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[music]

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All right, Mars Hill,
we continue in Luke's Gospel.

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We're in Luke 7:28-35,
the second of a two-part series

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looking at John the Baptizer.

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And as we look at his
life, and examine his life,

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it gives us an opportunity
to not only learn vicariously

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from his life,
but to examine our own.

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And what we find today is one
of the most extraordinary lives

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that was ever lived,
in relation to Jesus,

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in the history of the world,
and by God's grace,

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we would aspire
to the same thing,

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a life of greatness
in relation to Jesus.

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And regarding John,
here is, in fact,

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what his cousin Jesus
had to say regarding him.

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Luke 7:28, "I tell you, among
those born of women none is

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greater than John."

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This is an extraordinary
statement from Jesus.

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You'll find a little
later in Luke 7,

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that some of John's
critics, in fact,

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said that he was
demon possessed.

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The opinions and estimations
of John varied wildly,

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but what really counts is
Jesus' estimation of one's life,

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and that's what we learn
from John.

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People can say
whatever they like,

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it's what Jesus says
about your life,

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mine, and John's
that truly matters.

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And Jesus says that
apart from his own life,

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the greatest person who has, or
will, live is John the Baptizer,

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which is a curious statement
because this statement

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is made during the reign
of a man named Herod.

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He was the king and his
nickname was Herod the Great.

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Jesus says, in fact, that
John is greater than Herod.

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But unlike Herod,
John is poor.

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He is not rich.

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He is very rural,
not urban.

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He is very simple.

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He did not come from
a premier family.

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He came from
a humble family, yet,

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John is the greatest
man who ever lived.

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And what I would tell you is
there is such a thing as godly,

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holy, redeemed ambition,
not a selfish pride,

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but a desire to make your life
count, to invest it wisely,

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to pour it out for Jesus nobly.

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And John serves as
a great example of that kind

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of redeemed, humble ambition.

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He lives his life
aggressively, passionately,

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purposefully for Jesus,

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and Jesus declares his life
to be the greatest.

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And we'll examine today four
aspects of John's greatness.

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The first is this:
John was great

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because he called people
to repentance.

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Luke 7:29-30, "(When all
the people heard this,"

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Jesus' summary of John's life,

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"And the tax collectors too,"
those are the crooks,

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"They declared God just,"
or right and good,

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"Having been baptized
with the baptism of John, but--"

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here come the religious guys,

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"The Pharisees and the lawyers
rejected the purpose of God

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for themselves, not having been
baptized by him.)"

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So John comes in the line
of the Old Testament prophets,

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and he is proclaiming, "Repent,
repent, repent of sin."

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Some receive this message,
publicly identify themselves

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as sinners, and come to the
river to be baptized by John,

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showing that they need to be
cleansed from sin,

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as water cleanses from filth,

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all foreshowing the forthcoming
of the resurrection of Jesus

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in our place, for our sins.

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Others do not receive this
message, they reject it.

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These are the religious types,
and they're offended to hear

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that they are sinners, and they
are offended to be invited

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into the baptismal waters
of the river, along with those

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who are thieves, and crooks,
and perverts, and murderers.

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They feel as religious people
wrongly do, that they are good,

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while others are bad, and they
do not want to be associated

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with those who are sinful.

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And so herein,
in John's ministry,

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there are two mega themes of our
faith that I really want you,

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need you to understand--
sin and repentance.

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Christians often
use these words,

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"sin" and "repentance"
without defining them,

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which can lead
to some confusion.

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And if you don't understand
sin and repentance,

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the Bible truly makes no sense,

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and your life, in addition,
makes no sense.

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And so we'll take
these in succession.

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John is calling people
to repent of sin.

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Sin is a mega theme
of your Bible.

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The Bible speaks of it with
a constellation of images,

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and metaphors,
and analogies, and words.

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Cornelius Plantinga wrote
a great book called,

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"Not the Way It's Supposed
to Be: A Breviary of Sin."

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And he defines sin in this way:
"The Bible presents sin by way

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"of major concepts, principally,
lawlessness and faithlessness,

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"expressed in an array
of images.

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"Sin is the missing of a target,
a wandering from the path,

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"a straying from the fold.

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"Sin is a hard heart,
and a stiff neck.

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"Sin is blindness and deafness.

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"It is both the overstepping
of a line,

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"and the failure to reach it.

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"Both transgression
and shortcoming.

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"Sin is a beast
crouching at the door.

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"In sin, people attack,
or evade, or neglect

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"their divine calling.

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"These and other images
suggest deviance.

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"Even when it is familiar,
sin is never normal.

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"Sin is disruption of created
harmony, and then resistance

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"to divine restoration
of that harmony.

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"Above all,
sin disrupts and resists

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the vital human relation
to God."

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Sin is going too far.

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It's not going far enough.

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It's a hard heart,
a stiff neck.

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Sin is living your life with
anyone or anything other than

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the God of the Bible as
the center of your identity,

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and the source of your joy.

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Sin is what we think,
what we feel, what we do.

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It is what we fail to
think, feel, and do.

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Sin is commission, where
we do that which is evil.

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It is also omission, where we
fail to do that which is right.

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Sin is not just action,
it's also conditioned.

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We are sinners by
nature and choice.

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The Bible says, in fact,
from our mother's womb.

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It's all the way
down in the roots.

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Sin is the human problem that
leads to all of the -isms:

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racism, classism.

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All of that is
the result of sin.

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But sin is the root problem, and
we can trace all of the effects.

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And if we don't get to the root
of the problem, which is sin,

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our lives, our cultures,
our world never changes.

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And so John is going right to
the heart of the matter

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with his preaching.

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He's addressing the issue of
sin, and he is commanding,

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compelling people
to repent of sin.

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This is a very significant
word at Mars Hill,

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you'll hear the word "repent"
a lot, and the word "sin" a lot.

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And if I might be so bold,
it's not popular today

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to talk about sin, and it's
certainly not popular

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to talk about repentance.

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It's okay to talk about
other people's sin,

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but not your sin, and to not
call you to repent of sin,

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but to enable sin.

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And John stands against a whole
nation, saying that

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their problem is sin,
and their answer is repentance.

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And so we're going to spend
a bit of time

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looking at repentance.

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I'm going to sit down because
I am old, and I have the flu.

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I do, and someday I'll
have a resurrection body,

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and I will not have the flu.

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So let me explain to you
what repentance is and is not.

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And for some of you,
this will be completely new,

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you've never heard this.

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For others of you, this will be
information that you've got

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bits and pieces of throughout
the course of your life.

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For some of you, this will be
revisiting things that

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I've taught you before, but
maybe you still need to do.

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And for the rest of you,
maybe you do know and practice

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repentance, and this will help
clarify your ability

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to counsel others.

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I want you to pay attention,
this is really important stuff.

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If you don't know
what to do with sin,

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you'll ruin your life,

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and destroy anyone who is
connected to you.

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It's that big of a deal.

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So, true repentance is
not religious repentance.

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Religious repentance is this:

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"I see your sin, not my own.

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"I confess your sin,
not my own.

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"I'm really unhappy
with your sin,

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but I'm not really
troubled by my own."

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It's because religious people
tend to think that they are

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self-righteous,
and pious, and holy,

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and better than everyone else.

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The result is that they think
they are good,

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and everyone else is bad.

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And religious people like to
busybody, and gossip,

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and neatnik, and nitpick,

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and just be a perennial pain
in the Levi's.

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That's what religious people do.

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And the way this works is
they're always glad to talk

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about all the things
you've done wrong,

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but they never say things
like, "It was my fault.

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"I'm sorry.

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I was wrong."

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Some of you are married to
that person, I apologize.

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And you can nudge them,
and now they can pay attention.

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Jesus gives a story of two
people going into the temple,

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the Old Testament
equivalent of the church,

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and one prays with haughty
eyes and head held high,

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full of pride.

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"God, thank you that
I'm not like other men.

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"Thank you that I'm
better than they are.

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Thank you that I don't do
all these horrible things."

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He's confessing
someone else's sin.

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A second man
in the story goes in,

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and he's not filled with
pride, he's filled with grief.

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And he looks to the ground.

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He can't even raise his eyes,
and he simply declares,

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"God, have mercy on me.

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I'm a sinner."

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He's dealing with his own
sin, not anyone else's sin.

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He's filled with
humility, and not pride.

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And Jesus says, "I tell
you the truth, this man,

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"and not the other,
left justified,

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declared righteous
in the sight of God."

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Religious people are notorious
for overlooking their own sin,

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and talking about
everyone else's,

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sometimes couching it in
the form of a prayer request,

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so that it looks particularly
holy when it's not.

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Real repentance is
not pagan repentance,

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and I tell you these false
forms because there are many

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counterfeits of repentance.

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One of the aspects that
distinguishes paganism from

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Christianity is the Bible
says that God is good,

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and we don't need
to make God be good.

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He just is.

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Paganism assumes
that God isn't good,

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and we have to manipulate God,
as if we could,

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to make God be good.

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And so paganism and pagan
repentance is, "So if I tell God

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I'm sorry, then he has
to do something for me."

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So examples would be, "I know I
shouldn't be dating this person,

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"but if I tell God I'm sorry,

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"then he's obligated to save
them, and make it all better.

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"I know that I've
done a bad thing,

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"but if I tell God I'm sorry,
then he's obligated to cover

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"for me, and not let my sin
get caught and found out.

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"If I tell God I'm sorry,
then he has to heal me.

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"If I tell God I'm sorry,
then he has to bless me.

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If I tell God I'm sorry,
then he has to prosper me."

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God is sovereign,
and free, and good.

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God cannot be manipulated, and
God is not obligated to anyone.

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Additionally, true repentance
is not worldly sorrow.

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Paul tells this to
the Corinthians.

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He says, "I perceive that
you have worldly sorrow,"

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or some of your translations
will say, "worldly grief,"

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and that is because
non-Christians can feel bad.

240
00:12:09,004 --> 00:12:10,033
I talked to a guy not long ago.

241
00:12:10,038 --> 00:12:12,033
He said, "I feel bad.
Why is that?"

242
00:12:12,042 --> 00:12:14,062
Answer: you're bad.

243
00:12:14,067 --> 00:12:16,067
You feel bad
because you're bad.

244
00:12:16,075 --> 00:12:19,004
Now it all makes
sense, doesn't it?

245
00:12:19,012 --> 00:12:23,021
Don't need to dig for some deep
psychological investigation.

246
00:12:23,029 --> 00:12:26,025
You feel bad because you're bad.

247
00:12:26,033 --> 00:12:27,075
God gave you a conscience.

248
00:12:27,083 --> 00:12:29,062
We're his image bearers.

249
00:12:29,067 --> 00:12:31,038
It's a moral rudder.

250
00:12:31,046 --> 00:12:33,096
We can grieve, quench,
resist the Holy Spirit,

251
00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,038
but the Holy Spirit works
through our conscience,

252
00:12:36,046 --> 00:12:40,029
Jesus promised he would,
to convict us of sin.

253
00:12:40,033 --> 00:12:43,071
We also know of our sin from
the Bible, and Bible teaching,

254
00:12:43,079 --> 00:12:46,033
and godly friends.

255
00:12:46,042 --> 00:12:49,033
And what happens in
worldly sorrow, or grief,

256
00:12:49,042 --> 00:12:54,092
is we feel bad,
but we don't change.

257
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,062
You just feel bad.

258
00:12:56,067 --> 00:12:59,083
And what can even happen in
culture is that we set up this

259
00:12:59,088 --> 00:13:03,075
false religion, with false
prophets, and pastors,

260
00:13:03,083 --> 00:13:07,050
and priests, and priestesses,
and what happens then is

261
00:13:07,058 --> 00:13:10,075
we present a false gospel.

262
00:13:10,083 --> 00:13:13,000
Not to pick on him,
but to pick on him.

263
00:13:13,004 --> 00:13:15,029
I'll give you an example
from Tiger Woods.

264
00:13:15,033 --> 00:13:17,067
What happened
in the Tiger Woods scenario

265
00:13:17,075 --> 00:13:20,017
is something that happens
fairly frequently.

266
00:13:20,025 --> 00:13:24,000
First of all, someone doesn't
repent, they get caught.

267
00:13:24,004 --> 00:13:26,088
The opposite of repenting
is getting caught,

268
00:13:26,096 --> 00:13:28,075
and that is that you didn't
come forward and say,

269
00:13:28,083 --> 00:13:31,042
"I've said or done a bad thing,
or failed to say or do

270
00:13:31,050 --> 00:13:33,058
"a good thing, I got caught,"
which means

271
00:13:33,067 --> 00:13:36,062
"I wasn't gonna stop unless you
made me."

272
00:13:36,067 --> 00:13:38,029
You get caught.

273
00:13:38,033 --> 00:13:42,008
And then you have to
present worldly sorrow.

274
00:13:42,017 --> 00:13:44,021
You have to say,
"I am really sorry."

275
00:13:44,029 --> 00:13:45,050
"I did a horrible thing.

276
00:13:45,054 --> 00:13:47,004
I feel really bad."

277
00:13:47,012 --> 00:13:49,033
Ideally, your PR
rep will tell you,

278
00:13:49,038 --> 00:13:52,083
"You should probably cry,
'cause that will help.

279
00:13:52,092 --> 00:13:53,092
"It shows that you're really,
really sad

280
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,050
about what you've done."

281
00:13:55,054 --> 00:13:59,029
And then we get basically
a cultural equivalent

282
00:13:59,033 --> 00:14:01,038
of pagan Catholicism.

283
00:14:01,046 --> 00:14:03,000
Let me unpack all of this.

284
00:14:03,004 --> 00:14:05,012
I grew up as a Catholic boy,
went to Catholic school,

285
00:14:05,017 --> 00:14:08,012
was an altar boy
for some years.

286
00:14:08,017 --> 00:14:10,079
And the way it would work in
Catholicism is you would go

287
00:14:10,083 --> 00:14:12,075
into the confessional
with the priest.

288
00:14:12,083 --> 00:14:14,046
You would say, "Bless me,
father, for I have sinned.

289
00:14:14,050 --> 00:14:17,050
It's been so long since
my last confession."

290
00:14:17,054 --> 00:14:20,025
And then you would tell
the priest what you did,

291
00:14:20,033 --> 00:14:23,000
and then the priest would
say, "I declare you forgiven.

292
00:14:23,004 --> 00:14:24,033
"I forgive you.

293
00:14:24,042 --> 00:14:26,058
"Go say this many 'Hail Marys,'
or 'Acts of Contrition,'

294
00:14:26,067 --> 00:14:29,029
"or 'Our Fathers',
or go do these good deeds,

295
00:14:29,033 --> 00:14:31,012
"and then you'll
make it up to God,

296
00:14:31,017 --> 00:14:35,000
and everything will be okay,"
something like that.

297
00:14:35,004 --> 00:14:38,050
And so what happens in culture
is someone has worldly sorrow.

298
00:14:38,054 --> 00:14:41,054
They know they've done wrong,
so they need to find someone

299
00:14:41,062 --> 00:14:44,067
who's in the cultural
position of a priest.

300
00:14:44,071 --> 00:14:47,054
And just so you know, I
don't believe in any of this.

301
00:14:47,062 --> 00:14:49,012
Jesus is my great high priest.

302
00:14:49,017 --> 00:14:50,050
A priest can't forgive me.

303
00:14:50,054 --> 00:14:54,025
The psalmist says, "Against you
only, Lord God, have I sinned."

304
00:14:54,033 --> 00:14:57,088
So I don't go to a priest, I go
to the great high priest, Jesus.

305
00:14:57,096 --> 00:14:59,092
But what happens in
our culture then,

306
00:15:00,004 --> 00:15:03,000
we've gotta find someone to play
that morally superior role,

307
00:15:03,008 --> 00:15:04,096
so we get Barbara Walters,
or Larry King,

308
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:06,088
or Oprah, or Dr. Phil.

309
00:15:06,096 --> 00:15:11,050
We go get somebody to set up
their stage for their show,

310
00:15:11,058 --> 00:15:13,083
their set,
like a confessional.

311
00:15:13,092 --> 00:15:17,083
And the person who has sinned
walks in looking very sad, and

312
00:15:17,088 --> 00:15:22,042
very scared, and, "I'm really
sorry for what I've done."

313
00:15:22,050 --> 00:15:24,083
And then the person in
the position of moral,

314
00:15:24,092 --> 00:15:27,050
spiritual authority,
the priest of culture says,

315
00:15:27,054 --> 00:15:30,050
"Tell us about what you've
done, and how you feel."

316
00:15:30,058 --> 00:15:32,042
And then you cry, and you say
the things that your PR rep

317
00:15:32,050 --> 00:15:34,054
told you to say.

318
00:15:34,062 --> 00:15:36,067
But your sins are
not yet forgiven,

319
00:15:36,075 --> 00:15:39,042
because you need to go to
purgatory and pay back,

320
00:15:39,050 --> 00:15:41,033
and so you go to rehab.

321
00:15:41,042 --> 00:15:44,008
Rehab is our cultural
version of purgatory.

322
00:15:44,017 --> 00:15:45,042
Everybody has to go to rehab.

323
00:15:45,050 --> 00:15:47,000
If you've done something bad,
you've gotta go to rehab,

324
00:15:47,004 --> 00:15:49,088
drug rehab,
sex rehab, alcohol rehab,

325
00:15:49,096 --> 00:15:52,062
"My dad didn't hug me"
rehab, gambling rehab,

326
00:15:52,067 --> 00:15:53,088
whatever rehab it is.

327
00:15:53,096 --> 00:15:55,038
And you go to rehab for a while.

328
00:15:55,046 --> 00:15:58,058
It's like purgatory, you go
there and you pay your dues.

329
00:15:58,067 --> 00:16:00,050
And then later you
get out, and you go back,

330
00:16:00,054 --> 00:16:02,012
and you meet with
the high priest or priestess.

331
00:16:02,017 --> 00:16:03,012
You say, "You know what?

332
00:16:03,017 --> 00:16:06,092
"I'm really, really sad,
and I did a very bad thing,

333
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,029
"but I feel like I paid it
off, and I went to rehab.

334
00:16:10,033 --> 00:16:11,092
"And now I've kind
of been born-again.

335
00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:13,092
"I'm a whole new person, and I'm
going to give lots of money

336
00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,000
"to women, children, or animals.

337
00:16:18,008 --> 00:16:24,012
Anything cute, I will give money
to, to show that I have sorrow."

338
00:16:24,017 --> 00:16:27,054
And then all of this is told
to the population, the public,

339
00:16:27,062 --> 00:16:30,033
the culture, and they decide
whether or not you're forgiven.

340
00:16:30,038 --> 00:16:32,067
They're in the position of God.

341
00:16:32,071 --> 00:16:34,033
"Oh, you said you were
sorry, you went to rehab,

342
00:16:34,038 --> 00:16:36,029
"you wrote a big check
for people in need.

343
00:16:36,033 --> 00:16:37,071
"We forgive you.

344
00:16:37,079 --> 00:16:39,012
"You can golf again.

345
00:16:39,017 --> 00:16:42,021
Go and sin no more."

346
00:16:42,029 --> 00:16:44,021
That's worldly sorrow.

347
00:16:44,029 --> 00:16:46,054
The whole culture we
live in is built on that,

348
00:16:46,062 --> 00:16:49,054
and people don't change,
not at the heart level.

349
00:16:49,062 --> 00:16:52,033
There's no atonement, there's
no penalty paid for sin.

350
00:16:52,042 --> 00:16:54,054
There's no Jesus,
there's no Savior.

351
00:16:54,062 --> 00:16:58,017
There's no new life in
Christ, there's none of that,

352
00:16:58,021 --> 00:17:01,021
just a bunch of counterfeits--
worldly sorrow.

353
00:17:01,029 --> 00:17:03,083
But I tell you that not
just to pick on a man,

354
00:17:03,088 --> 00:17:06,017
but to say that we're
all prone toward that, and

355
00:17:06,025 --> 00:17:11,067
our culture has this desire for
something like a high priest,

356
00:17:11,075 --> 00:17:15,092
who forgives our sins,
and gives us new life.

357
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:16,096
But without Jesus,

358
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,083
we end up with a lot
of impotent counterfeits.

359
00:17:20,092 --> 00:17:24,067
True repentance is also
not mere confession.

360
00:17:24,075 --> 00:17:26,062
Mere confession
is very confusing,

361
00:17:26,067 --> 00:17:29,062
particularly for Christians,
because it is when someone sins,

362
00:17:29,067 --> 00:17:32,004
and you confront,
or rebuke them,

363
00:17:32,012 --> 00:17:33,092
call them to repentance
as John does.

364
00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:35,042
You say,
"That was really wrong."

365
00:17:35,050 --> 00:17:36,050
And they say, "You know what?

366
00:17:36,054 --> 00:17:38,067
You're right,
that was terrible."

367
00:17:38,071 --> 00:17:40,054
You say, "Oh good, I'm
glad you recognized that.

368
00:17:40,062 --> 00:17:43,000
Let me hug you,
and we're all better now."

369
00:17:43,008 --> 00:17:45,000
And then they do it again.

370
00:17:45,004 --> 00:17:46,000
You say, "I thought
you were sorry."

371
00:17:46,008 --> 00:17:47,000
"Oh, I was.

372
00:17:47,008 --> 00:17:48,083
"I'm sorry again,
and I'll be sorry next week,

373
00:17:48,092 --> 00:17:50,033
"and the week after that.

374
00:17:50,042 --> 00:17:52,004
"I'm sorry a lot.

375
00:17:52,012 --> 00:17:54,000
"And every time I do it,
at least I'm not a hypocrite,

376
00:17:54,008 --> 00:17:57,067
"I'm authentic, I'm honest,
I'm real, I'm true.

377
00:17:57,075 --> 00:17:59,046
"And I'll just tell
ya how bad I am,

378
00:17:59,050 --> 00:18:02,000
and I'm gonna keep being bad."

379
00:18:02,008 --> 00:18:04,033
Some of you are
dating that person.

380
00:18:04,038 --> 00:18:07,050
Run, run, run,
run Forrest run,

381
00:18:07,058 --> 00:18:10,067
run for your life.

382
00:18:10,071 --> 00:18:12,008
And they confuse you,
'cause you'll say,

383
00:18:12,017 --> 00:18:13,079
"Hey, you shouldn't have
said or done that."

384
00:18:13,083 --> 00:18:16,017
"You're right, that was
wrong," and they keep doing it.

385
00:18:16,025 --> 00:18:18,021
Mere confession is
an acknowledgment of sin,

386
00:18:18,029 --> 00:18:21,042
without a repentance of sin.

387
00:18:21,050 --> 00:18:25,000
Additionally, real repentance
is not blame shifting,

388
00:18:25,008 --> 00:18:28,046
that is, "Yeah, something bad
happened, but it's their fault."

389
00:18:28,050 --> 00:18:30,050
This goes all the way
back to the garden.

390
00:18:30,054 --> 00:18:32,083
Adam sins, says, "God,
you made a woman.

391
00:18:32,088 --> 00:18:33,092
"She's defective.

392
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,004
The two of you need
to sort this out."

393
00:18:37,012 --> 00:18:39,083
Eve says, "Oh, don't look at
me, the devil made me do it."

394
00:18:39,092 --> 00:18:43,004
She was charismatic.

395
00:18:43,012 --> 00:18:44,050


396
00:18:44,054 --> 00:18:47,079
And the truth is that they both
were morally responsible

397
00:18:47,083 --> 00:18:49,075
for their own transgression.

398
00:18:49,083 --> 00:18:50,083
And we can do this.

399
00:18:50,092 --> 00:18:53,067
"Yes, I lost my temper, but
they made me very angry."

400
00:18:53,071 --> 00:18:55,042
Oh well, it's
obviously their fault.

401
00:18:55,050 --> 00:18:57,050
"Yes, I stole from my
boss, but after all,

402
00:18:57,054 --> 00:18:59,033
they weren't paying me enough."

403
00:18:59,038 --> 00:19:02,012
"I did cheat on my spouse, but
they weren't meeting my needs."

404
00:19:02,017 --> 00:19:06,050
Oh, you poor victim.

405
00:19:06,058 --> 00:19:08,033
Blame someone else.

406
00:19:08,042 --> 00:19:11,079
Real repentance is
also not minimizing.

407
00:19:11,083 --> 00:19:14,025
What happens is you sin,
someone calls you to repent,

408
00:19:14,033 --> 00:19:16,017
and the first thing you do is
you find someone

409
00:19:16,025 --> 00:19:18,067
who's done something worse.

410
00:19:18,075 --> 00:19:20,062
"At least I didn't
kill someone."

411
00:19:20,067 --> 00:19:22,067
Oh, duckie for you,
we'll put a gold star on your

412
00:19:22,075 --> 00:19:27,083
"No Murder" chart,
another whole day.

413
00:19:27,088 --> 00:19:29,083
You find someone worse than you.

414
00:19:29,092 --> 00:19:31,000
"You're a terrible spouse."

415
00:19:31,004 --> 00:19:33,033
"Well, at least you're
not married to so and so."

416
00:19:33,042 --> 00:19:35,092
And if all else fails,
hit the Hitler button,

417
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,000
that's what you do.

418
00:19:38,008 --> 00:19:39,071
Just hit the Hitler button,
which is,

419
00:19:39,079 --> 00:19:41,054
"At least I'm not a Nazi."

420
00:19:41,062 --> 00:19:44,017
Oh, that's true.

421
00:19:44,025 --> 00:19:45,092
And you put yourself next
to Hitler, and you're like,

422
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,004
"See, I look pretty good."

423
00:19:47,012 --> 00:19:50,079
Yeah, compared to
Hitler, everyone does.

424
00:19:50,083 --> 00:19:52,096
That's not really
moral high ground,

425
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,083
but that's what people do.

426
00:19:54,092 --> 00:19:55,083
It's minimizing.

427
00:19:55,092 --> 00:19:56,096
"Oh, it's not a big deal.

428
00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,025
"You're freaking out.
You're overreacting.

429
00:19:58,033 --> 00:20:01,042
Why do you gotta
get so emotional?"

430
00:20:01,050 --> 00:20:06,000
Additionally, real repentance
is not excuse making.

431
00:20:06,004 --> 00:20:10,050
"Yeah, I did it, but I
had a rough upbringing.

432
00:20:10,054 --> 00:20:13,050
"You know, I didn't
get a good education.

433
00:20:13,054 --> 00:20:15,058
"My dad didn't hug me it.

434
00:20:15,067 --> 00:20:17,038
"I'm genetically predisposed.

435
00:20:17,046 --> 00:20:19,071
"My personality type is J-E-R-K.

436
00:20:19,079 --> 00:20:23,000
"You know there's just--
P-E-R-V, you know,

437
00:20:23,004 --> 00:20:30,075
my personality type
is that way."

438
00:20:30,083 --> 00:20:35,046
No, real repentance
is a five-fold process,

439
00:20:35,050 --> 00:20:37,067
and I've shared this before.

440
00:20:37,071 --> 00:20:40,046
It starts with conviction,
that is a work of God.

441
00:20:40,050 --> 00:20:44,096
Jesus says that the Holy Spirit
would come to convict us of sin.

442
00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:46,083
Works through
the conscience, the Scriptures,

443
00:20:46,092 --> 00:20:49,088
works through good friends,
and Bible teaching.

444
00:20:49,096 --> 00:20:55,050
And conviction is where you feel
it, you know it, you blew it.

445
00:20:55,054 --> 00:20:57,050
Conviction,
that comes from God.

446
00:20:57,058 --> 00:21:00,079
Now at this point, we can
grieve, quench, or resist,

447
00:21:00,083 --> 00:21:03,071
the Bible says,
the Holy Spirit.

448
00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:06,021
Or we can agree with God.

449
00:21:06,029 --> 00:21:08,079
Here it says that they
declared God just,

450
00:21:08,083 --> 00:21:11,017
that's agreeing with God.

451
00:21:11,021 --> 00:21:12,083
That's what they're doing.

452
00:21:12,088 --> 00:21:15,021
"You're right, I'm wrong."

453
00:21:15,029 --> 00:21:17,021
That moves on to confession.

454
00:21:17,029 --> 00:21:21,083
Confession is declaring,
talking about, owning it.

455
00:21:21,088 --> 00:21:24,050
"You're right, God, I'm wrong.

456
00:21:24,054 --> 00:21:25,067
"The Bible says something,

457
00:21:25,071 --> 00:21:30,046
and I am in violation
of what you say."

458
00:21:30,050 --> 00:21:33,017
Confession is talking
to God about your sin.

459
00:21:33,025 --> 00:21:35,021
Confession is talking to
others about your sin,

460
00:21:35,029 --> 00:21:38,096
and some of you haven't
repented--your family, friends,

461
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,046
co-workers, neighbors,
don't even know, your spouse,

462
00:21:42,050 --> 00:21:45,029
what you've done,
or are doing.

463
00:21:45,033 --> 00:21:46,058
You've not repented.

464
00:21:46,067 --> 00:21:47,096
You're just waiting
to get caught,

465
00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,021
and if you never get caught,

466
00:21:49,029 --> 00:21:51,033
you're never going to
talk about it.

467
00:21:51,042 --> 00:21:54,042
This is my exhortation
and admonition to you,

468
00:21:54,050 --> 00:21:55,092
to confess,
to talk about it.

469
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:57,004
To say,
"You know what?

470
00:21:57,012 --> 00:21:58,033
"There's some stuff
I need to tell you.

471
00:21:58,042 --> 00:21:59,092
"We need to have
that conversation.

472
00:22:00,004 --> 00:22:03,046
Here's who I am,
here's what I've done."

473
00:22:03,050 --> 00:22:06,012
Confession is talking
about sin with God,

474
00:22:06,017 --> 00:22:09,083
whom you've sinned against, and
talking with people about sin,

475
00:22:09,088 --> 00:22:11,021
whom you've sinned against.

476
00:22:11,029 --> 00:22:13,000
That's why the Bible says
in 1 John 1:9,

477
00:22:13,008 --> 00:22:15,079
"if we confess our sin,"
gotta talk about it.

478
00:22:15,083 --> 00:22:18,046
Conviction, confession,
confession is responding.

479
00:22:18,050 --> 00:22:19,083
Third is repentance.

480
00:22:19,092 --> 00:22:24,004
Repentance is not managing,
or minimizing sin.

481
00:22:24,012 --> 00:22:26,067
"I used to do it every week,
now I do it once a month,

482
00:22:26,075 --> 00:22:28,096
"or once every 6 months,
or once a year.

483
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,038
"I used to, you know,
do it to this degree,

484
00:22:31,046 --> 00:22:33,033
"and I've ratcheted it
back a little bit.

485
00:22:33,042 --> 00:22:35,092
"I'm trying to manage,
or I'm trying to minimize,

486
00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,054
or maintain my sin."

487
00:22:37,062 --> 00:22:38,062
That's not it.

488
00:22:38,067 --> 00:22:40,062
Our sin is worse than we think.

489
00:22:40,067 --> 00:22:45,050
Our sin is so bad that God,
Jesus, had to die for it.

490
00:22:45,058 --> 00:22:49,033
And if it's important
enough for Jesus to die for,

491
00:22:49,038 --> 00:22:52,000
we need to put it to death.

492
00:22:52,008 --> 00:22:55,079
We need to put it to death.

493
00:22:55,083 --> 00:23:01,029
If Jesus died for that sin,
then that sin must die.

494
00:23:01,033 --> 00:23:04,083
Can't just wound it,
you have to kill it.

495
00:23:04,092 --> 00:23:09,017
Repentance is
the putting to death of sin,

496
00:23:09,021 --> 00:23:12,054
putting it to death,
not just feeling bad.

497
00:23:12,062 --> 00:23:13,096
Not just saying you're sorry.

498
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:16,083
Not just trying harder.

499
00:23:16,092 --> 00:23:20,029
Killing it, because
it killed Jesus.

500
00:23:20,033 --> 00:23:23,088
This leads to step number
four, and by the way,

501
00:23:23,096 --> 00:23:27,088
that was John's whole ministry:
repent, repent, repent.

502
00:23:27,096 --> 00:23:29,033
That's what he's getting at.

503
00:23:29,042 --> 00:23:31,062
Step number four then is
restitution,

504
00:23:31,067 --> 00:23:34,046
and this is not penance,
where you pay God back,

505
00:23:34,050 --> 00:23:37,050
this is just trying
to make it right.

506
00:23:37,058 --> 00:23:41,025
If you've stolen,
you should pay it back.

507
00:23:41,033 --> 00:23:45,038
If you've lied about someone
and damaged their reputation,

508
00:23:45,046 --> 00:23:48,000
you need to go to those
people you've lied to and say,

509
00:23:48,004 --> 00:23:50,038
"That wasn't true.

510
00:23:50,046 --> 00:23:54,038
I sinned and I lied."

511
00:23:54,046 --> 00:23:56,004
See, because some of
you have done

512
00:23:56,012 --> 00:23:59,083
great, horrific damage
to other people,

513
00:23:59,092 --> 00:24:01,067
and you can tell God,
"I'm sorry."

514
00:24:01,071 --> 00:24:02,071
And you can tell them,
"I'm sorry,"

515
00:24:02,079 --> 00:24:05,008
but if you don't try and fix it,
it like shooting someone

516
00:24:05,017 --> 00:24:07,017
and driving away, rather than
giving them a ride

517
00:24:07,021 --> 00:24:09,050
to the hospital.

518
00:24:09,054 --> 00:24:10,075
"Sorry, that hurts.

519
00:24:10,083 --> 00:24:13,025
Good luck with that,
good-bye."

520
00:24:13,033 --> 00:24:15,092
No, real repentance is:
"And I need to try and make

521
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,012
"this right in as much as by
God's grace I'm able,

522
00:24:19,017 --> 00:24:21,083
"'cause if I was part
of your wounding,

523
00:24:21,092 --> 00:24:26,038
I need to be part of your
healing, if you will let me."

524
00:24:26,046 --> 00:24:30,062
Conviction, confession,
repentance, restitution.

525
00:24:30,067 --> 00:24:33,042
Step number five,
reconciliation.

526
00:24:33,050 --> 00:24:36,050
This is where God and people
are reconciled,

527
00:24:36,054 --> 00:24:38,067
and people and people
are reconciled,

528
00:24:38,071 --> 00:24:42,050
that Jesus takes away sin,
that reconciliation may happen.

529
00:24:42,054 --> 00:24:44,054
Jesus makes this possible
through his death,

530
00:24:44,062 --> 00:24:46,025
burial, resurrection.

531
00:24:46,033 --> 00:24:50,050
That's the means
for reconciliation.

532
00:24:50,054 --> 00:24:54,092
Let me say this: forgiveness
takes one person.

533
00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,033
Repentance takes one person.

534
00:24:57,042 --> 00:24:59,067
Reconciliation takes two.

535
00:24:59,071 --> 00:25:04,017
If you have sinned, or when you
sin, 'cause we're all sinning,

536
00:25:04,025 --> 00:25:07,096
you go to the person you've
sinned against and you repent.

537
00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:09,050
"I have sinned.

538
00:25:09,058 --> 00:25:11,075
"You may have not
even known about it,

539
00:25:11,083 --> 00:25:14,050
"but let me come
clean and be honest.

540
00:25:14,054 --> 00:25:17,033
"Let me tell you who I am,
and what I've done,

541
00:25:17,038 --> 00:25:19,083
"or what I've failed to do.

542
00:25:19,092 --> 00:25:23,012
"And I'm repenting,
I'm killing that.

543
00:25:23,017 --> 00:25:27,083
It's gonna stop
by the grace of God."

544
00:25:27,088 --> 00:25:30,012
Takes one person to repent.

545
00:25:30,017 --> 00:25:32,088
What do you have to repent of?

546
00:25:32,096 --> 00:25:35,017
Who do you need to talk to?

547
00:25:35,025 --> 00:25:38,079
What needs to be made known?

548
00:25:38,083 --> 00:25:41,033
It takes one person to forgive.

549
00:25:41,038 --> 00:25:46,021
"I forgive you for what
you've done, or failed to do."

550
00:25:46,029 --> 00:25:48,017
Some of you would say,
"I cannot forgive them,

551
00:25:48,025 --> 00:25:50,017
because they have not repented."

552
00:25:50,021 --> 00:25:52,071
You must forgive them
either way,

553
00:25:52,079 --> 00:25:55,008
because it frees you
of bitterness.

554
00:25:55,017 --> 00:25:57,092
It opens the door
of reconciliation.

555
00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,083
You are willing to meet
them at the threshold,

556
00:26:00,088 --> 00:26:05,092
and they must turn from sin,
and walk toward you.

557
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:10,021
Additionally, it
leaves them to God.

558
00:26:10,029 --> 00:26:11,067
"God, I have forgiven them.

559
00:26:11,075 --> 00:26:13,083
"They are now in your hands.

560
00:26:13,092 --> 00:26:16,058
"My prayer is that they
would repent, and if not,

561
00:26:16,067 --> 00:26:18,083
justice will come from you."

562
00:26:18,092 --> 00:26:21,033
Either justice comes from
the cross of Jesus,

563
00:26:21,042 --> 00:26:28,038
or justice comes in hell,
either way, justice comes.

564
00:26:28,046 --> 00:26:31,092
Who do you need to forgive?

565
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,021
What have they done?

566
00:26:34,029 --> 00:26:37,000
Some of you would say,
"I cannot forgive."

567
00:26:37,004 --> 00:26:40,067
You must.
You must.

568
00:26:40,075 --> 00:26:43,017
And I feel prompted
by the Holy Spirit.

569
00:26:43,025 --> 00:26:46,042
I didn't intend to say this,
and I didn't say this all day.

570
00:26:46,050 --> 00:26:49,017
I feel as if some of you
right now

571
00:26:49,025 --> 00:26:53,079
in your mind are saying
this--and if this is you,

572
00:26:53,083 --> 00:26:58,012
this is a gift to you
from the Holy Spirit.

573
00:26:58,017 --> 00:27:02,029
"I cannot forgive myself."

574
00:27:02,033 --> 00:27:05,071
And let me tell you that, as
spiritual as that sounds,

575
00:27:05,079 --> 00:27:11,004
it's blasphemy, because if the
God of the Bible forgives you,

576
00:27:11,012 --> 00:27:13,071
and you will not
forgive yourself,

577
00:27:13,079 --> 00:27:18,046
you are saying that you are
above the God of the Bible.

578
00:27:18,050 --> 00:27:21,071
What you're saying is when
Jesus declared on the cross,

579
00:27:21,079 --> 00:27:28,062
"Father, forgive them,"
you are saying,

580
00:27:28,067 --> 00:27:33,008
"Even if the Father forgives me,
I do not forgive myself."

581
00:27:33,017 --> 00:27:40,083
And so you are in effect saying,
"I am a superior God than he."

582
00:27:40,092 --> 00:27:44,033
You need to repent of sin.

583
00:27:44,042 --> 00:27:47,046
You need to forgive those
who've sinned against you,

584
00:27:47,050 --> 00:27:51,092
and you need not say that you
cannot forgive yourself,

585
00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:54,067
because it's blasphemy.

586
00:27:54,071 --> 00:28:00,017
If Jesus forgives you,
there is no higher God,

587
00:28:00,021 --> 00:28:04,017
and you and I have no right to
place ourselves above Jesus,

588
00:28:04,021 --> 00:28:08,088
and to withhold from ourselves
forgiveness that he guarantees

589
00:28:08,096 --> 00:28:13,021
through his death
and resurrection.

590
00:28:13,029 --> 00:28:18,012
This is all very
serious business.

591
00:28:18,017 --> 00:28:20,062
And Jesus declares
that John is great,

592
00:28:20,067 --> 00:28:23,071
because he calls people
to repentance.

593
00:28:23,079 --> 00:28:26,038
He cut through all
of the cultural clutter,

594
00:28:26,046 --> 00:28:29,029
and noise, and nonsense.

595
00:28:29,033 --> 00:28:33,033
He does not settle for religious
repentance, pagan repentance,

596
00:28:33,038 --> 00:28:38,038
worldly sorrow, mere confession,
blame shifting, minimizing,

597
00:28:38,046 --> 00:28:44,071
excuse making, mere
conviction, or mere confession.

598
00:28:44,079 --> 00:28:47,088
He lays an ax at
the root of the problem,

599
00:28:47,096 --> 00:28:52,012
and he goes after sin
with a furious courage,

600
00:28:52,017 --> 00:28:56,067
and he calls people
to repent of sin.

601
00:28:56,071 --> 00:29:02,017
And God would call us all
to repent of sin,

602
00:29:02,021 --> 00:29:04,004
because he loves us.

603
00:29:04,012 --> 00:29:05,096
And sin leads to death,

604
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:10,092
and repentance is a gift
to be enjoyed.

605
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,017
That is the greatness of John.

606
00:29:14,025 --> 00:29:18,083
And again, some in this account
of Luke, they receive it,

607
00:29:18,092 --> 00:29:22,008
and they go down to the river,
and they say publicly with their

608
00:29:22,017 --> 00:29:27,017
actions, "I'm a sinner,
and I'm repenting."

609
00:29:27,021 --> 00:29:31,033
And others reject,
and they become religious,

610
00:29:31,042 --> 00:29:35,088
and they fight, and they argue,
and they defend themselves

611
00:29:35,096 --> 00:29:38,067
to their own shame and folly.

612
00:29:38,075 --> 00:29:41,067
And you and I are given this
divine moment of opportunity

613
00:29:41,071 --> 00:29:45,083
to make that decision
for ourselves.

614
00:29:45,092 --> 00:29:49,083
Will we declare God to be just,
by ourselves declaring ourselves

615
00:29:49,092 --> 00:29:52,079
to be unjust, and in need
of his justice

616
00:29:52,083 --> 00:29:55,067
through the cross of Jesus?

617
00:29:55,075 --> 00:30:00,004
You know why John had such
strong reaction now, don't you?

618
00:30:00,012 --> 00:30:03,079
He was loved and hated, but
he could not be ignored.

619
00:30:03,083 --> 00:30:05,071
That's John.

620
00:30:05,079 --> 00:30:08,067
Jesus goes on to say that
John was great

621
00:30:08,075 --> 00:30:12,012
because he endured
impossible people.

622
00:30:12,017 --> 00:30:17,042
Luke 7:31-32, Jesus says,
"To what then shall I compare

623
00:30:17,050 --> 00:30:19,050
"the people of this generation,
and what are they like?

624
00:30:19,054 --> 00:30:21,062
"They are like children sitting
in the marketplace

625
00:30:21,067 --> 00:30:24,067
"and calling to one another,
'We played the flute for you,

626
00:30:24,071 --> 00:30:26,033
"'and you did not dance;

627
00:30:26,042 --> 00:30:28,092
we sang a dirge,
and you did not weep.'"

628
00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,017
Jesus here is
offending people.

629
00:30:32,025 --> 00:30:35,021
See, for some of you the worst
sin of all is offending someone.

630
00:30:35,029 --> 00:30:38,033
Jesus offended people,
and he did so in love.

631
00:30:38,042 --> 00:30:41,046
He did so to point out
their sin and folly.

632
00:30:41,050 --> 00:30:46,021
One commentator rightly calls
this the "parable of the brats,"

633
00:30:46,029 --> 00:30:49,012
which I think is
a pretty cool band name.

634
00:30:49,017 --> 00:30:51,042
That would be
an awesome Christian band.

635
00:30:51,050 --> 00:30:53,029
"We are the parable
of the brats."

636
00:30:53,033 --> 00:30:54,096
And the "parable of the brats"
is this:

637
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:58,079
if any of you have, or
have seen small children,

638
00:30:58,083 --> 00:31:01,012
they tend to look
at big events in life,

639
00:31:01,017 --> 00:31:03,017
and then mimic them, correct?

640
00:31:03,021 --> 00:31:04,058
And in that day,
the two big events were

641
00:31:04,067 --> 00:31:06,062
funerals and weddings.

642
00:31:06,067 --> 00:31:09,021
Funerals are dark,
and weddings are light.

643
00:31:09,029 --> 00:31:13,067
And funerals are grieving,
and weddings are celebrating.

644
00:31:13,075 --> 00:31:16,075
And what would happen
in a funeral is everyone would

645
00:31:16,083 --> 00:31:19,012
get dressed in black, and the
processional would leave town,

646
00:31:19,017 --> 00:31:21,083
out to the cemetery, and
the wailers would be wailing,

647
00:31:21,092 --> 00:31:23,000
and the mourners
would be mourning,

648
00:31:23,008 --> 00:31:25,079
and the flute players
would be playing.

649
00:31:25,083 --> 00:31:27,042
And in a wedding, everyone
would stay in town,

650
00:31:27,050 --> 00:31:29,033
and there was oftentimes
a multi-day feast,

651
00:31:29,042 --> 00:31:32,008
and the bride would come out in
all glory, dressed in white,

652
00:31:32,017 --> 00:31:33,067
and there'd be dancing,
and singing,

653
00:31:33,071 --> 00:31:35,096
and celebration, and song.

654
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:37,038
And so the little kids
would get to together,

655
00:31:37,046 --> 00:31:42,050
and they would either
play funeral or wedding.

656
00:31:42,058 --> 00:31:48,008
So the emo kids, the punk rock
kids, they would play funeral.

657
00:31:48,017 --> 00:31:50,025
And all the pop kids,
and the hip-hop kids,

658
00:31:50,033 --> 00:31:52,033
they'd all play wedding.

659
00:31:52,042 --> 00:31:53,088
Do you have kids?

660
00:31:53,096 --> 00:31:55,054
Do they do this to this day?

661
00:31:55,062 --> 00:31:56,088
They see a big event,
and they go home,

662
00:31:56,096 --> 00:31:58,054
and then try and reenact it?

663
00:31:58,062 --> 00:32:01,033
This happens right?

664
00:32:01,038 --> 00:32:05,079
Yet there were always a group of
kids who wanted to play funeral,

665
00:32:05,083 --> 00:32:08,017
and a group of kids who
wanted to play wedding,

666
00:32:08,025 --> 00:32:10,067
and a group of kids who
wouldn't play anything,

667
00:32:10,071 --> 00:32:13,054
those were the religious kids.

668
00:32:13,062 --> 00:32:16,004
They'd say, "We don't want to
play funeral, it's too sad.

669
00:32:16,012 --> 00:32:18,071
We don't want to play
wedding, it's too happy."

670
00:32:18,079 --> 00:32:20,000
What do you want to play?

671
00:32:20,008 --> 00:32:22,004
"I want to play
miserable critic,"

672
00:32:22,012 --> 00:32:25,054
and that was their game.

673
00:32:25,062 --> 00:32:29,000
And they would never
join in and participate.

674
00:32:29,008 --> 00:32:31,017
Some people are like
this, Jesus says,

675
00:32:31,021 --> 00:32:32,038
even when it comes to church.

676
00:32:32,046 --> 00:32:34,004
"That one's too big,
that one's too small.

677
00:32:34,012 --> 00:32:36,096
"That one's too serious,
that one's too irreverent.

678
00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,042
"That one's too organized.

679
00:32:38,050 --> 00:32:39,079
"That one's too disorganized.

680
00:32:39,083 --> 00:32:40,079
"That one's too formal.

681
00:32:40,083 --> 00:32:43,000
That one's too casual."

682
00:32:43,008 --> 00:32:45,050
Any of you have a kid like
that, a really picky eater,

683
00:32:45,054 --> 00:32:47,021
for example?

684
00:32:47,029 --> 00:32:48,067
Do you want a sandwich?
"No."

685
00:32:48,071 --> 00:32:50,033
How about eggs?
"No."

686
00:32:50,042 --> 00:32:51,038
Cereal?
"No."

687
00:32:51,046 --> 00:32:52,046
Pizza?
"No."

688
00:32:52,050 --> 00:32:54,004
A spanking?

689
00:32:54,012 --> 00:32:55,067
'cause we have lots of those.

690
00:32:55,075 --> 00:32:59,050
Right you just--these are
the kids it doesn't matter

691
00:32:59,058 --> 00:33:01,083
what you propose: "No."

692
00:33:01,092 --> 00:33:03,096
They're just always negative.

693
00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:06,075
Some of you are like that,
you're always negative.

694
00:33:06,083 --> 00:33:09,008
You find something wrong with
everyone, and everything,

695
00:33:09,017 --> 00:33:12,029
and you just refuse--you
just cross your arms,

696
00:33:12,033 --> 00:33:13,067
"I'm not becoming a member.

697
00:33:13,075 --> 00:33:14,096
"I'm not joining
a community group.

698
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:16,046
"I'm not getting involved.

699
00:33:16,050 --> 00:33:19,021
I have lots of reasons
that I'm unhappy."

700
00:33:19,029 --> 00:33:20,092
You're always unhappy.

701
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:22,050
You're Puddleglum.

702
00:33:22,054 --> 00:33:28,017
You're Eeyore, you just are.

703
00:33:28,021 --> 00:33:32,058
And see, John endured these
people in his ministry,

704
00:33:32,067 --> 00:33:34,067
and ministry are often--
ministry is, rather,

705
00:33:34,075 --> 00:33:39,050
often consumed with these
kind of negative people.

706
00:33:39,054 --> 00:33:40,050
It's always something.

707
00:33:40,058 --> 00:33:42,008
Are you negative?

708
00:33:42,017 --> 00:33:45,058
Are you always against someone,
always against something?

709
00:33:45,067 --> 00:33:47,088
Do you always have a reason why
you're not gonna get involved

710
00:33:47,096 --> 00:33:50,050
with God's people, why you're
not gonna be in community,

711
00:33:50,058 --> 00:33:53,067
actively involved on
mission, as the church?

712
00:33:53,071 --> 00:33:55,046
Like, "There's issues."

713
00:33:55,050 --> 00:33:59,042
Yeah, with you,
you're right, there are.

714
00:33:59,050 --> 00:34:02,083
And John was great
because he endured this.

715
00:34:02,092 --> 00:34:06,017
Number three, John was great
because he suffered critics.

716
00:34:06,025 --> 00:34:08,029
He had lots of critics.

717
00:34:08,033 --> 00:34:11,054
Here's what Jesus
says, Luke 7:33-35,

718
00:34:11,062 --> 00:34:13,058
"For John the Baptist
has come eating no bread

719
00:34:13,067 --> 00:34:18,021
and drinking no wine, and you
say, 'He has a demon.'"

720
00:34:18,029 --> 00:34:20,054
Some blogger threw
that out there.

721
00:34:20,062 --> 00:34:23,038
"The Son of Man has come eating
and drinking, and you say,

722
00:34:23,046 --> 00:34:25,067
"'Look at him!

723
00:34:25,071 --> 00:34:27,050
"'A glutton and a drunkard,

724
00:34:27,054 --> 00:34:30,067
"'a friend of tax collectors
and sinners!'

725
00:34:30,075 --> 00:34:33,000
Yet wisdom is justified
by all her children."

726
00:34:33,004 --> 00:34:35,017
Here's what happens,
those who are critics,

727
00:34:35,021 --> 00:34:39,062
they criticize John and Jesus,
for exactly opposite reasons.

728
00:34:39,067 --> 00:34:43,017
This is Jesus saying, "Critics
are coo-coo for cocoa puffs.

729
00:34:43,021 --> 00:34:45,083
They don't make any sense."

730
00:34:45,088 --> 00:34:48,062
So they look at John,
and John is--I'll call him

731
00:34:48,067 --> 00:34:51,050
a hippy Baptist, okay?

732
00:34:51,058 --> 00:34:53,067
Because he's gluten-free
and alcohol-free,

733
00:34:53,071 --> 00:34:55,062
so we'll call John
a hippy Baptist.

734
00:34:55,067 --> 00:34:56,067
That's what Jesus says.

735
00:34:56,075 --> 00:34:59,050
He doesn't eat bread,
and he doesn't drink wine.

736
00:34:59,054 --> 00:35:02,083
Gluten-free,
hippy Baptist, okay?

737
00:35:02,088 --> 00:35:03,096
And they look at
John, and they say,

738
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,096
"We don't like John because he's
gluten-free, and alcohol free."

739
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:09,029
Then they look at Jesus,
and they say,

740
00:35:09,033 --> 00:35:10,038
"Well, what do you think
of Jesus?"

741
00:35:10,046 --> 00:35:11,038
"We don't like him either."

742
00:35:11,046 --> 00:35:12,004
Why?

743
00:35:12,012 --> 00:35:14,025
"'Cause he eats bread
and drinks wine."

744
00:35:14,033 --> 00:35:18,062
What?

745
00:35:18,067 --> 00:35:21,017
"Yeah, and today's too
hot, and it's too cold.

746
00:35:21,021 --> 00:35:26,042
And you're too tall,
and you're too short."

747
00:35:26,050 --> 00:35:28,021
Okay?

748
00:35:28,029 --> 00:35:31,038
This is the heart of a critic.

749
00:35:31,046 --> 00:35:33,067
They're impossible.

750
00:35:33,075 --> 00:35:36,075
They're incorrigible.

751
00:35:36,083 --> 00:35:38,067
They're insane.

752
00:35:38,075 --> 00:35:40,088
They don't make any sense.

753
00:35:40,096 --> 00:35:44,033
"We don't like John,
and we don't like Jesus."

754
00:35:44,042 --> 00:35:45,083
Why?

755
00:35:45,088 --> 00:35:47,067
"One eats bread, one doesn't.

756
00:35:47,075 --> 00:35:48,092
"One drinks wine, one doesn't.

757
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,017
We don't like either of them."

758
00:35:52,021 --> 00:35:54,025
And this is how critics are.

759
00:35:54,033 --> 00:35:56,079
A critic is someone who takes
upon themselves the disposition

760
00:35:56,083 --> 00:36:00,017
of defining themselves by
who or what they're against.

761
00:36:00,025 --> 00:36:01,033
That's it.

762
00:36:01,038 --> 00:36:03,050
All you know is who or
what they're against,

763
00:36:03,054 --> 00:36:07,008
not who or what they are for.

764
00:36:07,017 --> 00:36:08,088
And they're not
pointing out real sin,

765
00:36:08,096 --> 00:36:13,083
critics will sometimes make
wildly outlandish claims.

766
00:36:13,088 --> 00:36:17,017
And be careful,
Mars Hill, be careful.

767
00:36:17,021 --> 00:36:22,058
Number one, that we are not
a church known as the critics.

768
00:36:22,067 --> 00:36:24,083
See, there is a difference
between calling someone

769
00:36:24,088 --> 00:36:28,046
to repentance, which is
what John did nobly,

770
00:36:28,050 --> 00:36:33,071
and falsely accusing people
of things that are not true.

771
00:36:33,079 --> 00:36:39,000
See, here with John,
they say, "He has a demon."

772
00:36:39,008 --> 00:36:43,075
That's a horrible
false allegation.

773
00:36:43,083 --> 00:36:45,008
Some of you would say,

774
00:36:45,017 --> 00:36:47,071
"Yeah, but the truth
is always in the middle.

775
00:36:47,079 --> 00:36:49,050
"'Cause someone says really
bad things about someone,

776
00:36:49,054 --> 00:36:50,067
"someone says really good
things.

777
00:36:50,075 --> 00:36:52,004
The truth is always
in the middle."

778
00:36:52,012 --> 00:36:53,096
It's not always in the middle.

779
00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,012
The critics say John
is demon possessed.

780
00:36:56,017 --> 00:36:58,058
Jesus says he's the greatest
man who's ever lived.

781
00:36:58,067 --> 00:37:01,004
The truth is not
somewhere in the middle.

782
00:37:01,012 --> 00:37:02,071
The truth is John
is a godly man,

783
00:37:02,079 --> 00:37:07,025
not perfect, but by the grace
of God, a remarkable man,

784
00:37:07,033 --> 00:37:10,050
a great man.

785
00:37:10,058 --> 00:37:13,088
You and I, as Mars Hill Church,
have this big opportunity,

786
00:37:13,096 --> 00:37:16,054
because of the voice and
platform that God has given us,

787
00:37:16,062 --> 00:37:18,079
and this begins
with me, to yeah,

788
00:37:18,083 --> 00:37:20,050
to do a bit of what John did,
and to call people,

789
00:37:20,054 --> 00:37:24,050
beginning with ourselves,
to repentance of sin.

790
00:37:24,054 --> 00:37:29,021
But not to falsely accuse people
of things that are not true,

791
00:37:29,029 --> 00:37:31,050
not to have conjecture,
and speculation,

792
00:37:31,058 --> 00:37:34,008
and busybodying,
and gossiping.

793
00:37:34,017 --> 00:37:36,017
Not taking bits
and pieces of information,

794
00:37:36,025 --> 00:37:39,033
and building a case to attack
someone without checking

795
00:37:39,038 --> 00:37:42,062
the other side
of the story to confirm it.

796
00:37:42,067 --> 00:37:46,050
See, in that day, had some
people run with this lie,

797
00:37:46,054 --> 00:37:48,083
which is what it was of John,
that he was demon possessed,

798
00:37:48,088 --> 00:37:50,029
they would have started
blogging, Facebooking,

799
00:37:50,033 --> 00:37:51,042
Twittering.

800
00:37:51,050 --> 00:37:52,079
There would have been
a media campaign.

801
00:37:52,083 --> 00:37:54,004
The whole thing
would have blown up,

802
00:37:54,012 --> 00:37:56,046
and they should have went and
checked with Jesus, and said,

803
00:37:56,050 --> 00:37:58,088
"Okay Jesus, we've heard
these things about John."

804
00:37:58,096 --> 00:38:00,071
Jesus says, "Greatest
man who's ever lived."

805
00:38:00,079 --> 00:38:04,000
"Wow, that's a really
different take on John.

806
00:38:04,004 --> 00:38:07,017
"Glad we didn't run with
the smear campaign.

807
00:38:07,021 --> 00:38:09,067
Glad we double-checked
the facts."

808
00:38:09,075 --> 00:38:11,046
Don't believe
everything you hear.

809
00:38:11,050 --> 00:38:12,096
Don't believe
everything you read.

810
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:17,033
Don't believe
everything you think.

811
00:38:17,042 --> 00:38:19,012
Check the facts.

812
00:38:19,017 --> 00:38:21,000
And if there really
is sin or heresy,

813
00:38:21,008 --> 00:38:23,071
calling to repentance
is a good thing.

814
00:38:23,079 --> 00:38:26,096
But if there's not,
don't be a liar,

815
00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,038
and don't bear false witness.

816
00:38:29,046 --> 00:38:32,050
We have commandments against
these sorts of things.

817
00:38:32,058 --> 00:38:37,083
It's a big deal, and in the
age of media, if it is true,

818
00:38:37,088 --> 00:38:40,033
as Jesus said, that we will be
held accountable for every word

819
00:38:40,038 --> 00:38:45,075
that we utter, we're
all in grave danger.

820
00:38:45,083 --> 00:38:48,083
We don't want to falsely
accuse people in general,

821
00:38:48,088 --> 00:38:51,025
and spiritual
leaders in particular.

822
00:38:51,033 --> 00:38:53,067
And that's exactly what's
happening with John.

823
00:38:53,071 --> 00:38:55,042
And the sad thing for me,
and this really is

824
00:38:55,050 --> 00:38:57,054
emotionally grievous for me.

825
00:38:57,062 --> 00:39:00,012
Matthew's Gospel adds the caveat
that at this point

826
00:39:00,017 --> 00:39:02,058
in John's ministry,
he's in prison.

827
00:39:02,067 --> 00:39:07,000
He can't come out and preach
and meet, and, you know,

828
00:39:07,004 --> 00:39:09,079
correct the critics.

829
00:39:09,083 --> 00:39:11,021
He's in prison.

830
00:39:11,029 --> 00:39:13,062
He's defenseless.

831
00:39:13,067 --> 00:39:16,033
Have you wrongly
criticized someone?

832
00:39:16,038 --> 00:39:19,033
Have you put yourself in that
position of critic to where

833
00:39:19,042 --> 00:39:22,012
you're defining yourself by who
or what you're against

834
00:39:22,017 --> 00:39:24,033
rather than for?

835
00:39:24,038 --> 00:39:26,017
Are you that person who
takes bits of information,

836
00:39:26,021 --> 00:39:29,067
and enables the worst
kind of self-righteous

837
00:39:29,071 --> 00:39:34,071
and religious people, even
if they've been offended?

838
00:39:34,079 --> 00:39:36,083
I've been criticized a lot.

839
00:39:36,092 --> 00:39:40,067
Some of it, quite frankly,
is totally deserved.

840
00:39:40,071 --> 00:39:46,017
I want to do a bit
of pastoral counseling,

841
00:39:46,021 --> 00:39:48,058
just for a moment
if you'd be so kind.

842
00:39:48,067 --> 00:39:50,075
And this is not directly
taken from the text,

843
00:39:50,083 --> 00:39:54,004
but it's what I've
seen in my own life.

844
00:39:54,012 --> 00:39:56,088
And I offer it to you that there
are different kinds of critics,

845
00:39:56,096 --> 00:39:59,075
and different kinds
of critics, I think,

846
00:39:59,083 --> 00:40:02,012
require different
kinds responses.

847
00:40:02,017 --> 00:40:03,067
And in this, I would give you

848
00:40:03,075 --> 00:40:05,017
the words of Billy Graham
as well.

849
00:40:05,021 --> 00:40:06,096
In the book "Leadership
Secrets of Billy Graham,"

850
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:08,083
they came to Billy,
who is a hero of mine,

851
00:40:08,088 --> 00:40:11,029
and a wonderful man
who I really appreciate.

852
00:40:11,033 --> 00:40:14,071
And I can't imagine the kind of
suffering that he endured

853
00:40:14,079 --> 00:40:16,050
from the critics.

854
00:40:16,054 --> 00:40:19,042
And he said that we should
turn our critics into coaches,

855
00:40:19,050 --> 00:40:21,000
that even if their
information is erroneous,

856
00:40:21,008 --> 00:40:24,075
and their motives are
dubious, that ultimately,

857
00:40:24,083 --> 00:40:27,067
we can take those criticisms,
see if there is any truth in

858
00:40:27,075 --> 00:40:31,033
them that might make us more
like Jesus and better servants

859
00:40:31,038 --> 00:40:34,033
of his cause, and to turn
our critics into coaches.

860
00:40:34,038 --> 00:40:35,050
And I appreciate that.

861
00:40:35,054 --> 00:40:37,033
That's a wise word.

862
00:40:37,038 --> 00:40:41,046
But as I've investigated
and endured,

863
00:40:41,050 --> 00:40:44,042
I've seen six kinds of critics,
and I'm sure there are more.

864
00:40:44,050 --> 00:40:45,088
And some of you would
say, "Oh, I know more,"

865
00:40:45,096 --> 00:40:47,000
and you would
criticize my list.

866
00:40:47,004 --> 00:40:50,071
And you can certainly do that,

867
00:40:50,079 --> 00:40:53,058
and we'll add you
as number seven.

868
00:40:53,067 --> 00:40:56,050
Number one, there are
theological critics.

869
00:40:56,058 --> 00:40:58,071
These are people who just
really disagree with you.

870
00:40:58,079 --> 00:41:01,038
And I would say this, don't
just rush to some crazy,

871
00:41:01,046 --> 00:41:04,083
theological opinion, but if
you've carefully and prayerfully

872
00:41:04,088 --> 00:41:07,004
studied your Bible, you've
checked with Christian scholars,

873
00:41:07,012 --> 00:41:08,083
you've run it by
spiritual authority,

874
00:41:08,088 --> 00:41:11,054
you've investigated it through
church history, you say,

875
00:41:11,062 --> 00:41:12,083
"You know what?
The Bible's true.

876
00:41:12,088 --> 00:41:14,042
"I'm a sinner,
Jesus is God.

877
00:41:14,050 --> 00:41:17,071
"There's only one way to
salvation, hell is real,

878
00:41:17,079 --> 00:41:19,033
"heaven is real.

879
00:41:19,038 --> 00:41:21,033
This is what I believe."

880
00:41:21,038 --> 00:41:22,042
You know what?

881
00:41:22,050 --> 00:41:25,017
The Mormons are not
gonna agree with you.

882
00:41:25,025 --> 00:41:27,046
The Jehovah's Witnesses are
not gonna agree with you.

883
00:41:27,050 --> 00:41:29,092
The Orthodox Jews are
not gonna agree with you.

884
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:32,017
The Atheists are not
gonna agree with you.

885
00:41:32,025 --> 00:41:34,083
The vague general spiritualists
and the yoga-ites are not

886
00:41:34,088 --> 00:41:36,083
going to agree with you.

887
00:41:36,088 --> 00:41:38,088
And the Muslims are not
going to agree with you,

888
00:41:38,096 --> 00:41:41,000
and the list goes on and on.

889
00:41:41,008 --> 00:41:43,067
When you meet with them, they
may push you or criticize you,

890
00:41:43,071 --> 00:41:46,017
and they may be family,
friends, coworkers.

891
00:41:46,021 --> 00:41:48,071
There are people in this church
who have converted to Jesus,

892
00:41:48,079 --> 00:41:50,029
whose family has rejected them.

893
00:41:50,033 --> 00:41:54,054
Some have actually told them,
"We now consider you dead."

894
00:41:54,062 --> 00:41:58,004
It can be very painful to be
criticized from those you love

895
00:41:58,012 --> 00:42:00,058
and have sincere affection for.

896
00:42:00,067 --> 00:42:01,079
What do you do?

897
00:42:01,083 --> 00:42:03,033
You have to accept it.

898
00:42:03,038 --> 00:42:06,033
If the only way for us to have
peace is for me to deny Christ,

899
00:42:06,042 --> 00:42:09,029
then I will live
with the awkwardness.

900
00:42:09,033 --> 00:42:11,029
I'll accept it.

901
00:42:11,033 --> 00:42:13,017
You should do so
humbly, not bitterly,

902
00:42:13,025 --> 00:42:15,088
but you've gotta live with it.

903
00:42:15,096 --> 00:42:18,079
Number two, there is
jealousy of success critics,

904
00:42:18,083 --> 00:42:22,058
and that is that your
life is going better,

905
00:42:22,067 --> 00:42:24,071
in their estimation,
than theirs.

906
00:42:24,079 --> 00:42:27,021
God healed you,
he didn't heal them.

907
00:42:27,029 --> 00:42:29,004
God gave you a job.

908
00:42:29,012 --> 00:42:30,017
They're still unemployed.

909
00:42:30,025 --> 00:42:31,038
God gave you a promotion.

910
00:42:31,046 --> 00:42:35,071
They got a demotion.

911
00:42:35,079 --> 00:42:38,079
You are married,
and they're single, or reverse.

912
00:42:38,083 --> 00:42:40,025
You're married,
and they're single.

913
00:42:40,033 --> 00:42:41,088
Either way, you're jealous.

914
00:42:41,096 --> 00:42:43,079
You'll get that on the way home.

915
00:42:43,083 --> 00:42:47,000
That was funny.

916
00:42:47,008 --> 00:42:50,017
You want to have children,
but you're infertile,

917
00:42:50,025 --> 00:42:55,054
and someone that you know
has children, jealousy.

918
00:42:55,062 --> 00:42:57,025
You want to be in
leadership and ministry,

919
00:42:57,033 --> 00:43:00,062
and you didn't get that
opportunity, someone else did.

920
00:43:00,067 --> 00:43:02,012
It's jealousy of success.

921
00:43:02,017 --> 00:43:05,004
They didn't sin against
you, they just succeeded,

922
00:43:05,012 --> 00:43:06,075
and you were jealous.

923
00:43:06,083 --> 00:43:07,088
What do you do with
people like that?

924
00:43:07,096 --> 00:43:11,033
Well, not to accept
or enable their sin,

925
00:43:11,042 --> 00:43:14,000
but my counsel is to serve them.

926
00:43:14,008 --> 00:43:15,004
Maybe they're hurting.

927
00:43:15,012 --> 00:43:16,012
Maybe they're suffering.

928
00:43:16,017 --> 00:43:17,067
Maybe they're struggling.

929
00:43:17,071 --> 00:43:21,046
And maybe they've taken and made
the matter personal with you.

930
00:43:21,050 --> 00:43:24,062
And it really doesn't have
anything to do with you.

931
00:43:24,067 --> 00:43:26,017
So you serve them,
and you love them.

932
00:43:26,025 --> 00:43:28,017
"I'm sorry, you're going
through a hard time.

933
00:43:28,025 --> 00:43:29,083
"Is there anything I
can do to serve you?

934
00:43:29,092 --> 00:43:30,096
"I do love you.

935
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:32,058
"I want good for you.

936
00:43:32,067 --> 00:43:35,079
Is there anything I can do
to be a good friend to you?"

937
00:43:35,083 --> 00:43:38,025
And it disarms them, and it
forces them to work it through

938
00:43:38,033 --> 00:43:42,029
with God, and no longer
project that on you.

939
00:43:42,033 --> 00:43:44,062
Number three, there are
those who are misinformed.

940
00:43:44,067 --> 00:43:46,079
And what you try to do
with them is inform them.

941
00:43:46,083 --> 00:43:47,092
These are people who will say,

942
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,000
"I don't like you because
you said or did this."

943
00:43:50,008 --> 00:43:51,088
And you can say,
"If I said or did that,

944
00:43:51,096 --> 00:43:54,092
"that would be absolutely right,
but the truth is that's not

945
00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:56,079
"what I said or did.

946
00:43:56,083 --> 00:43:58,083
"You have wrong information.

947
00:43:58,092 --> 00:44:01,008
"Let me clarify.

948
00:44:01,017 --> 00:44:02,071
Let me tell you the truth."

949
00:44:02,079 --> 00:44:07,038
This is not excuse making
or lying; this is clarifying.

950
00:44:07,046 --> 00:44:09,058
Just tell them the truth.

951
00:44:09,067 --> 00:44:12,042
Number four, sometimes
it's personal dislike.

952
00:44:12,050 --> 00:44:17,017
This is not issues of sin,
these are issues of style.

953
00:44:17,025 --> 00:44:18,067
They don't like
the way you dress.

954
00:44:18,075 --> 00:44:21,025
They don't like your attitude.

955
00:44:21,033 --> 00:44:23,004
They don't like
your sense of humor.

956
00:44:23,012 --> 00:44:24,025
They don't like your hobbies.

957
00:44:24,033 --> 00:44:25,088
Not that any
of those things are sinful.

958
00:44:25,096 --> 00:44:28,067
Religious people have a very
difficult time distinguishing

959
00:44:28,075 --> 00:44:31,017
between sin and style.

960
00:44:31,025 --> 00:44:33,008
"So your style's
different than mine,

961
00:44:33,017 --> 00:44:36,067
"you're wicked
'cause I am godly.

962
00:44:36,071 --> 00:44:40,096
All right, not that Christ
is the model, I am."

963
00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:43,071
What do you do
with those people?

964
00:44:43,079 --> 00:44:46,071
I get this all the time.

965
00:44:46,079 --> 00:44:48,083
You either accommodate them,
"Okay, I love you, Grandpa.

966
00:44:48,088 --> 00:44:50,033
"When I'm with you, I know
you don't want to look

967
00:44:50,038 --> 00:44:51,033
"at the mohawk.

968
00:44:51,042 --> 00:44:52,058
"I'll wear a hat.

969
00:44:52,067 --> 00:44:55,058
"Okay?
All right?

970
00:44:55,067 --> 00:44:57,021
"I know, Grandma, you
don't like the tattoo,

971
00:44:57,029 --> 00:44:59,008
"but it is a verse about Jesus.

972
00:44:59,017 --> 00:45:01,042
"So I'll wear long sleeves
when I hang out with you.

973
00:45:01,050 --> 00:45:04,033
I'll try to I accommodate
you, 'cause I love you."

974
00:45:04,038 --> 00:45:06,038
Or you could just ignore
them and say, "I love you.

975
00:45:06,046 --> 00:45:07,096
"We're not gonna
ride a tandem bike.

976
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:09,083
"We're not gonna be BFF.

977
00:45:09,088 --> 00:45:12,096
"It's just not gonna go well.

978
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:17,067
It's just not."

979
00:45:17,075 --> 00:45:21,067
Personal dislike.

980
00:45:21,075 --> 00:45:26,058
This is part of the issue that
Jesus has with the Pharisees.

981
00:45:26,067 --> 00:45:28,075
We'll get to that in a moment.

982
00:45:28,083 --> 00:45:30,012
There's also legitimate sin.

983
00:45:30,017 --> 00:45:32,038
This is where you have a sin
that you've committed,

984
00:45:32,046 --> 00:45:33,046
or you made a mistake.

985
00:45:33,050 --> 00:45:34,054
You blew it.

986
00:45:34,062 --> 00:45:35,054
You know what you do?

987
00:45:35,062 --> 00:45:37,000
You repent, you own it.

988
00:45:37,004 --> 00:45:39,008
"You're right, I'm wrong.

989
00:45:39,017 --> 00:45:40,012
"That was out of line.

990
00:45:40,017 --> 00:45:41,029
"I gotta make this right.

991
00:45:41,033 --> 00:45:42,075
"I'm asking your forgiveness.

992
00:45:42,083 --> 00:45:44,008
"Jesus died.

993
00:45:44,017 --> 00:45:45,058
"That's how bad this was.

994
00:45:45,067 --> 00:45:47,050
I'm sorry."

995
00:45:47,058 --> 00:45:48,050
It's totally disarming.

996
00:45:48,054 --> 00:45:51,054
You may have to do CPR on
someone after you just repent.

997
00:45:51,062 --> 00:45:54,012
They don't see it coming.

998
00:45:54,017 --> 00:45:56,067
And number six, there is take
up offense for another person.

999
00:45:56,075 --> 00:45:59,012
There is where person A
and person B have a conflict,

1000
00:45:59,017 --> 00:46:03,012
and person C gets involved.

1001
00:46:03,017 --> 00:46:05,050
We call that meddling.

1002
00:46:05,054 --> 00:46:08,038
We call that busybodying.

1003
00:46:08,046 --> 00:46:11,067
I call that annoying.

1004
00:46:11,075 --> 00:46:13,042
People are trying to
resolve something,

1005
00:46:13,050 --> 00:46:15,092
and let's say person A
and person B

1006
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:17,008
in some sort of conflict.

1007
00:46:17,017 --> 00:46:20,000
It may be a sin, or an offense,
or transgression was committed,

1008
00:46:20,008 --> 00:46:23,079
but person B goes
and talks to person C.

1009
00:46:23,083 --> 00:46:26,000
And now we call
this triangulation.

1010
00:46:26,008 --> 00:46:28,017
We get person C involved.

1011
00:46:28,025 --> 00:46:32,008
And sometimes person
C isn't a mediator,

1012
00:46:32,017 --> 00:46:35,004
they're a complicater.

1013
00:46:35,012 --> 00:46:36,033
Like we got a letter recently.

1014
00:46:36,042 --> 00:46:38,017
There's an issue we're dealing
with, and it's like,

1015
00:46:38,025 --> 00:46:40,050
someone sent a letter,
"We demand this, we demand that.

1016
00:46:40,058 --> 00:46:41,083
"I demand this, I demand that.

1017
00:46:41,088 --> 00:46:42,079
"I'm getting in the middle.

1018
00:46:42,083 --> 00:46:43,088
Dada, dada, dada, da."

1019
00:46:43,096 --> 00:46:45,046
I read the letter,
I'm like, "Who is this?

1020
00:46:45,050 --> 00:46:47,092
I don't even know who this is."

1021
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:51,012
So we call, "Who are you?"

1022
00:46:51,017 --> 00:46:52,042
"I am now in the middle."

1023
00:46:52,050 --> 00:46:53,025
Really?

1024
00:46:53,033 --> 00:46:54,050
That's where all
the bullets are flying.

1025
00:46:54,058 --> 00:46:55,096
You sure you want to be there?

1026
00:46:56,000 --> 00:46:57,042
I mean, I think
it's a good idea.

1027
00:46:57,050 --> 00:46:59,092
Maybe you should
stay there, you know?

1028
00:47:00,004 --> 00:47:01,046
Why do you need to
get in the middle?

1029
00:47:01,050 --> 00:47:03,033
"Because I have made myself

1030
00:47:03,038 --> 00:47:06,033
"the 'take up offense for
another person' superhero,

1031
00:47:06,042 --> 00:47:07,083
"and I have a cape that says

1032
00:47:07,088 --> 00:47:09,050
"'take up offense
for another person,'

1033
00:47:09,054 --> 00:47:12,012
and I fly
in to resolve the conflict."

1034
00:47:12,017 --> 00:47:14,017
And all of a sudden they align
with someone and they're like

1035
00:47:14,025 --> 00:47:18,054
two barrels on a gun, and you
gotta deal with both of them.

1036
00:47:18,062 --> 00:47:19,092
You get out of this.

1037
00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:21,096
This doesn't even affect you.

1038
00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:24,083
What is this, junior high?

1039
00:47:24,092 --> 00:47:27,017
"Sally's really unhappy,
now we're really unhappy.

1040
00:47:27,025 --> 00:47:29,000
"There's a whole bunch
of us really unhappy.

1041
00:47:29,004 --> 00:47:32,083
We've created a Facebook
group about it."

1042
00:47:32,088 --> 00:47:34,042
Really?

1043
00:47:34,050 --> 00:47:36,029
Let A and B deal with it.

1044
00:47:36,033 --> 00:47:38,000
Get person C out.

1045
00:47:38,004 --> 00:47:40,025
And some of you people who are
real priestly and pastoral,

1046
00:47:40,033 --> 00:47:43,062
you will think, "Ah-ha,
I'm going to help.

1047
00:47:43,067 --> 00:47:45,012
I'm going to be merciful."

1048
00:47:45,017 --> 00:47:47,033
And what you mean is,
"I'm going to be meddling,

1049
00:47:47,042 --> 00:47:49,050
I'm going to be enabling."

1050
00:47:49,054 --> 00:47:51,058
It's take up offense
for another person.

1051
00:47:51,067 --> 00:47:52,083
You rebuke those people.

1052
00:47:52,092 --> 00:47:54,050
You're not helping.

1053
00:47:54,058 --> 00:47:59,021
You're not mediating,
you are meddling.

1054
00:47:59,029 --> 00:48:00,054
Get out.

1055
00:48:00,062 --> 00:48:03,071
Now, back to the story, John is
being criticized, I think,

1056
00:48:03,079 --> 00:48:05,083
for five of six reasons.

1057
00:48:05,088 --> 00:48:13,054
What he's not being criticized
for, rather, is this,

1058
00:48:13,062 --> 00:48:16,075
number five, he didn't--
he's not sinless,

1059
00:48:16,083 --> 00:48:18,050
but he didn't do anything.

1060
00:48:18,054 --> 00:48:19,067
But you know what?

1061
00:48:19,075 --> 00:48:21,033
There are theological
differences.

1062
00:48:21,038 --> 00:48:23,050
He tells the religious
people, "You're sinners."

1063
00:48:23,058 --> 00:48:24,092
They say, "No, we're not."

1064
00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:28,029
Number two, his ministry's
growing, theirs is not.

1065
00:48:28,033 --> 00:48:30,038
I think there's some jealousy.

1066
00:48:30,046 --> 00:48:33,004
Misinformed, "We heard
he's demon possessed."

1067
00:48:33,012 --> 00:48:36,017
He's not, go check with Jesus.

1068
00:48:36,021 --> 00:48:37,062
Number four, personal dislike.

1069
00:48:37,067 --> 00:48:41,067
He wears camel-hair clothing.

1070
00:48:41,071 --> 00:48:43,012
He lives in the woods.

1071
00:48:43,017 --> 00:48:46,083
He eats bugs and honey,
and he yells at people.

1072
00:48:46,092 --> 00:48:51,096
That is a different style.

1073
00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:53,029
"We don't like his wardrobe.

1074
00:48:53,033 --> 00:48:55,004
"We don't like his hygiene.

1075
00:48:55,012 --> 00:48:57,033
"We don't like his diet,
and we don't like the fact

1076
00:48:57,042 --> 00:48:59,033
"that he yells at us.

1077
00:48:59,042 --> 00:49:04,050
Just walks out of the woods,
just like a crazy guy."

1078
00:49:04,054 --> 00:49:05,067
"Repent!"

1079
00:49:05,075 --> 00:49:09,067
I see him with a big Afro,
and bugs in his teeth.

1080
00:49:09,071 --> 00:49:11,083
And all these guys in robes who
went to grad school are like,

1081
00:49:11,092 --> 00:49:13,083
"He has emotional woundedness."

1082
00:49:13,092 --> 00:49:16,025
No, he's just upset.

1083
00:49:16,033 --> 00:49:18,067
He doesn't like you.

1084
00:49:18,071 --> 00:49:21,079
And number six, take up
offense for another person.

1085
00:49:21,083 --> 00:49:23,079
I am assuming that there
were people that he

1086
00:49:23,083 --> 00:49:26,000
called to repentance,
and they didn't like it,

1087
00:49:26,008 --> 00:49:28,033
so they went and got their
scholar, and their teacher,

1088
00:49:28,042 --> 00:49:31,004
and their counselor, and their
rabbi, and their friends,

1089
00:49:31,012 --> 00:49:33,021
and their family, and their
team, and their tribe.

1090
00:49:33,029 --> 00:49:36,083
And everybody gets involved,
and it's a big mess.

1091
00:49:36,088 --> 00:49:39,012
And that's gonna happen with
Herod's family later,

1092
00:49:39,017 --> 00:49:42,029
which leads to the beheading
of John.

1093
00:49:42,033 --> 00:49:46,083
If you are a Christian,
you will endure criticism.

1094
00:49:46,088 --> 00:49:50,079
And the more you're willing
to come out of the closet

1095
00:49:50,083 --> 00:49:53,083
with your faith in Christ,

1096
00:49:53,092 --> 00:49:56,062
not in a Ned Flanders
uber-annoying way.

1097
00:49:56,067 --> 00:49:57,096
Just say,
"Yeah, I'm a Christian.

1098
00:49:58,000 --> 00:49:59,000
"I love Jesus.

1099
00:49:59,004 --> 00:50:00,033
"I believe the Bible.

1100
00:50:00,042 --> 00:50:03,004
"Whack me like a piñata,
I know how this is gonna go,

1101
00:50:03,012 --> 00:50:05,000
but that's where I'm at."

1102
00:50:05,008 --> 00:50:06,067
You will be criticized.

1103
00:50:06,071 --> 00:50:08,004
Family, friends,
coworkers, neighbors,

1104
00:50:08,012 --> 00:50:12,000
even complete strangers,
everyone will give their opinion

1105
00:50:12,008 --> 00:50:15,092
of you, your beliefs, and
Christianity, and our church,

1106
00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:17,046
and Christian history.

1107
00:50:17,050 --> 00:50:18,058
And you've gotta examine,

1108
00:50:18,067 --> 00:50:20,050
"How can I turn these critics
into coaches?

1109
00:50:20,058 --> 00:50:24,038
"How, like John, can I endure
criticism and critics,

1110
00:50:24,046 --> 00:50:30,012
"and is there a way to respond
depending upon the kind

1111
00:50:30,017 --> 00:50:32,017
of criticism I am facing?"

1112
00:50:32,025 --> 00:50:34,092
And what Jesus is saying here
is that those who are criticized

1113
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,000
are in good company, 'cause
we're not only in good company

1114
00:50:37,008 --> 00:50:39,029
with John, we're in good
company with Jesus.

1115
00:50:39,033 --> 00:50:44,004
Jesus tells us here that he
suffered criticism as well.

1116
00:50:44,012 --> 00:50:47,054
Let's go back to that previous
slide, the Scriptures.

1117
00:50:47,062 --> 00:50:49,025
Here's the criticism.

1118
00:50:49,033 --> 00:50:50,088
"John the Baptist has come
eating no bread, drinking

1119
00:50:50,096 --> 00:50:53,017
"no wine, you say,
'He has a demon.'

1120
00:50:53,021 --> 00:50:54,046
The Son of Man,"
that is Jesus,

1121
00:50:54,050 --> 00:50:56,067
"Has come eating and drinking,
and you say, 'Look at him!

1122
00:50:56,075 --> 00:50:58,050
"'A glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors

1123
00:50:58,058 --> 00:51:00,050
and sinners!'"

1124
00:51:00,054 --> 00:51:02,004
Here's what they say,
"John's too dark.

1125
00:51:02,012 --> 00:51:03,017
"Jesus is too light.

1126
00:51:03,025 --> 00:51:04,058
"John's too much
of an introvert.

1127
00:51:04,067 --> 00:51:06,083
"Jesus is too much
of an extrovert.

1128
00:51:06,092 --> 00:51:09,000
"John is too melancholy.

1129
00:51:09,008 --> 00:51:11,062
"Jesus is too happy.

1130
00:51:11,067 --> 00:51:17,029
John is too much of a loner, and
Jesus goes to too many parties."

1131
00:51:17,033 --> 00:51:21,079
See, John and Jesus, they have
the same mission, and ministry,

1132
00:51:21,083 --> 00:51:25,004
and message, but they're
different men with different

1133
00:51:25,012 --> 00:51:27,025
personalities, and they're
operating by different

1134
00:51:27,033 --> 00:51:29,083
callings and convictions.

1135
00:51:29,088 --> 00:51:31,025
One drinks, one doesn't.

1136
00:51:31,033 --> 00:51:32,071
One eats bread, one doesn't.

1137
00:51:32,079 --> 00:51:36,050
They get along just
fine, like we should too.

1138
00:51:36,054 --> 00:51:39,008
Religious people criticize
them unnecessarily.

1139
00:51:39,017 --> 00:51:41,042
And I love
the criticism of Jesus.

1140
00:51:41,050 --> 00:51:43,033
"People like him."

1141
00:51:43,042 --> 00:51:48,033
That's the criticism.

1142
00:51:48,038 --> 00:51:51,008
See, that's religious people.

1143
00:51:51,017 --> 00:51:53,067
See, because Jesus keeps
getting invited to parties,

1144
00:51:53,075 --> 00:51:57,054
religious people never
have to worry about that.

1145
00:51:57,062 --> 00:52:01,021
Their evenings are all free.

1146
00:52:01,029 --> 00:52:03,000
The sinful people,
the tax collectors,

1147
00:52:03,008 --> 00:52:06,033
the people who had a bad
reputation, "Hey Jesus,

1148
00:52:06,042 --> 00:52:08,067
we're having a party, do you
want to come to our party?"

1149
00:52:08,071 --> 00:52:10,012
Jesus got invited--

1150
00:52:10,017 --> 00:52:12,025
This will blow your
religious mind--

1151
00:52:12,033 --> 00:52:15,096
Jesus got invited to a lot
of parties, and he went.

1152
00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:17,008
Did he get drunk?

1153
00:52:17,017 --> 00:52:18,033
No.

1154
00:52:18,042 --> 00:52:19,050
Was he a glutton?

1155
00:52:19,058 --> 00:52:20,083
No.

1156
00:52:20,088 --> 00:52:24,083
What they said was,
"Jesus knows gluttons

1157
00:52:24,088 --> 00:52:26,058
"so he must be a glutton.

1158
00:52:26,067 --> 00:52:28,092
Jesus knows drunkards,
he must be a drunkard."

1159
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:31,067
No, Jesus knows gluttons,
and Jesus knows gluttons,

1160
00:52:31,075 --> 00:52:36,054
and drunkards, and Jesus
has come as their savior,

1161
00:52:36,062 --> 00:52:38,083
not as their enabler.

1162
00:52:38,092 --> 00:52:42,050
He's not overeating
and overdrinking.

1163
00:52:42,058 --> 00:52:44,092
He's doing
the same thing John is.

1164
00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:47,033
He's bringing sinners
to repentance.

1165
00:52:47,042 --> 00:52:49,046
He's doing it in homes.

1166
00:52:49,050 --> 00:52:50,067
He's doing it in friendships.

1167
00:52:50,075 --> 00:52:52,000
He's doing it in community.

1168
00:52:52,004 --> 00:52:54,046
He's doing it in relationship.

1169
00:52:54,050 --> 00:52:58,038
That's why he keeps
getting invited to parties.

1170
00:52:58,046 --> 00:53:02,067
Jesus never sinned, but
he did have a good time.

1171
00:53:02,071 --> 00:53:03,075
It's true.

1172
00:53:03,083 --> 00:53:05,075
Jesus was the kind of
guy--I don't mean this in

1173
00:53:05,083 --> 00:53:10,000
a disrespectful, or in any way
denigrating way of Jesus,

1174
00:53:10,004 --> 00:53:13,054
but if you can see it, Jesus is
the kind of guy that some people

1175
00:53:13,062 --> 00:53:15,033
would come and say,
"Hey Jesus, we're all gonna eat

1176
00:53:15,042 --> 00:53:17,004
"chicken wings and throw darts
tonight.

1177
00:53:17,012 --> 00:53:19,083
Would you like to come
and hang out with the guys?"

1178
00:53:19,092 --> 00:53:21,096
Now, you probably
wouldn't do that

1179
00:53:22,000 --> 00:53:24,092
with a highly religious person
because number one,

1180
00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:27,062
you wouldn't want to be
with them.

1181
00:53:27,067 --> 00:53:29,004
Number two, they probably
wouldn't even know what to do

1182
00:53:29,012 --> 00:53:30,062
with a chicken wing.

1183
00:53:30,067 --> 00:53:32,092
And number three, they'd
probably throw the darts at you.

1184
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:35,050
All right, so you wouldn't want
to do that with a religious--

1185
00:53:35,058 --> 00:53:37,000
but with Jesus,
and Jesus would say,

1186
00:53:37,004 --> 00:53:39,017
"Yeah, I'll eat chicken wings,
and throw darts with you guys.

1187
00:53:39,021 --> 00:53:41,017
"And we're gonna
talk about life,

1188
00:53:41,025 --> 00:53:43,062
"and we're gonna get
into some things that matter,

1189
00:53:43,067 --> 00:53:47,017
'cause I love you,
and I'm here to save."

1190
00:53:47,021 --> 00:53:50,017
Religious people said, "Oh,
that's unacceptable behavior."

1191
00:53:50,025 --> 00:53:52,067
What the religious
people don't understand,

1192
00:53:52,071 --> 00:53:54,088
their sin is the worst of all.

1193
00:53:54,096 --> 00:53:58,050
Self-righteousness,
and smugness, and religion,

1194
00:53:58,054 --> 00:54:00,096
and self-righteous
judgmentalism,

1195
00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:03,021
and pride, hubris.

1196
00:54:03,029 --> 00:54:07,012
In fact, they're gonna murder
Jesus, and the tax collectors,

1197
00:54:07,017 --> 00:54:11,000
and the sinners, and the
perverts, they're gonna weep,

1198
00:54:11,008 --> 00:54:15,071
and mourn because someone who
loved them died

1199
00:54:15,079 --> 00:54:20,008
at the hands
of religious people.

1200
00:54:20,017 --> 00:54:21,062


1201
00:54:21,067 --> 00:54:25,033
Last aspect of John's greatness.

1202
00:54:25,042 --> 00:54:28,000
John was great because he was
filled with the Holy Spirit.

1203
00:54:28,008 --> 00:54:31,038
If at this point all I did
was told you, "John was great,

1204
00:54:31,046 --> 00:54:33,071
you can be great,
aspire to greatness,"

1205
00:54:33,079 --> 00:54:36,046
I would be nothing more
than a motivational speaker.

1206
00:54:36,050 --> 00:54:41,000
This would be a pep assembly,
and we wouldn't even need God.

1207
00:54:41,008 --> 00:54:44,038
But as we look at the story of
John in the context of Luke,

1208
00:54:44,046 --> 00:54:47,042
we go back to some statements
regarding him in his mother's

1209
00:54:47,050 --> 00:54:52,000
womb, and also some snapshots of
his early developing life

1210
00:54:52,004 --> 00:54:54,000
as a young man.

1211
00:54:54,004 --> 00:54:55,092
Luke 1:15,
the angel Gabriel said

1212
00:54:56,000 --> 00:54:59,058
"He," that is John, "will be
filled with the Holy Spirit,

1213
00:54:59,067 --> 00:55:01,012
even from his mother's womb."

1214
00:55:01,017 --> 00:55:04,075
And Luke 1:66 says, quote, "As
he was a young man and growing,

1215
00:55:04,083 --> 00:55:08,054
the hand of
the Lord was with him."

1216
00:55:08,062 --> 00:55:10,083
How did John live
his great life?

1217
00:55:10,088 --> 00:55:15,083
Not only do we want the ends
that John enjoyed, greatness,

1218
00:55:15,088 --> 00:55:19,058
we want the means
that John pursued.

1219
00:55:19,067 --> 00:55:21,058
Spirit-filled life.

1220
00:55:21,067 --> 00:55:23,092
What does that mean?

1221
00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:26,054
The Holy Spirit is not an it,

1222
00:55:26,062 --> 00:55:29,042
Jesus says
the Holy Spirit is he.

1223
00:55:29,050 --> 00:55:30,075
The Holy Spirit is God.

1224
00:55:30,083 --> 00:55:33,058
The Holy Spirit is the third
member of the Trinity.

1225
00:55:33,067 --> 00:55:36,021
The Holy Spirit inspired
the writing of Scripture,

1226
00:55:36,029 --> 00:55:39,088
but contrary to the
functional teaching of some,

1227
00:55:39,096 --> 00:55:42,079
the Trinity is not Father,
Son, and Holy Bible.

1228
00:55:42,083 --> 00:55:45,017
The Trinity is Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit

1229
00:55:45,025 --> 00:55:48,021
who writes the Bible,
to be sure.

1230
00:55:48,029 --> 00:55:52,083
But information, apart from
the Spirit, does not result

1231
00:55:52,088 --> 00:55:54,079
in transformation.

1232
00:55:54,083 --> 00:55:57,083
What the Spirit has
inspired to be written,

1233
00:55:57,088 --> 00:56:02,033
he must also awaken,
quicken in us.

1234
00:56:02,038 --> 00:56:06,042
And what the Holy Spirit does,
he takes the work of Jesus,

1235
00:56:06,050 --> 00:56:11,079
and applies it to us, so that
we can live the life of Jesus.

1236
00:56:11,083 --> 00:56:16,038
Or to say it another way,
or a better way, friends,

1237
00:56:16,046 --> 00:56:21,083
John's life is not
a life lived for God.

1238
00:56:21,088 --> 00:56:25,083
Your life is not to be
a life lived for God.

1239
00:56:25,092 --> 00:56:30,033
It's not about what you
or I or we do for God.

1240
00:56:30,042 --> 00:56:32,096
It is about what
God does for us.

1241
00:56:33,000 --> 00:56:37,075
It's about what God does for
us, that our God comes for us,

1242
00:56:37,083 --> 00:56:40,017
that our God lives
without sin for us,

1243
00:56:40,025 --> 00:56:43,000
that our God dies as
a substitute for us,

1244
00:56:43,008 --> 00:56:45,008
that our God rises for us.

1245
00:56:45,017 --> 00:56:46,096
It's what God does for us.

1246
00:56:47,000 --> 00:56:49,000
We call that justification.

1247
00:56:49,004 --> 00:56:50,083
We're given
the righteousness of God,

1248
00:56:50,092 --> 00:56:54,071
and we are declared righteous
and just in his sight.

1249
00:56:54,079 --> 00:56:57,017
It's also about
what God does in us.

1250
00:56:57,021 --> 00:56:58,083
This is regeneration.

1251
00:56:58,088 --> 00:57:01,083
He takes out our old nature,
gives us a new nature,

1252
00:57:01,092 --> 00:57:06,058
gives us the indwelling presence
and power of none other than God

1253
00:57:06,067 --> 00:57:11,000
the Holy Spirit, the same God
who empowered and enabled not

1254
00:57:11,008 --> 00:57:16,071
only the life of John, but the
perfect sinless life of Jesus.

1255
00:57:16,079 --> 00:57:18,096
And it's what God
does through us.

1256
00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:22,075
We call that sanctification
and new life, that the person

1257
00:57:22,083 --> 00:57:26,054
and work of Jesus for us, leads
to transformation in us,

1258
00:57:26,062 --> 00:57:33,067
and results in new life by God's
power to God's glory through us.

1259
00:57:33,075 --> 00:57:37,083
And so you cannot live a great
life in the eyes and estimation

1260
00:57:37,092 --> 00:57:42,029
of Jesus, apart from being
filled with the Holy Spirit.

1261
00:57:42,033 --> 00:57:47,038
And this is controlled,
led, empowered, made new,

1262
00:57:47,046 --> 00:57:53,000
to be someone you cannot be,
to live a life you cannot live.

1263
00:57:53,008 --> 00:57:54,079
I was mindful of this.

1264
00:57:54,083 --> 00:57:58,000
Not long ago, our family took
a spring break

1265
00:57:58,004 --> 00:58:00,033
down to Ocean Shores.

1266
00:58:00,042 --> 00:58:05,083
And it's the Northwest, so you
wear a parka, and gloves,

1267
00:58:05,092 --> 00:58:08,062
and a wool hat, and boots
to go to the beach.

1268
00:58:08,067 --> 00:58:13,088
And there were a few days
where the wind was very strong,

1269
00:58:13,096 --> 00:58:16,000
and we got some sun breaks,

1270
00:58:16,008 --> 00:58:18,083
so we went and bought kites
for the kids.

1271
00:58:18,092 --> 00:58:23,033
And when you first get the kite,
the kite is functionally dead.

1272
00:58:23,038 --> 00:58:25,046
This kite has no life.

1273
00:58:25,050 --> 00:58:26,058
It's going nowhere.

1274
00:58:26,067 --> 00:58:28,088
It's doing nothing.

1275
00:58:28,096 --> 00:58:32,017
So we got these big, cool kites,
and my 6-year-old daughter,

1276
00:58:32,025 --> 00:58:35,004
Alexie, was with the other kids,
but she seemed to be, perhaps,

1277
00:58:35,012 --> 00:58:37,033
the most excited
about this kite.

1278
00:58:37,038 --> 00:58:40,067
And she looks like Tinker Bell,
blond hair, blue eyes, big eyes.

1279
00:58:40,075 --> 00:58:42,038
And we're taking
the kite out of the box,

1280
00:58:42,046 --> 00:58:44,017
and she's just very excited.

1281
00:58:44,021 --> 00:58:46,000
"Dad, what's
the kite going to do?

1282
00:58:46,004 --> 00:58:47,033
What it gonna do?"

1283
00:58:47,042 --> 00:58:48,067
I don't know, we gotta
get it out of the box.

1284
00:58:48,075 --> 00:58:50,025
We gotta see what happens.

1285
00:58:50,033 --> 00:58:51,046
This is very exciting.

1286
00:58:51,050 --> 00:58:53,071
We get the kite out of the
box, put the kite together,

1287
00:58:53,079 --> 00:58:55,033
put it on the string.

1288
00:58:55,042 --> 00:58:56,050
And you know what
you need to do?

1289
00:58:56,054 --> 00:59:01,012
Let it go, so that kite can be
filled with the power of

1290
00:59:01,017 --> 00:59:05,050
the wind, and it will go
wherever the wind takes it,

1291
00:59:05,054 --> 00:59:11,067
and it'll soar as high
as the wind chooses.

1292
00:59:11,075 --> 00:59:13,008
And the language in
the New Testament,

1293
00:59:13,017 --> 00:59:15,042
"do not be drunk with wine,"
'cause everyone wants to be

1294
00:59:15,050 --> 00:59:20,050
filled with something: pride,
knowledge, security, comfort,

1295
00:59:20,054 --> 00:59:28,000
love, alcohol, drugs,
self-medication, food.

1296
00:59:28,004 --> 00:59:29,083
The Bible says, "Don't be
filled with those things.

1297
00:59:29,092 --> 00:59:31,012
"Don't be controlled,
and mastered,

1298
00:59:31,017 --> 00:59:32,071
"and governed by those things.

1299
00:59:32,079 --> 00:59:34,033
Be filled with the Holy Spirit."

1300
00:59:34,042 --> 00:59:37,083
Jesus tells Nicodemus that
the Holy Spirit is not a force,

1301
00:59:37,088 --> 00:59:40,017
he's a person,
but he's like the wind.

1302
00:59:40,021 --> 00:59:43,025
He just absolutely is
strong, and powerful,

1303
00:59:43,033 --> 00:59:46,000
and brings life to dead things,

1304
00:59:46,004 --> 00:59:50,033
and causes us to soar
by God's grace.

1305
00:59:50,042 --> 00:59:54,021
So we take the kite out of the
box, and put the string on it.

1306
00:59:54,029 --> 00:59:58,012
And I hold it, and boom,
the kite springs to life.

1307
00:59:58,017 --> 01:00:01,004
And it's dancing, and flying,
and the tail is waving.

1308
01:00:01,012 --> 01:00:04,025
And all of a sudden, this
kite's alive, and it's soaring.

1309
01:00:04,033 --> 01:00:06,000
And Alexie's looking at
me, "Daddy, what do I do?

1310
01:00:06,004 --> 01:00:07,000
What do I do?"

1311
01:00:07,004 --> 01:00:08,000
Let the string out.

1312
01:00:08,004 --> 01:00:10,092
Don't fight it.
Don't fight it.

1313
01:00:11,000 --> 01:00:12,017
Let go of the string, let it go.

1314
01:00:12,025 --> 01:00:15,050
She lets the kite go up,
up, up, up, it dances.

1315
01:00:15,054 --> 01:00:16,075
It's alive.

1316
01:00:16,083 --> 01:00:17,075
It's soaring.

1317
01:00:17,083 --> 01:00:19,033
The tail is jumping.

1318
01:00:19,038 --> 01:00:21,058
She is cheering and shouting.

1319
01:00:21,067 --> 01:00:23,038
And the whole time I'm
thinking of that movie, "Up"

1320
01:00:23,046 --> 01:00:24,062
and I'm like,
"Don't let her fly away.

1321
01:00:24,067 --> 01:00:27,029
Don't let her fly away.
Don't let her fly away."

1322
01:00:27,033 --> 01:00:28,071
And I told her, "Honey,
if it starts to take you

1323
01:00:28,079 --> 01:00:29,083
"off the ground, let go.

1324
01:00:29,088 --> 01:00:34,021
Daddy can totally
buy another kite."

1325
01:00:34,029 --> 01:00:35,075


1326
01:00:35,083 --> 01:00:38,000
And what happens is she gets it
all the way out

1327
01:00:38,008 --> 01:00:39,050
to the end of the string.

1328
01:00:39,054 --> 01:00:41,092
She doesn't control where
the kite goes, the wind does.

1329
01:00:42,000 --> 01:00:44,092
She doesn't make
the kite fly, the wind does.

1330
01:00:45,000 --> 01:00:47,071
She doesn't make it come to
life, the wind does that,

1331
01:00:47,079 --> 01:00:50,088
and the kite's filled with
the power of the wind.

1332
01:00:50,096 --> 01:00:52,096
And then I watched my
daughter, and I sat on a log,

1333
01:00:53,000 --> 01:00:54,012
and I just watched her.

1334
01:00:54,017 --> 01:00:57,000
I don't have a better
word than magical.

1335
01:00:57,004 --> 01:01:00,004
Any of you dads of daughters
with that great delight,

1336
01:01:00,012 --> 01:01:02,017
you know what I'm talking about.

1337
01:01:02,025 --> 01:01:05,000
I watched my little girl dance
with a kite, 'cause she's

1338
01:01:05,008 --> 01:01:08,062
a singing, dancing, happy gal.

1339
01:01:08,067 --> 01:01:10,054
And she's dancing with the kite.

1340
01:01:10,062 --> 01:01:12,092
And she's, "Whoop-a-doop-
a-doop-a-doop,"

1341
01:01:13,000 --> 01:01:14,079
she's singing
and dancing with the kite.

1342
01:01:14,083 --> 01:01:17,008
And I thought, "Oh,
thank you, Holy Spirit.

1343
01:01:17,017 --> 01:01:19,038
"That's a good picture for
me of what it means

1344
01:01:19,046 --> 01:01:22,046
to be Spirit-filled."

1345
01:01:22,050 --> 01:01:24,062
That our life, so many
of us because of sin,

1346
01:01:24,067 --> 01:01:26,071
is just in the box.

1347
01:01:26,079 --> 01:01:28,029
It's just dead.

1348
01:01:28,033 --> 01:01:30,067
There's no life.

1349
01:01:30,071 --> 01:01:32,000
And some of us are
negotiating with God.

1350
01:01:32,004 --> 01:01:35,046
"You know what, God, I'll take
my life out of the box if

1351
01:01:35,050 --> 01:01:39,071
"I get to decide where my
proverbial kite goes.

1352
01:01:39,079 --> 01:01:42,062
"You make me happy, you make
me healthy, you make me rich.

1353
01:01:42,067 --> 01:01:44,033
"I'll let the kite
out of the box.

1354
01:01:44,042 --> 01:01:47,062
"Other than that, I will grieve,
quench, resist the Holy Spirit.

1355
01:01:47,067 --> 01:01:49,046
"I'll keep my life in a box.

1356
01:01:49,050 --> 01:01:50,067
"I'm not flying my kite.

1357
01:01:50,075 --> 01:01:53,067
"I'm gonna be like the
parable of the spoiled brat.

1358
01:01:53,075 --> 01:01:58,004
"I'm just gonna sit there and
complain about kites in general,

1359
01:01:58,012 --> 01:02:05,004
and the wind in particular,
but I'm not flying my kite."

1360
01:02:05,012 --> 01:02:08,046
Faith is releasing,
relinquishing that which is

1361
01:02:08,050 --> 01:02:11,050
not your own, your life.

1362
01:02:11,058 --> 01:02:15,000
Saying, "God, I trust
you, make it alive.

1363
01:02:15,004 --> 01:02:16,071
"Fill it.

1364
01:02:16,079 --> 01:02:19,033
"Direct me wherever
you want me to go.

1365
01:02:19,038 --> 01:02:22,067
Cause me to be whomever
you want me to become."

1366
01:02:22,071 --> 01:02:25,038
And at this point if I was a
false teacher, I would tell ya,

1367
01:02:25,046 --> 01:02:28,004
"Because God wants you
to soar to new heights,

1368
01:02:28,012 --> 01:02:31,096
and be an absolutely great
victor like John!"

1369
01:02:32,000 --> 01:02:34,083
And I would forget to tell
you that he was in prison,

1370
01:02:34,088 --> 01:02:38,012
poor, and got his
head chopped off,

1371
01:02:38,017 --> 01:02:40,033
and that was the greatest
Spirit-filled life

1372
01:02:40,038 --> 01:02:43,092
of any mere mortal.

1373
01:02:44,000 --> 01:02:46,083
Are you willing to be
who God wants you to be?

1374
01:02:46,092 --> 01:02:49,046
Are you willing to go
where God wants you to go?

1375
01:02:49,050 --> 01:02:54,096
Are you willing to suffer
what God wants you to suffer?

1376
01:02:55,000 --> 01:02:57,079
John is the greatest
man who ever lived.

1377
01:02:57,083 --> 01:03:01,029
Wasn't rich, wasn't powerful.

1378
01:03:01,033 --> 01:03:02,092
Didn't live long.

1379
01:03:03,000 --> 01:03:09,012
His reputation was destroyed,
and his body was beheaded.

1380
01:03:09,017 --> 01:03:13,012
Oh, but what a good ride it was.

1381
01:03:13,017 --> 01:03:16,050
What a great kite John was.

1382
01:03:16,054 --> 01:03:21,050
He flew high, he flew strong.

1383
01:03:21,058 --> 01:03:26,021
That's such a better life
than a life

1384
01:03:26,029 --> 01:03:29,033
that never gets out of the box.

1385
01:03:29,038 --> 01:03:31,075
I'll close with something that
I don't even know what it means,

1386
01:03:31,083 --> 01:03:34,083
but I give it to
you to meditate on.

1387
01:03:34,088 --> 01:03:38,000
Jesus says, "Yet the one who is
least in the kingdom of God is

1388
01:03:38,008 --> 01:03:40,000
greater than he."

1389
01:03:40,008 --> 01:03:41,017
I read all the commentators.

1390
01:03:41,021 --> 01:03:44,000
They don't know what
it means either.

1391
01:03:44,004 --> 01:03:45,092
They use big words.

1392
01:03:46,000 --> 01:03:51,017
That's what commentators do when
they don't know what it means.

1393
01:03:51,025 --> 01:03:54,067
It's not clear, but it's
compelling, that John had not

1394
01:03:54,075 --> 01:03:57,062
yet seen Jesus die, had not
yet seen Jesus rise,

1395
01:03:57,067 --> 01:04:00,008
had not yet seen
the Holy Spirit poured out

1396
01:04:00,017 --> 01:04:02,017
on the day of Pentecost.

1397
01:04:02,025 --> 01:04:05,029
And the least in the kingdom of
God by the grace of God

1398
01:04:05,033 --> 01:04:08,046
and the power of the Holy Spirit
is greater than John.

1399
01:04:08,050 --> 01:04:12,033
It's not clear,
but it's compelling.

1400
01:04:12,038 --> 01:04:15,075
Father God, I pray for our
people individually

1401
01:04:15,083 --> 01:04:18,004
and corporately.

1402
01:04:18,012 --> 01:04:21,000
I pray, Lord God, for those who
are here and have never truly

1403
01:04:21,008 --> 01:04:25,021
repented of sin, that they would
repent to you for salvation,

1404
01:04:25,029 --> 01:04:28,021
that they would repent to
others for reconciliation.

1405
01:04:28,029 --> 01:04:30,054
I pray for those, Lord God,
who would hear this message,

1406
01:04:30,062 --> 01:04:34,054
and their deep sins and secrets
that they just need to come

1407
01:04:34,062 --> 01:04:41,079
clean with and walk in the
light from, that they would.

1408
01:04:41,083 --> 01:04:46,075
God, may we not by your grace
accept religious repentance,

1409
01:04:46,083 --> 01:04:49,058
pagan repentance, worldly
sorrow, mere confession,

1410
01:04:49,067 --> 01:04:53,038
blame shifting, minimizing,
or excuse making.

1411
01:04:53,046 --> 01:04:57,067
May we enjoy this great
gift of repentance.

1412
01:04:57,075 --> 01:05:02,092
May we, Lord God, by your grace,
repent, call others to repent,

1413
01:05:03,000 --> 01:05:07,029
endure impossible people,
suffer unnecessary criticism,

1414
01:05:07,033 --> 01:05:10,067
be filled with the Holy Spirit,
and by your grace,

1415
01:05:10,075 --> 01:05:16,071
get our life out of the box,
to come alive, filled, led,

1416
01:05:16,079 --> 01:05:21,092
guided, transformed, empowered
to dance with you, Lord God.

1417
01:05:22,000 --> 01:05:26,029
By the power of the Holy Spirit
in Jesus' name, Amen.

1418
01:05:26,033 --> 00:00:00,000