1 00:00:15,458 --> 00:00:16,750 Howdy Mars Hill Church. 2 00:00:16,833 --> 00:00:19,833 Pastor Sutton Turner here and I'm in Ethiopia. 3 00:00:19,875 --> 00:00:21,667 And I just want to thank Jesus 4 00:00:21,708 --> 00:00:25,000 for continuing to use Mars Hill Church 5 00:00:25,042 --> 00:00:28,583 to make disciples and plant churches. 6 00:00:29,167 --> 00:00:34,292 Mars Hill Global is the arm of Mars Hill Church 7 00:00:34,333 --> 00:00:35,917 that makes disciples 8 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,833 and plant churches all over the world. 9 00:00:38,917 --> 00:00:40,375 We not only do church planting, 10 00:00:40,458 --> 00:00:43,333 but we help better equip church planters. 11 00:00:43,417 --> 00:00:47,042 Most recently we shipped and now distributed 12 00:00:47,125 --> 00:00:49,500 1,000 bibles into Amharic, 13 00:00:49,542 --> 00:00:52,125 which is the language here in Ethiopia. 14 00:00:52,167 --> 00:00:54,042 And we launched a project 15 00:00:54,125 --> 00:00:59,250 to translate Pastor Mark Driscoll's doctrine book into Spanish. 16 00:00:59,333 --> 00:01:02,583 We have people from over 29 different countries 17 00:01:02,667 --> 00:01:06,167 that are giving on a monthly basis to Mars Hill Global. 18 00:01:06,208 --> 00:01:08,125 So whether you're a member 19 00:01:08,167 --> 00:01:11,083 of one of our Mars Hill church locations 20 00:01:11,167 --> 00:01:12,542 in the United States, 21 00:01:12,625 --> 00:01:18,208 or you're 1 of 100,000 podcasters every single week, 22 00:01:18,292 --> 00:01:19,667 we encourage you to pray 23 00:01:19,750 --> 00:01:23,083 about giving above and beyond your tithe 24 00:01:23,167 --> 00:01:24,625 to Mars Hill Global. 25 00:01:24,667 --> 00:01:28,958 Thank you and let's see more materials translated, 26 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,167 more pastors sent out, more churches planted, 27 00:01:32,250 --> 00:01:34,500 and more people saved by Jesus Christ. 28 00:01:51,875 --> 00:01:55,667 Brotherhood, it's a bond as old as time. 29 00:01:55,708 --> 00:01:58,125 It's a love that runs deep. 30 00:01:58,167 --> 00:02:00,625 It's bold. It's strong. 31 00:02:00,667 --> 00:02:02,375 It's enduring. 32 00:02:02,458 --> 00:02:05,000 There's a trust that's built among brothers, 33 00:02:05,042 --> 00:02:08,083 from the trials to the triumphs. 34 00:02:08,167 --> 00:02:11,625 It's a trust that comes from living life together. 35 00:02:11,667 --> 00:02:14,333 No one knows you like your brother. 36 00:02:14,417 --> 00:02:17,958 He knows your strengths; he knows your weaknesses. 37 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:22,583 A bold brother will lay it all down for his family. 38 00:02:22,667 --> 00:02:26,167 It is difficult to describe that kind of loyalty, 39 00:02:26,250 --> 00:02:30,167 that kind of courage, that kind of strength. 40 00:02:30,250 --> 00:02:32,250 It's the love of a brother. 41 00:02:32,333 --> 00:02:34,917 It's that kind of love that compelled James to become 42 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,500 Jesus' bold little brother. 43 00:02:43,292 --> 00:02:44,833 All right, we're going to take a vote. 44 00:02:44,875 --> 00:02:46,167 You ready to vote? You ready? 45 00:02:46,208 --> 00:02:49,333 I'm going to ask you a question, and then you're going to vote, 46 00:02:49,375 --> 00:02:52,333 and then we're all going to submit to the vote, all right? 47 00:02:52,417 --> 00:02:57,000 Will you do what I ask you to do in just a moment, yes or no? 48 00:02:57,042 --> 00:03:01,750 Okay, two people trust their pastor, the rest know him. 49 00:03:01,833 --> 00:03:04,167 Okay, okay, I'll ask again. 50 00:03:04,250 --> 00:03:06,875 In a moment, I'd like to ask you to do something. 51 00:03:06,958 --> 00:03:08,833 Will you do that, yes or no? 52 00:03:08,875 --> 00:03:11,125 Oh, look at that. Now we're growing in faith. 53 00:03:11,167 --> 00:03:13,125 All right, the Holy Spirit is now working 54 00:03:13,167 --> 00:03:14,500 and you're ready to obey. 55 00:03:14,583 --> 00:03:15,917 Okay, here we go. 56 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,125 On the count of three--if we did it individually, 57 00:03:18,167 --> 00:03:20,333 it'd be awkward, but if we do it together, 58 00:03:20,375 --> 00:03:23,042 it'll be really awkward, so we're going to do it together. 59 00:03:23,125 --> 00:03:26,208 At the count of three, we're all going to stick our tongue out. 60 00:03:26,292 --> 00:03:27,625 You ready? 61 00:03:27,667 --> 00:03:30,833 I know you've been wanting to do this since you first showed up 62 00:03:30,875 --> 00:03:32,833 at Mars Hill, so now is your opportunity. 63 00:03:32,875 --> 00:03:36,000 On the count of three, we're all going to stick our tongue out, 64 00:03:36,083 --> 00:03:38,000 and keep it out for a second, okay? 65 00:03:38,083 --> 00:03:39,417 One, two, three. 66 00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:41,167 Okay, that's what we're talking about today. 67 00:03:41,208 --> 00:03:42,875 We're talking about our tongue, all right? 68 00:03:42,958 --> 00:03:45,375 So, before we can effect any change in the world, 69 00:03:45,458 --> 00:03:47,375 we got to start pretty close to home. 70 00:03:47,458 --> 00:03:48,875 We're in the book of James. 71 00:03:48,958 --> 00:03:50,917 We're going to talk about the tongue today, 72 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,083 and he's echoing a ton of stuff in Proverbs. 73 00:03:53,167 --> 00:03:56,083 So, there's a good book of the Bible for you to read 74 00:03:56,167 --> 00:03:58,583 to get more on this issue of taming the tongue. 75 00:03:58,667 --> 00:04:00,875 But we're looking at Jesus' tongue and your tongue, 76 00:04:00,958 --> 00:04:05,125 and we're in James 3:1-12. 77 00:04:05,167 --> 00:04:07,208 And what we're looking at is the instruction 78 00:04:07,292 --> 00:04:09,125 of Jesus' little brother, 79 00:04:09,167 --> 00:04:12,208 who is now a grown man pastoring a church 80 00:04:12,292 --> 00:04:14,667 in a great city called Jerusalem, 81 00:04:14,708 --> 00:04:18,000 and he knows that the well-being of the church-- 82 00:04:18,042 --> 00:04:22,000 because it's not just you and Jesus, it's us, 83 00:04:22,042 --> 00:04:25,042 that God is a Father and he's made us a family, 84 00:04:25,125 --> 00:04:27,667 and how we communicate with one another, 85 00:04:27,750 --> 00:04:33,125 it could honor or dishonor him, it could help or hinder 86 00:04:33,167 --> 00:04:35,333 the well-being of our family. 87 00:04:35,375 --> 00:04:37,833 And so we're going to start with teachers and hearers 88 00:04:37,875 --> 00:04:40,875 in James 3:1-2. 89 00:04:40,958 --> 00:04:42,417 Here's what he has to say. 90 00:04:42,500 --> 00:04:45,583 "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers," 91 00:04:45,667 --> 00:04:47,875 speaking of the Christians, "for you know that we 92 00:04:47,958 --> 00:04:50,292 "who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 93 00:04:50,333 --> 00:04:52,292 For we all stumble in many ways." 94 00:04:52,333 --> 00:04:53,667 I'll read that again. 95 00:04:53,750 --> 00:04:55,083 There's a big idea there 96 00:04:55,167 --> 00:04:57,250 and we're going to revisit it a lot today. 97 00:04:57,333 --> 00:04:58,833 "We"--how many of us? 98 00:04:58,917 --> 00:05:00,917 "All stumble in many ways. 99 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,417 "And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, 100 00:05:03,500 --> 00:05:07,333 he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body," 101 00:05:07,375 --> 00:05:10,333 using language there from guiding horses, 102 00:05:10,375 --> 00:05:12,333 which we'll get in to in a moment. 103 00:05:12,375 --> 00:05:13,708 So, he starts with teachers, 104 00:05:13,792 --> 00:05:15,917 and then there's something here for hearers as well. 105 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,500 So, since we're starting with teachers, let me start with me. 106 00:05:19,542 --> 00:05:24,167 The things I regret the most in 18 years of ministry since we 107 00:05:24,208 --> 00:05:28,083 started the Bible study that has become Mars Hill Church is when 108 00:05:28,167 --> 00:05:31,583 I said the wrong thing, or I said it to the wrong people, 109 00:05:31,667 --> 00:05:34,250 or I said it with the wrong tone. 110 00:05:34,333 --> 00:05:38,333 Hands down, for me, this text is the most convicting 111 00:05:38,417 --> 00:05:40,250 in the whole book of James. 112 00:05:40,333 --> 00:05:43,583 Before I teach you anything, I've got some things to learn. 113 00:05:43,667 --> 00:05:50,167 And he says that we shouldn't just seek to be teachers because 114 00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:56,833 there's a responsibility that comes with teaching. 115 00:05:56,917 --> 00:06:00,333 I love the fact that I get to teach the Bible at Mars Hill, 116 00:06:00,417 --> 00:06:04,083 but I also live under this tremendous weight that-- 117 00:06:04,167 --> 00:06:06,375 I don't want to make the sermon about me, 118 00:06:06,458 --> 00:06:08,333 so let me just deal with this briefly 119 00:06:08,375 --> 00:06:10,208 and then proceed forward. 120 00:06:10,292 --> 00:06:14,167 But I love you very much, and I want to do the best job 121 00:06:14,250 --> 00:06:17,750 that I can, and I'm devastated when I don't, 122 00:06:17,833 --> 00:06:21,917 because Jesus gave his best and you deserve the best. 123 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,167 And when we started Mars Hill, 124 00:06:25,208 --> 00:06:30,250 I definitely was more of an angry, young prophet. 125 00:06:30,333 --> 00:06:32,750 Right, some of you were here and you're like, "Yes, 126 00:06:32,833 --> 00:06:38,250 he yelled a lot, he yelled loud, he was a good yeller, that guy." 127 00:06:38,333 --> 00:06:41,458 It was like a drill sergeant for Jesus, right? 128 00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:45,250 Just very loud, very intense, all the time, 129 00:06:45,333 --> 00:06:48,000 oftentimes infused with anger. 130 00:06:48,042 --> 00:06:51,667 As I'm getting older, I've earned all the gray in my beard, 131 00:06:51,708 --> 00:06:54,500 what the Holy Spirit has really convicted me of, 132 00:06:54,583 --> 00:06:58,333 especially in the last year, is that my role going forward is 133 00:06:58,375 --> 00:07:04,292 to be a spiritual father, that my tone needs to be fatherly, 134 00:07:04,333 --> 00:07:07,167 that what I say, and who I say it to, 135 00:07:07,250 --> 00:07:11,333 and how I say it has to be more like a father dealing with a son 136 00:07:11,375 --> 00:07:13,917 or a daughter, which means you can say hard things, 137 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,917 but you say them in helpful ways and in appropriate ways. 138 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,000 So, if you could pray for me, that's really my heart's desire 139 00:07:22,042 --> 00:07:25,250 is to be a better spiritual father and to help us become 140 00:07:25,333 --> 00:07:28,333 an increasingly healthy spiritual family. 141 00:07:28,375 --> 00:07:31,417 And that's the heart of James here, the pastor, 142 00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:33,583 and why he talks about teachers. 143 00:07:33,667 --> 00:07:35,583 He's talking about himself and the other leaders 144 00:07:35,667 --> 00:07:37,250 at the Church of Jerusalem. 145 00:07:37,333 --> 00:07:39,917 So pray for me, pray for the leaders and the elders 146 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:41,333 across the church. 147 00:07:41,375 --> 00:07:43,500 And his main point is that, really, 148 00:07:43,583 --> 00:07:47,250 the mouth is a revelation of the heart. 149 00:07:47,333 --> 00:07:50,125 So sometimes we'll say things like, "You don't know my heart." 150 00:07:50,167 --> 00:07:52,792 "Well, but I hear your words, and what they are, 151 00:07:52,833 --> 00:07:54,333 they're an overflow of your heart." 152 00:07:54,375 --> 00:07:56,042 This is what Proverbs says. 153 00:07:56,125 --> 00:07:57,875 This is what Jesus says. 154 00:07:57,958 --> 00:08:00,417 "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." 155 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:03,583 And so one of the ways that we get insight to our heart-- 156 00:08:03,667 --> 00:08:06,000 the seat, the sum, the center of who we are-- 157 00:08:06,083 --> 00:08:07,417 is by hearing our words 158 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:09,625 and letting others speak our words back to us 159 00:08:09,667 --> 00:08:12,417 because sometimes we don't understand what we're saying, 160 00:08:12,500 --> 00:08:15,583 or how we're saying it, or how devastating it might be. 161 00:08:15,667 --> 00:08:19,208 And so I want you to know up front, this is a personally, 162 00:08:19,292 --> 00:08:23,625 deeply, practically convicting section of Scripture for me. 163 00:08:23,667 --> 00:08:26,167 And so as I seek to teach it to you, 164 00:08:26,250 --> 00:08:28,167 I want to teach it to you faithfully, 165 00:08:28,250 --> 00:08:30,917 but also humbly and say, I, by God's grace, 166 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:32,708 am not the man that I was, 167 00:08:32,792 --> 00:08:35,000 but I'm not the man that I should be, 168 00:08:35,042 --> 00:08:37,875 and that God has been working in me and on me 169 00:08:37,958 --> 00:08:40,708 on this issue for many years, 170 00:08:40,792 --> 00:08:43,292 and I'm a man who lives with some regrets. 171 00:08:43,333 --> 00:08:45,708 And I'm not the man that I was, but man, 172 00:08:45,792 --> 00:08:48,208 I'm not yet the man that I want to be. 173 00:08:48,292 --> 00:08:50,917 I'm somewhere on that continuum and process by God's grace. 174 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,417 And so I would invite you to also evaluate yourself, 175 00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:58,792 and your heart, and your tone, and your language, 176 00:08:58,833 --> 00:09:01,000 and your words. 177 00:09:01,083 --> 00:09:04,500 And I would ask, how many of you do already hold 178 00:09:04,542 --> 00:09:06,250 a position of teacher? 179 00:09:06,333 --> 00:09:08,958 He starts with teachers because teachers teach, 180 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,208 and then people learn, and if the teacher's off, 181 00:09:11,292 --> 00:09:14,208 then the people are off, just like if the parents are off, 182 00:09:14,292 --> 00:09:15,625 the children are off. 183 00:09:15,667 --> 00:09:17,333 So, I've got a little list here. 184 00:09:17,375 --> 00:09:20,333 How many of you are a pastor, or an elder, a deacon, 185 00:09:20,375 --> 00:09:22,000 a Community Group-- raise your hand, right, 186 00:09:22,083 --> 00:09:23,417 if you're any of these. 187 00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:24,917 Pastor, elder, deacon, Community Group leader, 188 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,333 Redemption Group leader, Kid's Ministry, 189 00:09:26,375 --> 00:09:27,708 Student Ministry, Women's Ministry, 190 00:09:27,792 --> 00:09:29,208 some other ministry at Mars Hill, 191 00:09:29,292 --> 00:09:31,958 or some other church, or organization, 192 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,167 or ministry--how many of you are teachers, coaches, 193 00:09:34,250 --> 00:09:37,167 trainers in a school, whatever the case may be? 194 00:09:37,208 --> 00:09:40,125 Professor, counselor, tutor, a mom, a dad, 195 00:09:40,167 --> 00:09:41,583 a grandma, a grandpa. 196 00:09:41,667 --> 00:09:43,375 Raise your hand, right? 197 00:09:43,458 --> 00:09:46,167 Blogger, right? 198 00:09:46,250 --> 00:09:48,042 Reporter, whatever. 199 00:09:48,125 --> 00:09:50,000 That's a lot of people, right? 200 00:09:50,083 --> 00:09:52,958 What he says is there's additional responsibility 201 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,542 that God lays on those who are teachers. 202 00:09:56,625 --> 00:09:59,625 And he says you shouldn't just aspire to be a teacher, 203 00:09:59,667 --> 00:10:02,625 so let me relieve some pressure from some of you. 204 00:10:02,667 --> 00:10:05,292 If you're in church for awhile, you can feel this pressure, 205 00:10:05,333 --> 00:10:07,000 like, "I need to be a teacher," 206 00:10:07,083 --> 00:10:10,208 that there's, like, junior varsity and teachers, 207 00:10:10,292 --> 00:10:13,083 and the teachers, that's varsity. 208 00:10:13,167 --> 00:10:15,833 No, if you're not called and gifted to lead, 209 00:10:15,917 --> 00:10:18,500 don't feel any pressure to lead. 210 00:10:18,583 --> 00:10:20,667 If you're not called and gifted to teach, 211 00:10:20,750 --> 00:10:23,667 don't feel any pressure to teach, all right, 212 00:10:23,708 --> 00:10:26,042 that like every family, everybody's got 213 00:10:26,125 --> 00:10:28,875 some different contribution to make to the family. 214 00:10:28,958 --> 00:10:31,792 So, I want to pull the pressure off of you, because sometimes, 215 00:10:31,833 --> 00:10:34,458 especially when you're a young Christian or a new Christian, 216 00:10:34,500 --> 00:10:37,833 you feel like, you know, you're starting with your salvation, 217 00:10:37,875 --> 00:10:39,917 and that ultimately, everybody should end up 218 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,500 as a senior leader, 219 00:10:41,583 --> 00:10:44,000 and if you don't make it there, you're a failure. 220 00:10:44,083 --> 00:10:45,708 That's not the case at all. 221 00:10:45,792 --> 00:10:49,583 If God has called you to lead, grow and qualify to be a leader. 222 00:10:49,667 --> 00:10:52,583 If God has called you to teach, grow and qualify to be 223 00:10:52,667 --> 00:10:55,958 a teacher, but don't feel any pressure to be a teacher. 224 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:57,875 Don't feel any pressure to be a teacher. 225 00:10:57,958 --> 00:11:00,958 The reason I teach is because God called me. 226 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,875 When I was 19--some of you know my story. 227 00:11:03,958 --> 00:11:06,667 I was at a men's retreat and God spoke to me. 228 00:11:06,750 --> 00:11:09,500 He said, "Marry Grace, preach the Bible, train men, 229 00:11:09,583 --> 00:11:10,917 plant churches." 230 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,500 I brought that to the leaders in my church because 231 00:11:13,542 --> 00:11:16,000 I don't believe you can just say, "God told me." 232 00:11:16,042 --> 00:11:17,458 Those guys are dangerous. 233 00:11:17,500 --> 00:11:19,958 So, I brought it to the leaders in the church. 234 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:21,958 "I think this is what God told me, 235 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,458 but you need to confirm that because I'm under authority." 236 00:11:24,500 --> 00:11:26,667 They said, "We believe that's what God told you, 237 00:11:26,708 --> 00:11:31,208 and we believe you're not ready," which was very true. 238 00:11:31,292 --> 00:11:33,958 They said, "So, here are some things you need to do 239 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,625 to get ready if you want to be a teacher." 240 00:11:36,667 --> 00:11:39,000 So, let me do that same thing for you. 241 00:11:39,083 --> 00:11:42,000 Three recommendations I would give to those of you who do feel 242 00:11:42,083 --> 00:11:45,083 called to be a teacher or you are teaching, 243 00:11:45,167 --> 00:11:48,000 and then I'll have three for those of us who are hearers. 244 00:11:48,042 --> 00:11:50,667 Number one, I would say--and these are all out of regrets 245 00:11:50,750 --> 00:11:53,000 of mine, quite frankly. 246 00:11:53,042 --> 00:11:54,708 Be more patient. 247 00:11:54,792 --> 00:11:58,708 If you aspire to be a teacher, be under teaching. 248 00:11:58,792 --> 00:12:03,208 If you aspire to be a leader, be under authority. 249 00:12:03,292 --> 00:12:06,333 And I was not as patient as I should have been. 250 00:12:06,375 --> 00:12:08,417 So, God saved me at 19. 251 00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:10,833 At 21, Grace and I were married. 252 00:12:10,917 --> 00:12:14,500 From age 23 to 25, after graduating from college, 253 00:12:14,542 --> 00:12:18,375 almost roughly 2 years, I worked doing college ministry teaching, 254 00:12:18,458 --> 00:12:20,875 and then we started Mars Hill Church 255 00:12:20,958 --> 00:12:23,375 as a Bible study. 256 00:12:23,458 --> 00:12:26,667 And the truth is, I wasn't ready. 257 00:12:26,750 --> 00:12:30,333 I needed more time under authority. 258 00:12:30,417 --> 00:12:34,083 I needed more time on a team at a healthy church. 259 00:12:34,167 --> 00:12:37,000 There were a lot of things that I needed to learn 260 00:12:37,042 --> 00:12:38,417 and I wasn't ready for. 261 00:12:38,500 --> 00:12:40,167 So, sometimes what happens with young leaders, 262 00:12:40,208 --> 00:12:42,167 they'll come to Mars Hill, they'll be like, 263 00:12:42,208 --> 00:12:43,542 "Pastor Mark started at 25." 264 00:12:43,625 --> 00:12:45,792 Yes, and ruined his life. 265 00:12:45,833 --> 00:12:49,167 So, wait awhile, okay, because I love you, 266 00:12:49,250 --> 00:12:53,750 because I made some mistakes and I committed some sins that 267 00:12:53,833 --> 00:12:57,042 I wouldn't have if I would have been under authority, 268 00:12:57,125 --> 00:12:59,667 and under instruction, and learning. 269 00:12:59,750 --> 00:13:01,208 A friend of mine always says, 270 00:13:01,292 --> 00:13:03,542 "Let somebody else pay your dumb tax." 271 00:13:03,625 --> 00:13:06,042 All right, the dumb tax needs to be paid. 272 00:13:06,125 --> 00:13:08,833 I paid all my own dumb tax, okay? 273 00:13:08,875 --> 00:13:11,583 And my encouragement to you would be allow someone else 274 00:13:11,667 --> 00:13:13,042 to pay your dumb tax. 275 00:13:13,125 --> 00:13:14,792 Be more patient. 276 00:13:14,833 --> 00:13:16,458 Be more patient, which especially, 277 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:19,292 as a person who aspires to teaching, 278 00:13:19,333 --> 00:13:21,000 it can be hard to be patient. 279 00:13:21,042 --> 00:13:27,958 Number two, some people are teachers some of the time, 280 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,583 but they must be students all of the time. 281 00:13:31,667 --> 00:13:34,667 Some people want to teach, but they don't like to learn. 282 00:13:34,708 --> 00:13:36,167 They like to be in authority, 283 00:13:36,208 --> 00:13:38,167 but they don't like to be under authority. 284 00:13:38,208 --> 00:13:40,167 They like to tell everybody what they think, 285 00:13:40,208 --> 00:13:42,333 but they don't really like to do their homework. 286 00:13:42,417 --> 00:13:44,875 I had a conversation--I've used this illustration a few times. 287 00:13:44,958 --> 00:13:47,333 But some years ago, I was at a pastor's conference 288 00:13:47,375 --> 00:13:50,000 and I was talking to--and I was young at the time. 289 00:13:50,042 --> 00:13:51,375 This was some years ago. 290 00:13:51,458 --> 00:13:53,875 And I was talking to a pastor and they asked, 291 00:13:53,958 --> 00:13:55,583 "How long you been at Mars Hill?" 292 00:13:55,667 --> 00:13:57,792 I said, "Well, you know, since I was 25. 293 00:13:57,833 --> 00:13:59,792 Only church I've ever been a member of." 294 00:13:59,833 --> 00:14:02,333 They said, "How long do you plan on being there?" 295 00:14:02,417 --> 00:14:06,000 I said, "I hope to be the pastor of Mars Hill for my whole life. 296 00:14:06,083 --> 00:14:08,500 "I hope to be, like, a great grandpa some day 297 00:14:08,583 --> 00:14:09,917 "teaching the Bible, 298 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,667 and then preach my funeral on video and go see Jesus." 299 00:14:12,708 --> 00:14:14,042 That's my plan, okay? 300 00:14:14,125 --> 00:14:16,708 Just so you know, if you show up to my funeral, 301 00:14:16,792 --> 00:14:18,125 I'll probably be preaching it. 302 00:14:18,167 --> 00:14:20,625 And we will do an invitation to salvation and baptize. 303 00:14:20,667 --> 00:14:22,000 That's my hope. 304 00:14:22,083 --> 00:14:24,750 So--and I said, "I just hope to be at Mars Hill. 305 00:14:24,833 --> 00:14:27,250 "I love these people and they're very gracious with me. 306 00:14:27,333 --> 00:14:30,250 "They let me mess up a lot and learn the hard way, 307 00:14:30,333 --> 00:14:31,750 "but they're very kind that way. 308 00:14:31,833 --> 00:14:34,750 So, if they'll put up with me, I'm glad to be there." 309 00:14:34,833 --> 00:14:36,958 I said, "How long you been at your church?" 310 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,167 He said, "Oh, I've never been at a church more than 3 years." 311 00:14:40,208 --> 00:14:41,542 Hmm, that's weird. 312 00:14:41,625 --> 00:14:43,542 That's like, "I'm your dad for 3 years, 313 00:14:43,625 --> 00:14:46,042 "and then I'm going to go to this other family 314 00:14:46,125 --> 00:14:47,792 "and be your dad for 3 years, 315 00:14:47,833 --> 00:14:50,292 "and then I'm going to go to this other family 316 00:14:50,333 --> 00:14:52,500 and be your dad--" like, how does that work? 317 00:14:52,542 --> 00:14:53,875 I couldn't imagine that. 318 00:14:53,958 --> 00:14:55,333 He said, "Well, it's really great 319 00:14:55,417 --> 00:14:57,042 because I have 3 years of sermons." 320 00:14:57,125 --> 00:14:59,458 I said, "So, you preach them here for 3 years, 321 00:14:59,500 --> 00:15:02,167 and then you go there and preach them for 3 years." 322 00:15:02,250 --> 00:15:04,125 He said, "Yeah, been doing that for decades." 323 00:15:04,167 --> 00:15:05,833 He said, "It saves to much time." 324 00:15:05,875 --> 00:15:08,000 Yeah, don't have to waste all that time praying, 325 00:15:08,042 --> 00:15:09,375 and reading the Bible. 326 00:15:09,458 --> 00:15:10,875 Just get that off your plate." 327 00:15:10,958 --> 00:15:13,083 I was like, I feel sorry for your people, 328 00:15:13,167 --> 00:15:14,583 because if you're not continually learning, 329 00:15:14,667 --> 00:15:16,333 and growing, and changing by the Scripture, 330 00:15:16,375 --> 00:15:18,500 you're not able to help people learn, and grow, 331 00:15:18,583 --> 00:15:19,917 and change through the Scripture. 332 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,625 It's not a living word and life-giving word. 333 00:15:22,667 --> 00:15:25,292 If you want to be a good teacher, 334 00:15:25,333 --> 00:15:27,833 you've got to be a devoted student. 335 00:15:27,875 --> 00:15:30,250 And so for those of you who aspire to teaching, 336 00:15:30,333 --> 00:15:32,000 you know my story. 337 00:15:32,083 --> 00:15:35,125 I was in Mars Hill, and I'm teaching, and I realized, 338 00:15:35,167 --> 00:15:37,125 "There's a lot that I need to learn." 339 00:15:37,167 --> 00:15:40,125 I mean, there's still is, but at that time it was like, 340 00:15:40,167 --> 00:15:42,125 "Boy, there's a lot I need to learn." 341 00:15:42,167 --> 00:15:44,333 So, I wanted to get a formal theological education 342 00:15:44,375 --> 00:15:45,708 because I didn't have one, 343 00:15:45,792 --> 00:15:47,917 and so I decided I'd go to Western Seminary 344 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:49,833 in Portland because they're a good Bible school. 345 00:15:49,917 --> 00:15:52,333 But it's in Portland, so I can't quit Mars Hill, 346 00:15:52,417 --> 00:15:56,500 so instead I would drive down for a program that culminated in 347 00:15:56,583 --> 00:15:59,333 a master's degree in exegetical theology, 348 00:15:59,375 --> 00:16:01,167 basically a master's degree in Bible. 349 00:16:01,208 --> 00:16:02,750 So, I'd take Chuck the Truck. 350 00:16:02,833 --> 00:16:04,458 My kids, once they name the vehicles, 351 00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:06,458 it means we're going to keep them forever. 352 00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:07,958 So, they named Chuck the Truck. 353 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,833 It's a 1976 Chevy pickup truck that gets 4 miles a gallon, 354 00:16:10,917 --> 00:16:13,500 only goes 60 miles an hour because it has 3:11 gears 355 00:16:13,583 --> 00:16:16,000 in the back, has no air conditioning, has no radio, 356 00:16:16,042 --> 00:16:19,167 has no cruise control, no tilt, no cup holders. 357 00:16:19,250 --> 00:16:23,375 It's not--it has a lot of rust, and so you can smell the exhaust 358 00:16:23,458 --> 00:16:26,417 very effectively in Chuck the Truck. 359 00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:31,083 And so Chuck the Truck and I would--we'd gas up a few times 360 00:16:31,167 --> 00:16:34,167 and then drive down to Portland, and I would take classes, 361 00:16:34,208 --> 00:16:35,958 and then I'd drive back at night. 362 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,833 And I would go back and forth, and I extended out 363 00:16:38,917 --> 00:16:41,375 a master's degree over that time. 364 00:16:41,458 --> 00:16:44,542 Well, one of the things that we really value at Mars Hill 365 00:16:44,625 --> 00:16:46,208 is Bible teaching and Bible teachers, 366 00:16:46,292 --> 00:16:48,917 so if you're not aware of it, we have something starting 367 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,292 this fall that I encourage you to be in prayer for. 368 00:16:52,333 --> 00:16:54,792 And that is we've invited Corban University, 369 00:16:54,833 --> 00:16:57,375 an accredited undergraduate program, and Western Seminary, 370 00:16:57,458 --> 00:17:00,333 an accredited graduate program, my alma matter, 371 00:17:00,375 --> 00:17:05,167 to start teaching accredited, theological Bible-based classes 372 00:17:05,250 --> 00:17:08,625 at Mars Hill Bellevue starting in the fall. 373 00:17:08,667 --> 00:17:11,625 And so we will be a teaching site for those two institutions, 374 00:17:11,667 --> 00:17:14,375 and they work together so that you can actually get 375 00:17:14,458 --> 00:17:17,458 an undergraduate and graduate degree in a very rapid time 376 00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:19,833 that's Bible-based and fully accredited. 377 00:17:19,917 --> 00:17:22,375 So, for those of you who aspire to be teachers, 378 00:17:22,458 --> 00:17:25,167 we're trying to provide for you a really good opportunity 379 00:17:25,250 --> 00:17:26,583 to prepare for that future, 380 00:17:26,667 --> 00:17:28,458 whatever that might look like for you. 381 00:17:28,500 --> 00:17:30,458 So, you need to be a good student 382 00:17:30,500 --> 00:17:32,167 so you can become a good teacher. 383 00:17:32,250 --> 00:17:33,667 Number three, just something practical. 384 00:17:33,750 --> 00:17:36,500 Teachers are judged more strictly. 385 00:17:36,542 --> 00:17:38,125 That's what he says, right? 386 00:17:38,167 --> 00:17:40,125 "Not many of you should become teachers. 387 00:17:40,167 --> 00:17:42,500 "You know that we who teach will be judged 388 00:17:42,583 --> 00:17:44,042 with greater strictness." 389 00:17:44,125 --> 00:17:48,083 This is by God and others. 390 00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:54,667 One of the most devastating experiences in pastoral ministry 391 00:17:54,708 --> 00:18:00,208 for me is when somebody's a very gifted communicator and then 392 00:18:00,292 --> 00:18:03,667 they start to wander away from the Bible 393 00:18:03,708 --> 00:18:06,667 because people still follow them. 394 00:18:06,750 --> 00:18:10,417 So, having done this awhile, I personally know people who 395 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:12,875 started off teaching the Bible, and then it's like, 396 00:18:12,958 --> 00:18:15,292 "Yeah, I think the Bible maybe has some mistakes. 397 00:18:15,333 --> 00:18:17,000 "I'm not sure it's perfect. 398 00:18:17,083 --> 00:18:18,833 "Yeah, maybe Jesus isn't perfect. 399 00:18:18,917 --> 00:18:20,708 "Maybe he made some mistakes. 400 00:18:20,792 --> 00:18:23,125 "Yeah, maybe the resurrection was kind of a metaphor, 401 00:18:23,167 --> 00:18:25,167 "not really a literal, historical thing. 402 00:18:25,250 --> 00:18:29,375 "Yeah, maybe hell is just sort of a metaphor for grief 403 00:18:29,458 --> 00:18:32,000 "over what we've done, but it's not actually, you know, 404 00:18:32,083 --> 00:18:34,250 "an eternity for people who reject Jesus. 405 00:18:34,333 --> 00:18:36,750 "Or maybe other religions can save as well, 406 00:18:36,833 --> 00:18:39,333 and you don't--" and all of a sudden, 407 00:18:39,375 --> 00:18:43,833 they're headed down a bad path and some people 408 00:18:43,875 --> 00:18:48,333 still follow them because they see them as a teacher. 409 00:18:48,375 --> 00:18:51,333 So, you need to know, you know, when Paul says, 410 00:18:51,417 --> 00:18:54,833 "Save yourself and your hearers," 411 00:18:54,917 --> 00:18:57,500 for those of us that are in a teaching position, 412 00:18:57,583 --> 00:19:00,125 we live under this weight of responsibility that, man, 413 00:19:00,167 --> 00:19:04,167 if I go astray, I know a lot of you are not going to follow me, 414 00:19:04,250 --> 00:19:09,167 but some of you will, and that haunts me because I want you 415 00:19:09,250 --> 00:19:11,833 to follow Jesus and I want to follow Jesus. 416 00:19:11,875 --> 00:19:15,458 And my hope is to follow Jesus and my hope is to follow Jesus 417 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:18,583 with you, but when a teacher is no longer following Jesus 418 00:19:18,667 --> 00:19:21,417 and people are still following them, that's devastating, 419 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:23,708 that's horrifying. 420 00:19:23,792 --> 00:19:26,500 And they'll be judged more strictly because if you 421 00:19:26,583 --> 00:19:28,167 ruin your life, that's one thing. 422 00:19:28,250 --> 00:19:30,917 If you ruin the life of your family, it's another thing. 423 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,083 If you ruin the life of the church family, 424 00:19:33,167 --> 00:19:34,708 that's an entirely different thing. 425 00:19:34,792 --> 00:19:37,500 Secondly, you'll be judged more strictly not just by God. 426 00:19:37,542 --> 00:19:39,083 God says this is very serious. 427 00:19:39,167 --> 00:19:43,125 And I want you to know that I feel this continual weight 428 00:19:43,167 --> 00:19:45,667 of burden and responsibility. 429 00:19:45,708 --> 00:19:49,500 It's not crushing, but sometimes it almost is, 430 00:19:49,542 --> 00:19:52,000 to think that we're a big family 431 00:19:52,083 --> 00:19:54,667 and I bear the most responsibility. 432 00:19:54,750 --> 00:19:58,500 Grace would tell you that there are times that it is a load 433 00:19:58,542 --> 00:20:01,500 that is difficult for me to bear because I do love you 434 00:20:01,583 --> 00:20:03,500 and I do care. 435 00:20:03,583 --> 00:20:05,792 And he says that you'll be judged more strictly. 436 00:20:05,833 --> 00:20:08,000 This is by God and it's by others. 437 00:20:08,042 --> 00:20:09,917 I've got a good friend of mine. 438 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:11,917 He's a pastor way more successful than me. 439 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,333 And I'm not going to name-drop, but he called me up one time and 440 00:20:15,375 --> 00:20:19,208 he said, "Just accept that 5% of people will always hate you 441 00:20:19,292 --> 00:20:20,875 if you teach." 442 00:20:20,958 --> 00:20:22,417 I was like, "Well, thanks Barnabas, 443 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:23,833 "for all the encouragement. 444 00:20:23,875 --> 00:20:25,583 That's super helpful." 445 00:20:25,667 --> 00:20:29,000 He said--so let me say what that means to you. 446 00:20:29,042 --> 00:20:31,667 Let's say you've got a large Community Group of 20 people. 447 00:20:31,750 --> 00:20:33,875 There's going to be one person in that group 448 00:20:33,958 --> 00:20:35,292 that really doesn't like you. 449 00:20:35,333 --> 00:20:37,458 Let's say you're a Community Group coach 450 00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:39,833 overseeing multiple groups and 100 people, 451 00:20:39,875 --> 00:20:41,750 it'd be 5 people really don't like you. 452 00:20:41,833 --> 00:20:44,208 Say you're the lead pastor of a Mars Hill Church 453 00:20:44,292 --> 00:20:45,625 and you've got 1,000 people, 454 00:20:45,667 --> 00:20:47,625 it'd be 50 people that don't like you. 455 00:20:47,667 --> 00:20:50,917 And if you're me, it's a parade, okay? 456 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,625 It's a parade. 457 00:20:53,667 --> 00:20:55,958 It's a pitchfork parade. 458 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:03,000 So--and sometime it's because you did or said something wrong, 459 00:21:03,042 --> 00:21:06,000 and sometimes it's because people have got it wrong 460 00:21:06,042 --> 00:21:10,333 and nothing is ever 100% either way. 461 00:21:10,375 --> 00:21:13,750 And I would say this is why because I love you, 462 00:21:13,833 --> 00:21:16,958 I don't want to push you all into teaching positions. 463 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,833 If you're going to get more strictly judged by God 464 00:21:19,875 --> 00:21:23,292 and more harshly opposed and criticized by people, 465 00:21:23,333 --> 00:21:25,167 unless God calls you to that, 466 00:21:25,250 --> 00:21:27,417 you won't be able to sustain that. 467 00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:31,042 It's one of the reasons my sons are here. 468 00:21:31,125 --> 00:21:35,417 I would never push my sons into ministry. 469 00:21:35,500 --> 00:21:37,250 Dad's a teacher, be a teacher. 470 00:21:37,333 --> 00:21:39,542 No, no, no, Dad's a Christian, be a Christian. 471 00:21:39,625 --> 00:21:41,667 The end. 472 00:21:41,750 --> 00:21:46,458 If God wants you to teach, I guess you have to. 473 00:21:46,500 --> 00:21:48,583 But if God doesn't want you to teach, 474 00:21:48,667 --> 00:21:52,667 Dad is not nominating you because you don't want to put 475 00:21:52,708 --> 00:21:57,542 someone in the wrong position under that crushing weight. 476 00:21:57,625 --> 00:21:59,042 It's not good for them. 477 00:21:59,125 --> 00:22:02,333 And some of you, you want more than anything to be a teacher, 478 00:22:02,375 --> 00:22:04,833 and because I love you, I'd say, "Check your motives. 479 00:22:04,875 --> 00:22:06,208 "Check your heart. 480 00:22:06,292 --> 00:22:09,208 "See if that's what God's called you to, and if he has, 481 00:22:09,292 --> 00:22:10,625 "make sure you're ready, 482 00:22:10,667 --> 00:22:12,333 but understand you'll be judged more strictly." 483 00:22:12,417 --> 00:22:14,500 That's the word for teachers. How about for hearers? 484 00:22:14,583 --> 00:22:17,333 Well, I love this line because I think it's helpful. 485 00:22:17,375 --> 00:22:19,000 "For we all"--what? 486 00:22:19,042 --> 00:22:20,958 Okay, "For we all"--what? 487 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,500 "Stumble." 488 00:22:22,583 --> 00:22:24,458 You ever tripped? 489 00:22:24,500 --> 00:22:26,750 Maybe you're like, "Gosh, didn't see that curb. 490 00:22:26,833 --> 00:22:28,667 Should have tied my shoe." 491 00:22:28,708 --> 00:22:32,000 You ever stumbled? 492 00:22:32,042 --> 00:22:34,292 Here's what he's saying. 493 00:22:34,333 --> 00:22:36,500 "We all stumble." 494 00:22:36,583 --> 00:22:39,083 Just as we stumble physically, we stumble verbally. 495 00:22:39,167 --> 00:22:40,958 That's what he's saying. 496 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:46,500 So, how does this pertain to the hearers? 497 00:22:46,583 --> 00:22:49,500 I've got three points of pastoral counsel 498 00:22:49,583 --> 00:22:50,917 I would give you. 499 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,458 Number one, if you're looking for rocks to throw, 500 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:56,458 there's always a pile. 501 00:22:56,500 --> 00:22:58,958 All right, let's say it's a teacher or a leader. 502 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:01,500 You're like, "I want to throw a rock at them. 503 00:23:01,583 --> 00:23:02,917 Did they say anything wrong?" 504 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,167 Yeah, in fact, a perfect teacher, hearer, 505 00:23:05,250 --> 00:23:09,458 writing the Bible, Jesus' little brother says, "We all stumble." 506 00:23:09,500 --> 00:23:11,792 What he's saying is there's a pile of rocks. 507 00:23:11,833 --> 00:23:13,792 Like, if you don't like somebody, you're like, 508 00:23:13,833 --> 00:23:15,792 "I want to find something they said wrong." 509 00:23:15,833 --> 00:23:17,875 Well, there's a pile because we all stumble. 510 00:23:17,958 --> 00:23:21,542 But here's the key, there's a pile for you too. 511 00:23:21,625 --> 00:23:24,208 And what happens is we're like, "Hey, put that rock down. 512 00:23:24,292 --> 00:23:26,708 "Don't throw it at me. That was a bad day. 513 00:23:26,792 --> 00:23:29,208 "I didn't mean to. You took it out of context. 514 00:23:29,292 --> 00:23:30,625 "It was Mardi Gras. 515 00:23:30,667 --> 00:23:32,333 It never counts on Mardi Gras," right? 516 00:23:32,417 --> 00:23:33,750 You've got a reason. 517 00:23:33,833 --> 00:23:35,167 "Put the rock down." 518 00:23:35,208 --> 00:23:38,042 What James is saying, "Everybody put the rocks down." 519 00:23:38,125 --> 00:23:41,042 Because who stumbles in many ways? 520 00:23:41,125 --> 00:23:42,458 We all do. 521 00:23:42,500 --> 00:23:45,625 So, there's a pile of rocks that they could throw at you 522 00:23:45,667 --> 00:23:47,792 for things that you said wrong or didn't say 523 00:23:47,833 --> 00:23:49,542 in the most effective way, 524 00:23:49,625 --> 00:23:54,000 but there's a pile of rocks that could go both directions. 525 00:23:54,042 --> 00:23:56,833 It's like the woman caught in adultery. 526 00:23:56,875 --> 00:23:58,500 Everybody grabs a rock. 527 00:23:58,583 --> 00:24:01,083 Jesus says, "All right, that's fine. 528 00:24:01,167 --> 00:24:04,083 "The guy who gets to throw the rock first is the guy 529 00:24:04,167 --> 00:24:05,500 who's never sinned." 530 00:24:05,542 --> 00:24:06,875 What does it say? 531 00:24:06,958 --> 00:24:09,583 Everybody dropped their rock and walked away. 532 00:24:09,667 --> 00:24:12,625 The only guy who could have thrown the rock was Jesus, 533 00:24:12,667 --> 00:24:16,500 and he didn't throw the rock, he forgave her. 534 00:24:16,542 --> 00:24:21,958 The only one who's never sinned with his speech is Jesus. 535 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,667 We've all sinned with our speech, 536 00:24:25,708 --> 00:24:28,667 and if we don't want them to throw a rock at us, 537 00:24:28,708 --> 00:24:30,375 we shouldn't throw a rock at them. 538 00:24:30,458 --> 00:24:32,625 And the truth is, there's a quarry. 539 00:24:32,667 --> 00:24:35,375 If you're looking for a rock, they're not hard to find. 540 00:24:35,458 --> 00:24:37,875 There needs to be a little grace, a little mercy, 541 00:24:37,958 --> 00:24:39,292 a little forgiveness. 542 00:24:39,333 --> 00:24:41,708 The Bible says it's a glory to overlook an offense. 543 00:24:41,792 --> 00:24:44,458 The Bible says that love keeps no record of wrongs. 544 00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:48,875 The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. 545 00:24:48,958 --> 00:24:52,375 Okay, what rock do you need to drop like, "You know what? 546 00:24:52,458 --> 00:24:54,333 "I'm just going to let that go. 547 00:24:54,375 --> 00:24:57,750 I'm going to let that go." 548 00:24:57,833 --> 00:25:02,833 Number two, a coach is different than a critic. 549 00:25:02,917 --> 00:25:06,125 A coach and a critic can say the exact same content with 550 00:25:06,167 --> 00:25:09,042 completely different reactions. 551 00:25:09,125 --> 00:25:10,958 You know the difference? 552 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:16,000 The difference is time and tone. 553 00:25:16,042 --> 00:25:17,458 When do you say it? 554 00:25:17,500 --> 00:25:19,333 How do you say it? 555 00:25:19,417 --> 00:25:24,625 A critic: public, not private because the goal is 556 00:25:24,667 --> 00:25:27,875 to crush you, not build you. 557 00:25:27,958 --> 00:25:31,667 A critic will wait until you're vulnerable. 558 00:25:31,750 --> 00:25:36,000 A coach will wait until you're teachable. 559 00:25:36,083 --> 00:25:41,958 A critic's intent is to make sure that everyone is invited to 560 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:47,625 join them in the criticism, and a coach is trying to protect you 561 00:25:47,667 --> 00:25:50,333 from the criticism to help you learn and grow. 562 00:25:50,417 --> 00:25:53,333 How many of you have someone in your life that's a critic? 563 00:25:53,417 --> 00:25:55,333 Every time they come to you, they're like, 564 00:25:55,417 --> 00:25:56,833 "I want to talk to you!" 565 00:25:56,917 --> 00:26:00,917 You're like, "What did I do? What did I do now?" 566 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,458 How many of you have a coach in your life? 567 00:26:03,500 --> 00:26:06,167 When the approach you, like, "I need to talk to you." 568 00:26:06,250 --> 00:26:07,583 You're like, "Okay." 569 00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:09,792 They're like, "Look, not in front of everybody else. 570 00:26:09,833 --> 00:26:11,167 "We're not going to gossip. 571 00:26:11,250 --> 00:26:13,667 "This is--look, hey, I love you, I'm trying to help. 572 00:26:13,750 --> 00:26:15,083 "I'm for you. 573 00:26:15,167 --> 00:26:17,083 "I see this, so I'm pointing it out. 574 00:26:17,167 --> 00:26:19,083 "I'm praying for you. How can I help? 575 00:26:19,167 --> 00:26:20,833 Do you see this?" 576 00:26:20,917 --> 00:26:22,500 "Gosh, thank you. 577 00:26:22,583 --> 00:26:25,250 I feel loved by that, helped by that, served by that." 578 00:26:25,333 --> 00:26:29,333 There's a difference between a critic and a coach. 579 00:26:29,417 --> 00:26:34,958 Being a critic is very easy, being a coach is very hard 580 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,208 because you don't have to know someone or love them to be 581 00:26:38,292 --> 00:26:40,875 a critic, but you have to know them and love them 582 00:26:40,958 --> 00:26:42,542 to be a coach. 583 00:26:42,625 --> 00:26:44,500 So, for those of you who are hearers, 584 00:26:44,542 --> 00:26:47,375 you hear something from someone, you've got to ask, 585 00:26:47,458 --> 00:26:50,417 "Okay, will I deal with this as a critic or a coach?" 586 00:26:50,500 --> 00:26:55,917 Number three, if we love someone, 587 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,875 we present them on their best day. 588 00:26:58,958 --> 00:27:03,458 If we hate someone, we present them on their worst day. 589 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:06,292 The truth is that we've all got our best day, 590 00:27:06,333 --> 00:27:10,750 we've all got our worst day, and it really reveals 591 00:27:10,833 --> 00:27:12,667 your heart how you present them. 592 00:27:12,708 --> 00:27:14,875 Let's say you're in a community, there's, 593 00:27:14,958 --> 00:27:18,583 you know, social friendships, network. 594 00:27:18,667 --> 00:27:21,667 Somebody comes up, you know somebody better than they do, 595 00:27:21,708 --> 00:27:24,167 and they say, "Well, tell me about so and so." 596 00:27:24,250 --> 00:27:26,667 Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 597 00:27:26,750 --> 00:27:29,667 If you say, "Well, let me tell you about their best day. 598 00:27:29,750 --> 00:27:31,875 "They were loving, they were gracious, they were kind, 599 00:27:31,958 --> 00:27:33,375 "they were humble, they were teachable, 600 00:27:33,458 --> 00:27:34,792 "they were fruitful, whatever. 601 00:27:34,833 --> 00:27:37,292 Let me tell you a story about their best day," 602 00:27:37,333 --> 00:27:39,708 what you're doing is you're encouraging that person to see 603 00:27:39,792 --> 00:27:42,875 them in the best light and to want the best for them. 604 00:27:42,958 --> 00:27:45,542 But out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. 605 00:27:45,625 --> 00:27:47,833 If your heart is bitter, or self-righteous, or judgmental, 606 00:27:47,875 --> 00:27:51,167 or envious, you're like, "Let me tell you about their worst day. 607 00:27:51,208 --> 00:27:53,167 "Here's what they said, here's what they did, 608 00:27:53,208 --> 00:27:56,167 "here's what they failed to say, here's what they failed to do. 609 00:27:56,208 --> 00:27:57,667 "Do you see who they are? 610 00:27:57,708 --> 00:28:00,208 "Now interpret all of their data you get about them 611 00:28:00,292 --> 00:28:05,167 in that negative light." 612 00:28:05,250 --> 00:28:11,917 You and I have to choose, and I would hope we would learn 613 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:17,625 I failed, you failed to mirror, to image, to worship, 614 00:28:17,667 --> 00:28:19,250 to reflect Jesus. 615 00:28:19,333 --> 00:28:21,167 When we stand before Jesus, 616 00:28:21,208 --> 00:28:23,958 it's not going to be about our worst day. 617 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,583 It's going to be about his best day in our place, 618 00:28:28,667 --> 00:28:35,375 making that our best day. 619 00:28:35,458 --> 00:28:37,875 We need to be very careful the stories we tell, 620 00:28:37,958 --> 00:28:41,500 the details we share, because the heart is revealed 621 00:28:41,583 --> 00:28:45,292 in the words that are said. 622 00:28:45,333 --> 00:28:47,458 And immediately, some of you get very defensive. 623 00:28:47,500 --> 00:28:50,167 How do I know this? Because I'm defensive. 624 00:28:50,250 --> 00:28:53,167 So, they put the hypocrite up front so you all feel invited 625 00:28:53,208 --> 00:28:56,583 to join us on this little conviction journey. 626 00:28:56,667 --> 00:29:00,333 And usually, what I like to say is, "It's true," 627 00:29:00,417 --> 00:29:05,042 and so is their best day, and so is the sinful nature 628 00:29:05,125 --> 00:29:09,167 of the heart that is communicating the worst day 629 00:29:09,208 --> 00:29:11,458 instead of the best day. 630 00:29:11,500 --> 00:29:15,042 That's for teachers and hearers. 631 00:29:15,125 --> 00:29:17,000 He then goes on, Pastor James does, 632 00:29:17,083 --> 00:29:19,167 to talk about taming the tongue. 633 00:29:19,250 --> 00:29:21,500 "If we put bits into the mouths of horses." 634 00:29:21,583 --> 00:29:23,000 Okay, let me tell you this. 635 00:29:23,083 --> 00:29:24,500 James is like Proverbs. 636 00:29:24,583 --> 00:29:26,250 It's wisdom literature for the New Testament, 637 00:29:26,333 --> 00:29:27,917 lots of great, practical imagery. 638 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,042 You want to learn more about the tongue 639 00:29:30,125 --> 00:29:31,833 and these kinds of illustrations? 640 00:29:31,875 --> 00:29:33,208 Read Proverbs. 641 00:29:33,292 --> 00:29:36,625 "If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, 642 00:29:36,667 --> 00:29:38,500 we guide their whole bodies as well." 643 00:29:38,542 --> 00:29:39,875 He jumps down. 644 00:29:39,958 --> 00:29:41,625 "For every kind of beast and bird, 645 00:29:41,667 --> 00:29:43,000 "of reptile and sea creature, 646 00:29:43,083 --> 00:29:45,208 "can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 647 00:29:45,292 --> 00:29:47,208 "but no human being can tame the tongue. 648 00:29:47,292 --> 00:29:49,417 It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." 649 00:29:49,500 --> 00:29:51,417 Here's what James says, "It's amazing the animals 650 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:52,833 we can tame." 651 00:29:52,875 --> 00:29:54,333 We were watching Swiss Family Robinson 652 00:29:54,375 --> 00:29:55,708 not long ago. 653 00:29:55,792 --> 00:29:58,208 You're like, "They got a tiger to be a pet, 654 00:29:58,292 --> 00:29:59,625 "and a bear. 655 00:29:59,667 --> 00:30:01,000 "That's amazing. 656 00:30:01,083 --> 00:30:03,250 I still can't get myself to say nice things." 657 00:30:03,333 --> 00:30:05,750 What he's saying is that the tongue is like 658 00:30:05,833 --> 00:30:08,333 a wild animal that refuses to be tamed. 659 00:30:08,417 --> 00:30:12,208 All other wild animals can be tamed, but this wild animal, 660 00:30:12,292 --> 00:30:14,167 the one that lives in my head, 661 00:30:14,208 --> 00:30:17,042 it's the hardest one to tame of all. 662 00:30:17,125 --> 00:30:20,042 So, he uses the analogy--he's going to use three analogies. 663 00:30:20,125 --> 00:30:22,292 He's going to talk about bits in horses' mouths, 664 00:30:22,333 --> 00:30:24,500 he's going to talk about rudders on a ship, 665 00:30:24,542 --> 00:30:27,500 and he's going to talk about a spark in a forest fire. 666 00:30:27,542 --> 00:30:32,833 And his point is this: little things have big power. 667 00:30:32,917 --> 00:30:38,167 Little things have big power. 668 00:30:38,250 --> 00:30:42,250 Your tongue is a little thing, but it has big power. 669 00:30:42,333 --> 00:30:45,167 Just like the tongue in your mouth, it's like, 670 00:30:45,208 --> 00:30:49,667 it's akin to a bit in the mouth of a horse, okay? 671 00:30:49,708 --> 00:30:51,167 I'm going to introduce you to somebody. 672 00:30:51,250 --> 00:30:52,625 You guys want to meet somebody? 673 00:30:52,667 --> 00:30:54,875 Okay, yes or no? 674 00:30:54,958 --> 00:30:57,000 Okay, I'm going to introduce you to Claire. 675 00:30:57,083 --> 00:30:58,875 I rode a horse once. Come on up Claire. 676 00:30:58,958 --> 00:31:01,042 I rode a horse once for 3 seconds 677 00:31:01,125 --> 00:31:03,000 and fell into horse stuff, 678 00:31:03,042 --> 00:31:05,667 so I'm not really an expert on horses, 679 00:31:05,708 --> 00:31:07,083 but I brought Claire along. 680 00:31:07,167 --> 00:31:09,333 Good to see you, thank you for joining us. 681 00:31:09,375 --> 00:31:11,583 And you are a horse expert, 682 00:31:11,667 --> 00:31:17,333 so you are going to help me explain this today, alright? 683 00:31:17,375 --> 00:31:19,333 So maybe tell them a little bit about your story, 684 00:31:19,375 --> 00:31:20,667 whatever you want to share. 685 00:31:20,708 --> 00:31:23,542 Okay, so I'm Claire and I became a Christian 686 00:31:23,625 --> 00:31:24,958 when I was 16 years old. 687 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,417 I'm the only Christian in my family 688 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:29,000 and I started riding horses just about the same time. 689 00:31:29,083 --> 00:31:34,083 And I came to Mars Hill 3 years ago and served as an intern 690 00:31:34,167 --> 00:31:35,750 and still serving the church today. 691 00:31:35,833 --> 00:31:39,042 - And I love it and yeah. - And that's you right there. 692 00:31:39,125 --> 00:31:40,750 Yes, that's me and my horse Tommy 693 00:31:40,833 --> 00:31:42,333 at the World Show last year. 694 00:31:42,375 --> 00:31:44,333 So the good guys always wear the white hat, 695 00:31:44,417 --> 00:31:46,125 the bad guys always wear the black hat. 696 00:31:46,167 --> 00:31:48,542 I would have a black hat, but you're wearing a white hat, 697 00:31:48,625 --> 00:31:50,000 that's good. 698 00:31:50,042 --> 00:31:52,250 - There I am. - So tell us about your horse. 699 00:31:52,333 --> 00:31:53,667 So this is Tommy, he's an Appaloosa. 700 00:31:53,750 --> 00:31:58,500 He's 12 years old and he is 15.2. 701 00:31:58,583 --> 00:32:01,375 He's a little--he's a tiny dude, but he's really sweet. 702 00:32:01,458 --> 00:32:02,750 So how much does he weigh? 703 00:32:02,833 --> 00:32:05,333 He weighs about 1,200 pounds, yeah. 704 00:32:05,375 --> 00:32:06,667 That's a lot. 705 00:32:06,750 --> 00:32:09,542 Yeah, it hurts when he steps on you, so. 706 00:32:09,625 --> 00:32:10,917 Do you have any other horses? 707 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,667 I do. 708 00:32:12,750 --> 00:32:16,083 I lease a horse, actually, and he is 709 00:32:16,167 --> 00:32:21,167 a Hanoverian Thoroughbred and he is 17 hands. 710 00:32:21,250 --> 00:32:22,708 So what is that? 711 00:32:22,792 --> 00:32:24,750 So he, at his withers, which are, like, 712 00:32:24,833 --> 00:32:27,000 where his leg meets his neck, 713 00:32:27,083 --> 00:32:30,333 he stands about 6 feet tall, so he's huge. 714 00:32:30,375 --> 00:32:33,375 - And I jump him. - Jump him over? 715 00:32:33,458 --> 00:32:36,250 Fences and poles and stuff like that, so it's fun. 716 00:32:36,333 --> 00:32:38,667 And how do you get a horse to do that? 717 00:32:38,750 --> 00:32:40,167 A lot of training. 718 00:32:40,208 --> 00:32:41,750 Because there's a lot of people here 719 00:32:41,833 --> 00:32:44,125 that are trying to get their dog just to sit down. 720 00:32:44,167 --> 00:32:48,833 Yeah, it's a lot of work, a lot of leg. 721 00:32:48,875 --> 00:32:51,875 I can't walk sometimes after 'cause it's just so much leg. 722 00:32:51,958 --> 00:32:54,125 And it's just controlling their body 723 00:32:54,167 --> 00:32:57,958 and honestly a lot of it comes from the bit. 724 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,375 It's actually kind of crazy how much you use it 725 00:33:01,458 --> 00:33:04,375 to get the horse's body to go where you want it. 726 00:33:04,458 --> 00:33:05,833 Yeah, explain the bit. 727 00:33:05,917 --> 00:33:08,167 I mean, most of these are city folk, 728 00:33:08,208 --> 00:33:09,583 you know, they don't know. 729 00:33:09,667 --> 00:33:12,333 So this is a bit. This is a little-- 730 00:33:12,375 --> 00:33:14,208 - So that goes in their mouth? - Yes. 731 00:33:14,292 --> 00:33:16,500 How big of a horse could you control with that bit? 732 00:33:16,583 --> 00:33:20,042 You can control a little dude like my pony Tommy right here, 733 00:33:20,125 --> 00:33:23,542 or you can control a 17-hand horse. 734 00:33:23,625 --> 00:33:27,500 It doesn't really matter how big the bit is itself. 735 00:33:27,583 --> 00:33:30,125 It's a lot of, like, the temperament of the horse 736 00:33:30,167 --> 00:33:32,792 and corresponding to what bit that you use. 737 00:33:32,833 --> 00:33:36,042 So my horse Tommy is a little stubborn, 738 00:33:36,125 --> 00:33:38,083 so he takes a little bit bigger of a bit 739 00:33:38,167 --> 00:33:39,542 than maybe my horse Spider does 740 00:33:39,625 --> 00:33:41,375 'cause he is very sensitive in the mouth. 741 00:33:41,458 --> 00:33:46,292 So this goes in their mouth and this is a Hunt-seat bit, 742 00:33:46,333 --> 00:33:50,250 so you would use this when you're riding English 743 00:33:50,333 --> 00:33:52,333 and it goes in their mouth like... 744 00:33:52,417 --> 00:33:54,458 - Well, kind of like that. - I'll help you. 745 00:33:54,500 --> 00:33:56,167 So it goes like this, just like this? 746 00:33:56,250 --> 00:33:58,000 - Like right here? - Exactly, just like that. 747 00:33:58,042 --> 00:34:01,083 - How big of a bit would I need? - Uh, probably a big one. 748 00:34:01,167 --> 00:34:02,917 Probably a big--yup, it's kind of what I expected. 749 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,500 It's okay, we're in church Claire. 750 00:34:04,583 --> 00:34:06,500 You can be honest, yeah, it's alright. 751 00:34:06,542 --> 00:34:08,667 So it goes in the mouth and then you're in charge. 752 00:34:08,750 --> 00:34:10,042 Yeah. 753 00:34:10,125 --> 00:34:13,167 And so, I mean, the horses are ten times plus 754 00:34:13,250 --> 00:34:14,875 your size and weight, 755 00:34:14,958 --> 00:34:16,667 but all of a sudden you're in control, 756 00:34:16,708 --> 00:34:18,125 you're in authority. 757 00:34:18,167 --> 00:34:19,500 And what can you make him do? 758 00:34:19,583 --> 00:34:21,833 Well, you can make him jump or you can make them-- 759 00:34:21,875 --> 00:34:24,500 like what I do with Tommy is we do a lot of flatwork, 760 00:34:24,542 --> 00:34:25,958 so it's really technical. 761 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,000 I know where his body is at all times. 762 00:34:28,083 --> 00:34:29,833 I can tell you where his foot is 763 00:34:29,875 --> 00:34:32,125 and what it's doing and when it's doing it. 764 00:34:32,167 --> 00:34:36,917 So I can control his shoulders from which way I bend, 765 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:38,333 which way I pull my reins. 766 00:34:38,375 --> 00:34:40,250 So if I bend his head to the right 767 00:34:40,333 --> 00:34:41,625 I pick up his right shoulder, 768 00:34:41,667 --> 00:34:45,500 or I can move his haunches, which are, 769 00:34:45,542 --> 00:34:47,125 like, his back legs. 770 00:34:47,167 --> 00:34:48,458 So you control everything. 771 00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:50,542 What if you don't have the bit in the mouth? 772 00:34:50,625 --> 00:34:53,167 - What can you get him to do? - Probably not a lot. 773 00:34:53,208 --> 00:34:54,500 Not a lot? 774 00:34:54,542 --> 00:34:55,875 I mean, if your horse is really, 775 00:34:55,958 --> 00:34:58,042 really broke you can get him going. 776 00:34:58,125 --> 00:34:59,667 I mean, I can get my horse going. 777 00:34:59,708 --> 00:35:03,833 I don't think I can get him to stop, I mean, you know. 778 00:35:03,875 --> 00:35:05,708 Okay, thank you Claire. We love you. 779 00:35:05,792 --> 00:35:10,167 Thank you for serving and helping us out, alright? 780 00:35:11,083 --> 00:35:12,375 Claire's cute. 781 00:35:12,458 --> 00:35:14,375 She looks like my daughter so I really like her. 782 00:35:14,458 --> 00:35:17,250 We'll leave it right there. Here's this analogy, right? 783 00:35:17,333 --> 00:35:20,000 Bit goes in a wild horse's mouth, 784 00:35:20,083 --> 00:35:22,042 no control, out of control, 785 00:35:22,125 --> 00:35:25,333 all of a sudden under control and useful. 786 00:35:25,417 --> 00:35:26,833 It's James' analogy. 787 00:35:26,875 --> 00:35:29,250 He's got a second one about a ship and a rudder. 788 00:35:29,333 --> 00:35:32,750 Any of you boaters? Any of you boaters? 789 00:35:32,833 --> 00:35:36,792 Here's what James has to say, "Look at the ships also. 790 00:35:36,833 --> 00:35:40,083 "Though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, 791 00:35:40,167 --> 00:35:43,208 "they are guided by a very small rudder 792 00:35:43,292 --> 00:35:45,375 "wherever the will of the pilot directs. 793 00:35:45,458 --> 00:35:47,667 "So also the tongue is a small member, 794 00:35:47,708 --> 00:35:49,042 yet it boasts of great things." 795 00:35:49,125 --> 00:35:52,042 Again, his analogy is, the tongue is very small, 796 00:35:52,125 --> 00:35:56,667 but in the scheme of things, its impact is very big. 797 00:35:56,708 --> 00:35:58,167 I'll give you another analogy. 798 00:35:58,250 --> 00:36:00,417 I'll share with you guys an old worship. 799 00:36:00,500 --> 00:36:02,417 It's called, "The Bismark." 800 00:36:02,500 --> 00:36:05,042 Pretty impressive, ay? 801 00:36:05,125 --> 00:36:06,917 Let me read this to you, the Nazis commission, 802 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,417 the Bismark battleship in 1940. 803 00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:13,625 Imagine this technology in 1940. 804 00:36:13,667 --> 00:36:16,833 Stretching 825 feet, it's the largest battle-- 805 00:36:16,917 --> 00:36:20,292 it was the largest battleship in the world. 806 00:36:20,333 --> 00:36:24,000 It boasted eight guns that held shells 15 inches across 807 00:36:24,083 --> 00:36:26,958 as well as some 5 dozen other armaments. 808 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,833 The Bismark's onboard targeting computer was so precise 809 00:36:29,875 --> 00:36:32,000 that it blew away the HMS Hood, 810 00:36:32,083 --> 00:36:34,042 which had been the pride 811 00:36:34,125 --> 00:36:36,375 of the Royal Navy, with a single shot. 812 00:36:36,458 --> 00:36:38,583 Think of, like, a boxing match set for 15 rounds. 813 00:36:38,667 --> 00:36:41,667 Two guys walk in, one guy punches the other guy, 814 00:36:41,750 --> 00:36:45,375 that guy passes out and it's over in one shot. 815 00:36:45,458 --> 00:36:48,000 Nobody else wants to get in the ring with that guy. 816 00:36:48,333 --> 00:36:49,708 As grand as the Bismark was, 817 00:36:49,792 --> 00:36:52,167 it had one small but fatal weakness. 818 00:36:52,208 --> 00:36:54,917 A vulnerable rudder was located right beneath its 819 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:56,583 thermal exhaust port. 820 00:36:56,667 --> 00:36:59,542 In the darkness of night on May 24th, 1941, 821 00:36:59,625 --> 00:37:02,667 the Royal Navy attacked the ship with little success until 822 00:37:02,750 --> 00:37:05,833 one torpedo hit this rudder. 823 00:37:05,875 --> 00:37:09,500 The boat was severely disabled, attacked fiercely, and defeated. 824 00:37:09,583 --> 00:37:14,542 You can feel like your life is like this: big, strong, 825 00:37:14,625 --> 00:37:17,625 forceful, successful, impenetrable, 826 00:37:17,667 --> 00:37:20,917 but your tongue is the vulnerable point and it 827 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,583 can become the one thing that undermines everything. 828 00:37:24,667 --> 00:37:27,917 His third analogy is forest fires. 829 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,167 How many of you have ever accidentally set something 830 00:37:30,208 --> 00:37:31,833 on fire? 831 00:37:31,875 --> 00:37:34,333 I was a kid, I remember I was outside--little kid, 832 00:37:34,375 --> 00:37:36,500 alongside of the garage, playing with matches or something, 833 00:37:36,583 --> 00:37:39,167 or a lighter or something, and I started the dry grass 834 00:37:39,250 --> 00:37:41,167 on fire one summer. 835 00:37:41,208 --> 00:37:43,833 And I'm trying to stamp it out--whoosh! 836 00:37:43,875 --> 00:37:48,875 It starts going and now is climbing up the garage. 837 00:37:48,958 --> 00:37:50,500 I was terrified. 838 00:37:50,583 --> 00:37:53,667 I didn't know that it would move that fast. 839 00:37:53,750 --> 00:37:56,708 I ran and got my mom who'd been in a kitchen fire, 840 00:37:56,792 --> 00:38:00,833 and so she was scared of fire, and she's like--she grabbed 841 00:38:00,917 --> 00:38:03,625 the hose and she's like, "Okay Marky, turn the water on," 842 00:38:03,667 --> 00:38:06,833 but it wasn't connected so it kept burning. 843 00:38:06,875 --> 00:38:10,333 And it was amazing how fast and furious it burned 844 00:38:10,375 --> 00:38:14,958 until we got that hose attached to put that fire out. 845 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,833 Here's what Pastor James has to say. 846 00:38:17,875 --> 00:38:21,250 "How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!" 847 00:38:21,333 --> 00:38:22,917 Well, it's just a little thing. 848 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:24,542 It was one little comment. 849 00:38:24,625 --> 00:38:26,875 It was one little--it wasn't a--well, 850 00:38:26,958 --> 00:38:30,625 a little spark can be a big problem. 851 00:38:30,667 --> 00:38:34,250 "And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. 852 00:38:34,333 --> 00:38:36,000 "The tongue is set among our members, 853 00:38:36,042 --> 00:38:37,417 "staining the whole body, 854 00:38:37,500 --> 00:38:40,417 setting on fire the entire course of life, 855 00:38:40,500 --> 00:38:43,500 and set on fire"-- Mars Hill, by what? 856 00:38:43,583 --> 00:38:48,125 "Hell." 857 00:38:48,167 --> 00:38:50,708 Some of you would say, "I'm not going to hell," 858 00:38:50,792 --> 00:38:55,875 but you could unleash hell on someone else. 859 00:38:55,958 --> 00:38:59,875 I was trying to figure out what is the biggest forest fire 860 00:38:59,958 --> 00:39:01,500 in the history of the U.S. 861 00:39:01,583 --> 00:39:04,625 There's a debate on this, but perhaps this is it. 862 00:39:04,667 --> 00:39:11,083 The great Peshtigo fire burned 1.2 million acres. 863 00:39:11,167 --> 00:39:15,917 That's about roughly 1,900 square miles. 864 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:21,500 That's about twice the size of Rhode Island, roughly. 865 00:39:21,583 --> 00:39:25,542 It killed around 1,500 people, and this was 140 years ago 866 00:39:25,625 --> 00:39:28,083 when population was far less dense. 867 00:39:28,167 --> 00:39:29,667 And it was in northern Wisconsin 868 00:39:29,708 --> 00:39:31,917 and the upper peninsula of Michigan. 869 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:38,167 From October 8th to 14th, 1871, this fire burned and exploded. 870 00:39:38,250 --> 00:39:42,083 Some reports would indicate that people sought refuge in 871 00:39:42,167 --> 00:39:45,625 the rivers and it was so hot that people boiled alive 872 00:39:45,667 --> 00:39:47,583 in the rivers. 873 00:39:47,667 --> 00:39:50,333 Some reports. 874 00:39:50,375 --> 00:39:54,250 Do you think the person that started the fire intended that? 875 00:39:54,333 --> 00:39:56,708 No. 876 00:39:56,792 --> 00:40:00,292 Historically, they don't know how the fire started. 877 00:40:00,333 --> 00:40:05,625 They conjecture maybe a logger didn't tend to and extinguish 878 00:40:05,667 --> 00:40:07,167 their campfire. 879 00:40:07,250 --> 00:40:10,667 But here's the big idea: once a fire gets going, 880 00:40:10,750 --> 00:40:13,208 it's hard to know where it started because it moves 881 00:40:13,292 --> 00:40:16,333 so quickly and so fiercely. 882 00:40:16,375 --> 00:40:20,333 And our tongue is a spark. 883 00:40:20,375 --> 00:40:22,667 It can unleash hell. 884 00:40:22,708 --> 00:40:24,083 That's what he says. 885 00:40:24,167 --> 00:40:31,000 And he uses language here that is echoed by Jesus. 886 00:40:31,083 --> 00:40:33,708 Jesus speaks of hell more than anyone in the whole Bible 887 00:40:33,792 --> 00:40:36,708 and he uses the language, I found at least on 11 occasions, 888 00:40:36,792 --> 00:40:38,125 of Gehenna. 889 00:40:38,167 --> 00:40:41,083 Gehenna was a place where godless people 890 00:40:41,167 --> 00:40:43,167 would get together to do godless things. 891 00:40:43,208 --> 00:40:46,000 Maybe illicit sexual sin, and worship false gods, 892 00:40:46,083 --> 00:40:48,833 and all kinds of horrible, despicable, deplorable, 893 00:40:48,917 --> 00:40:52,625 disgusting evil, and then they would sacrifice 894 00:40:52,667 --> 00:40:58,333 their own children, so child sacrifice in this place. 895 00:40:58,375 --> 00:41:01,042 Well, it became detestable to God's people 896 00:41:01,125 --> 00:41:03,708 for obvious reasons, so they determined 897 00:41:03,792 --> 00:41:06,500 that they would turn it in to their dump. 898 00:41:06,583 --> 00:41:09,375 So, all the garbage would be taken out of the city, 899 00:41:09,458 --> 00:41:12,500 out to Gehenna, this cursed place, 900 00:41:12,542 --> 00:41:15,917 and it would be set on fire, and you could see at a distance 901 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:19,792 the garbage burning day and night. 902 00:41:19,833 --> 00:41:23,917 And it became an illustration of what hell is like. 903 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:28,792 That's where all the sin goes, and it's set on fire, 904 00:41:28,833 --> 00:41:31,500 and it burns forever. 905 00:41:31,542 --> 00:41:34,583 Isaiah uses this language at the end of Isaiah, 906 00:41:34,667 --> 00:41:37,458 Jesus echoes this repeatedly, and here, 907 00:41:37,500 --> 00:41:42,083 James is picking up the theme of his big brother, Jesus. 908 00:41:46,542 --> 00:41:51,125 This is deeply convicting in me 909 00:41:51,167 --> 00:41:54,667 because we all stumble in may ways, 910 00:41:54,708 --> 00:41:58,875 but it's possible to go down to hell, get fire, 911 00:41:58,958 --> 00:42:05,167 and then set your Christian brother or sister on fire 912 00:42:05,250 --> 00:42:10,042 and boil them alive with your words. 913 00:42:10,125 --> 00:42:15,167 And you may say, "Well, that's not what I intended," 914 00:42:15,208 --> 00:42:19,792 but that's what the spark does. 915 00:42:19,833 --> 00:42:25,750 How many of you have been set on fire by somebody's words? 916 00:42:25,833 --> 00:42:28,667 Who have you set on fire? 917 00:42:28,708 --> 00:42:32,708 I find that I and we tend to be more aware of the ways 918 00:42:32,792 --> 00:42:35,667 that we have been set on fire than the ways 919 00:42:35,750 --> 00:42:38,208 that we have set others on fire. 920 00:42:38,292 --> 00:42:41,708 And James here is wanting us to not only be sympathetic toward 921 00:42:41,792 --> 00:42:45,125 ourselves, but sympathetic towards those around us. 922 00:42:45,167 --> 00:42:49,417 Friends, this greatly affects your marriage. 923 00:42:49,500 --> 00:42:53,000 This greatly affects your parenting. 924 00:42:53,042 --> 00:42:55,792 This greatly affects your community. 925 00:42:55,833 --> 00:43:01,333 This greatly affects our church family. 926 00:43:04,042 --> 00:43:07,167 And this can be the wrong information 927 00:43:07,208 --> 00:43:11,625 or the right information to the wrong person. 928 00:43:14,583 --> 00:43:20,042 And he concludes by saying that we need to look for 929 00:43:20,125 --> 00:43:25,167 blessing and cursing. 930 00:43:25,208 --> 00:43:28,667 In James 3:9-12, we read this. 931 00:43:28,750 --> 00:43:32,333 "With it"--the tongue, this little thing 932 00:43:32,375 --> 00:43:35,833 that has big implications. 933 00:43:35,875 --> 00:43:38,458 How many of you, you're with me? 934 00:43:38,500 --> 00:43:44,375 The Holy Spirit has got you and you're feeling convicted? 935 00:43:47,333 --> 00:43:49,000 It's a good thing. 936 00:43:49,042 --> 00:43:52,625 God doesn't want to condemn you, he wants to convict you. 937 00:43:52,667 --> 00:43:55,333 He wants you to see it so that we can change, 938 00:43:55,417 --> 00:43:58,083 and I need to change too. 939 00:43:58,167 --> 00:44:01,333 So, I want to invite you to receive this with me. 940 00:44:01,417 --> 00:44:04,833 Okay, my hope today is not to come to you as a critic, 941 00:44:04,917 --> 00:44:10,250 but as a coach, as a teacher who's guilty with you, 942 00:44:10,333 --> 00:44:14,583 but we're hearing from God to help us all. 943 00:44:14,667 --> 00:44:16,542 "With it we bless our Lord and Father." 944 00:44:16,625 --> 00:44:18,292 God, we love you, we praise you. 945 00:44:18,333 --> 00:44:20,792 Put in more Christian music. I want to sing again. 946 00:44:20,833 --> 00:44:23,458 I want to sing in the car. I want to pray. 947 00:44:23,500 --> 00:44:25,958 Praise the Lord! I want to talk about the Lord. 948 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:28,458 I want to go to Bible study, and Community Group, 949 00:44:28,500 --> 00:44:31,167 and I want to answer questions, and talk about the Lord. 950 00:44:31,250 --> 00:44:33,333 Yay, Lord! 951 00:44:33,417 --> 00:44:36,750 That's good, right? 952 00:44:36,833 --> 00:44:43,333 "And we curse people who are made in the likeness of God." 953 00:44:43,375 --> 00:44:45,250 You say, "Well, they're not a good person," 954 00:44:45,333 --> 00:44:47,750 but they're made in the image and likeness of God, 955 00:44:47,833 --> 00:44:49,167 so they deserve dignity. 956 00:44:49,208 --> 00:44:50,917 What he's saying is you can't say, 957 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:54,458 "Yay, Lord! I hate them. 958 00:44:54,500 --> 00:44:56,167 "They're this, they're that, they're the other. 959 00:44:56,208 --> 00:44:57,542 "I'm frustrated by them. 960 00:44:57,625 --> 00:45:00,875 They did this, they failed me. Yay, Lord!" 961 00:45:00,958 --> 00:45:02,958 Positive, negative, positive, negative, 962 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,667 life, death, life, death, life, death. 963 00:45:05,708 --> 00:45:08,167 Proverbs says that life and death are contained 964 00:45:08,208 --> 00:45:11,542 in the tongue. 965 00:45:11,625 --> 00:45:15,167 "From the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. 966 00:45:15,250 --> 00:45:18,375 My brothers." 967 00:45:18,458 --> 00:45:20,500 Hey, you're a Christian. 968 00:45:20,542 --> 00:45:21,875 Okay, are you a Christian? 969 00:45:21,958 --> 00:45:24,625 If you're not a Christian, you need to become a Christian. 970 00:45:24,667 --> 00:45:26,625 You can't just get your tongue under control. 971 00:45:26,667 --> 00:45:29,000 Jesus needs to sit in the saddle, right? 972 00:45:29,042 --> 00:45:31,417 Because it said earlier nobody can contain their tongue, 973 00:45:31,500 --> 00:45:32,917 nobody can restrain their tongue. 974 00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:35,583 You're not supposed to be the Lord of your own life. 975 00:45:35,667 --> 00:45:37,333 You need somebody else on the saddle. 976 00:45:37,375 --> 00:45:38,875 His name's Jesus. 977 00:45:38,958 --> 00:45:41,125 But if you are a Christian, 978 00:45:41,167 --> 00:45:43,667 "These things ought not to be so. 979 00:45:43,708 --> 00:45:45,917 "Does a spring pour forth from the same opening 980 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:48,208 "both fresh and salt water? 981 00:45:48,292 --> 00:45:50,667 "Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, 982 00:45:50,708 --> 00:45:52,375 "or a grapevine produce figs? 983 00:45:52,458 --> 00:45:54,458 Neither can a salty pond yield fresh water." 984 00:45:54,500 --> 00:45:56,875 How many of you have a well on your property? 985 00:45:56,958 --> 00:45:59,542 You're like, "I love my well because I can pull water 986 00:45:59,625 --> 00:46:01,750 and Coca-Cola out of it." 987 00:46:01,833 --> 00:46:04,625 You're like, no, it's one or the other. 988 00:46:04,667 --> 00:46:07,042 He's saying you can't get fresh water and salt water. 989 00:46:07,125 --> 00:46:09,542 You can't get two things out of one source. 990 00:46:09,625 --> 00:46:11,292 You say, "I have this awesome tree. 991 00:46:11,333 --> 00:46:14,667 It grows apples and oranges." 992 00:46:14,750 --> 00:46:18,875 Not one tree, it's one or the other. 993 00:46:18,958 --> 00:46:20,875 I couldn't go down to the Puget Sound 994 00:46:20,958 --> 00:46:22,875 and get a bucket of water and say, 995 00:46:22,958 --> 00:46:24,875 "Well, the whole Puget Sound is salt water, 996 00:46:24,958 --> 00:46:27,625 "but every once in awhile I go down and I scoop 997 00:46:27,667 --> 00:46:29,000 a bucket of fresh water." 998 00:46:29,083 --> 00:46:30,417 No. 999 00:46:30,500 --> 00:46:32,583 And sometimes what we like to do is say, 1000 00:46:32,667 --> 00:46:34,583 "Well, look at the good things I said." 1001 00:46:34,667 --> 00:46:36,583 It's like, "Okay, okay, yeah, we get that, 1002 00:46:36,667 --> 00:46:38,083 but there's some other things too." 1003 00:46:38,167 --> 00:46:41,750 And what he's saying is you got to get to the source. 1004 00:46:41,833 --> 00:46:44,750 See, whether it's the source of the fruit or the source of 1005 00:46:44,833 --> 00:46:47,500 the water, the whole point is to get to the source. 1006 00:46:47,583 --> 00:46:51,125 And in the Bible, the source is the heart. 1007 00:46:51,167 --> 00:46:52,625 The heart appears about 900 times. 1008 00:46:52,667 --> 00:46:54,125 It's not just the physical organ, 1009 00:46:54,167 --> 00:46:55,500 it's the spiritual center. 1010 00:46:55,583 --> 00:46:56,917 It's who we are. 1011 00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,667 It where Proverbs says, "Out of the overflow of the heart, 1012 00:46:59,708 --> 00:47:01,125 the mouth speaks," right? 1013 00:47:01,167 --> 00:47:03,333 That's why the heart is the wellspring of life. 1014 00:47:03,375 --> 00:47:06,333 That's why Jesus says that our words come out of our heart. 1015 00:47:06,375 --> 00:47:09,500 And so some of you, you're like, "I made a list of words 1016 00:47:09,542 --> 00:47:10,875 I will not say." 1017 00:47:10,958 --> 00:47:13,375 I'm not saying that's bad, but unless the heart changes, 1018 00:47:13,458 --> 00:47:19,167 the tone, the time, they don't change. 1019 00:47:19,250 --> 00:47:21,667 So, I want to ask you some questions, for you, 1020 00:47:21,708 --> 00:47:26,583 for your relationships, especially with your spouse, 1021 00:47:26,667 --> 00:47:28,583 your kids, your community, your Community Group. 1022 00:47:28,667 --> 00:47:32,000 What I want to do is I want us to get to the heart 1023 00:47:32,042 --> 00:47:33,375 of our speech. 1024 00:47:33,458 --> 00:47:34,875 Number one, whom do I idolize? 1025 00:47:34,958 --> 00:47:36,875 I want you to ask yourself that question. 1026 00:47:36,958 --> 00:47:38,625 The great American theologian, Jonathan Edwards-- 1027 00:47:38,667 --> 00:47:41,167 you've heard me say it before if you've been around. 1028 00:47:41,250 --> 00:47:43,917 He said that if we idolize, we what? 1029 00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:45,333 Demonize. 1030 00:47:45,375 --> 00:47:47,833 If you idolize someone-- "I want to be like you. 1031 00:47:47,917 --> 00:47:49,250 "You're the best. 1032 00:47:49,333 --> 00:47:51,250 "Help me, save me, fix me, bless me. 1033 00:47:51,333 --> 00:47:52,917 Never leave me nor forsake me." 1034 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,667 You hand them Jesus' resume, they're going to fail you 1035 00:47:55,708 --> 00:47:58,167 and then you're going to demonize them. 1036 00:47:58,208 --> 00:47:59,833 You're going to speak evil of them. 1037 00:47:59,917 --> 00:48:02,417 You're going to oppose them. You're going to slander them. 1038 00:48:02,500 --> 00:48:03,958 You're going to gossip about them. 1039 00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:05,333 You're going to destroy them. 1040 00:48:05,417 --> 00:48:07,500 You're going to set them on fire. 1041 00:48:07,542 --> 00:48:11,667 Don't idolize anyone. 1042 00:48:11,750 --> 00:48:15,042 If you idolize them, you'll demonize them. 1043 00:48:15,125 --> 00:48:18,833 If you set them up, it's only so that eventually 1044 00:48:18,917 --> 00:48:22,583 you can set them on fire. 1045 00:48:22,667 --> 00:48:26,250 And don't allow yourself to be idolized. 1046 00:48:26,333 --> 00:48:29,250 It only works until it doesn't work, 1047 00:48:29,333 --> 00:48:31,250 and then it doesn't work at all. 1048 00:48:31,333 --> 00:48:32,917 Number two, what do I covet? 1049 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:35,417 "I wish I was married. I wish I had kids. 1050 00:48:35,500 --> 00:48:38,417 "I wish I had their job. I wish I had their parents. 1051 00:48:38,500 --> 00:48:41,417 "I wish I had their car. I wish I had their house. 1052 00:48:41,500 --> 00:48:44,417 "I wish I had their position. I wish I had their gifts. 1053 00:48:44,500 --> 00:48:46,917 "I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish I had. 1054 00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:50,083 "So what I'm going to do is I'm going to say bad things 1055 00:48:50,167 --> 00:48:51,792 about them because I'm jealous of them." 1056 00:48:51,833 --> 00:48:54,500 In the next chapter, you're going to hear--if you read ahead 1057 00:48:54,583 --> 00:48:57,167 the next section of Scripture, I should say, in James 3, 1058 00:48:57,250 --> 00:48:59,167 he talks about bitter envy and selfish ambition. 1059 00:48:59,250 --> 00:49:00,667 Envy. 1060 00:49:00,708 --> 00:49:02,042 Selfish. 1061 00:49:02,125 --> 00:49:04,042 "They didn't deserve that. 1062 00:49:04,125 --> 00:49:05,667 "You know, they shouldn't have that. 1063 00:49:05,750 --> 00:49:07,208 You know how they got that." 1064 00:49:07,292 --> 00:49:09,958 You can't rejoice with those who rejoice. 1065 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,292 You can't celebrate God's grace. 1066 00:49:12,333 --> 00:49:13,792 You're angry at it. 1067 00:49:13,833 --> 00:49:15,542 You're covetous of it. 1068 00:49:15,625 --> 00:49:18,458 And that affects your heart and that comes out in your speech. 1069 00:49:18,500 --> 00:49:21,833 "So, I'm going to take it from them or I'm going to make it 1070 00:49:21,917 --> 00:49:23,375 not enjoyable for them." 1071 00:49:23,458 --> 00:49:27,208 Number three, what lies do I perpetuate? 1072 00:49:27,292 --> 00:49:29,708 I've heard something that I'm sharing. 1073 00:49:29,792 --> 00:49:32,208 I don't know if it's true or not. 1074 00:49:32,292 --> 00:49:34,417 Or I heard something, I know it's not true, 1075 00:49:34,500 --> 00:49:38,292 but I'm going to let it go because it benefits me. 1076 00:49:38,333 --> 00:49:41,792 Number four, what gossip do I enjoy? 1077 00:49:41,833 --> 00:49:44,125 Oh, so-and-so, such and such, this and that. 1078 00:49:44,167 --> 00:49:45,500 Oh, do tell. 1079 00:49:45,583 --> 00:49:48,250 And sometimes, Christians, let's just be honest and say we say, 1080 00:49:48,333 --> 00:49:50,250 "Oh, you know, I've got a prayer request." 1081 00:49:50,333 --> 00:49:54,250 No, what you have is a gossip request masked 1082 00:49:54,333 --> 00:49:56,750 as a prayer request. 1083 00:49:56,833 --> 00:49:58,375 "Oh, pray for so and so." 1084 00:49:58,458 --> 00:50:00,500 Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. 1085 00:50:00,542 --> 00:50:03,458 The answer needs to be, "You need to go talk to them, 1086 00:50:03,500 --> 00:50:05,917 you don't need to talk about them." 1087 00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:08,833 See, this is Matthew 18. 1088 00:50:08,875 --> 00:50:11,458 If somebody sins against you, go talk to them, 1089 00:50:11,500 --> 00:50:14,333 don't talk about them. 1090 00:50:14,375 --> 00:50:16,000 That's gossip. 1091 00:50:16,042 --> 00:50:20,750 That's gossip. 1092 00:50:20,833 --> 00:50:22,167 Who am I bitter against? 1093 00:50:22,208 --> 00:50:23,542 When someone sins against you, 1094 00:50:23,625 --> 00:50:25,542 you're really at a fork in the road. 1095 00:50:25,625 --> 00:50:27,875 You've got two options: bitterness or forgiveness. 1096 00:50:27,958 --> 00:50:30,083 Forgiveness is, "You know what, I've got a rock. 1097 00:50:30,167 --> 00:50:32,292 "I could throw it. I'm going to drop it. 1098 00:50:32,333 --> 00:50:34,833 "I'm not going to throw it. 1099 00:50:34,875 --> 00:50:37,833 "I'm going to treat you the way Jesus treated me. 1100 00:50:37,917 --> 00:50:40,000 "I'm just like the adulterous woman. 1101 00:50:40,042 --> 00:50:41,375 "I'm guilty. 1102 00:50:41,458 --> 00:50:43,125 "Jesus could throw a rock at me. 1103 00:50:43,167 --> 00:50:45,625 "He didn't throw a rock at me, he forgave me, 1104 00:50:45,667 --> 00:50:48,000 "so I'm not going to throw a rock at you, 1105 00:50:48,083 --> 00:50:50,500 "I'm going to forgive you. I'm going to forgive you. 1106 00:50:50,583 --> 00:50:51,917 "Move on. 1107 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:54,917 "Not going to bring it up, not going to talk about it. 1108 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:56,917 "We're going to have a funeral for that. 1109 00:50:57,000 --> 00:50:58,333 It's over." 1110 00:50:58,375 --> 00:51:00,375 Or bitterness, "Oh no, I will not forgive. 1111 00:51:00,458 --> 00:51:01,875 "I will not let it go. 1112 00:51:01,958 --> 00:51:04,083 "I'm going to be, you know, an emotional archeologist. 1113 00:51:04,167 --> 00:51:06,583 "I'm going to continue digging back, and feeling it again, 1114 00:51:06,667 --> 00:51:08,583 "and maybe adding to it, and encouraging others 1115 00:51:08,667 --> 00:51:11,333 "to have perspective on it, and to give me their input. 1116 00:51:11,375 --> 00:51:13,333 "Have you experienced this? Have you seen this? 1117 00:51:13,375 --> 00:51:15,500 Yes, let's set it on fire!" 1118 00:51:15,583 --> 00:51:18,750 Satan's in a moment of rejoicing. 1119 00:51:18,833 --> 00:51:20,333 "Yes! 1120 00:51:20,375 --> 00:51:21,708 Set it on fire!" 1121 00:51:21,792 --> 00:51:24,500 And Jesus is in a moment of weeping. 1122 00:51:24,542 --> 00:51:31,542 No, bitterness--bitterness is the enemy of forgiveness. 1123 00:51:32,667 --> 00:51:34,750 That's where Paul says in Ephesians, you know, 1124 00:51:34,833 --> 00:51:37,500 "Watch against all bitterness and forgiven one another 1125 00:51:37,583 --> 00:51:43,458 as God and Christ forgave you." 1126 00:51:43,500 --> 00:51:45,750 Who has hurt me? 1127 00:51:45,833 --> 00:51:50,000 Here's what I find, hurt people tend to hurt people. 1128 00:51:50,083 --> 00:51:53,167 You say, "Man, they really hurt me." 1129 00:51:53,208 --> 00:51:58,667 It may be true, but if you take that into your heart, 1130 00:51:58,750 --> 00:52:03,375 then you're a hurt person who's going to hurt people 1131 00:52:03,458 --> 00:52:05,375 and that's not helpful. 1132 00:52:05,458 --> 00:52:07,000 Here's what I've learned. 1133 00:52:07,083 --> 00:52:09,875 When I'm tired, when I'm angry, when I'm frustrated, 1134 00:52:09,958 --> 00:52:12,500 when I'm hurt, when I feel betrayed, 1135 00:52:12,583 --> 00:52:15,833 I tend to be a counter-puncher by nature, okay? 1136 00:52:15,917 --> 00:52:18,792 Swing, swing, right? 1137 00:52:18,833 --> 00:52:22,250 And when I'm hurt, I tend to respond in a way 1138 00:52:22,333 --> 00:52:24,833 that I wouldn't if I waited. 1139 00:52:24,917 --> 00:52:27,042 Any of you experience that? 1140 00:52:27,125 --> 00:52:28,833 So, here's my encouragement. 1141 00:52:28,917 --> 00:52:31,333 When you're hurt, wait. 1142 00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:35,208 When you're hurt, wait. 1143 00:52:35,292 --> 00:52:38,833 Say, "You know what, I can't talk about this right now. 1144 00:52:38,875 --> 00:52:44,875 "You know what, I don't think now's a good time. 1145 00:52:44,958 --> 00:52:48,625 "I love you. I want to work this out. 1146 00:52:48,667 --> 00:52:50,542 "I'm not ready. 1147 00:52:50,625 --> 00:52:54,500 "I want to get ready because I want to do this right. 1148 00:52:54,542 --> 00:52:59,000 "And I need to go work out my hurt with Jesus so then I 1149 00:52:59,083 --> 00:53:02,125 "can work out my issue with you. 1150 00:53:02,167 --> 00:53:06,583 "Jesus will take care of my hurt and then I'll be ready, 1151 00:53:06,667 --> 00:53:10,833 but I've got to get with Jesus first." 1152 00:53:10,917 --> 00:53:15,542 Number seven question for us all, how do I like to play God? 1153 00:53:15,625 --> 00:53:22,083 And playing God is this: "They all stumble in many ways. 1154 00:53:22,167 --> 00:53:28,417 "They all stumble in many ways, but I don't. 1155 00:53:28,500 --> 00:53:32,458 "I sit on a seat alongside of Jesus who never stumbled 1156 00:53:32,500 --> 00:53:34,417 "in any way. 1157 00:53:34,500 --> 00:53:36,875 "And we judge people, and we question motives, 1158 00:53:36,958 --> 00:53:39,083 "and we evaluate their life. 1159 00:53:39,167 --> 00:53:42,208 "And we demand that they come forward and give an account. 1160 00:53:42,292 --> 00:53:45,292 "And we render verdicts of guilt or innocence. 1161 00:53:45,333 --> 00:53:50,000 And sometimes we punish them and make them pay." 1162 00:53:50,083 --> 00:53:52,333 And Jesus would say, "Number one, 1163 00:53:52,375 --> 00:53:55,042 "that's not how I do it, 1164 00:53:55,125 --> 00:54:00,333 and number two, you don't get to sit next to me." 1165 00:54:00,375 --> 00:54:03,167 We all stumble in many ways. 1166 00:54:03,250 --> 00:54:07,083 None of us gets to sit in the saddle 1167 00:54:07,167 --> 00:54:10,083 for anyone else. 1168 00:54:10,167 --> 00:54:12,250 "Well, I'm going to be in control of you. 1169 00:54:12,333 --> 00:54:13,667 "I'm going to judge you. 1170 00:54:13,708 --> 00:54:15,167 "I'm going to be the authority. 1171 00:54:15,208 --> 00:54:16,875 "I'm going to--I'm going to--I'm going to. 1172 00:54:16,958 --> 00:54:19,875 And if you don't, well, I'm going to pull a little harder." 1173 00:54:19,958 --> 00:54:22,167 No, no, no, no, off the saddle, friend, right? 1174 00:54:22,250 --> 00:54:24,000 Jesus needs to sit in the saddle, 1175 00:54:24,042 --> 00:54:26,542 the Holy Spirit needs to pull the reigns, 1176 00:54:26,625 --> 00:54:32,542 and we all need--we all need forgiveness, 1177 00:54:32,625 --> 00:54:36,458 we all need a new heart, 1178 00:54:36,500 --> 00:54:39,333 we all need the power of the Holy Spirit 1179 00:54:39,375 --> 00:54:42,083 so that the new life in us 1180 00:54:42,167 --> 00:54:47,167 starts to come through us. 1181 00:54:51,833 --> 00:54:55,125 No one has had more evil spoken against them in the history of 1182 00:54:55,167 --> 00:54:59,875 the world than Jesus Christ, and Jesus is the only person 1183 00:54:59,958 --> 00:55:02,417 who's ever lived that never stumbled in any way. 1184 00:55:02,500 --> 00:55:04,667 Everything he always said was the right thing, 1185 00:55:04,750 --> 00:55:07,458 at the right time, in the right way, perfectly. 1186 00:55:07,500 --> 00:55:08,833 How amazing is that? 1187 00:55:08,917 --> 00:55:11,333 Jesus never had to walk up to anybody and say, 1188 00:55:11,417 --> 00:55:14,208 "I'm sorry. I was wrong. 1189 00:55:14,292 --> 00:55:18,667 My attitude was sour. My tone was angry." 1190 00:55:18,750 --> 00:55:21,292 How many times have you had to do that? 1191 00:55:21,333 --> 00:55:23,875 I've had to do this a lot. 1192 00:55:23,958 --> 00:55:26,250 Jesus never had to do that. 1193 00:55:26,333 --> 00:55:30,167 He was perfect, and to this day, the most horrific, evil, 1194 00:55:30,208 --> 00:55:34,875 untrue things are said about him. 1195 00:55:34,958 --> 00:55:36,417 And here's what I love. 1196 00:55:36,500 --> 00:55:38,125 Here's the good news, because right now, 1197 00:55:38,167 --> 00:55:41,667 we're probably all feeling pretty convicted, amen? 1198 00:55:41,708 --> 00:55:45,708 Jesus gets the last word. 1199 00:55:45,792 --> 00:55:50,542 He who does not stumble in any way goes to the cross to suffer 1200 00:55:50,625 --> 00:55:55,458 and die for we who have stumbled in many ways. 1201 00:55:55,500 --> 00:55:58,042 And while shameful, horrible things 1202 00:55:58,125 --> 00:56:01,083 are being said about Jesus, 1203 00:56:01,167 --> 00:56:03,500 Jesus gets the last word. 1204 00:56:03,542 --> 00:56:05,500 And what's the last word? 1205 00:56:05,583 --> 00:56:07,750 As he's atoning for the sins of the world, 1206 00:56:07,833 --> 00:56:09,167 the Lord Jesus says this, 1207 00:56:09,250 --> 00:56:14,917 "Father, forgive them." 1208 00:56:18,750 --> 00:56:22,000 None of us would have said that, friend. 1209 00:56:22,083 --> 00:56:23,792 We would have defended ourselves, 1210 00:56:23,833 --> 00:56:27,500 we would have picked a fight, 1211 00:56:27,583 --> 00:56:34,167 we would have made sure 1212 00:56:34,250 --> 00:56:37,667 that we unleashed hell, 1213 00:56:37,708 --> 00:56:41,458 and instead, Jesus unleashed heaven on those 1214 00:56:41,500 --> 00:56:45,083 who were unleashing hell. 1215 00:56:45,167 --> 00:56:46,833 So, here's the good news. 1216 00:56:46,875 --> 00:56:48,208 We're all guilty. 1217 00:56:48,292 --> 00:56:52,292 Everybody today, put your rock down. 1218 00:56:52,333 --> 00:56:58,167 And if you belong to Jesus, you're forgiven. 1219 00:56:58,208 --> 00:57:04,125 He knows that we all stumble in many ways. 1220 00:57:04,167 --> 00:57:06,542 He forgives us. 1221 00:57:06,625 --> 00:57:10,708 He alone should sit in the saddle. 1222 00:57:10,792 --> 00:57:14,833 Starting with me, we all need a bit in our mouth, amen? 1223 00:57:14,917 --> 00:57:20,750 Otherwise, we run wild and out of control, like an animal. 1224 00:57:20,833 --> 00:57:23,208 We drift into danger, and devastation, 1225 00:57:23,292 --> 00:57:27,250 and death like a ship that is out of control. 1226 00:57:27,333 --> 00:57:30,250 And we set people, people we love, 1227 00:57:30,333 --> 00:57:37,083 on fire with the flames of hell. 1228 00:57:37,167 --> 00:57:39,833 So this is an opportunity for us all to respond. 1229 00:57:39,875 --> 00:57:42,292 We're going to collect our tithes and offerings so that 1230 00:57:42,333 --> 00:57:44,500 the message of Jesus can continue to go forth 1231 00:57:44,542 --> 00:57:46,000 in the teaching of the Bible. 1232 00:57:46,042 --> 00:57:48,167 I want to encourage you to take this opportunity 1233 00:57:48,250 --> 00:57:50,500 to talk to Jesus in prayer. 1234 00:57:50,583 --> 00:57:53,167 Anything he's convicted you of, anybody you need to speak to, 1235 00:57:53,250 --> 00:57:55,667 anything you need to learn from this, 1236 00:57:55,750 --> 00:57:58,167 it could be out loud or it can be silent, 1237 00:57:58,250 --> 00:57:59,583 talking to Jesus, right? 1238 00:57:59,667 --> 00:58:01,833 He's alive and well, seated on a throne. 1239 00:58:01,875 --> 00:58:06,875 He's available to help, and to love, and to serve. 1240 00:58:06,958 --> 00:58:08,958 We're going to partake of Communion. 1241 00:58:09,000 --> 00:58:12,042 As we partake of Communion, we remember Jesus' broken body 1242 00:58:12,125 --> 00:58:14,167 and shed blood, how God has loved us, 1243 00:58:14,208 --> 00:58:16,042 and forgiven us, and saved us. 1244 00:58:16,125 --> 00:58:18,792 And as we take the elements representing his broken body 1245 00:58:18,833 --> 00:58:21,000 and shed blood into us, we're asking him, 1246 00:58:21,042 --> 00:58:23,750 "Jesus, also change my heart so that out of my heart, 1247 00:58:23,833 --> 00:58:25,500 my words are different." 1248 00:58:25,542 --> 00:58:27,750 And if there's anybody you're here with you're like, 1249 00:58:27,833 --> 00:58:30,458 "I just need to apologize before we take care of Communion. 1250 00:58:30,500 --> 00:58:33,333 I just need to admit and own some stuff," 1251 00:58:33,417 --> 00:58:36,833 I would encourage you, don't resist, or grieve, 1252 00:58:36,875 --> 00:58:39,833 or quench the Holy Spirit, submit to him and do that. 1253 00:58:39,875 --> 00:58:42,000 And then lastly, Mars Hill, we're going to sing. 1254 00:58:42,083 --> 00:58:43,417 You know why? 1255 00:58:43,500 --> 00:58:47,792 Because this mouth was made to praise God. 1256 00:58:47,833 --> 00:58:49,333 That's why it was made. 1257 00:58:49,417 --> 00:58:52,000 So when he says, "Hey, don't praise God and curse people 1258 00:58:52,083 --> 00:58:54,667 "because you weren't made for cursing, 1259 00:58:54,750 --> 00:58:56,667 you were made for praising." 1260 00:58:56,750 --> 00:58:59,875 And so what I want to do is I want to invite you, 1261 00:58:59,958 --> 00:59:03,000 after we go through this bit of emotional process together, 1262 00:59:03,042 --> 00:59:06,375 I want you to get to the point where you're thinking about 1263 00:59:06,458 --> 00:59:09,292 Jesus, not just yourself, and you're praising Jesus, 1264 00:59:09,333 --> 00:59:11,750 not just talking to yourself, and that you're celebrating 1265 00:59:11,833 --> 00:59:13,250 Jesus through singing to Jesus. 1266 00:59:13,333 --> 00:59:16,250 And we do it together because we're asking Jesus to help us 1267 00:59:16,333 --> 00:59:19,250 treat one another in a way that the love, and the grace, 1268 00:59:19,333 --> 00:59:21,917 and the mercy of Jesus is made manifest in the language 1269 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:23,500 and the relationships of the people 1270 00:59:23,542 --> 00:59:25,500 that are brothers and sisters in Christ. 1271 00:59:25,542 --> 00:59:28,667 So, Lord Jesus, I thank you that I get to teach the Bible 1272 00:59:28,750 --> 00:59:30,083 at Mars Hill Church. 1273 00:59:30,167 --> 00:59:33,292 I thank you for the Scriptures and that I get to go through 1274 00:59:33,333 --> 00:59:35,292 books of the Bible, because I love that. 1275 00:59:35,333 --> 00:59:36,792 And I thank you, Lord Jesus, 1276 00:59:36,833 --> 00:59:38,792 as we go through books of the Bible, 1277 00:59:38,833 --> 00:59:41,000 we hit things that maybe we wouldn't have hit 1278 00:59:41,042 --> 00:59:42,625 because they hit us so hard. 1279 00:59:42,667 --> 00:59:47,500 Lord, I pray for those of us who are teachers, 1280 00:59:47,542 --> 00:59:50,708 that we would grow in godliness, particularly with our heart 1281 00:59:50,792 --> 00:59:53,000 and our speech. 1282 00:59:53,083 --> 00:59:55,208 God, I pray for those who are hearers, 1283 00:59:55,292 --> 00:59:57,208 that they would be gracious with one another 1284 00:59:57,292 --> 00:59:59,375 and gracious with us all. 1285 00:59:59,458 --> 01:00:02,250 And Lord, thank you for the honest word of the Bible 1286 01:00:02,333 --> 01:00:04,500 that we all stumble in many ways. 1287 01:00:04,542 --> 01:00:06,750 There's not one of us who can say, 1288 01:00:06,833 --> 01:00:09,125 "I have my mouth under control. 1289 01:00:09,167 --> 01:00:11,750 It used to be an issue but no longer is." 1290 01:00:11,833 --> 01:00:13,417 It's a wild animal. 1291 01:00:13,500 --> 01:00:15,292 It's a forest fire. 1292 01:00:15,333 --> 01:00:17,000 It's a ship without a rudder. 1293 01:00:17,083 --> 01:00:19,292 Holy Spirit, please take the reigns. 1294 01:00:19,333 --> 01:00:23,417 Lord Jesus, please sit in the saddle. 1295 01:00:23,500 --> 01:00:28,667 And God, as we come to sing, help us to do what we were made 1296 01:00:28,708 --> 01:00:31,875 for, and invest our words and not waste our words, 1297 01:00:31,958 --> 01:00:35,458 to be good stewards of our words so that Jesus would be glorified 1298 01:00:35,500 --> 01:00:38,125 and we would be changed to become more like him. 1299 01:00:38,167 --> 01:00:41,125 We ask for this grace in his good name, amen. 1300 01:00:42,792 --> 01:00:44,167 Pastor Sutton here, 1301 01:00:44,208 --> 01:00:47,167 we've just finished our services here in the Bellevue church 1302 01:00:47,250 --> 01:00:53,000 and really excited today to tell the extended family of Mars Hill Global 1303 01:00:53,083 --> 01:00:54,667 about Text to Give. 1304 01:00:54,750 --> 01:00:57,417 Just came out and many of you know my story: 1305 01:00:57,500 --> 01:01:01,667 2007 heard Pastor Mark at a pastor's conference 1306 01:01:01,708 --> 01:01:03,958 went there, started podcasting. 1307 01:01:04,000 --> 01:01:06,875 I still gave my tithe to my local church, 1308 01:01:06,958 --> 01:01:10,292 however, gave a contribution amount to Mars Hill Church. 1309 01:01:10,333 --> 01:01:14,958 So this Text to Give, the video that we have produced for you, 1310 01:01:15,000 --> 01:01:17,167 you're going to love, so check this out. 1311 01:01:19,333 --> 01:01:22,042 Hey Mars Hill, my name is Rene and I work here 1312 01:01:22,125 --> 01:01:24,583 at the Media and Communications team at Mars Hill Church. 1313 01:01:24,667 --> 01:01:26,333 If you're a mobile user like me, 1314 01:01:26,417 --> 01:01:28,500 I've got some exciting news to share with you. 1315 01:01:28,583 --> 01:01:31,000 There's a new way to give at Mars Hill Church 1316 01:01:31,042 --> 01:01:33,250 and it's just as easy as sending a text. 1317 01:01:33,333 --> 01:01:36,000 Now, many of you take advantage of our online giving options, 1318 01:01:36,083 --> 01:01:38,750 which is a great way to set up recurring gifts, 1319 01:01:38,833 --> 01:01:42,000 but until now, we haven't had a way to set up mobile, 1320 01:01:42,042 --> 01:01:44,875 where you can give on the spot during our services. 1321 01:01:44,958 --> 01:01:46,917 If you're like me, you don't carry cash 1322 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:50,500 you don't carry a checkbook, so Text to Give is the way to go. 1323 01:01:50,583 --> 01:01:54,958 It's fun, it's simple, and best of all, it's secure. 1324 01:01:55,000 --> 01:01:56,917 I want you to do something with me. 1325 01:01:57,000 --> 01:01:58,833 Take out your smart phone right now; 1326 01:01:58,917 --> 01:02:00,750 we're going to do something together. 1327 01:02:00,833 --> 01:02:02,667 Don't worry, you're not obligated to give, 1328 01:02:02,750 --> 01:02:04,667 but try this out. 1329 01:02:04,750 --> 01:02:07,542 Simply send the amount you want to give 1330 01:02:07,625 --> 01:02:13,583 and the word "Mars Hill" at the end to the following number: 45777. 1331 01:02:14,792 --> 01:02:16,458 The first time you give via text, 1332 01:02:16,500 --> 01:02:19,125 you will be asked to fill out a one-time form, 1333 01:02:19,167 --> 01:02:22,208 which will safely link your card to your smart phone. 1334 01:02:22,292 --> 01:02:25,667 Now, this new way of giving doesn't go into your phone bill, 1335 01:02:25,708 --> 01:02:27,542 and in case you make a mistake, 1336 01:02:27,625 --> 01:02:31,292 you can always get a refund for the gift that you've given. 1337 01:02:31,333 --> 01:02:33,333 And that's it; you're done. 1338 01:02:33,375 --> 01:02:35,500 You'll receive a text back confirming your gift 1339 01:02:35,542 --> 01:02:38,000 and from this moment forward, you'll be able to give 1340 01:02:38,083 --> 01:02:40,750 anywhere, anytime with just a single text. 1341 01:02:40,833 --> 01:02:43,500 Don't forget to save the number in your contact list. 1342 01:02:43,583 --> 01:02:46,667 I've saved it as "Mars Hill Text to Give." 1343 01:02:46,708 --> 01:02:48,500 For more information about our giving options 1344 01:02:48,583 --> 01:02:51,792 you can visit marshill.com/give. 1345 01:02:54,125 --> 01:02:57,042 Each year, over 10 million Mars Hill church sermons 1346 01:02:57,125 --> 01:03:00,208 are downloaded worldwide for free. 1347 01:03:00,292 --> 01:03:02,833 This ministry is generously supported 1348 01:03:02,875 --> 01:03:05,458 by Mars Hill church members and listeners like you. 1349 01:03:05,500 --> 01:03:09,000 If you'd like to support our efforts to preach Jesus to the world, 1350 01:03:09,083 --> 01:03:12,000 Please consider making a tax-deductible donation 1351 01:03:12,083 --> 01:03:14,917 by visiting marshill.com/give.