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 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:55,250 Brotherhood, it's a bond as old as time. 29 00:01:55,333 --> 00:01:57,708 It's a love that runs deep. 30 00:01:57,792 --> 00:02:00,208 It's bold. It's strong. 31 00:02:00,292 --> 00:02:02,000 It's enduring. 32 00:02:02,042 --> 00:02:04,583 There's a trust that's built among brothers, 33 00:02:04,667 --> 00:02:07,667 from the trials to the triumphs. 34 00:02:07,750 --> 00:02:11,208 It's a trust that comes from living life together. 35 00:02:11,292 --> 00:02:13,958 No one knows you like your brother. 36 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,542 He knows your strengths; he knows your weaknesses. 37 00:02:17,625 --> 00:02:22,167 A bold brother will lay it all down for his family. 38 00:02:22,208 --> 00:02:25,750 It is difficult to describe that kind of loyalty, 39 00:02:25,833 --> 00:02:29,750 that kind of courage, that kind of strength. 40 00:02:29,833 --> 00:02:31,833 It's the love of a brother. 41 00:02:31,875 --> 00:02:34,500 It's that kind of love that compelled James to become 42 00:02:34,583 --> 00:02:39,083 Jesus' bold little brother. 43 00:02:43,833 --> 00:02:45,167 All right, last week of James. 44 00:02:45,250 --> 00:02:46,583 We finished it, 15 weeks. 45 00:02:46,667 --> 00:02:48,000 I hope you've enjoyed it. 46 00:02:48,042 --> 00:02:50,500 We're in James 5:13-20. 47 00:02:50,542 --> 00:02:52,042 And as you're finding your place, 48 00:02:52,125 --> 00:02:53,542 here's my question for you. 49 00:02:53,625 --> 00:02:55,292 Get ready to fill in the blank. 50 00:02:55,333 --> 00:02:57,792 For those of you that graduated, welcome back to school. 51 00:02:57,833 --> 00:03:00,333 One little question, you've got to fill in the blank. 52 00:03:00,417 --> 00:03:02,750 Our church is--blank. 53 00:03:02,833 --> 00:03:05,000 Think about that for a second. 54 00:03:05,083 --> 00:03:08,917 Our church is--blank. 55 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,667 However you fill in that blank reveals your experience, 56 00:03:12,708 --> 00:03:14,667 and everybody fills it in differently. 57 00:03:14,750 --> 00:03:17,500 Let's say for example, you showed up at the church 58 00:03:17,542 --> 00:03:19,083 and you met some wonderful people 59 00:03:19,167 --> 00:03:20,667 that became life long friends. 60 00:03:20,708 --> 00:03:23,667 You would say, "Our church is friendly." 61 00:03:23,708 --> 00:03:26,833 You showed up, nobody said hi to you, you were kind of ignored, 62 00:03:26,917 --> 00:03:29,792 you would say, "Our church is unfriendly." 63 00:03:29,833 --> 00:03:32,042 Two people get healed in your Community Group-- 64 00:03:32,125 --> 00:03:35,667 "Our church is experiencing revival." 65 00:03:35,750 --> 00:03:37,292 Two people in your Community Group 66 00:03:37,333 --> 00:03:38,667 get diagnosed with cancer-- 67 00:03:38,750 --> 00:03:41,292 "Our church is suffering." 68 00:03:41,333 --> 00:03:44,375 And what tends to happen is we take our experiences 69 00:03:44,458 --> 00:03:47,167 and then we project those out on the whole church. 70 00:03:47,208 --> 00:03:49,792 So, if you pay attention to what's going on across 71 00:03:49,833 --> 00:03:52,500 our whole church, you would say, "Our church is big." 72 00:03:52,542 --> 00:03:54,500 But if you go to a Community Group 73 00:03:54,542 --> 00:03:56,667 and a small service at one of our locations, 74 00:03:56,750 --> 00:03:58,667 and that's all you really pay attention to, 75 00:03:58,750 --> 00:04:00,625 you would say, "Our church is small." 76 00:04:00,667 --> 00:04:03,250 And so everything is based upon our perception, 77 00:04:03,333 --> 00:04:05,000 and we tend to take our perception 78 00:04:05,083 --> 00:04:06,750 and then project that out. 79 00:04:06,833 --> 00:04:08,958 I had a conversation recently with two different people 80 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,958 that went to the same church, a Mars Hill location. 81 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,292 And one said, "Boy, our church is really old," 82 00:04:14,333 --> 00:04:16,500 and the other said, "Our church is very young." 83 00:04:16,542 --> 00:04:18,167 And they just went to different services 84 00:04:18,250 --> 00:04:19,667 at the exact same location. 85 00:04:19,750 --> 00:04:24,083 In the morning, they're old. 86 00:04:24,167 --> 00:04:27,458 Late at night, they're young. 87 00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:29,958 And so it all depends on what your perception is, 88 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:31,958 and you can project your perception 89 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,042 across an entire church. 90 00:04:34,125 --> 00:04:37,667 And so what we're dealing with this week is that James knows 91 00:04:37,750 --> 00:04:40,458 this and he knows that everybody has a limited perspective 92 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:42,375 in the church and on the church, 93 00:04:42,458 --> 00:04:44,000 their Community Group, their service, 94 00:04:44,042 --> 00:04:48,042 their ministry, their location, and as a result, they don't see 95 00:04:48,125 --> 00:04:49,792 what's going on across the whole church. 96 00:04:49,833 --> 00:04:51,542 But it's the great privilege, and honor, 97 00:04:51,625 --> 00:04:54,167 and sometimes the burden of the senior leaders, the pastors, 98 00:04:54,208 --> 00:04:56,875 to see what's going on across the whole church. 99 00:04:56,958 --> 00:04:59,875 And the result is, you find some people are getting healed and 100 00:04:59,958 --> 00:05:03,667 other people are sick and dying. And some people are really happy, 101 00:05:03,708 --> 00:05:05,958 and others are grieving deeply. 102 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:07,542 And some people are getting married, 103 00:05:07,625 --> 00:05:09,042 and others are getting divorced. 104 00:05:09,125 --> 00:05:11,333 And it's all going on at the same time, 105 00:05:11,417 --> 00:05:13,125 and it's this confluence of emotion 106 00:05:13,167 --> 00:05:14,833 and this collision of lives together. 107 00:05:14,917 --> 00:05:18,000 And so James, being a pastor pastoring a church in Jerusalem, 108 00:05:18,042 --> 00:05:20,167 he's trying to open the hearts, and the minds, 109 00:05:20,250 --> 00:05:23,375 and the eyes of all of the people to see what's going on 110 00:05:23,458 --> 00:05:26,375 across the whole church, to have a heart for the whole church, 111 00:05:26,458 --> 00:05:28,167 and to be praying for one another. 112 00:05:28,208 --> 00:05:30,667 And the big theme in verses 13-18 in chapter 5 113 00:05:30,708 --> 00:05:32,042 is prayer. 114 00:05:32,125 --> 00:05:34,542 In those verses, he mentions prayer in every single verse. 115 00:05:34,625 --> 00:05:37,542 And what that means is that the way that a church grows 116 00:05:37,625 --> 00:05:39,667 in love and unity is being aware 117 00:05:39,750 --> 00:05:41,583 of the experiences of all people 118 00:05:41,667 --> 00:05:44,458 and praying across the entire church. 119 00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:46,083 And this is the pastor's privilege, 120 00:05:46,167 --> 00:05:49,000 this is the pastor's heart, and you can almost sense it 121 00:05:49,042 --> 00:05:51,875 in Pastor James where-- "Is any of you sick? 122 00:05:51,958 --> 00:05:55,292 Are any of you joyful and glad?" 123 00:05:55,333 --> 00:05:58,250 I mean, he's having to enter in emotionally to all of these 124 00:05:58,333 --> 00:06:00,250 various people, and their experiences, 125 00:06:00,333 --> 00:06:02,625 and their relationships, and their emotional state, 126 00:06:02,667 --> 00:06:07,167 and this is the life of someone who loves and leads a church. 127 00:06:07,208 --> 00:06:09,333 And he prayed so much for his church. 128 00:06:09,417 --> 00:06:13,375 Here's what Eusebius--he's a historian--says of James, 129 00:06:13,458 --> 00:06:14,792 Pastor James. 130 00:06:14,833 --> 00:06:16,500 "His knees grew hard like a camel's 131 00:06:16,542 --> 00:06:18,667 "because of his constant worship of God, 132 00:06:18,750 --> 00:06:21,667 kneeling and asking forgiveness for his people." 133 00:06:21,750 --> 00:06:25,292 So, this is how Pastor James spent a lot of his time. 134 00:06:25,333 --> 00:06:28,167 "These people are sick. I need to pray for them. 135 00:06:28,250 --> 00:06:30,375 "These people are suffering. 136 00:06:30,458 --> 00:06:31,958 "I need to pray for them. 137 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,583 "These people are filled with joy. 138 00:06:33,667 --> 00:06:35,583 "They got a job, they got a promotion, 139 00:06:35,667 --> 00:06:37,000 "they got healed, 140 00:06:37,042 --> 00:06:38,750 "they got engaged, they had a kid, 141 00:06:38,833 --> 00:06:40,958 "the kid grew up and actually wasn't a disaster. 142 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,333 They're so happy." 143 00:06:42,417 --> 00:06:45,292 So he's praying for them and his heart is for the people 144 00:06:45,333 --> 00:06:48,792 in the church and all of the experiences across the church. 145 00:06:48,833 --> 00:06:51,500 And you need to know that this is really where 146 00:06:51,542 --> 00:06:53,833 all ministry begins. 147 00:06:53,917 --> 00:06:57,667 It begins with God's heart for God's people and God's leaders 148 00:06:57,708 --> 00:07:00,958 interceding with God's heart for God's people, 149 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,208 and not just taking the experiences of some 150 00:07:03,292 --> 00:07:05,333 and projecting it across the whole church, 151 00:07:05,417 --> 00:07:08,625 but being aware of the entire church and praying specifically 152 00:07:08,667 --> 00:07:11,000 for the individuals and the needs. 153 00:07:11,083 --> 00:07:12,917 And that's exactly what Pastor James 154 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,583 demonstrates in his life, 155 00:07:14,667 --> 00:07:17,167 and that's what he exhorts us to do as Christians 156 00:07:17,250 --> 00:07:19,083 and members of the church-- 157 00:07:19,167 --> 00:07:22,292 to not project our experiences across the whole church, 158 00:07:22,333 --> 00:07:24,750 but to be aware that there's a lot going on 159 00:07:24,833 --> 00:07:26,500 in the lives of so many people. 160 00:07:26,542 --> 00:07:28,750 And so I'm going to ask you some questions, 161 00:07:28,833 --> 00:07:31,958 and what we're going to try to figure out is what's going on 162 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,958 in your life and what's going on in the lives of others 163 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,167 so that we can be praying for one another. 164 00:07:37,208 --> 00:07:38,542 First question is this: 165 00:07:38,625 --> 00:07:39,958 Are you suffering? 166 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,167 He says this in James 5:13: 167 00:07:42,208 --> 00:07:43,583 "Is anyone among you suffering?" 168 00:07:43,667 --> 00:07:45,583 What's the answer? 169 00:07:45,667 --> 00:07:47,000 Pray. 170 00:07:47,042 --> 00:07:49,792 What James is going to start to do--and here's what's great: 171 00:07:49,833 --> 00:07:54,333 He's a pastor, and pastors love people. 172 00:07:54,417 --> 00:07:56,042 So at the end of the book, 173 00:07:56,125 --> 00:07:59,667 what's on Pastor James' heart and mind? 174 00:07:59,750 --> 00:08:02,417 People. People. 175 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:03,833 You need to know this. 176 00:08:03,875 --> 00:08:05,750 We have buildings; it's not about buildings. 177 00:08:05,833 --> 00:08:07,458 We have events; it's not about events. 178 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:10,458 We have classes; it's not about classes. 179 00:08:10,500 --> 00:08:13,208 We have an org chart; it's not about the org chart. 180 00:08:13,292 --> 00:08:15,250 We have resources; it's not about the resources. 181 00:08:15,333 --> 00:08:20,000 Ultimately, if you boiled it all down, it's about people. 182 00:08:20,042 --> 00:08:21,667 It's really about people. 183 00:08:21,750 --> 00:08:24,875 And so what's on his heart at the end of the letter is, 184 00:08:24,958 --> 00:08:27,792 "How are the people?" 185 00:08:27,833 --> 00:08:31,083 And the first question is, "Are any of you suffering?" 186 00:08:31,167 --> 00:08:33,292 And the suffering here can be any kind. 187 00:08:33,333 --> 00:08:35,458 It can be emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, 188 00:08:35,500 --> 00:08:39,083 relational, any category of suffering, but suffering. 189 00:08:39,167 --> 00:08:42,250 It's a hard season for you, it's a difficult season for you, 190 00:08:42,333 --> 00:08:44,750 it's a dark season for you. 191 00:08:44,833 --> 00:08:46,333 Is that you? 192 00:08:46,417 --> 00:08:48,000 Are you suffering? 193 00:08:48,042 --> 00:08:49,500 Are you suffering? 194 00:08:49,542 --> 00:08:51,250 And what can happen when you're suffering, 195 00:08:51,333 --> 00:08:52,667 you assume that everybody's suffering. 196 00:08:52,708 --> 00:08:55,167 But as you'll see in a moment, not everybody's suffering 197 00:08:55,208 --> 00:08:57,292 at the same time or in the same way. 198 00:08:57,333 --> 00:08:59,292 So what do you do when you're suffering? 199 00:08:59,333 --> 00:09:01,458 Well, sometimes what we can do is respond 200 00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:02,958 in a lot of sinful ways. 201 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:04,958 We can curse God, we can doubt God, 202 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:06,958 we can wander or walk away from God. 203 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,458 We can try to take matters into our own hands, 204 00:09:09,500 --> 00:09:11,458 be sovereign over our life, control our destiny, 205 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:13,583 and whatever's causing us to suffer, to conquer it, 206 00:09:13,667 --> 00:09:16,583 to take it away, or to make sure that it does not 207 00:09:16,667 --> 00:09:19,083 prevail over us. 208 00:09:19,167 --> 00:09:21,583 And James says one thing. 209 00:09:21,667 --> 00:09:23,500 What does he say? 210 00:09:23,542 --> 00:09:25,208 Pray. 211 00:09:25,833 --> 00:09:27,458 Pray. 212 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:29,458 For those of you who want to grow 213 00:09:29,500 --> 00:09:30,833 in your understanding of this-- 214 00:09:30,917 --> 00:09:33,500 and I'm not saying I'm varsity and have figured it out 215 00:09:33,542 --> 00:09:35,833 either--the Psalms are a great place to go. 216 00:09:35,917 --> 00:09:38,333 For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Psalms, 217 00:09:38,417 --> 00:09:41,167 the Psalms are collections of songs, and prayers, 218 00:09:41,250 --> 00:09:46,000 and journal entries, oftentimes from people who are suffering. 219 00:09:46,042 --> 00:09:50,500 They're in very difficult, dark, devastating circumstances. 220 00:09:50,542 --> 00:09:52,333 They're very heartfelt. They're very emotional. 221 00:09:52,417 --> 00:09:54,375 They're very passionate. 222 00:09:54,458 --> 00:09:56,000 They're very earnest. 223 00:09:56,042 --> 00:09:59,542 They're very honest. 224 00:09:59,625 --> 00:10:03,000 James and his big brother Jesus would have spent a lot of time 225 00:10:03,042 --> 00:10:05,000 in the Psalms. 226 00:10:05,042 --> 00:10:08,083 They would have sung the Psalms together on Saturdays 227 00:10:08,167 --> 00:10:10,292 as they worshiped God together with God's people. 228 00:10:10,333 --> 00:10:13,083 They would have had to memorize the Psalms as Jewish boys. 229 00:10:13,167 --> 00:10:16,083 They would have spent a lot of time invested in the Psalms. 230 00:10:16,167 --> 00:10:18,292 They lived in their heart, and they helped shape 231 00:10:18,333 --> 00:10:19,667 their understanding. 232 00:10:19,750 --> 00:10:21,667 And here's what you find in the Psalms: 233 00:10:21,750 --> 00:10:24,333 The number one category of psalms are psalms of lament. 234 00:10:24,375 --> 00:10:26,792 We're a culture, we don't mourn well. 235 00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:29,708 We don't really know what to do with suffering. 236 00:10:29,792 --> 00:10:34,000 It causes anxiety, so we study anxiety. 237 00:10:34,083 --> 00:10:36,667 It causes depression, so we'll study depression. 238 00:10:36,750 --> 00:10:39,667 Some medicate, some self-medicate, 239 00:10:39,750 --> 00:10:43,000 but at the end of the day, we really don't know what to do 240 00:10:43,083 --> 00:10:44,500 with suffering. 241 00:10:44,583 --> 00:10:47,500 We're not a culture that suffers well, and we tend to suffer 242 00:10:47,583 --> 00:10:50,083 very personally, and very painfully, and very privately, 243 00:10:50,167 --> 00:10:52,792 definitely not publicly. 244 00:10:52,833 --> 00:10:55,333 The Psalms give us another category when we're suffering, 245 00:10:55,375 --> 00:10:57,333 and that is mourning. 246 00:10:57,375 --> 00:11:00,292 And mourning can feel or look like depression. 247 00:11:00,333 --> 00:11:02,583 "Oh, they're sad, they're downcast. 248 00:11:02,667 --> 00:11:04,042 They must be depressed." 249 00:11:04,125 --> 00:11:06,375 Maybe, or maybe they're mourning. 250 00:11:06,458 --> 00:11:09,500 And mourning is a way of the heart acknowledging 251 00:11:09,542 --> 00:11:12,333 its suffering and releasing it to the Lord, 252 00:11:12,417 --> 00:11:14,333 and it can take a while. 253 00:11:14,417 --> 00:11:17,083 And as you read the Psalms, what you will see is, 254 00:11:17,167 --> 00:11:18,500 "Are any of you suffering? 255 00:11:18,542 --> 00:11:19,875 Pray." 256 00:11:19,958 --> 00:11:23,083 You go to the Psalms and then you see examples of exactly what 257 00:11:23,167 --> 00:11:24,500 this looks like. 258 00:11:24,542 --> 00:11:26,833 People are suffering and they are praying, 259 00:11:26,917 --> 00:11:30,083 and through their praying, their pain is being released 260 00:11:30,167 --> 00:11:32,583 unto the Lord through their mourning. 261 00:11:32,667 --> 00:11:35,250 I'll give you another place that might be helpful for you 262 00:11:35,333 --> 00:11:36,667 to look. 263 00:11:36,708 --> 00:11:39,792 There's a moment in Jesus' life where he is under 264 00:11:39,833 --> 00:11:45,583 intense suffering, and it's right before Judas betrays him, 265 00:11:45,667 --> 00:11:49,167 it's right before the military arrests him, 266 00:11:49,250 --> 00:11:52,375 it's right before the government crucifies him. 267 00:11:52,458 --> 00:11:54,542 Remember where he was? 268 00:11:54,625 --> 00:11:56,333 The Garden of Gethsemane. 269 00:11:56,417 --> 00:11:57,875 I've actually been there. 270 00:11:57,958 --> 00:12:00,458 It is a real place. It still exists. 271 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:03,167 And what it says is that it was late at night 272 00:12:03,208 --> 00:12:05,667 and that Jesus was in anguish. 273 00:12:05,708 --> 00:12:08,458 He was suffering. 274 00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:11,333 He's suffering emotionally, he's suffering physically, 275 00:12:11,375 --> 00:12:14,167 he's suffering spiritually, he's suffering mentally, 276 00:12:14,250 --> 00:12:19,500 and he knows very quickly he'll be suffering painfully. 277 00:12:19,542 --> 00:12:21,167 And with the cross before him 278 00:12:21,250 --> 00:12:23,167 and atoning for the sin of the world, 279 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:26,083 including yours and mine, the Bible is very clear that 280 00:12:26,167 --> 00:12:28,583 Jesus was suffering and that he was in great distress, 281 00:12:28,667 --> 00:12:32,250 such great distress that he was sweating drops of blood. 282 00:12:32,333 --> 00:12:35,375 And medical doctors will tell you this is only experienced by 283 00:12:35,458 --> 00:12:38,958 those who are under extreme distress and duress. 284 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:40,833 This is suffering that, quite frankly, 285 00:12:40,917 --> 00:12:44,583 likely no one who's hearing this sermon will have ever 286 00:12:44,667 --> 00:12:46,875 experienced that depth of suffering. 287 00:12:46,958 --> 00:12:50,833 They say physically, you'll go from a panic attack. 288 00:12:50,917 --> 00:12:56,167 Well, beyond panic attack is sweating drops of blood. 289 00:12:56,208 --> 00:12:58,667 This is where the suffering is so intense, 290 00:12:58,750 --> 00:13:03,833 and the anxiety and the distress is so high that the mind, 291 00:13:03,875 --> 00:13:06,333 and the heart, and the soul cannot bear it 292 00:13:06,375 --> 00:13:08,667 and the body starts to manifest it 293 00:13:08,708 --> 00:13:11,958 with literally sweating drops of blood. 294 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,292 And what does Jesus do? 295 00:13:14,333 --> 00:13:16,292 He prays. 296 00:13:16,333 --> 00:13:17,667 He's all by himself. 297 00:13:17,750 --> 00:13:19,667 He asked his friends to pray for him. 298 00:13:19,750 --> 00:13:21,083 They didn't pray for him. 299 00:13:21,167 --> 00:13:23,083 Just so you know, sometimes when you're suffering, 300 00:13:23,167 --> 00:13:24,500 your friends will fail you. 301 00:13:24,542 --> 00:13:26,167 And we've all been those failed friends. 302 00:13:26,250 --> 00:13:28,333 We've failed to pray for those who are suffering. 303 00:13:28,417 --> 00:13:31,083 Jesus' friends failed him, and they didn't pray for him, 304 00:13:31,167 --> 00:13:33,583 and he's alone late at night in the garden 305 00:13:33,667 --> 00:13:36,792 while his friends are asleep, and he is praying. 306 00:13:36,833 --> 00:13:39,083 And it's one of the most beautiful prayers. 307 00:13:39,167 --> 00:13:41,458 It's an amazing prayer. It's an insightful prayer. 308 00:13:41,500 --> 00:13:44,667 It's my favorite prayer in the whole Bible. 309 00:13:44,750 --> 00:13:46,583 And it tells us about this conversation 310 00:13:46,667 --> 00:13:48,083 between Jesus and the Father, 311 00:13:48,167 --> 00:13:50,583 which means Jesus must have taught it to his disciples 312 00:13:50,667 --> 00:13:52,583 because no one was there to hear it. 313 00:13:52,667 --> 00:13:54,792 So, he must have informed them of his prayer 314 00:13:54,833 --> 00:13:57,083 in the midst of his suffering. 315 00:13:57,167 --> 00:13:58,875 And what does he say? 316 00:13:58,958 --> 00:14:01,208 "Father, take this cup from me." 317 00:14:01,292 --> 00:14:03,000 The first thing he's asking is, 318 00:14:03,083 --> 00:14:07,125 "I'm asking you to take this away from me." 319 00:14:07,167 --> 00:14:09,458 Is it OK, when you're suffering, to say, 320 00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:12,625 "God, I want you to take this away from me," yes or no? 321 00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:14,458 Yeah. 322 00:14:14,500 --> 00:14:17,792 A dear friend of ours recently was diagnosed with cancer 323 00:14:17,833 --> 00:14:21,583 and we pray for them, "Take it away. 324 00:14:21,667 --> 00:14:23,167 Take it away." 325 00:14:23,208 --> 00:14:25,167 As soon as we heard, Grace started crying. 326 00:14:25,208 --> 00:14:27,833 So I hold my wife and the first thing we do, 327 00:14:27,917 --> 00:14:30,000 we're praying because our friend is suffering, 328 00:14:30,042 --> 00:14:32,000 and of course we're not suffering like they're 329 00:14:32,042 --> 00:14:34,292 suffering, but we're suffering because we love them. 330 00:14:34,333 --> 00:14:35,792 You weep with those who weep; 331 00:14:35,833 --> 00:14:37,500 you rejoice with those who rejoice. 332 00:14:37,542 --> 00:14:39,667 And the first thing Grace prays is, 333 00:14:39,708 --> 00:14:42,250 "God, take this away from them." 334 00:14:42,333 --> 00:14:44,875 That's what Jesus is praying. 335 00:14:44,958 --> 00:14:46,833 "Take this away from me." 336 00:14:46,917 --> 00:14:51,333 But then what's his second inclination? 337 00:14:51,417 --> 00:14:55,500 "But not my will"-- what's he say? 338 00:14:55,542 --> 00:14:58,458 "Your will be done." 339 00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:02,167 He says, "I want you to take it away from me, 340 00:15:02,208 --> 00:15:04,458 "and if you won't take it away from me, 341 00:15:04,500 --> 00:15:07,750 give me the grace to endure it." 342 00:15:07,833 --> 00:15:11,250 And I want you to know that that's an honest prayer, OK? 343 00:15:11,333 --> 00:15:15,875 Some of you, you'll think of God as only sovereign and not 344 00:15:15,958 --> 00:15:18,875 also good, and you'll be like, "I don't want to ask God 345 00:15:18,958 --> 00:15:21,583 to take it away because he's in charge and he's sovereign," 346 00:15:21,667 --> 00:15:24,583 and you get all up in your head in your prayer life. 347 00:15:24,667 --> 00:15:26,292 It's OK to be like, "It hurts. 348 00:15:26,333 --> 00:15:28,167 Make it stop. Now's a good time." 349 00:15:28,208 --> 00:15:29,542 That's OK. 350 00:15:29,625 --> 00:15:31,583 And the Psalms have a lot of that. 351 00:15:31,667 --> 00:15:33,792 And God always answers prayer, and sometimes it's yes, 352 00:15:33,833 --> 00:15:35,833 and sometimes it's no, and sometimes it's later, 353 00:15:35,917 --> 00:15:38,167 but he always answers. 354 00:15:38,208 --> 00:15:41,167 And then it's OK to say, "You know what, Lord? 355 00:15:41,208 --> 00:15:46,042 If I got to continue to suffer, your will be done." 356 00:15:46,125 --> 00:15:47,833 And here's what prayer does. 357 00:15:47,917 --> 00:15:51,542 Prayer gets you to agree with God. 358 00:15:51,625 --> 00:15:53,667 Oftentimes, when people are suffering, 359 00:15:53,750 --> 00:15:57,167 they think that prayer will make God change his mind. 360 00:15:57,208 --> 00:15:59,958 OK, you're a very bad theologian if you think that 361 00:16:00,083 --> 00:16:03,250 your goal is to get God to change his mind, OK? 362 00:16:03,333 --> 00:16:07,667 God can't be persuaded. God does hear and answer prayer, 363 00:16:07,708 --> 00:16:11,833 but oftentimes prayer is not to get God to change his mind 364 00:16:11,917 --> 00:16:15,500 but get prayer to change your mind. 365 00:16:15,542 --> 00:16:17,375 Oftentimes in prayer, we're thinking, 366 00:16:17,458 --> 00:16:20,083 "I need to get God into another location," and God's thinking, 367 00:16:20,167 --> 00:16:22,083 "I was thinking the same thing about you. 368 00:16:22,167 --> 00:16:24,083 "I'm pretty much where I want to be, 369 00:16:24,167 --> 00:16:25,583 "but you're not alongside of me. 370 00:16:25,667 --> 00:16:28,250 And in prayer, I'm going to get you alongside of me." 371 00:16:28,333 --> 00:16:31,667 And you know that prayer has done its job when you don't get 372 00:16:31,708 --> 00:16:33,875 what you want, but God gets what he wants, 373 00:16:33,958 --> 00:16:36,500 and you're glad for that. 374 00:16:36,542 --> 00:16:38,583 "Your will be done. 375 00:16:38,667 --> 00:16:40,000 Your will be done." 376 00:16:40,042 --> 00:16:41,375 "Is any of you suffering? 377 00:16:41,458 --> 00:16:44,042 Let him pray." 378 00:16:44,125 --> 00:16:46,000 Now, for those of you who are suffering, 379 00:16:46,042 --> 00:16:49,667 I need you to see that this is your responsibility. 380 00:16:49,750 --> 00:16:51,667 You can't say, "Nobody prayed for me. 381 00:16:51,750 --> 00:16:53,375 "Nobody loved me. Nobody called me. 382 00:16:53,458 --> 00:16:56,167 Nobody cared for me," and immediately go into, you know, 383 00:16:56,250 --> 00:16:59,167 victim mode, put a big V on your chest, get a cape, 384 00:16:59,250 --> 00:17:02,417 and now it's your identity, OK? 385 00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:04,958 You can pray for yourself, and before you ask others 386 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,167 to pray for you, you need to be praying. 387 00:17:08,208 --> 00:17:10,542 What also happens as you're suffering and praying, 388 00:17:10,625 --> 00:17:13,667 you become more aware and more empathetic toward those who are 389 00:17:13,750 --> 00:17:18,167 suffering, and it allows you to start to pray for them. 390 00:17:18,250 --> 00:17:21,333 So he says, "Are any of you suffering? 391 00:17:21,417 --> 00:17:23,042 Let him pray." 392 00:17:23,125 --> 00:17:24,667 How many of you are suffering? 393 00:17:24,750 --> 00:17:26,083 There's your answer: prayer. 394 00:17:26,167 --> 00:17:27,500 First category of people. 395 00:17:27,542 --> 00:17:29,500 Second category of people, "Are you cheerful?" 396 00:17:29,542 --> 00:17:30,875 Now, here's what happens. 397 00:17:30,958 --> 00:17:33,375 Let's say you're suffering or people you love are suffering. 398 00:17:33,458 --> 00:17:35,583 You can take your experience and say, "Everybody's suffering. 399 00:17:35,667 --> 00:17:37,333 It's a season of suffering." 400 00:17:37,417 --> 00:17:39,000 Not for everybody. 401 00:17:39,042 --> 00:17:43,667 Somebody just got engaged to somebody they like, right? 402 00:17:43,708 --> 00:17:46,167 Now, we who are married know that suffering is on 403 00:17:46,250 --> 00:17:50,083 the horizon, but it's not here yet, OK? 404 00:17:50,167 --> 00:17:53,458 Today, they're cheerful, OK? 405 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:54,833 "Is anyone cheerful?" 406 00:17:54,917 --> 00:17:56,333 How many of you are cheerful? 407 00:17:56,417 --> 00:17:57,750 You're like, "You know what? 408 00:17:57,833 --> 00:18:00,333 "Actually, there's some good stuff going on in my life, 409 00:18:00,375 --> 00:18:02,833 and I'm pretty fired up, pretty excited, it's pretty awesome." 410 00:18:02,875 --> 00:18:05,000 OK, I'll be honest with you today, I'm cheerful. 411 00:18:05,083 --> 00:18:06,750 Here's why: I woke up. 412 00:18:06,833 --> 00:18:08,167 That's a good start. 413 00:18:08,208 --> 00:18:12,167 And I woke up married to my very best friend. 414 00:18:12,208 --> 00:18:16,875 And it was sunny out, and I live in Seattle, so cheerful. 415 00:18:16,958 --> 00:18:20,750 And I got to hold Grace's hand, and we went for a walk, 416 00:18:20,833 --> 00:18:23,458 and visited and prayed together. 417 00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:25,167 So, I'm cheerful, OK? 418 00:18:25,250 --> 00:18:27,750 Some of you are cheerful. You're like, "You know what? 419 00:18:27,833 --> 00:18:31,375 It's not a bad day for me. It's a good day." 420 00:18:31,458 --> 00:18:34,167 It's now baseball season, which means I get to sit there 421 00:18:34,250 --> 00:18:36,083 and watch my boys play baseball. 422 00:18:36,167 --> 00:18:37,667 I like that. 423 00:18:37,750 --> 00:18:39,167 My daughter runs track. 424 00:18:39,250 --> 00:18:41,375 I get to watch my healthy daughter run track, 425 00:18:41,458 --> 00:18:43,083 and she's really fast, faster than boys, 426 00:18:43,167 --> 00:18:45,000 for which I praise God. 427 00:18:45,042 --> 00:18:48,667 And I'm happy about that, right? 428 00:18:48,750 --> 00:18:52,083 We had opening day for major league baseball season. 429 00:18:52,167 --> 00:18:56,500 Usually, I'm not really happy, but when it comes to baseball-- 430 00:18:56,542 --> 00:19:01,542 but I got to go to opening day with my dad and my three sons, 431 00:19:01,625 --> 00:19:03,042 and there's three generations. 432 00:19:03,125 --> 00:19:06,250 We all love Jesus, and we get to go to opening day together. 433 00:19:06,333 --> 00:19:10,542 And they won, so we were cheerful! 434 00:19:10,625 --> 00:19:12,208 We're cheerful. So, you know what? 435 00:19:12,292 --> 00:19:14,500 Yeah, life has moments of suffering, 436 00:19:14,542 --> 00:19:16,792 but also there are times you're cheerful. 437 00:19:16,833 --> 00:19:18,250 You're like, "You know what? 438 00:19:18,333 --> 00:19:20,750 "There are things I'm really thankful for and grateful for, 439 00:19:20,833 --> 00:19:23,375 and maybe this isn't a painful, horrible season for me." 440 00:19:23,458 --> 00:19:25,875 Let me say, in the history of Mars Hill Church, 441 00:19:25,958 --> 00:19:29,167 we've tended to do, "Is any of you suffering?" 442 00:19:29,250 --> 00:19:32,167 much better than "Are any of you cheerful?" 443 00:19:32,208 --> 00:19:34,875 because we started in Seattle, 444 00:19:34,958 --> 00:19:40,500 But for those who know Jesus, it's possible to be cheerful. 445 00:19:40,542 --> 00:19:42,083 It's possible to be cheerful. 446 00:19:42,167 --> 00:19:44,792 What should you do if you're cheerful? 447 00:19:44,833 --> 00:19:46,292 What does it say? 448 00:19:46,333 --> 00:19:50,292 "Let him sing praise." 449 00:19:50,333 --> 00:19:52,833 OK, so when we're done with the sermon, 450 00:19:52,917 --> 00:19:55,000 you're going to do that. 451 00:19:55,042 --> 00:19:57,292 You're going to sing praise. 452 00:19:57,333 --> 00:20:02,250 I've got a daughter who is, by disposition, cheerful. 453 00:20:02,333 --> 00:20:03,792 She's super happy. 454 00:20:03,833 --> 00:20:05,167 She's 10. 455 00:20:05,250 --> 00:20:06,583 Blonde hair, blue eyes. 456 00:20:06,667 --> 00:20:08,083 I snuggled with her last night. 457 00:20:08,167 --> 00:20:09,500 I check in every day. 458 00:20:09,542 --> 00:20:10,875 She's still very--she's happy. 459 00:20:10,958 --> 00:20:12,583 You ask her, "How are you doing?" 460 00:20:12,667 --> 00:20:14,083 "Great!" Always great. 461 00:20:14,167 --> 00:20:16,833 Like, if she says, "Not great," something horrible has happened 462 00:20:16,917 --> 00:20:18,250 on planet Earth. 463 00:20:18,333 --> 00:20:19,792 Something really bad has happened. 464 00:20:19,833 --> 00:20:21,250 She's always cheerful. 465 00:20:21,333 --> 00:20:23,500 Do you know what she does all the time? 466 00:20:23,542 --> 00:20:27,375 All the time, my little girl sings. 467 00:20:27,458 --> 00:20:28,833 She sings. 468 00:20:28,917 --> 00:20:30,500 I love it. 469 00:20:30,542 --> 00:20:33,250 She'll be in the house doing her homework, or hanging out, 470 00:20:33,333 --> 00:20:35,500 or playing with the dog, she's just singing. 471 00:20:35,542 --> 00:20:37,375 She'll be outside on the swing, singing. 472 00:20:37,458 --> 00:20:39,458 We're driving in the car, singing. 473 00:20:39,500 --> 00:20:42,167 It wasn't long ago somebody asked, "Why do you always sing?" 474 00:20:42,250 --> 00:20:47,833 I was like, "Hey, hey, don't make her self-conscious." 475 00:20:47,917 --> 00:20:51,042 She loves the Lord, she's happy, she's singing. 476 00:20:51,125 --> 00:20:53,000 It could be worse. 477 00:20:53,042 --> 00:20:54,500 She could be me. 478 00:20:54,542 --> 00:20:56,083 I mean, you know? 479 00:20:56,167 --> 00:21:00,667 I tend to gravitate more toward dark; she's light. 480 00:21:00,708 --> 00:21:03,208 I tend to get sad; she tends to get happy. 481 00:21:03,292 --> 00:21:05,542 I like having her around. 482 00:21:05,625 --> 00:21:09,458 I call her sunshine because that's what she is in my life. 483 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:13,000 And sometimes what we can do, specifically those of us who are 484 00:21:13,083 --> 00:21:16,042 Calvinists that are in to punk rock and anarchy, 485 00:21:16,125 --> 00:21:18,208 is think that cheerful people are inauthentic people. 486 00:21:18,292 --> 00:21:20,167 We think, "Oh, look at them. 487 00:21:20,208 --> 00:21:21,667 They're just fake religious people." 488 00:21:21,708 --> 00:21:27,292 Or, they're happy. 489 00:21:27,333 --> 00:21:31,000 We need to be very careful to say that just because someone is 490 00:21:31,042 --> 00:21:32,667 cheerful doesn't mean that they're genuine. 491 00:21:32,708 --> 00:21:35,375 And I think in the history of Mars Hill, that's been-- 492 00:21:35,458 --> 00:21:36,792 "Oh, you're cheerful? 493 00:21:36,833 --> 00:21:40,042 "It's because you have bad theology, that's why. 494 00:21:40,125 --> 00:21:43,167 If you knew how dark the world was." 495 00:21:43,250 --> 00:21:44,875 No, maybe they're--and they're like, 496 00:21:44,958 --> 00:21:46,875 "Hey, Jesus is alive, and he's coming back. 497 00:21:46,958 --> 00:21:48,292 "It's going to get better. 498 00:21:48,333 --> 00:21:50,000 "And we're pretty fired up about that. 499 00:21:50,042 --> 00:21:51,500 It's a good day for us." 500 00:21:51,542 --> 00:21:53,542 Are you cheerful? You should sing. 501 00:21:53,625 --> 00:21:56,667 And when we sing, what we're doing is we're celebrating, 502 00:21:56,750 --> 00:21:59,000 we're rejoicing, right? 503 00:21:59,042 --> 00:22:01,958 And what we're doing is we're thanking God for that which 504 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,333 we're cheerful for so that it doesn't become for us just 505 00:22:05,417 --> 00:22:09,750 gratitude for our circumstances but gratitude in the grace of 506 00:22:09,833 --> 00:22:12,250 God in and through our circumstances. 507 00:22:12,333 --> 00:22:14,542 It's not like, "I'm healed. I got a job. 508 00:22:14,625 --> 00:22:16,417 "I got engaged. We're pregnant. 509 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:18,500 I've got some friends." 510 00:22:18,583 --> 00:22:22,167 It's, "Thank you, Lord, for your provision. 511 00:22:22,208 --> 00:22:24,750 "Thank you, Lord, for teaching me even in the midst 512 00:22:24,833 --> 00:22:26,167 of my suffering." 513 00:22:26,250 --> 00:22:29,667 And I would say this to you: I don't think that the first group 514 00:22:29,750 --> 00:22:31,458 and the second group are mutually exclusive. 515 00:22:31,500 --> 00:22:33,958 I think you can be in a season of suffering 516 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,875 and still, in the midst of it, be cheerful. 517 00:22:36,958 --> 00:22:40,292 And part of it is singing, and so for those who are cheerful, 518 00:22:40,333 --> 00:22:43,667 I invite you after the sermon to join us for a lot of singing. 519 00:22:43,708 --> 00:22:45,667 And for those of you who aren't cheerful, 520 00:22:45,708 --> 00:22:49,833 start singing and see if you don't start rejoicing. 521 00:22:49,917 --> 00:22:54,667 Third category, "Are you sick?" 522 00:22:54,750 --> 00:22:58,833 Here, he's talking about physical pain, suffering. 523 00:22:58,917 --> 00:23:00,750 It could be a chronic condition. 524 00:23:00,833 --> 00:23:02,542 It could be an injury. 525 00:23:02,625 --> 00:23:04,542 It could be an illness. 526 00:23:04,625 --> 00:23:07,500 It could be a disease. 527 00:23:07,583 --> 00:23:11,667 James 5:14-16, "Is anyone among you sick?" 528 00:23:11,708 --> 00:23:13,833 OK, just think about that for a moment. 529 00:23:13,917 --> 00:23:15,833 We all know somebody who's sick, right? 530 00:23:15,917 --> 00:23:17,333 Like, immediately you think, 531 00:23:17,417 --> 00:23:19,417 "OK, I know somebody who's sick." 532 00:23:19,500 --> 00:23:23,792 I've got a long list of people I know that are sick right now. 533 00:23:23,833 --> 00:23:28,083 What do we do with sick people? 534 00:23:28,167 --> 00:23:33,042 "Let him call for the elders of the church, 535 00:23:33,125 --> 00:23:35,542 "and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil 536 00:23:35,625 --> 00:23:37,083 in the name of the Lord." 537 00:23:37,167 --> 00:23:38,500 We get Jesus involved. 538 00:23:38,542 --> 00:23:41,500 "And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, 539 00:23:41,542 --> 00:23:44,250 and the Lord will raise him up"--get him out of bed. 540 00:23:44,333 --> 00:23:46,750 "And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 541 00:23:46,833 --> 00:23:48,500 "Therefore, confess your sins to one another 542 00:23:48,542 --> 00:23:51,500 and pray for one another, that you may be healed." 543 00:23:51,542 --> 00:23:53,875 When he talks about the Lord, what he's saying is, 544 00:23:53,958 --> 00:23:57,833 if somebody's sick, don't forget Jesus. 545 00:23:57,917 --> 00:23:59,792 And see, when Jesus was on the earth, 546 00:23:59,833 --> 00:24:02,542 what would happen is sick people would all go to Jesus 547 00:24:02,625 --> 00:24:03,958 because they might heal them. 548 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,458 And even if the sick person couldn't get to Jesus, 549 00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:08,458 there are stories where the friends and family 550 00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:10,958 would carry the sick person to Jesus to heal them. 551 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:13,667 And now that Jesus is in heaven, sometimes we get sick, 552 00:24:13,708 --> 00:24:15,417 and we forget that Jesus still heals. 553 00:24:15,500 --> 00:24:17,750 He's still alive, he's still ruling and reigning, 554 00:24:17,833 --> 00:24:19,542 he still hears and answers prayer, 555 00:24:19,625 --> 00:24:21,042 and he still heals people. 556 00:24:21,125 --> 00:24:23,792 And you need to know this at Mars Hill, we absolutely, 557 00:24:23,833 --> 00:24:26,542 fundamentally believe that Jesus still heals people, and there are 558 00:24:26,625 --> 00:24:29,458 people in this church that Jesus has healed physically, 559 00:24:29,500 --> 00:24:31,458 OK, medically. 560 00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:32,833 He heals. 561 00:24:32,917 --> 00:24:35,958 Now, there's two errors: he has to heal everybody, 562 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,083 and he can't heal anybody. 563 00:24:38,167 --> 00:24:39,792 No, those are both errors. 564 00:24:39,833 --> 00:24:42,292 It's not that everybody gets healed and nobody gets healed, 565 00:24:42,333 --> 00:24:44,667 but he decides who he heals. 566 00:24:44,750 --> 00:24:47,083 And he can heal; he does heal. 567 00:24:47,167 --> 00:24:49,792 He's healed in the past, he'll heal in the present, 568 00:24:49,833 --> 00:24:51,167 he'll heal in the future. 569 00:24:51,250 --> 00:24:53,333 And what it says is, if you're sick, 570 00:24:53,417 --> 00:24:55,667 you've got to invite people to pray for you. 571 00:24:55,750 --> 00:24:58,375 Now, be very careful because when we're sick, 572 00:24:58,458 --> 00:25:02,333 when we're suffering, when we're hurting, we can immediately, 573 00:25:02,375 --> 00:25:05,125 again, go back in to victim identity. 574 00:25:05,167 --> 00:25:08,917 "Nobody called, nobody pursued me, nobody prayed for me, 575 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,750 nobody loves me." 576 00:25:11,833 --> 00:25:15,125 There's a responsibility for you when you're sick, 577 00:25:15,167 --> 00:25:16,500 and what is that? 578 00:25:16,583 --> 00:25:20,750 You call others, and you invite them to pray for you. 579 00:25:20,833 --> 00:25:27,375 Sometimes suffering people become selfish people and they 580 00:25:27,458 --> 00:25:30,667 think, "Well, I'm a victim, and nobody loves me, 581 00:25:30,708 --> 00:25:32,167 and this is a horrible church." 582 00:25:32,250 --> 00:25:33,958 And it's like, "No, no, no, no." 583 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:35,667 You're supposed to make the call. 584 00:25:35,750 --> 00:25:38,958 You're supposed to invite others in to your sickness, 585 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,167 and suffering, and struggle and invite them to pray. 586 00:25:43,208 --> 00:25:45,583 "And let them pray over him." 587 00:25:45,667 --> 00:25:47,167 Who? The elders of the church. 588 00:25:47,250 --> 00:25:48,875 Here we're talking about the church, 589 00:25:48,958 --> 00:25:51,083 and we're talking about the elders in the church. 590 00:25:51,167 --> 00:25:52,500 And we're a Bible-believing church, 591 00:25:52,542 --> 00:25:54,292 and the elders are also called pastors, 592 00:25:54,333 --> 00:25:55,792 and these are the senior leaders, 593 00:25:55,833 --> 00:25:57,500 and we believe in all of this. 594 00:25:57,542 --> 00:26:00,833 And our church has elders, and part of the great privilege 595 00:26:00,917 --> 00:26:03,667 of the elders is to fulfill this command 596 00:26:03,708 --> 00:26:06,042 and to pray for the sick. 597 00:26:06,125 --> 00:26:10,333 And we do this, and so you know, this is available 598 00:26:10,417 --> 00:26:12,833 after our services. 599 00:26:12,875 --> 00:26:15,333 For those who are sick, they're invited to come forward 600 00:26:15,375 --> 00:26:16,708 and to be prayed for. 601 00:26:16,792 --> 00:26:18,125 We actually do this. 602 00:26:18,167 --> 00:26:19,833 And throughout the course of the week, 603 00:26:19,917 --> 00:26:21,917 our various elders--I think there's around 70 604 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:23,583 across all of our churches. 605 00:26:23,667 --> 00:26:26,667 Part of our job as pastors is to pray for people 606 00:26:26,750 --> 00:26:28,958 who are physically sick. 607 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,750 And he says that we should do that by anointing in the name 608 00:26:32,833 --> 00:26:35,292 of the Lord, and this would have been olive oil. 609 00:26:35,333 --> 00:26:37,792 This may have a medicinal element. 610 00:26:37,833 --> 00:26:40,583 We call it a naturopathic or a homeopathic remedy. 611 00:26:40,667 --> 00:26:43,542 The Bible's not against the medicinal. 612 00:26:43,625 --> 00:26:45,167 The majority of the New Testament, 613 00:26:45,250 --> 00:26:47,667 insofar as length goes, Luke and Acts is written by 614 00:26:47,750 --> 00:26:50,583 a medical doctor who was probably Luke's personal--he 615 00:26:50,667 --> 00:26:52,042 was the personal physician, 616 00:26:52,125 --> 00:26:54,000 Luke was, to the Apostle Paul. 617 00:26:54,042 --> 00:26:57,458 So, it's not saying prayer versus medicine. 618 00:26:57,500 --> 00:27:01,917 The Bible tends to say, you know, medicine and prayer. 619 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,167 Call your physician and call the Great Physician. 620 00:27:05,208 --> 00:27:08,167 And so there may be a medicinal component to this, 621 00:27:08,208 --> 00:27:09,958 but there's also a very spiritual component 622 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,958 to the anointing with oil. 623 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,667 There's only one time I found-- I think it was in 624 00:27:14,708 --> 00:27:17,000 the Gospel of Mark--where Jesus sends out his disciples 625 00:27:17,083 --> 00:27:18,833 to pray for the sick 626 00:27:18,917 --> 00:27:20,542 and commands them to anoint with oil. 627 00:27:20,625 --> 00:27:22,167 This doesn't happen a lot. 628 00:27:22,208 --> 00:27:23,583 We don't see any indication 629 00:27:23,667 --> 00:27:25,292 that Jesus ever anointed anyone with oil. 630 00:27:25,333 --> 00:27:27,792 He may have, but it's not recorded in the Bible. 631 00:27:27,833 --> 00:27:30,792 But here it's very clear that what God wants for the leaders 632 00:27:30,833 --> 00:27:33,167 in the church is when the sick invite them, 633 00:27:33,208 --> 00:27:36,167 they go to pray for them, and they anoint them with oil. 634 00:27:36,208 --> 00:27:37,875 And part of this may be medicinal 635 00:27:37,958 --> 00:27:39,375 but it's most certainly spiritual, 636 00:27:39,458 --> 00:27:41,667 and what that is is that's an anointing. 637 00:27:41,750 --> 00:27:44,167 An anointing is to remind us of the anointing of 638 00:27:44,250 --> 00:27:46,875 the Holy Spirit, that the person, the presence, 639 00:27:46,958 --> 00:27:50,000 and the power of the Holy Spirit is on, 640 00:27:50,042 --> 00:27:53,458 and with, and through the believer. 641 00:27:53,500 --> 00:27:56,000 And so to anoint someone with oil is to say, 642 00:27:56,042 --> 00:28:01,625 "Just as you feel this and see this anointing on your body, 643 00:28:01,667 --> 00:28:05,542 "the Holy Spirit has also anointed you. 644 00:28:05,625 --> 00:28:09,208 "He set you apart to belong to God and he'll do a work 645 00:28:09,292 --> 00:28:10,625 "in you and through you. 646 00:28:10,667 --> 00:28:12,333 "And if there is healing upon you, 647 00:28:12,417 --> 00:28:14,833 "it's because of the anointing of the person, and presence, 648 00:28:14,917 --> 00:28:16,833 and power of the Holy Spirit." 649 00:28:16,917 --> 00:28:18,833 And so what we're doing is we're saying, 650 00:28:18,917 --> 00:28:21,542 "In the name of the Lord, I'm inviting the Holy Spirit 651 00:28:21,625 --> 00:28:27,250 "to medically heal the person that he created, and he saved, 652 00:28:27,333 --> 00:28:30,458 "and that he will rise up from the dead on the last day 653 00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:32,167 "and heal fully. 654 00:28:32,208 --> 00:28:36,167 And I'm inviting him to heal them presently." 655 00:28:36,208 --> 00:28:40,375 And God heals some people in this life, and for the believer, 656 00:28:40,458 --> 00:28:44,583 God heals all of his people at the end of this life. 657 00:28:44,667 --> 00:28:47,458 So the question is not, "Will God heal me?" 658 00:28:47,500 --> 00:28:49,583 The question is, "When will God heal me? 659 00:28:49,667 --> 00:28:52,792 "Will he heal me today so that I can have a longer life, 660 00:28:52,833 --> 00:28:55,792 "or will my life come to an end and then I'll experience 661 00:28:55,833 --> 00:28:57,500 "the resurrection of the dead like Jesus, 662 00:28:57,542 --> 00:29:00,167 "and I'll receive full, eternal healing forever 663 00:29:00,208 --> 00:29:01,958 in his presence?" 664 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,333 The question, friend, is not, will you be healed? 665 00:29:04,375 --> 00:29:08,000 The question is, will you be healed temporarily now and/or 666 00:29:08,083 --> 00:29:11,750 will it simply be healed eternally in the end? 667 00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:14,667 But part of the guarantee of the gospel of Jesus Christ 668 00:29:14,708 --> 00:29:17,000 is not just the salvation of the soul 669 00:29:17,083 --> 00:29:19,500 but the healing of the body that God gave. 670 00:29:19,583 --> 00:29:22,167 In the kingdom of God, none of you will be sick. 671 00:29:22,208 --> 00:29:24,167 We won't have antibiotics, we won't have hospitals, 672 00:29:24,250 --> 00:29:25,667 we won't have paramedics. 673 00:29:25,708 --> 00:29:27,500 We won't be worried about our children 674 00:29:27,542 --> 00:29:29,958 and what might befall them. 675 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,583 It won't happen. 676 00:29:31,667 --> 00:29:33,583 There won't be chemo, there won't be radiation, 677 00:29:33,667 --> 00:29:36,542 there won't be surgeons, not because any of those things 678 00:29:36,625 --> 00:29:40,167 are bad, but they're all the result of death. 679 00:29:40,250 --> 00:29:43,083 And death is the result of sin, and once sin is conquered 680 00:29:43,167 --> 00:29:45,750 and Jesus has returned, there will be no mourning, 681 00:29:45,833 --> 00:29:49,583 there will be no suffering, there will be no dying. 682 00:29:49,667 --> 00:29:51,375 And that's the kingdom of God. 683 00:29:51,458 --> 00:29:52,958 And occasionally, the kingdom of God, 684 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:56,333 it explodes and it unveils itself in the church to remind 685 00:29:56,417 --> 00:30:00,167 God's people that the kingdom is coming and that, ultimately, 686 00:30:00,208 --> 00:30:03,583 everyone will be healed together forever. 687 00:30:03,667 --> 00:30:07,333 And then we are to ask some questions. 688 00:30:07,417 --> 00:30:12,167 The prayer of faith-- do we have faith? 689 00:30:12,208 --> 00:30:16,083 And it's not that faith heals, it's that God heals, 690 00:30:16,167 --> 00:30:19,583 and our faith is in the healing power of God. 691 00:30:19,667 --> 00:30:23,500 You can tell--let me say it this way. 692 00:30:23,542 --> 00:30:26,500 Here's how you know if somebody has faith that prayer can heal. 693 00:30:26,542 --> 00:30:29,500 You want to know how you can tell if someone has faith 694 00:30:29,542 --> 00:30:31,000 that prayer can heal? 695 00:30:31,042 --> 00:30:32,875 They pray. 696 00:30:32,958 --> 00:30:37,042 I know that seems simple. 697 00:30:37,125 --> 00:30:40,167 I have--differently, I have faith that this stool 698 00:30:40,250 --> 00:30:44,542 can hold my weight, and so I use it. 699 00:30:44,625 --> 00:30:51,458 If you believe that prayer can heal, you'll use it. 700 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:53,583 You'll just pray. 701 00:30:53,667 --> 00:30:55,583 For those who don't pray for healing, 702 00:30:55,667 --> 00:30:58,667 they don't have faith that God hears that prayer 703 00:30:58,750 --> 00:31:01,250 and can heal that person. 704 00:31:01,333 --> 00:31:04,500 The real test of whether or not you have faith in the healing 705 00:31:04,583 --> 00:31:07,708 power of prayer, that God hears and answers prayer, 706 00:31:07,792 --> 00:31:12,208 that the Holy Spirit hears and answers prayer for healing, 707 00:31:12,292 --> 00:31:16,042 is whether or not you pray. 708 00:31:16,125 --> 00:31:18,750 Whether or not you pray. 709 00:31:18,833 --> 00:31:21,500 And again, we can pray like Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. 710 00:31:21,583 --> 00:31:27,375 "I want you to get rid of it, but your will be done." 711 00:31:27,458 --> 00:31:31,542 Go back one slide. 712 00:31:31,625 --> 00:31:33,542 One more. 713 00:31:33,625 --> 00:31:36,292 "The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, 714 00:31:36,333 --> 00:31:38,000 "and the Lord will raise him up. 715 00:31:38,042 --> 00:31:39,833 And if he has committed"--what? 716 00:31:39,917 --> 00:31:41,500 "Committed sins will be forgiven." 717 00:31:41,542 --> 00:31:43,875 Sometimes people are sick because of sin. 718 00:31:43,958 --> 00:31:45,583 Not all the time. 719 00:31:45,667 --> 00:31:47,542 Sometimes it's just the fallen world in which 720 00:31:47,625 --> 00:31:50,542 we live, sometimes Satan is opposing them, 721 00:31:50,625 --> 00:31:54,083 sometimes we just don't know-- it's in the category of mystery. 722 00:31:54,167 --> 00:31:56,375 We don't know. 723 00:31:56,458 --> 00:32:02,167 But sometimes spiritual sin 724 00:32:02,208 --> 00:32:06,333 leads to physical illness 725 00:32:06,375 --> 00:32:10,333 because we're one person, OK? 726 00:32:10,417 --> 00:32:13,417 You're not a mind, a body, and a soul. 727 00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:16,750 You're a person with a mind, a body, and a soul. 728 00:32:16,833 --> 00:32:18,708 And what you think in your mind, 729 00:32:18,792 --> 00:32:20,167 it actually can affect your health. 730 00:32:20,208 --> 00:32:22,833 Any of you been depressed or distressed? 731 00:32:22,917 --> 00:32:26,375 What's happening in your body affects your mind. 732 00:32:26,458 --> 00:32:28,667 If you're suffering and under chronic pain 733 00:32:28,750 --> 00:32:31,000 or you're sleep deprived, 734 00:32:31,042 --> 00:32:33,833 it starts to affect the clarity of your thinking. 735 00:32:33,917 --> 00:32:38,167 Well, so it is with our spirit, with our soul. 736 00:32:38,250 --> 00:32:42,958 We're one person, and these aspects of our being, 737 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,000 they affect one another. 738 00:32:45,042 --> 00:32:47,042 They don't live independently. 739 00:32:47,125 --> 00:32:50,500 So, if you are living in open rebellion and sin against God, 740 00:32:50,542 --> 00:32:54,375 it could actually start to manifest itself with illness 741 00:32:54,458 --> 00:32:57,292 and sickness in your body. 742 00:32:57,333 --> 00:32:59,542 Not all the time. 743 00:32:59,625 --> 00:33:02,333 We need to be very careful that we don't say, 744 00:33:02,417 --> 00:33:04,333 "You're sick, where's your sin?" 745 00:33:04,375 --> 00:33:07,042 It's not always that way. 746 00:33:07,125 --> 00:33:09,042 There's a guy in the Bible, you know, 747 00:33:09,125 --> 00:33:11,542 he's got this life condition of sickness and suffering, 748 00:33:11,625 --> 00:33:14,042 and they come along and they asked the Lord Jesus, 749 00:33:14,125 --> 00:33:15,458 "Well, who sinned? 750 00:33:15,500 --> 00:33:17,458 Did he sin or did his parents sin?" 751 00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:20,667 And the answer is, "Nobody sinned." 752 00:33:20,708 --> 00:33:24,667 This guy is not in this condition because of sin, 753 00:33:24,708 --> 00:33:27,000 but some people are. 754 00:33:27,042 --> 00:33:30,250 Paul tells the Corinthians, "You're in sin, and that's why 755 00:33:30,333 --> 00:33:33,667 some of you are sick and dying." 756 00:33:33,750 --> 00:33:39,042 So, before we take on the posture of, "I'm sick, 757 00:33:39,125 --> 00:33:42,000 I must be a victim," we have to first ask, 758 00:33:42,042 --> 00:33:46,083 "I'm sick, am I a sinner? 759 00:33:46,167 --> 00:33:49,542 "Is there anything in my life that is, you know, 760 00:33:49,625 --> 00:33:54,167 "a root of rebellion that has opened an opportunity 761 00:33:54,250 --> 00:33:57,875 "for the sickness of sin to not only affect my soul 762 00:33:57,958 --> 00:33:59,667 but to affect my body?" 763 00:33:59,708 --> 00:34:03,833 And if so, we need to repent of it, we need to give it to Jesus. 764 00:34:03,875 --> 00:34:05,542 That's why he died on the cross. 765 00:34:05,625 --> 00:34:08,208 We need to confess our sins to one another and pray 766 00:34:08,292 --> 00:34:10,417 for one another so that you may be healed. 767 00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:11,833 "You know what? 768 00:34:11,875 --> 00:34:13,542 "There is this thing in my life. 769 00:34:13,625 --> 00:34:15,250 "There is this rebellion, there's this duplicity, 770 00:34:15,333 --> 00:34:18,458 "there's this other side of me that is very dark and very sick. 771 00:34:18,500 --> 00:34:20,958 "And I need to bring it out in the light, 772 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,667 "and I need the people that I trust or the pastors 773 00:34:23,708 --> 00:34:25,375 "that care for me to know this, 774 00:34:25,458 --> 00:34:27,875 "and I need to go to Jesus and thank him 775 00:34:27,958 --> 00:34:30,875 for dying for it, and I need to put it to death," 776 00:34:30,958 --> 00:34:32,292 because sin leads to what? 777 00:34:32,333 --> 00:34:33,667 Death. 778 00:34:33,750 --> 00:34:35,167 And it's not just spiritual death; 779 00:34:35,250 --> 00:34:36,667 it also leads to physical death. 780 00:34:36,750 --> 00:34:39,292 And let me say this: 781 00:34:39,333 --> 00:34:43,083 What we're doing then is we're inviting others 782 00:34:43,167 --> 00:34:45,500 into our sickness, and our suffering, 783 00:34:45,542 --> 00:34:49,292 and our struggle so that we're not alone. 784 00:34:49,333 --> 00:34:52,042 And as we're looking for sin--and some of you, 785 00:34:52,125 --> 00:34:54,292 you're going to become too introspective. 786 00:34:54,333 --> 00:34:57,458 You're going to become almost narcissistic where it's 787 00:34:57,500 --> 00:35:01,833 just--you're like an Old Testament, devout, 788 00:35:01,917 --> 00:35:05,917 religious person who's looking for every speck in their home 789 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,667 to make sure that there's no leaven anywhere. 790 00:35:08,708 --> 00:35:11,333 You're going to be looking in your life at every nook 791 00:35:11,375 --> 00:35:13,000 and--"What are my motives? Where's my sin? 792 00:35:13,083 --> 00:35:15,208 Is there anything I did wrong? Was my intent--" 793 00:35:15,292 --> 00:35:16,958 You're not perfect, I'll tell you that. 794 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,958 And you're never going to be, and if you want to spend 795 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,667 your life looking for sin, you can waste your whole life 796 00:35:22,750 --> 00:35:26,667 looking at your sin and not your Savior. 797 00:35:26,750 --> 00:35:29,542 And I'm not talking about that propensity and proclivity, 798 00:35:29,625 --> 00:35:33,458 but what I am talking about is an earnesty. 799 00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:37,875 Saying, "You know what? There is some sin in my life. 800 00:35:37,958 --> 00:35:41,167 "There are things that I've not surrendered to God. 801 00:35:41,250 --> 00:35:44,542 "There are aspects of my being that just--they need to die 802 00:35:44,625 --> 00:35:47,292 because it's killing me." 803 00:35:47,333 --> 00:35:48,958 And here's what I would say: 804 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,083 when he says, "Confess your sins to one another 805 00:35:51,167 --> 00:35:53,292 and pray for one another, you may be healed," 806 00:35:53,333 --> 00:35:54,667 you're inviting other people in. 807 00:35:54,750 --> 00:35:56,667 I was having a conversation with Paul Tripp. 808 00:35:56,750 --> 00:35:58,875 Good, biblical counselor, a guy that we really like 809 00:35:58,958 --> 00:36:00,333 and appreciate here. 810 00:36:00,417 --> 00:36:03,208 And he said, "We know that sin causes spiritual blindness, 811 00:36:03,292 --> 00:36:07,333 and since we all have sin, we all have some blindness." 812 00:36:07,375 --> 00:36:10,500 And one of the great myths that we all live under is that, 813 00:36:10,583 --> 00:36:13,542 "I see myself most clearly." 814 00:36:13,625 --> 00:36:16,333 And then we say it like, "If you only knew me. 815 00:36:16,417 --> 00:36:17,833 "You don't understand me. 816 00:36:17,875 --> 00:36:19,208 You don't see me clearly." 817 00:36:19,292 --> 00:36:23,583 And the truth is, maybe they do, and maybe our sin has caused 818 00:36:23,667 --> 00:36:27,083 an element or an aspect of blindness to where we may 819 00:36:27,167 --> 00:36:30,167 see ourselves, but not in that area. 820 00:36:30,250 --> 00:36:32,500 We've got a blind spot. 821 00:36:32,542 --> 00:36:34,667 Think of it next time you're driving your car. 822 00:36:34,750 --> 00:36:37,042 Every car's got a blind spot, right? 823 00:36:37,125 --> 00:36:39,792 You're like, "Wow, I didn't see--I almost got in a wreck. 824 00:36:39,833 --> 00:36:41,167 There was a car there." 825 00:36:41,250 --> 00:36:42,875 Your life is like that. 826 00:36:42,958 --> 00:36:44,667 Everybody's got a blind spot. 827 00:36:44,708 --> 00:36:46,042 What do we do? 828 00:36:46,125 --> 00:36:48,042 We check our mirrors, we move our head, 829 00:36:48,125 --> 00:36:51,792 we--what the Bible says, spiritually, we ask our friends, 830 00:36:51,833 --> 00:36:55,167 "Is there anything I'm not seeing? 831 00:36:55,250 --> 00:36:57,333 Is there anything I'm not seeing?," 832 00:36:57,417 --> 00:36:59,875 instead of getting defensive. 833 00:36:59,958 --> 00:37:03,167 "You don't understand, you don't see, you don't--" 834 00:37:03,208 --> 00:37:08,333 they're like, "Actually, we do and you don't. 835 00:37:08,417 --> 00:37:11,458 "And we love you, so let's talk about this and pray 836 00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:14,125 for one another so that there can be healing." 837 00:37:14,167 --> 00:37:15,625 You get that? 838 00:37:15,667 --> 00:37:20,708 This is where you're inviting other people in. 839 00:37:20,792 --> 00:37:23,083 Do you trust prayer? 840 00:37:23,167 --> 00:37:25,167 That's the next question. 841 00:37:25,208 --> 00:37:28,292 James 5:16-18, "The prayer of a righteous person has 842 00:37:28,333 --> 00:37:30,292 "great power as it is working. 843 00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:32,500 "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, 844 00:37:32,542 --> 00:37:34,667 "and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, 845 00:37:34,750 --> 00:37:37,833 for three years and six months, it did not rain on the earth." 846 00:37:37,917 --> 00:37:39,250 Elijah lived in Phoenix. 847 00:37:39,333 --> 00:37:41,250 "Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, 848 00:37:41,333 --> 00:37:42,750 and the earth bore its fruit." 849 00:37:42,833 --> 00:37:44,167 Here's the question: 850 00:37:44,208 --> 00:37:46,875 Do you trust prayer? 851 00:37:46,958 --> 00:37:50,167 Now, theologically, we would all say what? 852 00:37:50,250 --> 00:37:52,167 "Oh yes." 853 00:37:52,250 --> 00:37:54,083 OK. 854 00:37:54,167 --> 00:37:59,000 And if you don't pray, you actually don't believe that God 855 00:37:59,042 --> 00:38:02,833 hears and answers prayer. 856 00:38:02,917 --> 00:38:07,167 If you believe that God hears and answers prayer, you pray. 857 00:38:07,208 --> 00:38:08,625 You know, here's my thing. 858 00:38:08,667 --> 00:38:10,000 Like, God's a Father. 859 00:38:10,083 --> 00:38:12,667 The key to prayer is always understanding God's a Father, 860 00:38:12,708 --> 00:38:14,042 we're his kids. 861 00:38:14,125 --> 00:38:17,042 If we believe that we have a good Dad who loves us, 862 00:38:17,125 --> 00:38:19,208 we'll talk to him. 863 00:38:19,292 --> 00:38:22,000 If you believe that you got a good Dad who hears your requests 864 00:38:22,083 --> 00:38:25,208 and he loves you, and if he says no it's because it's for 865 00:38:25,292 --> 00:38:28,167 your good, but most of the time he wants to say yes 866 00:38:28,208 --> 00:38:30,958 as long as you're asking for something that is within 867 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,333 his will, then what you'll do is you'll talk to your Dad a lot 868 00:38:34,417 --> 00:38:36,208 and you'll make a lot of requests. 869 00:38:36,292 --> 00:38:37,625 You'll just invite him in. 870 00:38:37,667 --> 00:38:40,125 "Hey Dad, I want to talk to you about this. 871 00:38:40,167 --> 00:38:41,625 "Dad, I need help with that. 872 00:38:41,667 --> 00:38:43,833 "Dad, can I get this? Can I do that? 873 00:38:43,875 --> 00:38:45,542 Dad, what about this? What about that?" 874 00:38:45,625 --> 00:38:47,250 And here's oftentimes why people don't pray. 875 00:38:47,333 --> 00:38:48,750 Here's maybe why you don't pray. 876 00:38:48,833 --> 00:38:51,958 How many of you, as soon as I say "Pray," you feel guilty. 877 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,625 If I asked you right now, "On a one to ten, 878 00:38:54,667 --> 00:38:56,333 how would you rate your prayer life?" 879 00:38:56,417 --> 00:38:57,833 None of you would say ten. 880 00:38:57,917 --> 00:38:59,250 You're like, "It's amazing. 881 00:38:59,333 --> 00:39:02,333 "I'm ready to teach a class, and the Pope and Billy Graham 882 00:39:02,375 --> 00:39:03,708 "should sign up. 883 00:39:03,792 --> 00:39:05,125 I really pray good." 884 00:39:05,167 --> 00:39:06,833 OK, none of us would say ten. 885 00:39:06,875 --> 00:39:09,500 When it comes to prayer, we always feel a little guilty. 886 00:39:09,583 --> 00:39:11,500 We're like, "You know, I could pray better. 887 00:39:11,583 --> 00:39:12,917 I could pray more." 888 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,417 One of the reasons why you struggle to pray 889 00:39:16,500 --> 00:39:20,708 is you don't know that you're righteous. 890 00:39:20,792 --> 00:39:24,375 You're so aware of your sin that you're not aware of your Savior. 891 00:39:24,458 --> 00:39:27,167 You're so aware of all the bad things that you've done, 892 00:39:27,250 --> 00:39:31,083 you don't really believe that he died for all those things. 893 00:39:31,167 --> 00:39:34,375 That you still believe fundamentally and religiously 894 00:39:34,458 --> 00:39:37,292 that if you were a good person, God would hear you, 895 00:39:37,333 --> 00:39:40,125 but you're not a good person so he probably wont, 896 00:39:40,167 --> 00:39:42,125 and so you don't talk to him. 897 00:39:42,167 --> 00:39:44,625 And you forget that Jesus is your righteousness 898 00:39:44,667 --> 00:39:47,083 and Jesus is your mediator, 899 00:39:47,167 --> 00:39:49,875 and that your righteousness is in Christ 900 00:39:49,958 --> 00:39:51,875 and that you're in the position of Christ 901 00:39:51,958 --> 00:39:55,083 and that the Father loves you as much as he loves the Son, 902 00:39:55,167 --> 00:40:00,208 and he hears you because you pray through the Son. 903 00:40:00,292 --> 00:40:03,417 He's your righteousness. 904 00:40:03,500 --> 00:40:06,833 He's your righteousness. 905 00:40:06,875 --> 00:40:13,167 And then he uses this great illustration of Elijah, OK. 906 00:40:13,208 --> 00:40:17,667 And in our day, it's like Wolverine, Batman, Superman. 907 00:40:17,708 --> 00:40:19,667 In their day it was like Elijah. 908 00:40:19,708 --> 00:40:22,750 This is what--I mean, this is what little kids dressed up as 909 00:40:22,833 --> 00:40:24,167 if you're Jewish, right? 910 00:40:24,208 --> 00:40:25,750 You dressed up as Elijah. 911 00:40:25,833 --> 00:40:27,750 Little Elijah action figures, right? 912 00:40:27,833 --> 00:40:30,500 I don't know if they had Halloween, but if so, like, 913 00:40:30,583 --> 00:40:33,417 every other boy was dressed up as Elijah. 914 00:40:33,500 --> 00:40:36,417 Right, Elijah was like a superhero to God's people 915 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:37,833 in the Old Testament. 916 00:40:37,875 --> 00:40:39,958 Why? Elijah's amazing, right? 917 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,333 He's a prophet, he opposes the prophets of Baal, 918 00:40:43,417 --> 00:40:45,542 fire comes down from heaven. 919 00:40:45,625 --> 00:40:48,250 Wow, nice. 920 00:40:48,333 --> 00:40:52,333 He's out in the wilderness, angels visit him, 921 00:40:52,375 --> 00:40:55,333 and birds bring him food. 922 00:40:55,375 --> 00:40:56,833 What a guy! 923 00:40:56,917 --> 00:41:00,917 Like, I mean, you know, amazing, totally amazing. 924 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:05,000 Batman's like, "That guy's amazing," you know? 925 00:41:05,083 --> 00:41:09,958 And then what happens, Elijah says, "No rain," 926 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,708 and it doesn't rain for 3 1/2 years. 927 00:41:13,792 --> 00:41:16,417 That's--like, I live in Seattle. 928 00:41:16,500 --> 00:41:20,208 I'm like, "I'm praying that one all the time," right? 929 00:41:20,292 --> 00:41:23,042 How does Elijah exit the earth? 930 00:41:23,125 --> 00:41:24,833 Do you remember that? 931 00:41:24,875 --> 00:41:28,542 God sends a chariot. 932 00:41:28,625 --> 00:41:30,167 Wow. 933 00:41:30,208 --> 00:41:34,333 Like, see, one day for prom, maybe your parents got you 934 00:41:34,417 --> 00:41:36,042 a limo, OK? 935 00:41:36,125 --> 00:41:37,542 And it was a big day. 936 00:41:37,625 --> 00:41:39,333 You're like, "I'm getting in the limo. 937 00:41:39,375 --> 00:41:40,708 I'm going to prom." 938 00:41:40,792 --> 00:41:43,458 Elijah's like, "I'm getting in the chariot and going to Jesus." 939 00:41:43,500 --> 00:41:46,458 And it wasn't just a chariot, it was what kind of chariot? 940 00:41:46,500 --> 00:41:47,833 Flaming. 941 00:41:47,917 --> 00:41:52,250 See, you put flames on your car; he had flames from his car. 942 00:41:52,333 --> 00:41:53,958 That's amazing, OK? 943 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:55,750 Now, here's what he says about Elijah. 944 00:41:55,833 --> 00:42:02,792 "Elijah was a man with"--what's it say? 945 00:42:02,833 --> 00:42:05,667 "A nature like yours." 946 00:42:05,708 --> 00:42:07,750 Some of your translations say it this way: 947 00:42:07,833 --> 00:42:10,167 "Elijah was a man like you." 948 00:42:10,208 --> 00:42:12,958 You're like, "I don't see that. 949 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:19,250 I don't--I feel like his résumé is better." 950 00:42:19,333 --> 00:42:24,458 He was a sinner, saved by grace and loved by God. 951 00:42:24,500 --> 00:42:28,750 Here's--OK, OK, all right, ready for your mind to explode? 952 00:42:28,833 --> 00:42:31,125 "He had a nature like ours 953 00:42:31,167 --> 00:42:36,333 and was righteous." 954 00:42:36,417 --> 00:42:41,917 He's just as sinful as you and righteous 955 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,958 because of the grace of God. 956 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:50,250 And as a result, he prayed, not according to his greatness, 957 00:42:50,333 --> 00:42:54,333 but the greatness of his God. 958 00:42:54,375 --> 00:42:57,042 Prayer is really where you know the true theology 959 00:42:57,125 --> 00:42:59,958 that a person holds. 960 00:43:00,083 --> 00:43:02,417 The best way to know what someone truly believes about 961 00:43:02,500 --> 00:43:06,125 themselves and God is to eavesdrop on their prayer life. 962 00:43:06,167 --> 00:43:09,167 If they don't talk to God, or all they talk to God 963 00:43:09,208 --> 00:43:10,542 about is their sin, 964 00:43:10,625 --> 00:43:13,333 or all they talked about to God was the things 965 00:43:13,417 --> 00:43:17,250 they were remorseful for--and we should pray those things, 966 00:43:17,333 --> 00:43:20,042 but if they're not talking about their righteousness in Christ, 967 00:43:20,125 --> 00:43:22,667 and their new identity, and God's love for them, 968 00:43:22,708 --> 00:43:25,458 and his power, and his affection, 969 00:43:25,500 --> 00:43:28,042 and devotion as Father to hear and answer prayer, 970 00:43:28,125 --> 00:43:31,833 then our theology is erroneous. And our theology is 971 00:43:31,917 --> 00:43:34,833 really manifested in prayer. 972 00:43:34,917 --> 00:43:37,542 If you want to get to know what someone really believes, 973 00:43:37,625 --> 00:43:40,542 eavesdrop on their prayer life. 974 00:43:40,625 --> 00:43:44,333 And he says, "Elijah knew who he was"--a sinner, 975 00:43:44,417 --> 00:43:48,833 made righteous by God, heard by God, could make big requests. 976 00:43:48,917 --> 00:43:51,958 And God would answer them, not because Elijah was amazing 977 00:43:52,000 --> 00:43:56,208 but because God's amazing. 978 00:43:56,292 --> 00:44:00,500 And then at the end of the book, and it's a great book-- 979 00:44:00,583 --> 00:44:02,125 who has wandered? 980 00:44:02,167 --> 00:44:04,292 I'll tell you this: 981 00:44:04,333 --> 00:44:11,167 As a pastor, what we think about is people. 982 00:44:11,208 --> 00:44:17,917 Bible, absolutely, totally, completely, yes, for sure. 983 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:22,542 But what a pastor thinks about as their head hits the pillow 984 00:44:22,625 --> 00:44:26,333 at night are people that they're concerned for. 985 00:44:26,417 --> 00:44:29,000 What a pastor thinks about when their feet hit the floor 986 00:44:29,083 --> 00:44:33,958 in the morning are people they're concerned about. 987 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:39,667 And James, Jesus' little brother here, he's a pastor. 988 00:44:39,708 --> 00:44:42,250 And at the very end of his letter, 989 00:44:42,333 --> 00:44:46,333 what's on his heart are people he's concerned for, OK? 990 00:44:46,417 --> 00:44:50,458 May people we're concerned for always be in our heart. 991 00:44:50,500 --> 00:44:56,667 Not just people, but people who have wandered away. 992 00:44:56,708 --> 00:44:59,250 James 5:19-20, 993 00:44:59,333 --> 00:45:03,917 "My brothers, if anyone among you"--what? 994 00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:08,833 "Wanders from the truth and someone brings him back," right? 995 00:45:08,875 --> 00:45:11,833 Some spiritual lifeguard swims out and gets them. 996 00:45:11,917 --> 00:45:15,000 "Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his 997 00:45:15,083 --> 00:45:17,333 "wandering will save his soul from death 998 00:45:17,417 --> 00:45:23,042 and cover a multitude of sins." 999 00:45:23,125 --> 00:45:27,333 Any of you ever get lost as a kid, you wander off? 1000 00:45:27,417 --> 00:45:29,667 Remember what that felt like? 1001 00:45:29,708 --> 00:45:32,750 Any of you, as a parent, or a grandparent, or an aunt, 1002 00:45:32,833 --> 00:45:34,917 or a uncle, or a big brother, or sister, 1003 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:37,417 had a kid wander off and you couldn't find them? 1004 00:45:37,500 --> 00:45:39,625 Opening day, I had this panic moment. 1005 00:45:39,667 --> 00:45:41,167 It was just brief. 1006 00:45:41,208 --> 00:45:44,458 No, I did not lose a kid, but I thought I did, OK? 1007 00:45:44,500 --> 00:45:45,958 Gideon, my youngest, he's 8. 1008 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:48,667 I mean, there's a lot of people, a crowd, you know? 1009 00:45:48,708 --> 00:45:50,042 It's opening day. 1010 00:45:50,125 --> 00:45:51,458 He's holding my hand, 1011 00:45:51,500 --> 00:45:53,958 and I went to push the button on the elevator, 1012 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:56,000 and I looked down, and he was gone. 1013 00:45:56,083 --> 00:45:59,667 And I mean, and so I'm doing this. 1014 00:45:59,708 --> 00:46:01,833 I'm looking, I'm looking, I'm looking, I'm looking, 1015 00:46:01,875 --> 00:46:03,875 I'm looking, I'm looking. 1016 00:46:03,958 --> 00:46:05,833 My two brothers--his two brothers who are taller, 1017 00:46:05,917 --> 00:46:07,333 I'm like, "Where's Gideon?" 1018 00:46:07,417 --> 00:46:09,125 They're like, "He's behind you." 1019 00:46:09,167 --> 00:46:11,333 I looked right over him. 1020 00:46:11,417 --> 00:46:13,833 He just went from here to here, but he's short, 1021 00:46:13,917 --> 00:46:16,042 and I'm dumb and so I didn't look down. 1022 00:46:16,125 --> 00:46:19,125 But for a moment, I mean, I felt like I was having 1023 00:46:19,167 --> 00:46:20,708 a heart attack. 1024 00:46:20,792 --> 00:46:25,042 Like, did my son wander away? 1025 00:46:25,125 --> 00:46:30,833 A pastor feels that way about everybody that wanders away. 1026 00:46:30,917 --> 00:46:35,333 A true pastor feels that way about everybody 1027 00:46:35,375 --> 00:46:38,000 who wanders away. 1028 00:46:38,083 --> 00:46:43,000 And James' heart, and his concern, 1029 00:46:43,083 --> 00:46:45,500 and his fatherly affection is for the children of God 1030 00:46:45,583 --> 00:46:49,667 that have wandered away from the truth. 1031 00:46:49,708 --> 00:46:53,750 And it wasn't because James was a bad pastor. 1032 00:46:53,833 --> 00:46:55,958 It wasn't because this was a bad church. 1033 00:46:56,000 --> 00:47:02,708 It was because sometimes this is what happens. 1034 00:47:02,792 --> 00:47:05,458 There are three ways to wander. 1035 00:47:05,500 --> 00:47:08,458 I want to share them with you very practically. 1036 00:47:08,500 --> 00:47:12,958 Some wander and their wandering is theological. 1037 00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:14,458 All of a sudden, they're like, 1038 00:47:14,500 --> 00:47:16,333 "I'm not sure the Bible's all true. 1039 00:47:16,375 --> 00:47:18,958 "I'm not sure Jesus is fully God, fully man. 1040 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:21,833 "I'm not sure his death on the cross was for my sin. 1041 00:47:21,917 --> 00:47:23,958 "I'm not sure he rose from the dead. 1042 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:26,667 "I'm not sure that certain things, maybe even sexually, 1043 00:47:26,708 --> 00:47:28,208 "are wrong. 1044 00:47:28,292 --> 00:47:30,417 "And I don't know if anybody's going to hell. 1045 00:47:30,500 --> 00:47:32,417 "I don't know if you really need Jesus. 1046 00:47:32,500 --> 00:47:33,833 I don't know, you know?" 1047 00:47:33,875 --> 00:47:36,667 They wander. 1048 00:47:36,708 --> 00:47:40,917 They wander into just vague spirituality or false teaching. 1049 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:45,042 Others will--they'll wander morally. 1050 00:47:45,125 --> 00:47:48,167 It's like, "I know that's what the Bible says, 1051 00:47:48,208 --> 00:47:51,167 but that's not what I want to do." 1052 00:47:51,208 --> 00:47:54,333 It wasn't long ago I had a brief conversation with a young woman. 1053 00:47:54,417 --> 00:47:56,833 She said, "Pastor Mark, I just want you to know 1054 00:47:56,917 --> 00:47:59,333 I'm not going to be coming to Mars Hill anymore." 1055 00:47:59,417 --> 00:48:03,083 I feel like a dad who has a kid that just ran away from home, 1056 00:48:03,167 --> 00:48:04,500 you know? 1057 00:48:04,542 --> 00:48:05,833 "Why is that?" 1058 00:48:05,917 --> 00:48:08,833 "I know you guys don't want us to be living and sleeping 1059 00:48:08,917 --> 00:48:11,333 "with our boyfriends, and I really want to do that, 1060 00:48:11,417 --> 00:48:13,833 so I'm not going to be at Mars Hill anymore." 1061 00:48:13,917 --> 00:48:15,250 "Oh sweetheart, don't do that." 1062 00:48:15,333 --> 00:48:16,667 The wandering is moral. 1063 00:48:16,708 --> 00:48:19,417 "The Bible says no and I say yes. 1064 00:48:19,500 --> 00:48:21,333 "I want to do that. It feels good. 1065 00:48:21,417 --> 00:48:23,125 "I enjoy it. I like it. 1066 00:48:23,167 --> 00:48:24,500 I want to try it." 1067 00:48:24,583 --> 00:48:26,833 And they wander morally. 1068 00:48:26,917 --> 00:48:28,500 And with those people, you say, 1069 00:48:28,583 --> 00:48:30,250 "Don't you know what the Bible says?" 1070 00:48:30,333 --> 00:48:32,458 And they go, "I know what the Bible says, 1071 00:48:32,500 --> 00:48:33,833 "I just don't like it. 1072 00:48:33,917 --> 00:48:36,917 I just don't like it." 1073 00:48:37,000 --> 00:48:39,458 And others wander relationally. 1074 00:48:39,500 --> 00:48:41,042 This is where they're in Community, 1075 00:48:41,125 --> 00:48:44,042 and then all of a sudden they wander away. 1076 00:48:44,125 --> 00:48:46,125 And you're like, "They don't return our calls, 1077 00:48:46,167 --> 00:48:47,750 "they don't come to Community Group, 1078 00:48:47,833 --> 00:48:49,333 "they don't talk to us. 1079 00:48:49,375 --> 00:48:51,333 We don't know what's going on." 1080 00:48:51,417 --> 00:48:55,250 They don't want to be in relationship 1081 00:48:55,333 --> 00:48:57,958 with God's people anymore. 1082 00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:00,375 They don't want to be under any authority, 1083 00:49:00,458 --> 00:49:03,000 they don't want to be in any community, 1084 00:49:03,083 --> 00:49:05,833 and the result is a vulnerability, OK? 1085 00:49:05,875 --> 00:49:08,625 The Bible talks about Jesus is our chief shepherd, 1086 00:49:08,667 --> 00:49:10,625 that pastors are like shepherds, 1087 00:49:10,667 --> 00:49:13,792 and that people who are Christians are like what? 1088 00:49:13,833 --> 00:49:16,208 Sheep. 1089 00:49:16,292 --> 00:49:20,833 And a sheep that's all by themselves is dead 1090 00:49:20,875 --> 00:49:23,167 because wolves find them. 1091 00:49:23,250 --> 00:49:26,417 That's the story line of the Bible all over. 1092 00:49:26,500 --> 00:49:30,000 And what I'm not talking about here is somebody wandering 1093 00:49:30,083 --> 00:49:32,333 theologically, that they go from one Bible-believing church 1094 00:49:32,375 --> 00:49:33,833 to another Bible-believing church. 1095 00:49:33,875 --> 00:49:35,208 That's not it. 1096 00:49:35,292 --> 00:49:37,000 We're talking about primary issues being violated, 1097 00:49:37,042 --> 00:49:39,833 not secondary. 1098 00:49:39,875 --> 00:49:44,583 Relationally, it's not that they were fellowshipping with 1099 00:49:44,667 --> 00:49:46,333 these people and now they're fellowshipping 1100 00:49:46,375 --> 00:49:48,500 with these people; they were part of this church, 1101 00:49:48,583 --> 00:49:50,083 now they're part of that church. 1102 00:49:50,167 --> 00:49:51,875 That's not wandering. 1103 00:49:51,958 --> 00:49:55,333 What we're talking about here is not someone who is in community 1104 00:49:55,375 --> 00:49:57,833 with godly people and under godly authority. 1105 00:49:57,875 --> 00:50:00,375 We're talking about somebody who literally just turns their back, 1106 00:50:00,458 --> 00:50:04,000 and walks away, and says, "I don't know where I'm going. 1107 00:50:04,042 --> 00:50:06,917 "I don't know what I'm doing, 1108 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,167 "but I'm willing to take the risk 1109 00:50:09,208 --> 00:50:11,667 to see what happens to me now." 1110 00:50:11,708 --> 00:50:13,833 OK, and you get this impression from James. 1111 00:50:13,875 --> 00:50:15,333 It's amazing, isn't it? 1112 00:50:15,417 --> 00:50:20,917 I mean, Jesus' little brother wrote only one book, 1113 00:50:21,000 --> 00:50:23,917 and what's the most important thing that's on his mind 1114 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:27,208 at the very end? 1115 00:50:27,292 --> 00:50:29,667 The people who have wandered away. 1116 00:50:29,708 --> 00:50:31,833 The people who have wandered away. 1117 00:50:31,917 --> 00:50:34,458 That's a pastor's heart. 1118 00:50:34,500 --> 00:50:36,458 So, what do you do with those people? 1119 00:50:36,500 --> 00:50:38,500 Well, he's been talking a lot about prayer, 1120 00:50:38,583 --> 00:50:40,667 so you probably should pray for them. 1121 00:50:40,708 --> 00:50:47,458 But what he says is, "If you know them, go get them." 1122 00:50:47,500 --> 00:50:50,208 Imagine you're at a public event or you're at a mall, 1123 00:50:50,292 --> 00:50:52,708 and there's a mom and a dad, and they're like, 1124 00:50:52,792 --> 00:50:54,250 "We can't find our daughter! 1125 00:50:54,333 --> 00:50:55,750 "We can't find our daughter! 1126 00:50:55,833 --> 00:50:57,750 We can't find our--" eventually you'd be like, 1127 00:50:57,833 --> 00:50:59,833 "You should look for her." 1128 00:50:59,917 --> 00:51:04,208 Like, just--you should be looking. 1129 00:51:04,292 --> 00:51:06,833 What he's saying is when people wander, 1130 00:51:06,917 --> 00:51:10,542 those people who know them should go look for them. 1131 00:51:10,625 --> 00:51:12,625 It's like, "Hey, I'm going to call you. 1132 00:51:12,667 --> 00:51:14,000 "I'm going to text you. 1133 00:51:14,083 --> 00:51:16,000 "I'm going to go knock on your door. 1134 00:51:16,083 --> 00:51:17,417 I'm going to show up." 1135 00:51:17,500 --> 00:51:20,042 And I'm not going to be rude, or mean, or crude. 1136 00:51:20,125 --> 00:51:22,042 I'm going to say, "What are you doing? 1137 00:51:22,125 --> 00:51:23,542 "Do you know--where are you going? 1138 00:51:23,625 --> 00:51:26,042 "Like, do you have a plan? What are you thinking? 1139 00:51:26,125 --> 00:51:28,250 "This is not good for you. I love you. 1140 00:51:28,333 --> 00:51:30,250 This is not what God wants for you." 1141 00:51:30,333 --> 00:51:32,750 What he says is that those who are wandering, 1142 00:51:32,833 --> 00:51:35,917 that others should go searching, and if we bring them back, 1143 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:38,417 there's a great blessing. 1144 00:51:38,500 --> 00:51:41,833 "Whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his 1145 00:51:41,875 --> 00:51:45,333 soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." 1146 00:51:45,375 --> 00:51:47,458 Two questions. 1147 00:51:47,500 --> 00:51:49,500 Have you wandered? 1148 00:51:50,833 --> 00:51:53,167 Have you wandered? 1149 00:51:53,208 --> 00:51:57,667 Number two, who do you know that's wandered? 1150 00:51:57,708 --> 00:52:01,208 And what's it look like for you to try and go get them? 1151 00:52:01,292 --> 00:52:02,833 Like, "Please come back to Jesus. 1152 00:52:02,875 --> 00:52:05,000 "Please come back to your brothers and sisters. 1153 00:52:05,083 --> 00:52:07,042 "Please come back to the family of God. 1154 00:52:07,125 --> 00:52:12,833 This is just not a good idea." 1155 00:52:16,833 --> 00:52:18,500 I'll let you in on a secret. 1156 00:52:18,583 --> 00:52:21,542 I wasn't planning on telling you this: 1157 00:52:21,625 --> 00:52:26,417 I shed a lot of tears for wandering people. 1158 00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:32,542 I've been doing this 18 years, and it doesn't bother me 1159 00:52:32,625 --> 00:52:35,542 when somebody goes from a Jesus-loving, 1160 00:52:35,625 --> 00:52:37,208 Bible-teaching church to a Jesus-loving, 1161 00:52:37,292 --> 00:52:39,167 Bible-teaching church because ultimately we're all 1162 00:52:39,208 --> 00:52:41,167 one big church and we'll be together forever. 1163 00:52:41,208 --> 00:52:42,833 And we could fight over the details, 1164 00:52:42,917 --> 00:52:44,542 but that's not so bad. 1165 00:52:44,625 --> 00:52:48,333 What's devastating is when they were walking with Jesus 1166 00:52:48,417 --> 00:52:50,750 and now they're not walking with Jesus. 1167 00:52:50,833 --> 00:52:53,458 They were walking with Jesus' people and now they're walking 1168 00:52:53,500 --> 00:52:55,750 off a cliff all by themselves. 1169 00:52:55,833 --> 00:52:59,167 And what devastates me as a pastor is when it's 1170 00:52:59,208 --> 00:53:02,000 a husband and a father, 1171 00:53:02,042 --> 00:53:04,167 because sometimes even then the wives and the children 1172 00:53:04,250 --> 00:53:06,167 will follow the wanderer right off the cliff 1173 00:53:06,208 --> 00:53:10,167 into disaster. 1174 00:53:10,208 --> 00:53:14,042 That's James' heart for people. 1175 00:53:14,125 --> 00:53:15,750 That's our heart for people. 1176 00:53:15,833 --> 00:53:19,500 And why is James telling this to the whole church? 1177 00:53:19,583 --> 00:53:22,667 Because he wants the whole church to have this heart. 1178 00:53:22,708 --> 00:53:26,167 Not everyone in the church will be a pastor, 1179 00:53:26,208 --> 00:53:30,833 but everyone in the church should have a pastor's heart. 1180 00:53:30,875 --> 00:53:32,833 Do you get that? 1181 00:53:32,875 --> 00:53:35,542 I can still remember early on in ministry, 1182 00:53:35,625 --> 00:53:39,250 one of the most devastating moments pastorally: 1183 00:53:39,333 --> 00:53:42,958 It was somebody that I knew very well, I loved very much, 1184 00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:45,500 had spent a considerable amount of time, and effort, 1185 00:53:45,583 --> 00:53:48,333 and energy in. 1186 00:53:48,417 --> 00:53:52,458 And they knew the Bible really well. 1187 00:53:52,500 --> 00:53:55,458 And they sat down and they said, 1188 00:53:55,500 --> 00:53:57,917 "I've decided I don't want to be a Christian anymore. 1189 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:00,167 "I've decided I don't want to be married anymore. 1190 00:54:00,250 --> 00:54:01,917 "I don't want to walk with Jesus. 1191 00:54:02,000 --> 00:54:03,917 "I don't want to play by the rules. 1192 00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:06,125 I want to do whatever I want to do." 1193 00:54:06,167 --> 00:54:08,625 I remember I talked to him, I prayed with him, 1194 00:54:08,667 --> 00:54:11,625 I reasoned with him, I met with him, I gave him books, 1195 00:54:11,667 --> 00:54:13,625 I gave him Scripture, I was calling him. 1196 00:54:13,667 --> 00:54:15,625 He finally just said, "Stop talking to me. 1197 00:54:15,667 --> 00:54:17,125 I have made my decision," 1198 00:54:17,167 --> 00:54:18,625 and they wandered away 1199 00:54:18,667 --> 00:54:25,625 about 15 years ago, OK? 1200 00:54:25,667 --> 00:54:31,125 And I still pray for them every week, sometimes every day. 1201 00:54:31,167 --> 00:54:34,833 And every once in a while, I contact him. 1202 00:54:34,875 --> 00:54:36,958 I just throw the hook in the water. 1203 00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:39,042 "You ready to come back? OK, just checking. 1204 00:54:39,125 --> 00:54:40,458 "Hey, it's me again. 1205 00:54:40,500 --> 00:54:43,167 "Yes, I will bother you until I preach your funeral. 1206 00:54:43,208 --> 00:54:48,208 I will keep calling you." 1207 00:54:52,708 --> 00:54:58,833 This is the last thing on the heart 1208 00:54:58,917 --> 00:55:00,875 of Jesus' little brother 1209 00:55:00,958 --> 00:55:05,750 because this is the last thing on the heart of Jesus. 1210 00:55:05,833 --> 00:55:07,750 He loves people. 1211 00:55:08,625 --> 00:55:11,250 He loves people. 1212 00:55:11,333 --> 00:55:13,833 How about we do this? 1213 00:55:13,917 --> 00:55:19,167 We take a moment and pray silently in your seat 1214 00:55:19,208 --> 00:55:22,167 for your suffering, 1215 00:55:22,208 --> 00:55:25,708 for those who you know and love that may be sick, 1216 00:55:25,792 --> 00:55:29,708 and for those that you know and love who may be wandering, OK? 1217 00:55:29,792 --> 00:55:32,333 And then I'm going to pray, and then I'm going to tell you 1218 00:55:32,417 --> 00:55:35,042 what we're going to do next. 1219 00:55:36,125 --> 00:55:38,000 Holy Spirit, I didn't know that this sermon 1220 00:55:38,042 --> 00:55:39,500 was going to go this direction. 1221 00:55:39,542 --> 00:55:41,500 I thought I'd have an opportunity to do 1222 00:55:41,542 --> 00:55:43,292 a little theological work, 1223 00:55:43,333 --> 00:55:46,500 and talk about Christians, and non-Christians, 1224 00:55:46,542 --> 00:55:48,958 and those who are apostate, and eternal security, 1225 00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:51,458 and losing your salvation. 1226 00:55:51,500 --> 00:55:55,083 But Holy Spirit, this seems like the right place to pause 1227 00:55:55,167 --> 00:55:58,292 and not just have a sermon about prayer 1228 00:55:58,333 --> 00:56:03,125 but to have a sermon of prayer. 1229 00:56:03,167 --> 00:56:07,458 Lord, we pray for those who are suffering emotionally, 1230 00:56:07,500 --> 00:56:12,167 physically, spiritually, mentally, financially. 1231 00:56:12,208 --> 00:56:17,167 We pray that you would take it from them 1232 00:56:17,208 --> 00:56:20,750 or give them the grace to endure it 1233 00:56:20,833 --> 00:56:24,125 and become like Jesus as a result. 1234 00:56:26,625 --> 00:56:31,625 God, we pray for those who are sick. 1235 00:56:31,667 --> 00:56:37,083 God, if it is in part or in full because of sin, 1236 00:56:37,167 --> 00:56:43,083 we pray for them to repent of that sin, confess that sin, 1237 00:56:43,167 --> 00:56:45,958 then hand that sin to Jesus. 1238 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:49,750 And because he died for it, that he would put its power to death, 1239 00:56:49,833 --> 00:56:54,792 and liberate their soul, and heal their body in Jesus' name. 1240 00:56:54,833 --> 00:57:00,458 Lord God, we pray for those who are early into the path of 1241 00:57:00,500 --> 00:57:05,458 wandering, that they would come to their senses and come 1242 00:57:05,500 --> 00:57:09,625 to their Savior, and turn around and return before the road 1243 00:57:09,667 --> 00:57:14,750 gets darker, and more dangerous, and desperate. 1244 00:57:14,833 --> 00:57:18,208 God, we pray for those who have wandered so far 1245 00:57:18,292 --> 00:57:21,750 they've actually run. 1246 00:57:21,833 --> 00:57:24,667 They've run from the truth. 1247 00:57:24,708 --> 00:57:29,500 And Lord God, we know that Satan is the father of lies. 1248 00:57:29,583 --> 00:57:32,417 As Jesus says in John 8, all he does is lie. 1249 00:57:32,500 --> 00:57:34,833 Lying is his native language. 1250 00:57:34,917 --> 00:57:40,167 And one way that he gets sheep to wander from the truth is 1251 00:57:40,208 --> 00:57:46,917 by convincing them of lies about you, about life. 1252 00:57:47,000 --> 00:57:50,417 Lord Jesus, we thank you that the truth will set us free, 1253 00:57:50,500 --> 00:57:53,333 and I pray for those who have wandered that they would return 1254 00:57:53,417 --> 00:57:56,583 to the truth that they know, that God is good, 1255 00:57:56,667 --> 00:58:00,917 that the Bible is true, and that being in community, 1256 00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:03,625 and under authority, and being with Jesus and his people 1257 00:58:03,667 --> 00:58:06,125 is the only place. 1258 00:58:06,167 --> 00:58:07,667 It's the best place. 1259 00:58:07,708 --> 00:58:11,958 It's the safe place. 1260 00:58:12,000 --> 00:58:14,250 Lord God, I pray in particular for those parents 1261 00:58:14,333 --> 00:58:17,333 that have children who have wandered. 1262 00:58:17,417 --> 00:58:23,750 They've got children and grandchildren that know 1263 00:58:23,833 --> 00:58:26,833 something of Jesus or have experienced something of church, 1264 00:58:26,917 --> 00:58:32,042 and yet don't have a heart to walk in the truth. 1265 00:58:32,125 --> 00:58:34,958 They have a heart to wander from the truth, 1266 00:58:35,000 --> 00:58:38,000 and I know that just pains and aches so many, Lord God, 1267 00:58:38,083 --> 00:58:42,125 as we look at our family and our friends. 1268 00:58:42,167 --> 00:58:46,125 God, thank you for our broken hearts. 1269 00:58:46,167 --> 00:58:49,417 That's your heart. 1270 00:58:49,500 --> 00:58:53,542 For those who know people, God, who have wandered, 1271 00:58:53,625 --> 00:58:57,000 get us over our fear of man. 1272 00:58:57,042 --> 00:58:59,583 Get us over our fear of conflict. 1273 00:58:59,667 --> 00:59:04,167 Get us over our fear of rejection and get us to love 1274 00:59:04,208 --> 00:59:07,833 them enough to pursue them so it's about you and them 1275 00:59:07,917 --> 00:59:12,417 and not us. 1276 00:59:12,500 --> 00:59:15,333 Lord God, I pray for the conversations 1277 00:59:15,375 --> 00:59:18,500 that will come out of this sermon 1278 00:59:18,583 --> 00:59:21,958 where certain sheep start to think like shepherds, 1279 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:24,042 and certain sheep start to act like shepherds, 1280 00:59:24,125 --> 00:59:27,042 and certain sheep start to pursue lost sheep 1281 00:59:27,125 --> 00:59:31,917 like good shepherds. 1282 00:59:32,000 --> 00:59:36,833 Lord Jesus, I thank you so much for your little brother James. 1283 00:59:36,917 --> 00:59:41,542 Thank you for all the ways that you instructed him, 1284 00:59:41,625 --> 00:59:44,833 were an example to him. 1285 00:59:44,875 --> 00:59:48,417 Thank you for his faithfulness in serving you until he was 1286 00:59:48,500 --> 00:59:54,250 ultimately put to death as a murdered pastor. 1287 00:59:54,333 --> 00:59:58,458 Lord Jesus, I thank you that James is with you right now, 1288 00:59:58,500 --> 01:00:05,333 that he's with his big brother, that he is fully healed, 1289 01:00:05,417 --> 01:00:10,333 that everything he wrote he is convinced is entirely true, 1290 01:00:10,417 --> 01:00:13,792 and he knows that prayer works because as we pray, 1291 01:00:13,833 --> 01:00:17,792 he sees his big brother going to work. 1292 01:00:17,833 --> 01:00:21,833 Please remove the veil that is between us and your kingdom 1293 01:00:21,917 --> 01:00:26,375 to see you in glory, to see that these are not things that are 1294 01:00:26,458 --> 01:00:30,083 just for our instruction, but for our obedience 1295 01:00:30,167 --> 01:00:33,875 and for our eternal life. 1296 01:00:33,958 --> 01:00:36,958 Lord God, I thank you so much that your word is living 1297 01:00:37,000 --> 01:00:38,958 and active. 1298 01:00:39,000 --> 01:00:41,333 I thank you that in your providence, 1299 01:00:41,417 --> 01:00:43,833 I get an opportunity to teach it. 1300 01:00:43,917 --> 01:00:46,333 And I have no idea what the future might hold 1301 01:00:46,417 --> 01:00:48,542 as we lay out a book of the Bible, 1302 01:00:48,625 --> 01:00:54,208 but this timeless book is always so timely. 1303 01:00:54,292 --> 01:00:59,917 And Lord Jesus, I thank you so much for the church, 1304 01:01:00,042 --> 01:01:02,375 and I thank you for the people of the church, 1305 01:01:02,458 --> 01:01:05,375 and the leaders of the church, and those who have a heart 1306 01:01:05,458 --> 01:01:07,583 for the church, and those who serve the church, 1307 01:01:07,667 --> 01:01:09,333 and those who give to the church. 1308 01:01:09,417 --> 01:01:12,083 And I thank you that the final word from Pastor James 1309 01:01:12,167 --> 01:01:13,958 is about the church. 1310 01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:17,667 And Lord, as we close our time together, 1311 01:01:17,708 --> 01:01:19,958 as we prepare to partake of Communion, 1312 01:01:20,000 --> 01:01:21,875 remembering the sacrifice of Jesus, 1313 01:01:21,958 --> 01:01:27,500 and collect our tithes and offerings, Father God, 1314 01:01:27,542 --> 01:01:30,667 we want to answer this question: 1315 01:01:30,750 --> 01:01:33,875 Is any of you cheerful? 1316 01:01:33,958 --> 01:01:36,042 Yes. 1317 01:01:36,125 --> 01:01:38,375 We have a Jesus who hears us. 1318 01:01:38,458 --> 01:01:41,083 We have a Jesus who loves us. 1319 01:01:41,167 --> 01:01:45,000 We have a Jesus who heals us. 1320 01:01:45,042 --> 01:01:48,833 We have a Jesus who has gone before us. 1321 01:01:48,917 --> 01:01:53,625 We have a Jesus who endures with us. 1322 01:01:53,667 --> 01:01:58,083 We have a Jesus who works out all things for good. 1323 01:01:58,167 --> 01:02:04,000 We have a Jesus who overcomes every and any obstacle 1324 01:02:04,042 --> 01:02:07,875 to bring the wayward home, 1325 01:02:07,958 --> 01:02:12,750 to humble the proud, to serve the hurting, 1326 01:02:12,833 --> 01:02:16,167 to bless the needy, to encourage the downcast. 1327 01:02:16,250 --> 01:02:18,833 Is any of you cheerful? 1328 01:02:18,917 --> 01:02:21,542 Lord Jesus, the answer is yes, 1329 01:02:21,625 --> 01:02:24,375 because you are our righteousness, 1330 01:02:24,458 --> 01:02:28,667 and you are our strength, and you are our cheer. 1331 01:02:28,750 --> 01:02:32,500 Our joy is found in you. 1332 01:02:32,542 --> 01:02:35,250 Lord Jesus, some of us are suffering, 1333 01:02:35,333 --> 01:02:40,042 and some of us are sick, and some of us are wayward, 1334 01:02:40,125 --> 01:02:44,958 and for all of us, there's an opportunity to be cheerful 1335 01:02:45,000 --> 01:02:47,500 because you comfort the suffering, 1336 01:02:47,542 --> 01:02:49,458 you heal the sick, 1337 01:02:49,500 --> 01:02:51,792 and you welcome home the wayward. 1338 01:02:51,833 --> 01:02:54,708 And so Lord Jesus, as we enter into our time of song, 1339 01:02:54,792 --> 01:02:58,333 we answer Pastor James' great question. 1340 01:02:58,375 --> 01:03:01,000 Are any of you cheerful? 1341 01:03:01,042 --> 01:03:03,000 And the answer is yes, 1342 01:03:03,042 --> 01:03:04,667 and the response is, "Let them sing." 1343 01:03:04,750 --> 01:03:09,542 So Lord Jesus, we come to sing as cheerful people, 1344 01:03:09,625 --> 01:03:15,333 people who find you, Lord Jesus, to be a great source of joy, 1345 01:03:15,417 --> 01:03:18,875 and encouragement, and affection, and perseverance, 1346 01:03:18,958 --> 01:03:23,792 and love, and grace, and mercy. 1347 01:03:23,833 --> 01:03:27,083 Lord Jesus, you are not just a theological concept 1348 01:03:27,167 --> 01:03:29,458 but a living Lord. 1349 01:03:29,500 --> 01:03:31,958 You didn't just write a book for us to read, 1350 01:03:32,000 --> 01:03:35,667 you sent the Spirit to make it sing in our heart. 1351 01:03:35,750 --> 01:03:39,167 And as we come to sing, we come to sing to the Lord Jesus 1352 01:03:39,250 --> 01:03:42,792 in whom together we find much cheer. 1353 01:03:42,833 --> 01:03:44,333 Amen. 1354 01:03:45,417 --> 01:03:46,792 Pastor Sutton here, 1355 01:03:46,833 --> 01:03:49,833 we've just finished our services here in the Bellevue church 1356 01:03:49,875 --> 01:03:55,667 and really excited today to tell the extended family of Mars Hill Global 1357 01:03:55,708 --> 01:03:57,333 about Text to Give. 1358 01:03:57,375 --> 01:04:00,125 Just came out and many of you know my story: 1359 01:04:00,167 --> 01:04:04,292 2007 heard Pastor Mark at a pastor's conference 1360 01:04:04,333 --> 01:04:06,583 went there, started podcasting. 1361 01:04:06,667 --> 01:04:09,500 I still gave my tithe to my local church, 1362 01:04:09,583 --> 01:04:12,917 however, gave a contribution amount to Mars Hill Church. 1363 01:04:13,000 --> 01:04:17,583 So this Text to Give, the video that we have produced for you, 1364 01:04:17,667 --> 01:04:19,833 you're going to love, so check this out. 1365 01:04:22,000 --> 01:04:24,667 Hey Mars Hill, my name is Rene and I work here 1366 01:04:24,750 --> 01:04:27,208 at the Media and Communications team at Mars Hill Church. 1367 01:04:27,292 --> 01:04:29,000 If you're a mobile user like me, 1368 01:04:29,042 --> 01:04:31,167 I've got some exciting news to share with you. 1369 01:04:31,208 --> 01:04:33,625 There's a new way to give at Mars Hill Church 1370 01:04:33,667 --> 01:04:35,875 and it's just as easy as sending a text. 1371 01:04:35,958 --> 01:04:38,667 Now, many of you take advantage of our online giving options, 1372 01:04:38,708 --> 01:04:41,375 which is a great way to set up recurring gifts, 1373 01:04:41,458 --> 01:04:44,625 but until now, we haven't had a way to set up mobile, 1374 01:04:44,667 --> 01:04:47,500 where you can give on the spot during our services. 1375 01:04:47,583 --> 01:04:49,542 If you're like me, you don't carry cash 1376 01:04:49,625 --> 01:04:53,167 you don't carry a checkbook, so Text to Give is the way to go. 1377 01:04:53,208 --> 01:04:57,583 It's fun, it's simple, and best of all, it's secure. 1378 01:04:57,667 --> 01:04:59,542 I want you to do something with me. 1379 01:04:59,625 --> 01:05:01,542 Take out your smart phone right now; 1380 01:05:01,625 --> 01:05:03,375 we're going to do something together. 1381 01:05:03,458 --> 01:05:05,333 Don't worry, you're not obligated to give, 1382 01:05:05,375 --> 01:05:07,333 but try this out. 1383 01:05:07,375 --> 01:05:10,167 Simply send the amount you want to give 1384 01:05:10,250 --> 01:05:16,208 and the word "Mars Hill" at the end to the following number: 45777. 1385 01:05:17,417 --> 01:05:19,083 The first time you give via text, 1386 01:05:19,167 --> 01:05:21,750 you will be asked to fill out a one-time form, 1387 01:05:21,833 --> 01:05:24,833 which will safely link your card to your smart phone. 1388 01:05:24,917 --> 01:05:28,292 Now, this new way of giving doesn't go into your phone bill, 1389 01:05:28,333 --> 01:05:30,167 and in case you make a mistake, 1390 01:05:30,250 --> 01:05:33,917 you can always get a refund for the gift that you've given. 1391 01:05:34,000 --> 01:05:35,958 And that's it; you're done. 1392 01:05:36,000 --> 01:05:38,125 You'll receive a text back confirming your gift 1393 01:05:38,167 --> 01:05:40,667 and from this moment forward, you'll be able to give 1394 01:05:40,708 --> 01:05:43,375 anywhere, anytime with just a single text. 1395 01:05:43,458 --> 01:05:46,167 Don't forget to save the number in your contact list. 1396 01:05:46,208 --> 01:05:49,292 I've saved it as "Mars Hill Text to Give." 1397 01:05:49,333 --> 01:05:51,167 For more information about our giving options 1398 01:05:51,208 --> 01:05:54,417 you can visit marshill.com/give. 1399 01:05:56,125 --> 01:05:59,042 Each year, over 10 million Mars Hill church sermons 1400 01:05:59,125 --> 01:06:02,208 are downloaded worldwide for free. 1401 01:06:02,292 --> 01:06:04,833 This ministry is generously supported 1402 01:06:04,875 --> 01:06:07,458 by Mars Hill church members and listeners like you. 1403 01:06:07,500 --> 01:06:11,000 If you'd like to support our efforts to preach Jesus to the world, 1404 01:06:11,083 --> 01:06:14,000 Please consider making a tax-deductible donation 1405 01:06:14,083 --> 01:06:16,917 by visiting marshill.com/give.