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"In these days he went out to the mountain
to pray, and all night he continued

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"in prayer to God.

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"And when day came, he called
his disciples and chose

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"from them twelve,
whom he named apostles:

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"Simon, whom he named Peter,
and Andrew his brother,

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"and James and John,
and Philip, and Bartholomew,

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"and Matthew, and Thomas, and
James the son of Alphaeus,

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"and Simon who was called
the Zealot,

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"and Judas the son of James,

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and Judas Iscariot,
who became a traitor."

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[music]

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Thus far in Luke's Gospel,
Jesus' ministry has mainly been

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about come and see.

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Crowds have come to see him
preach, teach, perform miracles,

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cast out demons, heal,
and help

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those who are suffering
and needy.

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And today in Luke 6:12-16,
Jesus is going to call his

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12 disciples to transition from
"come and see" to "go and die."

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And this is an incredibly
important sermon.

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These men's lives will change,
and history will change with it.

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And for those of you who have
been at Mars Hill for a while,

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we praise God for the
come-and-see opportunities.

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We like to give
things away online.

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We like to invite people
to church services.

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We like to invite people
to community groups.

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We like to invite people
to events, relationships,

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formal and informal ministry,
and we're all about

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come and see,
come and check it out.

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Come and hear some
Bible, meet some people,

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see some changed lives,
get to know us,

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and what Jesus is doing.

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But at some point,
and you need to know this,

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I'm not gonna be
a false salesman.

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At some point,
to be a Christian,

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you've gotta transition
from "come and see"

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to "go and die" and that is,

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you just can't watch other
people walk with Jesus,

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you have to go walk with him.

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You can't just allow
other people to serve you,

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you need to serve as well.

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You can't just allow other
people to fund ministry,

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you need to give generously.

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At some point, the come-and-see
season needs to end and the

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go-and-die season has to begin,
and that's exactly what we find

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at this strategic
juncture of Luke's Gospel.

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And so what we're going to do is
we're gonna look at him calling

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the 12 to a go-and-die life,
from a come-and-see experience

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to a go-and-die life.

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And so from this, we're gonna
pull out what I'll call,

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"11 leadership lessons
from 12 disciples."

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I thought it was catchy, and
so I'm gonna stick with it,

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and we'll look at
these in succession.

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And the whole point is this:
this sermon isn't just about

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you, it's about us.

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We want to have a church
that follows

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the leadership example
of Jesus.

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How did he pick his men?

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How did he lead his men?

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How did he train his men?

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How did he deploy his men?

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How did Jesus
organize his ministry?

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Because we want to follow
in Jesus' example by Jesus'

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empowerment through
the Holy Spirit,

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and we want to have a church
that is patterned

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after Jesus' ministry.

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That's what we're all about.

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Yeah, we want to see
people meet Jesus.

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We want to see the church grow.

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We want to start other campuses.

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We want to start other churches.

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We want to continue to
mature and grow in every way,

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but most importantly, we want
to do that in a way that honors

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Jesus, obeys Jesus,
imitates Jesus.

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So we'll pull 11 lessons from
him selecting his 12 disciples.

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Number one: pray humbly
then proceed boldly.

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Here's what Jesus does,
before choosing the 12,

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what does he do?

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Luke 6 tells us, he spent
a whole night in prayer.

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Silence and solitude, today this
would be shut off the phone,

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shut down the computer,

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stop Twittering,
Facebooking, blogging.

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All right, social media
addiction, shut it all down.

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Don't ask everybody, "What
do you think I should do?"

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Don't post it
on your wall,

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"Everybody, give me
your advice."

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Just shut it all down, go get
with God, silence and solitude.

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Bring a pen, paper, a Bible,
get some time with God,

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and talk to him.

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"All right, Lord, I've got an
important decision to make.

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"I'm here humbly
requesting you help me.

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"Speak me to through Scriptures,
the Holy Spirit, conscience.

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Help me know what to do."

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This is exceedingly important,
'cause we live in a world where

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hurry, worry, and busy dominate.

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No time for solitude,
no time for silence.

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And so rather than going to
God, we sometimes even go to

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technology to ask everybody
else, "What should I do?

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Give me advice.
Give me feedback."

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And that's not
always evil or bad,

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but Jesus' example is
start with prayer.

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Life, ministry, major decisions
have to be bathed

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and birthed in prayer.

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That's the way it works.

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And it says previously in Luke
that Jesus has done this before,

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so this is a fairly
common occurrence for him.

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He's gotta choose 12
apostles, that's a big deal,

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so he's gonna spend a whole
night in prayer, looking across

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all those who are following him,
and coming to hear him

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preach and teach.

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"Father, what about this one?

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"What about that guy?

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"What about this person?

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"What about that one?

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"Judas, you sure?

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"We need to talk
about that guy,

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not so sure I want him
on the team."

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So when you declare, "I'm gonna
be a member of this church.

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"I want to serve in this
ministry, paid or unpaid.

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"I want to marry this person.

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"I want go want to this college.

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"I want to get this degree.

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"I want to do this career.

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"I want to live in this house.

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"I want to take on
this responsibility.

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We're gonna birth
these children."

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Before you make
those big decisions,

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"We're gonna deploy
these leaders,"

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pray, 'cause what happens is
most people pray after

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they've made the decision.

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Like, "Oh no,
Lord, help, fix it.

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Whoops."

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Right and that's--and
God is a gracious God,

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and he can and does
often show up and help,

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but it's so much better to seek
God before making the decision,

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and the resulting devastation.

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And once you pray humbly, and
you get time with God, okay,

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"God, this is who I am.

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"This is what
you want me to do.

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This is the decision
I need to make,"

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then you could proceed boldly.

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"No, this is what I need to do.

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"The Bible says,
I got time with the Lord,

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"and then I double-checked
with spiritual authority and

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"godly people to make sure that
I actually heard the Lord,

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"not the voice in my head.

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"And yeah, I have
conviction here.

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"I have a sense of calling,

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and I know what I'm supposed
to do, so I'm gonna do it."

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Those who pray humbly
can proceed boldly.

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Those who do not pray humbly
have a hard time

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proceeding boldly.

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It gets hard.

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There's opposition, life,
ministry gets difficult.

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And all of a sudden you’re like,
"Am I doing the right thing?

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"Should I have
even started this?

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"Should I have volunteered
for this ministry?

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"Should I be pursuing
this life course?

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I don't know, maybe
I made a mistake."

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Crisis ensues.

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Gracie and I, before
we launched Mars Hill,

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and before we even announced
that we officially would,

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we felt called to it.

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God had called us both to it,
but we took some time, a week

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in fasting and prayer
just to double-check.

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"Okay Lord, double-checking,
is this it?

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"You want us to start
Mars Hill or not?

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"Yes, okay, cool.

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We're in this together,
and we're gonna do it."

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And there's been some hard
seasons, tough seasons,

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but we know, hey, this
is what God asked us to do.

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Also, I prayed a lot
before I married Grace,

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and God convicted me, revealed
to me, "Yeah, marry that girl."

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Okay.

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Every marriage hits hard spots,
every life hits hard spots,

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every career hits hard spots,
every ministry, paid or unpaid,

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hits hard spots, and when
you've prayed humbly,

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you can proceed boldly like,
"I'm gonna hang in there,

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"I'm gonna keep going 'cause I
know this is what I'm

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supposed to do, and I trust God
to get me through it."

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Number two: get the men.

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You're gonna see a lot of
principles from Jesus' ministry

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that we incorporate at
Mars Hill very gladly.

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This does not mean we
don't get the women,

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but we want to emphasize
getting the men.

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In Christianity today,

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60% of those who attend church
are women.

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Eleven to thirteen million
more women in church than men.

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Say, "Praise God,"

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the ladies love Jesus.

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Where are the men?

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What are they doing?

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Bad things, usually.

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And so what Jesus does, he goes
after the men, he gets the men.

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He gets the men first.

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He looks across the hundreds,
thousands who are following him

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in ministry, coming
to hear him teach,

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part of the come-and-see
ministry,

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and he chooses 12, all men.

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Senior leadership
is reserved for men.

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Let me explain this, many of
you will disagree with this.

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Read your Bible, read your
Bible, read your Bible.

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1 Timothy 2, 1 Timothy 3,
Titus 1,

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it's in "On Church Leadership,"

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it's in the book
"Vintage Church."

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I mean, I write this stuff
down, trying to make it clear,

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but Jesus is consistent with the
Old Testament, where the highest

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spiritual authority
were the priests,

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they were male descendants of
Aaron, that was a requirement.

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Jesus comes along, picks senior
leaders, 12 apostles, 12 men.

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Some say, "Oh, well, Jesus
really wanted women in

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leadership, and he had
women in his ministry."

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He did have women
in his ministry.

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He did have women who
were friends of his.

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He did have women
that he taught.

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He did have women that
served alongside of him,

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but he didn't appoint
any of them to apostle.

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If he wanted to
revolutionize things,

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that's all he needed
to do and he didn't,

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and he didn't make a mistake,

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'cause he spent the whole night
in prayer.

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He did exactly what
the Father wanted him to do,

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and then that sets up
the precedent for the

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New Testament church where
the elders or pastors,

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those words are used
synonymously in places

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like 1 Peter 5 and Acts 20,

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elders and pastors are men,
So Old Testament, New Testament,

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ministry of Jesus, beginning
to end, senior leaders only,

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always men, authors of all
books of the Bible, men.

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It doesn't mean that women
aren't gifted in leadership,

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can't teach
and use their gifts,

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they just cannot do so
in that office.

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The office of deacon, however,
is open for men and women.

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Back to the story, Jesus
picks 12 men, 12 men.

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There are reasons that
we have this position,

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and it's not because we like all
the criticism and controversy.

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It's not like I woke up
one day and I was like,

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I would like to get
whacked like a piñata.

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I know what will do it, male
pastors, that will do it.

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That will ensure that I
get criticized until I die.

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I'm gonna go with that 'cause
it's a shortcut to getting

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00:11:11,017 --> 00:11:12,054
beat like a piñata.

243
00:11:12,067 --> 00:11:14,000
I didn't pick that position.

244
00:11:14,004 --> 00:11:16,017
God wrote that
position in the Bible,

245
00:11:16,021 --> 00:11:19,000
so we hold to that position,
and it's a position that,

246
00:11:19,008 --> 00:11:24,004
quite frankly, is the position
that Jesus operated by.

247
00:11:24,017 --> 00:11:26,004
He wasn't scared of anyone.

248
00:11:26,017 --> 00:11:27,092
He didn't mind breaking
social taboos.

249
00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,092
He did increase great
liberation for women,

250
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:35,008
but he didn't appoint
any of them as apostles.

251
00:11:35,017 --> 00:11:36,050
My daughter recently
asked me about this.

252
00:11:36,054 --> 00:11:41,008
She's in junior high, smart
gal, real sharp, good student,

253
00:11:41,017 --> 00:11:42,033
good theologian, good writer.

254
00:11:42,038 --> 00:11:44,033
She's a great gal, love
her, we're real close.

255
00:11:44,042 --> 00:11:46,038
She said, "Dad, I don't believe
a woman should be a pastor,

256
00:11:46,050 --> 00:11:49,033
"but some of the friends
that I have in school do,

257
00:11:49,038 --> 00:11:51,033
"and we were talking about that.

258
00:11:51,038 --> 00:11:55,033
"And if you had to pick one
section of the Bible to explain

259
00:11:55,038 --> 00:11:57,017
"where it says that a
woman can't be a pastor,

260
00:11:57,021 --> 00:11:58,042
where would you go?"

261
00:11:58,050 --> 00:11:59,092
Good question, we're
sitting there I said,

262
00:12:00,004 --> 00:12:01,017
"Okay, grab your Bible, babe.

263
00:12:01,025 --> 00:12:02,092
"Go to 1 Timothy 2.

264
00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,025
"'I do not permit a woman to
teach or have authority

265
00:12:05,033 --> 00:12:07,008
over a man.'"

266
00:12:07,017 --> 00:12:08,058
She says, "Well,
that's pretty clear."

267
00:12:08,067 --> 00:12:11,017
"Yeah, I know.

268
00:12:11,025 --> 00:12:14,067
Keep reading next chapter,
1 Timothy 3, what does it say?"

269
00:12:14,075 --> 00:12:16,008
"An elder must be
above reproach,

270
00:12:16,017 --> 00:12:17,058
the husband of one wife."

271
00:12:17,067 --> 00:12:19,092
She said, "Well, that's
crazy, that's obvious."

272
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:21,083
To some, it is.

273
00:12:21,088 --> 00:12:23,083
She said, "Dad, then how could
they get that to say something

274
00:12:23,088 --> 00:12:24,088
that it's not?"

275
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,092
I said,
"Honey, they're wrong."

276
00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,033
She said, "So the churches that
have women pastors are wrong?"

277
00:12:30,042 --> 00:12:32,008
I said, "Yeah, they're wrong.

278
00:12:32,017 --> 00:12:34,083
"They're Christians,
and they can love Jesus,

279
00:12:34,088 --> 00:12:35,088
"and we can be friends
with them,

280
00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,050
"and we can work with them for
evangelism and good things,

281
00:12:39,054 --> 00:12:41,038
"and we can try to
be on good terms,

282
00:12:41,050 --> 00:12:44,071
and they're wrong.

283
00:12:44,083 --> 00:12:45,092
"They would say there's things
that we're wrong about,

284
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,033
"and maybe there are.

285
00:12:47,042 --> 00:12:48,092
"We need to humbly listen to
them, and go back to the Bible,

286
00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:50,092
"and see if there's anything we
need to clean up and work on

287
00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,050
"and fix, 'cause nobody's
perfect except for Jesus.

288
00:12:53,058 --> 00:12:55,054
Everybody's got
something to learn."

289
00:12:55,067 --> 00:12:58,025
So our position at Mars Hill
is the Bible's clear on this.

290
00:12:58,033 --> 00:13:01,021
Old Testament, New
Testament, ministry of Jesus,

291
00:13:01,033 --> 00:13:04,092
the appointing of the 12, all
qualified, competent, capable,

292
00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,000
courageous, Christ-like men.

293
00:13:08,008 --> 00:13:09,033
So get the men.

294
00:13:09,042 --> 00:13:12,050
We go after the men at
Mars Hill, we just do.

295
00:13:12,054 --> 00:13:16,054
A little more than half
of our attendance is men.

296
00:13:16,067 --> 00:13:21,017
The biggest group at
Mars Hill are single men,

297
00:13:21,021 --> 00:13:24,092
the least likely people
on earth to go to church.

298
00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,083
Okay, so we praise God for
that, and we love the men,

299
00:13:28,092 --> 00:13:30,050
and we love the women, and we
think one of the most important

300
00:13:30,054 --> 00:13:33,075
things we could do for the men
is to introduce them to Jesus,

301
00:13:33,083 --> 00:13:35,083
and one of the most important
things we can do for the women

302
00:13:35,092 --> 00:13:37,067
is to beat the men.

303
00:13:37,075 --> 00:13:39,067
And so that's what we do.

304
00:13:39,071 --> 00:13:43,088
Number three: past results
often reveal future performance.

305
00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:45,083
And here's the deal.

306
00:13:45,088 --> 00:13:47,038
Jesus looks out
across his ministry,

307
00:13:47,050 --> 00:13:52,004
and he picks leaders who
are already doing stuff.

308
00:13:52,017 --> 00:13:54,004
And if you've never
done anything, yeah,

309
00:13:54,017 --> 00:13:56,075
something radical could change,
but the odds are tomorrow,

310
00:13:56,083 --> 00:13:59,083
you're not gonna wake up
and start doing a lot.

311
00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,067
If you're not faithful,

312
00:14:02,075 --> 00:14:05,004
you're probably not
going to be faithful.

313
00:14:05,017 --> 00:14:06,092
I mean, there's something
to be said for consistency,

314
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,033
what Eugene Peterson calls,

315
00:14:08,038 --> 00:14:11,017
"long obedience in
the same direction."

316
00:14:11,021 --> 00:14:13,021
Some people walk into
Mars Hill and say,

317
00:14:13,033 --> 00:14:14,058
"Okay, I want to do this."

318
00:14:14,067 --> 00:14:15,092
"Okay, have you
ever done anything?"

319
00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,058
"Nope."

320
00:14:17,067 --> 00:14:19,033
"Okay, then why in the world
would we give you this

321
00:14:19,042 --> 00:14:20,067
"great opportunity?

322
00:14:20,075 --> 00:14:23,008
"Shouldn't you first
do anything?

323
00:14:23,017 --> 00:14:25,004
"Humbly serve, find
something to do,

324
00:14:25,017 --> 00:14:28,075
"show us that you can show up 2
weeks in a row, find your pants,

325
00:14:28,083 --> 00:14:31,038
"you know, just knock a few
things off your to-do list,

326
00:14:31,050 --> 00:14:34,000
and then we'll talk about
making you a leader."

327
00:14:34,004 --> 00:14:35,000
'Cause people walk,
in they're like,

328
00:14:35,004 --> 00:14:36,033
"I want to be in charge of
something."

329
00:14:36,038 --> 00:14:39,038
"All right, you can
be in charge of you.

330
00:14:39,050 --> 00:14:41,008
"We're gonna start there.

331
00:14:41,017 --> 00:14:43,008
"We're gonna start there,
and if you nail that,

332
00:14:43,017 --> 00:14:45,088
we'll move on, okay?"

333
00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,071
But Jesus doesn't
just pick people

334
00:14:48,083 --> 00:14:50,083
who have never done anything.

335
00:14:50,092 --> 00:14:52,004
Some of these guys
have run businesses.

336
00:14:52,017 --> 00:14:53,071
They're all following
him in ministry.

337
00:14:53,083 --> 00:14:55,033
They're serving informally.

338
00:14:55,038 --> 00:14:58,008
The ministry's grown, now
it's time to officialize the

339
00:14:58,017 --> 00:15:01,071
leadership, and he picks those
who have already performed,

340
00:15:01,083 --> 00:15:03,000
they've already done something.

341
00:15:03,004 --> 00:15:04,038
You need to know
this at Mars Hill,

342
00:15:04,050 --> 00:15:07,038
the best way to rise up in
leadership is

343
00:15:07,050 --> 00:15:10,017
to be getting things done.

344
00:15:10,025 --> 00:15:13,092
Become a member, join
a community group,

345
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:15,054
lead a community group,
lead a worship team,

346
00:15:15,067 --> 00:15:17,000
lead a serving team.

347
00:15:17,008 --> 00:15:19,038
Move up through deaconship,
move up through eldership.

348
00:15:19,050 --> 00:15:20,088
Whatever God
has for you,

349
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,000
you gotta start by doing
something.

350
00:15:23,008 --> 00:15:24,088
You gotta start by
doing something.

351
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,071
There's a lot of people who walk
in, and they're totally fired up

352
00:15:27,083 --> 00:15:33,000
for 2 weeks, and then it's
over, you never see them again.

353
00:15:33,008 --> 00:15:37,042
Past performance indicates
future performance.

354
00:15:37,050 --> 00:15:39,050
We want to see somebody who's
been doing something

355
00:15:39,058 --> 00:15:43,004
before we unleash them to
do something else.

356
00:15:43,017 --> 00:15:46,008
Number four: train the called,
do not call the trained.

357
00:15:46,017 --> 00:15:48,058
It's interesting when Jesus
went to call his leaders,

358
00:15:48,067 --> 00:15:49,075
and he did call them.

359
00:15:49,083 --> 00:15:50,092
He didn't get a committee.

360
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,042
They didn't take
a congregational vote.

361
00:15:52,050 --> 00:15:53,092
They didn't do nominations.

362
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,000
Jesus called them.

363
00:15:56,004 --> 00:15:58,017
Jesus still calls
people into ministry.

364
00:15:58,021 --> 00:15:59,038
We believe that.

365
00:15:59,050 --> 00:16:03,033
Acts 20 says that the Holy
Spirit chooses the leaders

366
00:16:03,038 --> 00:16:06,033
in the church, he
appoints the overseers.

367
00:16:06,038 --> 00:16:09,000
So God still picks leaders.

368
00:16:09,004 --> 00:16:11,067
Jesus still picks leaders
through the indwelling,

369
00:16:11,071 --> 00:16:14,058
empowering, calling
of the Holy Spirit,

370
00:16:14,067 --> 00:16:18,083
and Jesus trained the called.

371
00:16:18,088 --> 00:16:22,000
So, we don't make
leaders, God does.

372
00:16:22,004 --> 00:16:24,088
We recognize them,
and then train them.

373
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,004
And for you, some of you will
have a calling,

374
00:16:28,017 --> 00:16:29,067
and sometimes your calling
will be like mine.

375
00:16:29,075 --> 00:16:30,067
Mine was obvious.

376
00:16:30,075 --> 00:16:33,050
God spoke to me, "Marry Grace,
plant churches, train men,

377
00:16:33,058 --> 00:16:34,054
preach the Bible."

378
00:16:34,067 --> 00:16:36,050
Okay, that's what I'm doing.

379
00:16:36,058 --> 00:16:39,004
For some of you, you'll be
reading the Bible,

380
00:16:39,017 --> 00:16:41,004
and you'll see something
or somebody,

381
00:16:41,017 --> 00:16:43,008
and it's all of a sudden
like that just leaps out at you,

382
00:16:43,017 --> 00:16:44,050
you're like, "That's it.

383
00:16:44,058 --> 00:16:45,050
"That's what I want to do.

384
00:16:45,058 --> 00:16:49,008
That's what I want
to give my life to."

385
00:16:49,017 --> 00:16:51,004
Or you meet somebody in
the Bible, you're like,

386
00:16:51,017 --> 00:16:52,033
"I'm like them.

387
00:16:52,038 --> 00:16:53,058
"I want to do
what they're doing.

388
00:16:53,067 --> 00:16:55,071
That's what I need to do."

389
00:16:55,083 --> 00:16:57,054
That could be your calling.

390
00:16:57,067 --> 00:16:59,050
And sometimes it's
trial and error,

391
00:16:59,058 --> 00:17:01,008
you're like, "I tried
that, I'm no good at it.

392
00:17:01,017 --> 00:17:02,000
"I tried that,
I'm no good at it.

393
00:17:02,008 --> 00:17:03,000
"I tried that.

394
00:17:03,008 --> 00:17:04,075
"Hey, that actually works.

395
00:17:04,083 --> 00:17:06,088
"I'm pretty good at
that, and I like that.

396
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:10,092
God seems to bless it
when I serve in that area."

397
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,038
Calling also can be just that
deep-rooted sense of

398
00:17:15,050 --> 00:17:17,050
"have to" in your gut.

399
00:17:17,054 --> 00:17:19,017
It could be the Holy Spirit.

400
00:17:19,021 --> 00:17:22,000
So you say, "I have
to help abuse victims.

401
00:17:22,004 --> 00:17:23,058
"I have to help the poor.

402
00:17:23,067 --> 00:17:25,017
"I have to help single moms.

403
00:17:25,021 --> 00:17:26,067
"I have to help kids.

404
00:17:26,075 --> 00:17:29,092
I have to help men
learn to be fathers."

405
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:34,058
Right, there's something
in your gut--[coughs] excuse me--

406
00:17:34,067 --> 00:17:36,000
and it's there from God.

407
00:17:36,008 --> 00:17:38,004
It's the beginning of a calling,

408
00:17:38,017 --> 00:17:39,008
and it starts with
a real passion.

409
00:17:39,017 --> 00:17:42,071
Maybe there's certain things in
life, you kind of ebb and flow,

410
00:17:42,083 --> 00:17:46,054
and the enthusiasm
is hot and cold,

411
00:17:46,067 --> 00:17:49,021
but this is something
that's consistent.

412
00:17:49,033 --> 00:17:52,092
See, for me, I see it this way:

413
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,088
how do you know you're
called to something?

414
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,083
Well, part of it is God
gives you an innate desire.

415
00:17:58,092 --> 00:18:02,000
That's why it says in 1 Peter 5,
"Don't lead because people made

416
00:18:02,008 --> 00:18:06,054
you lead, lead because you
desire to, that you want to."

417
00:18:06,067 --> 00:18:09,033
That's why Paul says elsewhere,
"If anyone desires the office

418
00:18:09,038 --> 00:18:11,092
of overseer, it's a noble
thing they desire."

419
00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,025
It's a good thing
to have a desire.

420
00:18:14,033 --> 00:18:15,088
So I was talking to a new
Christian recently and they

421
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,088
were unsure about God's
calling on their life.

422
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,000
"I don't know what
God wants me to do.

423
00:18:20,008 --> 00:18:22,025
"Got all these new decisions
to make in life

424
00:18:22,033 --> 00:18:24,021
now that I'm a new Christian."

425
00:18:24,033 --> 00:18:25,083
And they were very kind
of panicked about it,

426
00:18:25,092 --> 00:18:27,050
"What do I do?"

427
00:18:27,054 --> 00:18:30,033
I said, "Don't worry about God's
calling, first worry about God.

428
00:18:30,042 --> 00:18:33,033
"The Bible says, 'Delight
yourself in the Lord,

429
00:18:33,038 --> 00:18:35,075
and he'll give you the
desires of your heart.'"

430
00:18:35,083 --> 00:18:37,054
I said, "Are you
enjoying the Lord?"

431
00:18:37,067 --> 00:18:38,075
They said, "Yeah,
I'm reading my Bible.

432
00:18:38,083 --> 00:18:39,075
"I'm praying.

433
00:18:39,083 --> 00:18:41,050
"I'm in a community group
and reading good books,

434
00:18:41,054 --> 00:18:43,033
"and I'm repenting of sin,
and I'm seeing the ways that

435
00:18:43,042 --> 00:18:46,017
"I'm not like Jesus, and my life
is changing and yeah,

436
00:18:46,021 --> 00:18:48,017
"I feel like there's momentum,
and I'm really excited about

437
00:18:48,025 --> 00:18:50,000
Jesus, and I'm growing."

438
00:18:50,008 --> 00:18:51,017
"Great."

439
00:18:51,025 --> 00:18:53,004
This person looked at me and
said, "Well, what do I do?"

440
00:18:53,017 --> 00:18:55,083
I said, "Do whatever you want."

441
00:18:55,088 --> 00:18:57,017
They're like, "What?

442
00:18:57,025 --> 00:18:58,038
Do whatever I want?"

443
00:18:58,050 --> 00:19:00,071
"Yeah, 'cause if you delight
yourself in the Lord,

444
00:19:00,083 --> 00:19:02,071
"he'll give you the
desires of your heart.

445
00:19:02,083 --> 00:19:06,008
"He'll put desires on your
heart, so that God's desires

446
00:19:06,017 --> 00:19:08,000
become your desires."

447
00:19:08,008 --> 00:19:08,092
Augustine said it this way,

448
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,000
"Love God and do whatever
you please."

449
00:19:11,008 --> 00:19:13,033
I said, "Well,
what do you like?"

450
00:19:13,042 --> 00:19:14,058
They're like, "Well,
I like serving people,

451
00:19:14,067 --> 00:19:17,017
"and I'm pretty
extroverted and, you know,

452
00:19:17,025 --> 00:19:18,025
I like welcoming people."

453
00:19:18,033 --> 00:19:19,038
"So you want to be a greeter?"

454
00:19:19,050 --> 00:19:20,092
"Yeah, I'd love to be a greeter.

455
00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,000
And I love hospitality and I
love getting people together."

456
00:19:23,008 --> 00:19:25,004
"So someday you'd like to be
a community group leader?"

457
00:19:25,017 --> 00:19:25,092
"That'd be great.

458
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,004
I'm not ready yet, but maybe I
could apprentice and get ready."

459
00:19:28,017 --> 00:19:29,017
"Yeah, that'd be a great idea.

460
00:19:29,021 --> 00:19:30,067
How does that sound?"

461
00:19:30,075 --> 00:19:31,088
"That sounds really fun.

462
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:33,075
Should I do it?"

463
00:19:33,083 --> 00:19:35,008
"Do you want to?"

464
00:19:35,017 --> 00:19:37,088
"Yeah, well, how do I know
if it's God will or my will?"

465
00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:39,038
"Well, if you're
enjoying the Lord,

466
00:19:39,050 --> 00:19:40,083
"his will becomes your will.

467
00:19:40,092 --> 00:19:42,050
"He's glorified,
you're satisfied,

468
00:19:42,058 --> 00:19:43,058
"other people are helped.

469
00:19:43,067 --> 00:19:46,092
Everybody wins,
that's ministry."

470
00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,067
It's more about our
heart enjoying the Lord,

471
00:19:49,071 --> 00:19:52,083
and then we'll want to do
what he wants us do.

472
00:19:52,092 --> 00:19:55,038
You need to know this,
I like my job.

473
00:19:55,050 --> 00:19:57,033
I love to preach
and teach the Bible.

474
00:19:57,042 --> 00:19:59,092
There are, quite frankly, a lot
of things that I get excited

475
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,067
about, that I lose excitement for;
studying the Bible,

476
00:20:02,071 --> 00:20:04,000
teaching the Bible,
my whole life,

477
00:20:04,008 --> 00:20:10,000
ever since I got saved at age 19,
pretty fired up about that.

478
00:20:10,004 --> 00:20:11,000
People ask me all the
time, they're like,

479
00:20:11,008 --> 00:20:12,042
"How do you study that much?"

480
00:20:12,050 --> 00:20:15,033
I like it. It helps.

481
00:20:15,042 --> 00:20:18,017
Alright, unlike some jobs,
which you're like, "I don't like it,"

482
00:20:18,025 --> 00:20:21,071
that's hard, and maybe God's
called you to a hard job,

483
00:20:21,083 --> 00:20:25,008
but when it comes to ministry,
particularly for those of you

484
00:20:25,017 --> 00:20:27,058
who are volunteering, it's a
great opportunity to say,

485
00:20:27,067 --> 00:20:30,025
"I want to do something
that I like and I'm good at,

486
00:20:30,033 --> 00:20:31,088
"and helps people
and glorifies God,

487
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,000
and I just get to pick
something that fits."

488
00:20:34,004 --> 00:20:36,042
That's all.

489
00:20:36,050 --> 00:20:40,004
Jesus trained the called.

490
00:20:40,017 --> 00:20:42,008
These 12 were already
part of his ministry,

491
00:20:42,017 --> 00:20:43,008
they're already serving.

492
00:20:43,017 --> 00:20:44,054
They're already following him.

493
00:20:44,067 --> 00:20:45,067
They're already
responding to him.

494
00:20:45,075 --> 00:20:48,000
They're already submitting to
him, so he starts training them.

495
00:20:48,008 --> 00:20:50,008
"All right, we're gonna teach
you guys, open your Bibles,

496
00:20:50,017 --> 00:20:51,083
"we're gonna have
some discussion.

497
00:20:51,092 --> 00:20:52,092
"We're gonna run some classes.

498
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:54,054
"You're gonna do
some experiences.

499
00:20:54,067 --> 00:20:57,004
"We're gonna let you go out and
pray, cast out a few demons,

500
00:20:57,017 --> 00:20:58,092
"help the sick.

501
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,033
"You kids are gonna
get your feet wet now.

502
00:21:01,042 --> 00:21:03,067
It's gonna be busy time."

503
00:21:03,071 --> 00:21:05,088
He doesn't call the trained,
and this is where ministry's

504
00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,033
gone wrong in the modern era.

505
00:21:08,038 --> 00:21:11,058
Jesus didn't go to where they
trained the scribes,

506
00:21:11,067 --> 00:21:14,088
or up to the temple where they
trained the priests.

507
00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,000
He didn't go to the equivalent
of the Bible college or

508
00:21:17,004 --> 00:21:19,017
the seminary and say, "Alright,
who's head of the class?

509
00:21:19,021 --> 00:21:22,008
"Alright, who's
Pharisee of the month?

510
00:21:22,017 --> 00:21:26,008
I want that kid,
that's who I want."

511
00:21:26,017 --> 00:21:30,004
He didn't do that, because you
can be trained but not called.

512
00:21:30,017 --> 00:21:32,088
You can go to school for
something that God hasn't asked

513
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,038
you to do, and you've
got all the credentials,

514
00:21:36,050 --> 00:21:39,050
but you don't have
any of the courage.

515
00:21:39,054 --> 00:21:41,000
And I'm not against training.

516
00:21:41,004 --> 00:21:43,000
I've got a master's
degree in theology,

517
00:21:43,004 --> 00:21:45,000
and I'm not against
seminary or Bible college.

518
00:21:45,008 --> 00:21:46,083
We've got a school,
Re:Train,

519
00:21:46,088 --> 00:21:50,017
we love to train people, but
calling precedes training.

520
00:21:50,025 --> 00:21:52,017
Has God burdened
you for something?

521
00:21:52,025 --> 00:21:53,071
Do you want to do it?

522
00:21:53,083 --> 00:21:54,083
Will you do it?

523
00:21:54,092 --> 00:21:57,017
Great, we'll help you do it.

524
00:21:57,021 --> 00:22:00,092
But see, people can help
train, but only God can call.

525
00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:03,083
If God hasn't called
you, we can't call you.

526
00:22:03,092 --> 00:22:05,017
Many of you need to be careful.

527
00:22:05,021 --> 00:22:09,067
You'll think, "I'm gonna go get
a degree for ministry."

528
00:22:09,071 --> 00:22:13,050
Do ministry, volunteer,
check it out.

529
00:22:13,054 --> 00:22:17,050
Let us then help train you,
and find a slot to get you

530
00:22:17,058 --> 00:22:20,017
developed, but it may
not be your thing.

531
00:22:20,025 --> 00:22:25,033
There was a controversial report
some years ago that said that

532
00:22:25,042 --> 00:22:27,067
upwards of three-fourths of
those who graduate from Bible

533
00:22:27,075 --> 00:22:31,038
college and seminary, go into
ministry and leave within the

534
00:22:31,050 --> 00:22:35,000
first 5 years, never to return.

535
00:22:35,008 --> 00:22:36,058
It means they spent years
training for something that

536
00:22:36,067 --> 00:22:40,004
they're not going to do, why?

537
00:22:40,017 --> 00:22:42,075
Because there's a difference
between calling the trained

538
00:22:42,083 --> 00:22:47,050
into ministry, and training
the called for ministry.

539
00:22:47,054 --> 00:22:49,000
It starts with a calling.

540
00:22:49,008 --> 00:22:52,071
Number five: weird
teams are the best.

541
00:22:52,083 --> 00:22:57,067
Weird teams are the best
because number one, they're fun.

542
00:22:57,075 --> 00:23:01,008
And number two, they
compliment one another.

543
00:23:01,017 --> 00:23:03,067
One of the great weaknesses in
leadership development theory,

544
00:23:03,075 --> 00:23:07,025
and here's the truth, we like
to read business books and

545
00:23:07,033 --> 00:23:09,075
leadership books,
and I subscribe to

546
00:23:09,083 --> 00:23:12,067
the "Harvard Business Review"
and "Wired" and "Fast Company."

547
00:23:12,075 --> 00:23:15,088
I mean, I like it all,
but the Bible and Jesus,

548
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:17,025
that's where we
really go to learn,

549
00:23:17,033 --> 00:23:21,004
and other things can help us
learn about what others are

550
00:23:21,017 --> 00:23:21,088
thinking in leadership.

551
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,067
But here's the big idea:
if you have a weakness,

552
00:23:25,071 --> 00:23:27,050
should you work on it
if you're a leader,

553
00:23:27,054 --> 00:23:29,000
and this could be in
ministry or business,

554
00:23:29,008 --> 00:23:32,058
or do you find people who
are strong where you're weak?

555
00:23:32,067 --> 00:23:34,008
Conventional prevailing
wisdom has been,

556
00:23:34,017 --> 00:23:35,042
you gotta work on
your weaknesses.

557
00:23:35,050 --> 00:23:37,008
Maybe a little bit,
but you know what?

558
00:23:37,017 --> 00:23:40,033
Need to find somebody who's
better at things than you.

559
00:23:40,042 --> 00:23:42,075
Get a weird team of people
who are really different.

560
00:23:42,083 --> 00:23:45,058
If everybody looks the same,
watches the same TV shows,

561
00:23:45,067 --> 00:23:49,050
listens to the same bands,
wears the same clothes,

562
00:23:49,054 --> 00:23:54,000
uses the same colloquialisms,
has the same everything,

563
00:23:54,008 --> 00:23:55,088
you're probably in a cult.

564
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,008
I just hate to tell you that,
and the problem with the cult is

565
00:23:58,017 --> 00:23:59,083
you never know
till the last day,

566
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,092
and so it's kind
of a disappointment.

567
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,092
A weird team's the
best team, right?

568
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,092
So on Jesus' team, it's
kind of a weird team.

569
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,008
John's young, Peter and
the other guys are older.

570
00:24:12,017 --> 00:24:13,075
John's apparently single.

571
00:24:13,083 --> 00:24:16,004
Some other guys are
married and have kids.

572
00:24:16,017 --> 00:24:17,092
It's kind of a weird team.

573
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:19,067
Eleven of them are country boys.

574
00:24:19,075 --> 00:24:23,017
One's from the city, Judas,
didn't represent us real well.

575
00:24:23,025 --> 00:24:26,042
It's a weird team.

576
00:24:26,050 --> 00:24:28,033
It's a really kind
of weird team.

577
00:24:28,038 --> 00:24:30,088
On this team is a guy
named Simon the Zealot,

578
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:32,088
we read in Luke 6.

579
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,058
He hates the Roman government
'cause it's ruling over God's

580
00:24:35,067 --> 00:24:40,000
people, and he's kind of a
punk rock anarchist kind of guy.

581
00:24:40,004 --> 00:24:41,067
Alright, he's a Fugazi fan.

582
00:24:41,071 --> 00:24:44,083
He's that guy.

583
00:24:44,092 --> 00:24:46,092
And so he just wants to
overthrow the Roman government.

584
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:47,092
He says,
"I hate the government.

585
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:48,092
Down with the government."

586
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:49,092
He's that guy.

587
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,038
He's got the anarchist
patch on his sleeve.

588
00:24:53,050 --> 00:24:55,033
He's that guy.

589
00:24:55,038 --> 00:24:58,092
And then on the team as well is
Matthew the tax collector, who

590
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:03,050
works for the Roman government,
ripping off God's people,

591
00:25:03,058 --> 00:25:06,042
and these two guys
are on the same team.

592
00:25:06,050 --> 00:25:09,088
It's the antigovernment
anarchist activist

593
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,042
and the IRS auditor.

594
00:25:13,050 --> 00:25:15,004
Like seriously?

595
00:25:15,017 --> 00:25:17,025
The guy with the gun, and the
guy who tucks his shirt in,

596
00:25:17,033 --> 00:25:19,083
they're on the same team?

597
00:25:19,092 --> 00:25:21,042
Yeah, that's a weird team.

598
00:25:21,050 --> 00:25:24,004
That's a very weird team.

599
00:25:24,017 --> 00:25:25,017
Some of these guys
are fisherman,

600
00:25:25,021 --> 00:25:26,042
one's a tax collector.

601
00:25:26,050 --> 00:25:29,008
At least four guys, we
don't know what they did.

602
00:25:29,017 --> 00:25:30,000
Some are brothers,
some aren't.

603
00:25:30,008 --> 00:25:33,000
It's a funky,
little, weird team,

604
00:25:33,008 --> 00:25:34,067
but it works 'cause
they're different,

605
00:25:34,075 --> 00:25:36,088
and they compliment
one another's

606
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,083
strengths and weaknesses.

607
00:25:38,092 --> 00:25:40,021
Some of these guys had
business experience,

608
00:25:40,033 --> 00:25:41,050
some had political experience.

609
00:25:41,058 --> 00:25:42,075
Some had leadership experience.

610
00:25:42,083 --> 00:25:45,071
Some of them already had
preexisting social networks

611
00:25:45,083 --> 00:25:46,083
and relationships.

612
00:25:46,088 --> 00:25:49,083
Just so you know this, the
best teams are the weird teams.

613
00:25:49,092 --> 00:25:51,033
They're weird teams.

614
00:25:51,042 --> 00:25:52,075
Like our eldership,
every once in a while

615
00:25:52,083 --> 00:25:55,033
in an elder's meeting,
Pastor Jamie, your lead pastor,

616
00:25:55,038 --> 00:25:56,088
he's the legal
president at Mars Hill,

617
00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,004
he'll just kind of chuckle.

618
00:25:59,017 --> 00:26:00,033
And I've asked him before,
"Dude, what's so funny?"

619
00:26:00,042 --> 00:26:04,000
He's like, "Look at this
team, what a weird team."

620
00:26:04,008 --> 00:26:06,000
True, I look around like,
this is a weird team.

621
00:26:06,004 --> 00:26:08,092
Forty-some pastors,
nineteen more in training.

622
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,071
Maybe we'll be at 60
by the end of the year,

623
00:26:10,083 --> 00:26:14,038
and it's like nothing but Jesus
could bring this team together.

624
00:26:14,050 --> 00:26:17,008
Some are jocks, some of these
guys have action figures.

625
00:26:17,017 --> 00:26:20,058
I mean, those are two
totally different teams.

626
00:26:20,067 --> 00:26:22,021
We have guys who
tuck their shirt in,

627
00:26:22,033 --> 00:26:25,000
guys who don't tuck
their shirt in.

628
00:26:25,008 --> 00:26:29,050
And you're not supposed to
tuck your shirt in, by the way.

629
00:26:29,054 --> 00:26:31,083
But we can't make it a rule
'cause I told you last week,

630
00:26:31,092 --> 00:26:33,092
legalists are wrong, so you
get to do whatever you want,

631
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,000
tuck your shirt in,
don't tuck your shirt in.

632
00:26:36,004 --> 00:26:37,075
Some of the people on
the team drink alcohol,

633
00:26:37,083 --> 00:26:39,025
some don't drink alcohol,
some speak in tongues,

634
00:26:39,033 --> 00:26:40,038
some don't speak in tongues.

635
00:26:40,050 --> 00:26:42,017
Some are in their 70s,
some are in their 20s,

636
00:26:42,021 --> 00:26:44,075
some are grandfathers,
some are infertile.

637
00:26:44,083 --> 00:26:48,071
Some have a PhD, some have
a GED, a good enough diploma.

638
00:26:48,083 --> 00:26:52,000
It's just a whole
different--it's a weird team,

639
00:26:52,004 --> 00:26:54,025
and if you walk in you're like,
"What's up with this team?

640
00:26:54,033 --> 00:26:56,083
Ah, Jesus, brought
this team together."

641
00:26:56,088 --> 00:26:58,050
It's a weird team.

642
00:26:58,058 --> 00:27:03,000
And people will ask,
"What--how does this work?

643
00:27:03,008 --> 00:27:04,025
What, what?"

644
00:27:04,033 --> 00:27:08,004
Oh, when Jesus is the center,
you get a weird team, 'cause see

645
00:27:08,017 --> 00:27:11,017
if you're Christ-oriented
and not cause-oriented,

646
00:27:11,025 --> 00:27:14,008
you get community
and not affinity.

647
00:27:14,017 --> 00:27:15,088
If you're cause-oriented,
you get affinity.

648
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,088
All the people who agree
with you come together.

649
00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,071
If you're Christ-oriented,
people who disagree on

650
00:27:21,083 --> 00:27:23,050
a whole lot of things,
they come together.

651
00:27:23,058 --> 00:27:25,021
That's actual community.

652
00:27:25,033 --> 00:27:28,088
What passes for community in
our day is pretty much affinity.

653
00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,008
Everybody like me hangs
out and does what I like.

654
00:27:32,017 --> 00:27:33,083
Community is people
totally unlike me,

655
00:27:33,088 --> 00:27:36,033
and don't have much in common
with me, come together with me,

656
00:27:36,038 --> 00:27:38,004
because we're Christ-centered.

657
00:27:38,017 --> 00:27:40,092
It's all about Jesus, and as
we're all walking closer to

658
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,083
Jesus as disciples of,
followers of Jesus,

659
00:27:43,092 --> 00:27:46,017
we happen to get closer
together and become a team.

660
00:27:46,025 --> 00:27:48,038
That's what's cool
about Christianity.

661
00:27:48,050 --> 00:27:50,025
People who--I mean, you guys
know this, in your

662
00:27:50,033 --> 00:27:52,042
community groups, your social
networks, you're like,

663
00:27:52,050 --> 00:27:56,050
"Man, my Christian friends, I
would never pick these people.

664
00:27:56,054 --> 00:27:59,004
"I don't have anything in common
with them--bipedal, upright--

665
00:27:59,017 --> 00:28:02,033
"other than those two factors,
we got nothing in common.

666
00:28:02,042 --> 00:28:03,050
"But you know what?

667
00:28:03,054 --> 00:28:05,000
"They love Jesus, I love
Jesus, and you know what?

668
00:28:05,004 --> 00:28:09,008
"I love them, and together we
make each other more sanctified,

669
00:28:09,017 --> 00:28:11,008
"and together when
we serve Jesus,

670
00:28:11,017 --> 00:28:14,004
"it goes better, so praise
God for a weird, diverse,

671
00:28:14,017 --> 00:28:17,083
collective team of
different kind of people."

672
00:28:17,092 --> 00:28:19,033
So on our team, there's
artists, there's accountants,

673
00:28:19,038 --> 00:28:21,008
people who are good
with pictures,

674
00:28:21,017 --> 00:28:22,017
people who are good
with numbers,

675
00:28:22,021 --> 00:28:24,067
all important, very vital.

676
00:28:24,071 --> 00:28:25,083
Weird teams are the best teams.

677
00:28:25,092 --> 00:28:27,000
You see that with Jesus.

678
00:28:27,004 --> 00:28:30,067
It's kind of a weird team.

679
00:28:30,075 --> 00:28:33,000
He's not picking the
guys you'd expect,

680
00:28:33,008 --> 00:28:35,075
he's picking a bunch of
no names and nobodies.

681
00:28:35,083 --> 00:28:40,008
Number six: under authority
before in authority.

682
00:28:40,017 --> 00:28:42,017
And here in Luke 6:12-16,

683
00:28:42,025 --> 00:28:45,000
it uses two words:
disciple, apostle.

684
00:28:45,004 --> 00:28:47,000
It says, "He took those
who were disciples,

685
00:28:47,004 --> 00:28:49,067
and he commissioned them
as apostles."

686
00:28:49,075 --> 00:28:54,083
A disciple literally means a
humble, follower servant of.

687
00:28:54,092 --> 00:28:57,004
Jesus is teaching,
they're listening.

688
00:28:57,017 --> 00:28:59,000
Jesus is commanding,
they're obeying.

689
00:28:59,004 --> 00:29:01,067
Jesus is leading,
they're following.

690
00:29:01,071 --> 00:29:04,092
They're under authority.

691
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:09,004
And Jesus had a lot of
disciples, hundreds,

692
00:29:09,017 --> 00:29:11,017
thousands of people
come out to hear him.

693
00:29:11,025 --> 00:29:14,033
They're all part of
the come-and-see,

694
00:29:14,038 --> 00:29:17,071
and he picks those who
are under authority,

695
00:29:17,083 --> 00:29:21,088
and he appoints a handful
of them into authority.

696
00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:24,033
And here's why this
is so important,

697
00:29:24,042 --> 00:29:28,025
some people love
to be in authority,

698
00:29:28,033 --> 00:29:30,083
but they don't like
to be under authority.

699
00:29:30,088 --> 00:29:32,038
They want to boss
other people around,

700
00:29:32,050 --> 00:29:34,088
but they don't
take orders well.

701
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,017
We've had this situation at
various times at Mars Hill

702
00:29:38,021 --> 00:29:40,038
where somebody's like,
"Okay, I'm a leader now.

703
00:29:40,050 --> 00:29:42,004
You can't tell me what to do."

704
00:29:42,017 --> 00:29:43,083
No, everybody's under--
I'm under authority,

705
00:29:43,092 --> 00:29:45,017
everybody's under authority.

706
00:29:45,025 --> 00:29:47,021
We're all sinners,
we all make mistakes.

707
00:29:47,033 --> 00:29:49,000
We all gotta be under authority.

708
00:29:49,004 --> 00:29:51,025
We could all blow this great gift
called Mars Hill that God's

709
00:29:51,033 --> 00:29:53,050
given us at anytime.

710
00:29:53,058 --> 00:29:54,075
God opposes the proud.

711
00:29:54,083 --> 00:29:57,017
He gives grace to the
humble, so humble yourself.

712
00:29:57,021 --> 00:30:00,088
Alright, so the Bible says,
"Come under some authority."

713
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,067
Those who are above the law,
those who are the exception

714
00:30:03,071 --> 00:30:06,004
to the rule, those who get
to do whatever they want,

715
00:30:06,017 --> 00:30:07,083
they're dangerous.

716
00:30:07,092 --> 00:30:11,067
They're very dangerous.

717
00:30:11,075 --> 00:30:14,067
We've had that
situation at Mars Hill.

718
00:30:14,071 --> 00:30:15,092
Well, sometimes the people
will be like,

719
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:17,083
"I don't know why you guys had
a problem with that person."

720
00:30:17,088 --> 00:30:23,033
Well, because they like sheep,
but they bite shepherds.

721
00:30:23,038 --> 00:30:25,067
They like being in authority,
they don't like being under

722
00:30:25,071 --> 00:30:28,025
authority, and you've gotta
be good at both to be a leader,

723
00:30:28,033 --> 00:30:29,092
because when you
go into authority,

724
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,067
you still need to
be under authority.

725
00:30:31,071 --> 00:30:33,088
Being under authority is
something for everybody,

726
00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:35,075
including the leaders.

727
00:30:35,083 --> 00:30:37,033
And if you're gonna
be in authority,

728
00:30:37,042 --> 00:30:38,067
you've gotta be under authority.

729
00:30:38,075 --> 00:30:40,071
So he takes those who are
under authority, disciples,

730
00:30:40,083 --> 00:30:43,017
and he gives them a new title
and job description and office.

731
00:30:43,021 --> 00:30:46,004
He calls them apostles,
that means one who is sent.

732
00:30:46,017 --> 00:30:47,050
This is like an ambassador.

733
00:30:47,054 --> 00:30:51,033
The language here is like a
king who rules a mighty kingdom,

734
00:30:51,038 --> 00:30:55,004
and he selects someone to be
his emissary or his ambassador,

735
00:30:55,017 --> 00:30:59,092
and sends them on a mission
into another nation,

736
00:31:00,004 --> 00:31:03,092
into another kingdom
representing their authority

737
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:07,054
and speaking on their behalf.

738
00:31:07,067 --> 00:31:09,042
So let me explain "apostle."

739
00:31:09,050 --> 00:31:11,000
This is very important.

740
00:31:11,004 --> 00:31:14,008
First of all, Jesus
is the apostle.

741
00:31:14,017 --> 00:31:17,050
Hebrews 3:1 says,
"He's our apostle."

742
00:31:17,058 --> 00:31:20,008
So when God the Father
wanted to send

743
00:31:20,017 --> 00:31:23,083
a representative, ambassador,
emissary from heaven to earth

744
00:31:23,088 --> 00:31:25,054
to represent his kingdom,

745
00:31:25,067 --> 00:31:28,000
he sent God the Son,
the Lord Jesus Christ.

746
00:31:28,004 --> 00:31:28,088
He's our apostle.

747
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:30,000
He's the sent one.

748
00:31:30,008 --> 00:31:33,025
That's why it says repeatedly,
particularly in John's Gospel,

749
00:31:33,033 --> 00:31:34,088
"The Father has sent me."

750
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,083
He's the apostle, the sent one.

751
00:31:37,088 --> 00:31:40,050
And then there's the
office of apostle.

752
00:31:40,058 --> 00:31:43,017
We'll call this
capital "A" apostle,

753
00:31:43,025 --> 00:31:46,075
and those are the 12
hand-selected by Jesus.

754
00:31:46,083 --> 00:31:49,054
So their number's fixed.

755
00:31:49,067 --> 00:31:52,054
Ephesians 2:20 says, "They set
the foundation of the church

756
00:31:52,067 --> 00:31:55,017
with the prophets and apostles,"
that's who's at the foundation

757
00:31:55,021 --> 00:31:59,092
of the church with Jesus Christ
being the chief cornerstone.

758
00:32:00,004 --> 00:32:03,000
The apostles included Judas.

759
00:32:03,008 --> 00:32:05,004
He's going to betray
Jesus and hang himself.

760
00:32:05,017 --> 00:32:08,067
Another man will be selected
early on in the book of Acts.

761
00:32:08,071 --> 00:32:10,071
One of the requirements is
that he would need to be an

762
00:32:10,083 --> 00:32:14,042
eyewitness to the
resurrection of Jesus.

763
00:32:14,050 --> 00:32:17,017
Paul is later added
as an apostle,

764
00:32:17,025 --> 00:32:21,017
Jesus comes down and commissions
him as an apostle as well.

765
00:32:21,025 --> 00:32:24,021
And so we see that the apostles
are a set number of people

766
00:32:24,033 --> 00:32:26,021
hand-selected by the Lord Jesus,

767
00:32:26,033 --> 00:32:28,008
eyewitnesses to his
resurrection,

768
00:32:28,017 --> 00:32:31,008
given a very special
authoritative designation,

769
00:32:31,017 --> 00:32:33,092
some of them actually writing
books of the New Testament.

770
00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,033
That's the level of
authority they enjoy.

771
00:32:36,042 --> 00:32:40,050
To that degree, there are
not apostles today like that.

772
00:32:40,054 --> 00:32:42,067
No one has that
kind of authority.

773
00:32:42,071 --> 00:32:45,000
No one could say,
"Well, you know, Peter and me,

774
00:32:45,008 --> 00:32:46,042
"we're at the same level.

775
00:32:46,050 --> 00:32:49,088
John and I, we're at the same
level of spiritual authority."

776
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,000
No, you're not.

777
00:32:52,008 --> 00:32:53,054
But under
the capital "A" apostle,

778
00:32:53,067 --> 00:32:55,088
there's
the lowercase "a" apostle

779
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,058
and that's not the office,
but the gift.

780
00:32:59,067 --> 00:33:02,092
And the gift of apostle is
one that the Bible includes.

781
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,000
You can read the gifts lists.

782
00:33:05,004 --> 00:33:10,042
It does list it,
1 Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12.

783
00:33:10,050 --> 00:33:13,004
It's listed in the
various gift lists.

784
00:33:13,017 --> 00:33:14,021
It's a gift.

785
00:33:14,033 --> 00:33:17,050
It's a spiritual gift like
serving or teaching

786
00:33:17,054 --> 00:33:18,058
or administration.

787
00:33:18,067 --> 00:33:20,008
It's a capacity.

788
00:33:20,017 --> 00:33:22,092
It's a capacity that God
gives to men and women.

789
00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:26,025
God gives spiritual gifts to men
and women, teaching, leadership,

790
00:33:26,033 --> 00:33:27,050
whatever it is.

791
00:33:27,054 --> 00:33:31,004
And there's a difference
between the gift and the office.

792
00:33:31,017 --> 00:33:33,071
And so the gift of apostle
includes a couple things, like

793
00:33:33,083 --> 00:33:37,008
the ability to cross cultural
ministry, so he could go

794
00:33:37,017 --> 00:33:39,067
into another country and
be a missionary,

795
00:33:39,071 --> 00:33:43,000
start a church plant,
start a campus plant.

796
00:33:43,008 --> 00:33:46,067
Sometimes it's a movement
leader who works across multiple

797
00:33:46,075 --> 00:33:51,071
churches, multiple pastors,
writes, travels, preaches,

798
00:33:51,083 --> 00:33:55,050
speaks, teaches,
sometimes internationally.

799
00:33:55,054 --> 00:33:57,050
This is one of my gifts.

800
00:33:57,054 --> 00:34:01,033
Okay, but just 'cause you have
the gift of apostle doesn't mean

801
00:34:01,042 --> 00:34:05,004
anything unless you qualify to
be an elder or a deacon,

802
00:34:05,017 --> 00:34:08,000
'cause you can have a gift
and not have character.

803
00:34:08,004 --> 00:34:10,083
You can have a gift,
and not be qualified.

804
00:34:10,088 --> 00:34:14,000
So we hold the offices are
different than the gifts,

805
00:34:14,004 --> 00:34:16,000
but the gift of
apostle does exist.

806
00:34:16,008 --> 00:34:18,088
We believe in that.

807
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,004
And then there's false apostles.

808
00:34:21,017 --> 00:34:23,021
The Bible talks about
false apostles,

809
00:34:23,033 --> 00:34:25,088
people who are
sent by Satan, not Jesus.

810
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,008
They minister by the power of
demons, not the Holy Spirit.

811
00:34:28,017 --> 00:34:29,071
They tell lies, not the truth.

812
00:34:29,083 --> 00:34:32,071
They lead people
astray, not toward God.

813
00:34:32,083 --> 00:34:35,050
So he takes these 12
who are under authority.

814
00:34:35,058 --> 00:34:37,017
He positions them
into authority.

815
00:34:37,025 --> 00:34:40,000
"You are now apostles,
and you're gonna lead,"

816
00:34:40,004 --> 00:34:42,067
and then there's gifted people
under them that have the gift of

817
00:34:42,071 --> 00:34:46,021
apostle, and part of our job
is to keep people from

818
00:34:46,033 --> 00:34:49,021
false apostles,
leading people astray.

819
00:34:49,033 --> 00:34:50,058
But here's the big idea.

820
00:34:50,067 --> 00:34:52,042
Some of you bounce
from church to church,

821
00:34:52,050 --> 00:34:54,025
ministry to ministry, 'cause
you just don't want

822
00:34:54,033 --> 00:34:55,050
to be under authority.

823
00:34:55,054 --> 00:34:58,067
You don't want anybody to
know you, or what you're doing.

824
00:34:58,075 --> 00:35:00,017
You don't want to
become a member.

825
00:35:00,021 --> 00:35:02,000
You don't want to join anything.

826
00:35:02,008 --> 00:35:04,000
You don't want to be held
accountable to anything.

827
00:35:04,004 --> 00:35:06,008
You just want to live in this
come and see,

828
00:35:06,017 --> 00:35:09,000
come and see, come and see.

829
00:35:09,008 --> 00:35:12,033
But let me tell ya, it's an
immaturity is what it is.

830
00:35:12,042 --> 00:35:20,000
It's an immaturity, and today
I invite you to go and die,

831
00:35:20,008 --> 00:35:24,025
to settle in somewhere,
to commit to something,

832
00:35:24,033 --> 00:35:30,033
to make it ours and yours,
and to come under authority,

833
00:35:30,042 --> 00:35:33,088
and then grow and be trained,
and maybe one day God

834
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,088
would have you to be
in authority.

835
00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:38,050
I mean, I can't tell
ya how many hundreds,

836
00:35:38,054 --> 00:35:40,000
there may be thousands of people
at this point that I've met,

837
00:35:40,004 --> 00:35:41,088
they bounce from church
to church to church,

838
00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,000
ministry to ministry to ministry
because they want to be in

839
00:35:44,008 --> 00:35:46,017
authority, and they
don't want to qualify.

840
00:35:46,021 --> 00:35:47,033
They don't want to get trained.

841
00:35:47,042 --> 00:35:48,042
They don't want to
prove themselves.

842
00:35:48,050 --> 00:35:50,033
They just want to walk
up to the leader and say,

843
00:35:50,042 --> 00:35:51,075
"You need to do this.

844
00:35:51,083 --> 00:35:53,000
Obey me.
I'm in charge."

845
00:35:53,008 --> 00:35:56,000
Now, they don't say, "I'm in
charge," but they act like it.

846
00:35:56,008 --> 00:35:57,067
Really, you walk in off
the street

847
00:35:57,071 --> 00:35:59,067
and start
bossing people around?

848
00:35:59,071 --> 00:36:03,000
It doesn't work like this
anywhere else in the world.

849
00:36:03,008 --> 00:36:06,025
You can't do this
in the Marines.

850
00:36:06,033 --> 00:36:08,088
You can't do this
in a college.

851
00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:10,033
Can't just walk up
to your professor,

852
00:36:10,038 --> 00:36:11,092
"I disagree with the degree.

853
00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,042
We need to do it this way, now."

854
00:36:15,050 --> 00:36:16,083
No.

855
00:36:16,088 --> 00:36:18,004
Sit down, learn.

856
00:36:18,017 --> 00:36:20,058
Be under authority,
prove yourself.

857
00:36:20,067 --> 00:36:24,000
If you demonstrate faithfulness,
someday you can be in authority,

858
00:36:24,004 --> 00:36:27,092
and when you get in authority,
you can make some changes.

859
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,000
Some of you love the idea
of being in authority.

860
00:36:31,008 --> 00:36:34,071
You resist at the thought
of being under authority.

861
00:36:34,083 --> 00:36:38,025
Please don't pursue being in
authority until you've had

862
00:36:38,033 --> 00:36:42,021
a season where you've proven
yourself under authority.

863
00:36:42,033 --> 00:36:45,071
Number seven: every team
needs a leader, okay?

864
00:36:45,083 --> 00:36:48,092
The disciples, the apostles,
now they're a team.

865
00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:50,083
Obviously, their leader
is Jesus.

866
00:36:50,088 --> 00:36:53,092
Ultimately, he's the leader of
every team, in any ministry,

867
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:58,083
or any Christian group, but
the human leader is Peter.

868
00:36:58,088 --> 00:37:00,038
The human leader is Peter.

869
00:37:00,050 --> 00:37:01,054
How do we know?

870
00:37:01,067 --> 00:37:05,075
Every time that the disciples,
apostles are listed in Acts and

871
00:37:05,083 --> 00:37:09,004
the gospels, and they appear
many times, here's what happens,

872
00:37:09,017 --> 00:37:12,025
Judas is always listed last.

873
00:37:12,033 --> 00:37:18,000
Not a lot of, all right, not
a lot of enthusiasm for Judas,

874
00:37:18,004 --> 00:37:20,033
and Peter's always listed first.

875
00:37:20,042 --> 00:37:21,033
You know why?

876
00:37:21,042 --> 00:37:22,033
He's the leader.

877
00:37:22,042 --> 00:37:23,092
He's the first among equals.

878
00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:26,054
Every team needs a leader.

879
00:37:26,067 --> 00:37:28,033
Now, some of you
are already bored.

880
00:37:28,042 --> 00:37:29,058
You're like, "What does this
sermon have to do--"

881
00:37:29,067 --> 00:37:30,058
It's about us.

882
00:37:30,067 --> 00:37:31,058
It's about our church.

883
00:37:31,067 --> 00:37:32,071
Do you love Mars Hill?

884
00:37:32,083 --> 00:37:36,021
Do you want this to be a good,
holy, healthy, helpful church?

885
00:37:36,033 --> 00:37:38,008
Do you want it based
on Jesus' ministry?

886
00:37:38,017 --> 00:37:39,054
You want it biblical?

887
00:37:39,067 --> 00:37:42,000
Do you want to do
things that Jesus did?

888
00:37:42,008 --> 00:37:45,004
You want to give your life to
what Jesus gave his life to?

889
00:37:45,017 --> 00:37:46,038
Here's why it matters.

890
00:37:46,050 --> 00:37:47,071
I love this church.

891
00:37:47,083 --> 00:37:51,071
We want this to be the best
church that it can possibly be

892
00:37:51,083 --> 00:37:56,050
by the grace of God, and here
a big issue is leadership.

893
00:37:56,054 --> 00:37:59,083
And see, you guys grew up in a
culture--this is a sick world

894
00:37:59,088 --> 00:38:02,004
that hates leadership.

895
00:38:02,017 --> 00:38:04,000
Everybody thinks they should
be able to text message

896
00:38:04,008 --> 00:38:06,058
the president
and boss him around.

897
00:38:06,067 --> 00:38:10,067
I mean, it's a weird day from
social networking to

898
00:38:10,071 --> 00:38:13,033
continual comments to
consumerism.

899
00:38:13,042 --> 00:38:16,071
People don't want
to follow a leader,

900
00:38:16,083 --> 00:38:18,025
all they want to do
is criticize a leader.

901
00:38:18,033 --> 00:38:20,092
They don't want to even
recognize leadership.

902
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:22,008
And some Christians
will even say,

903
00:38:22,017 --> 00:38:23,050
"I don't believe in leadership."

904
00:38:23,058 --> 00:38:24,050
Really?

905
00:38:24,058 --> 00:38:26,000
Do you believe in God?

906
00:38:26,008 --> 00:38:28,083
'Cause God's in charge.

907
00:38:28,088 --> 00:38:31,071
So you gotta recognize
at least one leader.

908
00:38:31,083 --> 00:38:34,083
And even the way God has
organized himself in the

909
00:38:34,092 --> 00:38:41,092
Trinity: one God, three persons,
all equal but submissive,

910
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,008
is that there's
God the Father, God the Son,

911
00:38:43,017 --> 00:38:46,067
God the Spirit, and God the
Son submits to God the Father,

912
00:38:46,075 --> 00:38:48,008
recognizes him as the leader.

913
00:38:48,017 --> 00:38:53,042
Though they're equal, there's
what is called subordinationism.

914
00:38:53,050 --> 00:38:56,008
He submit--Jesus
submits himself.

915
00:38:56,017 --> 00:38:57,088
So he says, "The Father sent me.

916
00:38:58,000 --> 00:38:59,017
"I speak what
the Father tells me to say.

917
00:38:59,025 --> 00:39:01,025
I do what the Father
tells me to do."

918
00:39:01,033 --> 00:39:04,050
And even when Jesus prays, he
says, "Father, not my will,"

919
00:39:04,054 --> 00:39:05,054
but what?

920
00:39:05,067 --> 00:39:06,088
What's the line?

921
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:08,008
"Your will be done."

922
00:39:08,017 --> 00:39:12,038
That's submitting to the leader.

923
00:39:12,050 --> 00:39:14,025
That's what it is.

924
00:39:14,033 --> 00:39:16,008
And then the Bible says in John
that God the Father

925
00:39:16,017 --> 00:39:19,017
and God the Son sent
God the Holy Spirit.

926
00:39:19,021 --> 00:39:20,067
So, in the character of God,

927
00:39:20,075 --> 00:39:22,083
there's leadership
within the Trinity.

928
00:39:22,088 --> 00:39:25,021
So this plays itself
out in the government of home.

929
00:39:25,033 --> 00:39:28,038
Mom, dad, the kids are equal,
but dad's supposed to lovingly,

930
00:39:28,050 --> 00:39:32,042
humbly, sacrificially lead.

931
00:39:32,050 --> 00:39:34,092
In the church, elders, members,
deacons are equal

932
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:38,042
but the elders are supposed
to lead.

933
00:39:38,050 --> 00:39:40,033
In a community group,
everybody's equal,

934
00:39:40,038 --> 00:39:42,050
but the community group leader
is supposed to lead.

935
00:39:42,054 --> 00:39:44,000
In a redemption group,
everybody's equal,

936
00:39:44,004 --> 00:39:47,017
but the redemption group
leader is supposed to lead.

937
00:39:47,025 --> 00:39:48,088
On a worship team,
everybody's equal,

938
00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,004
the team leader is to lead.

939
00:39:52,017 --> 00:39:53,050
In a serving team,
everybody's equal,

940
00:39:53,054 --> 00:39:55,083
but the team leader leads.

941
00:39:55,088 --> 00:39:59,008
So there's teams that
have leaders, and leaders,

942
00:39:59,017 --> 00:40:01,058
according to ministry,
they do doctrine:

943
00:40:01,067 --> 00:40:03,017
what do we believe
and not believe?

944
00:40:03,021 --> 00:40:04,088
Direction: where are
we going and not going?

945
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:06,000
And discipline: what is

946
00:40:06,008 --> 00:40:08,067
acceptable and unacceptable
behavior?

947
00:40:08,075 --> 00:40:11,004
That's what a lot
of leadership is:

948
00:40:11,017 --> 00:40:14,000
doctrine, direction, discipline.

949
00:40:14,004 --> 00:40:18,038
And in saying this,
we look back to the text,

950
00:40:18,050 --> 00:40:19,075
Peter's always listed first.

951
00:40:19,083 --> 00:40:21,075
He's the leader.

952
00:40:21,083 --> 00:40:23,071
Jesus appoints
him as the leader.

953
00:40:23,083 --> 00:40:26,054
And when the day of Pentecost
comes after Jesus

954
00:40:26,067 --> 00:40:28,033
dies on the cross and rises
from the grave,

955
00:40:28,038 --> 00:40:31,017
it says that all the apostles
are together.

956
00:40:31,025 --> 00:40:33,000
Jesus ascended into heaven.

957
00:40:33,008 --> 00:40:35,042
And the Bible says it this way
in the opening chapters of Acts,

958
00:40:35,050 --> 00:40:39,017
"Peter stepped forward to
preach."

959
00:40:39,025 --> 00:40:40,021
You know why?

960
00:40:40,033 --> 00:40:42,088
He's the leader.

961
00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:46,042
Okay, we don't make leaders, we
recognize the leaders that

962
00:40:46,050 --> 00:40:48,092
the Holy Spirit has chosen.

963
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,058
Some people, you're following
them, you're listening to them,

964
00:40:51,067 --> 00:40:54,088
you're learning from
them, they're the leader.

965
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:58,054
So every team needs
a leader, okay?

966
00:40:58,067 --> 00:41:01,054
In this day when authority is
jettisoned and leadership is

967
00:41:01,067 --> 00:41:05,033
despised, and everybody
thinks that they're smart,

968
00:41:05,042 --> 00:41:08,038
and everybody thinks that
they should be obeyed.

969
00:41:08,050 --> 00:41:10,054
Everybody still
believes in leadership,

970
00:41:10,067 --> 00:41:12,071
they just think that they
should be the leader.

971
00:41:12,083 --> 00:41:15,054
So we have a day of
complete anarchy.

972
00:41:15,067 --> 00:41:16,071
It's like the days
of the judges,

973
00:41:16,083 --> 00:41:19,050
everybody did what was
right in their own eyes.

974
00:41:19,054 --> 00:41:21,050
And biblically, what
we see with Jesus,

975
00:41:21,054 --> 00:41:23,033
every team needs a leader.

976
00:41:23,038 --> 00:41:25,004
So every team at
Mars Hill has a leader.

977
00:41:25,017 --> 00:41:28,021
The campuses, the campus
pastor is the leader.

978
00:41:28,033 --> 00:41:31,004
Within certain areas, community
groups or kids or

979
00:41:31,017 --> 00:41:34,000
student ministry or redemption
groups, there's a leader.

980
00:41:34,008 --> 00:41:36,054
There's leaders within all
the teams and nobody leads

981
00:41:36,067 --> 00:41:40,042
all the teams at Mars Hill,
particularly among the elders,

982
00:41:40,050 --> 00:41:44,017
and there is no one who's the
leader of every team of leaders

983
00:41:44,025 --> 00:41:45,092
that they're on.

984
00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:46,092
So I'm on different teams,

985
00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:49,004
and I'm not
the leader on every team.

986
00:41:49,017 --> 00:41:50,083
Some teams, I'm
not on that team.

987
00:41:50,088 --> 00:41:53,088
Other teams, I'm
down the food chain.

988
00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:56,000
Certain teams I get to lead.

989
00:41:56,004 --> 00:41:56,092
Everybody's in authority.

990
00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,054
Everybody's under authority.

991
00:41:58,067 --> 00:42:01,033
Every team needs a leader,
and nobody's above the law,

992
00:42:01,038 --> 00:42:04,050
gets to do whatever they want.

993
00:42:04,054 --> 00:42:06,000
I tell you that because
you're gonna give your life,

994
00:42:06,004 --> 00:42:08,033
I hope and pray to Mars Hill,
give your money, give your time,

995
00:42:08,042 --> 00:42:09,033
give your prayers.

996
00:42:09,042 --> 00:42:10,050
You ask, "What is this?

997
00:42:10,054 --> 00:42:12,088
"Is this a Ponzi scheme
where I just give and serve,

998
00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:15,050
"and then somebody gets to act
like king at the top

999
00:42:15,058 --> 00:42:17,008
of the pyramid and take
whatever they want?"

1000
00:42:17,017 --> 00:42:19,067
No, 'cause that's not
the way Jesus set it up.

1001
00:42:19,071 --> 00:42:21,004
That's not the way
it's supposed to be.

1002
00:42:21,017 --> 00:42:25,038
Number eight: big teams need a
smaller team within the team.

1003
00:42:25,050 --> 00:42:27,033
Mars Hill's a big team, right?

1004
00:42:27,038 --> 00:42:30,042
Ten campus, couple dozen
services, I don't know,

1005
00:42:30,050 --> 00:42:31,088
forty-something
elders and growing.

1006
00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:33,017
I don't know how many
hundreds of deacons,

1007
00:42:33,021 --> 00:42:35,004
hundreds of community
group leaders.

1008
00:42:35,017 --> 00:42:39,075
There's a lot of big teams, need
smaller teams within the teams.

1009
00:42:39,083 --> 00:42:41,050
So Jesus has the 70.

1010
00:42:41,058 --> 00:42:43,008
They're mentioned as
a number in the Bible.

1011
00:42:43,017 --> 00:42:45,021
The 12 that he's
appointing as apostles,

1012
00:42:45,033 --> 00:42:48,050
and within that team he's got
Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

1013
00:42:48,054 --> 00:42:50,092
Peter's the senior leader,
but the inner team of leaders,

1014
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:52,092
Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

1015
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:54,000
They're listed together.

1016
00:42:54,008 --> 00:42:55,050
They get special
access to Jesus.

1017
00:42:55,058 --> 00:42:57,075
They get special
training from Jesus,

1018
00:42:57,083 --> 00:43:00,071
and they make certain decisions
that others don't get to make.

1019
00:43:00,083 --> 00:43:03,083
So teams within the teams.

1020
00:43:03,088 --> 00:43:09,038
Number nine: hurt before fruit.

1021
00:43:09,050 --> 00:43:11,000
Who's on the team?

1022
00:43:11,004 --> 00:43:13,017
Who's the last guy listed?

1023
00:43:13,025 --> 00:43:14,088
Judas.

1024
00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:16,092
That one hurt.

1025
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:19,067
Do you think it hurt Jesus?

1026
00:43:19,071 --> 00:43:21,088
Years feeding this guy, loving
this guy, training this guy,

1027
00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:23,088
praying for this guy,
investing in this guy.

1028
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:26,083
This guy betrays you with a kiss
for 30 pieces of silver

1029
00:43:26,088 --> 00:43:28,050
so you can get murdered.

1030
00:43:28,058 --> 00:43:31,008
That hurts.

1031
00:43:31,017 --> 00:43:32,021
Do you think it
hurt the disciples?

1032
00:43:32,033 --> 00:43:33,050
"Judas?

1033
00:43:33,054 --> 00:43:35,067
"We thought he was our friend.

1034
00:43:35,075 --> 00:43:39,058
"He was in our community
group with Jesus.

1035
00:43:39,067 --> 00:43:41,067
He murdered Jesus."

1036
00:43:41,071 --> 00:43:43,050
Imagine somebody in your
community group murders

1037
00:43:43,054 --> 00:43:46,000
the leader of your
community group.

1038
00:43:46,004 --> 00:43:47,092
Does that affect
the community group?

1039
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:49,038
Yeah.

1040
00:43:49,050 --> 00:43:53,088
What in the world?

1041
00:43:56,017 --> 00:43:58,042
It hurt.

1042
00:43:58,050 --> 00:44:00,067
You think the disciples had
some late-night conversations,

1043
00:44:00,075 --> 00:44:03,000
"What happened with Judas?

1044
00:44:03,004 --> 00:44:05,000
"What happened?

1045
00:44:05,008 --> 00:44:09,033
"I mean, what, he was stealing
money from our ministry

1046
00:44:09,038 --> 00:44:11,058
"the whole time?

1047
00:44:11,067 --> 00:44:13,050
"The guy was a con man?

1048
00:44:13,058 --> 00:44:16,088
He didn't even love
Jesus, are you serious?"

1049
00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:20,083
It hurt.

1050
00:44:20,092 --> 00:44:23,067
You think it hurt the followers?

1051
00:44:23,071 --> 00:44:25,038
You think for a while
there were rumblings?

1052
00:44:25,050 --> 00:44:27,000
"Maybe Judas is the bold one.

1053
00:44:27,008 --> 00:44:28,033
"Maybe Judas is
the courageous one.

1054
00:44:28,038 --> 00:44:30,008
"Maybe Judas is like the
Old Testament prophets,

1055
00:44:30,017 --> 00:44:32,050
"and he's up against Jesus
and the disciples

1056
00:44:32,054 --> 00:44:34,088
'cause they're wrong."

1057
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:37,042
Religious people are
already criticizing Jesus.

1058
00:44:37,050 --> 00:44:40,000
Do you think they love Judas?

1059
00:44:40,008 --> 00:44:41,054
"Yeah Judas, throw
some rocks at him.

1060
00:44:41,067 --> 00:44:44,008
We don't like him either."

1061
00:44:44,017 --> 00:44:45,017
I'm not glad that
he hung himself,

1062
00:44:45,025 --> 00:44:47,042
but it did simplify things.

1063
00:44:47,050 --> 00:44:51,004
Had Judas not hung himself,
he might have started his own

1064
00:44:51,017 --> 00:44:54,025
ministry, his own church,
competed with the disciples.

1065
00:44:54,033 --> 00:44:57,017
We could have had war.

1066
00:44:57,075 --> 00:44:59,054
We could have had war.

1067
00:44:59,067 --> 00:45:04,033
I'm so glad he didn't plant
a church, start a ministry,

1068
00:45:04,042 --> 00:45:10,033
just go do somewhere else
what he was doing with Jesus.

1069
00:45:10,042 --> 00:45:14,000
See, there's sheep, there's
shepherds, there's wolves,

1070
00:45:14,004 --> 00:45:19,050
and some lead as shepherds,
others lead as wolves.

1071
00:45:19,054 --> 00:45:22,075
Judas was a wolf.

1072
00:45:22,083 --> 00:45:24,025
It hurt.

1073
00:45:24,033 --> 00:45:27,042
But in the providence of God--
and the sovereignty of God,

1074
00:45:27,050 --> 00:45:29,083
God did not make Judas sin.

1075
00:45:29,092 --> 00:45:31,004
He sinned of his own accord.

1076
00:45:31,017 --> 00:45:33,000
He was ripping Jesus off.

1077
00:45:33,004 --> 00:45:34,033
He opened his heart to Satan.

1078
00:45:34,038 --> 00:45:36,017
He has nobody to
blame but himself.

1079
00:45:36,025 --> 00:45:38,017
But in the providential
sovereignty of God,

1080
00:45:38,021 --> 00:45:40,050
God used it for good.

1081
00:45:40,058 --> 00:45:44,033
Hurt became fruit.

1082
00:45:44,042 --> 00:45:48,058
Genesis 50:20 says that,
"God will take what is intended

1083
00:45:48,067 --> 00:45:50,004
"for evil and use it for good

1084
00:45:50,017 --> 00:45:51,017
in the saving
of many lives."

1085
00:45:51,021 --> 00:45:55,008
Judas' betrayal and murder of
Jesus was intended for evil,

1086
00:45:55,017 --> 00:45:58,000
and God used it for good and
the saving of many lives.

1087
00:45:58,008 --> 00:46:00,021
A few billion of us today
claim to be Christians,

1088
00:46:00,033 --> 00:46:03,000
and say that Jesus died
on the cross for our sins.

1089
00:46:03,004 --> 00:46:09,000
God took the worst horror and
made it the greatest gift.

1090
00:46:09,004 --> 00:46:10,004
That's how God works.

1091
00:46:10,017 --> 00:46:12,025
Romans 8, "God works out all
things for the good of those

1092
00:46:12,033 --> 00:46:14,008
"who love him, and are called
according to his purpose,"

1093
00:46:14,017 --> 00:46:14,088
all things.

1094
00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:16,054
Have you ever been betrayed?

1095
00:46:16,067 --> 00:46:20,000
Have you ever been absolutely
devastated by someone who is

1096
00:46:20,004 --> 00:46:22,004
supposed to be a friend?

1097
00:46:22,017 --> 00:46:24,000
God could use that.

1098
00:46:24,008 --> 00:46:27,017
God wants to use that so
that it's not just hurt,

1099
00:46:27,025 --> 00:46:29,025
but that hurt becomes fruit.

1100
00:46:29,033 --> 00:46:32,000
You've been raped, work it
through, help the rape victims.

1101
00:46:32,008 --> 00:46:33,075
You've been cheated
on, work it through,

1102
00:46:33,083 --> 00:46:37,004
help those who have
been sinned against.

1103
00:46:37,017 --> 00:46:39,042
You're dad left,
work it through,

1104
00:46:39,050 --> 00:46:43,021
become a good dad, and train
others to be good dads.

1105
00:46:43,033 --> 00:46:46,075
Your spouse has committed
adultery, work it through,

1106
00:46:46,083 --> 00:46:50,038
help those who have been
devastated by adultery.

1107
00:46:50,050 --> 00:46:55,058
You got cancer, use it to help
others who are battling cancer.

1108
00:46:55,067 --> 00:46:58,058
Alright, hurt becomes fruit.

1109
00:46:58,067 --> 00:47:01,075
And I'll tell you, this is
the painful part of ministry.

1110
00:47:01,083 --> 00:47:03,083
I mean, I can honestly tell
you, there are people I pray

1111
00:47:03,088 --> 00:47:07,083
for every single day 'cause
it's just a deep, brutal,

1112
00:47:07,092 --> 00:47:10,067
non-stop ache in my soul.

1113
00:47:10,075 --> 00:47:15,050
No, man, that--I just, they're
not walking with Jesus.

1114
00:47:15,058 --> 00:47:17,088
They're shipwrecking their own
life, doctrinally, maritally,

1115
00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:20,000
sexually, financially,
whatever it is.

1116
00:47:20,008 --> 00:47:21,083
It's just bad.

1117
00:47:21,088 --> 00:47:23,067
It just feels like a noose
around the neck that they've

1118
00:47:23,075 --> 00:47:28,000
picked, and they're
determined to self-destruct.

1119
00:47:28,008 --> 00:47:31,067
It hurts, and you want good for
those people but ultimately,

1120
00:47:31,075 --> 00:47:34,088
God can turn
the hurt into fruit.

1121
00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:38,025
And that's a painful
lesson for all leaders.

1122
00:47:38,033 --> 00:47:42,038
Number ten:
don't go Diotrephes.

1123
00:47:42,050 --> 00:47:44,050
And I know you were all thinking
about this on the way in,

1124
00:47:44,054 --> 00:47:46,050
so I thought I would hit it.

1125
00:47:46,058 --> 00:47:47,071
You're like,
"Yes, Diotrephes.

1126
00:47:47,083 --> 00:47:50,042
"I've been meditating on
that at great length,

1127
00:47:50,050 --> 00:47:53,083
"and I was wondering what our
position was at Mars Hill

1128
00:47:53,088 --> 00:47:55,071
on Diotrephes."

1129
00:47:55,083 --> 00:47:58,025
Diotrephes is a guy who's only
mentioned once in the Bible in

1130
00:47:58,033 --> 00:48:03,004
one of the epistles written
by John and it says this,

1131
00:48:03,017 --> 00:48:08,000
"Diotrephes always
wanted to be first."

1132
00:48:08,008 --> 00:48:10,008
If they're gonna put your name
in the Bible for one thing,

1133
00:48:10,017 --> 00:48:12,038
that's pretty sad.

1134
00:48:12,050 --> 00:48:13,083
He was really proud,

1135
00:48:13,088 --> 00:48:17,008
and he always wanted to have
all the attention.

1136
00:48:17,017 --> 00:48:19,067
Now, the truth is some
leaders will get attention.

1137
00:48:19,071 --> 00:48:21,075
Some of us, more than we like,

1138
00:48:21,083 --> 00:48:24,038
at least certain kinds
of attention.

1139
00:48:24,050 --> 00:48:28,050
But the sin of Diotrephes is,
"I don't want to be on the team,

1140
00:48:28,054 --> 00:48:30,083
"I gotta be the face
of the team.

1141
00:48:30,088 --> 00:48:32,071
"I don't want to
just humbly serve,

1142
00:48:32,083 --> 00:48:35,021
I want my name to be famous."

1143
00:48:35,033 --> 00:48:39,092
And we live in that sort of
celebrity-addicted culture

1144
00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:43,075
where people get famous who
don't even do anything.

1145
00:48:43,083 --> 00:48:45,038
Isn't that weird?

1146
00:48:45,050 --> 00:48:48,000
You ever watch "TMZ" or
pick up a "People" magazine?

1147
00:48:48,004 --> 00:48:49,008
You're like, "All these people
are famous

1148
00:48:49,017 --> 00:48:51,000
and they didn't do anything."

1149
00:48:51,004 --> 00:48:54,083
I mean, some people are just
famous, like there's their dog

1150
00:48:54,092 --> 00:48:57,038
in their handbag,
and what did they do?

1151
00:48:57,050 --> 00:48:59,004
Nothing.

1152
00:48:59,017 --> 00:49:00,017
Why are they famous?

1153
00:49:00,025 --> 00:49:04,058
Because we're desperate
to talk about somebody.

1154
00:49:04,067 --> 00:49:07,067
And the sin of Diotrephes is,
"I want them to talk about me,

1155
00:49:07,071 --> 00:49:10,033
not Jesus."

1156
00:49:10,038 --> 00:49:13,008
Jesus chooses 12 apostles,

1157
00:49:13,017 --> 00:49:15,008
but they all don't get
the same press.

1158
00:49:15,017 --> 00:49:17,033
If you read the gospels,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,

1159
00:49:17,042 --> 00:49:19,008
and if you read
Acts together,

1160
00:49:19,017 --> 00:49:23,000
Peter is mentioned 189 times.

1161
00:49:23,008 --> 00:49:24,004
John, 50.

1162
00:49:24,017 --> 00:49:25,000
Philip, 17.

1163
00:49:25,004 --> 00:49:26,008
Andrew, 13.

1164
00:49:26,017 --> 00:49:27,033
Thomas, 11.

1165
00:49:27,038 --> 00:49:30,075
Matthew, also called Levi, some
of these guys have two names, 9.

1166
00:49:30,083 --> 00:49:33,004
James the son of Alphaeus, 7.

1167
00:49:33,017 --> 00:49:37,054
Thaddeus or Judas, he had
two names and you know why.

1168
00:49:37,067 --> 00:49:39,004
There was two disciples
with the name Judas,

1169
00:49:39,017 --> 00:49:42,000
the other guy was
really bummed, right?

1170
00:49:42,008 --> 00:49:43,000
"So what do you do?"

1171
00:49:43,008 --> 00:49:44,000
"I'm an apostle."

1172
00:49:44,008 --> 00:49:45,000
"What's your name?"

1173
00:49:45,008 --> 00:49:46,000
"Judas."

1174
00:49:46,008 --> 00:49:47,000
"Oh, I heard about you."

1175
00:49:47,008 --> 00:49:49,092
"No, I'm the other
Judas, call me Thaddeus.

1176
00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:53,008
I'm not rolling
with Judas anymore."

1177
00:49:53,017 --> 00:49:56,083
Simon the Zealot, Bartholomew,
also called Nathaniel

1178
00:49:56,092 --> 00:49:59,000
is mentioned once.

1179
00:49:59,004 --> 00:50:00,021
Simon the Zealot, four times.

1180
00:50:00,033 --> 00:50:02,092
Bartholomew, Nathaniel,
same man, once.

1181
00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:04,050
Judas Iscariot, 22.

1182
00:50:04,058 --> 00:50:07,025
Here's the deal, some of
these people like Peter,

1183
00:50:07,033 --> 00:50:12,000
gets mentioned a lot,
others, hardly at all.

1184
00:50:12,008 --> 00:50:14,083
Like here's what
I would tell you,

1185
00:50:14,092 --> 00:50:18,025
you're--if you want do a
really simple Bible study,

1186
00:50:18,033 --> 00:50:23,033
do one on Bartholomew, right?

1187
00:50:23,038 --> 00:50:28,017
You could Tweet his whole life
story 'cause that's all we know.

1188
00:50:28,025 --> 00:50:30,067
His name is Bartholomew,
he was an apostle.

1189
00:50:30,075 --> 00:50:33,008
I don't even need
all the characters.

1190
00:50:33,017 --> 00:50:35,021
That's all I got.

1191
00:50:35,033 --> 00:50:36,075
We don't know much.

1192
00:50:36,083 --> 00:50:38,017
Peter we know, oh,
he's impetuous.

1193
00:50:38,025 --> 00:50:39,025
Cut a guy's ear.

1194
00:50:39,033 --> 00:50:41,000
Oh, we know lots about Peter.

1195
00:50:41,004 --> 00:50:43,058
Thomas, he's the doubter.

1196
00:50:43,067 --> 00:50:45,054
Thomas has one bad day.

1197
00:50:45,067 --> 00:50:48,038
That's the one day
he made the press.

1198
00:50:48,050 --> 00:50:51,033
It's like "Come on,
man, I finished well."

1199
00:50:51,042 --> 00:50:52,083
He had a bad day, so we're just
gonna keep talking

1200
00:50:52,088 --> 00:50:57,054
about that one.

1201
00:50:57,067 --> 00:50:59,017
And other people, we
don't know anything about.

1202
00:50:59,021 --> 00:51:02,008
So here's the deal, on a team,
especially a good diverse

1203
00:51:02,017 --> 00:51:04,088
weird team, some people are
gonna be real prominent,

1204
00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:06,004
others less prominent.

1205
00:51:06,017 --> 00:51:08,075
Some are gonna get a lot of
press time, others not so much.

1206
00:51:08,083 --> 00:51:10,038
Be okay with that.

1207
00:51:10,050 --> 00:51:12,004
Some of you, God's
called you to be up front.

1208
00:51:12,017 --> 00:51:13,025
Don't be cowards.

1209
00:51:13,033 --> 00:51:15,050
Some of you God's called
to lead, visibly, publicly.

1210
00:51:15,054 --> 00:51:16,071
Don't be cowards.

1211
00:51:16,083 --> 00:51:18,075
Others of you,
that's not you.

1212
00:51:18,083 --> 00:51:21,025
Be number two, be behind
the scenes.

1213
00:51:21,033 --> 00:51:23,092
Be number three, help it happen,
get it done.

1214
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:26,004
The truth is these guys were
all doing important stuff,

1215
00:51:26,017 --> 00:51:28,025
some of them we just don't know
what it was 'cause they weren't

1216
00:51:28,033 --> 00:51:29,088
up front, they were
behind the scenes.

1217
00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:30,088
And you know what?

1218
00:51:31,000 --> 00:51:32,067
That's important too.

1219
00:51:32,075 --> 00:51:37,050
And I say that
with all sincerity.

1220
00:51:37,054 --> 00:51:40,058
Number eleven, last one:
die with your boots on.

1221
00:51:40,067 --> 00:51:44,017
It's a great close.

1222
00:51:44,025 --> 00:51:45,088
Die with your boots on.

1223
00:51:46,000 --> 00:51:48,092
You're either gonna go
out like Judas or Jesus,

1224
00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:51,033
that's how your
life is gonna end.

1225
00:51:51,038 --> 00:51:53,054
You're gonna go out like
Jesus, faithful to the end,

1226
00:51:53,067 --> 00:51:56,058
whatever the cost, or you're
gonna go out like Judas,

1227
00:51:56,067 --> 00:52:03,017
prematurely, tragically,
rebelliously, shamefully.

1228
00:52:03,021 --> 00:52:07,042
Every one of you is gonna
finish like Jesus or Judas.

1229
00:52:07,050 --> 00:52:10,067
I want you to keep your
boots on, finish strong,

1230
00:52:10,071 --> 00:52:14,050
run your race, see it through
to the end, be a completer,

1231
00:52:14,054 --> 00:52:18,050
a finisher, a closer of the
things God has given you to do.

1232
00:52:18,054 --> 00:52:22,000
And as you read this, maybe
you're like me, you may wonder,

1233
00:52:22,004 --> 00:52:23,075
"What happened to these guys?"

1234
00:52:23,083 --> 00:52:25,021
We know in the Bible,
they went forward,

1235
00:52:25,033 --> 00:52:27,088
some of them were cowards,
but they toughened up.

1236
00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:30,017
The resurrection put some
steel in their spine.

1237
00:52:30,025 --> 00:52:32,088
They preached, they taught,
they planted churches.

1238
00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:36,067
John wrote five books of
the Bible, Peter wrote two.

1239
00:52:36,071 --> 00:52:38,083
These guys did get
some stuff done,

1240
00:52:38,092 --> 00:52:41,025
but the Bible doesn't tell us
how they finished,

1241
00:52:41,033 --> 00:52:43,083
for that
we've gotta go to history.

1242
00:52:43,088 --> 00:52:45,083
Did they die with
their boots on?

1243
00:52:45,088 --> 00:52:48,083
And I'll read for you
some of their stories,

1244
00:52:48,088 --> 00:52:52,033
historically from
"Foxe's Book of Martyrs."

1245
00:52:52,038 --> 00:52:57,050
It was first written in
1559, and it's fantastic.

1246
00:52:57,054 --> 00:52:59,038
Gotta love the Puritans.

1247
00:52:59,050 --> 00:53:03,004
James--wonder
how James died?

1248
00:53:03,017 --> 00:53:05,088
"The first apostle to suffer
after the martyrdom of Stephen

1249
00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:08,017
"was James, the brother of John.

1250
00:53:08,021 --> 00:53:10,008
"Clement tells us when this
James was brought

1251
00:53:10,017 --> 00:53:12,017
"to the tribunal seat,
he that brought him

1252
00:53:12,025 --> 00:53:14,017
"and was the cause
of his trouble seeing him

1253
00:53:14,025 --> 00:53:16,008
"to be condemned and that he
should suffer death

1254
00:53:16,017 --> 00:53:21,071
"was in such sort, moved within
heart and conscience that

1255
00:53:21,083 --> 00:53:24,033
"he went to the execution
and confessed himself

1256
00:53:24,042 --> 00:53:26,088
"false of his own accord
to be a Christian.

1257
00:53:27,000 --> 00:53:29,033
"And so were they
led forth together,

1258
00:53:29,042 --> 00:53:32,000
"where in the way he desired
of James to forgive him,

1259
00:53:32,008 --> 00:53:33,058
"what he had done.

1260
00:53:33,067 --> 00:53:36,071
"After James had a little pause
with himself upon the matter,

1261
00:53:36,083 --> 00:53:40,000
"turning to him he said,
'Peace to thee, my brother,'

1262
00:53:40,008 --> 00:53:45,050
and kissed him and both
were beheaded in A.D. 36."

1263
00:53:45,058 --> 00:53:50,000
James had a critic who
wanted him murdered.

1264
00:53:50,008 --> 00:53:54,000
He had a Judas and on
the way to be crucified,

1265
00:53:54,004 --> 00:53:57,058
apparently he had some
conversation with his Judas,

1266
00:53:57,067 --> 00:53:59,067
and his Judas repented,
said, "I'm sorry.

1267
00:53:59,075 --> 00:54:04,067
Let's get beheaded together
for Jesus," and they did.

1268
00:54:04,071 --> 00:54:09,083
James is a bad
man in a good way.

1269
00:54:09,088 --> 00:54:14,042
Thomas--"Thomas preached to the
Parthians, Medes, Persians,

1270
00:54:14,050 --> 00:54:18,092
Carmenians, Hyrcanians,
Bactrians, and Margians."

1271
00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:20,075
Say it fast and bold
and everybody thinks

1272
00:54:20,083 --> 00:54:22,083
you're saying it right.

1273
00:54:22,092 --> 00:54:25,004
"He was killed in
Calamina, India."

1274
00:54:25,017 --> 00:54:30,004
Most of these men died
murderous martyrdom.

1275
00:54:30,017 --> 00:54:31,021
You know what?

1276
00:54:31,033 --> 00:54:35,075
Mars Hill would be much smaller
but much holier, more effective,

1277
00:54:35,083 --> 00:54:38,017
more fruitful, I think, if we
had a little bit of suffering.

1278
00:54:38,025 --> 00:54:44,017
Can't make it happen, can't
make it happen, I've tried.

1279
00:54:44,025 --> 00:54:48,000
But what happens is when people
start giving their life

1280
00:54:48,004 --> 00:54:50,088
for the cause of the gospel,
all of a sudden those who are

1281
00:54:51,000 --> 00:54:53,075
playing church, stop playing.

1282
00:54:53,083 --> 00:54:56,067
They either step up for Jesus,
and go from "come and see" to

1283
00:54:56,071 --> 00:54:58,092
"go and die," or like Judas,

1284
00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:02,004
they just walk away
and go do something else.

1285
00:55:02,017 --> 00:55:06,004
Simon--"Simon brother of
Jude and James the younger

1286
00:55:06,017 --> 00:55:08,050
"who were all the sons
of Mary Cleophas

1287
00:55:08,054 --> 00:55:11,033
"and Alphaeus was bishop
of Jerusalem after James,"

1288
00:55:11,042 --> 00:55:12,088
Jesus' brother.

1289
00:55:13,000 --> 00:55:16,004
"He was crucified in
Egypt," crucified.

1290
00:55:16,017 --> 00:55:18,050
Dietrich Bonhoeffer says
it well, the old German,

1291
00:55:18,054 --> 00:55:24,071
said, "When Christ calls a man,
he calls him to come and die."

1292
00:55:24,083 --> 00:55:26,050
Come and die.

1293
00:55:26,054 --> 00:55:28,083
When Jesus says, "Pick up your
cross and follow me,"

1294
00:55:28,092 --> 00:55:32,025
that's what it means
to be a disciple,

1295
00:55:32,033 --> 00:55:33,083
that you go the way of Jesus.

1296
00:55:33,088 --> 00:55:36,008
You give your life for
what he gave his life to,

1297
00:55:36,017 --> 00:55:39,008
the glory of God and the good
of others for the church.

1298
00:55:39,017 --> 00:55:52,083
"The other Simon, the apostle,
he was also crucified."

1299
00:55:52,088 --> 00:55:57,000
"Bartholomew is said to have
preached in India and translated

1300
00:55:57,004 --> 00:55:59,092
"the Gospel of Matthew into
their tongue, he was beaten,

1301
00:56:00,004 --> 00:56:05,075
crucified, and beheaded."

1302
00:56:05,083 --> 00:56:11,092
Andrew--"Andrew, Peter's
brother, was crucified.

1303
00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:14,067
"Bernard and St. Cyprian
mentioned the confession

1304
00:56:14,075 --> 00:56:16,092
"and martyrdom of this
blessed apostle.

1305
00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:19,033
"Partly from them and partly
from other reliable writers,

1306
00:56:19,042 --> 00:56:21,083
"we gather the
following material.

1307
00:56:21,092 --> 00:56:24,000
"When Andrew, through his
diligent preaching had brought

1308
00:56:24,004 --> 00:56:26,033
"many to the faith
of Christ, Egeas,

1309
00:56:26,042 --> 00:56:29,058
"the governor asked permission
to the Roman senate to force all

1310
00:56:29,067 --> 00:56:32,088
"Christians to sacrifice to
and honor the Roman idols.

1311
00:56:33,000 --> 00:56:36,000
"Andrew thought he should resist
Egeas and went to him telling

1312
00:56:36,008 --> 00:56:39,050
"them that a judge of men should
first know and worship

1313
00:56:39,058 --> 00:56:41,004
"as judge in heaven.

1314
00:56:41,017 --> 00:56:42,092
"'While worshiping the
true God,' Andrew said, 'He

1315
00:56:43,000 --> 00:56:47,008
"'should banish all false gods
and blind idols from his mind.'

1316
00:56:47,017 --> 00:56:50,017
"Furious at Andrew, Egeas
demanded to know if he was

1317
00:56:50,021 --> 00:56:52,033
"the man who had recently
overthrown the temples of

1318
00:56:52,042 --> 00:56:56,071
"the gods and persuaded men
to become Christians,"

1319
00:56:56,083 --> 00:57:00,054
A quote, "superstitious sect
that had recently been declared

1320
00:57:00,067 --> 00:57:02,088
"illegal by the Romans.

1321
00:57:03,000 --> 00:57:05,000
"Andrew replied that,
'The rulers of Rome

1322
00:57:05,008 --> 00:57:06,050
"'didn't understand the truth.

1323
00:57:06,058 --> 00:57:08,067
"'The son of God who came
into the world for man's sake

1324
00:57:08,075 --> 00:57:11,017
"'taught that the Roman gods
were devils,

1325
00:57:11,021 --> 00:57:13,050
"'enemies of mankind teaching
men to offend God,

1326
00:57:13,054 --> 00:57:15,033
"'and causing
him to turn away from them.

1327
00:57:15,038 --> 00:57:16,054
"'By serving the devil,

1328
00:57:16,067 --> 00:57:20,004
"'men fall into all kinds of
wickedness,' Andrew said,

1329
00:57:20,017 --> 00:57:21,017
"'And after they die,

1330
00:57:21,025 --> 00:57:23,058
"'nothing but their evil deeds
are remembered.'

1331
00:57:23,067 --> 00:57:26,017
"The proconsul ordered Andrew
not to preach these things

1332
00:57:26,021 --> 00:57:31,083
anymore or he would face
a speedy crucifixion."

1333
00:57:31,088 --> 00:57:33,042
If you were gonna get crucified,
would you stop

1334
00:57:33,050 --> 00:57:36,004
calling yourself a Christian?

1335
00:57:36,017 --> 00:57:40,017
"Whereupon Andrew replied--"
and this is an amazing line.

1336
00:57:40,025 --> 00:57:44,021
"'I would not have preached the
honor and glory of the cross

1337
00:57:44,033 --> 00:57:47,017
"'if I feared the death
of the cross.'

1338
00:57:47,025 --> 00:57:49,000
"He was condemned to be
crucified for teaching

1339
00:57:49,008 --> 00:57:50,075
"a new sect and taking away
the religion

1340
00:57:50,083 --> 00:57:52,033
"of the Roman gods.

1341
00:57:52,042 --> 00:57:55,021
"Andrew, going toward the place
of execution, and seeing

1342
00:57:55,033 --> 00:57:58,042
"the cross waiting for him,
never changed his expression,

1343
00:57:58,050 --> 00:58:00,050
"neither did he
fail in his speech.

1344
00:58:00,058 --> 00:58:04,075
"His body fainted not, nor did
his reason fail him as often

1345
00:58:04,083 --> 00:58:06,092
"happens to men about to die.

1346
00:58:07,000 --> 00:58:11,054
"He said, 'Oh cross, most
welcome and longed for

1347
00:58:11,067 --> 00:58:16,050
"'with a willing mind, joyfully
and desirously I come to you

1348
00:58:16,058 --> 00:58:19,033
"'being the scholar of him
which did hang on you

1349
00:58:19,042 --> 00:58:22,000
"'because I have always been
your lover

1350
00:58:22,008 --> 00:58:26,000
and yearn to embrace you.'"

1351
00:58:26,004 --> 00:58:27,067
"You boys want to crucify me?

1352
00:58:27,071 --> 00:58:29,088
"There's a good spot, go for it.

1353
00:58:30,000 --> 00:58:34,050
I belong to Jesus."

1354
00:58:35,083 --> 00:58:40,000
Matthew--"Matthew wrote his
gospel to the Jews in the Hebrew

1355
00:58:40,008 --> 00:58:44,004
"tongue after he had converted
Ethiopia and all Egypt.

1356
00:58:44,017 --> 00:58:48,025
"Hircanius, the king sent
someone to kill him

1357
00:58:48,033 --> 00:58:51,033
"with a spear.

1358
00:58:51,038 --> 00:58:53,050
"Philip, after years of
preaching

1359
00:58:53,054 --> 00:58:54,075
"to the barbarous nations,

1360
00:58:54,083 --> 00:59:02,038
"Philip was stoned, crucified,
and buried with his daughter.

1361
00:59:02,050 --> 00:59:06,071
"Peter, the first of the ten
persecutions was stirred up

1362
00:59:06,083 --> 00:59:08,088
"by Nero about 64 A.D.

1363
00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:11,083
"His rage against Christians
was so fierce that use of these

1364
00:59:11,088 --> 00:59:15,067
records quote, 'a man might then
see cities full of men's bodies,

1365
00:59:15,075 --> 00:59:17,017
"'the old lying together
with the young,

1366
00:59:17,025 --> 00:59:20,025
"'and the dead bodies of women
cast out naked without reverence

1367
00:59:20,033 --> 00:59:23,017
"of that sex in the open
streets.'

1368
00:59:23,025 --> 00:59:25,008
"Many Christians in those days
thought that Nero was

1369
00:59:25,017 --> 00:59:29,000
"the Antichrist because of his
cruelty and abominations.

1370
00:59:29,004 --> 00:59:30,067
"The Apostle Peter was
condemned to death

1371
00:59:30,071 --> 00:59:32,075
"during this persecution.

1372
00:59:32,083 --> 00:59:34,017
"Although some say
that he escaped,

1373
00:59:34,021 --> 00:59:36,017
"it is known that many
Christians encouraged him

1374
00:59:36,025 --> 00:59:38,033
"to leave the city
and the story goes that

1375
00:59:38,038 --> 00:59:40,083
"as he came to the city gates,
Peter saw Jesus

1376
00:59:40,088 --> 00:59:42,054
"coming to meet him.

1377
00:59:42,067 --> 00:59:44,083
"'Lord, where are you
going?' Peter asked.

1378
00:59:44,088 --> 00:59:47,075
"'I am coming again to be
crucified,' was the answer.

1379
00:59:47,083 --> 00:59:50,092
"Seeing that his suffering was
understood, Peter turned around,

1380
00:59:51,000 --> 00:59:54,067
"returned to the city where
Jerome tells us he was crucified

1381
00:59:54,075 --> 01:00:00,058
"upside down at his own request,
saying he was not worthy

1382
01:00:00,067 --> 01:00:05,004
to be crucified the same
way his Lord was."

1383
01:00:05,017 --> 01:00:08,000
Lastly, John-- "The second
persecution began during

1384
01:00:08,008 --> 01:00:10,075
"the reign of Domitian,
the brother of Titus.

1385
01:00:10,083 --> 01:00:13,025
Domitian exiled John to
the island of Patmos."

1386
01:00:13,033 --> 01:00:16,000
It's an actual spot
and I've been there.

1387
01:00:16,004 --> 01:00:18,050
"But on Domitian's death,
John was allowed to return to

1388
01:00:18,054 --> 01:00:20,038
"Ephesus in the year A.D. 70.

1389
01:00:20,050 --> 01:00:22,067
"He remained there until
the reign of Trajan, governing

1390
01:00:22,075 --> 01:00:24,092
"the churches of Asia,
and writing his gospel

1391
01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:28,083
until he died at about
the age of 100."

1392
01:00:28,088 --> 01:00:31,033
But at a hundred, he may have
had a lot of scars on his body,

1393
01:00:31,042 --> 01:00:35,000
because before they exiled
him, they tried to kill him.

1394
01:00:35,008 --> 01:00:39,042
They boiled him alive,
and he lived through it,

1395
01:00:39,050 --> 01:00:41,000
so they exiled him
for a while.

1396
01:00:41,004 --> 01:00:47,083
He got out and wrote books of
the Bible, as a boiled old man.

1397
01:00:47,088 --> 01:00:51,008
We're glad you come and see.

1398
01:00:51,017 --> 01:00:55,083
You need to go and die.

1399
01:00:55,088 --> 01:00:58,033
Father God, I pray
for us as a people.

1400
01:00:58,042 --> 01:01:01,058
We're in a day where we
get a lot of come and see.

1401
01:01:01,067 --> 01:01:05,000
There's free sermons on the
Internet, classes, trainings,

1402
01:01:05,004 --> 01:01:10,033
Christian music, radio stations,
radio preachers, church events,

1403
01:01:10,038 --> 01:01:14,000
mass crusades,
services, small groups.

1404
01:01:14,004 --> 01:01:17,017
It seems, Lord God, like there
are more come-and-see

1405
01:01:17,025 --> 01:01:21,017
opportunities than any people
have ever been offered

1406
01:01:21,025 --> 01:01:23,033
in the history of the world.

1407
01:01:23,042 --> 01:01:27,067
And God, we rejoice in the
come-and-see opportunities.

1408
01:01:27,071 --> 01:01:30,021
We rejoice that people come to
hear the Bible and see lives

1409
01:01:30,033 --> 01:01:32,042
change through Jesus.

1410
01:01:32,050 --> 01:01:35,021
But God, I pray for the grace of
the Holy Spirit and the hearts

1411
01:01:35,033 --> 01:01:38,017
and minds and the lives of our
people, that they would respond

1412
01:01:38,025 --> 01:01:40,050
to your call to
become Christians,

1413
01:01:40,058 --> 01:01:44,008
that they would respond to your
call to persevere as Christians,

1414
01:01:44,017 --> 01:01:46,025
that they would give like
Christians should give,

1415
01:01:46,033 --> 01:01:48,000
that they would serve like
Christians should serve,

1416
01:01:48,004 --> 01:01:50,038
that they would suffer like
Christians should suffer,

1417
01:01:50,050 --> 01:01:54,054
that they should testify like
Christians should suffer,

1418
01:01:54,067 --> 01:01:59,000
that Lord God, I pray for the
grace of the Holy Spirit on us

1419
01:01:59,008 --> 01:02:03,050
as a people that we wouldn't
just be a come-and-see people,

1420
01:02:03,058 --> 01:02:05,008
that we'd be
a go-and-die people.

1421
01:02:05,017 --> 01:02:07,067
In Jesus' name, Amen.

1422
01:02:08,000 --> 00:00:00,000