Scripture referenced
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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1 Corinthians 15:3 Clay quoted Paul on Christ dying for sins as of first importance
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
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Keep this verse
John 15:7
Lanisha shared this as the verse the Lord told her to focus on, about remaining in him and asking whatever you want
7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.
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2 Kings 5:1-15
The story of Naaman read aloud as the main sermon text
1 Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
2 The Syrians had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maiden; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.
3 She said to her mistress, “I wish that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would heal him of his leprosy.”
4 Someone went in, and told his lord, saying, “The maiden who is from the land of Israel said this.”
5 The king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “Now when this letter has come to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.”
7 When the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his clothes, and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends to me to heal a man of his leprosy? But please consider and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.”
8 It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.”
11 But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’
12 Aren’t Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them, and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 His servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had asked you do some great thing, wouldn’t you have done it? How much rather then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?’”
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
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Jeremiah 18:6
Brian quoted it on God as potter and Israel as clay in his hands
6 “House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” says Yahweh. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.
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Hebrews 12:1-12
Read aloud as a passage about discipline, connected to Naaman's story
1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls.
4 You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin;
5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him;
6 For whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not children.
9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
11 All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.
12 Therefore lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees,
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Psalms 139:23-24
Brian quoted it as an address for developing a teachable spirit, asking God to search the heart and point out what offends him
23 Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
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1 Corinthians 9:27
Brian cited it briefly on beating the body and making it a slave, in response to someone suggesting you can correct yourself
27 but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.
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Proverbs 27:6
Brian quoted it on wounds from a sincere friend being better than many kisses from an enemy
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
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Hebrews 13:2
Mentioned in connection with showing hospitality to strangers who may be angels, tied to the discussion of strangers correcting us
2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message was the fourth week of Tribe's "Turn the Cat Around" series, returning to the story of Naaman from 2 Kings 5. Pastor Brian used Naaman as an example of someone who was genuinely teachable, and built from that into a broader conversation about what it looks like to develop a teachable spirit and when it is right to resist correction instead.
What was said
Brian opened by noting that when he sat down to prepare, he had planned to move forward in the series. Instead, he felt the Lord pulling him back to Naaman, not to highlight Naaman's stubbornness, which the previous week had covered, but to notice something often missed: Naaman was actually remarkably teachable for a man of his rank. A foreign slave girl told his wife something, and Naaman acted on it. That is the first example the sermon pointed to, and Lily in the congregation named it before Brian did.
From there, Brian walked through the text looking for more moments of teachability. The second example is Naaman listening to his own officers after he stormed off in a rage. His soldiers reasoned with him, essentially saying, you do hard things all the time, and this is simple, so do it. And he did. Brian held that up as a significant act, because it is one thing to receive correction from a boss, and another thing entirely to receive it from people you are leading.
Brian then stepped back from the story and asked the congregation two diagnostic questions: how many people can you name who have permission to call you out, and when was the last time that actually happened? He quoted John Bevere, who said the strongest horse is left in the stall on the day of battle because it is not trainable. The point was that being correctable is not a weakness, it is the quality that makes someone actually usable.
He listed several sources that can legitimately speak correction into a person's life, working from the obvious toward the harder ones. God's word and the Holy Spirit. A leader or boss. A friend, with Proverbs 27:6 referenced about wounds from a sincere friend being better than many kisses from an enemy. Someone you are leading. And then a stranger, with the congregation landing on Balaam's donkey as the clearest biblical example. Brian also paused to address the married men in the room specifically, saying that many times the voice of the Holy Spirit will come through the voice of a wife, and the tendency is to dismiss it because of who is delivering it.
Brian then introduced the Teflon side of the title. Not everything that presents itself as correction should be received. He named three situations where a person should let a word slide off rather than take it in: when it is being used to manipulate or control, when it is coming from the enemy and aimed at condemnation rather than correction, and when it contradicts what is clearly confirmed in God's word. He used the image of a walled city with gates, saying that a person with healthy, built-up discernment can sit at the gate, evaluate what is coming in, receive what is genuinely from the Lord, and turn away what is not.
He closed by tying teachability directly to leadership. Using the story of the Roman officer who came to Jesus, Brian noted that the officer understood authority because he himself was submitted to it. The point was plain: people who submit to authority are given authority. Naaman was healed. The invitation at the end of the sermon was to receive that same kind of healing, in character, in the soul, and in the body, by staying soft and moldable rather than rigid and closed.
Touch points
Things you could actually do this week.
- Write down the names of two or three people in your life who actually have permission to call you out, and if you can't name anyone, reach out this week to one person and ask them to be that voice for you.
- The next time someone corrects you, resist the urge to dismiss it and instead take it to the Lord and ask him whether there is anything in it he wants you to receive.
- Pray through Psalm 139 verses 23 and 24 on your own this week, specifically asking God to point out anything in you that offends him and to lead you from there.
- If you owe someone an apology, send it this week without putting the word 'if' in it, owning specifically what you did and asking plainly for forgiveness.
- Identify one area where you have been saying 'God hasn't convicted me of that yet,' and sit with the Holy Spirit long enough to ask honestly whether that is actually true.
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.
- Lissa described the enemy coming at her physically during worship, and others shared the lies or distractions that hit them when they try to engage. What does that resistance tend to look like for you, and how do you push through it?
- Brian said the deepest desire of his heart for Tribe fam is that we would move on the spectrum toward self-feeding and taking our relationship with Jesus seriously, rather than coming to be entertained or intellectually tickled. Where do you honestly land on that spectrum right now?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Resumen en español
El mensaje resumido, en español.
El sermon del pastor Brian continuo una serie llamada "Turn the Cat Around" (Dale la Vuelta al Gato), usando la historia de Naamán en 2 Reyes 5:1-15 como punto de partida. Brian señalo que aunque la semana pasada vimos las areas donde Naamán tuvo que cambiar su actitud, esta vez la historia nos muestra algo diferente: Naamán como ejemplo de alguien con un espíritu enseñable. Un general poderoso que escucho a una esclava joven, que acepto el consejo de sus soldados, y que al final obedeció al profeta. El resultado fue su sanidad completa.
La idea central fue esta: una persona enseñable es como arcilla en manos del alfarero, dispuesta a ser moldeada. Brian hablo de quienes tienen la autoridad legítima de corregirnos: la Palabra de Dios, un lider, un amigo, alguien a quien lideramos, el Espíritu Santo, e incluso un desconocido. Pero también habló del "Teflon espiritual", es decir, saber reconocer cuando una corrección viene para manipular o condenar, no para edificar, y en esos casos dejarla resbalar sin recibirla. La clave es desarrollar discernimiento para saber la diferencia entre una corrección que viene de Dios y una que viene del enemigo.
Brian termino conectando todo esto con el crecimiento como líderes. Dijo que los mejores líderes son primero excelentes seguidores, y que no podemos crecer en influencia si no somos moldeables. La pregunta que dejo fue directa: ¿cuándo fue la última vez que alguien te corrigió? Si no puedes recordarlo, puede ser una señal de que no estás siendo enseñable.
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Pasajes bíblicos usados
- 2 Reyes 5:1-15
- 1 Corintios 15:3
- Juan 15:7
- Jeremias 18:6
- Hebreos 12:1-12
- Salmos 139:24-25
- Proverbios 27:6
- 1 Corintios 9:27
Read the full transcript 14,845 words
Let's stand together this morning. I just feel like the lord is just coming ready to speak to us today. Let's just invite his presence and his peace. As the spirit as the spirit was Let's invite the holy spirit. Feel me.
Just tell me, you that's true today. I know that you'll feel me. I come before you if I press in. I know that you will fill me today. Search my heart, oh god.
Search my heart, oh god, for any way that would keep me from entering into your presence today because that's what we long for. That's where we're changed today. We just bring our worship before you as a weapon this morning. I'm just gonna share this like when we get together and we worship, you guys, like stuff happens. Yes.
In the spirit realm, like, it really does and every once in a while, it's maybe three or four times this has happened. I go, you know, we start worship and I'm just saying this because I'm just dispelling what the enemy tries to do. The moment I started to sing, it was like I had two hands just squeezing my throat. I cannot get air out. And it's happened enough times now.
I recognize it as like, oh, no. You didn't. No. You didn't. You dirty devil.
I mean, it's scary. It's like, I can't swallow. I can't breathe. And I just know if I just keep pressing in, I just keep pressing in because that's what he wants. Right?
He wants to discourage us. And I don't wanna over spiritualize, but the enemy does not want us to worship because that's where we have freedom. Right? And his attempts are so feeble. They're so feeble.
Like, all I have to do is just keep singing. That's right. That's all I have to do. I just can't be a coward and let him scare me. Right?
So I just feel like that's something kind of that I feel in the physical. That's a spiritual battle, but I don't know what it is that the enemy starts to come at you with when you start to worship. What does he I mean, obviously, that makes sense. He would try to, like, close my throat. Right?
But what what does he come at you with today? Like, does he just immediately put shame on you? Like, who are you coming in this place worship? Like, what what is that lie that he tries to tell you that you need to just sing through this morning? Don't just sweep it under the rug because then he wins.
Say what it is that he's trying to lie to you about and then just say the opposite. That is not true. I am made righteous before my god. He's made me worthy to come and worship today. I
think I was sensing something similar to you, Liz, like like, come on. Let's stir it up. Not manufacture it, not like group and holler, but like stir up who's in charge that lives on the inside of you. That's right. And maybe even boss our flesh around.
And I thought of this this question popped into my mind for all of us. Who benefits from worship? Us or God? Both. Yeah.
Good question from the teacher. Both. It's both only if we get the priority and the order right. If we think that worship benefits benefit us nor does it bless the Lord if we get it, as my grandmother used to say, backwards. So the tendons the normal human tendency is to come to church, to be like, well, you know, I we all had to get up an hour early this morning.
But thankfully, Siri runs our life now, and she just set the clocks for us. But but we we had to get up an hour early. We're like, oh, we played this song too much or why are we on this chorus or I got a grocery shop after. Like, we need that worship team to, like, really fire us up. That is stinking thinking.
When we think that it's about us and it benefits the lord. However, if we get our thinking oriented the right way, that worship benefits the lord when we open our mouth regardless of what's going on in our circumstances, This is for you, Jesus. Jesus. Out of key, out of tune, scratchy voice, don't know the lyrics, this is for you, Jesus. It benefits us.
So, let's bless the lord with our mouths this morning through worship.
You'll feel me I just get this picture in my mind of like you know, sometimes you can sing that line with like a different kind of tone. You know, like,
and I know you'll feel me,
you know, or you can be like, because your presence is here. I just know that you're gonna feel me. Like, because that's just what you do when I'm at a vessel ready to receive. His presence comment comes and it just pours in. He just can't help it.
So, Lord, we don't come like bossy babies and be like, Lord, you need to fill me. We just say, Lord, when you come and your presence comes, that's just what happens when we are ready to receive you. So make us ready today to receive you. Make us ready today to receive you. Whatever it takes, Lord.
Whatever we need to throw off today that would hinder us. Whatever it is, let us not cling to what holds us back or keeps us in bondage today. Oh, let us just run, run to you with freedom. You already know. Yes, Lord.
This is kind of an oldie, and it always reminds me of when we were first meeting at Shepherd of the Mountains, this song, but just inviting the spirit of the living God, that we just only wanna hear his voice. And that's our prayer today. Yes, Lord. We're hanging on every word. Spirit of because when speak, when you move, when you do what only you can do, it changes us, changes what we see, what we see.
When you come to the room, When you do what only you can do, it changes us, changes what we see, what we see. How would you like all your thoughts and all your motives and what you seek to be lined up with what Jesus wants? His motives, his heart. Lord, let us line up, sync up with you. Change us.
Maybe the Lord's putting something on your heart this morning to share. Just encourage you that the lord uses us to speak to one another, to edify his name, to build up the body. So, Colin has a microphone for our livestream. Friends, if there's something that the lord's put on your heart, maybe you've never stepped out and shared something that the lord was speaking to you during worship or during a message. Today might be that day that the lord is encouraging you today.
If the lord put something on your heart, just kinda slip your hand up and call and we'll get you that microphone. You won't hear it in the room. It's just for our livestream family.
The Holy Spirit is reminding us the atmosphere is being stirred right now. Last week, listen, in worship said that god is moving in our midst, in this season, in this time. And the spirit is reminding us that we've not been given a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, a spirit of love, a sound mind, a creative mind. And he wants you to know that if your heart is being squeezed, speak whatever Jesus is revealing to you. Thank you, Jesus.
Free, free, free your people. Thank you, Lord. Yes,
I was thinking about this last week and, didn't get the opportunity to share it, but, first Corinthians fifteen three, and this is Paul speaking. For I delivered to you as a first importance that I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scripture. I wonder how much you think that means. What is the value of something like that? You think about if you went into Jackson and you got a parking ticket or let's say you got 10 parking tickets, how they mount up cost wise.
Can you imagine from the day you were born to present? Him forgiving every sin. What what would that cost in our court system? I mean, I wanna that's that's the thing I think we miss sometimes is that we don't visualize how big god is and how significant what he's done. He created every person, everything in this room, and that's incredible in itself.
But imagine the whole world is in his hands. He is in control. Yes. He is sovereign over everything. Let's let's get a big bigger picture of god because you know, I just think we are missing out on so much.
I've heard somebody give an example one time said, if a non believer would just read the Bible like a child, That and believe as a child that it would open up the world as they could never imagine. So, let's think big.
So good. So
this morning, I just feel like I didn't realize it until I walked in and Alyssa pointed it out, but Satan was at work this morning, and I just there was ice on the driveway and then I was ready to go and I get in the car and the entire inside of my windshield is covered with ice. So I'm trying to scrape it and then I leave and top of the hill, my tire won't move because there's just ice packed around my tire. And so I have to get out and I break my ice thing and I'm sweaty and hot and frustrated and I'm driving and Maya goes, mommy, are you going too fast? You know, and I get here and and there's ice and I'm just I'm so frustrated and and I'm I'm not in a clear mind and I'm just frustrated and angry and everything. And when I walked in, I'm still breathing heavy and I'm sweaty and I'm I just I had to stop and pause and I just I just prayed that God would bring me peace and stomp out, you know, Satan's attempt this morning to keep me from the acts and the power that god brings into this space because he does and he knew that I was headed to this wonderful space that I just I love to be a part of And and I, you know, I just said, you know, Lord, bring me to peace.
Fill me with your peace. And, you know, I hurt my neck or shoulder when I was trying to get all the ice out of my car. And I said, can you please just show me that you're here? And, I mean, it's still there, but it's the edge is off. You know what mean?
And, like, it was, like, immediate because I just I was just so frustrated. And I know he's here, and I know he's moving amongst us. And I just you know, it's it's gonna get bigger and harder, and we just have to Press ask for that peace, for that constant peace. Because when he's with us, you nothing can be against us.
That's right. That's right. Anybody else? Nisha. Going off of what?
Clay said with just a big god that we do serve. These past few weeks, the lord's really been reminding me. I don't know about any of you guys but when you always see other people getting blessings or see god doing breakthrough for other people, it's easy to think that the lord doesn't wanna do a breakthrough for you And the enemy's really just been hitting that over my head, like, oh, that's so great. Praise. Yay.
Your friend got this. But guess what? You still have this struggle, this struggle, your family still x y z. And it's been a lot of tearful nights these past just weeks being out here, family in Ohio. And it was about, what, 11:30.
So I was up late because I usually go to bed around eight. And Oh, wow. When I don't have evening plans, I am asleep. And John 15 has just always been my chapter for years. And I would read it over and over, and the Lord was like, I need you to stop and focus on one scripture tonight, please.
And it's verse seven. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, it'll be done for you. And I've read that so many times and I'm like, oh, yeah. Ask and you'll receive all this like good things but in my heart, I knew that I was not believing that for myself and letting that power that the lord does have wash over me and give me blessings. So, if anyone in here has been like, oh, the lord won't do that for me or go in that direction for me.
He is a father who cares and loves so deeply. He wants to do it for you. He wants to give you those blessings. Just gotta continue to remain in him and let his words remain in you. And once I had that truth wash over me and truly remained in it, I'm already now just seeing blessings and breakthrough within just a week.
So the Lord works.
That's good news. That's awesome. That's wonderful. Last week, we shared and the week before too just about a special wave of how the lord we've been seeing the lord move and work and healing and Clay, did you have your appointment? Okay.
Clay's been healed from cancer. We're waiting for, like, a full one year, like, y'all good to go. Our friend Gretchen was healed, went to the doctor, got all these, like, amazing like, her blood tests were completely normal. She was diagnosed with this crazy immune disease, Graves' disease. They were like, it's gonna be bad.
She went in. We prayed and totally healed. I mean, the Lord's just doing stuff. My hips got completely healed. I still am completely pain free.
So the Lord's doing something. Why now? Why this way? We don't know, but we wanna ride in it. For as long as he's moving this way, and I believe he always longs to move and heal in his presence, and sometimes there's just a special grace for certain things.
So we're gonna sing just a little bit more. And if you need prayer today, it doesn't have to be necessarily for physical healing. It could be emotional healing, a broken heart. It can be whatever you feel like maybe the Lord's bringing up and just slip your hand up and Lanisha will come pray. Lee and Colleen will come pray.
Colin will come pray, Joy or Isaac. Just slip your hand up and someone will come and lay hands on you and pray for you today. And I'm just telling you, there's something that happens. There's a equation. I don't know.
It's a heavenly equation of stepping out in faith to ask for prayer or to slip your hand up or believe he can heal and then the Lord's just sovereignty to just be who he is. And so uniting our faith together. So as we sing, if if you want prayer for something, just slip your hand up and someone will come and and pray for you. Hallelujah. And Jesus, we just come before you and we just thank you that everything is found in you.
Just like what Clay said, sometimes we just, in our earthly mind, in our clutter, in our busyness, we we devalue in our minds or we just take for granted what you paid. Oh, we just tell you we love you. Thank you for your sacrifice. Oh, we just tell you we love you. And as we just worship you, we just ask that you would send your healing presence in this place.
Yes. Just
tell him you love him today. And just pour out your affection on him today. Just like the woman who broke had to be broken the alabaster jar had to be broken in order to pour out all that she had. Lord, break us today in the way that we need to be broken to just come before you freely and worship you today. That we would just be lovesick in your presence.
Sing our affection. Ryan, is your hand up for prayer? Brian needs prayer. He's not just worshiping. He's he needs prayer for his picture you.
His face. Jesus, we just tell you that this morning. Oh, how we love you. How we love you. You know every every single thought before we think it.
You know what? We came in here dragging behind us like an anchor today. Oh, you just long to come and as we just lay stuff at your feet, bondages are just broken. Sometimes it's in phases, sometimes it's immediate, but Lord we just tell you we trust you. And today we just say, Lord, how are you moving?
What do you wanna speak to me today? I'm listening. Lord, I pray that you would just increase our testimonies of how amazing you are, that we would just be bursting at the seams just telling everyone of who our God is and what he's doing and how he's moving because of his great love, not because we deserve it or could earn it, but because of who you are, God. We just ask that you would start with us, refine us, Mold us to be that vessel that you can just pour freely into overflowing so it just comes out on everyone around us. We tell you we love you this morning, Jesus.
We love you. Thank you. Thank you. I just keep seeing this picture. I this is not about me, but I just keep seeing this picture of this chessboard I made one time for someone.
And they had just kinda flipped it and they asked, like, hey, could you make me a chessboard out of wood? You know? And I was like, let me let me think about it. I'll let me wrap my head around, you know, how to do that. And so made the chessboard and it was a whole lot more work than I had thought it was gonna be.
And I really labored over it. I you know, the stain and how I was gonna paint it and then, you know, all the things and really spent a ton of time. I wanted it to be, like, really nice when I gave it to this person. And this isn't about me or about them, but I just the moment just came to my mind when I handed it to them, they were like, oh, thanks. And just like walked away with it.
I was like, And I just get that picture in my mind because I feel like that's what we do to to Jesus sometimes. Right? Like, he's like, you know, he's paid the ultimate sacrifice for us. Way more than a silly chessboard that my pride was probably all wrapped up in, you know? But he just so freely does and pays all the stuff that we if we really were to stop and be truly thankful, we'd see the handiwork of his like just great, great love and I think sometimes we just go, hey, thanks and we just like take the sacrifice or we take the gift and we kinda just like, I don't know, we take it for granted.
The just amazing love woven into his sacrifice on the cross. Like, we just can't even imagine. So, Jesus, we just tell you we love you. Thank you. We ask that as Brian comes and shares and as we all open our spirit to just hear your voice today that in conversation and in your word, Lord, you would just reveal new measures of your greatness to us, your great great love for us today.
Thank you for every single person in this room. Thank you that this is a unique gathering, that this is never these people have never never gathered in this place like this before. This song is unique today. The sharing time is unique today. And Lord, you love it when we come together, and we just we get excited about what you're gonna do in us and through us and what you are doing.
Continue to bring your healing in this place as we dig into your word. Everybody said, amen. Alright. Fill your coffee. There's some more seats up here and we'll get into God's word.
Get your bible out.
Yes. No. Really good. So this past week, I was with our daughter, Selah, who's on spring break, flew out to San Diego, and we drove to Red Rocks, Nevada for a week of climbing and camping. And it was it was like, the the weather was meh.
The climbing was good. The time with Selah was priceless. And so I got to watch I was trying to watch the livestream last week while we were, like, at the buffet hell. And I was that weird guy that, like, had his phone, like, watching a video on his phone, like, you know, like, blaring over the the cacophony of sounds of, you know, like, clattering plates and, like, CNN news feeds and, you know, people shuffling about. And Selah was like, oh, you're that you're that guy.
And I was like, yeah. I guess I'm that guy. But last week just sounded so great. I was encouraged through the livestream and and hearing all of your participation and hearing the stories come out of what God is doing in and amongst our tribe fam. And I really want us the deepest desire of my heart as lead shepherd of tribe is that we would be individuals and a collective community who are marked by pressing into the Lord.
I want us to be a community of people who take our relationship with Jesus serious. I want us to be a community of people who are if you're if you need god's stuff, baby bird fed to you, it's okay. But I want us to be a people moving towards, moving on the spectrum towards self feeding and taking responsibility and moving towards maturity, far be it from our tribe fam, that that we would come to this gathering to be entertained or to be intellectually tickled or to have, you know, interesting thought, and that we would go out from these doors not having met the Lord and not being changed by him. I want us to be known individually and collectively as a community who run hard after Jesus. Can we just do that?
Yes. Alright. Let's take steps towards it and we're gonna take some steps towards it today. Whoo. Boy, I'm gonna rub your cat the wrong way today.
We're in a series called Turn the Cat Around. And if you if you remember, last week was week three. We talked about this guy, Naaman, and we read a story from the Bible in second Kings. And let's go ahead, read that story. I want to touch on a couple of points from last week and then dive into today's content.
So if you have your Bible with you this morning, let's click on second Kings chapter five, and we'll take turns reading verses one through 15. And Liz? I was like, man, I might I was like it's it's so anointed this morning, but it's just in my ears.
I don't
know. Maybe we should just leave that. Help me. Second Kings chapter five verse one through 15. Here comes the mic whoever wants to start.
Read a few verses and pass it on. We're gonna read all the way to verse 15, but if you want to. Yeah.
The king of Aram had a great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him, the Lord had given Aram great victories. But through Naaman, though he was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. At this time, the Armenian raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a maid. One day, the girl said to her mistress, I wish my master would just go see that prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.
So Naaman told the king that the young what the young girl from Israel had said. So go and visit that prophet, the king told him. I'll send a letter of an introduction for you to take with you to the king of Israel. So Naaman started out carrying as many as 750 pounds of silver as a gift, a 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of clothing. The letter to the king of Israel said, with this letter, I present my servant Naaman, and I want you to heal him of his leprosy.
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, ugh, am I God that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone of leprosy? I can see that he's just trying to pick a fight with me. But when Elisha, the man of God, heard the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him. Why are you so upset upset?
Send Naaman over to me, and he'll learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel. So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house, but Elisha sent a messenger out to him with his mess with this message. Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and when then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy. But Naaman became angry and stalked away. Ugh.
I thought he would certainly, at least himself, come out to meet me, he said. I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy or call on the name of the Lord to heal me. Aren't the rivers of the Damascus, the Abana, and the far far better than the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed? Ugh.
So Naaman turned away and went in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, you would have done it. Right? So you should certainly obey him when it's this simple. He said, go and wash, and you'll be cured.
So Naaman went down to the Jordan River. He dipped himself seven times as the man of God had instructed him, and his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child. He was healed. Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, now I know that there is no God in all of the world except the one in Israel.
So please accept these gifts as your servant.
Great. Thank you, Amanda, for taking us the whole way. Great great job. I looked for some of those words that you used in your reading, some of the exclamations, and I couldn't find them in my bible, but they fit so perfectly.
Like, ugh.
Yeah. Yeah. I didn't see the ugh in my translation, but you must have a special one. If you remember from last week, there were there were three main takeaway points about turn your cat around. And if you're brand new to this series, that phrase came from a pastor, distant mentor of ours in Tulsa who would, as he was preaching along, if he said something tough or challenging or or like hard to digest out of God's word, he would say, and if this pets your fur the wrong way, then you just need to turn your cat around.
Meaning, that God only pets one way. He doesn't change. His ways are right. His ways are true. His ways are the best.
And when we bump up against something that we don't like or we disagree with or is uncomfortable for us, the last thing that we should do is change God into our image, but we need to be changed. We need to turn the cat of our heart around so that when he pets us, it's going with the grain and our heart sound like this. Exactly. So that's where this phrase came from, turn the cat around. And if you remember last week, talked about there were a couple of ways that Naaman needed to turn his cat around.
And by way of quick review, I'm gonna throw all three of those up there right now. How do I turn my cat around? This was from last week, and we learned this from Naaman. Number one, we gotta let go of the how. Here's how I have an expectation that God's gonna come through for me.
We gotta be careful of that. You gotta let go of the where. This is where I want you to. Even if the want and the need have an intersection, a lot of times we limit God by placing our preconceived notions or expectations or or or history of what he's done with somebody else on him that limits how and where and in what manner he works in our life today. So you gotta let go of the how, you gotta let go of the where, and then you've got to let go of the what ifs.
What if god doesn't come through? What if I I fall back into the what? You gotta let go. So these were three things that we saw in the text from last week that Naaman needed to wrestle with and turn the cat around. Well, this week, I was ready to move on.
We've got just a a few more weeks of turn the cat around. Notice how I said that ambiguously to leave me generous room. I was ready to move on, but the lord's like, hey, let's circle back around and look at the story of of Naaman again because, yes, Naaman got healed. Yes, Naaman went to the Lord. But a lot of times we think of Naaman as kinda being like like like a poopy pants or something.
But Lord's like, let's look at the story of Naaman again because he's actually a beautiful, wonderful example of a key principle that we as people, and and certainly we as Christians, can sometimes mess up, get wrong, stumble over, have a a hard time with. And so we're gonna continue looking at the story of Naaman. And if you're taking notes this morning, you can write at the top of your notes the title of this morning's conversation, teachable Teflon. Everybody say teachable Teflon. Teachable Teflon.
That's great. Teflon.
I see somebody already wrote it in Amanda's notes for her.
Yeah. I wanted to make sure that the the notes were gonna get were taken today. I had to prime the pump a little. Teachable Teflon. So I want us to to go back, look at the story of Naaman, and we're gonna look at at at two key points, and we're gonna talk about this idea of of teachability.
So if you were well before I just like point it out to you, if you were to survey the story of Naaman verses one through 15, and you were to look for one or more examples of Naaman being teachable, what would come what would you see? What would you point out as a possible example of Naaman being teachable? What do you see? See? Oh.
Lily. Lily, love to hear your voice. You got this.
Lily looks excited to share.
I guess the first thing that comes to mind is when the servant girl spoke up because she's below him. Yes.
Now now I would love to hear a little bit more just of your thoughts about, like, why did that stand out to you? Why is that interesting? Why could it be relevant to the story and what we're talking about today? And by the
way, you're totally onto it. Why was it important? Was that your first one?
Yeah. Yeah. Like I'd just love to hear you share your thoughts a little more about it.
Okay. Well, think number one, her being a woman and in this time period, that's a big deal for her to speak up like that. So that took a lot of bravery and for him to be open to even listening to her. And then who was it who who talked to him first about it? Was it his wife?
I can't remember.
It well, the the text says that the slave girl spoke to her mistress Mhmm. Her master. Mhmm. And then the next thing in the story is Naaman goes to the king. But we can easily and safely conclude that the slave girl told her master and the woman told her husband, Naaman, Naaman went to the king.
But you're you're on the right track, Lily. That's so good.
It just makes me think too in life sometimes the best advice can come from places where you least expect it. And Or people. And the or people. Yeah. Agreed.
And so for her for him to even be open to listening to her, he must have been pretty desperate and pretty willing to be changeable in his set perspectives.
Well, I believe that Lily has literally covered all of our notes. So, Amanda on this little one. Yep. So I I love to hear your voice. I love to hear your thoughts in this environment because, like, you know, it's very hard to sit on the back row and, like, and not make eye contact with the preacher.
Like, this is conducive for us having a conversation. And when you have a thought about the text, you make a connection or have a question or a comment, and you step out to share those things, man, you grow, we grow, the conversation is enriched. And so I love I love the the format that we have right now, and I love your contribution. Thank you, Lily. Lily is referencing what she read in verse three through five.
So let's, would somebody please read verse three through five? I've got it right here. Let me read it. One day, the girl said to her mistress, I wish my master would go and see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.
I love the faith of that girl. And then we see the moment of teachability right here. So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. And then I love what the king says. Woah.
Go and visit the prophet, the king of Aram told him. So the first example of having a teachable spirit that we see in the life of Naaman happens right there in verse three through five. Now with that as our template, what would the I think there are numerous examples of a teachable spirit in here. But with in regards specifically to the life of Naaman, what would you see as the next example of a teachable spirit in the life of Naaman in this story? No.
There is not one before the officers. Did you just trick me into giving you the answer? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. It's it's it's way down there. Mhmm.
I'd say in verse nine, him getting his courses in chariots is kind of an update.
Okay. The fact that he puts out effort, he doesn't just take the slave girl at her word, but he's like, alright. Let's do something about this, a demonstration of teachability. Yep. That's great, Amanda.
We're looking for there there's a little more. There's a little more, but you're in the right neighborhood. The king told him to go. Right. But when your boss tells you to go and and you do it, is that being very teachable?
I mean, I guess you could be a punk, but then that's a good way to get unemployed. So so Leah was Leah was on to the the next specific example that that I was thinking of. Let's look in verse 13 through 14. I'll I'll I'll read it. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, sir, the if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn't you have done it?
And here's what I love. Like, soldiers knew how to speak their leader's language. If he's a commander of an army, he does tough stuff, hard stuff all the time. And I can just picture his leaders not manipulating him, but like like greasing the skids. Like, you do tough stuff all the time because you're such a bad, you know, tough guy.
You're such a tough guy. If Elisha the prophet had told you to do something like super hard, I know that you would have done it. But he's saying just do this. We see another instance of Naaman the leper being teachable when he says, verse 14, so Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times. Two great examples of Naaman.
Even though he had to turn his cat around in a couple of area a couple of areas that we looked at last week, this week we're looking at an example of Naaman, but how he was very teachable. Imagine a man in his position with his authority at his level of influence who gets a direct audience with the king. Even though the king personally is concerned about his health and welfare last week. And gives him all of these gifts and a personal letter of recommendation of Naaman. Naaman is influential and popular and very and teacher.
A man of Imagine influence in industry. Before he even begins With his authority. Admiration for Naaman of Naaman, the commander of his armies. Audience These are a few diagnostic questions to help you determine how teachable or correctable you are. Number number one well, I shouldn't even say number one because I don't want you to, like, be I want you to be thinking more than writing.
But if you can think and write, you're amazing. How many people can you name who can call you out? How many people are in your life that you can name that can call you out?
What does that mean call you
out? On your crap. How many people are in your life can call you out? What? We're getting a little ahead of ourselves if we're listening.
But how many people are in your life that you have relationship with? And I'm not necessarily, although it can come from, like, in in our world, the the person in authority over us most typically readily identified would be a boss. I'm not necessarily talking only about a boss, but a boss certainly can. Because a boss, because of the nature of the relationship there, your boss can and should be calling you out on how to tighten it up. Alright.
Here comes the mic. Some
of us can call out others more easily than we can be called out. Oh. Some of us I'm green.
That just
means you're
type a. Well, I am something, I'm sure. But some of us have a gift of covering it up better than others.
Like, I
can call Clay out much better than he could call me out. Mhmm. Truly. Uh-huh. I mean and I think a lot of us have a gift of covering up our crap better than others.
Sin hides really well in the church. It's one of the it's one of the best places that it can hide because and this is gradually changing.
Knows no status either.
Knows no social status.
It
hides really well in the church because, number one, at least right now, the church these days, that's gradually going to be increasingly shifting. But for the most part, most of us only see each other for an hour, two hours, once a week. Really easy to to wear that mask. Also, in an atmosphere of miracles, sin can can thrive and run amok through the weeds and the bushes. Like, look at the nation of Israel in the midst of all the miracles that God was doing, what Israel was up to.
So here's another question. When was the last time you were corrected or called out by somebody? Not like not like like, hey, you have a piece of lettuce on your teeth. Oh, oh, sorry. Thank you.
Or your zipper's down. But like, hey, when was when does when was the last time that happened for you? If you can't think of the last time, you might not be very correctable. There's a quote by a guy named John Bevere, and he he said, the strongest horse will be left in the stall on the day of battle because he isn't trainable. Let's say you've got dark clouds building on the horizon, and you've packed your slicker, your rain slicker on your horse, and you're going out for a ride, do you want the do you want the fast spirited one that when you pull that slicker out and you throw it over your head and it brushes over his ears and his eyes, he's gonna freak out?
Or at the at the first peel of lightning or thunder 10 miles away, he's not gonna submit and surrender to you. Like, that's the horse that you probably leave in the stall and save for another ride when you know that it's not gonna be as challenging. The rider of a horse would much rather ride into battle on a horse that he can trust, that is teachable, that will follow the rider's leadership than a strong one or a brave one or a fast one.
Yeah. I I just think it's important to note that in this day and age where everybody has been kind of programmed into not offending anybody, so don't say anything that might sting. You know? So our accountability partners, to use a churchy expression, may become less and less. So that's why having a relationship with the holy spirit is crucial because, I mean, besides my husband or whatever, like, Holy Spirit calls me out on the carpet all the time.
That's great. And keeping a short account with him and keeping conscience clear with him is number one.
You know? That's great. That's great. He counts as one of those people or voices. When was the last time you were called out?
Who can you name that can call you out? Like, so he definitely he definitely counts. If you remember, you said you said this. In a in an age of increasing political, cultural, fill in the blank, demand for sensitivity and inclusion. Like like things are becoming more and more challenging to navigate.
Truth is being more difficult to to not just take a stand for, but to even land on, which is why I said at the beginning of this series, I feel like the holy spirit put on my heart. He said Christian, I might be a little out of order, but I know you'll follow me. In the days ahead, the leadership of Jesus will be less complicated but more costly. Please let that statement ring in your ears. In the days ahead, the leadership of Jesus will be less complicated, but it will be more costly.
With that with that in mind, let's talk about how we can develop a teachable spirit. Developing a teachable spirit. You might be very teachable. You you might be feedback, critique, or or you might be a loser. Developing a teachable spirit.
There's a quote by a guy named John Wimber. He was one of the founders of the Vineyard Church Planting Movement, and he said this, God will sometimes offend our minds to reveal our heart. Can anybody take a take a run at explaining this quote.
Yes. I've been brewing on this. But there have been times more in the past than now, we get into a discussion, and she says, you're listening to the devil, Lee. And the first couple of times, my pride welled up within me. It was not a teachable spirit in me, and I walked away.
And the holy spirit dealt with me severely. I mean, I felt like I was getting majorly squeezed. So then you know, this is a reoccurring thing in our relationship. It has been. It's not so much now.
But then, you know, a couple months later, she says, you're listening to the devil again. And I mean, she oh, man. She just bore in on me. And I said, okay. Deal with it.
So she she dealt with it. She broke the power, and I I felt the re the release. So regarding developing a teachable spirit, what's coming to my mind is is, initially, God had to deal with me. But now when something comes up like that, I I have a a softer response, and I say, okay. Let's let's deal with this leader.
Colleen, would you deal with that? That's good. That's good. Yeah.
You can this is a show of hands question. How many of you have ever had somebody say something to you like like like they said something to you that really rubbed your fur the wrong way? It petted your cat the wrong way. You were mad. You were upset.
You walked away, and then you're like, oh, man. Maybe there was some truth to what they were saying. Okay. Yes. That is every single one of us.
That's every single one of us. Now sometimes that that word that was spoken, it may be completely off base. It may be completely right on and needed to be poignant. Sometimes it can be and I'm not saying this about you, but sometimes it can be the right word delivered in the wrong way. Or or the the the not the best time.
I won't say the wrong time, but not the best time. And let me give you a pro tip for developing a teachable spirit that's not this is a bonus. Pro tip. A person with a teachable spirit can eat the meat and spit out the bones even if the correction is delivered lousily, terribly, awfully. A person with a teachable spirit can they might still get affinity in their mind.
Like that was not a good time to bring that up, or why did you say it like that? That's so abrasive. And then they walk away, a person with a teachable spirit will be able to consider what was said. And with the help of the person of the holy spirit, they can submit that to the lord and say, was there anything in that that you had for me? And then the Holy Spirit does that face right there exactly.
Yep. Yep. Developing a teachable spirit.
One of my favorite, sayings is from Thomas Sewell and, he would say, if you tell a man what he wants to hear then all you've done is avoided conflict but if you tell a man what he doesn't want to hear then you've helped the man.
It's great But it's all about how you say it, I think. Your tone, you know, when you say something like, I've learned this. Clay, the next time you have your dirty dishes, if you don't mind, would you just put them in the dishwasher Rather than saying, why in the world can you not bend over and put those dishes in the dishwasher? So it's a matter of how you say it too. How you that's a That was a a pro tip.
Okay. Yeah. It's another it's another pro tip Another pro tip. Roomie full of these. Developing a teachable spirit.
Number one, god will sometimes offend our minds to reveal our heart. Everybody's hand went up when when I asked if that has ever happened to you. That quote goes on to say, it's not on the screen, but he says, sometimes when we're offended by a new idea, we close off God from revealing something new to us. Developing a teachable spirit. This is a great address that you can write down from god's word.
Jeremiah eighteen six. Jeremiah eighteen six says this, oh, Israel, can I not do to you as the potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hands, so are you in my hands. How many of have ever thrown a pot on a wheel before? It's pretty fun.
The learning curve is kinda gradual and and and steep. It's gradual and steep. Like, you spend, like, the first, like, six pots that you throw just trying to center the clay on the wheel, but there is something pretty amazing about your hands covered in slip when you when you get that piece of clay centered and you begin to to draw out a pot or a vase or a bowl or a mug, it is, it's pretty amazing. And in a similar way, developing a teachable spirit means adopting the mindset and the mentality of a moldable, shapeable piece of clay in the hands of the master potter. Now how I actually do that, I'm just thinking through that.
It's a shift in mindset and attitude of the heart. Lord, you are the potter. I am the clay. You are the potter. I am the clay.
There are lots of things that I would like, desire, wish, dream. Some of them noble. Some of them ignoble. But all of them are surrendered to your leadership. What do you have for me?
We just built a beautiful 3,000 square foot stick frame house, much of it with our bare hands by the sweat of our brow on six acres overlooking the Salt River down in Alpine. We designed the staircase and entryway with our daughter's senior prom in mind that she would come down the hallway, walk down the stairs with her date, waiting for her in the entryway, and Lisa with her camera, me with my shotgun. And no sooner no sooner did we finish vacuuming up all of the extra fuzzies in the on the carpet that was newly installed in our brand new house that the Lord began to speak to me about, hey, good job. Now, let's put it for sale. And I want you to move.
Where? Tulsa, Oklahoma. And we never would have met some beautiful beautiful people if we had been unlike clay in the hands of the potter. We we listed our house. It was it was listed for a a long time.
And I don't it might have been the very first offer that that came in.
First and only.
The first and what we later learned, it was the only offer that came in. But the offer came in and we're like, oh, do we take it? Do we counter for more? It was below asking price. We talked to a a a business mentor of ours and he said that's fair a price.
I would apply the principle of fairness in this case. They have offered you a fair price. Clay in the potter's hands. Clay in the potter's hands. We accepted the offer.
The house went under contract. Little did it was in the summer, fall of two thousand seven. Little did we know that the day our house went under contract was literally the apex of the market before the real estate housing crash in o seven. Clay in the potter's hands. Clay in the potter's hands.
Clay in the potter's hands. Developing a teachable spirit. Here's another one. Hebrews chapter 12 verse one through 12. This is worth, handing the mic off to somebody.
Would you please read Hebrews chapter 12 verse one through 12. It's a great chapter about discipline. Here's the question. Do you run from it or do you run to it? Discipline.
Lanisha's got it.
Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance in a sin that so easily ensares us. Let us run with endurance, the race that lies before us. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of god. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself so that you won't grow weary and give up.
In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood and you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons. My son, do not take the Lord's discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves
and pushes Pause and and take another run at that last sentence and then keep going. Listen with ears to hear.
For the lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives. Endure suffering as discipline. God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline with all received, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Should we submit even more to the father of spirits and live? For they discipline us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit so that we can share his holiness. His discipline seems enjoyable at the time but painful. Later on, however, it yields the people peacefully fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees. Do want me to finish it? Yep. And make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.
I love how there's a beautiful parallel about receiving discipline correction. It also includes enduring suffering, like bending all the way down to put those dishes into the dishwasher. That was a little joke. But but it is a beautiful parallel between the story in second Kings that we just read. So in at the end of verse 12, make a little note and write down second Kings chapter five.
And then in second king Kings chapter five, write down Hebrews chapter 12 to make that hyperlink in your Bible and in your brain that it says nobody enjoys discipline while it's happening. But if you hang in there, stick with it, receive the correction, learn from it, change and grow, what's the end result that happened to name? Naaman, he was? Healed. Healing, blessings, righteousness.
The reason why
I was so excited to read this passage is one that was really yelled at me by my grandma because growing up, not teachable at all. She called me a a mule that wants to kick and spit or some oh, some Something like that. Whatever saying she had. And what was ringing in my ears when we just read the Jeremiah one, another saying that she would always just yell at me because I was very unteachable was, do you want the Lord to use you or to mold you? And I was like, why is she even asking me that?
Of course, the Lord's gonna use me. And I was just so thinking so high constantly, but it's like, he wants to also mold you into the holiness and perfection that he also is, not just use you. He wants more from us. So going off of teachable. Like, the Lord can use us, but
are you letting mold you? I had, when I was just out of high school, I got a job working for my youth pastor who is a general contractor and and an amazing carpenter. And he's like, hey, you can come, like, work for me doing construction. And I started as a laborer, you know, running the shovel, or as he called it, the goon spoon, and scrapping out and sweeping. And then I kinda, like, graduated to, like, you know, I could frame, like, a simple frame and sheet a simple wall.
My buddy Jesse and I would work on this and he would he would come back and look at it after it was like sheeted, like framed and sheeted and ready to stand up. And he would pull his tape out and he would like check it for square. It was way out of square. The studs weren't 16 on center. Like, you you nail the sheeting on.
There are all kinds of like eight penny nails, like, through the plywood but not into the studs. And and he would he would so if the wall was I'm standing on, you know, like like the plywood floor and then you stand the wall up, right, to the exterior. This was an exterior wall. So I guess that would mean it was made out of two by sixes, not two by fours. And and then you nail it in a place and you move on.
He would look he did this a couple times. He would look at it and he'd pull a square and he'd lift it up and look underneath, and then he would take it and he would just flip it out off the house into the dirt. And he would go, god, that's enough to piss off the pulp. Boys, do it again. And then he'd storm off.
And when he didn't say that, he would look at him and go, that's a violation. And I don't know where why he said it with that kind of accent, violation. But he'd flip it off and then we'd have to rip the sheeting off and like sometimes and he never let us use the nail gun. We hadn't graduated to nail guns. So it was a little easier to like like basically disassemble three hours of work.
And woah, so mad and and like one time he'd come over and be like, what? And we're like, god why didn't you change? And he goes, I now remember. You know, I said, no. Remember, like we've done like like dozens of these walls together.
I've literally held your hand and shown you how and equipped you with this. And when I gave you this task to build this wall, I said, it'll probably take you, like like, four hours to, like, do it right. Take your time. Do it right. It'll take you about four hours.
I come back. You've done it in two hours. And he goes, because you were rushing, weren't you? Did you did you actually do layout like I showed you? 16 on center?
And would just like like Hold me to a standard? And we got it right after like, you know, took us a few walls, few tries, a few walls. And he'd come back and he'd put his tape on it and square, look at, you know, you have to have the nailing according to code, you know, certain distance per nails. Like, would measure distance between nails on the on the seam and out in the field, like, in between studs. And every now and then he'd take his red crayon and be like, add nails here, add nails here.
But but eventually we would get it right and he'd be like, it's a good job. Let's stand it up. That felt so good.
That's a great story. No, I was just thinking about kind of the life cycle of a piece of clay, which is kind of what we're compared to. And two things stuck out to me. One was like it is a grace from the Lord that we are moldable. Like, we're not so set in our ways that he can't mold the imperfections, the places where we don't look like him out.
That's, yeah, just super encouraging. The other thing that stuck out was, like, once he's done molding us into the shape of that vessel, like, we're not done there. Then, he's like, alright, now you're ready for the fire. He's gonna stick us in a furnace, he's gonna stick us in those situations where it's like, are you gonna hold up, or not? And, yeah, we have that discipline to mold us into that shape, and then, yeah, a lot of times, challenges and suffering to test us, to test our faith, to test our perseverance.
We when all you think about is like, Oh man, I just want to be a vessel for the Lord. A lot goes into him bringing us to that space. But, yeah.
That's a great connection. I love how your brain's thinking more deeply about that metaphor. That's great. One more verse here about developing a teachable spirit. See if you can guess it.
That's right. Psalms one thirty nine because Amanda seems to reference this this passage a lot. Psalms one thirty nine verse twenty four and twenty five. Psalms one thirty nine verse twenty four twenty five. Here's what the psalmist says, search me, oh god, and know my heart.
Test me and know my anxious thoughts. Then the psalmist says something very brave. He gives the holy spirit permission. Point out anything in me that offends you. And not just don't just leave me there, but then please lead me along the path of everlasting life.
These are two great verses in Psalms one thirty five about developing a teachable spirit. How can we develop a teachable spirit? When we consider, meditate, chew on these verses, we we start taking big strides down the road of increasing or developing a teachable spirit. Now here's another question. Who can correct us?
Who has permission to correct us? What would you think? We this is like a one or two word answer, so we won't give you the mic, but just raise your hand, tell me, and then I'll repeat it into this mic. Who can correct us? Yourself.
Oh, yourself? So you you you catch it yourself. Well, that's a great that's a great verse. First Corinthians nine twenty seven, I beat my body and make it my slave. Sometimes you need to boss yourself around.
Alright. I like that. I like that.
The spirit.
Yep. Yep. Have permission to.
Oh, yeah.
Okay. Great. Great. Great. Great.
Great. Other believers. Okay. Yep. All these are are really good.
I'm going to I'm gonna put my answers up there, and you'll you'll see a lot of similarities or or, like, specifics. One of them is Colleen. No, just kidding.
Number one, write it down, Colleen.
Okay. So, who can correct us? I'll start easy. God's word. When we come across something clearly outlined in God's word, The bible says that the word of God is living and active.
It's powerful. It can divide between joint and marrow, flesh and spirit. It can cut through the cultural confusion making the leadership of Jesus simple, but it could be very costly to follow. So God's word is something that that that's a who that can correct us. Number two, I put a leader, whether it's a coach or a boss or a teacher or perhaps a mentor, somebody that's leading us.
That kind of makes sense. That's part that's literally part of their job is to correct us and train us, lead us, help make us better, more productive. It's a little trickier. A friend. A friend.
If you don't have any friends that you have that's either understood or has been said that they have permission to to correct you or in love point out something in your life? Number one, are they really a friend? Number two, how teachable are you? There's a great verse to write down, Proverbs 27 verse six. Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.
There there's a group of friends that we Shabbat with on Friday evenings most weeks, many weeks. And many of those Fridays, like, I get home Friday night and or Saturday morning, and I'm like, oh my gosh. I was such a butthead. And then I've gotta, like like, send my apology text because I don't know for I mean, to fill in the blank for what I did or said or didn't do or whatever. But maybe it would be pointed out to me at Shabbat.
I bet people can't wait to come to Shabbat
with us.
Yeah. Shabbat sound Shabbat sounds awesome. But
that's part of, like like, close community and deep friendship. And then and then, you know, I, you know, get my undies all scrunched in a bunch and then, like, go sort it out and like, okay. Gotta apologize. So a friend who can correct us? God's word, a leader, a friend.
How about this? Someone who you are leading. Look at the story of Naaman. Somebody either directly or indirectly already pointed this out. It's one thing to receive correction from your boss.
It's another thing when you're the boss and they point it out to you. Oh. I'll tell you what right now, it's a it's a great indication of your leadership if you're threatened. John Maxwell talks about five levels of leadership. The first level of leadership is position.
People follow you because they have to. I'm the shift manager. It says so on my name tag, so you gotta follow me. The second level of leadership is permission. People follow you because they want to.
And and you can learn you can learn really fast what level of leadership you're on with the people that you're leading based upon do people follow you because they have to, because they want to? Also, can you receive correction or a pointer or feedback from somebody that you're leading? Come to a staff meeting on Monday, and I get led all different kinds of ways by people that I'm leading. Joy's chuckling and snickering to herself. Hey.
I I give all of these examples. I got my first one. I give all of these examples about me and leadership in being teachable because by default, I'm very unteachable. So if you hear any story that I might tell about, well, Brian, you kinda told that story and you sound really teachable. It's only because I'm super duper stubborn and don't like to be taught by nobody.
Nobody. The voice of the holy spirit, he is is most God's word and the voice of the holy spirit are two prominent ways that we get corrected and confronted in a great way to develop a teachable spirit. The holy spirit and god's word will always speak in harmony and in unity, and the voice of the holy spirit, the rhema of God, will often illuminate the logos of God. The holy spirit will say something to you. They're like, and you might even be like, that's not in the bible.
And he'll and he'll go like Lanisha's face. And then and then you're like, show me. And like, up come the verses either bubbling in your heart or maybe the preacher says them. You're like, oh. Okay.
This is in my notes. I need every single married man in the room to please stand up because I need to talk to you specifically for just a moment. You need she was like pinching. You stand up. Listen.
So you're you're standing up, you're listening. I wanted to get your attention because I wanna tell you this. Many times, his words will come out of the mouth of your wife. Many times, the words of the Holy Spirit for you will come out of the mouth of your wife. Now I I don't let me let me finish the whole sentence of what I'm about to say, but but there are a lot of words that come out of the mouth of our wives, comma, comma, comma, comma.
But there are many instances, especially at critical junctions and crossroads, where our wife will say something to us that is straight up from the holy spirit. And the tendency is to dismiss it because of who delivered it. We must use careful critical discernment because many I'll say it one more time and then you can sit down. Many times, his, the void the the words, the wisdom, the guidance, the input, the correction of the holy spirit will come to you from the voice of your wife. Do y'all hear me?
Okay. You can sit down. K. Last one, but the not but not the last thing we're gonna talk about. Who can correct us?
And increasingly, the the the the the hand pets the fur a little harder. God's word. Oh, sure. Sure. Sure.
A leader. Yeah. It makes sense. A friend. Someone who you are leading.
The voice of the holy spirit. Why is the voice of the holy spirit hard? Because it's easy to dismiss or discount or discredit. Now here's the last one. Do I have this?
A stranger. Survey says okay. I I I thought perhaps. I thought perhaps because I wrote this after I did the keynote because I was like the lord's like, let's just rub the fur a little more the wrong way. A total stranger can speak a word of correction, confrontation to us.
And now somebody consider that what I just said. Find a biblical precedent for it. What comes to your mind? A stranger. We can think of a biblical precedent for God's word, a leader, a friend, someone who we are leading.
Like, we just saw that in Naaman, the voice of the holy spirit. Yep. Yep. Yep. What about a stranger?
Is there is there a biblical precedent for a stranger having the authority, legitimate authority to speak a word of confrontation or correction to us? Is there a biblical precedent that comes to your mind? If not, we gotta toss it right out. And that's why I didn't write it if we can't find it. Ellie's got something.
So I a couple years ago, I was in DC and I took an Uber to wherever I was going. And the driver, we just like got talking and everything. Super nice lady. She had a son that was like struggling through college and you know, she was doing Uber to like help pay for college and everything. And I think about, like, I'm kinda stubborn, weirdly enough.
So this teachable moment for me was when like obedience. I'd never, like, prayed for a stranger before. And so when we got to the location, I was just like, can I pray for you? And so it was just like that act of obedience was a big teachable moment for me.
Oh, that is great. Oh, I love that.
So Ellie was like the stranger in that story?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know
if this qualifies, but my first thought was Balaam's donkey,
which was in, like, a which is
an animal, but, yeah, where the donkey had to correct him.
Yeah. That that also came to my mind. If if God can use a donkey to speak a word of correction to Balaam, he most certainly can use a stranger, another person. So, yes, so Balaam the donkey is the quintessential example of who can speak a word of correction or confrontation to us. Now don't worry.
The sermon's not over because we got a little bit more to cover. Because if you feel like what I just said maybe opened up something, yes, but don't worry, we're gonna we're gonna put some boundary walls up. Okay? But, yes, you're exactly right, Joy. Another story.
I was thinking of the servant girl and the group of soldiers that address Peter after Jesus is arrested. And they're like, oh, like, you know, weren't you weren't you one of his disciples? And Peter's like, no, that's not me. Yes. They were just calling him out.
Yes. Oh, that's such a that's such a great example of of the who. So oh, okay. Yep.
Hebrews thirteen two came to mind when you said that.
Oh, yeah. Me too.
Says do not forget do not forget to show hospitality to strangers for by so doing, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. And ultimately, Balaam's donkey saw the angel that was standing in the path trying to prevent Balaam from going the direction he
was going. Yes. Yes. There what I'm getting is getting at is there are examples, ad nauseam of strangers encountering a main character in the story that that operate either intentionally or unintentionally on behalf of the lord to fork the road for the main character that we're reading about. And they have a opportunity to be teachable or not be teachable.
There's story after story after story after story of people either receiving correction from a stranger or being recalcitrant, having a hard heart, and rejecting counsel from from a stranger or from a foreign character or from somebody that's not on that list, and the result is calamity entering into that a degree of calamity entering into that person's life. Okay. I got this much left. Stick with it. We're we're we're pressing through.
Right? Come on. How to respond to confrontation? How do we respond to confrontation? This is not on the screen, but you need to it's pretty simple.
Apologize if you need to. You might not ever see that stranger again, and so you might not it might not be possible, but apologize if you need to. Don't write a blank check like, hey, please forgive me if I upset you. Don't ever put an if in your apology. That is the weakest, lamest, immature apology that you can give because you're not owning anything.
Don't add an if to your apology. I'm sorry that I, fill in the blank, and you say, will you please forgive me? Know that phrase pretty well. Number two, how to respond to confrontation or correction so that you can develop a teachable spirit. Then after you apologize, turn your cat around.
Okay. The title of the message is teachable Teflon. Let's talk about being Teflon for just a moment. When is it appropriate to not receive correction or confrontation? Because there certainly are times.
And I'm not gonna say who because you can have somebody up to their eyeballs in sin still be used by the Lord to point out something in you that the tendency would be to be like, why would I ever deal with that? Look at you. Look at all the and then all you've done is just deflect. You've missed it. You've missed it.
So I won't say that there are there are certain people that you shouldn't receive correction from, but I'll say there are certain instances and times when you need to be like Teflon instead of being moldable and teachable like clay. You need to be Teflon, nonstick. Let that slide right off of you. If the correction or confrontation is used to manipulate or control you. Nope.
Don't you put that on me, Ricky Bobby. Nope. Now we could do a whole another series on recognizing manipulation and control, which we won't today. I've I've experienced it firsthand for a number of years, and it took a long time to recognize it because it was from a a a mentor and spiritual authority over me. Correction confrontation from, especially a spiritual mentor can be particularly insipid because it's difficult to discern if it actually is manipulation or control.
But you do not need to receive correction or confrontation if the purpose is for manipulation or control. You do not need to you need you do not need to receive correction or confrontation or be teachable so you can develop an attitude of Teflon if it's from the enemy. You don't need to submit to anything that he tries to tell you or convince you of about your identity, about your past, about the the current track that you're on. Now here's the thing about that dirty devil. He'll use a element of the truth because if it were completely out of left field, it would be easy to spot, recognize and reject.
So there's an element of truth, but it's always for the purpose of manipulation and control and it's from the enemy. Not to confront you but to bring condemnation in your life. Uh-uh. Don't you put that on me, Ricky Bobby. And if it's not thoroughly confirmed in God's word.
Now people will try to use bible verses or passages or stories or characters taken out of context to try to confront or or or to teach you. But the purpose is that, again, to manipulate and to control you. Yeah. I know better than that. For the record, that was Colin Green.
Yeah. Why
don't you say it into the mic, brother?
Yeah. Colin, you do have the mic there. When to be when to be Teflon. There's a there's a verse in Proverbs. I'm gonna start to land plane here.
There's a verse in Proverbs that says something along the lines of, like a city with broken down walls is a person with no self control. So here's the idea in relation to developing a teachable spirit. We need to allow our lives to be molded by God for him to set up healthy, appropriate boundaries with distinguished designated gates. Because when the when the city has no walls, then anybody can come and go at any place, anytime they want. Unsafe and unwise.
But the purpose of a wall is to delineate inside from outside and nobody ever puts up a wall without putting up gates. And when you have a gate that controls the flow of traffic in and out, making it much easier to monitor and to allow or disallow what gets in and what gets out. So if you have built your life on God's word, if you are in a community where you're being challenged regularly and exhorted to to to build healthy boundaries and walls, then you get to sit at the city gate. And when a word of correction comes, instead of, like, sneaking over, you know, like like, from the backside like the enemy loves to do for the purpose of manipulation and control, the next thing you know, you're under this influence. You're like, but when there's the gate there, they come through the gate and you can through discernment and through training of discernment, that's what the bible says in Hebrews talked about practicing, you'll be able to say, even if the deliverer of the message, whether it's God's word, a leader, a friend, someone you're leading, the voice of the Holy Spirit, or even a stranger or a donkey, you'll be able to carefully consider the message.
Even though your mind might be offended, oh, your heart's revealed and you're like, oh, oh, they're right. You let it in so you can turn your cat around. But through discernment and practicing, something comes at you and it's unauthorized. It's for the purpose of manipulation or control or condemnation from the enemy. You can recognize it and be like, you turn your butt around and go pick on somebody else.
Reject. There are also times where you're like, oh, I'm not quite sure. So go to go to a friend, go to a mentor, and be like, man, somebody like they've like tried to call me out on this. They said that I was this way. Do you see that in my life?
Am I am I like that? Do I have that? And a true friend will be honest with you. And a true friend will say it in love. They might stumble over their words.
They might hurt your feelings up like a little bit, but they're gonna speak in love. And they'll say, yeah. Or they could say, that don't don't pick that up. Don't let that into the your city. That is that's a total lie.
And you're like, oh. Because if your friend is walking in maturity, they're gonna say the same thing that the voice of the holy spirit does. That makes sense about being Teflon? You have to be very careful. Excuses like, well, the lord hasn't convicted me of that yet.
Number one, the Holy Spirit has already been talking to you about that. Number two, you weren't listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, so they brought so the Holy Spirit's like, well, we gotta take it up to the next level and it could be a friend or a boss or a leader or maybe a sermon. And so so when if you find those words coming up out of your mouth, well, the lord just hasn't convicted me about just choke them right there because that's a surefire sign that he actually is. You've just been walking in denial and rebellion with your fingers in your ears. Is this petting your cat the wrong way?
Turn your cat around, Brian Hunter. Turn your cat around. Last thing. This fits beautifully into a portion of tribe's mission statement. Four things that we focus on, one of those being developing servant leaders.
How will you ever grow as a leader if you can't be moldable and shapeable like clay? The best leaders are ones that are expert followers. You wanna grow as a leader? You wanna grow and influence? Then work hard at being a fantastic follower.
Last story that I'll paraphrase, Jesus is doing his thing, and it's the story of the faith of the Roman officer. He comes to him with the problem. Jesus is like, alright. I'll I'll I'll come with you. And the Roman soldier goes, no.
No. No. No. No. I'm a man under authority.
I know how authority works. All you need to do is say the word, and I know that it'll be healed because that that evil spirit is under your authority, Jesus. And then he uses the example. I have a soldier. I tell him to do this and he does it.
And so all you have to do is say the say the word. Those people who submit themselves to authority will they themselves be given lots of authority. Authority? Turn your cat around. Be teachable.
Receive correction. Grow in wisdom. Think about Naaman. What was the end result of him being teachable? He was healed.
Be teachable and receive healing for your sin sick soul and your body and your character. Done.
So as we just finish up these last few minutes, we're gonna get you guys out of here. Hey, it's only 11:00 though,
so we're doing Just kidding. Sit down. That's the holy spirit telling me something. That's the holy spirit. I heard him.
He sounds just like you.
So we're just gonna honor the Lord corporately while we're here together one more time with an act of worship of bringing our tithe and our offering to him. It's something we do every time because we see it as an example of God's word. And maybe bringing the tithe and giving above and beyond that, giving your offering is a challenge for you. Maybe it's easy. Maybe it's a spot in your life where you need to, like we've been saying, turn the cat around.
So it's an offer it's an offer to the Lord of saying, God, I love you, and I trust you. You are worthy of this. It might feel easy. It might feel hard, but it's an area of sacrifice. It's a tangible way that we can express to the Lord.
I love and trust you by giving of our hard earned finances. So as we pray together, whether you're giving now or another time, I'll just tell you practical ways to give. We don't here at Tribe in our current setting, we don't pass buckets or anything like we used to do, but you can just give by cash or check. Right downstairs, there's a black safety deposit box, or you can give online at tribejh.com. And then the easiest way is just opening up your phone and starting a new number to 84321.
You can see those instructions on the screen now, but let's just pray together as we conclude this service and just take a breath, take a moment to just center your focus and your eyes on the Lord. Jesus, we love you so very much. Thank you for your word today. Thank you that sometimes your word feels easy like honey. Sometimes it feels hard, but if it's coming from your word, God, we know it is for our benefit.
We know it is so so you can build us and make us stronger, father. Sometimes we don't like it, but that's okay because we trust you. You're a good dad. So, father, as we bring our tithe and our offering to you, this is just one expression of worship where we say, God, we love and trust you so very much. Thank you for just practical practically speaking as we give to our local church called Tribe that you use the finances and the money that comes in to build your kingdom, to do your work.
Father, may many, many, many more people in this valley and beyond come to know you and surrender their hearts to you because of our work and how it's financed, Lord. And we just thank you. Thank you for the opportunity we have to bring our tithe to you. We love and trust you in Jesus' name. Amen.
Just one quick announcement. We'll get you guys out of here. Check the fridge on your way out. That's where all of our stuff is happening. But today, if you are part of the snowshoeing adventure, Carla and Justin are leading that, and we're gonna feed you real quick.
So as soon as we dismiss in just a minute, get all your gear together, go downstairs, we're gonna make some sandwiches for the road, load up on the tri bus, and head up into the park. Brian, will you come pray us out, please?
You know I love you. Right? I'm not asking you, for affirmation. Like, do you still, like like me? I'm not asking for your affirmation.
My flesh would really like it, but my spirit could care less. I just have to be obedient to the Lord. But what I'm really saying is you know that hopefully, you know that I love you. Right? Stand up.
Let me pray for you. Lord Jesus, I command a blessing over each and every member of our tribe fam here today. May we build into our lives a soft, supple spirit that is teachable, but at the same time, wisdom, discernment, healthy boundaries that is also Teflon to be able to let junk from the world and from the enemy slide right off of us. Father, convict us of where we need to turn the cat around so that when you pet us, our fur lines up, our heart says, and we are the type of people that can be used for your greatest and highest purpose. We pray these things.
In Jesus name, the strong son of God. And everybody said, amen. I love you so much. Thanks for being here this week with us at the TMC or watching the livestream. Have a great week, and remember, you got this.
Topics
Manipulation Vs CorrectionNaaman HealingReceiving CorrectionSpiritual DisciplineTeachable Spirit
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