1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,004 2 00:00:08,012 --> 00:00:23,012 [music] 3 00:00:26,054 --> 00:00:29,004 All right, well here we are at the foot of the sea of 4 00:00:29,012 --> 00:00:34,092 Galilee, about 12 miles across, 6 miles across, 200 feet deep. 5 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,050 At its deepest point, the place where Jesus spent much of his 6 00:00:38,058 --> 00:00:43,012 ministry, and when you read stories about storms on seas, 7 00:00:43,021 --> 00:00:45,067 and Peter fishing, this is exactly the place 8 00:00:45,075 --> 00:00:48,017 that the Scriptures are referring to. 9 00:00:48,025 --> 00:00:53,004 And so today I've decided to teach from Luke 6. 10 00:00:53,012 --> 00:00:56,004 If you happen to have a Bible, feel free to go there, 11 00:00:56,012 --> 00:00:59,062 and I'll say as well that we're not absolutely certain where 12 00:00:59,071 --> 00:01:02,021 the event in Luke 6 took place. 13 00:01:02,029 --> 00:01:05,017 I really appreciate the fact that the Bible tells us who 14 00:01:05,025 --> 00:01:09,017 Jesus is, and what he did, and what he said, and oftentimes 15 00:01:09,025 --> 00:01:15,008 doesn't give us specific details regarding exactly where he was. 16 00:01:15,017 --> 00:01:19,000 I think there is a propensity for us all to commit idolatry, 17 00:01:19,008 --> 00:01:22,025 and to worship created things rather than the creator God, 18 00:01:22,033 --> 00:01:26,000 just like Romans 125 says, and I love the fact that we don't know 19 00:01:26,008 --> 00:01:28,042 some of the exact locations because people would turn them 20 00:01:28,050 --> 00:01:31,079 into holy places where you go to be closer to God, and you get 21 00:01:31,088 --> 00:01:34,096 mediation between you and God, and it's a sacred place. 22 00:01:35,004 --> 00:01:36,012 And we don't believe any of that, 23 00:01:36,021 --> 00:01:38,046 we believe all of that is accomplished in Jesus, 24 00:01:38,054 --> 00:01:40,079 that there's one mediator between us and God, 25 00:01:40,088 --> 00:01:44,000 the man Christ Jesus, God who became a man. 26 00:01:44,008 --> 00:01:46,062 And we don't necessarily have to go to the exact same place that 27 00:01:46,071 --> 00:01:49,058 he stood to be close to him, that he is gracious 28 00:01:49,067 --> 00:01:52,071 and benevolent and kind, that he is sovereign, and that he is 29 00:01:52,079 --> 00:01:55,079 present with his children wherever they go, and that means 30 00:01:55,088 --> 00:01:59,058 that your living room is as sacred as the Wailing Wall 31 00:01:59,067 --> 00:02:04,008 in Jerusalem because Jesus loves you and Jesus is with you. 32 00:02:04,017 --> 00:02:06,096 But, nonetheless, we have chosen this spot to give you some idea 33 00:02:07,004 --> 00:02:10,000 of what the scope would have been for Jesus' teaching 34 00:02:10,008 --> 00:02:12,096 in Luke 6; what the crowds would have seen, 35 00:02:13,004 --> 00:02:13,096 what they would have experienced, 36 00:02:14,004 --> 00:02:16,008 a bit of the topography, 37 00:02:16,017 --> 00:02:18,092 and so it helps to bring the story to life. 38 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,046 That being said, in Luke 6 we're dealing with 39 00:02:21,054 --> 00:02:23,021 the Sermon on the Mount and the beatitudes 40 00:02:23,029 --> 00:02:26,054 and it's recorded as well in Matthew's Gospel. 41 00:02:26,062 --> 00:02:28,088 If you are a student of Scripture, and have compared 42 00:02:28,096 --> 00:02:32,079 them, there are some similarities and distinctions. 43 00:02:32,088 --> 00:02:36,017 Matthew's account takes about 7 minutes to read. 44 00:02:36,025 --> 00:02:38,038 Luke's account takes about 2 minutes to read. 45 00:02:38,046 --> 00:02:42,012 I am assuming that Jesus' sermon was, in fact, quite long, 46 00:02:42,021 --> 00:02:45,046 the crowds would have traveled large distances, some walked, 47 00:02:45,054 --> 00:02:48,042 perhaps, days to meet him and to see him, 48 00:02:48,050 --> 00:02:51,004 and I don't think he would have given them a 2-minute sermon. 49 00:02:51,012 --> 00:02:54,042 In fact, I'm certain that Jesus would have taught for a very 50 00:02:54,050 --> 00:02:55,083 long portion of time. 51 00:02:55,092 --> 00:02:58,017 And so what you're looking at in Matthew and in Luke 52 00:02:58,025 --> 00:03:03,012 are summaries, these are the 1st-century version 53 00:03:03,021 --> 00:03:04,008 of Cliff Notes. 54 00:03:04,017 --> 00:03:05,000 That's what we get. 55 00:03:05,008 --> 00:03:08,008 So we'll go ahead and pray, and then read, 56 00:03:08,017 --> 00:03:09,054 and study a bit together. 57 00:03:09,062 --> 00:03:11,092 Father God, I thank you for the Scriptures. 58 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,008 I thank you that you have chosen to speak to us and to reveal 59 00:03:16,017 --> 00:03:19,092 to us who Jesus is, what he has taught and what he has done. 60 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:21,050 As we open the Scriptures today, Father God, 61 00:03:21,058 --> 00:03:24,092 we ask as we hear the very words of Jesus Christ, 62 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,012 that we would learn more about him, 63 00:03:27,021 --> 00:03:29,038 that we would fall more in love with him, 64 00:03:29,046 --> 00:03:31,042 and we would grow to be more like him. 65 00:03:31,050 --> 00:03:34,017 And we ask for this grace by the power of the Holy Spirit 66 00:03:34,025 --> 00:03:37,008 in Jesus' good name, Amen. 67 00:03:37,017 --> 00:03:39,075 Well, I'll start in chapter 6 of Luke, 68 00:03:39,083 --> 00:03:41,092 just to give you some idea of context. 69 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,033 "And he came down with them," verse 17, 70 00:03:44,042 --> 00:03:47,092 "he came down with them and stood on a level place." 71 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,012 So it was somewhere like this, imagine the terrace. 72 00:03:52,021 --> 00:03:55,046 "And a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude 73 00:03:55,054 --> 00:03:58,096 ,"of people from all Judea, Jerusalem and the seacoast 74 00:03:59,004 --> 00:04:01,067 "of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him 75 00:04:01,075 --> 00:04:03,050 "and to be healed of their diseases. 76 00:04:03,058 --> 00:04:06,071 "And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 77 00:04:06,079 --> 00:04:08,038 "And all the crowd sought to touch him, 78 00:04:08,046 --> 00:04:11,067 for power came out from him and healed them all." 79 00:04:11,075 --> 00:04:14,058 Let me just say this, when the Scriptures talk about a great 80 00:04:14,067 --> 00:04:17,088 crowd from a large region coming to see Jesus, 81 00:04:17,096 --> 00:04:20,096 this would have been very unusual, and it shows you 82 00:04:21,004 --> 00:04:24,029 something of the magnetic personality of Jesus. 83 00:04:24,038 --> 00:04:29,008 As you travel today into towns like Nazareth, 84 00:04:29,017 --> 00:04:31,079 you'll see 250,000 people. 85 00:04:31,088 --> 00:04:35,012 As you travel into some towns that are in this region 86 00:04:35,021 --> 00:04:40,008 as we tour, you'll see towns of 5,000, 10,000, 50,000, 87 00:04:40,017 --> 00:04:43,012 and it can obscure what was actually going on 88 00:04:43,021 --> 00:04:44,079 in the days of Jesus. 89 00:04:44,088 --> 00:04:47,042 In the days of Jesus, these were small villages. 90 00:04:47,050 --> 00:04:53,008 Nazareth was maybe 50 people, maybe a hundred people tops, 91 00:04:53,017 --> 00:04:55,096 10 to 15 families. 92 00:04:56,004 --> 00:05:00,000 In our nomenclature, think three or four community groups, 93 00:05:00,008 --> 00:05:02,092 that was Nazareth. 94 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,029 That was all of Nazareth. 95 00:05:05,038 --> 00:05:09,012 And so when you think of Jesus having large crowds 96 00:05:09,021 --> 00:05:13,079 and multitudes, he is drawing from a wide geographic area, 97 00:05:13,088 --> 00:05:15,062 whole towns. 98 00:05:15,071 --> 00:05:17,025 The synagogues, in some of these small towns, 99 00:05:17,033 --> 00:05:21,075 would only be able to accommodate 20 or 30 people. 100 00:05:21,083 --> 00:05:24,083 That's why Jesus taught in open areas. 101 00:05:24,092 --> 00:05:26,083 They didn't have religious assemblies. 102 00:05:26,092 --> 00:05:29,012 They didn't have rabbis who would gather the crowds 103 00:05:29,021 --> 00:05:31,004 that Jesus did. 104 00:05:31,012 --> 00:05:33,079 In these towns, nearly all of the women would have been 105 00:05:33,088 --> 00:05:36,012 illiterate, only a small percentage of the men 106 00:05:36,021 --> 00:05:38,012 would have been literate. 107 00:05:38,021 --> 00:05:41,096 In a town like Nazareth, some town like that, 108 00:05:42,004 --> 00:05:44,050 that was a very typical town in its day, 109 00:05:44,058 --> 00:05:48,017 perhaps 50 people, 5 men were literal. 110 00:05:48,025 --> 00:05:50,008 They would gather in the synagogue, 111 00:05:50,017 --> 00:05:53,092 and the literate men would be welcome to read portions 112 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,096 of the Old Testament. 113 00:05:56,004 --> 00:05:59,083 And so for Jesus to be a rabbi, this was very unusual for him 114 00:05:59,092 --> 00:06:03,012 to be an educated and literate man from a small town. 115 00:06:03,021 --> 00:06:07,092 For Jesus to be one who draws such enormous crowds 116 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,046 would have been without precedent or peer. 117 00:06:10,054 --> 00:06:13,004 And sometimes we can read the Scriptures and think, well, yes, 118 00:06:13,012 --> 00:06:16,067 it says, for example, on another occasion in John's Gospel that 119 00:06:16,075 --> 00:06:21,025 5,000 men alone came out to hear Jesus, plus the women, 120 00:06:21,033 --> 00:06:23,038 plus the children. 121 00:06:23,046 --> 00:06:27,025 That's perhaps 20,000 people, and then you think that 122 00:06:27,033 --> 00:06:29,062 the average town is 50 to 100 people. 123 00:06:29,071 --> 00:06:33,000 Whole villages have shut down their shops for the day, 124 00:06:33,008 --> 00:06:37,008 they have made long journeys on foot, just to meet Jesus. 125 00:06:37,017 --> 00:06:40,021 They've heard about him, news of him has spread throughout 126 00:06:40,029 --> 00:06:42,025 the trade centers and the ports. 127 00:06:42,033 --> 00:06:45,050 Women are discussing this man, Jesus, at the well. 128 00:06:45,058 --> 00:06:48,075 The conversations after the readings in synagogue are about 129 00:06:48,083 --> 00:06:52,046 this rabbi Jesus who has magnificent authority 130 00:06:52,054 --> 00:06:54,033 and unparalleled power. 131 00:06:54,042 --> 00:06:57,092 And so you think of this extraordinary coming together 132 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:02,004 of people over a wide expansive area to hear Jesus teach. 133 00:07:02,012 --> 00:07:04,050 Now, the question then is: who were these people? 134 00:07:04,058 --> 00:07:07,096 And for the most part, they were very simple. 135 00:07:08,004 --> 00:07:10,050 As I told you, most of the women would have been illiterate. 136 00:07:10,058 --> 00:07:12,096 Most of the men would have been illiterate. 137 00:07:13,004 --> 00:07:18,000 Those who live near to the sea were fishermen and they were 138 00:07:18,008 --> 00:07:19,038 involved in that trade. 139 00:07:19,046 --> 00:07:21,096 Those up in the hills would have been herding animals 140 00:07:22,004 --> 00:07:23,088 or raising crops. 141 00:07:23,096 --> 00:07:28,096 You're looking at very simple people, most of them very poor. 142 00:07:29,004 --> 00:07:31,062 They would have saved their whole life for one journey, 143 00:07:31,071 --> 00:07:33,088 perhaps, to Jerusalem to make a sacrifice, 144 00:07:33,096 --> 00:07:36,042 and that would have been the biggest day of their life. 145 00:07:36,050 --> 00:07:39,021 You're looking at people whose life expectancy was into their 146 00:07:39,029 --> 00:07:43,017 30s or 40s, they're drawing water from wells, 147 00:07:43,025 --> 00:07:45,096 they don't have central heating, plumbing, electricity. 148 00:07:46,004 --> 00:07:50,058 Their homes are 600, 700, 800 square feet under a portion 149 00:07:50,067 --> 00:07:53,012 of which they would have lived, and on another portion, 150 00:07:53,021 --> 00:07:55,058 they would have housed their animals. 151 00:07:55,067 --> 00:08:00,025 Very simple, very poor, very average, 152 00:08:00,033 --> 00:08:03,088 very common people who were under Roman rule, 153 00:08:03,096 --> 00:08:08,038 and as rulers would come and go, the kingdom would transition. 154 00:08:08,046 --> 00:08:10,008 They would rename their towns. 155 00:08:10,017 --> 00:08:12,088 They would reorient their geographic boundaries. 156 00:08:12,096 --> 00:08:15,071 They were under the rule of these mighty kings and this 157 00:08:15,079 --> 00:08:18,096 mighty kingdom, and these are marginalized peasants 158 00:08:19,004 --> 00:08:20,067 on the fringe of society. 159 00:08:20,075 --> 00:08:23,008 The major rabbis didn't come to visit them, 160 00:08:23,017 --> 00:08:25,021 people didn't invest in them. 161 00:08:25,029 --> 00:08:28,000 They were not considered significant or important 162 00:08:28,008 --> 00:08:29,096 in any way. 163 00:08:30,004 --> 00:08:31,017 Now, their kings were. 164 00:08:31,025 --> 00:08:35,012 Many of the towns in the area are named after the Caesars. 165 00:08:35,021 --> 00:08:38,017 So you see towns like Caesarea Philippi, 166 00:08:38,025 --> 00:08:40,000 that's after the Caesar Philip. 167 00:08:40,008 --> 00:08:42,088 You'll go to places like, for example, 168 00:08:42,096 --> 00:08:45,092 Tiberias named after Caesar Tiberias. 169 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,017 You'll get names of towns after the king, so as the Caesars 170 00:08:49,025 --> 00:08:54,008 would change their rulership, so the names would change. 171 00:08:54,017 --> 00:08:56,067 And these commoners were just neglected and simple, 172 00:08:56,075 --> 00:09:00,004 and they were ruled over by this king and kingdom ideology 173 00:09:00,012 --> 00:09:02,096 of the Roman Empire and of the Caesars. 174 00:09:03,004 --> 00:09:06,062 And here comes Jesus, not a man from a big city, 175 00:09:06,071 --> 00:09:08,012 but the little town of Nazareth. 176 00:09:08,021 --> 00:09:09,096 Not a man who comes from affluence, 177 00:09:10,004 --> 00:09:12,017 but a man who comes from poverty. 178 00:09:12,025 --> 00:09:15,042 Not a man who is unlike the peasants but, he, himself, 179 00:09:15,050 --> 00:09:16,092 is one of them. 180 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:18,054 His dad was a carpenter. 181 00:09:18,062 --> 00:09:21,038 He grew up in a small rural town. 182 00:09:21,046 --> 00:09:23,058 He grew up as a carpenter. 183 00:09:23,067 --> 00:09:27,079 He grew up as one who was in every way a peasant: 184 00:09:27,088 --> 00:09:31,038 poor, humble, simple circumstance. 185 00:09:31,046 --> 00:09:33,075 And he becomes this magnificent rabbi that relates 186 00:09:33,083 --> 00:09:36,071 to those who are marginalized, depressed and poor, 187 00:09:36,079 --> 00:09:39,096 and they are curious about his teaching, 188 00:09:40,004 --> 00:09:43,000 and they are drawn to his magnetic personality, 189 00:09:43,008 --> 00:09:46,062 his ability to cast out demons, perform miracles, and teach. 190 00:09:46,071 --> 00:09:50,000 Well, then Luke records for us what Jesus taught. 191 00:09:50,008 --> 00:09:53,067 We now establish the scene, the setting, and the people 192 00:09:53,075 --> 00:09:55,004 who were present. 193 00:09:55,012 --> 00:09:56,071 We'll deal first with the beatitudes, 194 00:09:56,079 --> 00:10:00,079 6:20 of Luke: "And he lifted up his eyes on his 195 00:10:00,088 --> 00:10:04,058 "disciples, and said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, 196 00:10:04,067 --> 00:10:06,075 "'for yours is the kingdom of God. 197 00:10:06,083 --> 00:10:09,092 "'Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. 198 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,029 "'Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 199 00:10:13,038 --> 00:10:16,088 "'Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude 200 00:10:16,096 --> 00:10:20,012 "'you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, 201 00:10:20,021 --> 00:10:24,000 on account of the Son of Man!'" 202 00:10:24,008 --> 00:10:26,008 It's one of Jesus' favorite titles for himself. 203 00:10:26,017 --> 00:10:27,088 He borrows it from the Old Testament, 204 00:10:27,096 --> 00:10:31,092 and subscribes it to himself on roughly 80 occasions. 205 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,096 "Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, 206 00:10:35,004 --> 00:10:38,038 "your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers 207 00:10:38,046 --> 00:10:40,050 "did to the prophets. 208 00:10:40,058 --> 00:10:42,092 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received 209 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,038 "your consolation. 210 00:10:44,046 --> 00:10:47,042 "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. 211 00:10:47,050 --> 00:10:51,008 "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 212 00:10:51,017 --> 00:10:53,008 "Woe to you, when all speak well of you, 213 00:10:53,017 --> 00:10:58,008 for so their fathers did to the false prophets." 214 00:10:58,017 --> 00:11:02,029 And Jesus here is juxtaposing two categories of humanity: 215 00:11:02,038 --> 00:11:06,000 those who receive a blessing, and those who receive a woe. 216 00:11:06,008 --> 00:11:09,092 And what he does, he inverts the entire paradigm of the kingdom 217 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:14,033 in which they are citizens, and shows them that he, himself, 218 00:11:14,042 --> 00:11:16,000 is in fact a king. 219 00:11:16,008 --> 00:11:19,021 He is, in fact, the king of kings, and he is above Caesar, 220 00:11:19,029 --> 00:11:22,008 which would have been the most preeminent human power that they 221 00:11:22,017 --> 00:11:26,012 could conceive of, and that he was bringing a kingdom 222 00:11:26,021 --> 00:11:29,096 over which he would rule as king, and the values, 223 00:11:30,004 --> 00:11:33,079 and the ethic of this kingdom would be diametrically opposed 224 00:11:33,088 --> 00:11:35,054 to the kingdoms of the earth, 225 00:11:35,062 --> 00:11:39,012 that he is in every way bringing a counter culture. 226 00:11:39,021 --> 00:11:42,079 He is a cultural revolutionary in that sense. 227 00:11:42,088 --> 00:11:45,021 We like to use the language of Jesus at Mars Hill that 228 00:11:45,029 --> 00:11:48,042 the church is to be, quote, a city within the city, 229 00:11:48,050 --> 00:11:51,017 that we are to be a countercultural kingdom 230 00:11:51,025 --> 00:11:53,067 community, and as Jesus will teach, 231 00:11:53,075 --> 00:11:57,000 we handle wealth, and comfort, and power, 232 00:11:57,008 --> 00:12:00,062 and fame differently because of our citizenship. 233 00:12:00,071 --> 00:12:03,092 So what we're talking about here is that our identity establishes 234 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,046 our lifestyle, that if you see yourselves as citizens 235 00:12:08,054 --> 00:12:12,075 of your kingdom--you're an American, you are a German, 236 00:12:12,083 --> 00:12:15,062 you are from Singapore, you are from South Africa, 237 00:12:15,071 --> 00:12:18,062 and we have people present from all of these nations. 238 00:12:18,071 --> 00:12:21,096 If your identity is in your nation, your political party, 239 00:12:22,004 --> 00:12:25,071 your ideology, your race, your culture, your creed, 240 00:12:25,079 --> 00:12:29,017 woe to you, woe to you. 241 00:12:29,025 --> 00:12:30,092 That's a curse. 242 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:32,021 That's a judgment. 243 00:12:32,029 --> 00:12:35,000 For those whose citizenship is in heaven, 244 00:12:35,008 --> 00:12:39,004 for those whose king is Jesus, for those whose longing is for 245 00:12:39,012 --> 00:12:41,067 the kingdom, blessed are you. 246 00:12:41,075 --> 00:12:46,058 And this is his juxtaposition, and as he explains this, 247 00:12:46,067 --> 00:12:49,067 he is really distinguishing between happiness 248 00:12:49,075 --> 00:12:51,017 and blessedness. 249 00:12:51,025 --> 00:12:53,079 One of the great problems in the United States of America is that 250 00:12:53,088 --> 00:12:57,000 we're a nation built on the pursuit of happiness rather than 251 00:12:57,008 --> 00:12:58,096 the pursuit of blessedness. 252 00:12:59,004 --> 00:13:02,062 See, happiness is contingent on circumstance, 253 00:13:02,071 --> 00:13:05,042 blessedness is contingent on God. 254 00:13:05,050 --> 00:13:10,000 Happiness is ultimately temporary, it comes and goes, 255 00:13:10,008 --> 00:13:13,025 whereas blessedness is permanent because God is the same, 256 00:13:13,033 --> 00:13:14,071 yesterday, today, and forever. 257 00:13:14,079 --> 00:13:17,054 He's always gracious, compassionate, and good. 258 00:13:17,062 --> 00:13:21,067 And so for those whose hope entirely resides right here, 259 00:13:21,075 --> 00:13:27,096 right now in this life, in this kingdom, woe to them. 260 00:13:28,004 --> 00:13:31,008 For those who are patient, for those who are humble, 261 00:13:31,017 --> 00:13:34,096 for those who by God's grace belong to Jesus, 262 00:13:35,004 --> 00:13:36,083 blessed are they, blessed are they 263 00:13:36,092 --> 00:13:39,004 for their reward waits them. 264 00:13:39,012 --> 00:13:42,008 And what Jesus is teaching for those whose identity is rooted 265 00:13:42,017 --> 00:13:43,096 in this world and what it has to offer, 266 00:13:44,004 --> 00:13:47,062 this is as close to heaven as they will ever get. 267 00:13:47,071 --> 00:13:50,096 For those whose identity is routed in Jesus as their king 268 00:13:51,004 --> 00:13:53,096 and their citizenship is in his kingdom, 269 00:13:54,004 --> 00:13:58,046 this is as close to hell as they will ever get. 270 00:13:58,054 --> 00:14:02,004 And so for those that have this as their heaven, 271 00:14:02,012 --> 00:14:04,012 woe to them because hell awaits them. 272 00:14:04,021 --> 00:14:08,012 For those that belong to Jesus and this is our hell, 273 00:14:08,021 --> 00:14:11,058 blessed are we because it gets better after this. 274 00:14:11,067 --> 00:14:15,088 And so he breaks it down into four categories, 275 00:14:15,096 --> 00:14:18,088 the kingdom ethic, first regarding wealth, 276 00:14:18,096 --> 00:14:21,062 and what he says is that in the kingdom, 277 00:14:21,071 --> 00:14:24,067 those who are poor in this life will be rich. 278 00:14:24,075 --> 00:14:28,096 And he says that those who are rich in this life will be poor. 279 00:14:29,004 --> 00:14:31,054 Now, in saying this, we need to be very careful. 280 00:14:31,062 --> 00:14:32,092 Some who are Marxist theologians, 281 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,079 and Liberation theologians, they will then build on this 282 00:14:35,088 --> 00:14:39,004 a social ethic that I do not believe that Jesus intended. 283 00:14:39,012 --> 00:14:42,000 Jesus is not necessarily teaching that those who are poor 284 00:14:42,008 --> 00:14:44,054 are more righteous than those who are rich, 285 00:14:44,062 --> 00:14:48,046 because there are some unrighteous ways to be poor. 286 00:14:48,054 --> 00:14:50,058 The Bible gives a few. 287 00:14:50,067 --> 00:14:53,025 One: you can be poor because you're lazy, 288 00:14:53,033 --> 00:14:55,092 and you refuse to work, and the Bible says that that is 289 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,025 a sluggard in Proverbs that if a man does not work, 290 00:14:58,033 --> 00:15:01,042 he shall not eat, that if you are poor because you are lazy, 291 00:15:01,050 --> 00:15:03,096 you are not blessed, woe to you. 292 00:15:04,004 --> 00:15:09,017 Also, a second way to be poor is through injustice, 293 00:15:09,025 --> 00:15:12,012 where you rob people, you cheat, you steal, 294 00:15:12,021 --> 00:15:14,092 you're greedy, and you hoard, and ultimately it costs you 295 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,012 everything because of God's judgment in this life. 296 00:15:18,021 --> 00:15:19,079 That's not a righteous way to be poor. 297 00:15:19,088 --> 00:15:21,096 There are a few righteous ways to be poor, 298 00:15:22,004 --> 00:15:23,046 the one is through tragedy. 299 00:15:23,054 --> 00:15:25,017 Some of you have experienced this, you got sick, 300 00:15:25,025 --> 00:15:29,008 you got hurt on the job, one of your parents died and the other 301 00:15:29,017 --> 00:15:31,000 was sick, and you had to care for them, 302 00:15:31,008 --> 00:15:33,096 and that depleted your income and your finances. 303 00:15:34,004 --> 00:15:35,071 There are righteous ways to be poor, 304 00:15:35,079 --> 00:15:38,054 and some are poor because of righteousness. 305 00:15:38,062 --> 00:15:39,079 They won't steal. 306 00:15:39,088 --> 00:15:40,075 They won't cheat. 307 00:15:40,083 --> 00:15:41,083 They're not greedy. 308 00:15:41,092 --> 00:15:44,004 They're not, as the Bible says, lovers of money. 309 00:15:44,012 --> 00:15:47,008 They're not people who have, as Jesus says elsewhere, 310 00:15:47,017 --> 00:15:50,079 mammon or money or wealth, and affluence is their God, 311 00:15:50,088 --> 00:15:54,008 and those are the kind of people that he's talking to. 312 00:15:54,017 --> 00:15:57,042 These are people who work honestly, they live simply, 313 00:15:57,050 --> 00:16:01,000 their circumstances are considered humbly, 314 00:16:01,008 --> 00:16:03,025 and these are people who are poor. 315 00:16:03,033 --> 00:16:06,038 And he says, you will be blessed. 316 00:16:06,046 --> 00:16:09,067 In the kingdom, God will lavishly reward you, 317 00:16:09,075 --> 00:16:11,017 and you will be rich. 318 00:16:11,025 --> 00:16:12,062 The same thing happened to Jesus. 319 00:16:12,071 --> 00:16:15,054 Paul says in Corinthians that though he was rich for our sake, 320 00:16:15,062 --> 00:16:17,042 he became poor. 321 00:16:17,050 --> 00:16:20,042 But Jesus was poor, but he is not at present, 322 00:16:20,050 --> 00:16:23,025 that is he is king of kings, lord of lords, resurrected, 323 00:16:23,033 --> 00:16:27,025 ascended, and exalted, and right now Jesus is not poor. 324 00:16:27,033 --> 00:16:29,092 He's not in humility, he's in glory, and those who belong 325 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,071 to him will be blessed to follow him. 326 00:16:32,079 --> 00:16:35,058 And even if you were poor in the kingdom, you will be rich. 327 00:16:35,067 --> 00:16:37,054 You will be lavishly provided for. 328 00:16:37,062 --> 00:16:39,008 But he says woe to you who are rich, 329 00:16:39,017 --> 00:16:41,025 because you will become poor. 330 00:16:41,033 --> 00:16:44,029 If your identity is in money, if all you care about is making 331 00:16:44,038 --> 00:16:47,008 more money, if you're greedy, if you're stingy, 332 00:16:47,017 --> 00:16:50,025 if it's all about status and possessions, 333 00:16:50,033 --> 00:16:53,017 if it's all about accumulation and success, 334 00:16:53,025 --> 00:16:56,029 he says woe to you, because you worship money, 335 00:16:56,038 --> 00:16:57,071 you worship yourself. 336 00:16:57,079 --> 00:17:00,033 You've made it the center of your identity and existence, 337 00:17:00,042 --> 00:17:04,079 the accumulation of wealth. 338 00:17:04,088 --> 00:17:08,008 And he says woe to you, because on the other side of this life, 339 00:17:08,017 --> 00:17:11,000 in the eternal state, you cannot take it with you, 340 00:17:11,008 --> 00:17:14,012 and God will judge you, and you will be cursed. 341 00:17:14,021 --> 00:17:17,054 And so Jesus says to have a long-term thinking 342 00:17:17,062 --> 00:17:20,008 when it comes to our wealth. 343 00:17:20,017 --> 00:17:21,021 And wealth is one of the prominent 344 00:17:21,029 --> 00:17:23,038 countercultural kingdom values. 345 00:17:23,046 --> 00:17:25,029 In fact, if you get your money lined up, 346 00:17:25,038 --> 00:17:27,092 you'll get most everything else lined up, because Jesus said 347 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,021 your heart follows your treasure. 348 00:17:30,029 --> 00:17:33,000 You put your money toward God, your life goes toward God. 349 00:17:33,008 --> 00:17:36,088 Number two: he also examines comfort. 350 00:17:36,096 --> 00:17:41,025 He says, blessed will you be, those of you who are hungry in 351 00:17:41,033 --> 00:17:43,071 the kingdom, because you will eat well, 352 00:17:43,079 --> 00:17:48,071 and cursed are you who are gluttons and who overconsume, 353 00:17:48,079 --> 00:17:50,092 because in the kingdom you will be hungry. 354 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,004 On the other side of this life, there will not be riches 355 00:17:54,012 --> 00:17:55,071 and reward for you. 356 00:17:55,079 --> 00:17:58,088 And what he's talking about here is the idolatry of stomach. 357 00:17:58,096 --> 00:18:01,046 Paul says in the New Testament that for some their God is their 358 00:18:01,054 --> 00:18:07,096 stomach, that when they are sad, food becomes their comforter. 359 00:18:08,004 --> 00:18:11,054 When they are stressed, food becomes their reward. 360 00:18:11,062 --> 00:18:15,088 When they have done a good job, food becomes their celebration. 361 00:18:15,096 --> 00:18:19,017 Now, there is an occasion for feasting where we celebrate God 362 00:18:19,025 --> 00:18:21,046 and his goodness, and we get together and enjoy God 363 00:18:21,054 --> 00:18:22,050 as an act of worship. 364 00:18:22,058 --> 00:18:26,008 But what we're talking about here, like he said previously, 365 00:18:26,017 --> 00:18:27,071 you either worship with your wealth, 366 00:18:27,079 --> 00:18:29,008 or you worship your wealth, 367 00:18:29,017 --> 00:18:32,021 or you worship with your food, or you worship your food. 368 00:18:32,029 --> 00:18:35,008 In our culture, this is everything from anorexia 369 00:18:35,017 --> 00:18:37,025 and bulimia to gluttony. 370 00:18:37,033 --> 00:18:41,008 It's amazing that both are revolving around the worship of 371 00:18:41,017 --> 00:18:45,012 the stomach, and what he says is if you are a person whose 372 00:18:45,021 --> 00:18:48,092 identity is in food, whose life is only thinking about your 373 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,046 meals rather than God, if your whole life is consumed in just 374 00:18:52,054 --> 00:18:55,008 gluttony, and feasting, and consumption, 375 00:18:55,017 --> 00:18:57,038 and we could extend this today to drugs, and alcohol, 376 00:18:57,046 --> 00:19:00,000 and addictions, and comforts, and pleasures 377 00:19:00,008 --> 00:19:01,062 of various sorts or kind. 378 00:19:01,071 --> 00:19:03,075 He says woe to you, because you're not going to God 379 00:19:03,083 --> 00:19:06,050 for comfort, you're not going to God for reward. 380 00:19:06,058 --> 00:19:08,050 You're not going to God for identity, and security, 381 00:19:08,058 --> 00:19:11,067 and significance, you're going to the fridge. 382 00:19:11,075 --> 00:19:13,096 Says woe to you. 383 00:19:14,004 --> 00:19:16,012 You have at the centerpiece of your existence, 384 00:19:16,021 --> 00:19:17,054 someone or something other than Jesus, 385 00:19:17,062 --> 00:19:20,004 but he says for those of who you are hungry, blessed are you, 386 00:19:20,012 --> 00:19:21,025 you'll eat well in the kingdom. 387 00:19:21,033 --> 00:19:24,071 And we don't even know what this means because we're Americans. 388 00:19:24,079 --> 00:19:27,029 We don't even know what this means--hungry? 389 00:19:27,038 --> 00:19:28,092 Right now if the end of the world came, 390 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,017 most of us would be fine for a few years, 391 00:19:31,025 --> 00:19:34,058 just from the pantry, and the fridge, 392 00:19:34,067 --> 00:19:36,042 just from the pantry, and the fridge. 393 00:19:36,050 --> 00:19:38,071 Some of you who have traveled with me, 394 00:19:38,079 --> 00:19:43,096 you brought lots of food with you just in case, all right. 395 00:19:44,004 --> 00:19:47,025 And what we see is when the multitudes come to see Jesus, 396 00:19:47,033 --> 00:19:48,025 they don't have food. 397 00:19:48,033 --> 00:19:49,058 Is it because they forgot? 398 00:19:49,067 --> 00:19:51,092 No, it's because they don't have any. 399 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,029 And so Jesus has to perform miracles to feed them, 400 00:19:55,038 --> 00:19:57,000 otherwise they don't eat. 401 00:19:57,008 --> 00:19:59,046 Most of us don't even know what hunger is. 402 00:19:59,054 --> 00:20:02,071 Don't let your children ever say something like, "I'm starving," 403 00:20:02,079 --> 00:20:05,088 because there are people who are and they would tell you 404 00:20:05,096 --> 00:20:08,054 that it's different. 405 00:20:08,062 --> 00:20:11,058 And what we see is that in Isaiah, 406 00:20:11,067 --> 00:20:13,096 the prophet reveals that in the kingdom there will be 407 00:20:14,004 --> 00:20:17,025 the choicest of meats, and the finest of wines. 408 00:20:17,033 --> 00:20:21,054 Revelation 19 shows the kingdom being ruled over by King Jesus, 409 00:20:21,062 --> 00:20:24,012 and there will be a great wedding supper of the lamb, 410 00:20:24,021 --> 00:20:27,075 and the nations will sit at the table of Jesus and feast. 411 00:20:27,083 --> 00:20:32,000 So feasting is not bad, but to worship your food is different 412 00:20:32,008 --> 00:20:35,092 than to worship with your food, to thank God for your food. 413 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,092 And he says woe to you whose God is your stomach, 414 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,004 woe to you who eat well now, and don't feed others, 415 00:20:42,012 --> 00:20:44,046 and are not generous, and don't care for the poor, 416 00:20:44,054 --> 00:20:46,046 and don't share with those in need, 417 00:20:46,054 --> 00:20:50,054 because this is as close to heaven as you will get. 418 00:20:50,062 --> 00:20:52,017 And blessed are you who are hungry, 419 00:20:52,025 --> 00:20:57,008 blessed are you whose stomachs are growling as I teach, 420 00:20:57,017 --> 00:20:59,025 Jesus was articulating, because in the kingdom, 421 00:20:59,033 --> 00:21:02,096 there will be plenty for you to eat all the time. 422 00:21:03,004 --> 00:21:04,096 Thirdly, he also speaks of power. 423 00:21:05,004 --> 00:21:09,033 He says, blessed will you be, those of you who are mocked, 424 00:21:09,042 --> 00:21:13,029 and oppressed, and suffer, those who are made fun of, 425 00:21:13,038 --> 00:21:15,092 sport of and light of, those who are mistreated, 426 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,050 maligned, and abused. 427 00:21:18,058 --> 00:21:20,000 Some of you know exactly what this means. 428 00:21:20,008 --> 00:21:22,050 In our day, we would call these the victims, 429 00:21:22,058 --> 00:21:25,062 those who have been raped, and molested, and abused, 430 00:21:25,071 --> 00:21:27,092 those whose families have disowned them for the cause of 431 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,025 Christ, those whose coworkers mock them because they're 432 00:21:31,033 --> 00:21:35,008 waiting until marriage to enjoy the benefits of marriage, 433 00:21:35,017 --> 00:21:39,000 those who are women who have foregone careers to be a mother, 434 00:21:39,008 --> 00:21:41,092 so that they can love their children and build their home, 435 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,071 and they get scorned, and mockery, and questioning. 436 00:21:45,079 --> 00:21:49,083 Those who, like my family, have many children, and walking 437 00:21:49,092 --> 00:21:52,088 through most cities on the earth, have people stop, stare, 438 00:21:52,096 --> 00:22:01,033 count, whisper, sneer and I think, woe to you. 439 00:22:01,042 --> 00:22:07,012 And what he is saying is that if you are someone who is without 440 00:22:07,021 --> 00:22:11,004 power, if you are someone who is without prestige, 441 00:22:11,012 --> 00:22:13,088 if you are someone who is without prominence, 442 00:22:13,096 --> 00:22:17,012 and these are people who are woefully insignificant. 443 00:22:17,021 --> 00:22:20,038 These people were not cared for. 444 00:22:20,046 --> 00:22:23,083 The Caesars didn't visit them, didn't consider them, 445 00:22:23,092 --> 00:22:26,012 didn't feed them, didn't serve them, 446 00:22:26,021 --> 00:22:28,033 didn't generally care for them. 447 00:22:28,042 --> 00:22:30,017 He says, "You know what? 448 00:22:30,025 --> 00:22:32,062 "God does. 449 00:22:32,071 --> 00:22:36,096 "God loves you as his children, God cares for you, and even 450 00:22:37,004 --> 00:22:40,012 "though you are cursed now, you'll be blessed then. 451 00:22:40,021 --> 00:22:42,079 "You'll go see your Father, and in his kingdom, 452 00:22:42,088 --> 00:22:46,075 you'll be his beloved children, and citizens of that kingdom." 453 00:22:46,083 --> 00:22:49,000 And he says, "Woe to you who make fun of others, 454 00:22:49,008 --> 00:22:50,042 "who mock others, 455 00:22:50,050 --> 00:22:52,058 "who make sport of others, who look down on others, 456 00:22:52,067 --> 00:22:54,075 "who persecute others, who oppress others, 457 00:22:54,083 --> 00:22:57,012 who malign others, who abuse others." 458 00:22:57,021 --> 00:23:01,004 He says woe to you because you will stand before their Father, 459 00:23:01,012 --> 00:23:04,038 and you will give an account to an angry judge who will judge 460 00:23:04,046 --> 00:23:07,054 justly and rightly for all that you have done. 461 00:23:07,062 --> 00:23:11,000 Can you imagine the comfort for those who were present, 462 00:23:11,008 --> 00:23:12,096 those who had hunger in their belly, 463 00:23:13,004 --> 00:23:18,008 those who were going home to a simple existence, 464 00:23:18,017 --> 00:23:20,046 those who would die at a young age? 465 00:23:20,054 --> 00:23:23,029 And it was just generation after generation of simplicity, 466 00:23:23,038 --> 00:23:26,050 and poverty, and hopelessness. 467 00:23:26,058 --> 00:23:29,012 You're telling me there's a king beyond the Caesar, 468 00:23:29,021 --> 00:23:34,012 there's a kingdom beyond Rome, and that there there's love for 469 00:23:34,021 --> 00:23:37,075 people like me, there is acceptance, there is grace, 470 00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:40,029 and kindness, and provision for people like me? 471 00:23:40,038 --> 00:23:42,046 Jesus says, "Yes, that is the kingdom, 472 00:23:42,054 --> 00:23:44,096 and I have come as that humble king." 473 00:23:45,004 --> 00:23:48,042 And then fourthly he talks about fame, 474 00:23:48,050 --> 00:23:51,000 and it's amazing that these are still the idols in our life: 475 00:23:51,008 --> 00:23:54,067 wealth, comfort, power, and fame. 476 00:23:54,075 --> 00:23:59,029 And fame here is idolatry, it is living for your name, 477 00:23:59,038 --> 00:24:00,067 your reputation. 478 00:24:00,075 --> 00:24:02,050 It's why one of the most popular television shows is 479 00:24:02,058 --> 00:24:06,096 "American Idol," everybody wants to be an idol. 480 00:24:07,004 --> 00:24:11,033 I recently did a half-day shoot with ABC "Nightline." 481 00:24:11,042 --> 00:24:14,092 They're doing a ten-part series on the Ten Commandments, 482 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,004 and I got blessed by God to do the segment on idolatry, 483 00:24:19,012 --> 00:24:21,054 so it'll be that episode. 484 00:24:21,062 --> 00:24:25,021 And so I was trying to explain to the reporter, idolatry, 485 00:24:25,029 --> 00:24:27,075 and I said, "Well, it's having anyone or anything as 486 00:24:27,083 --> 00:24:30,029 "the center of your existence, the sum of your identity, 487 00:24:30,038 --> 00:24:33,000 "the essence of who you are, what you live for, 488 00:24:33,008 --> 00:24:35,062 "what's most important to you, what if taken from you 489 00:24:35,071 --> 00:24:40,000 brings you the most grief, tragedy, and sadness." 490 00:24:40,008 --> 00:24:41,038 And it sort of hit him and he said, 491 00:24:41,046 --> 00:24:44,004 "Well, then you're saying we're all idolaters." 492 00:24:44,012 --> 00:24:46,025 "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying," 493 00:24:46,033 --> 00:24:48,071 I said, "because we live for our own fame. 494 00:24:48,079 --> 00:24:50,012 "We live for our own comfort. 495 00:24:50,021 --> 00:24:52,008 "We live for our own pleasure, and the ethic of the kingdom 496 00:24:52,017 --> 00:24:54,092 "is to love God and neighbor. 497 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,000 It's to go out rather than in." 498 00:24:59,008 --> 00:25:00,062 This is the whole distinction between Christianity 499 00:25:00,071 --> 00:25:01,088 and all other religions. 500 00:25:01,096 --> 00:25:04,029 All other religions are about going in, meditation, yoga, 501 00:25:04,038 --> 00:25:06,012 going in, me. 502 00:25:06,021 --> 00:25:08,092 It's all about me, discovering me, meeting me, finding me, 503 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,042 serving me, glorifying me, honoring me. 504 00:25:11,050 --> 00:25:15,008 Jesus says, "No, it's not, it's about your Father. 505 00:25:15,017 --> 00:25:16,079 "It's about the kingdom. 506 00:25:16,088 --> 00:25:20,004 It's about the other children in the family of God." 507 00:25:20,012 --> 00:25:23,012 That God has already loved you, and your fame is not 508 00:25:23,021 --> 00:25:26,008 in your performance, or your preeminence, 509 00:25:26,017 --> 00:25:28,025 or your prominence, or your prosperity, 510 00:25:28,033 --> 00:25:30,038 it's that your Father loves you, 511 00:25:30,046 --> 00:25:33,058 and that he has sent his son to die for you. 512 00:25:33,067 --> 00:25:36,050 You don't need to make yourself famous, 513 00:25:36,058 --> 00:25:38,054 you don't need to make yourself significant. 514 00:25:38,062 --> 00:25:42,029 So he says, "For those who are hated because of Jesus, 515 00:25:42,038 --> 00:25:44,058 "those who are hated because they're citizens 516 00:25:44,067 --> 00:25:47,075 of the kingdom," he says, "you'll be blessed. 517 00:25:47,083 --> 00:25:51,067 "The Father loves you, and in his kingdom 518 00:25:51,075 --> 00:25:55,008 "you'll be treated graciously, compassionately. 519 00:25:55,017 --> 00:25:58,025 You'll be holding positions of prominence." 520 00:25:58,033 --> 00:26:04,000 He says, "Woe to you who live for the praise of men. 521 00:26:04,008 --> 00:26:07,025 "Woe to you who worry about what everyone thinks 522 00:26:07,033 --> 00:26:09,067 and your approval ratings." 523 00:26:09,075 --> 00:26:13,038 Proverbs, I think it's 29:14 says that the fear of man 524 00:26:13,046 --> 00:26:16,000 is a snare, it's a trap. 525 00:26:16,008 --> 00:26:17,062 If you live for the approval of others, 526 00:26:17,071 --> 00:26:19,088 that they would speak well of you, and bless you, and approve 527 00:26:19,096 --> 00:26:23,042 you, this could be parents, and friends, and coworkers. 528 00:26:23,050 --> 00:26:26,033 If they're Godly people who are encouraging you towards Jesus, 529 00:26:26,042 --> 00:26:28,004 that could be a good thing. 530 00:26:28,012 --> 00:26:29,096 But if they are wanting you to please them, 531 00:26:30,004 --> 00:26:31,088 and to satisfy them, and to honor them, 532 00:26:31,096 --> 00:26:34,000 and to live for them, so that they would praise 533 00:26:34,008 --> 00:26:38,050 you so that your identity would be in their adoration, 534 00:26:38,058 --> 00:26:42,004 Proverbs says that is snare, it's a trap. 535 00:26:42,012 --> 00:26:43,054 It says at the beginning of Proverbs that the fear of the 536 00:26:43,062 --> 00:26:46,021 Lord is the beginning of wisdom, so the answer is you live for 537 00:26:46,029 --> 00:26:49,067 God's fame, you live for God's name, you live for God's glory, 538 00:26:49,075 --> 00:26:51,046 and you live for God's approval. 539 00:26:51,054 --> 00:26:55,092 Your whole life is lived before an audience of one. 540 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,012 And he says, "Woe to you who care what others 541 00:26:58,021 --> 00:27:01,029 "think about you, and say about you, and blog about you, 542 00:27:01,038 --> 00:27:04,058 "and chat about you, and twitter about you, 543 00:27:04,067 --> 00:27:06,092 "and facebook about you. 544 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:11,008 "Woe to you who have ever technorotied yourself, 545 00:27:11,017 --> 00:27:17,088 or googled yourself, woe to you." 546 00:27:17,096 --> 00:27:19,046 Because it doesn't matter what everyone says, 547 00:27:19,054 --> 00:27:22,096 if the Father is pleased with you, if he loves you, 548 00:27:23,004 --> 00:27:27,029 then you are secure, and your identity is rooted in his 549 00:27:27,038 --> 00:27:32,054 affection, not your performance, and not the votes of others. 550 00:27:32,062 --> 00:27:35,000 He then transitions talking, 551 00:27:35,008 --> 00:27:38,008 and I hope you feel some conviction in this, I do. 552 00:27:38,017 --> 00:27:40,033 I'm preaching on the fame part in front of cameras 553 00:27:40,042 --> 00:27:47,096 and an audience, so the hypocrisy is now world class. 554 00:27:48,004 --> 00:27:51,079 But he does introduce this countercultural kingdom ethic, 555 00:27:51,088 --> 00:27:54,096 that in the kingdom, wealth, and comfort, and power, 556 00:27:55,004 --> 00:27:57,004 and fame are dealt with differently. 557 00:27:57,012 --> 00:27:59,058 You say, "Well, if the kingdom of God is not about wealth, 558 00:27:59,067 --> 00:28:03,008 and comfort, and power, and fame, what is it about?" 559 00:28:03,017 --> 00:28:05,033 And he says, "It's ultimately about love." 560 00:28:05,042 --> 00:28:09,042 I'll read that briefly, this is his second portion, verse 27, 561 00:28:09,050 --> 00:28:13,017 "But I say to you who hear, 'Love your enemies, 562 00:28:13,025 --> 00:28:16,075 do good to those who,'" what? 563 00:28:16,083 --> 00:28:18,046 "Hate you." 564 00:28:18,054 --> 00:28:20,008 That's a strong word. 565 00:28:20,017 --> 00:28:23,025 "Bless those who curse you. 566 00:28:23,033 --> 00:28:28,038 "Pray for those who mistreat or abuse you. 567 00:28:28,046 --> 00:28:31,025 "To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, 568 00:28:31,033 --> 00:28:33,088 and from one who takes away your cloak," 569 00:28:33,096 --> 00:28:39,000 you only have one, you only have one. 570 00:28:39,008 --> 00:28:41,042 "Do not withhold your tunic either. 571 00:28:41,050 --> 00:28:44,008 "Give to everyone who begs from you, 572 00:28:44,017 --> 00:28:46,012 "and from one who takes away your goods, 573 00:28:46,021 --> 00:28:49,046 "do not demand them back. 574 00:28:49,054 --> 00:28:54,042 "And as you wish that others would do to you, do to them. 575 00:28:54,050 --> 00:28:59,025 "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? 576 00:28:59,033 --> 00:29:02,012 "Even sinners love those who love them. 577 00:29:02,021 --> 00:29:04,021 "And if you do good to those who do good to you, 578 00:29:04,029 --> 00:29:06,033 "what benefit is that to you? 579 00:29:06,042 --> 00:29:08,046 "For even sinners do the same. 580 00:29:08,054 --> 00:29:11,058 "And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, 581 00:29:11,067 --> 00:29:13,083 "what credit is that back to you? 582 00:29:13,092 --> 00:29:18,021 "Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 583 00:29:18,029 --> 00:29:21,004 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, 584 00:29:21,012 --> 00:29:23,067 "expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, 585 00:29:23,075 --> 00:29:25,071 and you will be sons of the Most High--" 586 00:29:25,079 --> 00:29:27,079 there he is talking about dad, 587 00:29:27,088 --> 00:29:30,008 "For he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 588 00:29:30,017 --> 00:29:33,012 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." 589 00:29:33,021 --> 00:29:35,088 What he's saying is take everything that you hold dear, 590 00:29:35,096 --> 00:29:38,092 and let it go. 591 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:44,000 Your wealth, your comfort, your power, your fame, 592 00:29:44,008 --> 00:29:48,004 just let it go, just let it go. 593 00:29:48,012 --> 00:29:49,004 Jesus did. 594 00:29:49,012 --> 00:29:50,004 Did he have wealth? 595 00:29:50,012 --> 00:29:51,004 No. 596 00:29:51,012 --> 00:29:52,004 Did he have comfort? 597 00:29:52,012 --> 00:29:53,058 No. 598 00:29:53,067 --> 00:29:56,004 Was he in an official position of power? 599 00:29:56,012 --> 00:29:57,017 No. 600 00:29:57,025 --> 00:29:58,038 Did he have fame? 601 00:29:58,046 --> 00:30:01,088 He had fame, and then he had all of that fame 602 00:30:01,096 --> 00:30:04,075 turned toward venom. 603 00:30:04,083 --> 00:30:08,004 The same crowds who shouted, "Hosanna, Hosanna" 604 00:30:08,012 --> 00:30:10,038 shouted, "crucify him, crucify him," 605 00:30:10,046 --> 00:30:13,021 so fame could be fleeting as well. 606 00:30:13,029 --> 00:30:16,038 And so Jesus is saying that the kingdom ethic is love, 607 00:30:16,046 --> 00:30:18,042 to love your enemies. 608 00:30:18,050 --> 00:30:19,075 Who are your enemies? 609 00:30:19,083 --> 00:30:22,042 Don't let this live in an ethereal, ideological, 610 00:30:22,050 --> 00:30:23,096 philosophical world. 611 00:30:24,004 --> 00:30:29,042 Right now in your mind, see the face of your enemy, 612 00:30:29,050 --> 00:30:32,079 the person who has done you the most harm, the most damage, 613 00:30:32,088 --> 00:30:36,054 the most evil, the most injustice, has caused the most 614 00:30:36,062 --> 00:30:41,092 grief, the most stress, the most anguish, the most strife, 615 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,038 and Jesus says love. 616 00:30:45,046 --> 00:30:49,058 Secondly, do good to those who hate you. 617 00:30:49,067 --> 00:30:53,000 He says, "It's easy to do good to those who do good to you, 618 00:30:53,008 --> 00:30:54,033 do those who hate you." 619 00:30:54,042 --> 00:30:56,004 Who hates you? 620 00:30:56,012 --> 00:30:58,088 Who really dislikes you? 621 00:30:58,096 --> 00:31:01,046 Who really despises you? 622 00:31:01,054 --> 00:31:08,004 Perhaps even who has disowned you, who has disregarded you? 623 00:31:08,012 --> 00:31:11,096 What he says is do good to them. 624 00:31:12,004 --> 00:31:16,012 Be kind to them, acts of grace, and mercy, and kindness. 625 00:31:16,021 --> 00:31:20,075 Don't return evil for evil, the Scripture says elsewhere. 626 00:31:20,083 --> 00:31:23,033 Number three: he says to bless those who curse you. 627 00:31:23,042 --> 00:31:25,079 How difficult is it when someone curses you, 628 00:31:25,088 --> 00:31:29,008 they speak evil against you, they attack you with their 629 00:31:29,017 --> 00:31:31,033 words, they malign your character, 630 00:31:31,042 --> 00:31:36,017 they gossip about you, rumor mongering, half truths and lies. 631 00:31:36,025 --> 00:31:39,000 The tendency is to throw more logs on the fire, 632 00:31:39,008 --> 00:31:42,033 Proverbs would say, and stoke it into a great inferno. 633 00:31:42,042 --> 00:31:45,075 That's where James says that the tongue sets ablaze a mighty 634 00:31:45,083 --> 00:31:50,012 fire, and what he says is put water on that fire, 635 00:31:50,021 --> 00:31:51,033 not another log. 636 00:31:51,042 --> 00:31:54,017 No more reviling or gossip or anger or bitterness. 637 00:31:54,025 --> 00:31:58,000 Don't return negative comment for negative comment, 638 00:31:58,008 --> 00:31:59,092 or negative blog for negative blog, 639 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:08,008 or criticism for criticism, bless, bless, bless. 640 00:32:08,017 --> 00:32:10,008 And I want you to see this, friends, 641 00:32:10,017 --> 00:32:13,079 the most painful parts of life are the most glorious 642 00:32:13,088 --> 00:32:17,017 opportunities to live out the kingdom ethics. 643 00:32:17,025 --> 00:32:21,004 And so for the Christian what can often happen is when we find 644 00:32:21,012 --> 00:32:23,033 ourselves in these circumstances, we can ask God, 645 00:32:23,042 --> 00:32:25,033 "Why am I being persecuted, why am I poor? 646 00:32:25,042 --> 00:32:28,004 "Why am I hungry, why am I hurting, why am I suffering, 647 00:32:28,012 --> 00:32:30,096 why am I opposed, why am I struggling?" 648 00:32:31,004 --> 00:32:34,092 And the Father would say, "Blessed are you." 649 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:36,050 That's a blessing. 650 00:32:36,058 --> 00:32:40,017 "I'm giving you an opportunity to experience a bit 651 00:32:40,025 --> 00:32:41,092 "of what Jesus did. 652 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,067 "I'm giving you an opportunity to become a little more like 653 00:32:45,075 --> 00:32:49,054 "Jesus is, and I'm giving you an opportunity to show others 654 00:32:49,062 --> 00:32:52,075 a little bit of who Jesus is." 655 00:32:52,083 --> 00:32:54,079 It's an opportunity. 656 00:32:54,088 --> 00:32:59,062 Every situation really comes down to your view of God. 657 00:32:59,071 --> 00:33:02,012 If you believe God is a God of woe, 658 00:33:02,021 --> 00:33:04,021 and he's always judging you, and he's always angry at you, 659 00:33:04,029 --> 00:33:08,004 and he's always cursing you, and he's always consequenting you, 660 00:33:08,012 --> 00:33:12,000 then when tragedy, strife, grief, poverty, and pain come, 661 00:33:12,008 --> 00:33:14,038 you're angry at God, you're frustrated, you run from God, 662 00:33:14,046 --> 00:33:16,067 you're depressed, you're despairing. 663 00:33:16,075 --> 00:33:20,012 And if you believe Jesus' words, "Blessed are you," 664 00:33:20,021 --> 00:33:24,029 you rejoice in all circumstances, and you look 665 00:33:24,038 --> 00:33:28,033 for the opportunity to practice the kingdom ethic, 666 00:33:28,042 --> 00:33:31,067 and to become a better kingdom citizen. 667 00:33:31,075 --> 00:33:33,021 So here's the big idea: 668 00:33:33,029 --> 00:33:35,038 Jesus won't make you rich, he won't make you powerful, 669 00:33:35,046 --> 00:33:38,004 he won't make you comfortable, he won't make you famous, 670 00:33:38,012 --> 00:33:40,004 he won't make everyone be nice to you, 671 00:33:40,012 --> 00:33:44,029 he won't make all your troubles go away, 672 00:33:44,038 --> 00:33:46,017 and idolatry teaches that he will. 673 00:33:46,025 --> 00:33:49,067 You can use Jesus for fame, comfort, power, glory. 674 00:33:49,075 --> 00:33:52,021 You can use Jesus for health, and healing, and success, 675 00:33:52,029 --> 00:33:55,092 and prominence, and all it is is offering Jesus as the world's 676 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:01,004 greatest idol giver, a means to an end. 677 00:34:01,012 --> 00:34:07,058 Or Jesus says, "Assume that your present circumstances are God's 678 00:34:07,067 --> 00:34:09,067 blessing to you." 679 00:34:09,075 --> 00:34:11,067 Assume that God is good. 680 00:34:11,075 --> 00:34:13,021 Assume that God is doing good. 681 00:34:13,029 --> 00:34:15,075 And some of you say, "But I have been abused." 682 00:34:15,083 --> 00:34:17,029 That's not your identity. 683 00:34:17,038 --> 00:34:18,092 Your identity is in Christ. 684 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,046 You are loved by the Father. 685 00:34:20,054 --> 00:34:23,012 You're a citizen of the kingdom, and if you get that, 686 00:34:23,021 --> 00:34:26,075 you can even bless those who abuse you. 687 00:34:26,083 --> 00:34:31,017 And if you don't, you'll become bitter, angry, hostile, selfish, 688 00:34:31,025 --> 00:34:37,054 self-righteous, judgmental, justified, woe are you, 689 00:34:37,062 --> 00:34:40,008 woe to you. 690 00:34:40,017 --> 00:34:43,008 See, Jesus is trying to save us from Satan's sin, 691 00:34:43,017 --> 00:34:47,096 death and ourselves, and ourselves. 692 00:34:48,004 --> 00:34:50,075 Because when we are attacked by the world's system and its 693 00:34:50,083 --> 00:34:55,092 ideology, the first inclination is to respond in a worldly way, 694 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,008 rather than in a kingdom way. 695 00:34:58,017 --> 00:35:01,096 He goes on to say, "Pray for those who mistreat you." 696 00:35:02,004 --> 00:35:05,079 You should have a list: who has mistreated you, 697 00:35:05,088 --> 00:35:09,038 who is mistreating you, in the future, who will mistreat you, 698 00:35:09,046 --> 00:35:10,050 keep a list. 699 00:35:10,058 --> 00:35:12,008 Does that mean you don't call the cops if they broke the law, 700 00:35:12,017 --> 00:35:14,004 or you don't call the church if there needs to be discipline, 701 00:35:14,012 --> 00:35:15,088 you don't confront them if they're in sin? 702 00:35:15,096 --> 00:35:19,029 Not at all, but you pray for them, two reasons: 703 00:35:19,038 --> 00:35:22,008 your heart and their heart. 704 00:35:22,017 --> 00:35:23,038 Your heart, that when you approach them, 705 00:35:23,046 --> 00:35:26,067 you do so righteously, not vindictively, 706 00:35:26,075 --> 00:35:29,096 not seeking your own vengeance, and you pray for their heart, 707 00:35:30,004 --> 00:35:32,058 that they would come to repentance and their senses, 708 00:35:32,067 --> 00:35:35,000 that they would come to Jesus, their king, 709 00:35:35,008 --> 00:35:36,038 that they would bow their knee, that they would join his 710 00:35:36,046 --> 00:35:38,079 kingdom, and that they too would become brothers and sisters 711 00:35:38,088 --> 00:35:40,092 in the kingdom. 712 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:45,050 He goes on to say, "Do not retaliate," number five. 713 00:35:45,058 --> 00:35:47,092 Don't return evil for evil, reviling for reviling, 714 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,004 cursing for cursing, animosity for animosity. 715 00:35:51,012 --> 00:35:53,017 Some of you keep record of wrongs. 716 00:35:53,025 --> 00:35:55,008 Corinthians says you should keep no record of wrongs, 717 00:35:55,017 --> 00:35:57,012 and the record of wrongs is this, "You did that, 718 00:35:57,021 --> 00:35:59,083 then I have the right to do something else." 719 00:35:59,092 --> 00:36:02,008 And some of you even do this in your marriages: 720 00:36:02,017 --> 00:36:05,004 "Well, you did that to me, so I did this to you." 721 00:36:05,012 --> 00:36:06,071 That's not the kingdom. 722 00:36:06,079 --> 00:36:09,050 Woe to you if that's your ethic. 723 00:36:09,058 --> 00:36:11,083 Do not retaliate. 724 00:36:11,092 --> 00:36:14,012 Number six: he says give freely. 725 00:36:14,021 --> 00:36:17,004 This is where we really see if the ethic is sticking. 726 00:36:17,012 --> 00:36:20,042 People vote with their wealth. 727 00:36:20,050 --> 00:36:22,017 You give to your God. 728 00:36:22,025 --> 00:36:26,004 If your God is food, that's your first priority. 729 00:36:26,012 --> 00:36:27,062 The Bible calls it first fruits. 730 00:36:27,071 --> 00:36:29,021 If it's fame, glory, power, identity, 731 00:36:29,029 --> 00:36:31,088 prestige, and you're worried about what car you drive, 732 00:36:31,096 --> 00:36:34,046 what house you live in, and whose name is on your underwear, 733 00:36:34,054 --> 00:36:38,025 and that's the most important thing in the world to you. 734 00:36:38,033 --> 00:36:42,046 And if you can give generously, it shows that you do not have 735 00:36:42,054 --> 00:36:44,067 the mentality of someone who is rich. 736 00:36:44,075 --> 00:36:47,000 When Jesus rebukes those who are rich, 737 00:36:47,008 --> 00:36:49,054 he's rebuking those whose heart and their identity 738 00:36:49,062 --> 00:36:51,012 is in their riches. 739 00:36:51,021 --> 00:36:52,096 They're not generous, they're not good stewards, 740 00:36:53,004 --> 00:36:54,096 they're not gracious. 741 00:36:55,004 --> 00:36:59,000 For those who have an open hand, they see themselves as stewards 742 00:36:59,008 --> 00:37:01,071 that everything belongs to God, and we're to give generously, 743 00:37:01,079 --> 00:37:04,083 and share freely, and steward wisely. 744 00:37:04,092 --> 00:37:07,008 He says, then there is a great blessing for those people. 745 00:37:07,017 --> 00:37:08,079 As Jesus says elsewhere, they're storing up 746 00:37:08,088 --> 00:37:10,096 their treasures in heaven. 747 00:37:11,004 --> 00:37:12,021 They're not hoarding and holding, 748 00:37:12,029 --> 00:37:15,054 they're giving and sharing. 749 00:37:15,062 --> 00:37:17,042 And he says lastly, and this is the big idea. 750 00:37:17,050 --> 00:37:20,046 This is the big idea of the countercultural kingdom ethic of 751 00:37:20,054 --> 00:37:24,050 Jesus, treat other people the way you want to be treated. 752 00:37:24,058 --> 00:37:26,092 It's really that simple. 753 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:31,012 Treat others the way you would want to be treated, because 754 00:37:31,021 --> 00:37:34,092 what we tend to be, we are a nation, a people, a world, 755 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:40,062 addicted to our rights, and completely oblivious 756 00:37:40,071 --> 00:37:43,021 to our obligations. 757 00:37:43,029 --> 00:37:48,012 We owe no one nothing, and everyone owes us something, 758 00:37:48,021 --> 00:37:50,071 and Jesus says, treat others the way you would want 759 00:37:50,079 --> 00:37:52,008 to be treated. 760 00:37:52,017 --> 00:37:54,083 The way you would like others to be obligated to you, 761 00:37:54,092 --> 00:37:58,021 you initiate by being obligated to them in that way of 762 00:37:58,029 --> 00:38:02,079 generosity, and kindness, and mercy, and compassion. 763 00:38:02,088 --> 00:38:06,062 The world knows nothing of these values. 764 00:38:06,071 --> 00:38:11,000 The kingdoms of this world know nothing of these values. 765 00:38:11,008 --> 00:38:14,092 Those who heard this in Jesus' day hadn't even considered that 766 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:20,050 there could be a king like Jesus and a kingdom like his. 767 00:38:20,058 --> 00:38:25,042 And so they come from miles, they walk for days in the heat. 768 00:38:25,050 --> 00:38:28,017 They are sweating profusely. 769 00:38:28,025 --> 00:38:32,025 They are walking away from day's wages and labor as carpenters, 770 00:38:32,033 --> 00:38:38,029 and fishermen, and herdsmen, and farmers, 771 00:38:38,038 --> 00:38:40,062 not because they're going to get anything, 772 00:38:40,071 --> 00:38:45,092 but the hope of the kingdom, and to meet the king. 773 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,008 It meant everything. 774 00:38:49,017 --> 00:38:53,083 Now, I'll close with a few things. 775 00:38:53,092 --> 00:38:59,004 The kingdom of God is not about getting. 776 00:38:59,012 --> 00:39:00,004 That's what Jesus is saying. 777 00:39:00,012 --> 00:39:01,021 It's not about getting wealth. 778 00:39:01,029 --> 00:39:02,038 It's not about getting power. 779 00:39:02,046 --> 00:39:03,071 It's not about getting comfort. 780 00:39:03,079 --> 00:39:05,096 It's not about getting fame. 781 00:39:06,004 --> 00:39:08,096 And the kingdom of God is not about doing. 782 00:39:09,004 --> 00:39:12,012 It's not what you do so that God will be pleased with you. 783 00:39:12,021 --> 00:39:17,012 The kingdom ultimately is about being. 784 00:39:17,021 --> 00:39:21,012 It's about being in relationship with God. 785 00:39:21,021 --> 00:39:24,067 It's about being in relationship with God, 786 00:39:24,075 --> 00:39:27,050 and there are two ways that some will teach you to work out 787 00:39:27,058 --> 00:39:30,000 the counterculture kingdom ethic of Jesus. 788 00:39:30,008 --> 00:39:33,071 One is absolute nonsense, religious garbage, I hate it, 789 00:39:33,079 --> 00:39:37,008 and there is a fury in me as I travel throughout this land, 790 00:39:37,017 --> 00:39:39,038 and I see Muslims, and I see Jews, 791 00:39:39,046 --> 00:39:42,067 and I see Jack Christians who are religious, 792 00:39:42,075 --> 00:39:45,096 worshiping places, worshiping people, 793 00:39:46,004 --> 00:39:49,000 identifying themselves by their performance, and their power, 794 00:39:49,008 --> 00:39:51,079 and their prestige, and their prosperity, 795 00:39:51,088 --> 00:39:53,083 pressing themselves into the elevator, 796 00:39:53,092 --> 00:39:55,046 cutting in line for food. 797 00:39:55,054 --> 00:39:57,071 The kingdom exists nowhere. 798 00:39:57,079 --> 00:39:59,067 This is no holy land! 799 00:39:59,075 --> 00:40:01,062 This is a very unholy land! 800 00:40:01,071 --> 00:40:04,004 This is among the most unholy lands on the nation 801 00:40:04,012 --> 00:40:05,008 of the earth! 802 00:40:05,017 --> 00:40:07,050 The idolatry is steep and deep! 803 00:40:07,058 --> 00:40:10,092 It's just like the days when Jesus went to the temple, 804 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,017 and absolutely was filled with fury. 805 00:40:13,025 --> 00:40:15,088 There is a righteous anger in the heart of God over those who 806 00:40:15,096 --> 00:40:20,021 would pilgrimage here, and cut in line for food, and steal, 807 00:40:20,029 --> 00:40:23,029 and cheat, and download porno in their hotel, 808 00:40:23,038 --> 00:40:25,096 and flirt with others, and have a wandering eye, 809 00:40:26,004 --> 00:40:28,012 and then talk about the holy land. 810 00:40:28,021 --> 00:40:29,062 It's not about the holy land. 811 00:40:29,071 --> 00:40:32,008 It's about the holy king, and the holy kingdom, 812 00:40:32,017 --> 00:40:35,050 and repentant people by grace being connected to him, 813 00:40:35,058 --> 00:40:38,004 and being conformed to him. 814 00:40:38,012 --> 00:40:41,075 And so for us, it is never a place, it is a person, 815 00:40:41,083 --> 00:40:45,088 and the center of our faith is Jesus. 816 00:40:45,096 --> 00:40:48,071 And it doesn't matter what hill they stood on, 817 00:40:48,079 --> 00:40:50,083 they stood there with who? 818 00:40:50,092 --> 00:40:52,029 Jesus. 819 00:40:52,038 --> 00:40:53,096 That's all that matters, friends. 820 00:40:54,004 --> 00:40:57,038 That place is nothing more than dirt, 821 00:40:57,046 --> 00:41:01,050 and that man is nothing less than God. 822 00:41:01,058 --> 00:41:03,096 And that's the big idea of the kingdom ethic. 823 00:41:04,004 --> 00:41:05,017 It's about Jesus. 824 00:41:05,025 --> 00:41:06,096 It's always about Jesus. 825 00:41:07,004 --> 00:41:09,062 It's completely, thoroughly, exclusively, 826 00:41:09,071 --> 00:41:14,054 continually unswervingly, unendingly about Jesus, 827 00:41:14,062 --> 00:41:19,000 and he is the king, and it is his kingdom. 828 00:41:19,008 --> 00:41:23,025 And it is not about religious performance so that we could get 829 00:41:23,033 --> 00:41:25,038 wealth, and he would bless us, we could get comfort, 830 00:41:25,046 --> 00:41:29,050 and our life would be easy, that we would get power, 831 00:41:29,058 --> 00:41:32,054 and we would be able to control our own destinies, 832 00:41:32,062 --> 00:41:36,038 that we would have fame, and others would speak well of us. 833 00:41:36,046 --> 00:41:38,062 It's about him. 834 00:41:38,071 --> 00:41:40,029 It's about his name. 835 00:41:40,038 --> 00:41:41,088 It's about his fame. 836 00:41:41,096 --> 00:41:43,096 It's about his reputation. 837 00:41:44,004 --> 00:41:45,071 It's about his kingdom. 838 00:41:45,079 --> 00:41:47,071 It's about his ethic. 839 00:41:47,079 --> 00:41:50,067 And those who would read this text like Mahatma Gandhi 840 00:41:50,075 --> 00:41:52,058 and say, "I don't believe Jesus is God. 841 00:41:52,067 --> 00:41:53,075 "I don't believe he's savior. 842 00:41:53,083 --> 00:41:55,017 "I don't believe he regenerates the heart. 843 00:41:55,025 --> 00:41:56,075 "I don't believe he fills us with the Holy Spirit. 844 00:41:56,083 --> 00:41:58,075 "I don't believe he gives us a new kingdom, 845 00:41:58,083 --> 00:42:02,008 "capacity through connection to the Father to live a new life. 846 00:42:02,017 --> 00:42:04,050 "I just believe these are wonderful, ancient, 847 00:42:04,058 --> 00:42:06,079 moral truisms for good life." 848 00:42:06,088 --> 00:42:11,008 Woe to you if all Jesus is is a teacher. 849 00:42:11,017 --> 00:42:14,079 Woe to you if all he is is another charlatan rabbi, 850 00:42:14,088 --> 00:42:16,067 another philosopher. 851 00:42:16,075 --> 00:42:19,000 Woe to you. 852 00:42:19,008 --> 00:42:24,025 It is not about Jesus' teaching, it is about his person and work. 853 00:42:24,033 --> 00:42:28,075 He's God come for us, the king has come in humble circumstances 854 00:42:28,083 --> 00:42:31,000 to a town that is small. 855 00:42:31,008 --> 00:42:35,012 He is come to nowhere to meet with no ones, 856 00:42:35,021 --> 00:42:39,092 and to love and to serve, and he knows that ultimately he is 857 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,096 going to the cross where he would die for all of these sins, 858 00:42:43,004 --> 00:42:45,083 yours and mine included, that he would rise, 859 00:42:45,092 --> 00:42:48,004 and that he would go, where? 860 00:42:48,012 --> 00:42:54,004 To the kingdom to prepare a place for us, so that we 861 00:42:54,012 --> 00:43:01,012 wouldn't need to be cursed, that we could be blessed. 862 00:43:01,021 --> 00:43:08,025 This kingdom starts in the church. 863 00:43:08,033 --> 00:43:12,004 There is an already not yet aspect to the kingdom. 864 00:43:12,012 --> 00:43:13,096 I'll give you an excursuses on eschatology, 865 00:43:14,004 --> 00:43:18,042 and then pray, maybe. 866 00:43:18,050 --> 00:43:21,017 Some will look around, and I've spoken with some Jewish people 867 00:43:21,025 --> 00:43:23,008 whom have become friends, and I love, 868 00:43:23,017 --> 00:43:24,067 and I appreciate, and I enjoy, 869 00:43:24,075 --> 00:43:25,092 and they've been gracious and nice. 870 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:31,008 And I mean not to denigrate, but I do mean to instruct. 871 00:43:31,017 --> 00:43:33,067 And they would say, "Well, we do not believe Jesus is Messiah 872 00:43:33,075 --> 00:43:38,021 because we do not see the kingdom." 873 00:43:38,029 --> 00:43:41,021 In the Old Testament, the great King David, 874 00:43:41,029 --> 00:43:44,017 he was the prototype and prefiguring of the coming of 875 00:43:44,025 --> 00:43:46,071 Jesus, the king of kings. 876 00:43:46,079 --> 00:43:49,071 He was appointed king, 877 00:43:49,079 --> 00:43:53,025 and not yet reigning for a period of time. 878 00:43:53,033 --> 00:43:56,058 The same is true with King Jesus. 879 00:43:56,067 --> 00:43:59,017 He has been anointed and appointed king, 880 00:43:59,025 --> 00:44:01,088 and he has not yet returned to establish his kingdom 881 00:44:01,096 --> 00:44:04,012 on the earth. 882 00:44:04,021 --> 00:44:07,088 And so in the meantime, the kingdom is already not yet, 883 00:44:07,096 --> 00:44:10,033 to use the language of Paul. 884 00:44:10,042 --> 00:44:15,000 For those who have faith, eyes to see, and the empowering 885 00:44:15,008 --> 00:44:18,096 presence of the Holy Spirit, you see the kingdom. 886 00:44:19,004 --> 00:44:22,046 You see people repent of sin, you see selfish people become 887 00:44:22,054 --> 00:44:25,071 unselfish, you see greedy people become generous. 888 00:44:25,079 --> 00:44:28,092 You see shame-filled people be absolutely transformed 889 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,058 by the love and grace of Jesus. 890 00:44:31,067 --> 00:44:35,058 You see people who are bitter become forgiving. 891 00:44:35,067 --> 00:44:40,004 You get to see, as a citizen of the kingdom and a member of 892 00:44:40,012 --> 00:44:42,079 the church which is the outpost to the kingdom community, 893 00:44:42,088 --> 00:44:45,092 and the beginning, the dawning, the inauguration of the kingdom, 894 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,088 and the rule of King Jesus, you get to see the kingdom. 895 00:44:48,096 --> 00:44:53,004 I get to see the kingdom all the time in the transformed lives 896 00:44:53,012 --> 00:44:56,033 of people who meet Jesus. 897 00:44:56,042 --> 00:44:58,071 So for those who would say, "Well, I don't see the kingdom." 898 00:44:58,079 --> 00:45:01,008 Well it's not because you're part of the church, 899 00:45:01,017 --> 00:45:02,012 or I should say it differently, 900 00:45:02,021 --> 00:45:06,012 it's because you're not part of the church. 901 00:45:06,021 --> 00:45:09,029 The God of this world has blinded some, so they don't see 902 00:45:09,038 --> 00:45:11,025 the king in the kingdom. 903 00:45:11,033 --> 00:45:13,033 They're not in the church, so they don't see the work of 904 00:45:13,042 --> 00:45:15,029 the king and they don't see the citizens of the kingdom, 905 00:45:15,038 --> 00:45:17,050 and they don't see Dad's love for all of his kids, 906 00:45:17,058 --> 00:45:19,092 and the transforming work in all of their lives. 907 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,000 If you want to see the kingdom, don't look over the nations of 908 00:45:23,008 --> 00:45:25,004 the earth and ask, why are there still kings? 909 00:45:25,012 --> 00:45:27,004 Why is there still oppression, and injustice, 910 00:45:27,012 --> 00:45:29,008 and tyranny, and evil? 911 00:45:29,017 --> 00:45:31,021 Go into the church and meet those who've repented of sin and 912 00:45:31,029 --> 00:45:36,083 met Jesus, and you'll see the dawning of the work of the king. 913 00:45:36,092 --> 00:45:39,008 You'll see the beginning of the unveiling 914 00:45:39,017 --> 00:45:43,096 of the ethic of the kingdom. 915 00:45:44,004 --> 00:45:45,092 I see the kingdom all the time. 916 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:50,079 Some of you I know well, some of you I've seen become Christians. 917 00:45:50,088 --> 00:45:54,000 I've seen some of you transformed. 918 00:45:54,008 --> 00:45:55,046 I've seen some of you married. 919 00:45:55,054 --> 00:45:58,096 I've seen some of you divorced, and not even fight for money 920 00:45:59,004 --> 00:46:02,083 from your adulterating spouse, not even argue, 921 00:46:02,092 --> 00:46:05,079 not even hire an attorney, not fight for your rights, 922 00:46:05,088 --> 00:46:09,008 not speak a cursed word, but intercede in prayer 923 00:46:09,017 --> 00:46:11,025 that they would come to Christ. 924 00:46:11,033 --> 00:46:15,000 I see the kingdom all the time. 925 00:46:15,008 --> 00:46:21,092 And for those of us who get to see the kingdom, blessed are we. 926 00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:25,058 Father God, I thank you for the Scriptures and the Lord Jesus. 927 00:46:25,067 --> 00:46:29,067 Jesus, I thank you that you are a king. 928 00:46:29,075 --> 00:46:34,067 You look like a humble, Galilean peasant carpenter from a small 929 00:46:34,075 --> 00:46:42,083 town, and you were that, and God in flesh, king of kings. 930 00:46:42,092 --> 00:46:46,054 Lord Jesus, as you came humbly, we know your kingdom begins 931 00:46:46,062 --> 00:46:50,067 humbly and as you rose triumphantly and victoriously, 932 00:46:50,075 --> 00:46:53,062 we know that your kingdom will emerge triumphantly 933 00:46:53,071 --> 00:46:55,021 and victoriously. 934 00:46:55,029 --> 00:46:57,042 God, for those of us who are here and are convicted by the 935 00:46:57,050 --> 00:47:01,062 Holy Spirit of sin in our life, where we are operating by 936 00:47:01,071 --> 00:47:04,029 the ethic of this world rather than the kingdom, 937 00:47:04,038 --> 00:47:07,000 may we repent by the power of the Holy Spirit, 938 00:47:07,008 --> 00:47:11,025 may we be changed, may we not come here to see a holy place, 939 00:47:11,033 --> 00:47:13,038 may we come here to be a holy people, 940 00:47:13,046 --> 00:47:17,075 may we know that we don't come here to get closer to you 941 00:47:17,083 --> 00:47:21,058 on this dirt, but we get closer to you through 942 00:47:21,067 --> 00:47:24,062 the Lord Jesus Christ who is our intercessor, our high priest, 943 00:47:24,071 --> 00:47:28,004 our advocate, our king. 944 00:47:28,012 --> 00:47:30,075 Jesus, we thank you that you came in humility, 945 00:47:30,083 --> 00:47:34,083 that you died and rose graciously, 946 00:47:34,092 --> 00:47:39,033 that you emptied yourself of wealth, and comfort, and power, 947 00:47:39,042 --> 00:47:42,054 and fame so that you could simply love, 948 00:47:42,062 --> 00:47:46,079 that you could love. 949 00:47:46,088 --> 00:47:49,092 And God, we know that God demonstrates his love for us 950 00:47:50,000 --> 00:47:54,075 in this while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 951 00:47:54,083 --> 00:47:57,038 Jesus, thank you for dying for all of our sins, 952 00:47:57,046 --> 00:48:01,092 and thank you for adopting us into the family by the Father, 953 00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:05,042 as sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, 954 00:48:05,050 --> 00:48:07,029 citizens of the kingdom. 955 00:48:07,038 --> 00:48:10,046 May we live out this new ethic, not of our own work, 956 00:48:10,054 --> 00:48:12,046 but by the power of the Holy Spirit, 957 00:48:12,054 --> 00:48:15,000 not through religion, but through regeneration, 958 00:48:15,008 --> 00:48:18,075 not so that you would love us, but because you already have. 959 00:48:18,083 --> 00:48:21,021 In Jesus' name, Amen. 960 00:48:21,083 --> 00:00:00,000