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So what's your nickname?
You have a nickname?

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You ever get a nickname?

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We tend to only give nicknames
to our friends and our enemies,

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the people we love
and hate the most.

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And there's a guy named John in
the Bible and he had a nickname.

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They called him
"the one that Jesus loved."

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Great nickname.

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And the story of John
is he was a young man,

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probably in his 20s.

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He was working in a business
with his dad, a fishing company,

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and along comes Jesus Christ,
beginning his preaching

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and teaching ministry.

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And he calls John to walk
away from the family business,

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his security, his income,
and to trust him for the future

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and to walk with him
for whatever Jesus intended.

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And he walked away from his
father's business

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that he would have inherited
as one of the sons.

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And along with his brother,
he became what they called

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a disciple of Jesus.

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And he was with Jesus
for about 3 years.

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He was there when Jesus did his
preaching, teaching, healing,

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casting out demons, walking
on water, rising from death.

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John was there for all of it,

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and he was part of the inner
circle of three disciples.

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There were 12, but 3 got
special access to Jesus:

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Peter, James, and John.

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And John was the youngest
of the disciples

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and so the relationship between
he and Jesus was like

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big brother and little brother.

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Maybe Jesus was, I don't know,
5, 10 years older than John.

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So think of a big brother who
really loves his little brother

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and conversely, the little
brother who really loves

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his big brother.

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That's John.

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John was there when
Jesus died on the cross.

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John was there when
Jesus rose from death.

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John was there when Jesus
ascended back into heaven.

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John was so aware
of Jesus' love,

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that he couldn't stop talking
about it and it shaped

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his identity and it
transformed his destiny.

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For you and I, our identity is
rooted in someone or something.

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And if our identity is sourced
in anyone or anything other than

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the love of Jesus, it puts us in
a really dangerous place

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for our well-being.

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If we don't believe
that we're loved,

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we'll end up using
people, manipulating them,

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getting into unhealthy
relationships.

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Counselors will call it
co-dependency where we have

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a love addiction and we just
need someone to love us.

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Or if we believe that
we're unloved or unlovable,

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we become depressed.

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We become sad.

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We become, perhaps,
even suicidal.

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"Why is my life worth living
if no one cares for me?"

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When we understand
that Jesus loves us,

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it transforms our identity
and it reshapes our destiny.

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It changes everything.

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That's exactly what it did for
John, the one whom Jesus loved.

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And so he went from this young
man in his 20s to an old man,

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perhaps a hundred years of age,
having walked faithfully

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as a Christian
for 70-plus years.

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Jesus' love altered
his entire life course.

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He never was the same, and he
spent his entire life

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talking about the love of Jesus,
that Jesus loves us.

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He saw all the other disciples
buried, most of them a brutal,

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bloody martyr's death.

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And John lived to about 100 A.D.

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He wrote books of the Bible,
1, 2, and 3 John,

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as well as Revelation
and the Gospel of John.

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And when he was an old man,
church history outside of

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the Scriptures says that he was
too elderly to walk

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from place to place
and church to church.

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So when he would
sort of go on tour,

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if we can use that language,
they would carry the very

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elderly hundred-year-old John,
and they would sit him

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in a chair up in front of the
church because he was too old

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to stand for long periods
of time.

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And he would just say
over and over and over,

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"You are the children of
God, love one another,

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love one another."

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And that was his heart's cry
throughout his life's ministry.

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And so today we're gonna hear
from John about the fact

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that Jesus loves us from
the one whom Jesus loved.

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We'll be in 1 John 3 beginning
in verse 11 and in 1 John 2

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he talks about Jesus loves us.

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1 John 4, he talks
a lot about Jesus loves us.

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And we're gonna look at
the section in the middle,

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1 John 3 that Jesus loves us.

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And here's how he begins.

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He says to love one another.

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1 John 3:11, "For this is
the message that you have heard

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from the beginning, that we
should love one another."

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John's saying, "We're
just going to start

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"in Christian kindergarten.

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Christian kindergarten
is this: love."

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This is the first thing
we tell kids, right?

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"Love one another.
Jesus loves us."

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That's what we tell them.

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We tell the little kids,
"Jesus loves me, this I know."

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We teach them the little song.

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Christian kindergarten is love.

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That's where it all starts, that
our God is a Trinitarian God,

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one God, three persons.

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God is love.

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That's what it says in
1 John 4, the next chapter.

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God is love and God loves us,
and we should love one another.

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Now here's what I'm assuming:
you all agree with that.

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All right, within Christianity,
there's lots of divisions,

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teams, theologies,
traditions, denominations.

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There is, however,
no anti-love movement.

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Of all the things that
have been opposed,

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there's no group of people
saying, "We're against love,

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"kindness, mercy, compassion.

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"The problem is far
too much of that.

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That just needs to go away."

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We all agree, right, loving
one another, good thing.

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Yes or no?

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Good thing.

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He's starting in a very simple
place and then he's going to

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lead us into a very
convicting place.

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And let me say this, Mars Hill,
the greatest threat to

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our health and well-being as
a church is not out there,

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it's in here.

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It's not the strangers,
but the family members.

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Sometimes it is presented
that the greatest threat to

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the health, well-being, forward
progress of the church of

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Jesus Christ, including local
churches like ours is out there.

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It's the politicians.

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It's whatever.

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It's the liberals.
It's the conservatives.

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It's the Democrats.
It's the Republicans.

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It's the Syrians.
It's the Iranians.

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It's the terrorists.

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It's the whatever-it
-is, and certainly,

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people and things surrounding
us in the world do affect,

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impinge upon our freedoms
and our joys and our life,

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but the greatest
threat to our unity,

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our health, and our
progress is us.

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It's us.

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Because what a church is, it's
a series of relationships.

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Between our locations, and
our services, and our people,

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and our Community Groups,
and our Redemption Groups,

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and our elders, and our
deacons, and our members,

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and our team leads,

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there are all of
these relationships,

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and every single one of them
is a potential fault line

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where people don't love
one another.

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And if they don't
love one another,

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then we have an earthquake
and the ground becomes unstable

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and everyone becomes distracted.

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And all of a sudden, panic
starts to set in

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and it can happen anywhere.

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It means that if you're
in a Community Group,

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if two people
in your Community Group

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choose not to love one another,

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we can
have a real problem,

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a crisis that actually involves
the whole family, perchance,

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based around that conflicted,
unresolved relationship.

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This is where you get church
splits, church fights.

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This is where there's arguing
and acrimony and hostility

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and escalation.

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And here's what I have seen in
now 16 years of ministry

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at Mars Hill
since core group phase,

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Satan loves it when Christians
don't love one another,

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and he empowers
bitter believers.

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Man, if there's an opportunity
for separation, division,

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acrimony, infighting,
conflict, hostility, division,

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he absolutely involves himself.

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He likes to magnify
minor problems.

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He likes to escalate
minor conflicts.

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He wants what otherwise could be
a reconciled relationship

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to end up in a war.

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And you and I are all vulnerable

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because we're part of
Mars Hill Church.

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And if you're new,
welcome, we love you.

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We're glad to have you.

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And if you're
a non-Christian, we love you,

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we're glad to have you, but
there's no way that we think

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that the problems that we have
are primarily going to be

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caused by you.

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We acknowledge and accept
that the primary problems in

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the church are always caused
by the Christians who call

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the church home, but don't
love one another.

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It's very important that
we're not just a big church,

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but we're a church
that's also big on love.

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And God's doing something really
unique in Mars Hill Church.

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There's a magazine coming out
with their annual list of

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the biggest, fastest-growing,
most influential

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churches in America.

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I've been told that out
of the eight categories,

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we're top ten in six of them.

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What God is doing in our
church is loving his church.

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Jesus loves this church.

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And what he's doing is very
unusual as we grow and expand

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and people get saved, and
non-Christians are watching

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and other Christians
are watching.

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And our sustained health is
really contingent on one simple

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thing: love one another.

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It really comes down to that.

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The greatest division among
the disciples was one of them

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named Judas Iscariot.

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Paul, in his farewell address to
the Ephesian elders in Acts 20,

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says, "Men will arise from your
own number, distort the truth,

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and lead many astray."

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The biggest problem
for the church

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is always in the church,

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and it's people who are
not loving one another,

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but they're fighting with one
another or using one another.

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And so John starts with a simple
presumption and assumption.

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It's a good thing to
love one another, right?

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And the answer is yes.

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And so he begins with this
exhortation, "Love one another."

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And then he moves to
a restriction saying,

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"Do not hate one another."

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1 John 3:12-15,
"We should not be like Cain,

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"who was of the evil one
and murdered his brother.

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"And why did he murder him?

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"Because his own deeds
were evil

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"and his brother's
righteous.

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Do not be surprised--"

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Don't be shocked,

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don't freak out when you read
the comments in the local paper

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because something good happened
and everybody makes it

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sound like we're terrorists
ruining the universe,

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"that the world hates you."

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Let me start with this:

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you won't be loved
by everyone.

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If you have fear-of-man
issues, insecurity issues,

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people-pleasing issues,
you're going to want this,

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you're going to want
to be loved and loved,

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loved by the Lord
and loved by the world.

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And when it uses
the language here of "world,"

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it's not just talking about
nations or cultures or tribes.

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It's talking about the world
system, collective flesh.

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It's talking about human
rebellion organized together

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against God.

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Non-Christians
think differently.

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Non-Christians
value differently.

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Non-Christians see why we're
here, where we come from,

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where we're going and who
will judge us differently.

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Not only that,

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we have a completely
different authority.

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We believe in Scripture,
the world does not.

245
00:12:22,292 --> 00:12:24,292
We believe in Jesus,
the world does not.

246
00:12:24,333 --> 00:12:26,708
We believe the problem is
sin, the world does not.

247
00:12:26,792 --> 00:12:29,625
We believe that the answer is
Christ, and the world does not.

248
00:12:29,667 --> 00:12:33,917
And Jesus loves us and we love
Jesus and if we love Jesus,

249
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,208
there will be hatred
from the world.

250
00:12:36,292 --> 00:12:39,208
Some of you want this: you want
the Lord to love you

251
00:12:39,292 --> 00:12:40,708
and the world to love you.

252
00:12:40,792 --> 00:12:43,375
You want the world
and the Lord to both say,

253
00:12:43,458 --> 00:12:45,583
"Well done.
I'm pleased with you.

254
00:12:45,667 --> 00:12:48,583
"I agree with you.
I have no problem with you.

255
00:12:48,667 --> 00:12:50,708
I have no resistance
toward you."

256
00:12:50,792 --> 00:12:55,625
And you cannot, will not,
should not, in any way,

257
00:12:55,667 --> 00:13:01,125
anticipate that that is even
the remotest possibility.

258
00:13:01,167 --> 00:13:07,000
If Satan and the world hates
Jesus and you love Jesus,

259
00:13:07,083 --> 00:13:11,583
you will be hated
because of who you love.

260
00:13:11,667 --> 00:13:14,000
So let me say this,
the question is not,

261
00:13:14,083 --> 00:13:16,500
dear friend,
will you be hated?

262
00:13:16,583 --> 00:13:19,083
The question is: will you be
hated by the world,

263
00:13:19,167 --> 00:13:21,625
or will you be hated
by the Lord?

264
00:13:21,667 --> 00:13:23,833
The question is not:
will you be hated?

265
00:13:23,875 --> 00:13:27,208
The question is:
who will hate you?

266
00:13:27,292 --> 00:13:29,500
Why will they hate you?

267
00:13:29,583 --> 00:13:34,375
If Jesus loves you and you love
Jesus, the world will hate you.

268
00:13:34,458 --> 00:13:39,208
If you love the world,
Jesus will hate you.

269
00:13:39,292 --> 00:13:43,833
And because Jesus and this world
system, this demonic, evil

270
00:13:43,875 --> 00:13:49,417
resistance to the Lordship of
Christ is so present

271
00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:52,000
on the earth
that there is no way

272
00:13:52,083 --> 00:13:54,667
you can have both good and evil,

273
00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:59,917
God and Satan, the kingdom of
God and the world both say that

274
00:14:00,042 --> 00:14:02,125
they are pleased with you.

275
00:14:02,167 --> 00:14:06,292
Obedience is an act
of war to the world.

276
00:14:06,333 --> 00:14:09,000
Worship is an act
of war to the world.

277
00:14:09,083 --> 00:14:13,083
Repentance is an act
of war to the world.

278
00:14:13,167 --> 00:14:15,208
Now, we're not to
hate the world.

279
00:14:15,292 --> 00:14:18,833
We're to, as the Bible says,
hate the sin in the world and

280
00:14:18,875 --> 00:14:23,167
hate the essence of the world's
system but so far as the people

281
00:14:23,250 --> 00:14:24,875
in the world are concerned,

282
00:14:24,958 --> 00:14:28,875
we're told to even love
our enemies.

283
00:14:28,958 --> 00:14:31,667
How's it going for you?

284
00:14:31,750 --> 00:14:34,208
How many of you, you
would say you love Jesus,

285
00:14:34,292 --> 00:14:37,000
but you don't even talk about him
with your non-Christian friends

286
00:14:37,042 --> 00:14:39,125
because you know that
they would criticize you,

287
00:14:39,167 --> 00:14:42,167
disagree with you, and what
you want is their approval?

288
00:14:42,250 --> 00:14:43,583
You want their love.

289
00:14:43,667 --> 00:14:45,000
You want their affection.

290
00:14:45,042 --> 00:14:47,333
You want their acceptance.

291
00:14:47,375 --> 00:14:51,125
I'll let you in on a secret, we
worship a guy who got murdered.

292
00:14:51,167 --> 00:14:53,208
Okay?

293
00:14:53,292 --> 00:14:56,500
What that means is,
not everyone loved him.

294
00:14:56,542 --> 00:14:58,625
When a crowd got together
and shouted,

295
00:14:58,667 --> 00:15:00,500
"Crucify him.
Crucify him!"

296
00:15:00,542 --> 00:15:02,792
What that didn't mean in
the literal Greek was

297
00:15:02,833 --> 00:15:05,083
"We love him.
We love him."

298
00:15:05,167 --> 00:15:07,875
It meant, "We hate him.
We hate him."

299
00:15:07,958 --> 00:15:11,583
And if Jesus was loved by
some but hated by others,

300
00:15:11,667 --> 00:15:15,000
then to receive the love of
Jesus and to love Jesus means

301
00:15:15,083 --> 00:15:19,208
similarly we will be loved
by some and hated by others.

302
00:15:19,292 --> 00:15:22,500
And you just need to get
a little thicker skin

303
00:15:22,542 --> 00:15:25,833
and you need to, perhaps
even though grieving that,

304
00:15:25,875 --> 00:15:28,000
you need to come
to grips with that.

305
00:15:28,042 --> 00:15:29,917
It's going to be that way.

306
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,667
How many of you, your parents
don't know you love Jesus?

307
00:15:32,750 --> 00:15:34,667
Your family members don't
know you love Jesus?

308
00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:36,083
Your coworkers,
your friends?

309
00:15:36,167 --> 00:15:37,625
You don't really
talk about Jesus.

310
00:15:37,667 --> 00:15:40,333
You certainly don't bring up
the Bible and you never say

311
00:15:40,375 --> 00:15:41,708
these two words, "Mars Hill."

312
00:15:41,792 --> 00:15:44,000
You just don't even
go there, okay?

313
00:15:44,083 --> 00:15:46,000
It's like pulling
a pin on the grenade.

314
00:15:46,083 --> 00:15:50,917
It's like, "It's gonna go."

315
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:55,500
You're going to be hated, so be
hated because Jesus loves you.

316
00:15:55,542 --> 00:15:58,833
Be hated because you love Jesus.

317
00:15:58,875 --> 00:16:02,917
This is not that we should be
mean, or rude, or inconsiderate,

318
00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,083
that we should even
love our enemies,

319
00:16:05,167 --> 00:16:07,375
but sometimes our enemies
will just choose to persist

320
00:16:07,458 --> 00:16:09,333
in being our enemies.

321
00:16:09,375 --> 00:16:10,833
Love one another.

322
00:16:10,875 --> 00:16:12,792
Do not hate one another.

323
00:16:12,833 --> 00:16:16,000
He says there's really only
two options, Cain or Abel.

324
00:16:16,083 --> 00:16:18,375
Now some of you are
familiar with the story,

325
00:16:18,458 --> 00:16:20,292
some of you are not.

326
00:16:20,333 --> 00:16:22,833
Here's the story,
Genesis 1 and 2,

327
00:16:22,875 --> 00:16:25,583
God makes everything out
of nothing for his glory

328
00:16:25,667 --> 00:16:27,375
and our good.

329
00:16:27,458 --> 00:16:30,583
Our first parents, Adam and Eve
made in the image and likeness

330
00:16:30,667 --> 00:16:32,500
of God, no sin nature.

331
00:16:32,583 --> 00:16:35,208
They are perfect altogether
and they live in

332
00:16:35,292 --> 00:16:39,125
the best grocery store ever.

333
00:16:39,167 --> 00:16:40,917
It's called Eden.

334
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,833
It's filled with fresh
fruits and fresh vegetables.

335
00:16:43,875 --> 00:16:46,625
It makes Trader Joe's
look like a 7-Eleven.

336
00:16:46,667 --> 00:16:48,333
It's amazing.

337
00:16:48,375 --> 00:16:49,708
Okay?

338
00:16:49,792 --> 00:16:53,000
And so they live in this perfect
garden that God made, organic,

339
00:16:53,083 --> 00:16:55,500
natural, holistic diet.

340
00:16:55,542 --> 00:16:57,000
The sun is shining.

341
00:16:57,042 --> 00:16:58,833
God loves them.

342
00:16:58,875 --> 00:17:00,333
There is no sin.

343
00:17:00,375 --> 00:17:01,708
There is no sickness.

344
00:17:01,792 --> 00:17:03,125
There is no Satan.

345
00:17:03,167 --> 00:17:05,500
There is no suffering.

346
00:17:05,583 --> 00:17:07,708
No one's gonna die.

347
00:17:07,792 --> 00:17:09,708
Everything is perfect.

348
00:17:09,792 --> 00:17:11,708
And God tells them
that they can partake

349
00:17:11,792 --> 00:17:14,292
of the whole grocery store
called the Garden of Eden

350
00:17:14,333 --> 00:17:16,917
with one exception,

351
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,917
there's one particular thing
that they're not permitted

352
00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:21,417
to partake of.

353
00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:22,833
And what do they do?

354
00:17:22,875 --> 00:17:25,208
The one thing they're
not allowed to do.

355
00:17:25,292 --> 00:17:28,208
Isn't that amazing?
We do the same thing.

356
00:17:28,292 --> 00:17:32,917
God can give us rich grace
and he gives something that is

357
00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,500
forbidden, and we rebel against
him and go for the one thing

358
00:17:37,583 --> 00:17:39,167
that he told us not to.

359
00:17:39,250 --> 00:17:43,417
And then we tragically find that
it was bad for us and he wasn't

360
00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:47,833
trying to limit our freedom, he
was trying to increase our joy

361
00:17:47,875 --> 00:17:51,708
and we wounded ourselves, which
is what foolish children do who

362
00:17:51,792 --> 00:17:53,625
don't listen to their parents.

363
00:17:53,667 --> 00:17:57,417
And the father's rules are
always to protect the children,

364
00:17:57,500 --> 00:18:01,500
not to restrict, inhibit,
limit them in any way.

365
00:18:01,583 --> 00:18:04,417
And so our first parents rebel
against God and as a result,

366
00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:08,000
they become sinners
by nature and choice.

367
00:18:08,042 --> 00:18:10,917
They then give birth,
after the fall,

368
00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,583
after sin enters the world, and
there's two sons, Cain and Abel,

369
00:18:14,667 --> 00:18:16,500
the first brothers.

370
00:18:16,583 --> 00:18:18,833
Any of you guys have a brother?

371
00:18:18,875 --> 00:18:21,125
You guys ever fight?

372
00:18:21,167 --> 00:18:24,083
It goes a long way back.

373
00:18:24,167 --> 00:18:28,958
Cain and Abel fight,
but not at first.

374
00:18:30,500 --> 00:18:35,083
They grow up with a sin
nature and at this point,

375
00:18:35,167 --> 00:18:40,667
they're men working their
trade as young men do.

376
00:18:42,792 --> 00:18:46,000
Genesis 4 records
their two vocations.

377
00:18:46,042 --> 00:18:48,833
I'll make sure
I get this right.

378
00:18:48,875 --> 00:18:52,417
Cain was a farmer
and Abel was a herdsman.

379
00:18:52,500 --> 00:18:58,625
So Cain's working the ground and
producing fruit and vegetation.

380
00:18:58,667 --> 00:19:02,500
Abel is a herdsman,
he's raising animals.

381
00:19:02,583 --> 00:19:05,708
Noble professions, yes or no?

382
00:19:05,792 --> 00:19:08,000
Yeah, throughout
the Bible, these are godly,

383
00:19:08,083 --> 00:19:11,708
noble professions,
a farmer and a herdsman.

384
00:19:11,792 --> 00:19:15,625
And this goes on for many years.

385
00:19:15,667 --> 00:19:20,000
They're working their job and
occasionally they get together

386
00:19:20,042 --> 00:19:22,000
and they have church.

387
00:19:22,042 --> 00:19:23,667
They come to meet with the Lord.

388
00:19:23,750 --> 00:19:25,167
That's what church is,

389
00:19:25,250 --> 00:19:27,833
it's the people of
God coming to meet with God.

390
00:19:27,875 --> 00:19:30,000
And when they come,
they bring their offering.

391
00:19:30,042 --> 00:19:32,583
Now it's important here,
the language of Genesis 4

392
00:19:32,667 --> 00:19:35,208
is not sacrifice,
but it's an offering,

393
00:19:35,292 --> 00:19:37,000
just like you bring
your offering.

394
00:19:37,083 --> 00:19:38,708
Some of you will give in cash.

395
00:19:38,792 --> 00:19:40,500
Some of you will give in credit.

396
00:19:40,542 --> 00:19:42,625
Some of you will give in check.

397
00:19:42,667 --> 00:19:45,625
Some of you will bequeath real
estate to the cause of Jesus

398
00:19:45,667 --> 00:19:47,500
and the forward progress
of the church.

399
00:19:47,583 --> 00:19:49,667
It's different ways of
bringing your offering.

400
00:19:49,750 --> 00:19:52,333
You bring your offering,
your gift unto the Lord.

401
00:19:52,375 --> 00:19:55,000
You're giving to
the Lord who gave to you.

402
00:19:55,083 --> 00:19:57,500
And this goes on for many years.

403
00:19:57,542 --> 00:20:00,417
And Genesis 4 records the fact
that when they get together for

404
00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:03,000
church, it is customary
for each of them to bring

405
00:20:03,083 --> 00:20:04,417
their firstfruits.

406
00:20:04,500 --> 00:20:06,917
Firstfruits is what God
requires in the Bible.

407
00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,625
It's your first and your best.

408
00:20:08,667 --> 00:20:12,292
See, what we tend to do is we
tend to give away all of our

409
00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:13,833
money to all of our obligations.

410
00:20:13,875 --> 00:20:16,333
If there's anything left,
we give some to the Lord,

411
00:20:16,375 --> 00:20:18,333
and there's never any
left, so we don't.

412
00:20:18,375 --> 00:20:20,833
Meanwhile, the government comes
in with a brand-new F word

413
00:20:20,875 --> 00:20:22,667
called FICA and they
take firstfruits.

414
00:20:22,750 --> 00:20:24,083
Okay?

415
00:20:24,167 --> 00:20:26,583
And they just take,
before you even get paid,

416
00:20:26,667 --> 00:20:28,000
the government got theirs.

417
00:20:28,042 --> 00:20:30,333
So the government's put
themselves in the position of

418
00:20:30,375 --> 00:20:32,125
God where they
always get the first.

419
00:20:32,167 --> 00:20:34,833
They're the first fork into
the middle of the table.

420
00:20:34,875 --> 00:20:36,333
"That's mine."

421
00:20:36,375 --> 00:20:38,167
That's the government, okay?

422
00:20:38,250 --> 00:20:41,583
Now, what an offering is,
an offering is taking first

423
00:20:41,667 --> 00:20:44,625
and best and giving that
to the Lord, realizing,

424
00:20:44,667 --> 00:20:48,292
recognizing that everything we
have comes from the Lord and

425
00:20:48,333 --> 00:20:53,292
thanking him for his provision
and then living wisely off of

426
00:20:53,333 --> 00:20:56,917
whatever is left for
us and our family.

427
00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,125
Now, both of these men, this
seems to be their pattern and

428
00:21:00,167 --> 00:21:03,125
habit, they give their offering
to the Lord and they give of

429
00:21:03,167 --> 00:21:06,500
their firstfruits and they give
according to their vocation.

430
00:21:06,542 --> 00:21:10,500
So, Cain would bring produce
from his field,

431
00:21:10,542 --> 00:21:13,500
and Abel would bring an animal
from his herd.

432
00:21:13,583 --> 00:21:15,167
Perfectly acceptable.

433
00:21:15,250 --> 00:21:16,792
Again, these are not sacrifices.

434
00:21:16,833 --> 00:21:18,417
These are offerings.

435
00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:20,500
Perfectly acceptable.

436
00:21:20,583 --> 00:21:23,083
And Genesis 4 records
an occasion where,

437
00:21:23,167 --> 00:21:27,375
in their little church service,
God rejects Cain

438
00:21:27,458 --> 00:21:32,417
and his offering and receives
Abel and his offering.

439
00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:38,125
And from that point, the
commentators are very confused.

440
00:21:38,167 --> 00:21:45,167
I've read literally maybe
50-plus interpretations,

441
00:21:46,333 --> 00:21:52,500
speculations about why Cain was
rejected and Abel was accepted.

442
00:21:52,583 --> 00:21:55,208
Here's my belief.

443
00:21:55,292 --> 00:21:57,917
The problem was not what
they brought in their hands,

444
00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,625
but what they brought
in their heart.

445
00:22:00,667 --> 00:22:04,000
And the confusion is if you look
at what they brought in their

446
00:22:04,042 --> 00:22:07,000
hands, it's not like one was
bad and the other was good.

447
00:22:07,042 --> 00:22:09,000
They're both good.

448
00:22:09,083 --> 00:22:11,500
It would be like you today,
one of you saying,

449
00:22:11,583 --> 00:22:12,917
"Well, I'm gonna give cash."

450
00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:15,125
And the other says,
"I'm gonna write a check."

451
00:22:15,167 --> 00:22:17,333
And God says, "I love
one, not the other."

452
00:22:17,375 --> 00:22:20,833
Well, in the end, those are
both acceptable offerings.

453
00:22:20,875 --> 00:22:22,625
Why?

454
00:22:22,667 --> 00:22:26,667
Well, it was not what was
in their hands and visible.

455
00:22:26,750 --> 00:22:30,625
It was what was in their heart
and only visible to the Lord.

456
00:22:30,667 --> 00:22:33,333
Here in 1 John 3 he says
that Cain's offering

457
00:22:33,375 --> 00:22:34,917
was unacceptable.

458
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:36,625
It was unrighteous.

459
00:22:36,667 --> 00:22:38,917
Hebrews 11:4 says that Cain's
offering, unlike Abel's,

460
00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:41,208
was without faith.

461
00:22:41,292 --> 00:22:44,292
That's really very
important because, see,

462
00:22:44,333 --> 00:22:49,000
what is visible to
us is the outward.

463
00:22:49,042 --> 00:22:51,000
What is visible to
God is the inward.

464
00:22:51,042 --> 00:22:53,708
That's where the Bible says,
"Man looks at the outward

465
00:22:53,792 --> 00:22:55,208
and God looks at the," what?

466
00:22:55,292 --> 00:22:57,125
"The heart."

467
00:22:57,167 --> 00:23:01,667
So, let's take this church
meeting with Cain and Abel

468
00:23:01,750 --> 00:23:04,500
and apply it to our
current situation.

469
00:23:04,542 --> 00:23:06,833
Because outwardly, they
look the same, but inwardly,

470
00:23:06,875 --> 00:23:09,000
they're very different.

471
00:23:09,042 --> 00:23:11,708
It would be like
you and I today.

472
00:23:11,792 --> 00:23:14,875
The person sitting next to you
or in front of you or in

473
00:23:14,958 --> 00:23:19,292
the rear of you, they got up at
the same time that you did.

474
00:23:19,333 --> 00:23:21,333
They got in their car like you.

475
00:23:21,375 --> 00:23:23,917
They drove to church like you.

476
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:26,625
They parked
and walked in like you.

477
00:23:26,667 --> 00:23:28,375
They sat down like you.

478
00:23:28,458 --> 00:23:30,167
They're listening to
the sermon like you.

479
00:23:30,250 --> 00:23:32,375
They'll give their
offerings like you.

480
00:23:32,458 --> 00:23:35,000
They'll sing the songs
and raise their hand like you.

481
00:23:35,083 --> 00:23:37,917
They'll take Communion like you.

482
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,708
They may even carry in
the same Bible as you.

483
00:23:40,792 --> 00:23:44,625
They may even leave and see you
in Community Group this week,

484
00:23:44,667 --> 00:23:47,000
sitting on
the same couch as you.

485
00:23:47,042 --> 00:23:49,333
And looking down,
the question would be, well,

486
00:23:49,375 --> 00:23:52,000
why did God accept one
and reject the other?

487
00:23:52,083 --> 00:23:53,417
Why?

488
00:23:53,500 --> 00:23:56,500
Because you can be doing
religious things externally

489
00:23:56,542 --> 00:23:59,333
without loving God internally.

490
00:23:59,375 --> 00:24:01,875
You can do religious things
externally without loving

491
00:24:01,958 --> 00:24:03,625
one another internally.

492
00:24:03,667 --> 00:24:05,125
And God knows the heart.

493
00:24:05,167 --> 00:24:07,417
And here's what counts,
not just what is seen,

494
00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:10,167
but what is unseen, not
just the what, but the why.

495
00:24:10,250 --> 00:24:13,208
The motive really counts.

496
00:24:13,292 --> 00:24:19,000
So let me ask you this,
how's it going for you today?

497
00:24:19,042 --> 00:24:23,125
Are you even doing the external?

498
00:24:23,167 --> 00:24:25,000
Some of you say,
"I don't sing.

499
00:24:25,042 --> 00:24:26,500
"I don't pray.
I don't give.

500
00:24:26,542 --> 00:24:27,875
"I don't read the Bible.

501
00:24:27,958 --> 00:24:29,875
"I don't want to go
to Community Group.

502
00:24:29,958 --> 00:24:32,083
"I don't even--I'm beyond
the point of even pretending

503
00:24:32,167 --> 00:24:35,292
"externally that I do love
the Lord or that I love

504
00:24:35,333 --> 00:24:39,792
my brothers and sisters."

505
00:24:39,833 --> 00:24:43,500
Are you a person who's more
religious and you want outwardly

506
00:24:43,583 --> 00:24:46,500
to appear very pious
and holy and godly,

507
00:24:46,583 --> 00:24:50,792
but inwardly you
don't love the Lord,

508
00:24:50,833 --> 00:24:55,125
and you haven't really
received the love of the Lord?

509
00:24:55,167 --> 00:24:59,167
What he's saying is that just
as Cain and Abel were a family,

510
00:24:59,250 --> 00:25:01,000
so church is like a family.

511
00:25:01,083 --> 00:25:03,417
And just like Cain
and Abel had a conflict,

512
00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:05,500
so you could have a conflict.

513
00:25:05,583 --> 00:25:08,833
And just like Cain hated Abel,
you could hate your brothers

514
00:25:08,875 --> 00:25:11,083
and sisters, and he uses
that language

515
00:25:11,167 --> 00:25:13,000
of brothers and sisters.

516
00:25:13,083 --> 00:25:15,708
Or particularly I
should say, brothers.

517
00:25:15,792 --> 00:25:17,833
And when he uses
the language of brothers,

518
00:25:17,875 --> 00:25:20,000
it includes the sisters.

519
00:25:20,083 --> 00:25:23,167
Now, some of you in our hearing,
we're 2,000 years removed.

520
00:25:23,250 --> 00:25:25,000
It can sound like
"Oh, the brothers?

521
00:25:25,083 --> 00:25:26,833
So the Bible doesn't
care about women?"

522
00:25:26,875 --> 00:25:29,583
No, actually the Bible does
and here in the language of

523
00:25:29,667 --> 00:25:32,083
brothers, it's including both
male and female Christians in

524
00:25:32,167 --> 00:25:35,500
the legal category of brothers
because, hear me on this,

525
00:25:35,583 --> 00:25:37,500
in that culture,
the brothers got

526
00:25:37,583 --> 00:25:39,833
the family name,
not the sisters.

527
00:25:39,875 --> 00:25:42,333
The brothers got the family
inheritance, not the sisters.

528
00:25:42,375 --> 00:25:44,792
The brothers can conduct
business on behalf of

529
00:25:44,833 --> 00:25:46,583
the family, not the sisters.

530
00:25:46,667 --> 00:25:49,333
The brothers could testify in
court on behalf of the family,

531
00:25:49,375 --> 00:25:50,708
not the sisters.

532
00:25:50,792 --> 00:25:52,500
So if he said,
"Brothers and sisters,"

533
00:25:52,583 --> 00:25:55,417
it could be heard that
the ladies are second class.

534
00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:58,833
In calling us all brothers, it's
a legal category and position.

535
00:25:58,875 --> 00:26:02,708
It means that both the men and
the women in Christ are equal

536
00:26:02,792 --> 00:26:06,333
and both first class with all
the rights that come by being

537
00:26:06,375 --> 00:26:11,625
adopted by the Father into
the family of God, the church.

538
00:26:11,667 --> 00:26:17,292
And so we are to treat
one another like family.

539
00:26:17,333 --> 00:26:19,625
Any of you ever fought
with your family?

540
00:26:19,667 --> 00:26:22,292
That's what families do.

541
00:26:22,333 --> 00:26:24,875
But it's important to resolve
the relationships with your

542
00:26:24,958 --> 00:26:29,500
family, otherwise what you do
is you involve everyone else,

543
00:26:29,583 --> 00:26:32,083
and you divide the family,
and you destroy the family,

544
00:26:32,167 --> 00:26:34,625
and you devour the family.

545
00:26:34,667 --> 00:26:36,708
And we're supposed
to what one another?

546
00:26:36,792 --> 00:26:38,125
Love one another.

547
00:26:38,167 --> 00:26:40,000
Don't hate one another.

548
00:26:40,083 --> 00:26:43,500
Now, this, perhaps, is
the problem with Cain and Abel.

549
00:26:43,583 --> 00:26:47,500
Abel comes to worship the
Lord and brings his offering,

550
00:26:47,583 --> 00:26:50,208
and what is in his hand
is acceptable to the Lord,

551
00:26:50,292 --> 00:26:53,208
and what is in his heart
is acceptable to the Lord.

552
00:26:53,292 --> 00:26:56,000
Cain comes to
provide his offering.

553
00:26:56,042 --> 00:26:58,625
What's in his hands is
acceptable to the Lord,

554
00:26:58,667 --> 00:27:01,292
but what's in his
heart is not, perhaps

555
00:27:01,333 --> 00:27:06,708
because Cain is focused
on Abel, and not the Lord.

556
00:27:06,792 --> 00:27:09,917
Do you know it's possible to come
to church and to spend more time

557
00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:15,833
thinking about other
people than the Lord?

558
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:22,000
Honestly, when you pulled in,
you parked next to somebody with

559
00:27:22,042 --> 00:27:25,833
a better car or any car.

560
00:27:25,875 --> 00:27:30,833
You thought to yourself,
"Wow, that's a nice car.

561
00:27:30,875 --> 00:27:33,208
I wish I had one of those."

562
00:27:33,292 --> 00:27:36,292
Coveting.

563
00:27:36,333 --> 00:27:38,000
Do you judge other people?

564
00:27:38,042 --> 00:27:40,167
"I don't know if
a Christian should drive that.

565
00:27:40,250 --> 00:27:42,375
I don't know if a Christian
should wear that."

566
00:27:42,458 --> 00:27:45,375
How many of you ladies walking
in, you're looking at the dress,

567
00:27:45,458 --> 00:27:47,375
looking at the shoes,
looking at the hair,

568
00:27:47,458 --> 00:27:49,875
looking at the makeup thinking,
"Oh, she thinks she's something.

569
00:27:49,958 --> 00:27:51,375
"She's nothing.
That's just—no.

570
00:27:51,458 --> 00:27:52,917
Wait till she has kids."

571
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:54,417
You know?

572
00:27:54,500 --> 00:27:56,417
"She'll be lucky
to take a shower once

573
00:27:56,500 --> 00:27:57,833
"every presidential election.

574
00:27:57,875 --> 00:28:00,875
She'll be busy."

575
00:28:00,958 --> 00:28:03,000
And what can happen
is all of a sudden

576
00:28:03,083 --> 00:28:05,333
we're looking at
everybody else

577
00:28:05,375 --> 00:28:08,500
and we're thinking about
everybody else.

578
00:28:08,583 --> 00:28:10,625
"Why did they raise their hands?

579
00:28:10,667 --> 00:28:15,167
Did they want to get attention?
Are they sincere?"

580
00:28:15,250 --> 00:28:18,083
This word "hate,"
it's interesting.

581
00:28:18,167 --> 00:28:21,000
It has a whole range of meaning.

582
00:28:21,083 --> 00:28:26,500
It can mean hot hostility
or cold indifference.

583
00:28:28,875 --> 00:28:31,208
It can mean that you want to
kill somebody

584
00:28:31,292 --> 00:28:34,833
or you just want to
critique somebody.

585
00:28:34,875 --> 00:28:38,625
That's where he says, "If you
don't love your brother

586
00:28:38,667 --> 00:28:42,292
and you hate them, you're
guilty of murder."

587
00:28:42,333 --> 00:28:45,917
And all we're talking
about is degrees.

588
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,208
See, someone who hates
is in the same category

589
00:28:49,292 --> 00:28:51,000
as someone who murders.

590
00:28:51,083 --> 00:28:52,417
The only difference is

591
00:28:52,500 --> 00:28:55,583
the murderer has acted
on their hate,

592
00:28:55,667 --> 00:28:57,833
whereas the other person
is trying to constrain it

593
00:28:57,875 --> 00:29:01,500
or let it leak
in less obvious ways.

594
00:29:01,583 --> 00:29:04,000
So when you come here
today, Mars Hill Church,

595
00:29:04,042 --> 00:29:06,125
particularly those of
you who are Christians,

596
00:29:06,167 --> 00:29:08,792
what's in your heart toward
your brothers and sisters?

597
00:29:08,833 --> 00:29:10,500
Are you bitter?

598
00:29:10,583 --> 00:29:12,625
Is there somebody you
just won't forgive?

599
00:29:12,667 --> 00:29:14,500
Now you'll say,
"I can't forgive,"

600
00:29:14,583 --> 00:29:17,875
but what you mean
is "I won't forgive."

601
00:29:17,958 --> 00:29:20,000
Are you jealous?

602
00:29:20,083 --> 00:29:22,417
You're single, they're married.

603
00:29:22,500 --> 00:29:23,833
You're married, they're single.

604
00:29:23,875 --> 00:29:26,000
You're jealous.

605
00:29:26,083 --> 00:29:28,792
That was funny.

606
00:29:28,833 --> 00:29:32,667
You're infertile
and they have kids.

607
00:29:32,750 --> 00:29:35,333
You see them coming up for
Communion holding their baby

608
00:29:35,375 --> 00:29:37,583
and the whole time, you're not
rejoicing with those

609
00:29:37,667 --> 00:29:39,208
who are rejoicing.

610
00:29:39,292 --> 00:29:42,375
You're coveting those
who are blessed.

611
00:29:42,458 --> 00:29:45,292
You go to Community Group and
they say, "I got a promotion."

612
00:29:45,333 --> 00:29:47,125
And you say,
"I'm still unemployed."

613
00:29:47,167 --> 00:29:50,125
And rather than rejoicing with
them and them mourning with you,

614
00:29:50,167 --> 00:29:53,125
and the Bible says to rejoice
with those who rejoice and mourn

615
00:29:53,167 --> 00:29:55,125
with those who mourn,
you become jealous.

616
00:29:55,167 --> 00:29:58,417
You become covetous.

617
00:29:58,500 --> 00:30:01,500
Are you a critic?

618
00:30:01,583 --> 00:30:06,125
This tends to be my default
mode for the range of hating.

619
00:30:06,167 --> 00:30:08,208
I become the guy
with the critical eye.

620
00:30:08,292 --> 00:30:09,833
"That's wrong.
That was off.

621
00:30:09,875 --> 00:30:12,583
Missed it.
Failure."

622
00:30:12,667 --> 00:30:14,083
It's not loving.

623
00:30:14,167 --> 00:30:17,333
It's not encouraging.
It's discouraging.

624
00:30:17,375 --> 00:30:20,000
Are you the person
who is a consumer?

625
00:30:20,042 --> 00:30:22,625
It's not that you hate
people and want to kill them.

626
00:30:22,667 --> 00:30:24,833
It's just that you don't care
about people

627
00:30:24,875 --> 00:30:26,833
and you want to use them.

628
00:30:26,875 --> 00:30:28,500
So you're always
trying to figure out,

629
00:30:28,583 --> 00:30:31,500
"How can I grow my influence?
How can I grow my business?

630
00:30:31,583 --> 00:30:33,292
"How can I grow my bottom line?

631
00:30:33,333 --> 00:30:34,792
What can you do for me?"

632
00:30:34,833 --> 00:30:37,208
You even walk into the church
with a critic's attitude,

633
00:30:37,292 --> 00:30:38,708
"This is wrong.
This is wrong.

634
00:30:38,792 --> 00:30:40,208
"This is wrong.
I need this.

635
00:30:40,292 --> 00:30:42,208
"I didn't get that.
Please give me this.

636
00:30:42,292 --> 00:30:43,625
"My family needs this.

637
00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:46,625
"We would like to leave now
because God forbid we get to

638
00:30:46,667 --> 00:30:50,917
know one another because then we
might have to love one another."

639
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:56,125
And I know even when I started
this sermon, some of you,

640
00:30:56,167 --> 00:30:59,958
because you're wounded,
narcissistic, self-absorbed,

641
00:31:00,083 --> 00:31:04,000
you'll say, "Yes, that is true.
We should love one another.

642
00:31:04,083 --> 00:31:06,792
"And here's a list of people
who have not loved me,

643
00:31:06,833 --> 00:31:09,500
"and here's a list of ways
I have not been loved.

644
00:31:09,583 --> 00:31:10,917
It's about time.

645
00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:12,833
I've been looking
forward to this sermon."

646
00:31:12,875 --> 00:31:17,125
Let me submit to you,
that's not the big idea.

647
00:31:17,167 --> 00:31:20,500
We don't sit you on a throne so
that we can all gather around,

648
00:31:20,583 --> 00:31:22,375
sing your praises
and meet your needs.

649
00:31:22,458 --> 00:31:23,792
His name is Jesus.

650
00:31:23,833 --> 00:31:26,792
The throne's already taken.

651
00:31:26,833 --> 00:31:28,333
We're to love one another.

652
00:31:28,375 --> 00:31:31,375
What that means is Jesus
loves us, we love one another.

653
00:31:31,458 --> 00:31:33,667
And the question is not
to be always asking,

654
00:31:33,750 --> 00:31:36,583
"Why am I not loved?
Why am I not loved well?

655
00:31:36,667 --> 00:31:39,125
"Why am I not loved by
my brothers and sisters?

656
00:31:39,167 --> 00:31:41,167
There's so much
hypocrisy in the church."

657
00:31:41,250 --> 00:31:42,708
And I would say, yes.

658
00:31:42,792 --> 00:31:45,417
And it starts with the person
you have a meeting with

659
00:31:45,500 --> 00:31:47,292
in the mirror every morning.

660
00:31:47,333 --> 00:31:50,167
And Jesus talks a lot
about plank speck.

661
00:31:50,250 --> 00:31:51,667
"You didn't love me."

662
00:31:51,750 --> 00:31:55,000
And they're thinking, "Wow, now
we have something in common.

663
00:31:55,042 --> 00:32:00,125
You have not loved me either."

664
00:32:00,167 --> 00:32:04,000
He says, "Be like Abel,
not like Cain."

665
00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:08,083
Here's how you know that your
heart is inclining toward Cain,

666
00:32:08,167 --> 00:32:09,708
it's how you speak of people.

667
00:32:09,792 --> 00:32:13,708
What do you say?

668
00:32:13,792 --> 00:32:19,417
Words, texts, emails,
Facebook, Twitter,

669
00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:23,708
what comes out?

670
00:32:23,792 --> 00:32:28,917
And, how do you respond to
success and failure

671
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:30,417
in someone else's life?

672
00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:32,625
If they succeed, are you
disappointed, angry,

673
00:32:32,667 --> 00:32:36,625
frustrated, seething?

674
00:32:36,667 --> 00:32:38,917
Then you hate them.

675
00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:44,708
If they fail, does it actually
give you a sick sense of joy?

676
00:32:44,792 --> 00:32:46,417
"Oh, they got dumped.

677
00:32:46,500 --> 00:32:50,000
Oh, good to know."

678
00:32:50,083 --> 00:32:52,208
Then you realize, "Uh-oh,
that--I'll definitely be

679
00:32:52,292 --> 00:32:54,292
praying for them."

680
00:32:54,333 --> 00:32:58,208
So you throw
a little fake in there.

681
00:32:58,292 --> 00:33:01,417
"Oh, really,
they lost their job?

682
00:33:01,500 --> 00:33:07,792
That's good to know--I mean,
nice to know--I mean, sad."

683
00:33:07,833 --> 00:33:11,000
When someone succeeds,
does that bother you?

684
00:33:11,042 --> 00:33:15,583
When someone fails,
does that embolden you?

685
00:33:15,667 --> 00:33:18,208
If so, you hate them.

686
00:33:18,292 --> 00:33:20,833
You hate them.

687
00:33:20,875 --> 00:33:23,500
And that can be, again,
from cool indifference,

688
00:33:23,542 --> 00:33:26,000
"I don't want anything to do
with them,"

689
00:33:26,083 --> 00:33:29,583
to hot hostility,
"I want to hurt them."

690
00:33:32,958 --> 00:33:35,500
What's in your heart today?

691
00:33:35,542 --> 00:33:38,625
See, because some of you walked
in with a Bible in your hand,

692
00:33:38,667 --> 00:33:40,000
but jealousy in your heart.

693
00:33:40,083 --> 00:33:42,792
Some of you walked in with
an offering in your hand,

694
00:33:42,833 --> 00:33:44,167
but bitterness in your heart.

695
00:33:44,250 --> 00:33:47,000
Some of you walked in with
a spouse in your hand,

696
00:33:47,042 --> 00:33:48,833
but criticism in your heart.

697
00:33:48,875 --> 00:33:51,500
Some of you walked in
with a child in your hand,

698
00:33:51,583 --> 00:33:54,708
but consumerism in your heart.

699
00:33:54,792 --> 00:33:57,625
And you're thinking about other
people more than the Lord

700
00:33:57,667 --> 00:34:00,917
and you're here to compare
yourself to them,

701
00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,417
rather than enjoy
yourself with him.

702
00:34:04,500 --> 00:34:07,417
And God looks, not just at
what comes in our hands,

703
00:34:07,500 --> 00:34:11,500
but what also comes
in our hearts.

704
00:34:11,583 --> 00:34:15,292
And some of you,
you fake it so well.

705
00:34:15,333 --> 00:34:18,417
The indication here is of Cain
and Abel that this had been

706
00:34:18,500 --> 00:34:20,417
their practice for
a while, at this point,

707
00:34:20,500 --> 00:34:21,833
they're not young men.

708
00:34:21,875 --> 00:34:24,583
This had been a long season,
maybe decades of their life.

709
00:34:24,667 --> 00:34:27,083
They had been working and then
bringing their firstfruits

710
00:34:27,167 --> 00:34:28,500
to the Lord.

711
00:34:28,542 --> 00:34:29,875
Some you, it's like that.

712
00:34:29,958 --> 00:34:31,708
You've been in
church for a while.

713
00:34:31,792 --> 00:34:33,500
You've been under
teaching for a while.

714
00:34:33,583 --> 00:34:38,292
You've been in community for a
while, but God knows your heart.

715
00:34:38,333 --> 00:34:40,708
God knows your heart.

716
00:34:40,792 --> 00:34:43,917
And what happens with the first
brothers is Cain kills Abel.

717
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,500
Abel was innocent,
didn't deserve it.

718
00:34:46,583 --> 00:34:48,833
Some of you, the people
you're angry against,

719
00:34:48,875 --> 00:34:51,000
the people you're jealous of,
the people you're embittered

720
00:34:51,083 --> 00:34:53,625
against, they didn't
do anything to you.

721
00:34:53,667 --> 00:34:55,708
They don't have
sin to repent of.

722
00:34:55,792 --> 00:34:57,375
The real problem
is your jealousy.

723
00:34:57,458 --> 00:34:58,875
It's your bitterness.

724
00:34:58,958 --> 00:35:01,000
It's your covetousness.

725
00:35:01,042 --> 00:35:02,667
It's your consumerism.

726
00:35:02,750 --> 00:35:04,333
It's your criticism.

727
00:35:04,375 --> 00:35:05,833
It's your idolatry.

728
00:35:05,875 --> 00:35:07,875
It's your me-ism.

729
00:35:07,958 --> 00:35:10,083
Abel didn't do anything.

730
00:35:10,167 --> 00:35:12,125
Cain just hated him.

731
00:35:12,167 --> 00:35:17,792
All Abel did was worship the
Lord and that frustrated Cain.

732
00:35:17,833 --> 00:35:20,917
Now at this point, if we leave
it on these two big ideas,

733
00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,167
we don't even need to be
Christians necessarily.

734
00:35:23,250 --> 00:35:26,333
What I've told you is
do love one another.

735
00:35:26,375 --> 00:35:29,708
Don't hate one another.
Okay?

736
00:35:29,792 --> 00:35:32,208
Muslims would say, "We agree."
Mormons would say, "We agree."

737
00:35:32,292 --> 00:35:34,417
Atheists would say, "We agree."

738
00:35:34,500 --> 00:35:38,333
And then John makes sure that
it's all about Jesus and he

739
00:35:38,375 --> 00:35:43,500
tells us, not just the what, but
the who and the how and the why.

740
00:35:43,583 --> 00:35:48,583
And he moves to the real big
idea that Jesus loves us.

741
00:35:48,667 --> 00:35:52,917
So he starts by talking about
our love for one another and

742
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:56,500
then we realize, quite frankly,
that we're more like

743
00:35:56,583 --> 00:35:58,500
Cain than Abel.

744
00:35:58,583 --> 00:36:03,000
And then he talks about Jesus
as the greater and perfect Abel.

745
00:36:03,083 --> 00:36:05,792
So let me say this,
in the next chapter, chapter 4,

746
00:36:05,833 --> 00:36:09,333
he's going to give two big ideas
that I want to use to connect

747
00:36:09,375 --> 00:36:11,083
here with 1 John 3:16.

748
00:36:11,167 --> 00:36:13,333
He says, first of
all, that God is love.

749
00:36:13,375 --> 00:36:16,417
So let me say this,
God is love.

750
00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:19,625
And God defines love
and God reveals love

751
00:36:19,667 --> 00:36:21,833
at the cross of Jesus.

752
00:36:21,875 --> 00:36:23,500
That's where he's going.

753
00:36:23,583 --> 00:36:27,000
Number two, he says it this way,
"And it's not that we loved God,

754
00:36:27,042 --> 00:36:29,583
but that God loved us first."

755
00:36:29,667 --> 00:36:32,417
And he sent Jesus to be
the propitiation for our sins.

756
00:36:32,500 --> 00:36:35,417
The substitute, the one who
dies in our place for our sins,

757
00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:38,333
the one who endures the wrath
of God for our Cain-like

758
00:36:38,375 --> 00:36:44,417
tendencies, so that we
can become more like Abel.

759
00:36:44,500 --> 00:36:48,208
Every time you think
of the love of God,

760
00:36:48,292 --> 00:36:51,000
think of the cross
of Jesus Christ.

761
00:36:51,083 --> 00:36:52,875
That's where
the Bible always goes,

762
00:36:52,958 --> 00:36:54,917
because we have
such a proclivity,

763
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:59,333
such a propensity
to misdefine love.

764
00:36:59,375 --> 00:37:01,375
Boyfriend and girlfriend
living and sleeping together,

765
00:37:01,458 --> 00:37:02,917
going to move in together.
Why?

766
00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,417
Well, it's because
they're in love.

767
00:37:04,500 --> 00:37:08,417
No, they're not!
No, they're not.

768
00:37:08,500 --> 00:37:13,917
Because rebellion against God
is not the source of love.

769
00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:18,083
Using someone is
not loving someone.

770
00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,667
People are married, and they
commit adultery and run off with

771
00:37:25,750 --> 00:37:29,125
someone else and,
they make it sound like

772
00:37:29,167 --> 00:37:31,000
it was inevitable gravity.

773
00:37:31,042 --> 00:37:33,500
"We fell out of love,

774
00:37:33,583 --> 00:37:35,917
and then we fell into love
with someone else."

775
00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,917
No, you didn't.

776
00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:39,875
You rebelled against
the living God.

777
00:37:39,958 --> 00:37:42,000
You betrayed your covenant oath.

778
00:37:42,042 --> 00:37:45,375
You did not choose love.

779
00:37:45,458 --> 00:37:48,333
You chose to hate them.

780
00:37:48,375 --> 00:37:51,000
You chose to hate them.

781
00:37:51,083 --> 00:37:56,208
And you chose to declare war
on the God who loves you.

782
00:37:56,292 --> 00:38:00,708
And the God, when he gives us
commands, they're for our good.

783
00:38:00,792 --> 00:38:03,833
It's like a mom who tells
the kids, "The stove is hot.

784
00:38:03,875 --> 00:38:05,333
"Don't touch it.

785
00:38:05,375 --> 00:38:07,708
Watch out for sharp
things in high places."

786
00:38:07,792 --> 00:38:10,125
And the kid says, "You're
restricting my freedom."

787
00:38:10,167 --> 00:38:11,833
"No, I'm preserving your life."

788
00:38:11,875 --> 00:38:16,917
See, God's a good Dad,
and if we know that he loves us,

789
00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,333
then we accept that his
commands are for our good.

790
00:38:20,375 --> 00:38:22,417
If we don't know
that he loves us,

791
00:38:22,500 --> 00:38:25,208
then we think that his commands
are bad and we become

792
00:38:25,292 --> 00:38:28,375
rebellious kids,
to our own destruction.

793
00:38:28,458 --> 00:38:31,833
And the cross of Jesus is the
demonstration, the revelation,

794
00:38:31,875 --> 00:38:34,208
the application of
the love of God.

795
00:38:34,292 --> 00:38:36,417
That's why it says it
in John 3:16, right?

796
00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:38,917
"For God so loved the world
he sent his only

797
00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:41,500
begotten Son Jesus."

798
00:38:41,583 --> 00:38:43,833
That's why he says it in Romans.

799
00:38:43,875 --> 00:38:45,833
"God demonstrates
his love for us

800
00:38:45,875 --> 00:38:48,875
in this: while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us."

801
00:38:48,958 --> 00:38:50,333
Again, 1 John 4.

802
00:38:50,375 --> 00:38:53,000
It's not that we loved
God, but that God loved us,

803
00:38:53,083 --> 00:38:56,000
and he sent Jesus to be
the propitiation for our sins.

804
00:38:56,042 --> 00:38:58,167
In 1 John 3:16,
"By this we know love."

805
00:38:58,250 --> 00:39:01,917
Let me say this, apart from
Jesus, no one knows love.

806
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:07,000
Apart from Jesus' cross,
no one sees love.

807
00:39:07,083 --> 00:39:09,000
"That he laid down
his life for us."

808
00:39:09,083 --> 00:39:10,417
That's love.

809
00:39:10,500 --> 00:39:12,083
Love gives, it doesn't take.

810
00:39:12,167 --> 00:39:15,125
Love serves, it doesn't
seek to be served.

811
00:39:15,167 --> 00:39:18,375
Love cares for the well-being
of the other above

812
00:39:18,458 --> 00:39:21,500
their own well-being.

813
00:39:21,583 --> 00:39:25,000
Jesus Christ is
the love of God among us.

814
00:39:25,083 --> 00:39:27,875
Jesus' death on the cross
is the demonstration

815
00:39:27,958 --> 00:39:31,500
of God's affection.

816
00:39:31,583 --> 00:39:34,083
Let me explain
the cross of Jesus to you.

817
00:39:34,167 --> 00:39:37,667
It was the most horrific,
public, shameful way to die.

818
00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:41,625
Roman citizens weren't
executed, only outlaws, rebels,

819
00:39:41,667 --> 00:39:46,417
those who were convicted
of the highest of crimes.

820
00:39:46,500 --> 00:39:49,167
Jesus' crime was
claiming to be God,

821
00:39:49,250 --> 00:39:54,000
which was actually him
just telling the truth.

822
00:39:54,083 --> 00:39:58,333
They would crucify someone
openly, publicly, shamefully.

823
00:39:58,375 --> 00:40:00,208
This is like
state-sponsored terrorism.

824
00:40:00,292 --> 00:40:02,792
This is like when they take
someone held captive

825
00:40:02,833 --> 00:40:04,667
and behead them on the Internet.

826
00:40:04,750 --> 00:40:08,000
It's a way of causing terror
to come upon the masses.

827
00:40:08,083 --> 00:40:10,917
"Don't believe what
this person believed.

828
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:14,500
Don't behave the way
this person behaved."

829
00:40:14,583 --> 00:40:16,708
Jesus was crucified
openly, publicly,

830
00:40:16,792 --> 00:40:22,375
shamefully in front of
his own mother and a mob.

831
00:40:22,458 --> 00:40:24,708
Why did he die?

832
00:40:24,792 --> 00:40:26,833
Well, the wage for sin
is death.

833
00:40:26,875 --> 00:40:28,375
Jesus never sinned.

834
00:40:28,458 --> 00:40:29,917
Why did he die?

835
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:31,375
He died as a substitute.

836
00:40:31,458 --> 00:40:32,917
He died in our place.

837
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:35,792
He died for our sins.

838
00:40:35,833 --> 00:40:40,583
Jesus' death on the cross
is the demonstration

839
00:40:40,667 --> 00:40:42,375
of God's affection.

840
00:40:42,458 --> 00:40:44,917
If you ever wonder if God
loves you, just remember,

841
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:49,208
Jesus died for you and he
gave his firstfruits because,

842
00:40:49,292 --> 00:40:53,208
friends, just like Abel
brought his first and best,

843
00:40:53,292 --> 00:40:56,917
so Jesus is God's
first and best.

844
00:40:57,000 --> 00:40:59,958
And there's nothing that you
and I treasure above our life.

845
00:41:00,083 --> 00:41:02,500
That's why whatever
your possessions,

846
00:41:02,542 --> 00:41:05,833
whatever wealth you've accrued,
if your life was on the line,

847
00:41:05,875 --> 00:41:09,708
you'd trade it all in that you
might live because our most

848
00:41:09,792 --> 00:41:13,333
valued possession is our life.

849
00:41:13,375 --> 00:41:16,292
Jesus gave his life.

850
00:41:16,333 --> 00:41:19,500
He gave his righteousness.

851
00:41:19,542 --> 00:41:23,875
He gave himself as a gift.

852
00:41:23,958 --> 00:41:29,333
And he didn't do it
for a bunch of Abels.

853
00:41:29,375 --> 00:41:32,000
He did it for a bunch of Cains.

854
00:41:32,042 --> 00:41:34,500
So when we read
the story of Cain and Abel,

855
00:41:34,583 --> 00:41:37,583
you need to understand that
the whole Bible is about Jesus.

856
00:41:37,667 --> 00:41:40,625
That's why in John 5 they
come to Jesus and they argue,

857
00:41:40,667 --> 00:41:42,833
he says, "You don't
understand the Bible.

858
00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:44,833
It's all about me."

859
00:41:44,875 --> 00:41:47,708
The end of Luke's Gospel,
twice he teaches,

860
00:41:47,792 --> 00:41:51,417
opens up the Old Testament and
shows how it's all about him.

861
00:41:51,500 --> 00:41:55,167
The story of Cain and Abel is
ultimately a story about

862
00:41:55,250 --> 00:41:57,292
us and Jesus.

863
00:41:57,333 --> 00:42:00,500
And when we read the story of
Cain and Abel, be very careful,

864
00:42:00,583 --> 00:42:03,125
those of you who are
religious, moral, devout,

865
00:42:03,167 --> 00:42:05,708
not to read it and say,
"Yes, I'm like Abel

866
00:42:05,792 --> 00:42:08,500
and they've treated me
like Cain."

867
00:42:08,583 --> 00:42:12,333
Read it and say, "I'm like Cain
and I've treated Jesus

868
00:42:12,375 --> 00:42:14,792
like Abel."

869
00:42:14,833 --> 00:42:17,125
Then we really appreciate
the love of God.

870
00:42:17,167 --> 00:42:19,292
Amen?

871
00:42:19,333 --> 00:42:21,667
You say, "What?
God loves me as an enemy?"

872
00:42:21,750 --> 00:42:23,875
Yes, again, it's not
that we loved God first,

873
00:42:23,958 --> 00:42:25,417
but that God loved us first.

874
00:42:25,500 --> 00:42:28,125
It's not that you pursued
God, but that God pursued you.

875
00:42:28,167 --> 00:42:31,292
It wasn't that you were
lovely, but that God loved you.

876
00:42:31,333 --> 00:42:34,500
Now here's what this means, it's
all of pure grace, undeserved,

877
00:42:34,542 --> 00:42:38,125
unmerited affection
and favor from Jesus.

878
00:42:38,167 --> 00:42:42,625
Now, what this does, this
delivers us from this horrendous

879
00:42:42,667 --> 00:42:48,667
pendulum where--and how many
of you haven't felt this?

880
00:42:48,750 --> 00:42:51,000
And let's just be honest.

881
00:42:51,042 --> 00:42:55,417
When you do good, you feel
closer to God and holier, like

882
00:42:55,500 --> 00:42:59,500
God loves you more because
you did a good job.

883
00:42:59,542 --> 00:43:03,000
And then when you fail, oh,
you feel further from God.

884
00:43:03,083 --> 00:43:07,792
You feel that God
doesn't love you as much.

885
00:43:07,833 --> 00:43:11,417
So then you try hard and you do
good and now you feel close to

886
00:43:11,500 --> 00:43:12,917
God and he loves you again.

887
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:16,667
Oh, but then you failed and now
he doesn't love you as much.

888
00:43:16,750 --> 00:43:21,333
What that leads to is
this almost bipolar

889
00:43:21,375 --> 00:43:26,917
emotional life of
pride and despair.

890
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:29,125
"I did a good job.
You love me right?

891
00:43:29,167 --> 00:43:30,500
"I did a bad job.

892
00:43:30,583 --> 00:43:34,708
I wish you loved me
like you used to."

893
00:43:34,792 --> 00:43:38,500
The truth is if he loved
you before you loved him,

894
00:43:38,542 --> 00:43:41,000
if he loved you
before you were good,

895
00:43:41,083 --> 00:43:45,708
if he loved you as a rebel,
if he you loved you as a Cain,

896
00:43:45,792 --> 00:43:51,625
he can't love you any more and
he won't love you any less.

897
00:43:51,667 --> 00:43:53,708
Do you believe that?

898
00:43:53,792 --> 00:43:55,708
If you believe that,
like John, your identity

899
00:43:55,792 --> 00:43:58,917
will be transformed.

900
00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:04,000
I work from the love of God,
not for the love of God.

901
00:44:04,083 --> 00:44:08,125
I'm able to stop using people to
get them to like or love me

902
00:44:08,167 --> 00:44:12,917
and start serving people because
Jesus loves them and Jesus

903
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:17,875
loves me and Jesus loves us.

904
00:44:17,958 --> 00:44:19,708
Most of you from
church backgrounds,

905
00:44:19,792 --> 00:44:23,292
you don't get this and you were
ruled and dominated by guilt

906
00:44:23,333 --> 00:44:26,500
and morality and shame.

907
00:44:26,542 --> 00:44:28,792
Ultimately,

908
00:44:28,833 --> 00:44:34,417
the most powerful,
noble motivation is love,

909
00:44:34,500 --> 00:44:36,500
is love.

910
00:44:36,583 --> 00:44:41,875
God can't love you any more
than the cross of Jesus,

911
00:44:41,958 --> 00:44:47,500
and God won't love you any less
because of the cross of Jesus.

912
00:44:47,583 --> 00:44:50,500
The love is established.

913
00:44:50,542 --> 00:44:53,708
Now God's love not
only forgives your sin,

914
00:44:53,792 --> 00:44:59,167
it changes you so that you
receive God's love

915
00:44:59,250 --> 00:45:02,875
and you love God and you love
one another.

916
00:45:02,958 --> 00:45:07,708
Because of Jesus and his
love, he died, he rose,

917
00:45:07,792 --> 00:45:10,292
he's alive and well

918
00:45:10,333 --> 00:45:12,333
and the source of
love is available

919
00:45:12,375 --> 00:45:14,583
to all of the children of God.

920
00:45:14,667 --> 00:45:18,333
So looking at the story of
Cain and Abel, like Abel,

921
00:45:18,375 --> 00:45:20,792
Jesus worked an honest job.

922
00:45:20,833 --> 00:45:22,792
Abel was a herdsman.

923
00:45:22,833 --> 00:45:25,000
Jesus was a carpenter.

924
00:45:25,083 --> 00:45:27,875
Like Abel, Jesus
worshiped blamelessly.

925
00:45:27,958 --> 00:45:32,292
Jesus' whole life was one of
worship and of bringing his

926
00:45:32,333 --> 00:45:35,125
first and best to the Father,

927
00:45:35,167 --> 00:45:37,667
and he was a pure-hearted
worshiper.

928
00:45:37,750 --> 00:45:40,917
What he brought in his heart
and his hands was pleasing

929
00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,000
unto the Lord like Abel.

930
00:45:44,042 --> 00:45:47,333
As I said, like Abel, Jesus
gave his firstfruits.

931
00:45:47,375 --> 00:45:50,000
Abel brought
the first and best of his

932
00:45:50,083 --> 00:45:52,333
most treasured possession.

933
00:45:52,375 --> 00:45:56,417
And Jesus is
the Father's first and best,

934
00:45:56,500 --> 00:45:59,000
that God sent his Son,

935
00:45:59,083 --> 00:46:03,417
firstborn, first and best.

936
00:46:03,500 --> 00:46:08,667
Additionally, like Abel,
Jesus experienced jealousy.

937
00:46:08,750 --> 00:46:11,417
As he taught, people were
jealous of his skills.

938
00:46:11,500 --> 00:46:14,417
As crowds thronged to
him and adored him,

939
00:46:14,500 --> 00:46:17,625
there were those who were
jealous of his success.

940
00:46:17,667 --> 00:46:20,417
As he demonstrated supernatural
power casting out demons,

941
00:46:20,500 --> 00:46:22,708
there were those who
were jealous of his

942
00:46:22,792 --> 00:46:24,625
spiritual authority.

943
00:46:24,667 --> 00:46:26,833
As many loved him,
many hated him.

944
00:46:26,875 --> 00:46:32,667
As many rejoiced in
him, many cursed at him.

945
00:46:32,750 --> 00:46:34,500
Some shouted, "Hosanna."

946
00:46:34,583 --> 00:46:37,667
Others shouted, "Crucify."

947
00:46:37,750 --> 00:46:44,583
Like Abel, Jesus' brothers
were jealous of him.

948
00:46:44,667 --> 00:46:48,833
Like Abel, Jesus was
murdered by his brothers.

949
00:46:48,875 --> 00:46:53,208
Just as Cain killed Abel, so
those who professed to be sons

950
00:46:53,292 --> 00:46:57,375
of God murdered the Son of God.

951
00:47:01,167 --> 00:47:05,417
But unlike Abel, because
Jesus is a better Abel,

952
00:47:05,500 --> 00:47:11,000
Jesus is a perfect Abel, Abel
remained dead and Jesus rose

953
00:47:11,042 --> 00:47:16,708
from death to conquer death,
to forgive sin

954
00:47:16,792 --> 00:47:20,208
and to turn Cains into Abels.

955
00:47:20,292 --> 00:47:23,000
So friends, if you're not
a Christian and you come here

956
00:47:23,083 --> 00:47:25,625
and you're wondering,
"What do I do?"

957
00:47:25,667 --> 00:47:31,792
Here's the answer, it's
about what Jesus has done.

958
00:47:31,833 --> 00:47:35,583
Jesus lived the life
that was blameless.

959
00:47:35,667 --> 00:47:42,375
Jesus paid the price
that was priceless.

960
00:47:44,083 --> 00:47:50,792
Jesus died the death that was
required and Jesus rises to love

961
00:47:50,833 --> 00:47:54,833
you first before you
love him, to pursue you,

962
00:47:54,875 --> 00:47:57,417
before you pursue him.

963
00:47:57,500 --> 00:48:02,417
And his love doesn't just
excuse your sin, it forgives it.

964
00:48:02,500 --> 00:48:06,000
And his love does not
permit your sin to continue,

965
00:48:06,083 --> 00:48:11,167
it permits you to walk
away from it and to change,

966
00:48:11,250 --> 00:48:15,917
a bit at a time until you see
him face-to-face

967
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:19,083
and you're perfect
in his presence forever.

968
00:48:19,167 --> 00:48:22,708
Before we really
appreciate Jesus' love,

969
00:48:22,792 --> 00:48:26,375
we need to accept
that we start as Cain.

970
00:48:26,458 --> 00:48:32,125
And the fact that he would love
his murderer,

971
00:48:32,167 --> 00:48:35,167
well, that's love.

972
00:48:35,250 --> 00:48:37,833
See, truly, friends,
we are Cain.

973
00:48:37,875 --> 00:48:41,000
We've all sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God.

974
00:48:41,083 --> 00:48:43,375
When Jesus died in our
place for our sins,

975
00:48:43,458 --> 00:48:47,792
his blood is on our hands
and we're as guilty as Cain.

976
00:48:47,833 --> 00:48:51,875
But because of Jesus,
the better Abel,

977
00:48:51,958 --> 00:48:55,125
there is the potential
through faith in Christ,

978
00:48:55,167 --> 00:48:57,708
to be a worshiper like Abel,

979
00:48:57,792 --> 00:49:02,375
to come to the Lord with
an acceptable offering

980
00:49:02,458 --> 00:49:05,083
in our hand and an acceptable
offering in our heart,

981
00:49:05,167 --> 00:49:07,917
not so that God would love
us but because he already

982
00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:11,000
has through the death, burial,
resurrection of Jesus Christ.

983
00:49:11,083 --> 00:49:12,417
Amen?

984
00:49:12,500 --> 00:49:13,833
And all of a sudden,

985
00:49:13,875 --> 00:49:15,417
the motivation
for the Christian life

986
00:49:15,500 --> 00:49:19,833
is not guilt, but gladness,
is not duty, but delight,

987
00:49:19,875 --> 00:49:22,125
is not seeking to
make God love you,

988
00:49:22,167 --> 00:49:26,833
but celebrating the fact
that he already has in Jesus.

989
00:49:26,875 --> 00:49:30,125
And then he closes with
his final big idea.

990
00:49:30,167 --> 00:49:33,625
Christian love is practical.

991
00:49:33,667 --> 00:49:36,292
He says it this way.

992
00:49:36,333 --> 00:49:38,417
"And we--"
So here's the big idea.

993
00:49:38,500 --> 00:49:40,500
Jesus, then us.

994
00:49:40,583 --> 00:49:42,208
Jesus loves, then we love.

995
00:49:42,292 --> 00:49:43,833
Jesus serves, then we serve.

996
00:49:43,875 --> 00:49:46,625
Jesus gives, then we give.

997
00:49:46,667 --> 00:49:48,333
It starts with Jesus.

998
00:49:48,375 --> 00:49:52,792
He changes us so that we
can become more like him.

999
00:49:52,833 --> 00:49:56,792
"And we ought to lay down
our lives for the brothers."

1000
00:49:56,833 --> 00:49:59,708
Now let me say this, very
rarely will any of you have

1001
00:49:59,792 --> 00:50:01,708
an opportunity
to die for somebody.

1002
00:50:01,792 --> 00:50:04,125
But he's saying,
"Yes, even at that point,

1003
00:50:04,167 --> 00:50:06,125
"your most treasured
possession of your life,

1004
00:50:06,167 --> 00:50:08,833
"be willing to sacrifice
to give that for

1005
00:50:08,875 --> 00:50:10,333
the well-being of another."

1006
00:50:10,375 --> 00:50:13,500
Some of you are
soldiers, God bless you.

1007
00:50:13,542 --> 00:50:15,792
Police officers, God bless you.

1008
00:50:15,833 --> 00:50:17,875
Firefighters, God bless you.

1009
00:50:17,958 --> 00:50:20,333
You will put yourself
in harm's way.

1010
00:50:20,375 --> 00:50:23,917
You may die for
someone else to live.

1011
00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:27,708
The recent rampage and
shooting in the movie theater,

1012
00:50:27,792 --> 00:50:32,625
it was reported that multiple
boyfriends threw their body over

1013
00:50:32,667 --> 00:50:37,833
their girlfriend and took
the bullets to spare her life.

1014
00:50:37,875 --> 00:50:39,500
Okay?

1015
00:50:39,583 --> 00:50:41,667
Whether or not they
knew the Lord Jesus,

1016
00:50:41,750 --> 00:50:44,917
they were created by him and so
they're working out of the image

1017
00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:48,833
and likeness of God doing
what a man is to do,

1018
00:50:48,875 --> 00:50:53,375
and that's to love and protect.

1019
00:50:53,458 --> 00:50:56,583
Very rarely, though, will we
get an opportunity to die for

1020
00:50:56,667 --> 00:51:00,208
someone to demonstrate that
affection for fellow members

1021
00:51:00,292 --> 00:51:02,708
of the church.

1022
00:51:02,792 --> 00:51:05,417
But he's saying even if it
should escalate to that point,

1023
00:51:05,500 --> 00:51:08,417
yes, we should be willing to
give the gift of our life

1024
00:51:08,500 --> 00:51:10,917
as Jesus gave his life for us.

1025
00:51:11,000 --> 00:51:13,833
But since most of us will not
have an opportunity to give

1026
00:51:13,875 --> 00:51:18,208
our life in death, we need
to give our life in living.

1027
00:51:18,292 --> 00:51:21,792
So he continues, "But if anyone
has the world's goods--"

1028
00:51:21,833 --> 00:51:26,833
So let me just ask you this,
what do you have?

1029
00:51:26,875 --> 00:51:29,167
What do you have?

1030
00:51:29,250 --> 00:51:31,333
Just think about
it for a moment.

1031
00:51:31,375 --> 00:51:34,500
Let's say, for example,
everything in your possession

1032
00:51:34,583 --> 00:51:38,000
got stolen and for the insurance
you had to write a list.

1033
00:51:38,083 --> 00:51:40,833
They said, "Okay, just write
a list of everything you own."

1034
00:51:40,875 --> 00:51:42,625
We can't even remember
it all, right?

1035
00:51:42,667 --> 00:51:46,417
There's so much, we
can't remember it.

1036
00:51:46,500 --> 00:51:49,125
We're richly blessed people.

1037
00:51:49,167 --> 00:51:53,000
Some of us, richly,
richly blessed.

1038
00:51:53,042 --> 00:51:55,500
But he's saying, "You look at
your possessions

1039
00:51:55,583 --> 00:51:57,417
and what you have."

1040
00:51:57,500 --> 00:52:01,500
This would include your
home, your food, your income,

1041
00:52:01,583 --> 00:52:05,792
your portfolio, your
vehicle, whatever you've got.

1042
00:52:05,833 --> 00:52:09,625
Your collective, aggregate
wealth, all your stuff.

1043
00:52:09,667 --> 00:52:12,875
He says, "Look at your
stuff and ask this question,

1044
00:52:12,958 --> 00:52:17,000
"if anyone has the world's goods
and sees his brother in need,

1045
00:52:17,083 --> 00:52:19,208
"yet closes his
heart against him,

1046
00:52:19,292 --> 00:52:22,625
how can God's love
abide in him?"

1047
00:52:22,667 --> 00:52:25,208
Now, what he's talking about
here is that love is exceedingly

1048
00:52:25,292 --> 00:52:27,208
practical, okay?

1049
00:52:27,292 --> 00:52:29,000
Those of you who are
more theologians,

1050
00:52:29,042 --> 00:52:31,333
you're just going to want to do

1051
00:52:31,375 --> 00:52:33,292
"nerds gone wild now,"
okay?

1052
00:52:33,333 --> 00:52:36,167
As soon as we get to love in
the Bible you're like,

1053
00:52:36,250 --> 00:52:38,708
"Oh, there's phileo, there's
agape, there's eros.

1054
00:52:38,792 --> 00:52:40,417
There's different
Greek words for love."

1055
00:52:40,500 --> 00:52:41,833
That's not loving, right?

1056
00:52:41,875 --> 00:52:43,208
You've already bored us.

1057
00:52:43,292 --> 00:52:44,917
We don't feel
loved at all, okay?

1058
00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:46,333
"Well, C.S. Lewis wrote--"

1059
00:52:46,375 --> 00:52:48,333
I know C.S. Lewis wrote
a book on--

1060
00:52:48,375 --> 00:52:49,708
and here's the big idea.

1061
00:52:49,792 --> 00:52:51,208
There are different
words for love.

1062
00:52:51,292 --> 00:52:53,500
They're not always
used consistently.

1063
00:52:53,583 --> 00:52:55,292
It's never that clean.

1064
00:52:55,333 --> 00:52:57,833
It's a lot easier to study
Greek words about love.

1065
00:52:57,875 --> 00:53:01,333
It's a lot easier to write books
about love, or read about love,

1066
00:53:01,375 --> 00:53:06,208
or speculate about
love than to love,

1067
00:53:06,292 --> 00:53:10,500
because people are annoying.

1068
00:53:10,583 --> 00:53:12,500
And we're selfish.

1069
00:53:12,542 --> 00:53:18,333
And those two variables
make loving hard.

1070
00:53:18,375 --> 00:53:22,917
And love is really practical.

1071
00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:27,917
And what love does is
love keeps its eyes open

1072
00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:30,917
and it looks for need.

1073
00:53:31,000 --> 00:53:32,667
See, some of you
are very loving.

1074
00:53:32,750 --> 00:53:34,583
You're looking for needs.

1075
00:53:34,667 --> 00:53:36,667
"Oh, I think need
to be prayed for.

1076
00:53:36,750 --> 00:53:38,292
"I think they need
encouragement.

1077
00:53:38,333 --> 00:53:41,625
Somebody needs
to talk to that guy."

1078
00:53:41,667 --> 00:53:45,333
You're looking for a need.

1079
00:53:45,375 --> 00:53:48,208
What he's saying is there's
other people who hate.

1080
00:53:48,292 --> 00:53:49,833
They hate their church.

1081
00:53:49,875 --> 00:53:52,000
They hate brothers and sisters
in Christ

1082
00:53:52,083 --> 00:53:55,125
and they close their eyes.

1083
00:53:55,167 --> 00:53:56,500
Why are you not praying?

1084
00:53:56,583 --> 00:53:58,417
"I don't see any needs."

1085
00:53:58,500 --> 00:53:59,917
Why are you not serving?

1086
00:54:00,042 --> 00:54:01,417
"I don't see any needs."

1087
00:54:01,500 --> 00:54:02,833
Why are you not giving?

1088
00:54:02,875 --> 00:54:04,292
"I don't see any needs."

1089
00:54:04,333 --> 00:54:08,792
It's because you've
closed your eyes.

1090
00:54:08,833 --> 00:54:11,167
You've closed your eyes.

1091
00:54:11,250 --> 00:54:14,333
You're not looking
because you hate them.

1092
00:54:14,375 --> 00:54:16,708
Some of you say,
"I don't hate them."

1093
00:54:16,792 --> 00:54:22,500
Again, the word means cold
indifference to hot hostility

1094
00:54:22,542 --> 00:54:25,167
and maybe you're hating them
through cold indifference.

1095
00:54:25,250 --> 00:54:26,833
You're closing your eyes.

1096
00:54:26,875 --> 00:54:29,000
I mean, there's people that have
been coming to

1097
00:54:29,083 --> 00:54:30,417
this church for years.

1098
00:54:30,500 --> 00:54:31,917
You know what they do?
Nothing.

1099
00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:34,417
You know where they serve?
Nowhere.

1100
00:54:34,500 --> 00:54:37,875
You know what they've given?
Nothing.

1101
00:54:37,958 --> 00:54:41,375
And if you ask them does Jesus
love you, "Yes, he does!"

1102
00:54:41,458 --> 00:54:42,917
Do you love one another?

1103
00:54:43,000 --> 00:54:44,583
"Yes, I do!"

1104
00:54:44,667 --> 00:54:46,500
Would it hold up in court?

1105
00:54:46,542 --> 00:54:49,875
No it wouldn't, because
there's no evidence

1106
00:54:49,958 --> 00:54:52,125
and you've closed your eyes.

1107
00:54:52,167 --> 00:54:54,375
Now what happens is a pastor
will get up

1108
00:54:54,458 --> 00:54:56,292
and he'll try to guilt you.

1109
00:54:56,333 --> 00:54:58,125
"Look at all that Jesus did.

1110
00:54:58,167 --> 00:54:59,708
Can't you do more?"

1111
00:54:59,792 --> 00:55:01,917
And the answer is always yes.

1112
00:55:02,000 --> 00:55:06,292
"Like, Jesus is God who died
for me, yes, I could do more.

1113
00:55:06,333 --> 00:55:08,833
"You're always gonna win
that one, pastor, yes.

1114
00:55:08,875 --> 00:55:11,833
"I've not given as much as the
second member of the Trinity.

1115
00:55:11,875 --> 00:55:15,167
"Thank you for pointing
that out, Captain Obvious.

1116
00:55:15,250 --> 00:55:17,083
"That's super helpful.

1117
00:55:17,167 --> 00:55:19,333
Now I feel horrible."

1118
00:55:19,375 --> 00:55:23,292
Instead of guilt,
I want it to be, for you,

1119
00:55:23,333 --> 00:55:26,333
an opportunity of gladness.

1120
00:55:26,375 --> 00:55:29,208
Let me ask you this,
if you love somebody,

1121
00:55:29,292 --> 00:55:34,333
are you looking for ways to help
them, serve them, care for them?

1122
00:55:34,375 --> 00:55:38,708
Mom, is that how it is, Mom?

1123
00:55:38,792 --> 00:55:40,500
Say, "Oop, they need
something to drink.

1124
00:55:40,583 --> 00:55:42,292
"Oop, that's sharp.

1125
00:55:42,333 --> 00:55:44,500
"Oop, they need me
to encourage them.

1126
00:55:44,542 --> 00:55:46,125
"Oop, they fell down.

1127
00:55:46,167 --> 00:55:47,500
"They're crying.

1128
00:55:47,583 --> 00:55:49,083
They need me to hold them."

1129
00:55:49,167 --> 00:55:51,292
You see, what a mom does,
she's always looking.

1130
00:55:51,333 --> 00:55:53,208
"Where am I needed?
How can I help?"

1131
00:55:53,292 --> 00:55:56,000
Same with a dad, right?

1132
00:55:56,083 --> 00:55:58,708
If he really loves his kids,
he's trying to figure out

1133
00:55:58,792 --> 00:56:00,208
how to help.

1134
00:56:00,292 --> 00:56:03,208
Same with a husband and wife,
if they really love each other,

1135
00:56:03,292 --> 00:56:04,625
they're attentive
to the details.

1136
00:56:04,667 --> 00:56:07,833
They're attentive
to the details.

1137
00:56:07,875 --> 00:56:10,708
So when they sit
down for dinner,

1138
00:56:10,792 --> 00:56:13,125
Mom knows what Dad
likes to drink,

1139
00:56:13,167 --> 00:56:16,333
and Dad knows that
Mom's had a long day.

1140
00:56:16,375 --> 00:56:19,667
And they've already figured
out what the little needs are,

1141
00:56:19,750 --> 00:56:23,167
unspoken and they're
attentive to the details.

1142
00:56:23,250 --> 00:56:24,583
That's love.

1143
00:56:24,667 --> 00:56:27,000
Love is attentive
to the details, amen?

1144
00:56:27,083 --> 00:56:29,000
How many of you single
ladies, first date,

1145
00:56:29,083 --> 00:56:30,708
if that guy just
talks about himself,

1146
00:56:30,792 --> 00:56:33,208
tells you what he wants,
and gives you sort of

1147
00:56:33,292 --> 00:56:35,417
a job description and doesn't
ask you any questions,

1148
00:56:35,500 --> 00:56:37,083
and isn't attentive
to the details,

1149
00:56:37,167 --> 00:56:39,083
and he's not observant
enough to know

1150
00:56:39,167 --> 00:56:42,792
that he is gonna send you
to Jesus, death by boredom,

1151
00:56:42,833 --> 00:56:44,292
right?

1152
00:56:44,333 --> 00:56:48,292
You realize, this is probably
not gonna be a good 50-year run,

1153
00:56:48,333 --> 00:56:49,667
right?

1154
00:56:49,750 --> 00:56:52,417
Because he's not
paying attention.

1155
00:56:52,500 --> 00:56:55,208
He's not attentive
to the details.

1156
00:56:55,292 --> 00:56:57,208
But the guy who
shows up and says,

1157
00:56:57,292 --> 00:56:58,625
"I brought your
favorite flowers."

1158
00:56:58,667 --> 00:57:01,000
"Oh, you knew?"
"Yeah, I asked your friend."

1159
00:57:01,083 --> 00:57:03,125
"Mmm, okay, we're
off to a good start."

1160
00:57:03,167 --> 00:57:05,625
"And I picked this restaurant
because your other friend said

1161
00:57:05,667 --> 00:57:07,333
that this is your
favorite restaurant."

1162
00:57:07,375 --> 00:57:10,000
"Oh."

1163
00:57:10,083 --> 00:57:12,917
And all of a sudden, he's got
a few things put together.

1164
00:57:13,000 --> 00:57:15,333
What you realize is,
"I think he loves me

1165
00:57:15,375 --> 00:57:17,833
"or at least he wants to.

1166
00:57:17,875 --> 00:57:23,125
And he's attentive to the
details because he values me."

1167
00:57:23,167 --> 00:57:24,833
When we're talking
about loving people,

1168
00:57:24,875 --> 00:57:26,625
it's like that in the church.

1169
00:57:26,667 --> 00:57:30,292
It's coming with our eyes open.

1170
00:57:30,333 --> 00:57:33,500
Some of you, this means showing
up early so you can greet those

1171
00:57:33,542 --> 00:57:36,000
who are new because new people
tend to come early

1172
00:57:36,042 --> 00:57:37,375
and they feel very awkward.

1173
00:57:37,458 --> 00:57:38,792
Right?

1174
00:57:38,833 --> 00:57:40,500
It's like the first
day of school.

1175
00:57:40,583 --> 00:57:42,333
You're the only
one in the school.

1176
00:57:42,375 --> 00:57:44,167
You're like, "I'm early.
It's very awkward.

1177
00:57:44,250 --> 00:57:47,708
I just didn't want to be
late, now I'm awkward."

1178
00:57:47,792 --> 00:57:49,125
That's why some of you

1179
00:57:49,167 --> 00:57:50,833
don't want to get
into Community Group.

1180
00:57:50,875 --> 00:57:52,833
You're like, "If I get
into Community Group,

1181
00:57:52,875 --> 00:57:54,500
"someone's going to have
a prayer request

1182
00:57:54,583 --> 00:57:57,000
"and then I'm going to have to
pray for them.

1183
00:57:57,083 --> 00:58:00,500
"If I pray for them, then God's
gonna open my heart and eyes

1184
00:58:00,583 --> 00:58:02,500
"and then I'm gonna
need to serve them.

1185
00:58:02,583 --> 00:58:05,500
"And then if I serve them, that's
gonna be a total inconvenience,

1186
00:58:05,583 --> 00:58:06,917
so I'm staying home."

1187
00:58:07,000 --> 00:58:08,333
Love keeps its eyes open.

1188
00:58:08,375 --> 00:58:10,833
And when your eyes are
open, you know what happens?

1189
00:58:10,875 --> 00:58:12,208
Your mouth opens.

1190
00:58:12,292 --> 00:58:15,208
So what he says is, "Let
us not love just in word,"

1191
00:58:15,292 --> 00:58:16,917
but he's not saying
absent of word.

1192
00:58:17,000 --> 00:58:20,125
When our eyes are open, our
mouth opens and what we do is

1193
00:58:20,167 --> 00:58:21,500
we pray for them.

1194
00:58:21,583 --> 00:58:22,917
We encourage them.

1195
00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:24,333
And sometimes we rebuke them.

1196
00:58:24,375 --> 00:58:27,625
It's saying, "I do want to help
you, but you need to understand,

1197
00:58:27,667 --> 00:58:29,000
"you're not a victim.

1198
00:58:29,083 --> 00:58:30,500
It's a self-inflicted
gunshot wound," right?

1199
00:58:30,583 --> 00:58:33,500
You really don't have a--like,
you didn't look for a job,

1200
00:58:33,583 --> 00:58:35,292
but you did get a credit card.

1201
00:58:35,333 --> 00:58:36,875
You didn't read
the return address.

1202
00:58:36,958 --> 00:58:38,708
They're all directly
shipped from hell.

1203
00:58:38,792 --> 00:58:40,208
You overlooked the obvious.

1204
00:58:40,292 --> 00:58:42,208
You racked it all
up and, you know,

1205
00:58:42,292 --> 00:58:45,208
you were hoping that you'd find
a boyfriend with a good job

1206
00:58:45,292 --> 00:58:47,417
who could pay it off,
you know, by April.

1207
00:58:47,500 --> 00:58:49,417
And, you know, apparently
he didn't show up.

1208
00:58:49,500 --> 00:58:51,167
And, you know,
this wasn't a plan.

1209
00:58:51,250 --> 00:58:52,667
This was a kamikaze mission.

1210
00:58:52,750 --> 00:58:55,667
And now, "Yes, you know, it's
very dramatic and I love you

1211
00:58:55,750 --> 00:58:58,167
"and I want to help you,
but the truth is

1212
00:58:58,250 --> 00:58:59,583
some things need to change."

1213
00:58:59,667 --> 00:59:01,625
See, when your eyes
open, your mouth opens.

1214
00:59:01,667 --> 00:59:04,833
How many of you, you say, "I
was gonna talk to that person,

1215
00:59:04,875 --> 00:59:06,583
but I don't want
to get involved"?

1216
00:59:06,667 --> 00:59:08,000
That's hating them.

1217
00:59:08,042 --> 00:59:11,417
When you're eyes open,
your wallet opens.

1218
00:59:11,500 --> 00:59:13,208
"Okay, I'm gonna help.

1219
00:59:13,292 --> 00:59:14,792
"Here's some groceries.

1220
00:59:14,833 --> 00:59:18,000
"You're a single mom who needs
a car, I have an extra car.

1221
00:59:18,042 --> 00:59:20,333
"I used to have an extra car.

1222
00:59:20,375 --> 00:59:24,167
"Now I loan it or give
it to the single mom.

1223
00:59:24,250 --> 00:59:26,500
"Dad walked out
and the kids are poor

1224
00:59:26,542 --> 00:59:28,917
"and now mom's doing
double duty,

1225
00:59:29,000 --> 00:59:32,667
"and that family's upside
down and they're in our church,

1226
00:59:32,750 --> 00:59:36,417
that's something I gotta
figure out how to help."

1227
00:59:36,500 --> 00:59:38,375
Galatians 6,
I think it's around

1228
00:59:38,458 --> 00:59:41,708
verse 10, says it this way,
"Let us do good for all people,

1229
00:59:41,792 --> 00:59:44,625
but especially or firstly
for the household of faith."

1230
00:59:44,667 --> 00:59:46,208
See, I'm a dad.

1231
00:59:46,292 --> 00:59:49,625
I got five kids and it would be
a horrendous thing if I said,

1232
00:59:49,667 --> 00:59:51,375
"I'm going to feed
all the kids,"

1233
00:59:51,458 --> 00:59:52,792
and then mine were hungry.

1234
00:59:52,833 --> 00:59:54,167
Feed your kids first.

1235
00:59:54,250 --> 00:59:56,708
Feed all the kids,
but feed your kids first.

1236
00:59:56,792 --> 01:00:00,833
And what can happen is for
some of us, our eyes open up

1237
01:00:00,875 --> 01:00:06,333
or our wallet opens up or our
schedule opens up and it's

1238
01:00:06,375 --> 01:00:10,292
beyond the church because
somebody brought a need to us

1239
01:00:10,333 --> 01:00:13,000
and we saw it.

1240
01:00:13,083 --> 01:00:15,708
I want you to see
the needs at Mars Hill Church.

1241
01:00:15,792 --> 01:00:18,917
I want you to see the needs
for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1242
01:00:19,000 --> 01:00:20,917
For those of you who are
particularly wealthy

1243
01:00:21,000 --> 01:00:23,125
and affluent, I want you
to really hear this.

1244
01:00:23,167 --> 01:00:25,125
He says, "If you see
somebody in need,"

1245
01:00:25,167 --> 01:00:28,125
what he's talking about is you
getting to know them and getting

1246
01:00:28,167 --> 01:00:30,625
involved with them because you
know what's harder than writing

1247
01:00:30,667 --> 01:00:33,125
a check is writing a check
and having a relationship.

1248
01:00:33,167 --> 01:00:35,625
And sometimes the big donors,
they want to write checks,

1249
01:00:35,667 --> 01:00:37,792
but keep their hands
clean, other than the ink.

1250
01:00:37,833 --> 01:00:39,792
And you got to get
your hands dirty.

1251
01:00:39,833 --> 01:00:42,500
You got to get to know people,
serve people, love people.

1252
01:00:42,583 --> 01:00:46,583
And the more you see, the more
you will say life-giving words.

1253
01:00:46,667 --> 01:00:48,917
The more you will
give generously.

1254
01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:50,917
The more you will
serve faithfully.

1255
01:00:51,000 --> 01:00:53,417
See, most of you, your problem
has nothing to do

1256
01:00:53,500 --> 01:00:54,833
with your schedule.

1257
01:00:54,875 --> 01:00:56,833
It has nothing
to do with your budget.

1258
01:00:56,875 --> 01:00:58,833
It has everything
to do with your eyes.

1259
01:00:58,875 --> 01:01:00,292
You've closed them.

1260
01:01:00,333 --> 01:01:04,417
You're not looking
for needs to be met.

1261
01:01:04,500 --> 01:01:07,125
And so those needs go unmet.

1262
01:01:07,167 --> 01:01:08,917
Open your eyes.

1263
01:01:09,000 --> 01:01:10,833
"Holy Spirit, show
me the needs."

1264
01:01:10,875 --> 01:01:13,583
Let me ask you this question,
who has God already placed

1265
01:01:13,667 --> 01:01:15,167
in front of you?

1266
01:01:15,250 --> 01:01:17,000
And don't think,
"Well, I pay taxes.

1267
01:01:17,083 --> 01:01:18,833
It's the government's job."

1268
01:01:18,875 --> 01:01:21,000
That's worldly thinking.

1269
01:01:21,083 --> 01:01:23,833
Or, "It's a church,
the church will figure it out.

1270
01:01:23,875 --> 01:01:26,125
"There's an org chart
and somewhere on it is

1271
01:01:26,167 --> 01:01:28,333
"someone that's supposed to
be nice to people.

1272
01:01:28,375 --> 01:01:30,333
I'm confident they're
in there somewhere."

1273
01:01:30,375 --> 01:01:32,417
Okay?
That's you.

1274
01:01:32,500 --> 01:01:34,917
If you're a Christian
and this is your church,

1275
01:01:35,000 --> 01:01:38,000
God wants you to open your
eyes, it's an act of repentance,

1276
01:01:38,083 --> 01:01:41,708
to start looking for needs so
that it will open your mouth

1277
01:01:41,792 --> 01:01:43,792
to pray for and bless others.

1278
01:01:43,833 --> 01:01:46,667
It will open your wallet and
your possessions and your fridge

1279
01:01:46,750 --> 01:01:48,875
to give, to help others.

1280
01:01:48,958 --> 01:01:51,125
And it will open your schedule
to be inconvenienced

1281
01:01:51,167 --> 01:01:52,500
to invest in others.

1282
01:01:52,583 --> 01:01:54,000
That's exactly what
he's talking about.

1283
01:01:54,042 --> 01:01:57,167
This is really different than,
"I pulled up to a light and

1284
01:01:57,250 --> 01:02:00,417
"a guy with a sign made me feel
guilty so I rolled down

1285
01:02:00,500 --> 01:02:03,167
"the window and gave him $10
because I don't know him

1286
01:02:03,250 --> 01:02:04,833
"and I'm not loving him.

1287
01:02:04,875 --> 01:02:06,625
"In fact, I may be hating him

1288
01:02:06,667 --> 01:02:08,917
"and enabling him
in a lifestyle of addiction

1289
01:02:09,000 --> 01:02:13,208
and destruction, but I feel
better while I drive away."

1290
01:02:13,292 --> 01:02:17,125
Love does what's
best for someone.

1291
01:02:17,167 --> 01:02:19,833
Love gives what's
best for someone.

1292
01:02:19,875 --> 01:02:21,875
And you know what's
interesting statistically?

1293
01:02:21,958 --> 01:02:24,708
Who do you think gives a higher
percentage of their income,

1294
01:02:24,792 --> 01:02:27,833
the wealthy or the poor?

1295
01:02:27,875 --> 01:02:30,000
Statistically in
Christian churches,

1296
01:02:30,083 --> 01:02:32,875
the poor give a significant
higher percentage of their

1297
01:02:32,958 --> 01:02:34,667
income than the rich.

1298
01:02:34,750 --> 01:02:36,333
Why?

1299
01:02:36,375 --> 01:02:38,625
They see the need.

1300
01:02:38,667 --> 01:02:41,125
Because poor people
know poor people

1301
01:02:41,167 --> 01:02:43,417
and rich people
know rich people.

1302
01:02:43,500 --> 01:02:46,000
And rich people close
their eyes to poor people.

1303
01:02:46,083 --> 01:02:49,083
And poor people have to keep
their eyes open to poor people

1304
01:02:49,167 --> 01:02:50,833
because that's all they got.

1305
01:02:50,875 --> 01:02:53,833
And so poor people tend to have
their hearts and their wallets

1306
01:02:53,875 --> 01:02:56,333
and their schedules open to
where they give more

1307
01:02:56,375 --> 01:02:57,792
than rich people.

1308
01:02:57,833 --> 01:02:59,417
Why?

1309
01:02:59,500 --> 01:03:01,417
Because their eyes are open.

1310
01:03:01,500 --> 01:03:06,125
Now let me say
this in conclusion.

1311
01:03:06,167 --> 01:03:10,000
This is for your joy.

1312
01:03:10,042 --> 01:03:12,000
It's for your joy.

1313
01:03:12,083 --> 01:03:17,000
See, when we receive God's love
and God's love changes us and we

1314
01:03:17,083 --> 01:03:21,708
love God and we go from Cain
to a little bit of Abel,

1315
01:03:21,792 --> 01:03:25,208
and then we start
to love one another,

1316
01:03:25,292 --> 01:03:30,000
what that produces in us
is a profound joy because

1317
01:03:30,042 --> 01:03:33,125
the Bible says it's more blessed
to what than what?

1318
01:03:33,167 --> 01:03:35,333
"To give than receive."

1319
01:03:35,375 --> 01:03:37,000
You know what that means?

1320
01:03:37,042 --> 01:03:40,125
The happiest person
is Jesus Christ.

1321
01:03:40,167 --> 01:03:45,208
No one has given more than Jesus
and no one has the degree of joy

1322
01:03:45,292 --> 01:03:47,208
that Jesus has.

1323
01:03:47,292 --> 01:03:51,333
As we give, we get
the joy of the Lord.

1324
01:03:51,375 --> 01:03:52,833
We do.

1325
01:03:52,875 --> 01:03:55,125
So when we give,
it's to God's glory,

1326
01:03:55,167 --> 01:03:57,333
it's to others' good,
and it's our joy.

1327
01:03:57,375 --> 01:03:59,708
Parents, on Christmas,
your favorite thing,

1328
01:03:59,792 --> 01:04:02,000
opening your presents or
watching the kids or grandkids

1329
01:04:02,042 --> 01:04:03,917
open theirs?

1330
01:04:04,000 --> 01:04:05,708
Enough said.

1331
01:04:05,792 --> 01:04:08,417
Father God, please send
the Holy Spirit

1332
01:04:08,500 --> 01:04:14,708
to open our eyes first
to the love of Jesus.

1333
01:04:14,792 --> 01:04:19,125
Second, to our sin
nature as Cain.

1334
01:04:19,167 --> 01:04:25,000
Third, to Jesus' love in spite
of who we are and what we do.

1335
01:04:25,083 --> 01:04:29,833
Fourth, that Jesus' love
turns Cains into Abels.

1336
01:04:29,875 --> 01:04:34,500
Fifth, that loving you
means loving one another,

1337
01:04:34,583 --> 01:04:38,417
not because we want
you to love us,

1338
01:04:38,500 --> 01:04:41,333
but because through
the cross, you already have.

1339
01:04:41,375 --> 01:04:43,292
Amen.