1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,000 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,250 ♪ Oh, who's that writing? ♪ 3 00:00:10,333 --> 00:00:12,000 ♪ John the Revelator ♪ 4 00:00:12,042 --> 00:00:14,167 ♪ Who's that writing? ♪ 5 00:00:14,250 --> 00:00:16,042 ♪ John the Revelator ♪ 6 00:00:16,167 --> 00:00:18,167 ♪ Oh, who's that writing? ♪ 7 00:00:18,208 --> 00:00:20,167 ♪ John the Revelator ♪ 8 00:00:20,208 --> 00:00:23,500 ♪ A book of the seven seals ♪ 9 00:00:23,500 --> 00:00:26,083 ♪ Tell me, what's John writing? ♪ 10 00:00:26,167 --> 00:00:28,000 ♪ Ask the Revelator ♪ 11 00:00:28,042 --> 00:00:30,083 ♪ What's John writing? ♪ 12 00:00:30,167 --> 00:00:31,833 ♪ Ask the Revelator ♪ 13 00:00:31,833 --> 00:00:34,000 ♪ Tell me, what's John writing? ♪ 14 00:00:34,042 --> 00:00:36,000 ♪ Ask the Revelator ♪ 15 00:00:36,042 --> 00:00:40,500 ♪ A book of the seven seals ♪♪ 16 00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:50,333 What do you pay attention to? 17 00:00:50,333 --> 00:00:55,500 Stock market, home values, sports team, band on the road, 18 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:58,042 upcoming movie, favorite video game? 19 00:00:58,167 --> 00:00:59,667 Who do you follow online? 20 00:00:59,750 --> 00:01:02,875 A lot of what we pay attention to is on our phone, right? 21 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,833 Keep it as close as we possibly can. 22 00:01:05,833 --> 00:01:08,333 If we tracked your online activity, what do you 23 00:01:08,333 --> 00:01:10,167 really pay attention to? 24 00:01:10,250 --> 00:01:13,375 It reveals a lot about who we love, what we love, 25 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:15,167 what we're into, what we're not into. 26 00:01:15,250 --> 00:01:17,500 I had a funny occurrence some years ago. 27 00:01:17,542 --> 00:01:20,250 I was talking to a great Bible teacher named R. C. Sproul. 28 00:01:20,333 --> 00:01:22,833 He's an elderly gentleman. 29 00:01:22,833 --> 00:01:26,000 And I asked him, "So what's it like to have so many people 30 00:01:26,042 --> 00:01:27,833 download you on iTunes?" 31 00:01:27,833 --> 00:01:30,667 He said, "I what?" Never even heard of iTunes. 32 00:01:30,750 --> 00:01:33,167 I said, "Well, they subscribe to your podcast." 33 00:01:33,250 --> 00:01:36,000 "Pod what? Never heard of it." 34 00:01:36,042 --> 00:01:38,333 I said, "Well, haven't you been on the Internet?" 35 00:01:38,417 --> 00:01:40,333 He said, "I've never been on the Internet." 36 00:01:40,417 --> 00:01:42,333 Said, "Really? Do you even have a phone?" 37 00:01:42,417 --> 00:01:44,542 He said, "Well, my grandson bought me a phone 38 00:01:44,667 --> 00:01:46,167 and I do use it." 39 00:01:46,250 --> 00:01:48,375 I said, "Well, what do you use it for?" 40 00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:51,083 He said, "Well, there's a button I hit and it tells me 41 00:01:51,167 --> 00:01:53,000 what's going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers." 42 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,583 It's the only information he had ever accessed from the Internet. 43 00:01:56,667 --> 00:01:59,583 And the only way he knew how to use his phone was, 44 00:01:59,667 --> 00:02:02,375 "If I hit the Steelers button, I get to learn about 45 00:02:02,500 --> 00:02:04,250 what's going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers." 46 00:02:04,333 --> 00:02:06,250 What do you pay attention to? 47 00:02:06,333 --> 00:02:08,000 Have you ever wondered or been curious, 48 00:02:08,042 --> 00:02:09,667 what's Jesus paying attention to? 49 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:12,750 I mean, he came to the earth on a mission 50 00:02:12,833 --> 00:02:15,500 to glorify the Father and to die for sinners. 51 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:19,167 He rose from death after his death in our place on the cross. 52 00:02:19,208 --> 00:02:21,167 He ascended back into heaven. 53 00:02:21,208 --> 00:02:23,500 Right now Jesus is exalted and enthroned, 54 00:02:23,500 --> 00:02:25,333 and he sees and knows all. 55 00:02:25,417 --> 00:02:27,375 What's he paying attention to? 56 00:02:27,500 --> 00:02:29,375 So we open up Revelation 2 and 3, 57 00:02:29,500 --> 00:02:33,000 we see that Jesus pays attention to the local church. 58 00:02:33,042 --> 00:02:35,750 He cares a lot about the local church. 59 00:02:35,833 --> 00:02:39,083 And he, through a pastor named John, a friend of his, 60 00:02:39,167 --> 00:02:42,333 he provides us seven letters written to seven churches. 61 00:02:42,333 --> 00:02:44,750 And they're not just random churches, 62 00:02:44,833 --> 00:02:46,750 they're actually a family of churches, 63 00:02:46,833 --> 00:02:48,667 like our 14 Mars Hill churches. 64 00:02:48,750 --> 00:02:52,167 And they're linked and working together on mission for Jesus 65 00:02:52,250 --> 00:02:54,500 in various areas. 66 00:02:54,542 --> 00:02:57,083 And as Jesus speaks to each of the churches, 67 00:02:57,167 --> 00:03:00,083 it's amazing how closely he's paying attention. 68 00:03:00,167 --> 00:03:02,875 Do you pay attention to what's going on at your church? 69 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,250 Do you know how it's going, and how to pray, and who's leading, 70 00:03:06,333 --> 00:03:09,333 and where the needs are, and how you could be prayerfully, 71 00:03:09,333 --> 00:03:12,167 carefully considering your place in the body of Christ? 72 00:03:12,208 --> 00:03:15,375 Jesus is paying really close attention to the local churches, 73 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:18,333 so much so that as we read the letters written some 74 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:22,000 2,000 years ago, as John is dictating for us what Jesus 75 00:03:22,042 --> 00:03:25,083 is saying to us, Jesus knows who the human leaders are, 76 00:03:25,167 --> 00:03:26,833 who the spiritual leaders are. 77 00:03:26,833 --> 00:03:28,583 He knows how they're doing theologically. 78 00:03:28,667 --> 00:03:31,667 He knows the false teachers that some churches have allowed in. 79 00:03:31,750 --> 00:03:34,667 He knows those churches that are struggling and suffering. 80 00:03:34,708 --> 00:03:37,833 And he has a very clear, detailed picture of what's going on 81 00:03:37,833 --> 00:03:39,375 in the local church. 82 00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:41,250 What do you pay attention to? 83 00:03:41,333 --> 00:03:44,083 Well, what Jesus pays attention to is the local church. 84 00:03:44,167 --> 00:03:46,667 And he doesn't just write letters to individual Christians 85 00:03:46,750 --> 00:03:48,667 because it's all about a personal relationship 86 00:03:48,750 --> 00:03:50,167 with Jesus. 87 00:03:50,208 --> 00:03:52,833 We want you to have a personal relationship with Jesus. 88 00:03:52,833 --> 00:03:54,375 He's someone who's alive and well, 89 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:56,083 and wants a relationship with you. 90 00:03:56,167 --> 00:03:59,667 But he writes instead letters to churches, to the people of God. 91 00:03:59,708 --> 00:04:01,833 Not just the individual people of God, 92 00:04:01,833 --> 00:04:03,875 but the collective people of God. 93 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,667 And as we've looked at it, 94 00:04:05,708 --> 00:04:09,375 Jesus sometimes has nothing nice to say. 95 00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:12,833 Some of your parents told you, "If you can't say anything nice, 96 00:04:12,917 --> 00:04:14,750 don't say anything at all." 97 00:04:14,833 --> 00:04:17,083 Well, Jesus' mother, Mary, never told him that. 98 00:04:17,167 --> 00:04:20,000 Because if it's a bad church that doesn't have anything good 99 00:04:20,042 --> 00:04:23,083 going on, we've seen in the letters that Jesus provides, 100 00:04:23,167 --> 00:04:25,500 he doesn't have anything nice to say. 101 00:04:25,542 --> 00:04:27,542 Other churches, it's a little good, little bad. 102 00:04:27,667 --> 00:04:29,875 And he'll say, "Well, here's good and here's bad. 103 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,083 "And I'm encouraged here but you need to do 104 00:04:32,167 --> 00:04:33,667 some course correction there." 105 00:04:33,750 --> 00:04:35,667 Today, the church in Philadelphia, 106 00:04:35,708 --> 00:04:38,000 he has nothing bad to say about them. 107 00:04:38,042 --> 00:04:40,083 Nothing bad to say to them. 108 00:04:40,167 --> 00:04:42,583 No criticism whatsoever, only commendation. 109 00:04:42,667 --> 00:04:44,833 No correction. 110 00:04:44,833 --> 00:04:47,167 And I get really frustrated because sometimes people 111 00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:49,000 will broad-brush churches. 112 00:04:49,042 --> 00:04:52,667 There's, let's say, 300,000-plus churches 113 00:04:52,708 --> 00:04:54,042 in America. 114 00:04:54,167 --> 00:04:56,042 People say, "Oh, the church has gone astray." 115 00:04:56,167 --> 00:04:57,500 Three hundred thousand of them? 116 00:04:57,500 --> 00:04:59,833 That seems like a bit of a generalization. 117 00:04:59,917 --> 00:05:01,667 Or, "The church is strong and growing." 118 00:05:01,750 --> 00:05:03,375 Well, not 300,000 of them. 119 00:05:03,500 --> 00:05:06,333 You can't make generalizations about churches. 120 00:05:06,333 --> 00:05:08,875 You have to look at each local church. 121 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,333 And so for us at Mars Hill, we look at each of our 122 00:05:12,333 --> 00:05:14,875 14 local churches, and try to ascertain, like Jesus does, 123 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,333 where's it strong? 124 00:05:16,333 --> 00:05:17,667 Where's it weak? 125 00:05:17,750 --> 00:05:19,083 How would he evaluate it? 126 00:05:19,167 --> 00:05:20,583 What can we do for it? 127 00:05:20,667 --> 00:05:22,167 Well, Philadelphia's a great encouragement because 128 00:05:22,250 --> 00:05:25,583 it's a church that, again, he has no correction for, 129 00:05:25,667 --> 00:05:28,750 only commendation of. 130 00:05:28,833 --> 00:05:31,667 And the city of Philadelphia was originally in Turkey, 131 00:05:31,750 --> 00:05:33,333 not just the one in the U.S. 132 00:05:33,417 --> 00:05:36,083 You may have heard it called the City of Brotherly Love 133 00:05:36,167 --> 00:05:38,333 because the original city of Philadelphia was founded by 134 00:05:38,333 --> 00:05:40,583 two brothers who really did care for each other. 135 00:05:40,667 --> 00:05:44,000 And so it got the nickname the City of Brotherly Love. 136 00:05:44,042 --> 00:05:47,167 To this day it's one of the most fertile places on the earth 137 00:05:47,250 --> 00:05:48,833 for growing raisins. 138 00:05:48,917 --> 00:05:51,583 So every time you eat your Raisin Bran in the morning, 139 00:05:51,667 --> 00:05:56,000 think of Revelation 3, the church at Philadelphia. 140 00:05:56,042 --> 00:05:58,583 And there's two things I'd say by way of preface. 141 00:05:58,667 --> 00:06:02,042 Number one, not all sin is worth mentioning. 142 00:06:02,167 --> 00:06:05,333 You think that the church in Philadelphia was perfect? 143 00:06:05,417 --> 00:06:08,875 That every member gave generously, served vigorously, 144 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:10,500 prayed fervently? 145 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:12,000 No. 146 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,667 Do you think they had any problems? 147 00:06:13,750 --> 00:06:15,083 I'm sure they did. 148 00:06:15,167 --> 00:06:17,000 Anytime you get people, you get problems. 149 00:06:17,042 --> 00:06:20,875 But Jesus doesn't mention their failures, their shortcomings, 150 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,667 or their sins. 151 00:06:22,708 --> 00:06:24,667 Not all sin is worth talking about. 152 00:06:24,750 --> 00:06:26,542 Sometimes people do love God. 153 00:06:26,667 --> 00:06:28,167 They are growing in God. 154 00:06:28,250 --> 00:06:30,000 There is reason to be encouraged. 155 00:06:30,042 --> 00:06:32,250 And though they're not perfect, there's nothing rising 156 00:06:32,333 --> 00:06:35,000 to the level of needing to talk about it. 157 00:06:35,042 --> 00:06:37,500 Some of you who are always looking for the problem 158 00:06:37,542 --> 00:06:39,875 and the sin, you need to learn from Jesus' example. 159 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,000 Sometimes there's not sin that rises to the level that it's 160 00:06:43,042 --> 00:06:45,000 really worth talking about. 161 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,500 They're doing pretty good. 162 00:06:46,542 --> 00:06:50,167 And number two, encouragement is a powerful force. 163 00:06:50,250 --> 00:06:52,875 Jesus speaks to the church at Philadelphia and says, 164 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,167 "I see what you're doing. I know it's hard. 165 00:06:55,208 --> 00:06:56,583 "I love you very much. 166 00:06:56,667 --> 00:06:58,083 And I'm very proud of you." 167 00:06:58,167 --> 00:07:03,375 And here's what happens, they continue for 1,200 years. 168 00:07:03,500 --> 00:07:06,667 That's the powerful force of encouragement. 169 00:07:06,750 --> 00:07:09,667 If you're a parent, you could speak a word of life to 170 00:07:09,750 --> 00:07:11,875 your child that could put wind in their sail 171 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,333 for the rest of their life. 172 00:07:15,417 --> 00:07:19,542 Jesus provides encouragement to that church, and as he does, 173 00:07:19,667 --> 00:07:21,667 I hope he provides encouragement to our church. 174 00:07:21,750 --> 00:07:26,167 So, let's hear what Jesus has to say as he's paying attention 175 00:07:26,208 --> 00:07:28,333 to the church at Philadelphia. 176 00:07:28,333 --> 00:07:31,667 Revelation 3:7, "And to the angel of the church in 177 00:07:31,708 --> 00:07:35,083 Philadelphia write," so that's the spiritual leadership that's 178 00:07:35,167 --> 00:07:37,833 serving in addition to the human leadership at the church 179 00:07:37,917 --> 00:07:40,000 in Philadelphia. 180 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,333 "The words of the holy one, the true one, 181 00:07:42,417 --> 00:07:46,667 "who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, 182 00:07:46,750 --> 00:07:49,500 who shuts and no one will open." 183 00:07:49,542 --> 00:07:51,333 He says, "I know your works." 184 00:07:51,333 --> 00:07:53,542 Again, Jesus is paying attention. 185 00:07:53,667 --> 00:07:57,333 All you Community Group leaders, Jesus knows what you're doing. 186 00:07:57,333 --> 00:07:58,833 Thank you. 187 00:07:58,917 --> 00:08:00,375 All you Redemption Group leaders, 188 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:02,250 Jesus knows what you're doing. 189 00:08:02,333 --> 00:08:03,875 Thank you. 190 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,875 All of you who show up early to set up, tear down, 191 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,667 those of you who stayed late, those who are serving in 192 00:08:09,708 --> 00:08:13,875 the kids' ministry, those who are laboring behind the scenes, 193 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,500 those who are laboring in a more public way, 194 00:08:16,542 --> 00:08:19,500 those who are volunteering time during the week, 195 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:22,375 those who are giving generously, those who are praying 196 00:08:22,500 --> 00:08:25,333 for our church, those who are paying attention, 197 00:08:25,333 --> 00:08:28,875 those who are sharing their faith, Jesus says what? 198 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:30,750 "I know your works." 199 00:08:30,833 --> 00:08:34,000 And sometimes you don't get a lot of gratefulness and 200 00:08:34,042 --> 00:08:38,083 gratitude, but you get it right here from the Lord Jesus Christ. 201 00:08:38,167 --> 00:08:39,500 He knows who you are. 202 00:08:39,542 --> 00:08:41,000 He knows where you are. 203 00:08:41,042 --> 00:08:42,375 He knows what you're doing. 204 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:43,833 He knows how you're giving. 205 00:08:43,833 --> 00:08:45,167 He knows how you're praying. 206 00:08:45,250 --> 00:08:46,667 He knows how you're serving. 207 00:08:46,708 --> 00:08:49,083 He pays attention. 208 00:08:49,167 --> 00:08:52,833 Jesus knows not every--not only every hair on your head, 209 00:08:52,917 --> 00:08:57,833 he knows every volunteer in our church, and he greatly, 210 00:08:57,917 --> 00:09:00,333 and we greatly on his behalf, 211 00:09:00,333 --> 00:09:04,875 appreciate that and publicly say, "Thank you." 212 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:06,667 How encouraging is that? 213 00:09:06,750 --> 00:09:08,167 Jesus says, "I know your works." 214 00:09:08,208 --> 00:09:10,875 How many of you, you wake up and you feel like, 215 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:12,667 "I don't know if this even matters." 216 00:09:12,750 --> 00:09:15,000 Jesus says, "It does." 217 00:09:15,042 --> 00:09:16,875 "I don't know if anyone even cares." 218 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,667 Jesus says, "I do." 219 00:09:19,708 --> 00:09:22,667 And Jesus cares for our church. 220 00:09:22,708 --> 00:09:25,000 Jesus cares for our leaders. 221 00:09:25,042 --> 00:09:27,083 Jesus cares for our people. 222 00:09:27,167 --> 00:09:29,583 Jesus cares for our mission. 223 00:09:29,667 --> 00:09:31,500 He says, "I know your works." 224 00:09:31,542 --> 00:09:34,500 How amazing is that? 225 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:41,333 It's so encouraging to know that Jesus sees and knows all. 226 00:09:41,333 --> 00:09:44,833 And sometimes for some people and churches he doesn't have 227 00:09:44,833 --> 00:09:47,333 a criticism or a correction, 228 00:09:47,333 --> 00:09:50,583 he has an encouragement and a thank you. 229 00:09:50,667 --> 00:09:52,167 He says, "I know your works. 230 00:09:52,250 --> 00:09:54,667 "Behold, I have set before you an open door, 231 00:09:54,750 --> 00:09:57,167 "which no one is able to shut. 232 00:09:57,250 --> 00:09:59,750 "I know that you have but little power, 233 00:09:59,833 --> 00:10:03,542 "and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 234 00:10:03,667 --> 00:10:06,833 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan--" 235 00:10:06,833 --> 00:10:09,875 that was actually a denomination. 236 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,042 I don't think that was their official name, 237 00:10:12,167 --> 00:10:15,000 but Jesus has renamed this particular denomination into 238 00:10:15,042 --> 00:10:17,500 "synagogue of Satan." 239 00:10:17,542 --> 00:10:20,083 "Who say they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, 240 00:10:20,167 --> 00:10:23,000 "I will make them come and bow down before your feet, 241 00:10:23,042 --> 00:10:25,375 "and they will learn that I have loved you. 242 00:10:25,500 --> 00:10:27,750 "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, 243 00:10:27,833 --> 00:10:31,000 "I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on 244 00:10:31,042 --> 00:10:34,000 "the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 245 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,500 "I am coming soon. 246 00:10:36,542 --> 00:10:38,167 "Hold fast to what you have, 247 00:10:38,208 --> 00:10:40,167 so that no one may seize your crown." 248 00:10:40,208 --> 00:10:42,375 That's your rewards for faithful service. 249 00:10:42,500 --> 00:10:44,875 "The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar 250 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:46,500 "in the temple of my God. 251 00:10:46,500 --> 00:10:48,167 "Never shall he go out of it, 252 00:10:48,250 --> 00:10:50,875 "and I will write on him the name of my God, 253 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,875 the name of the city of my God," 254 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:54,875 that's the kingdom of heaven, "the new Jerusalem, 255 00:10:55,000 --> 00:11:00,167 which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name." 256 00:11:00,208 --> 00:11:03,333 Here's the big idea, something Jesus says to the churches over 257 00:11:03,333 --> 00:11:06,500 and over: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit 258 00:11:06,542 --> 00:11:08,375 says to the churches." 259 00:11:08,500 --> 00:11:11,167 Let's unpack what Jesus says to the church in Philadelphia. 260 00:11:11,250 --> 00:11:15,083 The first is that our King is Jesus. 261 00:11:15,167 --> 00:11:18,250 Our King is Jesus. 262 00:11:18,333 --> 00:11:22,042 Whatever leadership there is on the earth, be it political, 263 00:11:22,167 --> 00:11:27,167 be it spiritual, above it all is Jesus. 264 00:11:27,250 --> 00:11:29,500 And it says here that he is, quote, 265 00:11:29,542 --> 00:11:31,667 "The one who has the keys of David." 266 00:11:31,750 --> 00:11:34,250 David was a great and mighty king. 267 00:11:34,333 --> 00:11:36,500 And when we hear of David in the Bible 268 00:11:36,500 --> 00:11:39,167 we're supposed to think of kingship, and rule, 269 00:11:39,250 --> 00:11:43,000 and a kingdom, and dominion, and lordship. 270 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,167 I want you to continually have a big picture of Jesus. 271 00:11:46,250 --> 00:11:48,333 When you have a little picture of Jesus, 272 00:11:48,333 --> 00:11:51,500 your problems get bigger. 273 00:11:51,542 --> 00:11:56,375 When you have a big picture of Jesus, your problems get smaller 274 00:11:56,500 --> 00:11:59,500 because you see them under the lordship, under the rule, 275 00:11:59,542 --> 00:12:02,333 under the dominion of Jesus. 276 00:12:02,333 --> 00:12:05,000 This church was in a very difficult circumstance. 277 00:12:05,042 --> 00:12:07,500 That meant individually and collectively, 278 00:12:07,500 --> 00:12:11,875 the people had very difficult responsibilities and mission 279 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,000 that Jesus had called and compelled them to. 280 00:12:15,042 --> 00:12:17,583 And he wants them to know that he sees all. 281 00:12:17,667 --> 00:12:20,083 That he rules over all. 282 00:12:20,167 --> 00:12:23,875 One of the great tragedies that happens is that people only see 283 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,583 Jesus during his humble incarnation on the earth, 284 00:12:27,667 --> 00:12:31,750 as a poor, homeless, marginalized, Galilean peasant. 285 00:12:31,833 --> 00:12:34,000 And I've said this over, and over, and over, 286 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,167 but every time Jesus says something 287 00:12:36,250 --> 00:12:38,250 to one of the seven churches, 288 00:12:38,333 --> 00:12:41,375 he reminds them not of how he was, 289 00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:45,875 but also how he is after his death, after his resurrection, 290 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,667 after his ascension, after his return to heaven. 291 00:12:49,750 --> 00:12:53,833 Jesus is not just a concept, Jesus is a person. 292 00:12:53,833 --> 00:12:57,500 Jesus is not dead, Jesus is alive. 293 00:12:57,542 --> 00:13:03,375 Jesus is not in humility, he's right now in glory. 294 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:08,167 He's not a humble, marginalized, Galilean peasant, he is ruling, 295 00:13:08,250 --> 00:13:12,042 reigning, King of kings, Lord of lords, over all, 296 00:13:12,167 --> 00:13:17,167 who sees and knows everyone and everything. 297 00:13:17,208 --> 00:13:20,000 So, big picture of Jesus. 298 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,583 He is the one who has the keys of David. 299 00:13:22,667 --> 00:13:26,333 And then it goes on to say that he is, quote, "The holy one." 300 00:13:26,333 --> 00:13:28,375 Jesus is without sin. 301 00:13:28,500 --> 00:13:31,667 Jesus is altogether perfect. 302 00:13:31,750 --> 00:13:34,750 Some of you will wonder why the theme is the church, 303 00:13:34,833 --> 00:13:37,833 but the subject is Jesus in all of the seven letters, 304 00:13:37,833 --> 00:13:41,000 because at the center of the church is Jesus. 305 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,042 It's all about Jesus. 306 00:13:43,167 --> 00:13:45,500 And when Jesus is known, when Jesus is loved, 307 00:13:45,542 --> 00:13:49,667 when Jesus is proclaimed, a church happens. 308 00:13:49,708 --> 00:13:54,167 A church is a people who are captivated by, in love with, 309 00:13:54,250 --> 00:13:58,250 committed to, saved by Jesus. 310 00:13:58,333 --> 00:14:01,167 He's a King; it says he's the holy one. 311 00:14:01,208 --> 00:14:04,375 He's not just the best person who's ever lived; 312 00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:07,000 he's in a category unto his own. 313 00:14:07,042 --> 00:14:09,167 He alone lived without sin. 314 00:14:09,208 --> 00:14:12,500 That made him the perfect substitute for sinners. 315 00:14:12,542 --> 00:14:15,000 It also says that he is, quote, "The true one." 316 00:14:15,042 --> 00:14:16,875 Jesus never lies. 317 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:18,583 Jesus never pulls a punch. 318 00:14:18,667 --> 00:14:20,333 Jesus only tells the truth. 319 00:14:20,333 --> 00:14:21,875 He always tells the truth. 320 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,333 Whatever he says, whatever the Word of God says, 321 00:14:24,417 --> 00:14:26,667 that's the truth. 322 00:14:26,708 --> 00:14:30,833 And lastly, he says, "I know your works." 323 00:14:30,833 --> 00:14:34,000 Again, how encouraging is this? 324 00:14:34,042 --> 00:14:36,667 How wonderful is this? 325 00:14:36,708 --> 00:14:39,750 How motivating is this? 326 00:14:39,833 --> 00:14:42,667 It really frustrates me when people who aren't serving 327 00:14:42,708 --> 00:14:46,667 the church spend their time criticizing the church. 328 00:14:46,750 --> 00:14:50,542 I've been in this for 16 years since core-group phase. 329 00:14:50,667 --> 00:14:53,375 I have the great honor of serving at Mars Hill Church 330 00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:55,833 under our senior pastor, Jesus. 331 00:14:55,833 --> 00:14:58,000 And I can tell you, after 16 years, 332 00:14:58,042 --> 00:15:01,583 those who are serving are rarely those who are complaining. 333 00:15:01,667 --> 00:15:05,000 Those who are serving are rarely those who are criticizing. 334 00:15:05,042 --> 00:15:12,000 Those who are serving are rarely those who are demanding. 335 00:15:12,042 --> 00:15:14,250 Jesus says that he sees your works. 336 00:15:14,333 --> 00:15:19,667 Let me ask you personally, what are you doing? 337 00:15:19,750 --> 00:15:23,167 What are you supposed to be doing? 338 00:15:23,250 --> 00:15:25,000 Where are you supposed to be serving? 339 00:15:25,042 --> 00:15:28,000 What are you supposed to be giving? 340 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,375 See, because during the course of the week, 341 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:32,875 some of you who are leaders, you're thinking about Jesus 342 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:34,375 and our church. 343 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:35,833 Some of you who are servants, 344 00:15:35,917 --> 00:15:37,667 you're thinking about Jesus and our church. 345 00:15:37,750 --> 00:15:39,375 But some of you who are consumers, 346 00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:41,583 you're thinking about someone or something other than Jesus 347 00:15:41,667 --> 00:15:43,000 and our church. 348 00:15:43,042 --> 00:15:45,000 And you don't have works that you're doing. 349 00:15:45,042 --> 00:15:46,375 Some of you wrongly thought, 350 00:15:46,500 --> 00:15:47,875 "Well, Christianity is not about works." 351 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,833 We're saved by the works of Jesus and then we are saved 352 00:15:50,917 --> 00:15:54,500 to do good works with Jesus. 353 00:15:54,542 --> 00:15:57,667 That as we belong to Christ, we are to live life with Christ. 354 00:15:57,708 --> 00:15:59,667 We're to love what Jesus loves. 355 00:15:59,708 --> 00:16:02,833 We're to do what Jesus is doing. 356 00:16:02,833 --> 00:16:05,000 Some of you, the real root of your despair, 357 00:16:05,042 --> 00:16:08,333 the root of your depression, the root of your frustration 358 00:16:08,333 --> 00:16:11,333 is that you don't serve others. 359 00:16:11,417 --> 00:16:13,667 You don't have the heart of Jesus. 360 00:16:13,750 --> 00:16:16,167 You're not giving. You're not caring. 361 00:16:16,250 --> 00:16:18,583 You're not trying. You're not praying. 362 00:16:18,667 --> 00:16:20,500 You're not serving. 363 00:16:20,542 --> 00:16:23,375 And then you'll show up at church and complain and say, 364 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:25,167 "My needs are not met." 365 00:16:25,250 --> 00:16:27,167 Your greatest need is to serve. 366 00:16:27,250 --> 00:16:30,167 Your greatest need is to think of someone else, 367 00:16:30,250 --> 00:16:33,333 to give to someone else, to care for someone else. 368 00:16:33,333 --> 00:16:36,333 And I'll tell you, those who are giving, those who are praying, 369 00:16:36,417 --> 00:16:39,250 those who are caring, those who are serving, 370 00:16:39,333 --> 00:16:42,333 their hearts become like Jesus' heart. 371 00:16:42,417 --> 00:16:43,875 They love the church. 372 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,000 They give themselves to what Jesus gave himself to. 373 00:16:48,042 --> 00:16:51,333 Friends, let me just tell you, in our day of consumerism 374 00:16:51,333 --> 00:16:56,875 and selfishness, the antidote is the lordship of Jesus 375 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:01,583 and a devoted life to, quote, unquote, "good works." 376 00:17:01,667 --> 00:17:07,542 Doing whatever you can to love and serve as many as you can 377 00:17:07,667 --> 00:17:10,375 because that's the heart of Jesus. 378 00:17:10,500 --> 00:17:13,833 So first of all, our king is who? 379 00:17:13,833 --> 00:17:16,875 Our King is Jesus. 380 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,583 Above your boss, above your parents, above your pastors, 381 00:17:20,667 --> 00:17:25,500 above your coaches, above your teachers, is Jesus. 382 00:17:25,500 --> 00:17:28,083 Number two, if you're a Christian, 383 00:17:28,167 --> 00:17:31,333 you're part of the church, and the church is, quite frankly, 384 00:17:31,417 --> 00:17:32,875 hated by Satan. 385 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:34,875 Satan hates the church. 386 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,500 He just does because those are the people that Jesus loves. 387 00:17:38,500 --> 00:17:40,875 And he hates Jesus, and so he hates the people 388 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:45,875 that Jesus loves, and he hates the people that love Jesus. 389 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,500 And number one, the church is not powerful. 390 00:17:48,542 --> 00:17:51,667 There's always this myth that if we could just get more powerful 391 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:54,375 then Christianity would be more popular. 392 00:17:54,500 --> 00:17:56,083 It's not true. 393 00:17:56,167 --> 00:17:59,167 For 2,000 years some have tried to make Christianity powerful. 394 00:17:59,250 --> 00:18:01,333 It never works. 395 00:18:01,333 --> 00:18:04,667 Jesus is powerful, the church is not. 396 00:18:04,708 --> 00:18:06,083 The church is not. 397 00:18:06,167 --> 00:18:08,083 He says it this way in Revelation 3:8, 398 00:18:08,167 --> 00:18:10,083 "I know that you have but little power." 399 00:18:10,167 --> 00:18:12,083 How many of you have felt like that? 400 00:18:12,167 --> 00:18:14,333 You look at the world, and economics, and politics, 401 00:18:14,333 --> 00:18:17,250 and you look at what's going on politically, and geopolitically, 402 00:18:17,333 --> 00:18:19,750 and what's going on morally, and sexually, 403 00:18:19,833 --> 00:18:24,875 and it just feels like it's all going to hell, literally. 404 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,833 "I just feel powerless. Like, I can't change it. 405 00:18:27,833 --> 00:18:30,042 "I get frustrated. I can blog. 406 00:18:30,167 --> 00:18:31,875 "I can have people sign a petition. 407 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,000 "I can declare war. I can get depressed. 408 00:18:34,042 --> 00:18:35,750 "Maybe I could run for office. 409 00:18:35,833 --> 00:18:38,167 Maybe I can get other people excited about a cause." 410 00:18:38,250 --> 00:18:40,500 But even that at the end of the day, 411 00:18:40,542 --> 00:18:43,542 you just come to the conclusion, "I don't think I'm in charge. 412 00:18:43,667 --> 00:18:45,167 "I don't think I'm in control. 413 00:18:45,250 --> 00:18:47,667 "And I don't think if we just all get together 414 00:18:47,750 --> 00:18:49,667 and declare war, we're even going to win." 415 00:18:49,750 --> 00:18:52,583 "Have but little power." 416 00:18:52,667 --> 00:18:54,875 Number two, the church is surrounded by false believers 417 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,083 and false churches. 418 00:18:57,167 --> 00:18:59,083 He calls them "the synagogue of Satan." 419 00:18:59,167 --> 00:19:02,250 Now, that's not very politically correct, nice, or tolerant. 420 00:19:02,333 --> 00:19:04,667 That would be a terrible tweet today, right? 421 00:19:04,750 --> 00:19:09,500 I mean, Jesus just started renaming whole denominations 422 00:19:09,542 --> 00:19:12,667 and local churches, "synagogue of Satan." 423 00:19:12,750 --> 00:19:14,583 Anytime you've got Satan in the title, 424 00:19:14,667 --> 00:19:17,833 it's probably off track, right? 425 00:19:17,917 --> 00:19:19,875 Satan Memorial Bible Church. 426 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,583 First Church of Satan. 427 00:19:23,667 --> 00:19:25,333 And they would say, "No, no, no. 428 00:19:25,333 --> 00:19:27,083 "What we are, we're an alternative denomination. 429 00:19:27,167 --> 00:19:29,083 "We all got together, guys educated beyond their 430 00:19:29,167 --> 00:19:30,833 "intelligence with more degrees than Fahrenheit 431 00:19:30,833 --> 00:19:33,833 "read the Greek text, and they decided that we all get to 432 00:19:33,833 --> 00:19:35,833 "get naked with people we're not married to. 433 00:19:35,833 --> 00:19:37,167 "It's very official. 434 00:19:37,250 --> 00:19:38,875 A guy in a hat confirmed it." 435 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,000 And Jesus says, "Synagogue of Satan. 436 00:19:41,042 --> 00:19:43,333 Synagogue of Satan." 437 00:19:43,333 --> 00:19:46,500 And so, what there is for those who love Jesus and are committed 438 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:49,500 to the Bible, there are always those who say they love Jesus, 439 00:19:49,500 --> 00:19:52,333 and say they've read the Bible, but are contradicting what Jesus 440 00:19:52,333 --> 00:19:54,833 says in the Bible. 441 00:19:54,833 --> 00:19:56,500 And there's always this temptation 442 00:19:56,542 --> 00:19:58,500 for the Christian church 443 00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:00,833 to compromise to become more acceptable, 444 00:20:00,833 --> 00:20:02,833 to become more appropriate. 445 00:20:02,833 --> 00:20:05,167 Let me say this, not only is Jesus offensive, 446 00:20:05,250 --> 00:20:07,375 so are Christians. 447 00:20:07,500 --> 00:20:10,000 And it doesn't mean that we want to offend everyone, 448 00:20:10,042 --> 00:20:12,083 but what we believe is by nature offensive 449 00:20:12,167 --> 00:20:13,875 because it's a call to repentance. 450 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,500 First for ourselves and then for others. 451 00:20:16,542 --> 00:20:18,833 And some of you are going to be tempted and 452 00:20:18,833 --> 00:20:21,833 some of you have already been tempted to have sort of 453 00:20:21,833 --> 00:20:25,833 hyphenated, Christianity-lite. 454 00:20:25,833 --> 00:20:28,250 Somewhere where Jesus isn't really talked about. 455 00:20:28,333 --> 00:20:29,667 The Bible's not really open. 456 00:20:29,708 --> 00:20:31,500 Sin isn't really called out. 457 00:20:31,500 --> 00:20:34,833 Repentance is not really demanded. 458 00:20:34,917 --> 00:20:37,667 And it's always been that way. 459 00:20:37,708 --> 00:20:40,833 And then some people freak out, and they got end-times charts 460 00:20:40,833 --> 00:20:42,167 on ammo boxes. 461 00:20:42,250 --> 00:20:44,833 "And it's the last days, and get your canned goods, 462 00:20:44,833 --> 00:20:46,667 "and hide the kids in the basement. 463 00:20:46,750 --> 00:20:49,333 Do we have enough bottled water for Armageddon?" 464 00:20:49,333 --> 00:20:51,333 And they freak out. 465 00:20:51,333 --> 00:20:55,500 The truth is, it's been like this for 2,000 years. 466 00:20:55,542 --> 00:20:58,000 The church has always been without power. 467 00:20:58,042 --> 00:21:00,375 There's always been false believers, and false churches, 468 00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:03,333 and false teachers. 469 00:21:03,333 --> 00:21:06,333 And the result is number three, that the church is always 470 00:21:06,417 --> 00:21:09,000 under pressure to deny the Bible and deny Jesus. 471 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,875 There's always pressure. 472 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,333 He says this, Revelation 3:8, "You've kept my word 473 00:21:14,417 --> 00:21:16,083 and have not denied my name." 474 00:21:16,167 --> 00:21:17,833 You know what that means? 475 00:21:17,833 --> 00:21:20,833 There was a lot of pressure to deny the Word of God. 476 00:21:20,833 --> 00:21:24,542 There was a lot of pressure to deny the name of Jesus. 477 00:21:24,667 --> 00:21:27,500 See, you could talk about God, you could talk about Lord, 478 00:21:27,542 --> 00:21:29,375 you could talk about spiritual power, 479 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:31,167 you could talk about spirituality. 480 00:21:31,250 --> 00:21:34,083 You drop the name Jesus, and then it's on. 481 00:21:34,167 --> 00:21:37,833 Right? 482 00:21:37,833 --> 00:21:40,167 He says, "You've not denied my name. 483 00:21:40,208 --> 00:21:42,833 You're still talking about Jesus." 484 00:21:42,833 --> 00:21:45,000 One of the greatest encouragements I've had 485 00:21:45,042 --> 00:21:48,500 in recent months as I'm dealing with unpaid volunteer leaders 486 00:21:48,542 --> 00:21:50,875 from multiple Mars Hill churches, 487 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,375 as I'm dealing with them, I can honestly say this, 488 00:21:54,500 --> 00:21:56,875 I don't remember having a conversation with anyone 489 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,375 that didn't include Jesus. 490 00:22:00,500 --> 00:22:02,167 "What's going on in your Community Group?" 491 00:22:02,250 --> 00:22:04,083 "Well, Jesus is really working on people." 492 00:22:04,167 --> 00:22:05,500 "Oh, Jesus." 493 00:22:05,542 --> 00:22:07,250 "What's going on in your Redemption Group?" 494 00:22:07,333 --> 00:22:09,750 "Man, people are meeting Jesus, and Jesus is really making 495 00:22:09,833 --> 00:22:11,167 a difference in their life." 496 00:22:11,208 --> 00:22:12,542 "Wow." 497 00:22:12,667 --> 00:22:14,542 "What's going on in the premarital counseling class?" 498 00:22:14,667 --> 00:22:16,750 "Couples are really learning to build their whole life 499 00:22:16,833 --> 00:22:18,750 "with Jesus, not just as the first priority, 500 00:22:18,833 --> 00:22:20,167 but the center of everything." 501 00:22:20,208 --> 00:22:21,542 "Oh, Jesus." 502 00:22:21,667 --> 00:22:23,042 "What's going on at kids' ministry?" 503 00:22:23,167 --> 00:22:24,833 "Well, some kids are really meeting Jesus. 504 00:22:24,833 --> 00:22:26,333 "The kids are learning about Jesus. 505 00:22:26,333 --> 00:22:27,833 "The kids are singing to Jesus. 506 00:22:27,833 --> 00:22:31,833 For the first time kids are praying to Jesus." 507 00:22:31,833 --> 00:22:35,083 Jesus says, "You've not denied my name," right? 508 00:22:35,167 --> 00:22:37,083 When he puts his ear over Mars Hill, 509 00:22:37,167 --> 00:22:40,333 he's still hearing his name. 510 00:22:40,333 --> 00:22:43,667 But there's always pressure to not say the name of Jesus, 511 00:22:43,750 --> 00:22:45,500 to deny the name of Jesus. 512 00:22:45,542 --> 00:22:47,667 to devalue the name of Jesus, 513 00:22:47,750 --> 00:22:50,833 and to not keep the Word. 514 00:22:50,833 --> 00:22:53,042 To come to the Scriptures and say, 515 00:22:53,167 --> 00:22:56,667 "Some of it is very difficult, or controversial, 516 00:22:56,708 --> 00:22:59,083 "and on those things we're going to compromise 517 00:22:59,167 --> 00:23:01,583 and not have conviction." 518 00:23:01,667 --> 00:23:04,333 See, Satan hates our church. 519 00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:06,500 Satan hates all local churches. 520 00:23:06,542 --> 00:23:09,583 So let me even say this too, watch your bitterness, 521 00:23:09,667 --> 00:23:15,000 watch your criticism, watch your frustration. 522 00:23:15,042 --> 00:23:17,000 I've failed at this. 523 00:23:17,042 --> 00:23:19,875 And I'm, in the grace of God, wanting to grow in this. 524 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,500 If there's another church that loves Jesus and believes in 525 00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:26,333 the Bible, love them, pray for them, want good for them, 526 00:23:26,417 --> 00:23:29,167 don't criticize them. 527 00:23:29,250 --> 00:23:33,833 Satan's already doing all that he can to harm local churches. 528 00:23:33,833 --> 00:23:35,667 The longer I've been in ministry, 529 00:23:35,708 --> 00:23:38,375 the more I love all the churches that love Jesus. 530 00:23:38,500 --> 00:23:39,875 And some of you would say, 531 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:41,667 "Well, they believe different things than us." 532 00:23:41,750 --> 00:23:44,500 If it's on a secondary issue, we can talk about it, 533 00:23:44,500 --> 00:23:47,042 but we're not going to fight about it. 534 00:23:47,167 --> 00:23:49,375 And Mars Hill, as our church grows, 535 00:23:49,500 --> 00:23:52,875 and as God gives us favor, we don't want to use that 536 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:54,500 to discourage others. 537 00:23:54,542 --> 00:23:58,250 We don't want to use that to become critical of others. 538 00:23:58,333 --> 00:24:03,500 We want to love and serve all who love and serve Jesus. 539 00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:06,167 Because Satan hates the church. 540 00:24:06,250 --> 00:24:09,500 And sometimes he will even empower a bitter believer to be 541 00:24:09,542 --> 00:24:14,000 a point of great division in the body of Christ. 542 00:24:14,042 --> 00:24:18,250 Our King is Jesus and our church is hated. 543 00:24:18,333 --> 00:24:20,542 It's just hated. 544 00:24:20,667 --> 00:24:24,875 And it's loved. 545 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,083 That's what it says. 546 00:24:27,167 --> 00:24:30,083 That the church is loved by Jesus. 547 00:24:30,167 --> 00:24:34,083 This is one of the greatest lines, Revelation 3:9, 548 00:24:34,167 --> 00:24:38,250 Jesus says to the whole church, "I have loved you." 549 00:24:38,333 --> 00:24:41,375 That's everything. 550 00:24:41,500 --> 00:24:43,500 That's it. 551 00:24:43,542 --> 00:24:46,375 Jesus loves us. 552 00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:48,375 Do you believe that? Do you know that? 553 00:24:48,500 --> 00:24:51,375 Do you feel that? 554 00:24:51,500 --> 00:24:54,000 Jesus loves us. 555 00:24:54,042 --> 00:24:56,667 He just does. 556 00:24:56,750 --> 00:25:01,083 Now, don't get theological and start to figure out why. 557 00:25:01,167 --> 00:25:03,500 Just be grateful. 558 00:25:03,542 --> 00:25:06,000 He loves us. 559 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:11,500 The church is the people that Jesus loves. 560 00:25:11,542 --> 00:25:14,000 You know why the church continues? 561 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,833 Why our church continues? 562 00:25:15,917 --> 00:25:18,667 I just told you, it's not 'cause it's powerful. 563 00:25:18,750 --> 00:25:21,042 It's not because it's easy. 564 00:25:21,167 --> 00:25:24,167 It's not because there's no resistance. 565 00:25:24,250 --> 00:25:26,833 It's not because there's a lot of support from wayward 566 00:25:26,917 --> 00:25:30,000 teachers, and false believers, and denominations 567 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,833 that have gone apostate. 568 00:25:33,833 --> 00:25:37,083 Because Jesus loves us. 569 00:25:37,167 --> 00:25:41,667 Do you actually believe that Jesus loves our church? 570 00:25:41,750 --> 00:25:43,333 He does. 571 00:25:43,333 --> 00:25:46,250 I'm absolutely convinced of this. 572 00:25:46,333 --> 00:25:49,375 And you know what? Jesus' love is enough. 573 00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:56,083 That's why he uses this language, "patient endurance." 574 00:25:56,167 --> 00:25:59,500 He uses the words that we'll be able to, quote, unquote, 575 00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:04,750 "hold fast," hang in there, and be the, quote, unquote, 576 00:26:04,833 --> 00:26:07,333 "one who conquers." 577 00:26:07,417 --> 00:26:10,500 That's all hope-filled language. 578 00:26:10,542 --> 00:26:12,333 Yeah, life is hard. 579 00:26:12,333 --> 00:26:14,333 Yeah, compromise is tempting. 580 00:26:14,333 --> 00:26:16,000 Yeah, the critics are real. 581 00:26:16,042 --> 00:26:17,542 Yeah, Satan's at war. 582 00:26:17,667 --> 00:26:20,500 But you're going to be okay. 583 00:26:20,542 --> 00:26:22,042 Question is, how? 584 00:26:22,167 --> 00:26:23,833 Jesus says, "Well, it's easy. 585 00:26:23,917 --> 00:26:26,750 It's very simple. I love you." 586 00:26:26,833 --> 00:26:30,000 Because Jesus' love is always enough. 587 00:26:30,042 --> 00:26:33,000 Jesus' love is always enough. 588 00:26:33,042 --> 00:26:34,875 It's enough to sustain us. 589 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:36,500 It's enough to empower us. 590 00:26:36,542 --> 00:26:39,833 It's enough to encourage us. 591 00:26:39,833 --> 00:26:42,083 Absolutely. 592 00:26:42,167 --> 00:26:46,000 Absolutely. 593 00:26:46,042 --> 00:26:51,083 I keep coming back to this verse in Ephesians where it says that 594 00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:55,833 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 595 00:26:55,833 --> 00:26:58,667 And the picture there is that Jesus is like a groom 596 00:26:58,750 --> 00:27:01,167 and the church is like a bride. 597 00:27:01,250 --> 00:27:04,500 And Jesus is like a husband who is completely devoted 598 00:27:04,500 --> 00:27:06,500 to his wife. 599 00:27:06,542 --> 00:27:10,083 And he loves her so much that he would lay down his own life, 600 00:27:10,167 --> 00:27:12,750 that he would die for her, that he would literally 601 00:27:12,833 --> 00:27:16,208 give himself for her. 602 00:27:20,167 --> 00:27:24,542 Do you love your church? 603 00:27:24,667 --> 00:27:29,667 See, what we have is, we have a culture, even at Mars Hill, 604 00:27:29,750 --> 00:27:31,833 and I want to make a course correction, 605 00:27:31,833 --> 00:27:33,333 where "I love Jesus." 606 00:27:33,333 --> 00:27:35,833 Well, if you love Jesus, you love what Jesus loves. 607 00:27:35,833 --> 00:27:38,833 You love the church. Right? 608 00:27:38,833 --> 00:27:41,667 No father could say, "You know, I love the family, 609 00:27:41,750 --> 00:27:47,000 I just don't love the children." 610 00:27:47,042 --> 00:27:50,333 If you love Jesus, you love what Jesus loves. 611 00:27:50,417 --> 00:27:52,833 And yeah, we like to say it's all about Jesus, 612 00:27:52,833 --> 00:27:55,667 but it's not only about Jesus. 613 00:27:55,750 --> 00:27:57,833 It's about loving Jesus and loving the church, 614 00:27:57,833 --> 00:28:00,667 because that's who Jesus loves. 615 00:28:00,750 --> 00:28:04,333 And I don't think I've done the best job of articulating this, 616 00:28:04,333 --> 00:28:09,083 so I'll just say it clearly, I love you too. 617 00:28:09,167 --> 00:28:10,667 And the leaders love you. 618 00:28:10,750 --> 00:28:12,500 And the elders love you. 619 00:28:12,542 --> 00:28:14,333 And we love you. 620 00:28:14,333 --> 00:28:16,667 When we're together, you know what we're talking about? 621 00:28:16,708 --> 00:28:18,042 You. 622 00:28:18,167 --> 00:28:19,500 How the church is doing. 623 00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:23,333 And how we can love and serve more people and do better. 624 00:28:23,333 --> 00:28:25,542 And sometimes we're frustrated, not just with you, 625 00:28:25,667 --> 00:28:27,833 with ourselves. 626 00:28:27,833 --> 00:28:30,333 "Man, we could do better, by the grace of God. 627 00:28:30,333 --> 00:28:32,500 "We could love better, by the grace of God. 628 00:28:32,542 --> 00:28:34,667 We could serve better, by the grace of God." 629 00:28:34,708 --> 00:28:38,833 But our hearts are absolutely filled with the love of Jesus 630 00:28:38,833 --> 00:28:43,375 for you and for us. 631 00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:47,042 It just kills me when people don't love the church. 632 00:28:47,167 --> 00:28:49,875 When they use it for something else. 633 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:51,833 When they don't serve the church, 634 00:28:51,833 --> 00:28:54,500 they just criticize the church. 635 00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:58,042 It just destroys me. 636 00:28:58,167 --> 00:29:01,333 And I know sometimes it's easy to get distracted. 637 00:29:01,333 --> 00:29:03,583 You've got your duties, and your responsibilities, 638 00:29:03,667 --> 00:29:06,583 and your vocation, and your family. 639 00:29:06,667 --> 00:29:10,083 But I want you to continually be asking Jesus to give you 640 00:29:10,167 --> 00:29:12,875 his heart for the church. 641 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:16,500 He says, "I have loved you." 642 00:29:16,500 --> 00:29:20,583 Could you stand before Mars Hill Church and say that? 643 00:29:20,667 --> 00:29:23,333 "Mars Hill Church, I have loved you." 644 00:29:23,333 --> 00:29:29,333 If not, then what is Jesus calling you to do to change? 645 00:29:31,042 --> 00:29:34,833 The most devastating thing that any member of the church has 646 00:29:34,917 --> 00:29:39,500 ever said to me in 16 years, it was a person that I knew 647 00:29:39,500 --> 00:29:42,375 and loved, and felt like I'd served. 648 00:29:42,500 --> 00:29:44,667 They looked at me and they said, 649 00:29:44,708 --> 00:29:49,000 "I don't think you love our church." 650 00:29:49,042 --> 00:29:53,542 I felt like I got shot in the soul. 651 00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:58,083 And maybe that was my fault. 652 00:29:58,167 --> 00:30:01,167 Maybe I haven't articulated my love for the church. 653 00:30:01,250 --> 00:30:04,375 I felt like giving my whole life to it was an indication 654 00:30:04,500 --> 00:30:07,167 that maybe I did care. 655 00:30:07,250 --> 00:30:10,875 But hear this from the founding pastor, 656 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:15,375 I love you very much. 657 00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:20,875 Jesus loves you perfectly. 658 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:25,667 And Jesus wants us all to love this church, 659 00:30:25,750 --> 00:30:29,667 to care about what he cares about, 660 00:30:29,708 --> 00:30:32,250 to serve where he's serving, 661 00:30:32,333 --> 00:30:36,417 to give to what he gave his life for. 662 00:30:39,250 --> 00:30:43,167 And so my next point, or I should say, Jesus' next point. 663 00:30:43,208 --> 00:30:47,500 You'll notice I'm just following his outline. 664 00:30:47,542 --> 00:30:50,375 The church must listen to the Holy Spirit. 665 00:30:50,500 --> 00:30:53,333 This is individual believers, Christians in the church, 666 00:30:53,333 --> 00:30:57,083 leaders in the church, the whole church, 667 00:30:57,167 --> 00:31:00,833 have to listen to the Holy Spirit. 668 00:31:00,917 --> 00:31:04,875 Says this in Revelation 3:13, "He who has an ear, 669 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,542 let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." 670 00:31:07,667 --> 00:31:10,333 This is a continual refrain in the seven letters 671 00:31:10,333 --> 00:31:11,833 to the seven churches. 672 00:31:11,833 --> 00:31:14,833 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says 673 00:31:14,833 --> 00:31:16,167 to the churches." 674 00:31:16,250 --> 00:31:17,583 Let me tell you 675 00:31:17,667 --> 00:31:19,583 how the Holy Spirit speaks to the church. 676 00:31:19,667 --> 00:31:22,042 First and foremost, he speaks through the Scriptures. 677 00:31:22,167 --> 00:31:23,500 Right? 678 00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:25,750 All Scripture is inspired, it's God-breathed. 679 00:31:25,833 --> 00:31:29,667 Peter tells us that men just didn't make this stuff up, 680 00:31:29,708 --> 00:31:33,667 that they were carried along by the Holy Spirit, right? 681 00:31:33,750 --> 00:31:36,667 That the Holy Spirit inspired human authors to write 682 00:31:36,750 --> 00:31:38,833 perfect Scriptures. 683 00:31:38,917 --> 00:31:42,167 And so the first and foremost way of hearing what the Spirit 684 00:31:42,250 --> 00:31:45,000 says to the churches is in the Bible, in the Bible, 685 00:31:45,042 --> 00:31:48,000 in the Bible, in the Bible, in the Bible, in the Bible, 686 00:31:48,042 --> 00:31:49,542 in the Bible all the time. 687 00:31:49,667 --> 00:31:51,375 Studying the Bible. Memorizing the Bible. 688 00:31:51,500 --> 00:31:54,083 Learning the Bible. Committed to the Scriptures. 689 00:31:54,167 --> 00:31:56,583 Being under the authority of the Scriptures. 690 00:31:56,667 --> 00:31:58,875 What does God say? Who is Jesus? 691 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,833 What are the instructions of the Bible? 692 00:32:00,917 --> 00:32:02,333 What does God want for us? 693 00:32:02,333 --> 00:32:04,500 What does God have for us? 694 00:32:04,542 --> 00:32:06,833 The series that I'll hit after this is called, 695 00:32:06,833 --> 00:32:09,333 "Jesus loves the church." 696 00:32:09,333 --> 00:32:12,333 We're going to spend the whole summer just looking at what 697 00:32:12,333 --> 00:32:15,083 the Bible says about the church. 698 00:32:15,167 --> 00:32:18,333 And that's one way we can have an ear to what the Spirit 699 00:32:18,333 --> 00:32:20,375 is saying to our church. 700 00:32:20,500 --> 00:32:22,667 Okay, well, he wrote a bunch of stuff down, 701 00:32:22,708 --> 00:32:24,875 and it is for all churches. 702 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,875 And we need to hear that before we hear anything else. 703 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:33,333 In addition, sometimes God will give gifts, 704 00:32:33,333 --> 00:32:37,083 convictions, hopes, plans, 705 00:32:37,167 --> 00:32:42,083 dreams for people in the church, leaders in the church. 706 00:32:42,167 --> 00:32:44,875 And it's the Holy Spirit's way of compelling us toward, 707 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,583 "Well, do this, and start there, and help them, and fix that." 708 00:32:49,667 --> 00:32:53,833 And when we have those kinds of inclinations, we also submit 709 00:32:53,917 --> 00:32:56,375 to spiritual authority. 710 00:32:56,500 --> 00:32:59,333 We say the Holy Spirit just doesn't live in one person. 711 00:32:59,333 --> 00:33:01,875 The Holy Spirit lives in all of God's people. 712 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,167 We're going to submit to spiritual authority and see, 713 00:33:04,208 --> 00:33:08,083 is this from the Lord, is this a good idea? 714 00:33:08,167 --> 00:33:11,167 You need to know that your leaders listen to 715 00:33:11,250 --> 00:33:14,167 the Holy Spirit and that prayer is a big part of 716 00:33:14,250 --> 00:33:16,500 decision making at our church. 717 00:33:16,542 --> 00:33:20,667 Before I make any big decisions, determine any preaching series, 718 00:33:20,750 --> 00:33:24,667 things of that nature, it's silence and solitude for me. 719 00:33:24,708 --> 00:33:28,000 As the church has gotten bigger and more complicated, 720 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:32,500 I need more time with Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit. 721 00:33:32,542 --> 00:33:38,000 I need hours a week to think, to pray, to listen, to repent, 722 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:41,667 to sing to Jesus, to read the Scriptures, 723 00:33:41,750 --> 00:33:45,000 to journal out my thoughts, and to try and hear from 724 00:33:45,042 --> 00:33:47,667 the Holy Spirit, "Okay, how do I need to change? 725 00:33:47,708 --> 00:33:50,250 "Where do I need to grow? Where have I failed? 726 00:33:50,333 --> 00:33:53,167 "How can I do better? What do we need to do? 727 00:33:53,208 --> 00:33:55,167 "Where could we serve? Who could we love? 728 00:33:55,250 --> 00:33:56,583 What could we improve on?" 729 00:33:56,667 --> 00:33:59,000 Asking the Holy Spirit. 730 00:33:59,042 --> 00:34:02,833 Your senior leaders do the same. 731 00:34:02,917 --> 00:34:07,875 There are certain leaders that get up really early and just 732 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:12,667 pray for hours before they even turn on their phone 733 00:34:12,708 --> 00:34:16,583 and start their day. 734 00:34:16,667 --> 00:34:19,583 And I would ask you, be asking the Holy Spirit, 735 00:34:19,667 --> 00:34:22,833 "What do you have for me? What do you want me to know? 736 00:34:22,833 --> 00:34:26,167 "What do you want me to do? Where do you want me to serve? 737 00:34:26,208 --> 00:34:28,167 "How much do you want me to give? 738 00:34:28,208 --> 00:34:30,833 "What parts of the Scripture do I just really need 739 00:34:30,833 --> 00:34:32,250 to dig in on right now?" 740 00:34:32,333 --> 00:34:36,000 And the Holy Spirit, he is God, he knows all, 741 00:34:36,042 --> 00:34:40,500 he works with Jesus, he indwells the believer. 742 00:34:40,542 --> 00:34:43,667 He will help lead you and guide you. 743 00:34:43,708 --> 00:34:46,500 And that could become dangerous if you're not under 744 00:34:46,542 --> 00:34:48,833 the authority of Scripture, and humble, 745 00:34:48,833 --> 00:34:51,875 and submissive to godly leaders. 746 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:54,250 But if you're under the authority of the Scriptures 747 00:34:54,333 --> 00:34:55,875 and godly leaders, the Holy Spirit 748 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,000 can absolutely lead you, 749 00:34:58,042 --> 00:35:03,833 direct you, call you, gift you, motivate you, compel you. 750 00:35:03,833 --> 00:35:06,375 Just need to listen, what's he saying? 751 00:35:06,500 --> 00:35:09,000 And friends, sometimes this means turn off the TV, 752 00:35:09,042 --> 00:35:11,333 turn off the phone, turn off the computer, 753 00:35:11,417 --> 00:35:16,542 shut out the noise, and listen. 754 00:35:16,667 --> 00:35:19,083 Listen to the Holy Spirit. 755 00:35:19,167 --> 00:35:22,000 Pray, 756 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,083 seeing what thoughts he puts in your mind, 757 00:35:24,167 --> 00:35:26,167 what longings he puts in your heart, 758 00:35:26,250 --> 00:35:28,500 what Scriptures he brings to memory, 759 00:35:28,500 --> 00:35:32,583 what wise counsel he brings into your life through godly people, 760 00:35:32,667 --> 00:35:34,750 what opportunities he opens your eyes to. 761 00:35:34,833 --> 00:35:37,667 And you say, "Wow, there's a huge need there. 762 00:35:37,750 --> 00:35:42,167 I think God is giving me this passion to go meet that need." 763 00:35:42,250 --> 00:35:44,000 That's what it looks like, practically, 764 00:35:44,042 --> 00:35:46,500 to have an ear open to God the Holy Spirit, 765 00:35:46,542 --> 00:35:48,583 and to hear what he's saying to you, 766 00:35:48,667 --> 00:35:52,500 and hear what he's saying to us. 767 00:35:52,542 --> 00:35:55,000 What can happen is sometimes churches will look at 768 00:35:55,042 --> 00:35:58,667 other churches and just do what they do. 769 00:35:58,708 --> 00:36:01,000 Or we'll just choose parachurch ministries, 770 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:05,333 and buy their products, and do their programs. 771 00:36:05,417 --> 00:36:08,333 The truth is, some of those things may be well and good, 772 00:36:08,417 --> 00:36:12,000 but we need to hear what the Holy Spirit has for us. 773 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,583 And not just following the leadership of others, 774 00:36:14,667 --> 00:36:18,042 but following the leadership of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, 775 00:36:18,167 --> 00:36:20,500 whom he's given us. 776 00:36:20,542 --> 00:36:22,667 And he says to the church in Philadelphia, 777 00:36:22,708 --> 00:36:25,375 this is an amazing statement for a small church 778 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:27,667 that's struggling. 779 00:36:27,708 --> 00:36:30,375 Revelation 3:8, he says, "I have set before you 780 00:36:30,500 --> 00:36:34,167 an open door, which no one is able to shut." 781 00:36:34,208 --> 00:36:38,333 You get this idea of a door, do you see that image? 782 00:36:38,417 --> 00:36:42,000 Sometimes doors are closed, and locked, and shut, 783 00:36:42,042 --> 00:36:44,042 and you can't get in. 784 00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:48,875 Other times doors are open, you're invited to pass through. 785 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,833 And Jesus says that he's opened a door that no one can shut. 786 00:36:52,833 --> 00:36:55,333 It's a door of opportunity. 787 00:36:55,417 --> 00:36:59,667 It's the door between the culture and the kingdom. 788 00:36:59,750 --> 00:37:02,875 The kingdom of God he's talking about here, the new Jerusalem. 789 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:06,667 The eternal city of God that is being created by Jesus 790 00:37:06,750 --> 00:37:09,375 and will be brought down at the end of time 791 00:37:09,500 --> 00:37:11,000 for all of God's people 792 00:37:11,042 --> 00:37:14,167 to dwell in together forever, in the new creation. 793 00:37:14,208 --> 00:37:17,083 Between that kingdom of God and the culture on the earth, 794 00:37:17,167 --> 00:37:19,583 there's a door. 795 00:37:19,667 --> 00:37:22,583 There's a door. 796 00:37:22,667 --> 00:37:25,833 And through that door people pass to meet Jesus 797 00:37:25,833 --> 00:37:27,833 and to receive eternal life. 798 00:37:27,833 --> 00:37:30,000 And through that door God's people are sent out 799 00:37:30,042 --> 00:37:31,833 on mission to the world, 800 00:37:31,917 --> 00:37:33,875 to preach the gospel, to make disciples, 801 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,333 to plant churches. 802 00:37:36,417 --> 00:37:39,500 Friends, you need to know this, a lot of churches, 803 00:37:39,542 --> 00:37:44,875 Jesus has shut their door, because of sin, 804 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:49,667 because of moral infidelity on behalf of the leaders, 805 00:37:49,750 --> 00:37:52,250 because of financial misappropriation, 806 00:37:52,333 --> 00:37:54,083 because of false teaching. 807 00:37:54,167 --> 00:37:56,083 Jesus has shut the door, and just said, 808 00:37:56,167 --> 00:37:57,833 "You're not going to grow. 809 00:37:57,833 --> 00:37:59,500 "You're not going to reach people. 810 00:37:59,500 --> 00:38:02,083 "You're not going to make disciples and plant churches, 811 00:38:02,167 --> 00:38:04,667 "because you're a synagogue of Satan. 812 00:38:04,750 --> 00:38:08,500 So we're not going to multiply that on the earth." 813 00:38:08,500 --> 00:38:11,042 There are some churches that Jesus opens the door 814 00:38:11,167 --> 00:38:12,833 a little bit. 815 00:38:12,833 --> 00:38:14,875 They start growing, and they get an opportunity, 816 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:16,333 and people are getting saved. 817 00:38:16,333 --> 00:38:18,833 There's other doors Jesus just seems to kick the door 818 00:38:18,917 --> 00:38:20,875 right off the hinge. 819 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,542 And it's a whole bunch of people coming into the kingdom. 820 00:38:23,667 --> 00:38:25,542 And a whole bunch of missionaries going out 821 00:38:25,667 --> 00:38:27,000 into the culture. 822 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,833 That door is wide open. 823 00:38:29,833 --> 00:38:35,833 Every time you pass through a doorway pray for your church. 824 00:38:35,833 --> 00:38:39,833 And pray this prayer: "Jesus, please keep the door open 825 00:38:39,833 --> 00:38:42,500 for Mars Hill Church." 826 00:38:42,542 --> 00:38:48,167 Every time you pass through a doorway pray for your church. 827 00:38:48,250 --> 00:38:51,500 And Jesus tells them, the church in Philadelphia, 828 00:38:51,542 --> 00:38:53,875 "I've opened a door for you. 829 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:56,667 A door that no one will be able to shut." 830 00:38:56,708 --> 00:38:59,375 Now, let me tell you a little bit about the church 831 00:38:59,500 --> 00:39:00,833 in Philadelphia. 832 00:39:00,917 --> 00:39:02,875 It's originally in modern-day Turkey. 833 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:04,667 That's where it is. 834 00:39:04,750 --> 00:39:07,333 I've been there a few times to scout it out. 835 00:39:07,417 --> 00:39:09,542 There's not much left. 836 00:39:09,667 --> 00:39:13,667 There's some ruins from a large cathedral in the 6th century. 837 00:39:13,708 --> 00:39:15,750 One of the reasons there's not much left, 838 00:39:15,833 --> 00:39:18,375 there are devastating earthquakes there, historically, 839 00:39:18,500 --> 00:39:20,083 that have just destroyed the city. 840 00:39:20,167 --> 00:39:22,000 In fact, here it is. 841 00:39:22,042 --> 00:39:24,833 That is the ruins of the great church at Philadelphia 842 00:39:24,833 --> 00:39:26,500 in modern-day Turkey. 843 00:39:26,542 --> 00:39:28,667 And they've put a mosque in front of it, 844 00:39:28,750 --> 00:39:31,750 so you can't even get a photo without a mosque. 845 00:39:31,833 --> 00:39:35,333 It was apparently, at least in the 6th century 846 00:39:35,333 --> 00:39:39,250 when this structure was built, a very large church. 847 00:39:39,333 --> 00:39:44,542 Lots of people met there and gathered there. 848 00:39:44,667 --> 00:39:47,375 It's a real place. 849 00:39:47,500 --> 00:39:50,833 It's a place that Jesus had no criticism of, 850 00:39:50,833 --> 00:39:54,083 but only encouragement for. 851 00:39:54,167 --> 00:39:56,583 Let me tell you a little bit about the church 852 00:39:56,667 --> 00:39:58,000 in Philadelphia. 853 00:39:58,042 --> 00:40:00,375 It was a church-planting church. 854 00:40:00,500 --> 00:40:03,833 They sent missionaries and church planters out. 855 00:40:03,917 --> 00:40:07,083 If you believe some of church history, 856 00:40:07,167 --> 00:40:10,500 they actually started church- planting all the way into India. 857 00:40:10,542 --> 00:40:14,000 Some of the first church plants in India came from the church 858 00:40:14,042 --> 00:40:17,375 at Philadelphia. 859 00:40:17,500 --> 00:40:20,667 Here's what's interesting historically, 860 00:40:20,708 --> 00:40:24,000 if you go there today, you won't find a lot of believers. 861 00:40:24,042 --> 00:40:27,667 Most of them fled modern day, around 1947. 862 00:40:27,750 --> 00:40:30,833 If you go back historically, 863 00:40:30,833 --> 00:40:32,667 the church at Philadelphia was amazing. 864 00:40:32,750 --> 00:40:34,833 John is writing this in the year, 865 00:40:34,833 --> 00:40:41,667 about roughly around 100 AD, 100 AD. 866 00:40:42,833 --> 00:40:46,833 And Jesus says, "I'm opening a door that no one can shut. 867 00:40:46,833 --> 00:40:48,333 "You're not powerful. 868 00:40:48,417 --> 00:40:50,500 "There's false believers, teachers, 869 00:40:50,542 --> 00:40:52,500 "churches all around you. 870 00:40:52,542 --> 00:40:56,250 But you really do love me, and I really do love you." 871 00:40:56,333 --> 00:40:59,667 And they took that encouragement from Jesus, 872 00:40:59,750 --> 00:41:04,333 and do you know how long this church continued generation 873 00:41:04,333 --> 00:41:08,875 after generation after generation, to serve Jesus? 874 00:41:09,000 --> 00:41:12,000 Over 1,200 years. 875 00:41:12,042 --> 00:41:17,167 Over 1,200 years. 876 00:41:17,250 --> 00:41:21,500 That's the power of Jesus saying, "I love you." 877 00:41:21,542 --> 00:41:23,333 It's so powerful that your great-great-great-great-great- 878 00:41:23,417 --> 00:41:27,000 great-great-great grandkids 879 00:41:27,042 --> 00:41:30,500 are still riding off of that affection. 880 00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:34,375 Still motivated by that devotion. 881 00:41:34,500 --> 00:41:38,000 Twelve hundred years the Christian church 882 00:41:38,042 --> 00:41:41,042 stayed in Philadelphia. 883 00:41:41,167 --> 00:41:42,500 Earthquakes would hit, 884 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:44,500 the church would fall to the ground, 885 00:41:44,542 --> 00:41:50,500 and they would come out and rebuild it, for 1,200 years. 886 00:41:50,542 --> 00:41:56,500 They sent missionaries out to plant churches for 1,200 years. 887 00:41:56,542 --> 00:42:01,583 They stayed faithful to Jesus for 1,200 years. 888 00:42:01,667 --> 00:42:04,000 That means over 1,200 years later, 889 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:06,000 the people who received this letter, 890 00:42:06,042 --> 00:42:09,083 if you showed up in the 1st century, 891 00:42:09,167 --> 00:42:11,750 you would see the church and you would see people 892 00:42:11,833 --> 00:42:13,333 with certain last names. 893 00:42:13,333 --> 00:42:18,667 And if you came back in 1300 AD there would be people 894 00:42:18,708 --> 00:42:23,833 still in that church with the same last name. 895 00:42:23,833 --> 00:42:27,167 See, this is God's vision for the church. 896 00:42:27,250 --> 00:42:30,083 That Jesus would love you and you would give your life 897 00:42:30,167 --> 00:42:31,667 to the church. 898 00:42:31,750 --> 00:42:34,375 And that Jesus would love your children and they would give 899 00:42:34,500 --> 00:42:35,833 their life to the church. 900 00:42:35,833 --> 00:42:37,542 And that Jesus would love your grandchildren 901 00:42:37,667 --> 00:42:39,750 and they would give their life to the church. 902 00:42:39,833 --> 00:42:43,375 And that 1,200 years later it is possible, in the grace of God, 903 00:42:43,500 --> 00:42:46,875 if we get a vision beyond the weekend and ourself, 904 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:51,000 that our children's children's children's children 905 00:42:51,042 --> 00:42:54,875 would be loved by Jesus and give their life to the church. 906 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:57,250 But it starts with matriarchs and patriarchs. 907 00:42:57,333 --> 00:42:59,500 It starts with men and women saying, 908 00:42:59,542 --> 00:43:02,583 "Jesus loves me and this is our church. 909 00:43:02,667 --> 00:43:05,375 "And I'm going to raise my children to receive the love 910 00:43:05,500 --> 00:43:08,667 of Jesus and serve our church, and they will do the same." 911 00:43:08,708 --> 00:43:12,250 Twelve hundred years. 912 00:43:12,333 --> 00:43:16,042 What happens then is Mohammad comes along in about 700 AD 913 00:43:16,167 --> 00:43:19,500 and Islam is founded. 914 00:43:19,500 --> 00:43:22,667 And where Christianity is a religion of invitation, 915 00:43:22,708 --> 00:43:26,375 Islam is a religion of imposition. 916 00:43:26,500 --> 00:43:31,083 And all of a sudden there are wars being fought to take 917 00:43:31,167 --> 00:43:35,000 what was in large part a Christian people, 918 00:43:35,042 --> 00:43:41,000 and to convert them to Islam, or to kill them by the sword. 919 00:43:41,042 --> 00:43:43,083 Which city do you think was the last, 920 00:43:43,167 --> 00:43:46,750 final city to fall in what is modern-day Turkey? 921 00:43:46,833 --> 00:43:49,833 Philadelphia. 922 00:43:49,833 --> 00:43:55,083 In 1342, Turkish Muslim soldiers showed up, 923 00:43:55,167 --> 00:43:57,500 they showed up to the church. 924 00:43:57,542 --> 00:44:00,083 All the other cities had fallen. 925 00:44:00,167 --> 00:44:02,542 Many of the churches had given up. 926 00:44:02,667 --> 00:44:05,333 Many of the Christians had fled. 927 00:44:05,417 --> 00:44:09,875 And many had been brutally murdered, martyr's death. 928 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:15,500 And the last place to fall was the church at Philadelphia. 929 00:44:15,542 --> 00:44:17,833 They refused to compromise. 930 00:44:17,917 --> 00:44:20,500 They refused to deny Jesus Christ. 931 00:44:20,542 --> 00:44:22,542 When he tells them in Revelation 3, 932 00:44:22,667 --> 00:44:25,250 "You have not denied my name," 933 00:44:25,333 --> 00:44:29,875 twelve hundred years later the church in Philadelphia, 934 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:34,667 by the grace of God, did not deny the name of Jesus. 935 00:44:34,708 --> 00:44:37,000 And they died. 936 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:41,167 They were slaughtered in their own church. 937 00:44:41,250 --> 00:44:45,333 Women, children, young, old, slaughtered. 938 00:44:45,417 --> 00:44:49,500 Put to death by the sword, in their church. 939 00:44:49,542 --> 00:44:52,667 That's how they shut down the church at Philadelphia. 940 00:44:52,708 --> 00:44:58,000 They had to murder all the believers. 941 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:01,667 This is an amazing church. 942 00:45:01,708 --> 00:45:05,083 This is an encouraging church. 943 00:45:05,167 --> 00:45:09,167 This is a Spirit-filled church. 944 00:45:09,250 --> 00:45:13,500 And Jesus loves the church. 945 00:45:13,542 --> 00:45:17,000 Mars Hill, I'm not saying we're that kind of church. 946 00:45:17,042 --> 00:45:23,333 I'm saying, in the grace of God, we should aspire to be. 947 00:45:25,250 --> 00:45:28,375 And Satan has done a horrible thing in Turkey. 948 00:45:28,500 --> 00:45:31,375 Operation World now says it's the least churched nation 949 00:45:31,500 --> 00:45:34,375 on the earth. 950 00:45:34,500 --> 00:45:37,083 In a nation of some perhaps 70 million people, 951 00:45:37,167 --> 00:45:43,000 there are 3,500 evangelical Christians. 952 00:45:43,042 --> 00:45:46,083 See, there are some who just assume, 953 00:45:46,167 --> 00:45:48,583 "Well, someone will take care of the church. 954 00:45:48,667 --> 00:45:51,083 "Someone will keep it biblical. Someone will keep it faithful. 955 00:45:51,167 --> 00:45:53,250 "Someone will pay the bills. Someone will serve. 956 00:45:53,333 --> 00:45:54,833 "Someone will lead the groups. 957 00:45:54,833 --> 00:45:56,833 "Someone will care for the people. 958 00:45:56,833 --> 00:45:59,333 "Me, I can be a consumer and not a missionary. 959 00:45:59,417 --> 00:46:01,167 "I can take and not give. 960 00:46:01,208 --> 00:46:05,667 I can criticize and not help." 961 00:46:05,708 --> 00:46:10,500 Christianity is about Jesus and his people. 962 00:46:10,542 --> 00:46:13,000 And Jesus is always faithful. 963 00:46:13,042 --> 00:46:18,667 And the question is: Will his people be? 964 00:46:18,750 --> 00:46:21,375 I don't know if there will be a Mars Hill Church 965 00:46:21,500 --> 00:46:23,667 in 1,200 years. 966 00:46:23,750 --> 00:46:26,875 But I hope and pray, I hope and pray that the people 967 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:30,250 with our last name, in 1,200 years, 968 00:46:30,333 --> 00:46:33,333 they would hear from Jesus, "I love you. 969 00:46:33,333 --> 00:46:37,500 "You've stayed true to my Word. You've not denied my name. 970 00:46:37,500 --> 00:46:39,375 "I don't have any criticism of you, 971 00:46:39,500 --> 00:46:44,750 I have encouragement for you." 972 00:46:47,167 --> 00:46:50,667 He says, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says 973 00:46:50,708 --> 00:46:52,833 to the churches." 974 00:46:52,917 --> 00:46:55,250 Friends, I believe that Jesus' word for us today, 975 00:46:55,333 --> 00:46:58,000 he would have things from each of the seven churches 976 00:46:58,042 --> 00:47:00,667 that he would speak to us, most assuredly. 977 00:47:00,750 --> 00:47:02,583 But I believe this is a prophetic word, 978 00:47:02,667 --> 00:47:07,833 this is a timely word, "I have set before you an open door, 979 00:47:07,833 --> 00:47:11,500 which no one is able to shut." 980 00:47:11,500 --> 00:47:17,500 Jesus has opened a door for our church that no one can shut. 981 00:47:17,500 --> 00:47:19,250 It's a door of opportunity. 982 00:47:19,333 --> 00:47:22,083 I don't know how long the door of opportunity is open. 983 00:47:22,167 --> 00:47:25,833 For them, the door was open for 1,200 years. 984 00:47:25,833 --> 00:47:29,875 For us, we do not know. 985 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:34,833 Perhaps that door stayed open because they were faithful. 986 00:47:34,833 --> 00:47:36,583 And when you become unfaithful, 987 00:47:36,667 --> 00:47:40,167 perhaps that is when Jesus shuts the door. 988 00:47:40,250 --> 00:47:42,875 We do not want Jesus to just open a door 989 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:44,500 of opportunity for us. 990 00:47:44,500 --> 00:47:47,083 For any church that believes the Bible and loves Jesus, 991 00:47:47,167 --> 00:47:49,833 we pray for an open door of opportunity. 992 00:47:49,833 --> 00:47:52,833 We pray that there, many people would meet Jesus, 993 00:47:52,917 --> 00:47:55,583 and many leaders would be sent out to make disciples 994 00:47:55,667 --> 00:47:57,833 and plant churches. 995 00:47:57,833 --> 00:48:01,250 And so I know Jesus is working in places not called Mars Hill. 996 00:48:01,333 --> 00:48:05,000 And I honestly celebrate wherever the door is open 997 00:48:05,042 --> 00:48:07,833 and Jesus' people are on mission. 998 00:48:07,833 --> 00:48:10,875 But for us, as a church, let me say this to you, 999 00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:15,083 in 1996, Jesus opened a door. 1000 00:48:15,167 --> 00:48:19,875 And he's kept the door open since 1996. 1001 00:48:20,000 --> 00:48:22,500 He did it in the least likely place. 1002 00:48:22,500 --> 00:48:25,542 The least-churched city in America. 1003 00:48:25,667 --> 00:48:29,333 He did it as we were going after the least likely people. 1004 00:48:29,417 --> 00:48:33,167 College educated, single, non-Christians, 1005 00:48:33,250 --> 00:48:36,375 including many young men. 1006 00:48:36,500 --> 00:48:38,375 He did it with the most unlikely person. 1007 00:48:38,500 --> 00:48:41,167 A guy who had never been a member of a church, 1008 00:48:41,250 --> 00:48:43,083 didn't have any formal theological education, 1009 00:48:43,167 --> 00:48:47,167 was rather unpleasant, and didn't know what he was doing. 1010 00:48:47,250 --> 00:48:49,375 Okay. 1011 00:48:49,500 --> 00:48:52,583 But the door opened. 1012 00:48:52,667 --> 00:48:57,083 And the door has remained open. 1013 00:48:57,167 --> 00:49:00,333 And we have seen Jesus take us from dozens, 1014 00:49:00,333 --> 00:49:02,583 to dozens of thousands. 1015 00:49:02,667 --> 00:49:05,375 From 1 location to 14 locations. 1016 00:49:05,500 --> 00:49:09,833 From a handful of Christians to a stadium of Christians. 1017 00:49:09,833 --> 00:49:13,750 We've seen Jesus open an amazing door. 1018 00:49:13,833 --> 00:49:16,000 I can't explain it. 1019 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,333 People come along, the media asks all the time, 1020 00:49:18,333 --> 00:49:19,667 "What's the secret?" 1021 00:49:19,750 --> 00:49:21,083 "Hey, Jesus is alive. 1022 00:49:21,167 --> 00:49:22,500 "That's the secret. 1023 00:49:22,542 --> 00:49:25,667 "If Jesus isn't alive, there's no other way to account 1024 00:49:25,750 --> 00:49:27,875 "for all that is happening. 1025 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,833 Jesus is alive, there's your secret." 1026 00:49:30,833 --> 00:49:32,333 Then they say, "Well, what else?" 1027 00:49:32,333 --> 00:49:37,042 "That's it. That's all we got." 1028 00:49:37,167 --> 00:49:39,833 Jesus is alive. He loves this church. 1029 00:49:39,833 --> 00:49:42,833 He's opened a door so that this church could reach the world, 1030 00:49:42,917 --> 00:49:46,833 and the world could meet him. 1031 00:49:50,042 --> 00:49:54,333 See, the critics can't shut this door. 1032 00:49:54,417 --> 00:49:57,500 And false teachers can't shut this door. 1033 00:49:57,542 --> 00:50:03,083 And Judases who join staff can't shut this door. 1034 00:50:03,167 --> 00:50:05,750 And people who refuse to give and demand to take, 1035 00:50:05,833 --> 00:50:10,667 they can't shut this door. 1036 00:50:10,708 --> 00:50:13,250 And people who would stand back and criticize those who 1037 00:50:13,333 --> 00:50:18,000 are serving, they can't shut this door. 1038 00:50:18,042 --> 00:50:20,083 And we don't have real estate. 1039 00:50:20,167 --> 00:50:22,500 And we're losing places to meet. 1040 00:50:22,542 --> 00:50:23,875 And we're upside down. 1041 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:25,833 And we've outgrown our systems. 1042 00:50:25,833 --> 00:50:28,083 And it's an economic downturn. 1043 00:50:28,167 --> 00:50:30,750 And that door won't shut. 1044 00:50:30,833 --> 00:50:33,250 And I don't care who we vote for in November, 1045 00:50:33,333 --> 00:50:35,083 that door won't shut. 1046 00:50:35,167 --> 00:50:38,667 Because above our elections is our King. 1047 00:50:38,750 --> 00:50:42,500 And it is a frustrating season when the church of Jesus Christ 1048 00:50:42,500 --> 00:50:46,000 is compromised, on her heels, apologizing, 1049 00:50:46,042 --> 00:50:50,000 ashamed to say his name, when the door is wide open. 1050 00:50:50,042 --> 00:50:53,833 The door has been open since 1996, 1051 00:50:53,833 --> 00:50:56,500 and by the grace of God, the door will be open 1052 00:50:56,542 --> 00:51:02,333 for 1,200 years. 1053 00:51:06,042 --> 00:51:09,667 And here's my heart: I love you. 1054 00:51:09,750 --> 00:51:12,500 I love you with Jesus' love. 1055 00:51:12,542 --> 00:51:15,167 I'm good to the end. 1056 00:51:15,250 --> 00:51:17,500 I know it's not all about me. 1057 00:51:17,500 --> 00:51:19,333 It's all about Jesus. 1058 00:51:19,333 --> 00:51:21,667 But I'm not going anywhere. 1059 00:51:21,708 --> 00:51:24,000 I don't want to be a conference speaker. 1060 00:51:24,042 --> 00:51:26,167 I don't want to be some consultant. 1061 00:51:26,208 --> 00:51:28,833 I don't want to be a guy who just does 1062 00:51:28,917 --> 00:51:31,667 leadership development seminars. 1063 00:51:31,750 --> 00:51:34,333 I want us to have a church, a great church, 1064 00:51:34,333 --> 00:51:36,833 an awesome church, a Spirit-filled, 1065 00:51:36,833 --> 00:51:42,250 Bible-soaked, Jesus-fired-up church. 1066 00:51:46,333 --> 00:51:50,667 And I tell you why I'm here: I love you and the door's open. 1067 00:51:50,750 --> 00:51:54,667 There's an opportunity that God has set before us that is, 1068 00:51:54,708 --> 00:51:57,042 it is very unique. 1069 00:51:57,167 --> 00:52:00,875 It is incredibly exciting. 1070 00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:07,875 Every time you pass through a door, pray for our church. 1071 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:10,375 "Jesus, thanks for the open door. 1072 00:52:10,500 --> 00:52:14,167 "Jesus, help us go through it to reach others and bring others 1073 00:52:14,208 --> 00:52:16,333 "through it to meet you. 1074 00:52:16,333 --> 00:52:23,000 Jesus, keep that door open." 1075 00:52:23,042 --> 00:52:26,167 I'm going to give you a few things in closing 1076 00:52:26,250 --> 00:52:28,375 that I want to share with you. 1077 00:52:28,500 --> 00:52:31,750 As Jesus has a bit of a members meeting with the church 1078 00:52:31,833 --> 00:52:33,542 at Philadelphia. 1079 00:52:33,667 --> 00:52:35,583 He's been paying careful attention 1080 00:52:35,667 --> 00:52:37,083 to what's been happening. 1081 00:52:37,167 --> 00:52:40,875 And he shares with them what he wants from them. 1082 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:44,750 And as your leader I have an opportunity to do the same. 1083 00:52:44,833 --> 00:52:48,667 I'll share with you a few things that are going on at Mars Hill 1084 00:52:48,750 --> 00:52:51,042 and then we're going to call you to respond. 1085 00:52:51,167 --> 00:52:53,500 If you're not a Christian, the door's open. 1086 00:52:53,542 --> 00:52:55,500 Give your live to Jesus. 1087 00:52:55,542 --> 00:52:57,333 Give your sin to Jesus. 1088 00:52:57,333 --> 00:53:01,375 Pass that threshold of faith. 1089 00:53:01,500 --> 00:53:04,375 If you're a Christian who has been a consumer and a taker, 1090 00:53:04,500 --> 00:53:07,375 it's time to become a worshiper and a giver. 1091 00:53:07,500 --> 00:53:09,542 We'll collect our offering. 1092 00:53:09,667 --> 00:53:13,250 For those of you who have sin in your life that has held you back 1093 00:53:13,333 --> 00:53:17,042 because of guilt and shame, we want you to repent of that sin. 1094 00:53:17,167 --> 00:53:19,875 Take Communion knowing that Jesus' broken body, 1095 00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:23,583 Jesus' shed blood, is what takes away your sin, 1096 00:53:23,667 --> 00:53:27,667 and you now can serve God with the gifts that you have 1097 00:53:27,708 --> 00:53:31,667 on the ministry that he's called you to. 1098 00:53:31,708 --> 00:53:35,000 And for those of you who are leaders that have not yet been 1099 00:53:35,042 --> 00:53:39,167 leading, the door's open for you to let us know that you're ready 1100 00:53:39,208 --> 00:53:43,833 to cross that threshold from observer to leader. 1101 00:53:43,833 --> 00:53:46,833 I want to share with you some things that are going on 1102 00:53:46,917 --> 00:53:48,250 at Mars Hill. 1103 00:53:48,333 --> 00:53:50,000 Here's a bit of a church update. 1104 00:53:50,042 --> 00:53:52,375 Here's where we are at. 1105 00:53:52,500 --> 00:53:55,000 We are in the midst of a difficult season. 1106 00:53:55,042 --> 00:53:57,167 Not the hardest season we've ever been in, 1107 00:53:57,208 --> 00:54:00,083 but one of those difficult seasons. 1108 00:54:00,167 --> 00:54:03,000 And I'm going to explain it to you globally 1109 00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:06,583 so you can pray personally. 1110 00:54:06,667 --> 00:54:09,083 In the past we had basically a budget year. 1111 00:54:09,167 --> 00:54:11,833 So we'd look at our whole year and make our plans. 1112 00:54:11,917 --> 00:54:15,583 Well, things change at Mars Hill so fast that it's very difficult 1113 00:54:15,667 --> 00:54:18,167 to guess what's going to be happening in 12 months, 1114 00:54:18,250 --> 00:54:21,500 let alone 12 minutes. 1115 00:54:21,500 --> 00:54:25,000 And so for us, the way our budget year works is it goes 1116 00:54:25,042 --> 00:54:26,583 from July through June. 1117 00:54:26,667 --> 00:54:28,583 So in June we finish our budget year. 1118 00:54:28,667 --> 00:54:32,083 What we used to do, is we used to budget and then we'd get 1119 00:54:32,167 --> 00:54:34,083 a big year-end bonus in December. 1120 00:54:34,167 --> 00:54:37,667 So a big chunk of our giving would come in December, 1121 00:54:37,750 --> 00:54:39,667 so we'd set an annual budget. 1122 00:54:39,750 --> 00:54:42,500 Well, the problem is, you're running a deficit 1123 00:54:42,542 --> 00:54:44,167 until the end of the year. 1124 00:54:44,250 --> 00:54:46,167 It's kind of like a family who says, 1125 00:54:46,250 --> 00:54:48,375 "Well, we're going to get a big year-end bonus, 1126 00:54:48,500 --> 00:54:50,542 "so we'll just run up our credit card debt, 1127 00:54:50,667 --> 00:54:52,542 and then we'll pay it off in December." 1128 00:54:52,667 --> 00:54:56,000 Well, number one, you better hope the bonus is good. 1129 00:54:56,000 --> 00:54:58,667 Number two, you better hope the bonus happens. 1130 00:54:58,750 --> 00:55:01,333 Otherwise you've got a real crisis. 1131 00:55:01,417 --> 00:55:04,167 And so what we've done is we've made a course correction. 1132 00:55:04,208 --> 00:55:07,500 We now have the speed with our accounting and reporting, 1133 00:55:07,542 --> 00:55:10,667 that we live off of what we bring in week to week. 1134 00:55:10,708 --> 00:55:14,375 And then at the end of the year, if we get a big bonus, great. 1135 00:55:14,500 --> 00:55:16,167 We can repair an existing church building. 1136 00:55:16,208 --> 00:55:17,875 We can go plant a new church. 1137 00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:19,375 We can help missionaries overseas. 1138 00:55:19,500 --> 00:55:21,083 We can start something new. Praise God. 1139 00:55:21,167 --> 00:55:22,583 We can improve something that's going. 1140 00:55:22,667 --> 00:55:24,833 And so the old model was an annual budget. 1141 00:55:24,833 --> 00:55:26,583 The new one is a weekly budget. 1142 00:55:26,667 --> 00:55:28,833 The old one was reliant on the year-end bonus. 1143 00:55:28,833 --> 00:55:31,000 The new one says, "If we get a bonus." 1144 00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:33,375 You see the truth is, if there's an economic crisis, 1145 00:55:33,500 --> 00:55:35,000 or we have a massive snowstorm, 1146 00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:37,083 or we miss at the end of the year, 1147 00:55:37,167 --> 00:55:38,500 we have a real crisis. 1148 00:55:38,542 --> 00:55:41,083 We want to avoid and avert that. 1149 00:55:41,167 --> 00:55:43,875 And so it was unsustainable, and now it is. 1150 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,375 Now, what that means, as well, 1151 00:55:46,500 --> 00:55:49,583 is that we have to make some budget adjustments right now. 1152 00:55:49,667 --> 00:55:51,667 So we're downsizing our staff. 1153 00:55:51,750 --> 00:55:56,000 Pray for some good, godly people that we can no longer afford. 1154 00:55:56,000 --> 00:55:58,167 We're having to cut back on some programming. 1155 00:55:58,208 --> 00:56:01,875 This is a year, for us, of pruning. 1156 00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:05,333 And then we're hoping in the future that Jesus 1157 00:56:05,333 --> 00:56:07,833 will keep the door open, and we can do more. 1158 00:56:07,833 --> 00:56:09,333 Here's where it's at. 1159 00:56:09,333 --> 00:56:11,500 And some of you say, "What, it's all about the money?" 1160 00:56:11,500 --> 00:56:13,833 Jesus says, "Where your treasure is your, what, is? 1161 00:56:13,833 --> 00:56:15,167 Your heart is." 1162 00:56:15,250 --> 00:56:18,167 If I walk into your house and you have rickety old furniture 1163 00:56:18,250 --> 00:56:21,583 and you're sleeping on a futon, and you've got a TV the size of 1164 00:56:21,667 --> 00:56:23,333 a JumboTron in an NFL stadium, 1165 00:56:23,417 --> 00:56:27,167 it gives me a window into your heart. 1166 00:56:27,250 --> 00:56:32,333 The one thing you have given everything to is that. 1167 00:56:32,333 --> 00:56:35,542 So, percentage of adults that gave at Mars Hill, 41%. 1168 00:56:35,667 --> 00:56:38,250 That includes households. 1169 00:56:38,333 --> 00:56:42,375 The average giving per adult per week is just under $33. 1170 00:56:42,500 --> 00:56:44,833 That's 4,838 households. 1171 00:56:44,833 --> 00:56:50,000 Our weekly attendance is 13,000 up to 15,000 a week. 1172 00:56:50,000 --> 00:56:54,583 What we want is for those who are Christians 1173 00:56:54,667 --> 00:56:57,583 to love their church. 1174 00:56:57,667 --> 00:57:02,375 Now, here's the, here's the past budget model. 1175 00:57:02,500 --> 00:57:05,667 In the past, we brought in about $30 per adult per week. 1176 00:57:05,750 --> 00:57:09,250 We're praying and hoping that goes up to $35. 1177 00:57:09,333 --> 00:57:12,833 We have church costs, facility costs, and central costs. 1178 00:57:12,917 --> 00:57:15,000 So church costs are local staff programing. 1179 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:16,667 Facilities, places to meet. 1180 00:57:16,708 --> 00:57:20,167 Central is the website, human resources, legal, me, 1181 00:57:20,250 --> 00:57:23,167 the media team, all of that. 1182 00:57:23,250 --> 00:57:26,667 And so we were running, in addition to projects, 1183 00:57:26,750 --> 00:57:30,333 investments, and expansion, we were running a weekly deficit of 1184 00:57:30,333 --> 00:57:34,000 $22.61 per person. 1185 00:57:34,042 --> 00:57:37,000 And then waiting for the big year-end bonus to pay it off. 1186 00:57:37,042 --> 00:57:39,833 Well, going forward, the ultimate goal is to live 1187 00:57:39,833 --> 00:57:41,500 within our means. 1188 00:57:41,500 --> 00:57:45,000 Right now we have trimmed the budget significantly, 1189 00:57:45,042 --> 00:57:49,583 to where we're losing $7.44 an adult per week. 1190 00:57:49,667 --> 00:57:52,000 And by the end of the year, by December, 1191 00:57:52,042 --> 00:57:56,750 we want to actually be flush, or in a profitable phase, 1192 00:57:56,833 --> 00:57:59,833 where we're just a little bit over in case there's an 1193 00:57:59,917 --> 00:58:02,875 emergency, a crisis, or a need, we have a bit of margin 1194 00:58:03,000 --> 00:58:04,500 in our budget. 1195 00:58:04,542 --> 00:58:07,833 What that'll allow us to do is, at the end of the year, 1196 00:58:07,917 --> 00:58:10,042 like I said, if the year-end giving is strong, 1197 00:58:10,167 --> 00:58:12,833 we can talk about how to reach more people for Jesus, 1198 00:58:12,833 --> 00:58:15,083 not how to pay off the credit card debt. 1199 00:58:15,167 --> 00:58:17,583 That make sense? So we're in the midst of that. 1200 00:58:17,667 --> 00:58:20,000 So if you hear, "Hey, Mars Hill's canceled 1201 00:58:20,000 --> 00:58:21,333 "a few programs. 1202 00:58:21,417 --> 00:58:23,083 "The staff is shrinking a little bit. 1203 00:58:23,167 --> 00:58:24,583 They're making some transitions." 1204 00:58:24,667 --> 00:58:27,042 It's not that anybody has sinned, or done anything wrong, 1205 00:58:27,167 --> 00:58:30,042 or is in trouble, it's just that we had an economic model 1206 00:58:30,167 --> 00:58:31,542 that wasn't sustainable for our future. 1207 00:58:31,667 --> 00:58:33,000 And that's the update. 1208 00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:34,542 So pray for your churches. 1209 00:58:34,667 --> 00:58:37,500 More than ever, the unpaid elders and the volunteers 1210 00:58:37,500 --> 00:58:39,500 are more needed than ever. 1211 00:58:39,500 --> 00:58:42,000 Here's the weekly loss. 1212 00:58:42,042 --> 00:58:44,833 Shoreline's losing $18 an adult a week. 1213 00:58:44,833 --> 00:58:46,500 UDub, almost $12. 1214 00:58:46,542 --> 00:58:47,875 West Seattle, $11. 1215 00:58:48,000 --> 00:58:49,833 Sammamish, almost $10. 1216 00:58:49,833 --> 00:58:51,500 Orange County, over $8. 1217 00:58:51,542 --> 00:58:53,000 Olympia, over $8. 1218 00:58:53,000 --> 00:58:54,333 Downtown, over $8. 1219 00:58:54,417 --> 00:58:55,750 Albuquerque is losing $7. 1220 00:58:55,833 --> 00:58:57,167 Bellevue, $6. 1221 00:58:57,208 --> 00:58:58,542 Everett, almost $6. 1222 00:58:58,667 --> 00:59:00,375 Ballard, almost $5. 1223 00:59:00,500 --> 00:59:02,000 Federal Way, almost $5. 1224 00:59:02,042 --> 00:59:05,833 Phoenix, or excuse me, Portland, maybe that was prophetic, 1225 00:59:05,833 --> 00:59:09,000 we'll start Phoenix next, almost $4. 1226 00:59:09,042 --> 00:59:12,333 And Rainier Valley is the church that's losing the least 1227 00:59:12,333 --> 00:59:14,000 on a weekly basis. 1228 00:59:14,042 --> 00:59:17,000 And I'll tell you what, that church is meeting on the campus 1229 00:59:17,042 --> 00:59:20,250 of the Union Gospel Mission, and a large percentage of attenders 1230 00:59:20,333 --> 00:59:25,250 are single mothers from the battered women's shelter. 1231 00:59:25,333 --> 00:59:29,875 And that church is losing the least. 1232 00:59:30,000 --> 00:59:31,583 Okay. 1233 00:59:31,667 --> 00:59:33,833 Now, you look at this, you say, "Fourteen churches." 1234 00:59:33,833 --> 00:59:35,833 See, this is the myth at Mars Hill: 1235 00:59:35,833 --> 00:59:37,167 "There's a money fairy somewhere 1236 00:59:37,250 --> 00:59:40,000 and the money fairy takes care of it." 1237 00:59:40,000 --> 00:59:41,333 Okay. 1238 00:59:41,417 --> 00:59:43,333 You're the money fairy. 1239 00:59:43,333 --> 00:59:45,750 Okay. 1240 00:59:45,833 --> 00:59:48,667 The percentage of adults who gave. 1241 00:59:48,708 --> 00:59:50,042 Okay. 1242 00:59:50,167 --> 00:59:53,042 So, if you look at the average-- you look at our churches, 1243 00:59:53,167 --> 00:59:55,042 which churches have a lot of people giving, 1244 00:59:55,167 --> 00:59:56,833 which people don't, which churches don't have 1245 00:59:56,833 --> 00:59:58,167 a lot of people giving? 1246 00:59:58,250 --> 00:59:59,875 Shoreline, about 2/3 of people are giving. 1247 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:02,083 West Seattle, about 2/3. Sammamish is almost 2/3. 1248 01:00:02,167 --> 01:00:04,167 Olympia is almost 60%. 1249 01:00:04,208 --> 01:00:06,333 Bellevue is at 54%. 1250 01:00:06,333 --> 01:00:08,167 Everett is at 45%. 1251 01:00:08,250 --> 01:00:10,375 Federal Way, 42%. 1252 01:00:10,500 --> 01:00:12,583 Portland, 42%. 1253 01:00:12,667 --> 01:00:14,542 Ballard, 41%. 1254 01:00:14,667 --> 01:00:16,083 Albuquerque, 38%. 1255 01:00:16,167 --> 01:00:17,667 Orange County, 32%. 1256 01:00:17,750 --> 01:00:19,833 UDub, 29%. 1257 01:00:19,833 --> 01:00:22,042 Rainier Valley, 27%. 1258 01:00:22,167 --> 01:00:26,667 And downtown, with a lot of working-class singles, 24%. 1259 01:00:26,708 --> 01:00:28,583 Big variance. 1260 01:00:28,667 --> 01:00:30,167 Big variance. 1261 01:00:30,250 --> 01:00:33,167 So, in some of our churches, 2/3 of people are giving anything. 1262 01:00:33,250 --> 01:00:35,042 And that could be $5 a millennium. 1263 01:00:35,167 --> 01:00:36,542 You know. 1264 01:00:36,667 --> 01:00:38,000 And some of our churches, 1265 01:00:38,000 --> 01:00:41,000 only 1 in 4 people is giving anything. 1266 01:00:41,000 --> 01:00:42,500 So you can see the variance. 1267 01:00:42,542 --> 01:00:45,583 The big issue is, for us, the money quite frankly 1268 01:00:45,667 --> 01:00:47,000 and the giving quite frankly, 1269 01:00:47,042 --> 01:00:48,875 it's not about the number of dollars, 1270 01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:51,333 really for me, the first and primary thing 1271 01:00:51,333 --> 01:00:53,375 is the number of people. 1272 01:00:53,500 --> 01:00:56,167 How many people care? 1273 01:00:56,250 --> 01:00:59,167 How many people give because Jesus says, 1274 01:00:59,250 --> 01:01:01,167 "Where your treasure is, there your heart is"? 1275 01:01:01,250 --> 01:01:03,500 Generally the people who are giving are serving. 1276 01:01:03,500 --> 01:01:05,667 Generally the people who are giving are praying. 1277 01:01:05,750 --> 01:01:09,875 Generally the people who are giving are caring. 1278 01:01:10,000 --> 01:01:14,167 And so I would ask you, Mars Hill, 1279 01:01:14,250 --> 01:01:16,500 to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying 1280 01:01:16,542 --> 01:01:18,250 to the churches. 1281 01:01:18,333 --> 01:01:21,250 What is he saying to you? 1282 01:01:21,333 --> 01:01:24,583 So, for the next year our intent is not to start any new 1283 01:01:24,667 --> 01:01:26,000 Mars Hill churches. 1284 01:01:26,042 --> 01:01:28,583 Now, I'm not saying we won't, because if something comes 1285 01:01:28,667 --> 01:01:31,083 available, we'll look at it. 1286 01:01:31,167 --> 01:01:34,833 But right now, the plan is not to start a new Mars Hill church 1287 01:01:34,833 --> 01:01:36,583 in the next year. 1288 01:01:36,667 --> 01:01:38,250 To have a lean staff. 1289 01:01:38,333 --> 01:01:40,000 To have a season of tight. 1290 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:41,583 To live within our means. 1291 01:01:41,667 --> 01:01:43,875 To make some course corrections in every way. 1292 01:01:44,000 --> 01:01:46,667 To strengthen and grow our local churches. 1293 01:01:46,708 --> 01:01:51,500 And then in about a year from now, the fall of 2013, 1294 01:01:51,542 --> 01:01:54,667 yeah, we want to start Mars Hill Renton. 1295 01:01:54,750 --> 01:01:57,375 Yeah, we want to start Mars Hill Bothell 1296 01:01:57,500 --> 01:02:01,667 or Kirkland, up in that area. 1297 01:02:01,750 --> 01:02:04,833 We want to get Mars Hill Federal Way settled 1298 01:02:04,917 --> 01:02:09,083 into a new home so we can start Mars Hill Tacoma. 1299 01:02:09,167 --> 01:02:13,500 In addition, we are looking for a home for Mars Hill Everett. 1300 01:02:13,542 --> 01:02:15,500 They've outgrown their kids' space. 1301 01:02:15,542 --> 01:02:17,333 We're looking for a good permanent home 1302 01:02:17,333 --> 01:02:19,042 for Mars Hill Federal Way 1303 01:02:19,167 --> 01:02:21,833 and may have good news to report shortly. 1304 01:02:21,917 --> 01:02:24,667 Mars Hill Olympia has just entered into a brand-new space 1305 01:02:24,750 --> 01:02:27,333 that we're renting and will give them some future potential 1306 01:02:27,333 --> 01:02:29,333 for growth. 1307 01:02:29,417 --> 01:02:31,875 Mars Hill Orange County has gotten an eviction notice 1308 01:02:32,000 --> 01:02:34,167 from the city, and we have nowhere to meet. 1309 01:02:34,250 --> 01:02:36,875 We do not know where we will be week to week. 1310 01:02:37,000 --> 01:02:38,333 So pray for them. 1311 01:02:38,333 --> 01:02:40,833 So some of our churches we need to help strengthen 1312 01:02:40,833 --> 01:02:42,167 and stabilize. 1313 01:02:42,250 --> 01:02:44,375 And then also we want to, in the future, 1314 01:02:44,500 --> 01:02:47,375 once we've gotten through this season of transition, yeah, 1315 01:02:47,500 --> 01:02:50,083 we want to go back to planting a lot more churches. 1316 01:02:50,167 --> 01:02:53,333 Right now, we have three of our elders that feel called to go 1317 01:02:53,333 --> 01:02:55,042 out and plant other churches, independent churches, 1318 01:02:55,167 --> 01:02:58,167 and we intend to support them, as well as international church- 1319 01:02:58,250 --> 01:03:01,333 planting in places like Ethiopia, and into India, 1320 01:03:01,333 --> 01:03:03,333 and international mission work. 1321 01:03:03,417 --> 01:03:08,042 We want to live in a way that is lean so that we can give 1322 01:03:08,167 --> 01:03:10,583 in a way that is generous. 1323 01:03:10,667 --> 01:03:13,333 And Mars Hill, it's a miracle, we're up, 1324 01:03:13,417 --> 01:03:17,167 we're up by a few thousand people over last year. 1325 01:03:17,250 --> 01:03:20,167 Many people are meeting Jesus. 1326 01:03:20,250 --> 01:03:23,500 Many lives are getting changed. 1327 01:03:23,542 --> 01:03:26,667 Many marriages are getting healed. 1328 01:03:26,750 --> 01:03:29,833 And I want you to hear what the Spirit is saying 1329 01:03:29,917 --> 01:03:32,083 to the churches. 1330 01:03:32,167 --> 01:03:37,167 And here's what he's saying, it's from Jesus Christ, 1331 01:03:37,208 --> 01:03:39,583 "I have loved you." 1332 01:03:39,667 --> 01:03:42,167 Jesus loves you Mars Hill. 1333 01:03:42,250 --> 01:03:44,083 And he still does. 1334 01:03:44,167 --> 01:03:46,250 And the door's still open, amen? 1335 01:03:46,333 --> 01:03:48,500 So let's go through it together. 1336 01:03:48,500 --> 01:03:50,375 I'll ask the financial stewards to come forward 1337 01:03:50,500 --> 01:03:52,333 to collect our offering. 1338 01:03:52,333 --> 01:03:55,333 We'll then take Communion, remembering the broken body 1339 01:03:55,333 --> 01:03:59,042 and shed blood of Jesus Christ, in our place for our sins. 1340 01:03:59,167 --> 01:04:01,083 And you know what we're going to do? 1341 01:04:01,167 --> 01:04:03,083 We're going to sing to our King. 1342 01:04:03,167 --> 01:04:06,083 Because he what? 1343 01:04:06,167 --> 01:04:07,833 He has loved us. 1344 01:04:07,917 --> 01:04:10,167 Father God, thank you for an opportunity to teach 1345 01:04:10,250 --> 01:04:12,042 the Bible at Mars Hill. 1346 01:04:12,167 --> 01:04:14,500 Thank you that you opened a door in 1996, 1347 01:04:14,500 --> 01:04:17,000 a door that no one can close. 1348 01:04:17,042 --> 01:04:22,000 I pray you keep that door open for 1,200 years. 1349 01:04:22,042 --> 01:04:24,250 And I pray that we would pass through it, 1350 01:04:24,333 --> 01:04:28,000 those of us who are Christian, to be on mission in the world. 1351 01:04:28,000 --> 01:04:30,333 And God, for those who are unbelievers, 1352 01:04:30,333 --> 01:04:32,875 I pray they would pass through it to meet Jesus. 1353 01:04:33,000 --> 01:04:35,375 And God, for those who have been giving, and caring, 1354 01:04:35,500 --> 01:04:37,875 and praying, and serving, and making it happen. 1355 01:04:38,000 --> 01:04:41,167 God, thank you for the encouraging word from Jesus, 1356 01:04:41,250 --> 01:04:43,542 who says, "I know your works." 1357 01:04:43,667 --> 01:04:46,542 So Jesus, we thank you for your love and we thank you 1358 01:04:46,667 --> 01:04:48,000 for their works. 1359 01:04:48,000 --> 01:04:49,500 In Jesus' name, amen.