna let me die. Just give the enemy warning. You're never gonna let. You're never gonna let me down.
The Lord's never gonna let you down. You're never gonna let. You're never gonna let me down. You're never gonna let. You're never
Sing it together. Yes, Lord. You are. It's so important for us to know your nature and character so that when things happen in life, we can say, know that the Lord is good. I know that the Lord is good.
So with that truth in mind, Lord, what do you want me to learn through this? Where are you working? Where are you moving in this situation or that person's life or what seems to be a tragedy, Lord, because we have a real enemy who comes to steal, to kill, and destroy, but Lord, you are always good. You are always good. Bury that truth deep, deep, deep in our hearts.
But that can be a pillar that we stand on. A pillar that we stand on. Thank you, Jesus. Maybe the Lord would put a picture or a word or an encouragement on your heart today. Corinthians, it talks about when you gather, he gives pictures and words and he loves to come and speak to his people.
Maybe he wants to move in the gifts today. We just make room for that today. Jesus, come. Holy Spirit, come in the way that only you can come. Speak to us.
And if the Lord's putting something on your heart, we do have a microphone because our livestream people wanna be included and hear what it is that the Lord is saying and doing and speaking and moving. And so if he has something that he's put on your heart, I just encourage you to share it today. Just wait on him for a moment. Maybe just ask him, Lord, would you would you wanna speak to me today? You've seen people hear your voice and step out and...
Or would you wanna speak to me that way today? And maybe he just has a word for you. Maybe he's just trying to speak to your heart today. Just give him permission. Good, Lee.
Just really quick before Brian shares, Lee has said that word a few times in the... In past, like releasing hope to people and it's such a powerful picture and when he was saying it this time, I got this picture and the picture was... I don't know if it was me or someone, but it was from the... My... I was seeing it from the perspective of the of the person and they were walking through Whole Foods and they were carrying a pitcher of water and there was people all around them that were just...
They were so thirsty, that's all they wanted. And the person, myself, carrying this pitcher of water was just like, oh, I don't wanna impose on them. Oh, I don't wanna interrupt their meeting. Oh, they're probably in a hurry and they were literally dying of thirst and they were looking looking looking at the picture and and the person that had the gift, the hope, had the water, had the life just made all these kind of like fleshly excuses to not share it and the moment they reached out, it was like they had this like gift that they were offering someone that the person, it was like the one thing that they needed and so we just release that in all of us that we carry a gift, a gift from you, lord, hope. Why would we want to keep that to ourselves, lord?
Whatever excuses we've made or whatever lane that we've gotten into or rut of not sharing who you are or even just a simple... It doesn't even have to be the full gospel in that moment. Lord, you let us know, you tell us. It could just be, you know what? Hey, you look so pretty today.
I had a moment at the... Where were Kai and I? We were somewhere at the bank and I whispered to Kai, god, that girl, she's so beautiful. And Kai goes, you're gonna tell her that, aren't you?
And I said, yes, I'm gonna tell her that. And he he was like, oh, just do your thing,
you know, whatever. And and I just looked at her and I said, you are so beautiful. And I got
a little choked up when I said it.
And, you know, I didn't know what was going on with her. She's a beautiful girl. She probably knows she's beautiful. I... You know?
And the moment I said that, it was like tears just started streaming down her face. And she said, you have no idea. She said, I got up this morning and I just thought, what? I'm never gonna meet someone. Look at me.
Look at me. You know, she was a young adult and and I was just like, well, I don't know if you believe in god but that's a lie from the enemy because girl, you are And it was just really fun too to get to see Kai be like, you know, embarrassed at first and then watch this girl's heart just be like, well, that was what she needed to hear today. You know, and I didn't stand there and tell her the whole truth of the gospel, but Kai was like, do you see that girl in there a lot? Like, you should go to that lane every time you go in there. So, Lord, just give us those moments.
Give us all the times that I haven't said the thing. Lord, forgive me and just give me second chances.
When you put it on my
heart or it's a thought that I have, Lord, if it's a beautiful thought, it's from you. It's birth from you of encouragement. Whatever that is, Lord, let us not just be in this place and sing your name and then go out of these walls and think that we have some gift to keep for ourselves. But let us share it. Did you have something?
The bible says in the book of Proverbs, out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. And we've got something great to share with the world around us, but it first needs to come from a place of encounter ourselves, where we encounter the Lord, where we are changed by him. And then as a result, out of the overflow of that encounter and out of that change, that hope just flows to a lost and dying world. And this morning, was reading... It says it in several places in the book of Ezra.
But one of the spots in Ezra chapter one verse five says, and then God stirred the hearts of the priests and the Levites and the leaders of the tribe of Judah to go and rebuild the temple. The priests, the leaders, the Levites, they weren't asking for it. God sovereignly touched the hearts of some people. I got something to do, and I'm gonna stir the hearts of the people to move sovereignly. They weren't asking for it.
They... The the posture of their heart wasn't like, oh, Lord, touch us. He's just like, I'm gonna do this. Later in the book of Ezra chapter nine, the people are speaking, and they say, he revived us. He breathed new life into us.
He touched our heart so that we could rebuild the temple of the Lord our God and repair its ruins. So there's something really special about when the Lord breaks in and just touches the human heart. Here's what's great about that. Yes. He is a gentleman.
Yes. He's not going to violate your free will. But sometimes, he just needs to get something accomplished through you, and that first means that something needs to be done to you. And so we're all here this morning, perhaps for a small variety of reasons, but hopefully one of those reasons is to meet with the Lord. So let's just ask him to touch our hearts, to revive our hearts, to breathe new life into our hearts and into our lives.
And if you're really bold into that place of either rebellion or some... That part of your heart that maybe has, like, died to the things of the Lord, he's all about resurrection and bringing new life into those places. So I hardly ever do this at at at church, but, let's do a little repeat after me prayer. Okay? So close your eyes and just repeat after me.
God of the Bible and king of the universe. God of Bible and king of the universe. I'm in your house today. To meet with you. To meet with you.
I'm asking, Lord. I'm asking, Lord. Touch my heart. Revive my heart. Send your energy into my life.
I receive your life. I receive your vitality. I receive your vitality. From the bottom of my toes to the top of my head. Fill me.
Fill me.
Now the Lord would just say, I like that prayer. It's a prayer that I will answer, and you will begin to encounter a measure of my life force that flows through you as you open your mouth in song back to me this morning. Yes. Yeah.
Anybody else have something that they wanted to share this morning? Christine Schueller has something? Yeah.
Justin, I think it's unmuted. In worship, the the word that was just coming to spirit was betrothed. You are my betrothed. And and just out of a hosea, I wanna read from chapter two verse nineteen twenty. Because I will betroth you.
School
School bus bus
But it's it's... I will betroth you to me forever. Yes. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in loving kindness and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord Yahweh.
Claudia, would you close us from this time of worship to the next? Leah, could you pass that mic over? And we just ask Claudia that she would close us in this time of worship into the next in Espanol for us today. Fulfill your coffee. Give him thanks today.
Greet somebody if there's someone around you that you haven't met before and get out your bible and we'll get into God's word together.
So as you are finishing finding finding your coffee and drinking your seat, quick quick little family topic. I always try to like to... When possible, I like to pull back the curtain, let you in on what I'm up to, the method to my madness. And I I... I'm pretty sure I have said this before, but whenever possible, I always enjoy it when somebody does the worship wrap up prayer that we have preselected that speaks a language other than English.
The question is, why does old PB like that? Why do I why do I why do I like to do that? You don't necessarily need to give me your answer in the microphone, but but what am I up to when I ask people to do that? What do you think?
God is off. So he doesn't just speak English.
Yes. So god understands Claudia perfectly. Yep. That's one reason. What's another reason?
What do you what do you think? Yeah. Yes. That is true. Spanish, English, or German.
Yes. The lord is spirit, and true worshiper of him will worship in spirit and in truth. Okay. Yes. All of those are true.
What?
The nations.
The nations. That's the big reason. I always want to keep the nations in front of us as a church. Some of y'all... We...
Some of y'all will will know the the church that I'm speaking of, but there was a there was a great sign on the exit of this church that we used to be a part of that said, as you're leaving the building, it says, you're now entering your mission field, whether it was locally in this community or out into the nations. And if you were to lay your head on the breast of God the Father and hear his heartbeat, it would sound like this. None all. None all. None all.
That none should perish, but all should come to salvation. That none should perish, but all should come to salvation. The Lord's heart beats for the nations. In, I think it's Ezekiel, he says, do you think I like to see the wicked perish? No.
That breaks my heart. I I won't compromise my standards, but I I want to see just god's like, just change your heart. Repent. Come to salvation. And not just for Jackson or the village or the surrounding region, but for the nations.
I always want to, to the extent that we're able, to keep the nations in the forefront of our collective mind. Now you know what old PB is up to. When you hear somebody pray in Spanish or Romanian, we've had Mongolian, Mandarin, Russian. I'm... English?
We have had English. That was your one comment for the day. If they're gonna be they're gonna be a little. Do you brush your teeth with gunpowder this morning? With your little smart mouth this morning?
Where you're shooting your mouth off? Okay. I love it. Cat could take it. Cat could take it.
Cat could take it. Let's always be... And whenever whenever the opportunity presents itself for us to go to the nations, whether it's a few hours down the road to Foundations for Nations, church in Riverton, Wyoming that we love to do ministry with and partner with as they are working on the Wind River Indian Reservation or to the nations. Just want us to always keep that in mind. Okay?
Okay. Thing thing number two in regards to kinda the the preamble to today's conversation. I I was talking with Joy about this at the beginning of service. Imagine driving all the way from Wisconsin. Somebody was tuning in on the livestream this morning and said, hey, love the worship this morning listening from Wisconsin.
So wherever you are watching and joining the livestream from, whether it's right here at the TMC, in and around Jackson Hole, all the way to the exotic location of Wisconsin, we're glad that that you are here. But imagine dry... Like, you you've set out on a road trip. I wanna see the Tetons, and I wanna experience Grand Teton National Park. And you come from over the hill in Dubois.
You come up over Togiti Pass, and you take what's called the Outer Park Loop Road, which is like like the main highway between Like Moran and here in Jackson. Right? Everybody know what I'm talking about? The Inner Park Road would be going through the little toll booth thing and going into the park. So it's called the Outer Park Road.
Imagine coming all the way from Wisconsin and you want to experience the Tetons. You drop down through Moran and you never let your foot off the gas, but you're going 60. I mean, speed limit says 55, but come on, you're all doing 60. Oh, it's 45. At night.
Night. So that's the last thing you wanna do. So so you just come ripping down the Outer Park Road and you get to Jackson and you're like, well, I've seen the Tetons. Have you seen the Tetons? Yes, you've seen the Tetons, but have you seen the Tetons?
No. No way. No way. Then you get the t shirt and you're like, I've been there. Here's the idea.
I have been personally wrestling a little bit or feeling some tension or feeling some pull at the pace in which our conversations have allowed us to move through the conversations that we've been having. I have felt, whether it is realistic or just completely fabricated in my imagination. I felt a little bit of pressure to like, all right, let's keep going. Okay, PB, we've been having conversations about fill in the blank for X amount of time. Like, let's go, let's do the next thing, let's move on.
But because each week the format of service that we have and the conversations that we have, they're just so good, There have been times where I've rushed through and I feel like the Lord has given me permission to take the inner Park loop, pull out at all of the turnouts, stop and set out the folding chairs at each and every lake that we want to, read all of the plaques that we need to, and our journey with whatever it is that we're discussing is gonna take as long as it's gonna take. Hopefully you can trust me that we'll never beat a dead horse Once we have had all the discussions that we need to and engaged with the content that I feel like the Lord has put on our heart for us to talk about, then we're going to move on. If we linger, there must be some more good stuff to get out of that lingering. Are you all picking up what I'm putting down? And sometimes we need to repeat ourselves so that it really sinks in.
So if you're if you're brand new to Tribe or you're tuning into the livestream, I really do want this to be a dialogue, a conversation. I don't want this to be a monologue. I love to hear your thoughts, your questions, your input, your connections. I love the contributions that each of you have so that together when the Holy Spirit synthesizes our time together, we all walk away more enriched and more engaged and the responsibility is not just on me. How much more likely are you to be engaged?
Imagine if you're in a classroom setting. How much more likely are you to be engaged if the teacher was like, okay, at any given moment, it's your turn to come up to the front of the class and to speak and to share you like, uh-oh, better pay attention because heaven forbid to get called on heaven forbid a just slipping into this consumer mentality of like, what's that preacher got for me today? I mean, I was there for a long time. Before that, I even stepped foot on that soapbox. Resurrection.
It may feel like we've been here for a while, but there's lots of scenic turnouts and trails to explore. When it comes to this idea of resurrection, it is a foundational Christian belief that if you are a Christian, if you've been a Christian for a long time, you're up to your eyeballs in this idea and concept of resurrection. But, if you were to ride the ski lift up with somebody that asks, Hey, are you a Christian? Yes, yes, I am. All right.
I've been wondering about this whole idea of resurrection. What is it? And you're like, Oh my gosh, hopefully I'm on sublet and it's gonna take a while for the chair to get to the top so I can have a chance to explain this, instead of writing T1OT and you're like, oh my gosh. I get on T1OT like that. Well, T1OT's so fast.
I mean, I'm a Lyft yet, T1OT. I get hit
on it. I'm not hating. Just slow it down for us. I'll give you I'll give you the signal....
Sign. Yep.
Yep. Like, I'm explaining resurrection to this guy on the chair. You just slow it way down. Alright. So now we've got that figured out.
So Ryan and I put our time in
his lifties. Oh, dude. Yeah. Yeah. You don't know.
Yeah. We've we've been lifting. We've we've bumped those fixed grip chairs. Not your little... Yep.
Like, was a fixed grip chair. Yeah. Okay. Back to engaging the rest of our tribe family. So this idea of resurrection, it's so basic that it can be difficult to explain.
So we've spent several weeks having conversations about this idea of resurrection. And we talked about resurrection first happens in the heart of each person that invites Jesus into their heart and makes him the leader of their life. Before you get saved, you might think you have a form of life. Yes, your heart is beating. Yes, you have fun doing your things, but you are dead and you do not have eternal life.
The first way that resurrection touches each and every human heart is when they invite Jesus into their heart, they exchange their life. So in essence, there is a death. Jesus, I give you my life. You lay it down. And then Jesus takes that life, resurrects it, and gives you brand new life.
That's actually what baptism is designed for, to be a picture of going from death to life. We have a baptism scheduled for the first Sunday in January. Yeah, I mean, I guess this first Sunday in January always comes after Christmas, Brian. But right after Christmas, that first Sunday in January... Is it the first?
It is the first. Okay. Set up tribe style. We set up a a trough here, like a big horse trough, and we fill it with tepid water right outside underneath the alcove out here, and then after the 10AM Sunday service, we'll all file outside. We'll bundle up in our jacket so that we'll stay warm, and then those candidates for baptism who would like to get baptized in water will just dunk them right there and then they can scurry back inside.
If you have not been baptized in water, you should really consider getting baptized in water. Come visit with me after service today. If you're baptized as a baby, that's great. It really has no scriptural or biblical or perhaps even personal efficacy because you were just told by your parents, oh, did that when you were a baby. If bapt...
Water baptism is an outward sign or a symbol of an inward thing that's happened, dying to yourself, receiving Jesus's new life, then perhaps as a young adult or adult, you might wanna consider making a public declaration of faith by saying, I've died to my old life, and I'm raising to walk in new life with Jesus as the leader of my life. Does that make sense? So resurrection includes a new life, and baptism is just an outward sign or symbol of that water baptism. And we'll talk about we also talk about receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If receiving Jesus into your heart is receiving a new life, then getting baptized in water is a picture of dying to your old life.
And then receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is receiving the power to walk out the new life that you've been given. Some of you, I can imagine, grew up in denominations where the person in the ministry of the Holy Spirit was like, you know, it was maybe whispered or like not talked about or like, oh, it's kind of I don't know about that. And maybe you've encountered somebody that's like, are you full gospel brother? And you're like, oh, goo. I'm a Christian.
I'm filled with the Holy Spirit. And I still, whenever I hear that phrase, I'm like, ah. There's just so much attached to that. But I can also understand that that you... If you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that it could feel as though people who have are in, some sort of, like, cool kid club, and you're just not.
Listen, listen, listen. Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit does not make me better than you. Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit makes me better than me. So we've talked about a new life. We've talked about a new body.
So right now the assignment that we currently have, we've been given a suit that pretty well accomplishes the current assignment that we have. Living on this particular planet. You go up to Mount Everest, this earth suit doesn't work as well, but it can be done. But when Jesus returns, we will begin a new age, and the Bible is super clear about how we will be given a new assignment. And God is so good and he's so clever that he knows the nature of our new assignment is going to require an upgrade in our hardware.
We're gonna get a new, what we've been calling here a super suit. If this is our earth suit, the bible is super clear about someday we will receive a super suit. And you better not misplace it cause the last thing the Lord wants to hear is...
Yes. Super suit. And
all of this, if it feels like, wait, you're ripping by the Tetons at 75 miles an hour. We have taken our time. This is just by way of quick review. So you can go back and listen to these conversations on our website or our podcast wherever you consume your podcast. Then, before pecky day, we got into this last idea of a new assignment.
And that new assignment consists of three arenas. Would you put that slide up with those three things? These three things that we will be concerned with with our new assignment are renewing the earth, ruling with Jesus. And I had to pick an r word and and Joy, you can please, please give me a better r word, but this idea of judging or refereeing the angels. We spent We spent two weeks on renewing the earth.
What does that mean? What does that look like? It's pretty self explanatory. The earth and because of the greed and selfishness and lack of good stewardship, the earth is in need of some TLC. And so part of our assignment will include making all things new with Jesus.
Just by way of quick example, wherever when Jesus returns as he walks from the desert up into Jerusalem, the Bible says that there's like hail and thunderstorms and torrents of rain everywhere, but in his wake, wildflowers erupt. Imagine wherever Jesus walks like flowers exploding. Now that's my Jesus. But not just making things pretty, but actually renewing the earth. That's part of our assignment.
Then before peccade, we started to get into this conversation of ruling with Jesus. We're not going to spend a long time on this particular verse, but by way of kind of letting out the clutch to fully engage with the engine, let's go back and review or remember one of those key verses, and then we'll dive into some new verses where we can discuss. With that in mind, let's turn to Isaiah chapter 11. What is it?
Christine's favorite.
Christine's favorite book. Click on Isaiah chapter 11, and we're going to just read verses one through nine, and it's very apropos for this Christmas season. So would somebody please read? We'll hand you the mic. And the mic is for our livestream family.
So you won't hear your voice amplified in the room, but it's for our livestream family. So b verses one through nine, let the whole thing rip. What are you gonna read to us out of? What translation?
ESV.
ESV? Acceptable.
Okay. Good.
Okay. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his roof shall bear fruit. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide disputes by what his ears hear.
But with righteousness, he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips, he shall kill the wicked.
King, I'll pause. This verse, it's not uncommon for us to read this verse at Christmas time. However, when we have read this verse historically, we've probably often thought of trying to fit the fulfillment of these things by Jesus into the advent, the first advent, his first coming, the first thirty three years that he spent on the earth. And in a very real spiritual sense, he has and is doing that. In a limited sense, Jesus did do that physically that we have recorded here in the gospels, but what I want us to think about is how he is coming again to do these things in a very real geopolitical sense.
Everybody go, Let's continue.
Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat. And the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together and the little child shall lead them.
And the democrats and the republicans shall thus hold hands.
Continue. Okay. The cow and the bear shall graze and their young shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra and the waned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.
For the earth shall be full of knowledge of the Lord, and as waters cover the sea.
Alright. That's so good. Read that very last part, and read it with some some some passion, with some heart. Okay. You don't have to be like, you know, flamboyant, but just like...
Because it's just so good.
Right. Right.
You know? You're Alright. Doing
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
So you can see this idea and concept of renewing the earth. We talked about this idea of when Jesus comes, will renew the earth with him, but there's this idea also of reigning with him, that he will make decisions based upon righteousness and truth. He will be able to see and recognize, and he will honor meekness. What is honored in today's global society? Strength, ruthlessness, power.
Stoke. Stoke, money, and by any means the ends justify the means, But that is not what Jesus's leadership cabinet and his administration over the earth. It will not... That will not be a hallmark. So contrary to how the rest of the nations of the world have governed and led and established their kingdoms.
And we will participate and partner with him. So listen, that's always asking. Our leadership team's always asking like, alright, cool beans, PB. What does this have to do Monday morning? With Monday morning?
It has everything to do with Monday morning because if recognizing, honoring, and operating in meekness is going to be a coming core value of the coming administration, and we are gonna be his ambassadors and emissaries, should we not now, every day, work on growing in meekness and humility and in the principles of the kingdom? So that when that day comes, we'll be like, oh, I've practiced laying my life down. I understand the principle of being last and serving others so that God will honor me and lift me up. Thoughts, questions? Yes, sir, Colin.
I just wanted to add to that because something I've struggled with personally is timidity, and humility meekness is not timidity. Humility is not thinking of yourself less. I heard this somewhere.
It's
it's... No. It's not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less.
Less. I love that. That's so good. I think of, like, meekness as Clark Kent. You know?
He's still he's still every bit Superman with his little like, you know, little nerd haircut and his little nerd glasses.
Face. That
was your one comment thing. You and Kat now are... Yep. Yep. Yellow card free kick.
Meekness. I mean, he's still every bit Superman, but he clothed himself in humility and meekness. Bea and Lee, and while they are sharing, for the sake of continuing on down the trail, let's turn to Daniel chapter seven. And I'll have you read one verse in Daniel chapter seven. And if this is not the final or most significant nail in the coffin to this idea of ruling with Jesus, then we need to need to have some extra bible studies on the on the chairlift that I'm happy to meet with you for.
Before we move on Yes. There's a reminder fairly recently of how much things have changed in this world. And there was an American president not too long ago who talked about speaking softly and carrying a big stick, which is kinda like the current version of Superman, I guess. You wanna look at it that way. Well, we're not there anymore.
And I I've I believe that meekness is a very useful, quality in this world, particularly if people know you're a Christian and particularly if people know you are successful in some sense in this world, meekness comes across as a good thing to have. Absolutely. I love to speak softly, by the way, as you may have noticed, and a lot.
And make no mistake, he carry a big stick with him. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. That's so good.
So my question is this. I get being meek, I get being humble, but we're also called to be warriors. How how does this all fit together? Because what I see coming is we have got to be warriors. Yes.
I'm a let Jay start my answer by quoting me and he is being tested. Being meek but Lee is saying but aren't we also called to be warriors? How's PB gonna answer?
Attention to manage.
It's attention to manage. In the end times in the end times as the... If if if we ain't there right now, the bible says that that there will be unmitigated, unprecedented persecution of the saints where they where where they will be martyred. Now here in The United States, we don't see it. Doesn't affect us too much.
But there are more people being martyred in the last ten years for the name of Jesus than combined throughout all of Christian history. Think about that for perspective. With that being said, the Bible says that we will overcome the enemy. We will overcome him. But here's the paradox.
In what way will we overcome the enemy? This is what's like. How does the Bible say that we'll overcome him? Yes. That is true because you're quoting Bible verses back to me, and I set you up for that Bible verse by saying overcoming him.
How in... But It doesn't specifically say this in chapter and verse, but the overall tone and the meaning that we can piece together from scripture. How do we overcome him? By laying down our lives. They did not shrink back from death.
So this is what's interestingly. How do we fight? How do we war? The Bible says fight the good fight of faith, and by believing in Jesus, by perhaps being martyred, refusing to take the mark of the beast, I'm not trying to sound like Chicken Little here, but it's just it's in your Bible. It's been here all along.
We overcome the enemy by laying down our lives. That's what stops him. That's what thwarts him. Look at Nate Saint and Jim Elliot. They were warriors for the kingdom trying to bring the gospel to the Aca Indians in the jungles of the Amazon.
What happened to them? They lost their life getting speared in the guts, their bodies laying dead on the riverbank. But it was that. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the blood of the saints. And by laying down their lives, it's what opened the door to the gospel for the Aka Indians.
And they would be considered what is now a reached nation. So there's this tension. How can we be warriors and lay down our lives? That's where we need the guidance and the leadership of the Holy Spirit to help us walk in that tension.
He'll help. Right? Like, I'm constantly worried that I'm not
Send this down because this is a good question, I think. I mean, we'll see if it's a good question.
We'll see. I
like constantly pray that he will help with that, right? Because I do not speak softly and I... But I don't have a stick. But I I worry that... He's not gonna forget me.
What if I don't... I I know I've had lots of dreams that I will die in fighting for the name of Christ. Right? Like, ever since high school, I've I've constantly had dreams. But I worry that I won't have the to to to go through...
Like, God's gotta come down and give me like... Because I know I'm gonna die that way. I just... I worry that I'm not gonna be able to... I don't know how to even phrase what I'm saying.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So there's a beautiful beautiful verse. I believe it's in in Luke, maybe in Luke 21. Somebody can back check me on this where he says, and when you're called to stand before kings, don't worry about what you're gonna say. In that moment, I'll tell you what to say.
Yeah. Yeah. Think about think about Steven. It says he was filled with the holy spirit. He boldly was knowing that his words were about to result in him having to lay down his life.
Boldly proclaimed the gospel in that moment of truth. And people were like, oh my gosh, did you see Stephen? While he was talking, what did, how did they describe him? His face looked like that of an angel. There was this Shekinah glory on him.
The anointing of god on him in that moment. Would be to God that each one of us would be aware of when that one pivotal life altering moment is unfolding, it would be to God that we would have the strength to say, who was the martyr that at the stake said, here I am, I can do nothing else? Meaning, help me guys, help me. Like, get your phones out and look it up. Somebody tell me to...
Yes, you do. You all have your phones. Look it up. He was dying at the... He was about to be killed at the stake, and I I think it was...
It it could have been Martin Luther. Here I am. I can do nothing else. Somebody will find it
for me. Right.
It was Luke 15.
Luke 15. Alright.
Or well, no, Luke 21.
Luke 21 verse 15. Let's read it from scripture so you take his word for it and not my poor memory.
For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but not a hair of your head will perish. Stand...
It won't perish, although you might lose your head. That's the small print.
Verse 19, stand firm.
Stand firm.
Stand your ground.
Stand your ground.
And you will win life. I I added stand your ground. No. Because of Colleen. So
Garrett from the livestream says is pointing us to Jeremiah one seven. So somebody click on that. Read that. Yes. Were you?
Oh, yeah. I I was just gonna say stand... Part of being the warrior that fits with what you're saying laying down our life is we stand firm. We stand firm at that point where we're laying down our life. Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. What a what a what a fascinating paradox. And then in Hebrews it talks about like they they wouldn't compromise because they were so fascinated and fit gospel according to Brian fascinated and fixated on eternity that that they chose the next life above compromise in this life. Just take the mark. It's kind of an extreme, but those days are coming.
And this is not the first time humanity will have been faced with such a seemingly simple. There's a message that I'm not going to preach right now, but I got in the queue about this idea of just a pinch of compromise. Every year for all the nations under Roman control in the Roman Empire, they did a census, and you had to come and register. Have you changed addresses? Is your address still the same?
Check this box. Have you added any more kids to your family? And, okay, you're all good. You're living in town. Okay, looks like your records still match up.
Alright, looks like you're all good for the census this year. On your way out, just don't forget to take a pinch of incense, drop it in the fire, and say Caesar is Lord, and off you go. Easy means nothing. There was zero requirement for there to be a heart attachment with that. It was just a part of the census.
But every now and then, there would be one of those difficult Jesus followers. And they would be like, yep, my address hasn't changed. I've added one kid. Okay, great. Oh, and don't forget, just a pinch of...
Would get it. When you did it, you would... On the other side of that, you would get an actual certificate. There are historical document, kinda like I voted. But it was a historical document sealed by the regional prefect that says that I've gone to the census, and I've once again pledged my allegiance to Caesar.
It's just a document, and you could you could be stopped by any Roman official, and you had to show your papers that you've gone to the census and you've pledged your your allegiance to to Caesar. They're not gonna be like, yeah, but what about your heart? It was they were so disconnected from the heart but there were those who said, I can't. That would be a violation of my conscience. The Roman officials would be like, And that meme where instead of just rubbing your eyes, it's so extreme, you gotta put your fingers up underneath your eyelids.
Oh, we got another one of these. Look, dude. Love your Jewish god, whatever. We killed him like sixty years ago, a hundred years ago. You can still love him, but just do this.
And there were those that were like, I can't. That meant a whole lot. So in the days to come, we will not be the first generation of Christians to bump up against and wrestle with that conundrum, that complexity. Were you gonna say something? Then we've got to read Daniel seven.
Real quick.
Oh yeah, what's Jeremiah one? I got it. Okay, we got it.
Okay. So Jeremiah one seven is... But the Lord said to me, do not say I am only a youth for to all to whom I send you, you shall go and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Yeah.
Do not be afraid of them for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.
Oh, man. Those are some good ones.
And then I wanna add on to that. I think I think in... When we're talking about being meek and yet having the courage to stand up for what's right, I think that part of our training and developing muscle memory for that is to practice the spiritual disciplines. I heard... I'm gonna veer for one second.
Here we go. Hang on.
Hold on. Hold on. So I've got three kids now and we've done kindergarten graduation ceremonies and fifth grade graduation ceremonies and eighth grade graduate and it just keeps on going and going. And I was like, oh my word, why do we have all of these ceremonies? And somebody, I think it might have been Lissa, was like, no no no, like you need to...
You need... This is training for when they go out the door. Like it's these series of little goodbyes, these little milestones to get you so that your heart is a little bit more prepared, probably still incredibly difficult, I can imagine, but it's kind of a training ground. And I think that the spiritual disciplines similarly like fasting or Sabbath or even silence and solitude are these series of saying no or series of denying yourself or series of standing up against what everybody else is saying to do like, oh, you just you eat when you're hungry and and you should always feel comfortable and you you just go go go go and you don't take time to stop and rest unless unless it just works out that way. It's all these series of standing up, these little things kind of like the graduation ceremonies moving on or as you get older to prepare you for that big day when you are standing up and now you've got some muscle memory developed in so that you can stand your ground and you can be meek and you can be willing to speak out when it is difficult because you're like, oh, I've I've experienced small versions of this before.
Okay. Here we go. I'm ready. This is... I've I've got some muscle memory for this.
I love that. I love that. I love that. What a beautiful... What she's talking about is exactly that Monday morning application of denying yourself, picking up your cross, and following Jesus in in small seemingly seemingly mundane, low hanging fruit ways.
But Jesus says, I see even your smallest act of surrender and obedience, and it is precious in my sight. And what you're doing is investing in eternity, and there will be a reward and payoff. I'm a single young adult, and everybody else around me is sleeping with their boyfriend and girlfriend. They don't even know it. That's a friend.
Everybody's doing it. Not me. Jesus is going to reward that. When you want to respond out of your flesh and you say, flesh, die. And you were wronged and they cut you off and you're just...
You just let that go. You'll be rewarded. It's exercising that muscle memory.
I know you wanna move on. I I love what you're saying, Joy. Do you think we're being tested though, collectively? Because that was a very... That's an inward thing that people might experience maybe as a collective group.
I think we might be being tested collectively as... Especially in this country. I know you guys all know my stance on masks and vaccines, but like when it comes to put on a mask in the grocery store and I was one of those, I was one of those who was like, no. No. Kick me out.
I dare you. Where it was the... Where it would... But it was that balance between humility and standing firm on your ground. You kinda touched on it.
But I think we're being... I wonder if that was just... If that's a human test for us to prepare us. Just the mask. And then it turned into a vaccine.
And I've had a debate with Jacob on this where he's like, Kat, why are you dying on this hill of the mask? Right? And so then you have to have that humility and balance. It's that tension where I've seen it just in the past... We went through two years of they shut down our lives.
They shut down our entire lives, and what did we do about it? What did we do? So for me, I get adamant about standing firm, but maybe too much so. So it is that tension. And so I love what you're bringing up.
It's like, when are you tested? It's in the small things. Maybe it's also in the big things too. But I have to be humbled a lot too because sometimes I get a little...
So... I kick you out?
Yeah, one time.
So let me say this.
Oh yeah, and I was
like, okay, see you. And you leave. That's the tension though. Then you leave. You've done your duty and you leave, right?
Sure. So let me say this about when is it time to lay our life down, capitulate, conform, when is it time to take a stand, to be a warrior, to fly, or to plant a flag. I think I preached a really good message on this several years ago. To pull way back from my memory banks just really quickly, when do I fight? When do I conform to help you navigate where and when to plant a flag?
It's a intersection of three different, what do we call lines with direction, vectors? Lines with a line with a direction, is that a vector? Yeah. Colin, help me. Okay, thank you.
Like I'm looking at you. You only draw more attention by not answering. Just a quick little nod to check on my math facts. These three different vectors, the convergence of these three different lines. Personal conviction, clear biblical standards, and specific direction from the Holy Spirit.
When those three things converge, now we're talking about the kind of territory that is worthy of planting a flag. Personal conviction? If you're just going on personal conviction, you might not plant that flag, but you may ram that flag right through the heart of somebody else who has a conflicting personal conviction, or is just being asked to do their job, or just doing what they feel like is the most loving thing to do. And I wrestled with it during the the mass time. Or being dogmatic about the bible says right here, and you either take a verse out of context, or you're not looking at the full counsel of scripture or you're using the one verse as a sword to slice up a whoo that is nasty nasty nasty.
Or if you're only going off of what you think is the voice of the Holy Spirit, well I'm being led not to. Or I'm being led to totally. But when you have the convergence of these three vectors, Now we got something. That's why I think we've had enough time for somebody to look up that dying quote of Martin Luther who said, here I am, I can do nothing else. There is a humility that comes on your life when you have to operate, when you plant a flag based upon the convergence of those three things.
There is a humility like, I know it's gonna cost me something. I'm not doing this in arrogance. I'm not doing this in antagonism, but I can't not obey and do this. Daniel chapter seven. Oh, and while you're turning to Daniel chapter seven, a few things.
One of the people participating in our livestream today said, that's difficult. Peer pressure is one thing. Pressure from the government is different. But what about it when it's a law? You have the law, peer pressure.
I personally believe that you need to plant flags based upon the convergence of those three vectors, whether that falls in line with a government or not. We have no idea how blessed we are living in a country whose founding documents so historically have so closely lined up with biblical values, it is so easy for now to be a Christian in this country and to live out biblical values. Go try to live out your biblical values in, that's literally what I was going to say, Iran. Daniel chapter seven. I've been trying for three weeks to just get to this one verse, but I'd love the richness of our conversation, and I believe it's very valuable.
One verse, Verse 18. And Johazimike, he'll hand it to whoever has that. Daniel chapter seven verse 18. This idea of reigning with Jesus. We will have roles of leadership and influence in Jesus' global administration.
But in the end, the holy people of the most high will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.
What's that mean? Other than this is not veiled, this is not symbolic, this is not poetic, this is not strictly spiritual. You can take this verse and put it in a New Testament context with the Apostle Paul. Therefore, I beat my body and make it my slave, so that after I've preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. I beat my body and make it my slave.
You could take that verse and put Daniel together, but in the end, the holy people of the most high will be given the kingdom, and they'll rule. I've been given the ability to rule over my flesh, and essentially boss myself around. That's true. Yep. Yep.
But there's also a coming very real literal sense where you, Dustin, if you've invited Jesus into your heart, made him the leader of your life, that in Jesus' coming millennial kingdom, he will look at the lamb's book of life, but you're... Well, we don't need to say your last name, but he'll look... He'll say, Dustin, and he'll be and you'll be like, yep, that's me, and he's like, great. Here is your new assignment, and it's going to involve helping to renew the earth, but also leading and administrating. And he needs...
How how well trained and prepared are you for that kind of leadership role? Not just the specific assignment, but the way in which Jesus leads and governs with humility and meekness. Have you exercised those muscles on this side now preparing you, training you, and allowing the Lord to equip you for the future assignment. We will rule forever and ever. Another verse.
If the best that you can do is just write the address down, great. And you can come back and and look at these. These. Okay? So thus far, we've read Isaiah nine six through what I say 11.
We have looked at Daniel chapter seven verse 18. Here's another one. Hang a right all the way to the book of Revelation. If you get to the maps, just go left a little. Revelation chapter two.
It's been in your Bible this whole time. Read. Would somebody read out loud? Well, let me just read it. Verse 26.
Revelation chapter two verse 26. To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, which very well may include laying down your life. Lord will be preparing you with dreams maybe since you were in high school about that. That was for you, Leah. To them, I will give authority over what?
The nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. When you read that verse, you can write a little note in your margins that should create a hyperlink in your brain all the way back to Psalms two. Ask and I'll give you the nations as your inheritance and he'll rule over the nations with an iron rod with the ability to smash them like one would a clay pot. Now wait a minute.
What about this little gentle Jesus bouncing kids on his knees and helping old ladies across the street in the lamb of God? Yes. Yes. Yes. All of that is true that we've read about in the gospels and that you saw in Sunday school on the felt board.
But when he returns, it won't be as a sacrificial lamb, but he will be the lion of the tribe of Judah. He came into Jerusalem the first time riding on a donkey, a foal, because the nature of his mission was that of humility and laying his life down. When he returns, he will be a conquering, warring champion Who after two thousand years of giving individuals and mankind collectively the opportunity to bend the knee of their heart towards him and acknowledge his leadership. When he returns, those who do not bend their knee will be smashed to pieces like one shatters a clay jar. Who's that Jesus?
It would behoove you to get to know that Jesus this side of the next assignment. So that when he judges in righteousness and he proclaims climate disaster over a nation, he'll have the ability to control weather patterns over specific nations. We will be like, yeah, man. They had it coming. I'm gonna share with you two more verses.
Probably won't be... What list are you trying to solve for my words?
No. I was whispering to Nina. Oh.
She's a good balance for me. Helps keep me in tension. Write the address of this verse down. Revelation chapter five verse nine and ten. And they sang a new song with these words.
You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, and people, and nation. Oh, quick pause. God would never ask us to do some. Jesus would never ask us to do something that he isn't willing to do himself or has already done himself.
He's described as the the conquering one, the one who rides on the clouds, will smash the nations like a clay pot. But what did he do? He says, I'm just laying my life down. He was he was wrongly accused, put through a kangaroo court, convicted of a capital crime, and said, nobody takes my life. I lay it down willingly.
And while he was being nailed to the cross, he said, father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Humility. You were slaughtered. And he says, I'll take you to be with me. In the same manner that Jesus went through things on earth, he says, I'll take you so that you can be with me by the same way of picking up your cross, denying yourself, by laying our lives down even in the small things.
What I really wanna do is watch this show on Netflix because I've had a long day and I just want to check out, and I just want to have some me time. I just want to feed my flesh a little bit. It's not like I'm watching pornography or something extremely violent or sinister. It's just amusement. A muse, muses to think.
Amusement is absence of thinking. I just wanna just tune out. But the Holy Spirit says, that shows no good for your heart. Do you immediately dismiss it? Yeah.
But when the government comes knocking on my door, that's when I'm gonna take a stand and lay down my life. You... The government will never come knocking on your door demanding your life if you have not first surrendered your life to your appetites in just watching a little stupid Netflix show. Verse 10. And you have caused them to become a kingdom of priests, our God, and they will reign on the earth.
How can we lead others if we aren't consistently winning battles within our own flesh? Notice what I said. I did not say have mastered, have fully put it to death, win everything and you're like perfect. It's not what I'm saying. I'm talking about you win more battles than you lose.
I said two more verses. Right? So one more verse. Revelation chapter 20. Write this one down.
This is this idea of reigning with Jesus. Last verse. Revelation chapter 20. Then I saw thrones and people sitting on them had been given authority to judge. That ties into what we're gonna talk about next week.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. So just from that verse alone, those who do not receive the mark of the beast according to scripture whenever that plays out. Capital punishment is a very real and likely possibility. But taking the mark, the bible is super clear.
It says that if you take the mark, you forfeit the inheritance of eternal life. It will be a a volitional act of your will. Now you might have extreme legislative and governmental maybe even military pressure to do it, but it will it will be an act of your will. And when, even if you choose, well, I'll get the mark, but I don't mean it in my heart. You're you're making a choice.
I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. The breast of the dead did not come back to life until a thousand years had ended.
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Yes. I thought I was reading it just fine.
It's like holy spirit?
Hand your phone to a young person. They will...
That's what we do.
For them, the second death holds no power. It's not that there isn't death involved. There's a little bit of death involved every single time you're like, oh, but I really like that guy and he's interested in me and like we could totally date, and I am lonely, and everybody else has a white verdict. And the holy spirit of God is like, is he saved? Don't be unequally yoked.
What are you doing? It just feels like it's... You're just gonna die. That's because you are dying. But it says, for them the second death holds no power because you've already died in little incremental ways by laying down your life, surrendering to the leadership and lordship of Jesus.
But they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Any at this time, anybody able to make any, like, personal connection points with, okay, I'm beginning to pick up what the Bible is putting down and how that can apply to my life Monday morning. Is anybody making, like, personal connections that they can, like... That they'd willing to share, like, okay. So if I'm getting this right, here's what I'm thinking it's meaning.
I think if we just... Like, once we made that first step to hand our lives over to Christ, I've been realizing that it's not an automatic thing and that we gradually just get closer to god and I was reading in Romans eight and basically, Paul was saying how there's nothing that can separate from god. Sorry. Don't know why my breath. There's nothing that can separate us from the love of god and then, I was like, okay.
My question is, how do I get closer? You know, how do I add in more of god to my life every single day? And I think what she was saying earlier, we are just vessels. Like, god's got the rest. I think we forget that he wins, you know, ultimately.
And so I think when we are just like God, I'm just a vessel. Use me. And we don't it's hard to just give over every second. But when we consciously think about it and choose to make that choice, I think we are growing muscles. Oh gosh.
And becoming stronger in the Lord and growing our faith.
You're exactly right. How is maturity marked in human beings? How is maturity marked in human beings?
Age. Age.
Age. Everybody knows how mature they are in their in their humanity by how many revolutions you've taken around the sun. Everybody marks it. Even celebrate it. Woo hoo.
You don't have to really do nothing to get more mature physically. It's very passive like, oh no, here comes another one. Hopefully, you're more wise. Now, how is spiritual maturity measured, achieved, gained, acquired? Here's the misnomer.
The misnomer is it's a number of years that you've been a Christian. What a tragic misunderstanding. I've been a Christian for fifteen years, and your nostrils quiver. I've gone to every single women's bible study that this valley has done. Look how much I tithe.
I built an orphanage and it has my name on it.
And your English?
And now I talk with this accent. I can pray voebrous prayers. Absurd pious. None of those things measure spiritual maturity. How is, one word, spiritual maturity measured?
Obedience. What? What obedience? Obedience. Yeah.
You can have you can have been a Christian for ten years but you're only one year old because after that first year you stopped obeying. A synonym I would say is surrender. We talk about that a lot here. Surrender. But you've just repeated that first year for the last nine years.
Many will come to me in that day and say, Lord, Lord, didn't we cast out demons in your name? Didn't we lay hands on the sick in your name? Didn't we... Maybe one other thing. And what does Jesus say?
I don't know why I have this memorized in the King James version. Depart from me, ye who work iniquity, I never knew you. Right. But Lord, I went to church and I tried to recycle and... Tried.
Tried to recycle. That's why... I'm gonna I'm gonna... I gotta stop you. Mhmm.
That's why if you've if you've been a Christian for a while and you see a new Christian and they're like just getting it and you would say, just... They're just so on fire for the Lord. And they're praying about something and God speaking to them or they're, you know, you're having a discussion with them and they're they're they're seeing things in the text that you're like, I've read that verse for ten years and ain't got that kind of good stuff out of it like you just did and you've been walking with the Lord for two months. It all has to do with surrender and obedience. That is how Christian maturity is marked.
Now you would hope that as you grow in age and in wisdom, like Janet was just saying, that there would be an an equal level of maturity as a result of surrender and obedience. That's also why you get the person that's like, you know, been a Christian for like thirty years and they're grouchy and crusty and religious and like, I don't wanna have anything to do with that. That's just because they've stopped obeying and sermon. They've stopped growing and maturing. How do we grow and mature as Christians?
Obedience. God is... Jesus will be returning for an equally yoked bride. We have to grow every single day and surrender maturity and obedience. A great way for maturity to be developed, but this act of surrendering, Jesus talks about this almost as much as he talks about hell.
He talks about finances. Where your treasure is, there's your heart. I've given you a pretty good segue, Jay. I'm gonna invite Jay up. He'll lead us in tithes and offerings.
He has a few announcements for us. Jay, just share with us, like, like, how to give and then pray over the offering and then hit us with announcements. I've eaten up all of your time. So, Jay, come on.
I'll try and keep it quick. But yeah, like exactly what Bibi was saying, like dying to yourself, surrendering. And one of the ways we do that is through giving. Exactly what PB was saying, like, where your treasure is, like, so is your heart. Ways to give are on the website.
There's a give button. You can go there. There's also texting to 84321 on your phone. It's as easy as texting a friend, and there's also a black safety box outside the building where you can drop cash or check. So if you guys join me, we'll pray over the tithes and offerings.
God, we thank you for how you transform us and how you aid us in dying to ourselves where we can, be obedient to you, not as not as robots, but as as children, as sons and daughters that willingly, answer your call. God, we just ask that you, you bring us into deeper relationship to you, and we just surrender all that we have.
In your
name, we pray. Amen. Amen. Couple announcements are we got our Christmas Eve invites. I spread some of them out on the table.
There's some by the door as well. We got service coming up on Christmas Eve, and I'd encourage you guys, grab a couple of these. It doesn't mean you need to be, like, sitting on the corner, like, telling people they're gonna go to hell. They don't repent, like, passing these out. But, yeah.
Right. Right. Yeah.
Unless that's what the holy spirit...
Maybe those those three vectors, man. You never
know. But
yeah. I mean, like, do you wanna go into the employee locker room and make these rain whatever you gotta do like invite some people to service. You'll never know what a tiny little seed can do. Faith of a mustard seed, it tells you where service is gonna be on the backside and then gives a little details on here so encourage you guys grab a few of those on the way out. Other things we got are these Christmas tags.
Every year we partner with First Bee, and we help, buy gifts for families and people that are in need in the valley. So I'll spread these out on the table. I think we got like 20 something of these, and this is a great way to go above and beyond your tithe and do an offering and do something that is that is extra, that is pleasing to the lord. It gives you the exact directions on here. Basically, you'll go out, you'll buy the gift, tells you exactly what it is.
This one says, girl age three wooden puzzle. Go out, buy it, wrap it, return it to the TMC by Tuesday, December 20 and with the tag on it. Because, yeah, if the tags get mixed up, then we don't know, like, we don't want this little girl that's expecting a wooden puzzle to get a brand new iPad. That'd be terrible.
Would it for her, though?
So, yeah. So go ahead and grab one of these on your way out, and this is especially for the young adults. Over on the counter over there, there's some CDs if you still have a CD player. I I snagged two of the CDs over there. There's some like weird artist named like Lissa Hunter on there.
It's a Christmas CD. Justin Justin's showing it off. I gave that to... As a little stocking stuffer to like my grandparents and my parents and they still talk about it to this day. So just saying just a little...
Because
no one's gonna know what a CD player
is probably after this year. And
then if you missed last week's sermon, it was pecky day, so you really missed out. I missed it last year and I spent an entire year in the dark not knowing what pecky day is. Don't do it. Go back, listen to the sermon, you'll see the pecky board right over there. Might give you a hint about what it is, but I really encourage you
guys go back and listen to that.
And there's some extra pecky boards for you downstairs to have your own. Start your own pecky board and just remember the faithfulness of God. I'll share a quick story. I'll try to keep it quick, but a tribe member last week came up and told me that they had a really hard time, like, with their offering the previous week and they're like, man, like, I got this sweet tip at work and like the Lord was immediately like, nope, that's mine. Like, that's for me.
And he was like, oh, no. Like, money's so tight. Like, I don't even know if I'm gonna be able to like afford Christmas presents for my family. But they were obedient and they gave it. And I'm not saying this will happen to everybody, but the next day they show up to work and one of their supervisors comes up and is like, hey, there's this letter that we've had sitting in the office for a long time.
And it's got your name on it and nobody else with your name like works here or has worked here for a long time. So we just decided to give it to you and it was almost twice the amount of what they gave and so they just came up to me and they're like I know it's not like the blue bird but that was pretty sweet. That was pretty pretty sweet. So just a small story to encourage you guys like, hey, like the Lord sees that. He sees you dying to yourself and he wants to encourage you in that and he wants to grow you in your your faith, in your obedience, and in your maturity, and just ask.
Ask the Lord and see what he'll do for you. I think that's it for announcements? Yeah. Good job. Come up and pray us out?
Not so fast.
Yeah. Sorry. Young adults, we are doing our first life group this week. This week, we are going to do it on Thursday. I know there's been a little bit of confusion...
Confusing mixed messages about being on Thursday or Friday, but this week, it's going to be on Thursday. It's gonna be here at 7PM. We're doing life together. So if you are a young adult, you know young adult, invite them. It's...
We're going deep. We're gonna be discipling, talking about Jesus, doing life together, having fun, eating good food, playing games. It's gonna be a good time.
How much do we love Jay? Jay.
Stand up. And let's, we'll we'll continue the the theme. You did so well this morning. By way of benediction, a prayer of blessing over you, I wanna lead you in the prayer. Just hold your hands out like this.
Close your eyes and say, Lord Jesus Lord Jesus. Take these idle sticks of my life
Take these idle sticks of my life.
And may I burn up for thee.
And may I burn up for thee.
God, I ask that you would answer the prayer of each and every person that prayed that not just with their mouth, but with their heart. That the desire of their heart... Give them, touch their hearts with a desire to lay their life down, that they would create more and more room for you, that you would work wonderful and amazing things in their life as the result of obedience and death that comes from putting their flesh to death for the sake of inviting your kingdom into their hearts that it would flow out to a lost and dying world around them. I command a blessing over each and every member of our tribe family that's here at the TMC that's listening to the podcast and watching the livestream this morning. We pray all of these things in Jesus' name, the strong son of God.
And everybody said Amen. Amen. Amen. I love you guys so very much. Stay around.
Stick around. Have a few more little breakfast num nums. Have a great week. Go France in the finals this week. I love you.
You got this.
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