1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:02,000 Hi there Mars Hill Church 2 00:00:02,083 --> 00:00:05,000 and the extended family of Mars Hill Global. 3 00:00:05,083 --> 00:00:08,333 I'm pastor Sutton Turner here in Dilla, Ethiopia 4 00:00:08,375 --> 00:00:10,292 and I wanted to take a moment and explain 5 00:00:10,333 --> 00:00:14,333 what the extended family of Mars Hill Global is. 6 00:00:14,375 --> 00:00:18,333 I was a podcaster when I was living in the Middle East 7 00:00:18,375 --> 00:00:22,125 and consuming those podcasts every week, 8 00:00:22,167 --> 00:00:26,125 participating, really one way, from Mars Hill Church. 9 00:00:26,167 --> 00:00:27,917 I was really a consumer. 10 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,500 So what we're doing is setting up 11 00:00:29,542 --> 00:00:33,167 the extended family of Mars Hill Global and saying, 12 00:00:33,250 --> 00:00:39,000 "Come, be a part of what Jesus Christ is doing in and through our church." 13 00:00:39,083 --> 00:00:40,917 So what does Mars Hill Global do? 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,125 Well, Mars Hill Global is doing and participating in church planting 15 00:00:46,167 --> 00:00:48,417 here in Ethiopia and also in India. 16 00:00:48,500 --> 00:00:51,375 Also, we're doing church planting in the United States as well. 17 00:00:51,458 --> 00:00:53,583 We're doing all of that because in Mars Hill Church 18 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,417 we believe that Jesus has called us to make disciples and plant churches. 19 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:02,375 So I want to ask you to be a part. I want to as you to be a part 20 00:01:02,458 --> 00:01:04,208 of the extended family of Mars Hill Global. 21 00:01:04,292 --> 00:01:05,417 Sign up today. 22 00:01:05,500 --> 00:01:08,333 Become a member of the extended family, 23 00:01:08,375 --> 00:01:10,917 start participating online with us, 24 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,500 and let's see what Jesus Christ is going to do, 25 00:01:13,542 --> 00:01:16,500 not only in the United States, but to the ends of the Earth. 26 00:01:17,167 --> 00:01:30,083 [music] 27 00:01:35,375 --> 00:01:36,875 [Laughing] I'm Joshua. 28 00:01:36,958 --> 00:01:38,875 I'm Spencer. Hey, I'm Jonathan. 29 00:01:38,958 --> 00:01:40,708 I'm a lawyer, and I'm a mom. 30 00:01:40,792 --> 00:01:42,333 I'm a colorist in the fashion industry. 31 00:01:42,375 --> 00:01:43,958 I don't know how to not smile. 32 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:45,458 I am a strategist. 33 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:46,833 I work in commercial real estate. 34 00:01:46,875 --> 00:01:48,708 Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out 35 00:01:48,792 --> 00:01:50,083 how to phrase my work. 36 00:01:50,167 --> 00:01:52,333 People are always coming up to me with, like, 37 00:01:52,375 --> 00:01:53,833 creative ideas. 38 00:01:53,875 --> 00:01:56,833 I carry around a baseball that reminds me of my dad. 39 00:01:56,875 --> 00:02:01,333 I lost my home, my car, my retirement. 40 00:02:01,375 --> 00:02:04,125 Most days look pretty, kind of crazy. 41 00:02:06,708 --> 00:02:08,792 Being a wholesaler, we have a big warehouse space. 42 00:02:08,833 --> 00:02:10,542 I like to think through things. 43 00:02:10,625 --> 00:02:12,167 I got a tattoo of a tree. 44 00:02:12,250 --> 00:02:13,667 I love--I love that. 45 00:02:13,750 --> 00:02:16,250 Who do you think-- Who do you think you are? 46 00:02:18,833 --> 00:02:21,500 All right, Ephesians 5:1-21-- 47 00:02:21,583 --> 00:02:23,708 find it in your Bible. We'll read it. 48 00:02:23,792 --> 00:02:26,125 I'm supposed to start with a funny story to capture 49 00:02:26,167 --> 00:02:27,625 all your attention. 50 00:02:27,667 --> 00:02:30,000 I got nothing. So here's what we're going to do. 51 00:02:30,083 --> 00:02:32,083 We're just going to read the Bible, OK? 52 00:02:32,167 --> 00:02:33,792 You ready? 53 00:02:33,833 --> 00:02:36,583 Whoo, whoo, all right, both of you are excited. 54 00:02:36,667 --> 00:02:38,458 That's great. At least I'm not alone. 55 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:42,958 All right, Ephesians 5-- it's in the Bible--1-21. 56 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,792 Whoo! Whoo! 57 00:02:44,833 --> 00:02:46,958 If you don't have a good story or illustration, 58 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:48,917 just fire them up with enthusiasm. 59 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:50,708 That's what I've always believed. 60 00:02:50,792 --> 00:02:52,083 OK, here we go. 61 00:02:52,167 --> 00:02:55,417 "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 62 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:58,833 "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up 63 00:02:58,875 --> 00:03:01,875 "for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." 64 00:03:01,958 --> 00:03:04,292 But-- here we go. 65 00:03:04,333 --> 00:03:06,375 You having a good day? 66 00:03:06,458 --> 00:03:07,875 OK, we'll fix that. 67 00:03:07,958 --> 00:03:09,875 Here we go. 68 00:03:09,958 --> 00:03:13,375 "But sexual immorality"-- all the single guys, 69 00:03:13,458 --> 00:03:16,333 "What's that mean in the Greek?" 70 00:03:16,417 --> 00:03:19,500 You don't need to know Greek to know what that means. 71 00:03:19,583 --> 00:03:21,333 Stop it. 72 00:03:21,417 --> 00:03:24,000 "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must 73 00:03:24,083 --> 00:03:28,500 not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints." 74 00:03:28,583 --> 00:03:31,708 That's your identity; you're a saint, if you're a Christian. 75 00:03:31,792 --> 00:03:37,917 "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking"-- 76 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:39,458 even in a locker room? Yes-- 77 00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:41,167 "which are out of place, 78 00:03:41,208 --> 00:03:42,958 "but instead let there be thanksgiving. 79 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,417 "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is 80 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:49,833 "sexually immoral or impure, 81 00:03:49,875 --> 00:03:52,833 "or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), 82 00:03:52,875 --> 00:03:58,333 has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." 83 00:03:58,375 --> 00:04:03,958 You say, "Well, I--I read a book and a guy said that's not true." 84 00:04:06,083 --> 00:04:08,875 "Let no one deceive you with empty words, 85 00:04:08,958 --> 00:04:13,000 "for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon 86 00:04:13,083 --> 00:04:16,167 "the sons of disobedience. 87 00:04:16,208 --> 00:04:19,000 "Therefore do not become partakers with them; 88 00:04:19,083 --> 00:04:20,875 "for at one time you were darkness, 89 00:04:20,958 --> 00:04:23,000 "but now you are light in the Lord. 90 00:04:23,083 --> 00:04:25,667 "Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light 91 00:04:25,708 --> 00:04:28,208 "is found in all that is good and right and true), 92 00:04:28,292 --> 00:04:30,792 "and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 93 00:04:30,833 --> 00:04:32,958 "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, 94 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,042 "but instead expose them. 95 00:04:35,125 --> 00:04:37,542 "For it is shameful even to speak of the things 96 00:04:37,625 --> 00:04:39,208 "that they do in secret. 97 00:04:39,292 --> 00:04:42,458 "But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 98 00:04:42,500 --> 00:04:44,708 "for anything that becomes visible is light. 99 00:04:44,792 --> 00:04:47,042 "Therefore it says, 'Awake, O sleeper, 100 00:04:47,125 --> 00:04:50,458 "and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' 101 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:54,792 "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 102 00:04:54,833 --> 00:04:57,208 "making the best use of the time, 103 00:04:57,292 --> 00:05:00,875 "because the days are evil. 104 00:05:00,958 --> 00:05:03,000 "Therefore do not be foolish, 105 00:05:03,083 --> 00:05:05,792 "but understand what the will of the Lord is. 106 00:05:05,833 --> 00:05:08,000 And do not get drunk with wine"-- 107 00:05:08,042 --> 00:05:09,792 "What about whiskey?" 108 00:05:09,833 --> 00:05:11,500 Yeah, that too-- 109 00:05:11,583 --> 00:05:15,292 "for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 110 00:05:15,333 --> 00:05:17,875 "addressing one another in psalms and hymns 111 00:05:17,958 --> 00:05:19,875 "and spiritual songs, 112 00:05:19,958 --> 00:05:26,667 "singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 113 00:05:26,708 --> 00:05:29,875 "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father 114 00:05:29,958 --> 00:05:31,958 "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 115 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,917 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." 116 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,583 A lot to say. 117 00:05:36,667 --> 00:05:39,208 Two lists: the first one is "Do Not!" 118 00:05:39,292 --> 00:05:41,333 That's what he says, "Do not!" 119 00:05:41,375 --> 00:05:43,292 And there's a long list. 120 00:05:43,333 --> 00:05:45,833 Look at this list! 121 00:05:45,875 --> 00:05:49,958 "Do not engage in sexual immorality or impurity." 122 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:51,792 "I thought it an alternative lifestyle." 123 00:05:51,833 --> 00:05:54,583 No, it's immorality and impurity. 124 00:05:54,667 --> 00:05:55,958 "What if she's hot?" 125 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,292 So is hell. Put your hands back where they belong. 126 00:06:00,333 --> 00:06:02,000 "What if we're married in God's eyes?" 127 00:06:02,083 --> 00:06:04,167 God's eyes are flaming, burning red. 128 00:06:04,208 --> 00:06:09,000 I assure you, you're not married in his eyes. 129 00:06:09,042 --> 00:06:12,708 "What if we're gonna get married? 130 00:06:12,792 --> 00:06:18,000 What if we've known each other for a long time? Wha--" 131 00:06:18,083 --> 00:06:24,667 Put your hands down. No! No more touching, no! 132 00:06:24,708 --> 00:06:27,500 "Well, what if--" No! 133 00:06:27,583 --> 00:06:29,667 "Pastor Mark, what's it say in the Greek?" 134 00:06:29,708 --> 00:06:32,208 It says you're nasty. That's what it says in the Greek. 135 00:06:32,292 --> 00:06:34,708 You could always tell a dirty 20-something-year-old guy 136 00:06:34,792 --> 00:06:36,958 on the run because he's doing Greek word studies 137 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,417 on things like Ephesians 5:3. 138 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:42,833 "Well, I found a guy who said it's fine in the ancient world." 139 00:06:42,875 --> 00:06:45,042 "Do not engage in"-- 140 00:06:45,125 --> 00:06:47,333 and that's a big junk-drawer word. 141 00:06:47,375 --> 00:06:51,583 Friends with benefits, adultery, pornography--whatever, 142 00:06:51,667 --> 00:06:55,292 just big old bucket of nastiness. No! 143 00:06:55,333 --> 00:06:58,667 Number two, do not engage in covetousness. 144 00:06:58,708 --> 00:07:03,000 We call it advertising and marketing. 145 00:07:03,083 --> 00:07:06,208 See, we just rename things, right? 146 00:07:06,292 --> 00:07:09,000 So, coveting is when you're like, "Boy, that's a nice car. 147 00:07:09,083 --> 00:07:10,667 I wish I had that car." 148 00:07:10,708 --> 00:07:11,875 "Oh, they're an attractive person. 149 00:07:11,958 --> 00:07:13,792 I wish I was beautiful like them." 150 00:07:13,833 --> 00:07:17,125 "Pastor Mark has a huge neck. I wish I had a huge neck." 151 00:07:17,167 --> 00:07:20,500 It's when you see desirable things and you long for them 152 00:07:20,583 --> 00:07:26,083 in an unhealthy way. 153 00:07:26,167 --> 00:07:31,708 Number three, do not participate in filthiness, foolish talk, 154 00:07:31,792 --> 00:07:34,208 or crude humor. 155 00:07:34,292 --> 00:07:37,375 Right? How many of you guys-- you say stuff when you're with 156 00:07:37,458 --> 00:07:41,750 the guys that you would never say when the gals are around. 157 00:07:41,833 --> 00:07:44,000 You say, "Don't tell them that." 158 00:07:44,042 --> 00:07:49,208 It's inappropriate, crude, sexual, base, 159 00:07:49,292 --> 00:07:52,083 vulgar, joking and jesting. 160 00:07:52,167 --> 00:07:54,250 I don't know if women do this a lot. 161 00:07:54,333 --> 00:07:57,333 I know that men do, right? 162 00:07:57,417 --> 00:08:00,708 He says, "No. Do not." 163 00:08:00,792 --> 00:08:04,333 Do not associate with sinful behavior, number four. 164 00:08:04,417 --> 00:08:07,208 It doesn't say, "Don't associate with sinful people," 165 00:08:07,292 --> 00:08:09,333 because you'd need to find a new planet, 166 00:08:09,417 --> 00:08:11,667 and that's a big inconvenience. 167 00:08:11,708 --> 00:08:14,083 But don't participate in sinful behavior, 168 00:08:14,167 --> 00:08:17,333 meaning if some people are doing something that's wrong, 169 00:08:17,417 --> 00:08:19,875 you can't do what they're doing. 170 00:08:19,958 --> 00:08:23,250 And the Holy Spirit will convict you, and you'll--you'll know. 171 00:08:23,333 --> 00:08:26,708 "I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be doing this. 172 00:08:26,792 --> 00:08:28,250 "This is wrong. 173 00:08:28,333 --> 00:08:31,000 "I know my group of friends does this, 174 00:08:31,042 --> 00:08:32,750 "but I've got to extricate myself. 175 00:08:32,833 --> 00:08:35,208 "I've got to walk away because this is not what 176 00:08:35,292 --> 00:08:37,208 "I'm supposed to be doing. 177 00:08:37,292 --> 00:08:38,875 "It doesn't mean I can't love them, 178 00:08:38,958 --> 00:08:41,667 "I can't be friends with them, I can't communicate with them, 179 00:08:41,708 --> 00:08:44,750 but when they're going to do that, I can't go with them." 180 00:08:44,833 --> 00:08:46,250 Right, ladies? 181 00:08:46,333 --> 00:08:47,708 This is like your single girlfriends. 182 00:08:47,792 --> 00:08:49,333 Friday night they get dressed up. 183 00:08:49,417 --> 00:08:51,000 Their hem line and neck line meet, 184 00:08:51,083 --> 00:08:53,000 and they're going out to do nefarious things. 185 00:08:53,083 --> 00:08:54,250 You say, "You know what? 186 00:08:54,333 --> 00:08:57,333 I'm going to find some sweats and just love Jesus, OK?" 187 00:08:57,417 --> 00:09:01,333 You can't do what they're doing. 188 00:09:01,375 --> 00:09:04,333 Number five, do not take part in works of darkness, 189 00:09:04,417 --> 00:09:06,583 but expose them. 190 00:09:06,667 --> 00:09:10,000 And this can be all kinds of things, all manner of things. 191 00:09:10,042 --> 00:09:12,375 This can be pagan spirituality, 192 00:09:12,458 --> 00:09:14,375 participation in other religions. 193 00:09:14,458 --> 00:09:17,375 This can be whatever--and I love, just the language. 194 00:09:17,458 --> 00:09:19,333 It's just dark. 195 00:09:19,417 --> 00:09:23,000 It's just dark, and what we tend to is when we're in darkness, 196 00:09:23,042 --> 00:09:24,708 it's because we're hiding. 197 00:09:24,792 --> 00:09:27,000 We're doing something we're not supposed to be doing. 198 00:09:27,042 --> 00:09:28,833 D.L. Moody was fond of saying, 199 00:09:28,917 --> 00:09:31,708 "Character is what you are in the dark." 200 00:09:31,792 --> 00:09:33,375 All right, when you don't think anybody's looking, 201 00:09:33,458 --> 00:09:36,667 you turn the lights out, and you assume that God can't see. 202 00:09:36,708 --> 00:09:38,333 It's not like God's in heaven going, 203 00:09:38,417 --> 00:09:39,833 "They turned the lights out. 204 00:09:39,917 --> 00:09:41,500 "I wonder what they're doing down there. 205 00:09:41,583 --> 00:09:43,167 "I wish I could see that. 206 00:09:43,208 --> 00:09:44,708 "From the noises, it is concerning, 207 00:09:44,792 --> 00:09:46,250 but perhaps--," right? 208 00:09:46,333 --> 00:09:50,000 It's sacred. It's hidden. 209 00:09:50,083 --> 00:09:52,375 You don't want people to know you visited this website, 210 00:09:52,458 --> 00:09:55,000 you went to this place, you're engaged in this relationship, 211 00:09:55,083 --> 00:09:57,167 you're participating in these activities. 212 00:09:57,208 --> 00:09:59,250 You're trying to keep it all in the darkness, 213 00:09:59,333 --> 00:10:02,250 and what he says is, "No, do not do that. 214 00:10:02,333 --> 00:10:04,167 "Expose those things. Talk about those things. 215 00:10:04,250 --> 00:10:08,333 Confess those things. Get help for those things." 216 00:10:08,375 --> 00:10:12,083 And number six, he says do not get drunk. 217 00:10:12,167 --> 00:10:13,500 Do not get drunk. 218 00:10:13,583 --> 00:10:15,667 It's not a sin to have a drink-- 219 00:10:15,708 --> 00:10:18,958 if you're over 21, you don't cause others to stumble. 220 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:21,167 Because some of you grew up in religious traditions 221 00:10:21,208 --> 00:10:23,958 where they did really weird things to the Bible. 222 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,583 They'd go to "Jesus turns water into wine." They'd be like, 223 00:10:26,667 --> 00:10:28,292 "It's grape juice." 224 00:10:28,333 --> 00:10:29,667 No, it's not. It's not. 225 00:10:29,708 --> 00:10:31,167 Have you been drinking? 226 00:10:31,208 --> 00:10:33,958 Who would interpret it like that, right? 227 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,500 Do not get--otherwise Ephesians would be saying, 228 00:10:36,583 --> 00:10:39,167 "Do not get drunk on grape juice," and you're like, 229 00:10:39,250 --> 00:10:43,000 "Shouldn't be hard to stay sober on grape juice." 230 00:10:43,083 --> 00:10:45,792 I think it would take a lot of grape juice. 231 00:10:45,833 --> 00:10:48,167 I think my odds of drowning would exceed my odds 232 00:10:48,208 --> 00:10:52,667 of drunkenness were I to get drunk on grape juice. 233 00:10:52,750 --> 00:10:55,583 All right, the Bible talks about wine. It talks about alcohol. 234 00:10:55,667 --> 00:10:58,167 It talks about beer in Proverbs. 235 00:10:58,250 --> 00:11:02,375 It's not a sin. But it is a sin to disobey the law. 236 00:11:02,458 --> 00:11:04,833 It is a sin to cause others to stumble. 237 00:11:04,917 --> 00:11:08,875 And it is a sin to get drunk--to get drunk. 238 00:11:08,958 --> 00:11:11,500 And yes, this would include other substances. 239 00:11:11,542 --> 00:11:13,833 I literally--I've had guys who are like, 240 00:11:13,917 --> 00:11:16,875 "It doesn't say anything about tequila." 241 00:11:16,958 --> 00:11:20,875 What the--what kind of weird alcoholic Pharisee are you? 242 00:11:20,958 --> 00:11:25,208 You know, like, it means alcohol. 243 00:11:25,292 --> 00:11:27,667 It means being controlled by another substance. 244 00:11:27,708 --> 00:11:30,500 This would include prescription medications that you're just 245 00:11:30,583 --> 00:11:33,333 using in an unhealthy way. 246 00:11:33,417 --> 00:11:36,833 This would include self-medicating with drugs, 247 00:11:36,917 --> 00:11:39,875 alcohol of various sorts and kinds. 248 00:11:39,958 --> 00:11:42,375 The Bible says that we're to be self-controlled and alert. 249 00:11:42,458 --> 00:11:45,208 You can't do that if you're drunk or you're high. 250 00:11:45,292 --> 00:11:47,500 And I know we just passed the marijuana law, 251 00:11:47,542 --> 00:11:49,375 but God's people shouldn't be getting high. 252 00:11:49,458 --> 00:11:51,000 They shouldn't be getting drunk. 253 00:11:51,083 --> 00:11:53,500 They shouldn't be controlled by any substance. 254 00:11:53,583 --> 00:11:55,875 And in this scenario, he says, "Don't get drunk. 255 00:11:55,958 --> 00:11:57,208 Be filled with the Holy Spirit." 256 00:11:57,292 --> 00:12:00,083 If you want to be under the control of something, 257 00:12:00,167 --> 00:12:02,167 be under the control of the Holy Spirit. 258 00:12:02,208 --> 00:12:03,583 If you're struggling with your problems, 259 00:12:03,667 --> 00:12:06,250 don't turn to the bong, and don't turn to the bottle; 260 00:12:06,333 --> 00:12:07,875 turn to the Holy Spirit. 261 00:12:07,958 --> 00:12:09,375 Don't escape your problems, 262 00:12:09,458 --> 00:12:11,250 overcome them by the power of God. 263 00:12:11,333 --> 00:12:13,500 And that's the big idea of what he's unpacking. 264 00:12:13,583 --> 00:12:16,375 So, there's your six "Do not!" 265 00:12:16,458 --> 00:12:19,333 And then he has a "Do" list. 266 00:12:19,417 --> 00:12:23,208 Imitate God. Sort of a big request, right? 267 00:12:23,292 --> 00:12:25,750 Big request. 268 00:12:25,833 --> 00:12:30,000 This is sort of a definition of your life. 269 00:12:30,042 --> 00:12:31,833 Imitate God. How would God treat them? 270 00:12:31,917 --> 00:12:33,833 What would God say? What would God do? 271 00:12:33,917 --> 00:12:35,875 What would God give? How would God respond? 272 00:12:35,958 --> 00:12:38,208 How would God react? What would God think? 273 00:12:38,292 --> 00:12:39,750 What would God feel? 274 00:12:39,833 --> 00:12:41,750 All of life now becomes God-centered. 275 00:12:41,833 --> 00:12:44,750 We live life, then, coram Deo, as the theologians say, 276 00:12:44,833 --> 00:12:46,500 "in the face of God." 277 00:12:46,583 --> 00:12:49,667 "OK, God, who are you, and how can I imitate you?" 278 00:12:49,708 --> 00:12:53,375 And that's worship--responding as God would respond, 279 00:12:53,458 --> 00:12:55,500 reflecting who God is. 280 00:12:55,583 --> 00:12:57,167 Do walk in love. 281 00:12:57,208 --> 00:12:59,208 This is a habitual, ongoing lifestyle. 282 00:12:59,292 --> 00:13:01,417 You love people. 283 00:13:01,500 --> 00:13:03,708 This includes generosity and affection and service 284 00:13:03,792 --> 00:13:06,833 and investment in people. 285 00:13:06,917 --> 00:13:09,000 Walk as children of light. 286 00:13:09,083 --> 00:13:11,750 This is being honest about your own sin, 287 00:13:11,833 --> 00:13:14,000 putting it all out in the light. 288 00:13:14,083 --> 00:13:17,208 All right, 1 John says, "If we walk in the light as he is 289 00:13:17,292 --> 00:13:19,208 "in the light, we have fellowship with one another, 290 00:13:19,292 --> 00:13:21,167 "and the blood of Jesus cleanses us 291 00:13:21,208 --> 00:13:22,500 from all of our unrighteousness." 292 00:13:22,583 --> 00:13:24,500 Walking in the light means talking to God 293 00:13:24,542 --> 00:13:27,333 and other Christians about our sins and our struggles. 294 00:13:27,417 --> 00:13:29,667 "Here's what's going on, and here's where I'm failing. 295 00:13:29,708 --> 00:13:32,875 "And I don't want to hide it all over in the darkness, 296 00:13:32,958 --> 00:13:36,375 and you can't see who I am or where I'm at or what I do." 297 00:13:36,458 --> 00:13:39,667 I bring it out. I put it in the light. And I say, 298 00:13:39,708 --> 00:13:41,250 "Look, I need help. I need accountability. 299 00:13:41,333 --> 00:13:42,750 "I need support. 300 00:13:42,833 --> 00:13:44,250 "This is what's going on, 301 00:13:44,333 --> 00:13:47,250 "and I'm just going to put it out there in the light. 302 00:13:47,333 --> 00:13:48,500 "I know it's ugly. 303 00:13:48,583 --> 00:13:50,208 "I know it's hard to look at, 304 00:13:50,292 --> 00:13:52,750 but I'm here because I need Jesus and Jesus' people." 305 00:13:52,833 --> 00:13:54,750 That's walking in the light. 306 00:13:54,833 --> 00:13:57,250 Too oftentimes, I see people-- they will keep everything 307 00:13:57,333 --> 00:13:59,375 in darkness until their life falls apart, 308 00:13:59,458 --> 00:14:02,042 and then run into church and try and microwave relationships 309 00:14:02,125 --> 00:14:03,500 for help. 310 00:14:03,542 --> 00:14:05,500 If you're here, we love you, praise God, 311 00:14:05,542 --> 00:14:11,000 but for everyone else, walk in the light before it's a crisis. 312 00:14:11,083 --> 00:14:14,000 Allow others to know you and be in community with you 313 00:14:14,083 --> 00:14:15,375 through things like 314 00:14:15,458 --> 00:14:17,250 Redemption Groups and Community Groups. 315 00:14:17,333 --> 00:14:19,375 That's where we walk in the light. 316 00:14:19,458 --> 00:14:21,833 One of the great functions of those groups is 317 00:14:21,917 --> 00:14:23,375 walking in the light. 318 00:14:23,458 --> 00:14:24,833 "Who are you? Who am I? 319 00:14:24,917 --> 00:14:26,250 "Where are you? Where am I? 320 00:14:26,333 --> 00:14:28,083 "How can I help you? 321 00:14:28,167 --> 00:14:31,375 How can you help me so that together we can imitate him?" 322 00:14:31,458 --> 00:14:33,500 Number four, discern what pleases God. 323 00:14:33,583 --> 00:14:35,250 All of sudden, then, for the Christian, 324 00:14:35,333 --> 00:14:37,667 life is no longer, "What do I want?" 325 00:14:37,708 --> 00:14:40,750 The question is, what does he want? 326 00:14:40,833 --> 00:14:43,667 "Lord, what would please you? 327 00:14:43,708 --> 00:14:47,167 "Should I do this or not do this? 328 00:14:47,208 --> 00:14:49,208 "Should I say this or not say this? 329 00:14:49,292 --> 00:14:51,333 "Should I give this or not give this? 330 00:14:51,417 --> 00:14:56,458 Lord, what would please you? What would please you?" 331 00:14:58,583 --> 00:15:02,292 That's the goal. That's the question. 332 00:15:02,333 --> 00:15:05,500 So often, we don't ask that question. 333 00:15:05,542 --> 00:15:07,708 In fact, we decide what we want, 334 00:15:07,792 --> 00:15:11,000 and then we pray, telling God to do that. 335 00:15:11,083 --> 00:15:13,667 "God, do this." 336 00:15:13,708 --> 00:15:17,250 No, we need to first pray, "God, what do you want me to do?" 337 00:15:17,333 --> 00:15:19,375 And then we should obey. 338 00:15:19,458 --> 00:15:21,500 But discern what pleases the Lord. 339 00:15:21,583 --> 00:15:25,375 And friends, that's why we have the Word of God-- 340 00:15:25,458 --> 00:15:27,875 so that we can know God and who he is, 341 00:15:27,958 --> 00:15:30,333 that we can know ourselves and who we are, 342 00:15:30,417 --> 00:15:32,875 and so that we can discern what pleases God. 343 00:15:32,958 --> 00:15:35,667 Most of the answers to most of your questions 344 00:15:35,708 --> 00:15:38,833 have already been answered, and they're right here. 345 00:15:38,917 --> 00:15:41,208 And sometimes, Christians go searching for answers, 346 00:15:41,292 --> 00:15:42,875 and they should be searching the Scriptures 347 00:15:42,958 --> 00:15:47,000 because that's where the answers lie. 348 00:15:47,083 --> 00:15:51,250 Walk as wise, number five. 349 00:15:51,333 --> 00:15:53,875 The world is filled with folly. 350 00:15:53,958 --> 00:15:56,250 The juxtaposition in the book of Proverbs is between 351 00:15:56,333 --> 00:15:58,250 folly and wisdom. 352 00:15:58,333 --> 00:16:02,583 Some things are sinful. Others are just stupid; 353 00:16:02,667 --> 00:16:04,708 they're just dumb. 354 00:16:04,792 --> 00:16:06,750 You can say, "Oh, it's not a sin." 355 00:16:06,833 --> 00:16:08,375 It's not wise. 356 00:16:08,458 --> 00:16:10,375 That's not a good use of your time. 357 00:16:10,458 --> 00:16:12,583 That's not a good use of your energy. 358 00:16:12,667 --> 00:16:14,667 That's not a good use of your money. 359 00:16:14,708 --> 00:16:16,667 That's not a good investment of your life. 360 00:16:16,708 --> 00:16:19,000 It's just not. 361 00:16:19,083 --> 00:16:23,083 And I would put under this issue of wisdom the practical, daily, 362 00:16:23,167 --> 00:16:27,583 simple issues of life. 363 00:16:27,667 --> 00:16:30,375 When your hobbies overtake your life, 364 00:16:30,458 --> 00:16:32,833 when you don't have time for God and his people, 365 00:16:32,917 --> 00:16:35,708 and his Word because of your recreational activities, 366 00:16:35,792 --> 00:16:39,375 your online addiction, or your absolute obsession with 367 00:16:39,458 --> 00:16:42,333 social media, or you're trying to become a guild leader, 368 00:16:42,417 --> 00:16:44,333 God forbid. 369 00:16:44,417 --> 00:16:47,250 At the end of the day, you may say, "It's not a sin," 370 00:16:47,333 --> 00:16:48,750 but it's not wise. 371 00:16:48,833 --> 00:16:53,208 And sometimes the enemy of what pleases God 372 00:16:53,292 --> 00:16:57,000 is folly. 373 00:16:57,042 --> 00:17:00,333 It's just foolish waste of time, foolish waste of energy, 374 00:17:00,375 --> 00:17:03,208 foolish waste of money. 375 00:17:03,292 --> 00:17:05,667 And if you look at your life as a steward-- 376 00:17:05,708 --> 00:17:08,250 "And I only have so many dollars and so many days. 377 00:17:08,333 --> 00:17:14,083 How will I invest them so that it would be what pleases God?"-- 378 00:17:14,167 --> 00:17:17,333 it'll help keep you from folly. 379 00:17:17,417 --> 00:17:19,000 This isn't even the list. 380 00:17:19,083 --> 00:17:21,500 He's got a whole 'nother half of the "Do" list. 381 00:17:21,583 --> 00:17:24,500 Make the best use of time. 382 00:17:24,583 --> 00:17:26,750 How are you doing with your time? 383 00:17:26,833 --> 00:17:30,667 You and I only have a certain number of hours on the earth. 384 00:17:30,708 --> 00:17:34,167 We're to make an investment, make a deposit for 385 00:17:34,208 --> 00:17:36,375 the kingdom of God and the well-being of others. 386 00:17:36,458 --> 00:17:38,500 How is it going? 387 00:17:38,542 --> 00:17:40,708 I mean, today, the average high school student, 388 00:17:40,792 --> 00:17:42,667 by the time they graduate from high school, 389 00:17:42,708 --> 00:17:45,375 they have spent more time watching television than 390 00:17:45,458 --> 00:17:50,375 attending school. 391 00:17:50,458 --> 00:17:53,250 The average single guy, depending upon what survey 392 00:17:53,333 --> 00:17:57,708 you believe, spends between 3 and 4 hours a day 393 00:17:57,792 --> 00:18:02,333 playing video games. 394 00:18:02,375 --> 00:18:04,833 How much time is wasted through technology? 395 00:18:04,917 --> 00:18:07,333 And some of you say, "Oh, technology is not always 396 00:18:07,417 --> 00:18:08,667 a waste of time." 397 00:18:08,708 --> 00:18:10,667 No, it's not, but oftentime it is. 398 00:18:10,708 --> 00:18:13,750 How much time is wasted surfing the Internet, social media, 399 00:18:13,833 --> 00:18:18,750 gossiping, stalking, video- game playing, chatting-- 400 00:18:18,833 --> 00:18:21,875 just wasted time? 401 00:18:21,958 --> 00:18:24,583 I mean, in your pocket, you've got now, 402 00:18:24,667 --> 00:18:28,500 in the shape of a phone, a potential capacity 403 00:18:28,583 --> 00:18:33,375 to waste your entire life. 404 00:18:33,458 --> 00:18:37,583 He says, "Make good use of your time. 405 00:18:37,667 --> 00:18:40,667 Use your time wisely." 406 00:18:40,708 --> 00:18:43,750 And this contributes to this season of extended adolescence 407 00:18:43,833 --> 00:18:46,250 where, you know, men are pushing 30, 408 00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:49,208 women are pushing their late 20s to marry, 409 00:18:49,292 --> 00:18:52,000 and oftentimes it's because they have wasted time, 410 00:18:52,083 --> 00:18:54,000 not invested time. 411 00:18:54,083 --> 00:18:56,500 They're not ready to be married because they have wasted 412 00:18:56,583 --> 00:19:01,208 so many years, and young men are particularly the worst. 413 00:19:01,292 --> 00:19:04,167 I hammer it all the time, but this extended adolescence-- 414 00:19:04,208 --> 00:19:06,083 they refuse to grow up, 415 00:19:06,167 --> 00:19:08,333 and they refuse to take on responsibility, 416 00:19:08,417 --> 00:19:12,667 and the result is they are anatomically adult men 417 00:19:12,708 --> 00:19:16,375 but responsibly young boys. 418 00:19:16,458 --> 00:19:19,500 They've wasted the time. 419 00:19:19,583 --> 00:19:23,375 So he says, "Make the best use of time." 420 00:19:23,458 --> 00:19:26,708 How's your time? 421 00:19:26,792 --> 00:19:28,500 Be filled with the Spirit. 422 00:19:28,583 --> 00:19:30,250 And the language here is beautiful. 423 00:19:30,333 --> 00:19:31,875 The Holy Spirit-- 424 00:19:31,958 --> 00:19:34,167 he is the third member of the Trinity. 425 00:19:34,208 --> 00:19:36,667 He is a person and not a force. 426 00:19:36,708 --> 00:19:39,750 Jesus promised us that he would return 427 00:19:39,833 --> 00:19:42,375 and that he would send the Holy Spirit, 428 00:19:42,458 --> 00:19:45,208 and that he would convict us of sin. 429 00:19:45,292 --> 00:19:48,500 Jesus called the Holy Spirit "he," not "it." 430 00:19:48,583 --> 00:19:50,500 So, the Holy Spirit is a person. 431 00:19:50,583 --> 00:19:52,375 He's the third member of the Trinity. 432 00:19:52,458 --> 00:19:53,875 He's God. 433 00:19:53,958 --> 00:19:56,250 As he empowered the life of Jesus, 434 00:19:56,333 --> 00:19:58,750 he empowers the life of Jesus' people. 435 00:19:58,833 --> 00:20:01,250 As he allowed and empowered and enabled Jesus 436 00:20:01,333 --> 00:20:06,167 to be obedient, so he does the same for us. 437 00:20:06,208 --> 00:20:10,500 And we can live our lives not filled with drunkenness 438 00:20:10,583 --> 00:20:14,000 but filled with the Spirit. 439 00:20:14,083 --> 00:20:16,667 And the language here is this--and some of you have been 440 00:20:16,750 --> 00:20:19,167 in sort of charismatic/ Pentecostal churches where 441 00:20:19,250 --> 00:20:22,667 you've essentially been told that if you pray loud, 442 00:20:22,750 --> 00:20:25,792 and we all get together, and we have a big prayer meeting, 443 00:20:25,833 --> 00:20:29,083 and somebody brings a banner, and some gal finds a tambourine, 444 00:20:29,167 --> 00:20:32,458 and we make enough noise to wake the Holy Spirit up, and we yell, 445 00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:35,167 and we pray, and we praise, and we speak in tongues, 446 00:20:35,250 --> 00:20:37,417 and we dance around like an aerobics class 447 00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:40,667 on a karaoke night at a dive bar with cheap beers-- 448 00:20:40,708 --> 00:20:44,583 if we just all go for it, he'll show up. 449 00:20:44,667 --> 00:20:46,167 Here's the truth: 450 00:20:46,250 --> 00:20:49,083 the Holy Spirit's already there, right? 451 00:20:49,167 --> 00:20:50,667 He's already been poured out. 452 00:20:50,750 --> 00:20:52,167 He's already with God's people. 453 00:20:52,250 --> 00:20:54,458 He's already in God's people. 454 00:20:54,500 --> 00:20:57,333 And it's not that we have to make him show up; 455 00:20:57,375 --> 00:21:01,667 it's that we need to avail ourselves to his presence. 456 00:21:01,708 --> 00:21:04,167 The language here, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit"-- 457 00:21:04,208 --> 00:21:09,667 it literally is the imagery of sailing. 458 00:21:09,708 --> 00:21:12,750 Let's say the wind is blowing and there's a boat 459 00:21:12,833 --> 00:21:15,375 that's out on a lake. 460 00:21:15,458 --> 00:21:18,375 The boat doesn't have any energy or movement 461 00:21:18,458 --> 00:21:23,167 or momentum unless it puts the sail up. 462 00:21:23,208 --> 00:21:26,667 And once the sail is up, the sail gets filled, 463 00:21:26,708 --> 00:21:29,000 and then the boat gets moved and compelled 464 00:21:29,083 --> 00:21:31,375 and propelled along with great force and power. 465 00:21:31,458 --> 00:21:35,500 That's the language here. 466 00:21:35,542 --> 00:21:38,167 See, when we're walking in sin, when we're walking in 467 00:21:38,208 --> 00:21:41,500 foolishness, we're walking in rebellion, the Holy Spirit-- 468 00:21:41,583 --> 00:21:43,250 he's still blowing. 469 00:21:43,333 --> 00:21:46,083 Jesus said in John 4, "He's like the wind." 470 00:21:46,167 --> 00:21:51,250 He's still blowing. But we're not moving 471 00:21:51,333 --> 00:21:54,250 because our sail is down. 472 00:21:54,333 --> 00:21:56,667 We don't want to hear what he has to say. 473 00:21:56,708 --> 00:21:59,250 We don't want to do what he tells us to do. 474 00:21:59,333 --> 00:22:02,167 We don't want to go where he's pushing us to be. 475 00:22:02,208 --> 00:22:03,500 You see that? 476 00:22:03,542 --> 00:22:06,167 So, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not like 477 00:22:06,208 --> 00:22:09,375 you're just a great sail and he just hasn't shown up. 478 00:22:09,458 --> 00:22:11,375 He's already there, and if you're not moving, 479 00:22:11,458 --> 00:22:15,375 it's because you've taken your proverbial sail down. 480 00:22:15,458 --> 00:22:18,000 So, when he says, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit," 481 00:22:18,083 --> 00:22:19,583 he's saying, "Repent of your sin. 482 00:22:19,667 --> 00:22:21,875 "Repent of your folly. Repent of your rebellion. 483 00:22:21,958 --> 00:22:24,708 "Repent of your hard heart and your stiff neck because 484 00:22:24,792 --> 00:22:27,167 "the Holy Spirit wants to fill you, 485 00:22:27,208 --> 00:22:29,083 "and he wants to change you, 486 00:22:29,167 --> 00:22:31,250 "and he wants to inform you and enlighten you, 487 00:22:31,333 --> 00:22:34,583 "and he wants to move you, and he wants to work through you, 488 00:22:34,667 --> 00:22:37,875 and he's already there, and he's waiting on you." 489 00:22:37,958 --> 00:22:41,375 He's already waiting on you. 490 00:22:41,458 --> 00:22:44,167 It's not that the Holy Spirit is unwilling; 491 00:22:44,208 --> 00:22:46,208 it's sometimes that we are. 492 00:22:46,292 --> 00:22:49,667 That's the issue. 493 00:22:49,708 --> 00:22:54,167 He goes on to say to sing in passionate worship to God, 494 00:22:54,208 --> 00:22:56,875 to sing in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, 495 00:22:56,958 --> 00:22:59,750 and to make music that we get together and we sing 496 00:22:59,833 --> 00:23:01,333 as God's people. 497 00:23:01,375 --> 00:23:03,500 Those who are filled with the Spirit--they sing. 498 00:23:03,583 --> 00:23:05,875 This is why charismatic and Pentecostal churches, 499 00:23:05,958 --> 00:23:09,500 quite frankly, tend to out-sing Reformed, 500 00:23:09,583 --> 00:23:11,500 Presbyterian and Baptistic churches. 501 00:23:11,542 --> 00:23:13,708 They just do. 502 00:23:13,792 --> 00:23:17,250 Churches that believe in the Holy Spirit tend to sing 503 00:23:17,333 --> 00:23:22,333 a lot louder, and their band, frankly, tends to be better. 504 00:23:22,417 --> 00:23:24,500 I'm just delivering the mail; I don't write it. 505 00:23:24,583 --> 00:23:27,250 I'm just telling you how it is. 506 00:23:27,333 --> 00:23:29,250 If you're filled with the Holy Spirit, 507 00:23:29,333 --> 00:23:30,500 you want to sing. 508 00:23:30,583 --> 00:23:32,000 You know why? 509 00:23:32,083 --> 00:23:33,250 God, The Holy Spirit, 510 00:23:33,333 --> 00:23:34,875 the third member of the Trinity, 511 00:23:34,958 --> 00:23:37,167 for eternity past, has been in union and communion 512 00:23:37,208 --> 00:23:38,500 with the Father and the Son. 513 00:23:38,583 --> 00:23:40,375 They have been mutually glorifying and edifying 514 00:23:40,458 --> 00:23:42,750 one another forever in worshipful praise. 515 00:23:42,833 --> 00:23:45,333 And when the Holy Spirit indwells God's people, 516 00:23:45,417 --> 00:23:48,708 he inspires us to join in the praise of the Father 517 00:23:48,792 --> 00:23:51,375 and the Son. 518 00:23:51,458 --> 00:23:54,875 You can't be filled with the Holy Spirit and not sing. 519 00:23:54,958 --> 00:23:57,167 You can grieve, quench, resist the Holy Spirit. 520 00:23:57,208 --> 00:24:00,208 When the sermon's done, don't leave, all right? 521 00:24:00,292 --> 00:24:01,833 It's your turn to sing. 522 00:24:01,875 --> 00:24:03,500 It's your time to sing. 523 00:24:03,583 --> 00:24:05,708 Sing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. 524 00:24:05,792 --> 00:24:09,667 Make a joyful noise, right? 525 00:24:09,708 --> 00:24:13,167 He says, "Do that." 526 00:24:13,208 --> 00:24:16,208 Some of you say, "Well, what will other people think of me?" 527 00:24:16,292 --> 00:24:18,083 Well, that's not the question. 528 00:24:18,167 --> 00:24:21,250 We worship God. 529 00:24:21,333 --> 00:24:25,500 We're wondering what he's thinking if we're not singing. 530 00:24:25,583 --> 00:24:27,708 And I'll tell you what, Mars Hill, 531 00:24:27,792 --> 00:24:31,208 people cheer their gods in other churches, 532 00:24:31,292 --> 00:24:35,250 like stadiums. Their god is sport, and they show up 533 00:24:35,333 --> 00:24:38,167 and cheer. 534 00:24:38,208 --> 00:24:43,875 Concerts become--venues become Churches, and fans show up 535 00:24:43,958 --> 00:24:48,875 to cheer for their band and sing along. 536 00:24:48,958 --> 00:24:52,083 See, worship is happening everywhere. 537 00:24:52,167 --> 00:24:55,250 It certainly should be happening among God's people. 538 00:24:55,333 --> 00:24:57,250 They're singing for their team. 539 00:24:57,333 --> 00:24:59,167 They're singing for their band. 540 00:24:59,208 --> 00:25:01,833 You may as well sing for the God who conquered 541 00:25:01,875 --> 00:25:03,500 sin and death. 542 00:25:03,542 --> 00:25:05,375 He says, "Give thanks." 543 00:25:05,458 --> 00:25:08,333 So, what this is is--this is an attitude of gratitude where 544 00:25:08,417 --> 00:25:11,000 you're always wondering, "What could I be thankful for today?" 545 00:25:11,042 --> 00:25:13,750 And this not just sort of a naivety and a glibness, 546 00:25:13,833 --> 00:25:17,500 but it is, "God is good, and I need to be seeking 547 00:25:17,542 --> 00:25:20,208 "and searching out the goodness of God in my life 548 00:25:20,292 --> 00:25:23,375 "and then stopping to thank him for the grace that he provides 549 00:25:23,458 --> 00:25:26,667 through the course of my day." 550 00:25:26,708 --> 00:25:29,208 And then lastly, it says to submit to one another 551 00:25:29,292 --> 00:25:31,250 out of reverence for Christ. 552 00:25:31,333 --> 00:25:33,708 And this means, as you're part of the church family, 553 00:25:33,792 --> 00:25:36,250 if somebody loves Jesus and speaks into your life, 554 00:25:36,333 --> 00:25:38,000 you're at least willing to hear them. 555 00:25:38,083 --> 00:25:40,208 It doesn't mean you immediately agree with them, 556 00:25:40,292 --> 00:25:42,583 but you're willing to hear them, and if they're right, 557 00:25:42,667 --> 00:25:44,583 you're willing to repent, to apologize, to learn, 558 00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:46,375 to make a course correction. 559 00:25:46,458 --> 00:25:49,667 Because at the end of the day, to be filled with the Spirit 560 00:25:49,708 --> 00:25:53,375 is to be submissive to the truth. 561 00:25:53,458 --> 00:25:58,667 Now, here's the question: how are we going to do this, right? 562 00:25:58,708 --> 00:26:03,583 That's a list of six "Do not"s and ten "Do"s. 563 00:26:03,667 --> 00:26:05,750 How many of you stopped taking notes 564 00:26:05,833 --> 00:26:07,833 because the list got too long? 565 00:26:07,917 --> 00:26:10,500 You're like, "I don't-- look, that's a lot." 566 00:26:10,542 --> 00:26:13,375 It's a lot, right? 567 00:26:13,458 --> 00:26:15,667 Try the Old Testament. 568 00:26:15,708 --> 00:26:20,750 The first five books, more than 600 rules, laws. 569 00:26:20,833 --> 00:26:23,250 The Bible is filled with these. 570 00:26:23,333 --> 00:26:26,708 How many of you would like to go home now, starting in Genesis, 571 00:26:26,792 --> 00:26:29,208 read to Revelation, and just make two lists: 572 00:26:29,292 --> 00:26:31,750 "Do not do this" and "Do do that"? 573 00:26:31,833 --> 00:26:34,083 You will die before you finish the list, 574 00:26:34,167 --> 00:26:36,000 maybe by killing yourself, right? 575 00:26:36,083 --> 00:26:40,750 It's a lot. 576 00:26:40,833 --> 00:26:45,000 So, usually this is where the preacher goes moralistic. 577 00:26:45,083 --> 00:26:46,875 "Don't do this. Do that." 578 00:26:46,958 --> 00:26:50,375 And you can see it that way and not even be a Christian. 579 00:26:50,458 --> 00:26:54,333 Heck, you can be an atheist and just give people a list, 580 00:26:54,417 --> 00:26:58,208 "Do not," and give them another list, "Do." 581 00:26:58,292 --> 00:26:59,875 So, the question is how? 582 00:26:59,958 --> 00:27:05,250 How do we not do the bad things and do do the good things? 583 00:27:05,333 --> 00:27:07,375 Have I built your anticipation? 584 00:27:07,458 --> 00:27:09,000 Are you excited? 585 00:27:09,042 --> 00:27:10,250 "Oh Mark, please tell me! 586 00:27:10,333 --> 00:27:13,333 What is the answer to this question?" 587 00:27:13,417 --> 00:27:15,500 Well, I'll tell you anyways. 588 00:27:15,583 --> 00:27:20,875 All right, here it is: "Adopted by God the Father." 589 00:27:20,958 --> 00:27:23,375 You know how you're going to do what's right 590 00:27:23,458 --> 00:27:25,750 and not do what's wrong? 591 00:27:25,833 --> 00:27:29,375 Not by getting focused on yourself 592 00:27:29,458 --> 00:27:32,500 but getting to know your Dad. 593 00:27:32,583 --> 00:27:35,083 He says in Ephesians 5:1, 594 00:27:35,167 --> 00:27:37,083 right--we looked at Ephesians 5:1-21-- 595 00:27:37,167 --> 00:27:42,375 "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children." 596 00:27:42,458 --> 00:27:45,167 That sounds good, right? 597 00:27:45,208 --> 00:27:48,500 Beloved children. Christians are beloved children of God. 598 00:27:48,583 --> 00:27:51,250 And he says at the end, in Ephesians 5:20, 599 00:27:51,333 --> 00:27:54,208 that God is our Father. 600 00:27:54,292 --> 00:27:57,083 So, here's our identity, Mars Hill; 601 00:27:57,167 --> 00:27:59,167 if you're a Christian, 602 00:27:59,208 --> 00:28:05,375 God's our Father, and we are beloved children. 603 00:28:05,458 --> 00:28:08,250 He already told us in Ephesians 1:5, 604 00:28:08,333 --> 00:28:12,375 at the beginning of the book, that we'd been adopted. 605 00:28:12,458 --> 00:28:14,750 We'd been adopted. 606 00:28:14,833 --> 00:28:17,083 You ever seen a kid who's adopted? 607 00:28:17,167 --> 00:28:19,167 It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? 608 00:28:19,208 --> 00:28:23,000 A kid doesn't have a dad, and they get a dad. 609 00:28:23,042 --> 00:28:26,375 It changes that kid's whole life. 610 00:28:26,458 --> 00:28:31,750 Everything changes because of who their new dad is. 611 00:28:31,833 --> 00:28:36,208 Well, God's our Father, and this is a unique concept. 612 00:28:36,292 --> 00:28:39,875 Eight times in Ephesians, he talks about God as our Father, 613 00:28:39,958 --> 00:28:42,333 explicitly and overtly. 614 00:28:42,417 --> 00:28:45,208 This is how the Lord Jesus taught us to pray: 615 00:28:45,292 --> 00:28:47,875 "Our Father who art in heaven." 616 00:28:47,958 --> 00:28:49,375 Mars Hill, if you're a Christian, 617 00:28:49,458 --> 00:28:52,375 your relationship with God is a relationship 618 00:28:52,458 --> 00:28:54,750 with God as Father. 619 00:28:54,833 --> 00:28:57,083 And this would have been revolutionary language 620 00:28:57,167 --> 00:28:58,667 in Paul's day. 621 00:28:58,708 --> 00:29:01,458 I'll give you a bit of historical background here. 622 00:29:01,500 --> 00:29:04,167 In Paul's day, they're part of the Roman empire. 623 00:29:04,208 --> 00:29:07,667 Those kids who were born, particularly into poor families-- 624 00:29:07,708 --> 00:29:12,000 they were oftentimes discarded. 625 00:29:12,042 --> 00:29:15,875 Infant mortality rates were very high. 626 00:29:15,958 --> 00:29:19,667 Forty percent of children died by their fifth birthday. 627 00:29:19,708 --> 00:29:22,833 Kids died young. 628 00:29:22,917 --> 00:29:25,833 They tended not to name the child until it was at least 629 00:29:25,917 --> 00:29:31,000 a week old because so many children died in the first week. 630 00:29:31,083 --> 00:29:32,500 Of those who did live, 631 00:29:32,583 --> 00:29:34,375 particularly among poor families, 632 00:29:34,458 --> 00:29:38,708 if it was a girl, they would literally throw her out. 633 00:29:38,792 --> 00:29:42,000 They would abandon her in the wilderness. 634 00:29:42,042 --> 00:29:45,000 They would put her on the garbage pile. 635 00:29:45,083 --> 00:29:47,833 They'd throw her on the dung heap. 636 00:29:47,917 --> 00:29:51,208 If the family was poor, or let's say a boy was born with 637 00:29:51,292 --> 00:29:56,250 any kind of disability, same thing--abandoned, drowned, 638 00:29:56,333 --> 00:30:00,375 left on the garbage pile, left on the dung heap. 639 00:30:00,458 --> 00:30:02,250 These kids had no rights. 640 00:30:02,333 --> 00:30:04,458 What would happen, then, is people would come along, 641 00:30:04,500 --> 00:30:06,167 and they would take the girls. 642 00:30:06,250 --> 00:30:08,792 Can you imagine what they'd do to the girls? 643 00:30:08,833 --> 00:30:14,583 Prostitution, slavery, horrific abuse. 644 00:30:14,667 --> 00:30:17,500 Can you imagine if we just put newborn children out with 645 00:30:17,583 --> 00:30:20,417 the trash and anybody who was driving by could pick them up 646 00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:23,000 and do whatever they wanted to them? 647 00:30:23,083 --> 00:30:25,167 That was the Roman Empire. 648 00:30:25,208 --> 00:30:27,333 The boys were turned into slaves, 649 00:30:27,375 --> 00:30:30,167 and they were also fighting in the gladiator games, 650 00:30:30,208 --> 00:30:35,167 being murdered as sport for public consumption. 651 00:30:35,208 --> 00:30:38,083 It's why when the Lord Jesus shows up and he welcomes 652 00:30:38,167 --> 00:30:41,958 children around him, some of the disciples-- 653 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,583 "Hey, get those kids out of there." 654 00:30:43,667 --> 00:30:46,167 Jesus says, "No, no, no, no, no. No, I love kids. 655 00:30:46,208 --> 00:30:47,833 "I welcome kids. 656 00:30:47,875 --> 00:30:51,583 In fact, you know, God's our Father and we're his kids." 657 00:30:51,667 --> 00:30:56,583 Jesus changed the way the world sees children. 658 00:30:56,667 --> 00:31:00,500 Jesus changed the way the world sees God. 659 00:31:00,583 --> 00:31:04,250 Jesus shows us the Father heart of God and he reveals to us 660 00:31:04,333 --> 00:31:09,083 that we can be adopted into God's family. 661 00:31:09,167 --> 00:31:11,750 And what started happening-- it was interesting-- 662 00:31:11,833 --> 00:31:16,250 with all of these abandoned, discarded, abused children-- 663 00:31:16,333 --> 00:31:19,708 when Christianity started to grow in the early Roman Empire, 664 00:31:19,792 --> 00:31:23,250 they started adopting these kids. 665 00:31:23,333 --> 00:31:25,375 So, the Christians literally would go out, and, 666 00:31:25,458 --> 00:31:28,167 "Oh, there a baby on the trash. Take them home. 667 00:31:28,208 --> 00:31:30,333 "Here's another baby on the trash. Take them home. 668 00:31:30,417 --> 00:31:32,167 "Oh, baby abandoned in the wilderness. 669 00:31:32,208 --> 00:31:33,375 "Going to take them home. 670 00:31:33,458 --> 00:31:36,833 "Oh, you were going to take your baby out and tie a millstone 671 00:31:36,917 --> 00:31:39,375 "around its neck and drown it in the river? 672 00:31:39,458 --> 00:31:41,208 Why don't you give that baby to me?" 673 00:31:41,292 --> 00:31:43,333 And Christians started adopting all the kids. 674 00:31:43,417 --> 00:31:48,250 Why, why? 675 00:31:48,333 --> 00:31:51,667 Because your theology informs your activity. 676 00:31:51,708 --> 00:31:55,250 Because Jesus Christ was adopted. 677 00:31:55,333 --> 00:32:02,167 God came as Jesus Christ, and he didn't have an earthly father. 678 00:32:02,208 --> 00:32:08,167 And he was adopted by an earthly father, a guy named Joseph. 679 00:32:08,208 --> 00:32:12,000 Well, if Jesus is adopted, then adoption is good. 680 00:32:12,083 --> 00:32:16,875 Not only was Jesus adopted, through Jesus, we're adopted. 681 00:32:16,958 --> 00:32:18,875 And if God's our Father, and through Jesus 682 00:32:18,958 --> 00:32:21,500 we're adopted into God's family, then we should be adopting 683 00:32:21,583 --> 00:32:23,250 children into our family. 684 00:32:23,333 --> 00:32:27,208 We should be mothers and fathers to them and telling them that we 685 00:32:27,292 --> 00:32:30,750 adopted them because the Father in heaven has adopted us. 686 00:32:30,833 --> 00:32:35,375 It's why Christians have always loved adoption, amen? 687 00:32:35,458 --> 00:32:38,375 I can't tell you how many people at Mars Hill are adopting 688 00:32:38,458 --> 00:32:41,000 kids--it's great, praise God--out of foster care, 689 00:32:41,042 --> 00:32:44,375 overseas adoptions, whatever the circumstances might be. 690 00:32:44,458 --> 00:32:47,333 In our family, on both sides, each of my kids has got 691 00:32:47,417 --> 00:32:49,833 a--they've got a cousin on each side, 692 00:32:49,917 --> 00:32:52,250 a girl who's been adopted by a member 693 00:32:52,333 --> 00:32:55,583 of our extended family. 694 00:32:55,667 --> 00:32:58,167 God's heart is a father's heart. 695 00:32:58,208 --> 00:33:02,083 God's heart is an adoptive heart. 696 00:33:02,167 --> 00:33:08,500 I want you to see salvation as adoption. 697 00:33:08,583 --> 00:33:11,750 Who makes the decision, the child or the father, 698 00:33:11,833 --> 00:33:14,000 in an adoption? 699 00:33:14,042 --> 00:33:16,208 Who makes the decision? 700 00:33:16,292 --> 00:33:17,708 The father. 701 00:33:17,792 --> 00:33:19,375 It's a legal transaction. 702 00:33:19,458 --> 00:33:21,500 A kid can't just go to a courthouse, 703 00:33:21,542 --> 00:33:24,083 ask for the paperwork, fill it out, and sign it, 704 00:33:24,167 --> 00:33:25,875 and then they're adopted. 705 00:33:25,958 --> 00:33:29,375 The adoption is at the father's discretion. 706 00:33:29,458 --> 00:33:31,750 The father decides who he will adopt. 707 00:33:31,833 --> 00:33:34,000 It's a legal transaction. 708 00:33:34,083 --> 00:33:36,000 So it is with us. 709 00:33:36,083 --> 00:33:39,958 God's a father who adopts his kids. 710 00:33:41,333 --> 00:33:44,000 God's a Father who adopts his kids. 711 00:33:44,083 --> 00:33:49,167 If you're a Christian, he picked you. 712 00:33:49,208 --> 00:33:52,750 He picked you to be his son or daughter. 713 00:33:52,833 --> 00:33:55,667 He adopted you into his family. 714 00:33:55,708 --> 00:33:58,583 You now bear the family name of "Christian." 715 00:33:58,667 --> 00:34:00,708 You now receive all the inheritance rights 716 00:34:00,792 --> 00:34:04,000 of the Father, and that includes the totality 717 00:34:04,042 --> 00:34:07,333 of the kingdom of God. 718 00:34:07,417 --> 00:34:13,583 So, the first question is, you know, why does God do this? 719 00:34:15,417 --> 00:34:20,167 Because this is simply what he's like. 720 00:34:20,208 --> 00:34:21,375 He's this great. 721 00:34:21,458 --> 00:34:22,875 He's this glorious. 722 00:34:22,958 --> 00:34:24,375 He's this grand. 723 00:34:24,458 --> 00:34:25,667 He's this good. 724 00:34:25,708 --> 00:34:27,250 And I want to stress this. 725 00:34:27,333 --> 00:34:29,500 And I've hit this a few times in Ephesians, 726 00:34:29,583 --> 00:34:31,375 but I just feel compelled to continually 727 00:34:31,458 --> 00:34:33,750 revisit this theme, that God is a father and Christians 728 00:34:33,833 --> 00:34:37,667 are adopted into his family. Because, Mars Hill, 729 00:34:37,708 --> 00:34:41,250 the father wound is deep. 730 00:34:41,333 --> 00:34:43,208 It's deep. 731 00:34:43,292 --> 00:34:45,375 For the first time in the nation's history, 732 00:34:45,458 --> 00:34:48,333 40% of kids go to bed without a father tonight. 733 00:34:48,417 --> 00:34:50,208 For the first time in the nation's history, 734 00:34:50,292 --> 00:34:53,000 the majority of children born to women 30 and younger-- 735 00:34:53,083 --> 00:34:54,875 their children are born out of wedlock. 736 00:34:54,958 --> 00:34:57,375 What that means is, now, the majority of children 737 00:34:57,458 --> 00:35:01,333 growing up have no father. 738 00:35:01,375 --> 00:35:06,333 The majority of children have no father, 739 00:35:06,417 --> 00:35:10,375 and many who do have a bad dad, a violent dad, an abusive dad, 740 00:35:10,458 --> 00:35:13,667 an unloving dad, a dad who will not protect 741 00:35:13,708 --> 00:35:16,375 and will not provide. 742 00:35:16,458 --> 00:35:19,167 And I think, as much as anything, it articulates, 743 00:35:19,208 --> 00:35:23,333 it explains, it encapsulates the brokenness that we see 744 00:35:23,417 --> 00:35:25,208 in our culture. 745 00:35:25,292 --> 00:35:30,375 It's the result of a bunch of bad dads. 746 00:35:30,458 --> 00:35:34,750 The result is, today, that people who are in their teens 747 00:35:34,833 --> 00:35:39,833 and 20s--they're lost. 748 00:35:39,917 --> 00:35:43,333 They don't know where they come from, why they're here, 749 00:35:43,417 --> 00:35:46,000 where they're going, or what they're doing. 750 00:35:46,042 --> 00:35:48,833 It means, in our church, a lot of what we would call 751 00:35:48,917 --> 00:35:51,500 discipleship is really parenting. 752 00:35:51,583 --> 00:35:53,250 "Here's how you get a job. 753 00:35:53,333 --> 00:35:55,208 "Here's how you balance a checkbook. 754 00:35:55,292 --> 00:35:57,167 "Here's how you date and court. 755 00:35:57,208 --> 00:35:58,708 "Here's how you get married. 756 00:35:58,792 --> 00:36:00,792 "Here's how you govern your sexuality. 757 00:36:00,833 --> 00:36:03,208 Here's how you raise a kid." 758 00:36:03,292 --> 00:36:05,333 Today, discipleship is really parenting. 759 00:36:05,417 --> 00:36:10,000 And in the absence of intact families and homes, 760 00:36:10,083 --> 00:36:13,375 the church becomes the family of God that is there to help 761 00:36:13,458 --> 00:36:16,250 make up the difference. 762 00:36:16,333 --> 00:36:20,583 So, as we read this list from our Heavenly Father of 763 00:36:20,667 --> 00:36:23,750 "Do not do this," and "Do do that," 764 00:36:23,833 --> 00:36:26,750 all of that is to be learned in community 765 00:36:26,833 --> 00:36:29,708 with the family. 766 00:36:29,792 --> 00:36:33,000 And one of the things that is discouraging-- 767 00:36:33,083 --> 00:36:35,583 it's distressing, it's devastating-- 768 00:36:35,667 --> 00:36:40,250 is that the average person views God 769 00:36:40,333 --> 00:36:44,708 like their earthly father treated them. 770 00:36:44,792 --> 00:36:47,875 Christian Smith--he's a noted sociologist--he did 771 00:36:47,958 --> 00:36:49,875 the biggest study of teenagers and 20-somethings, 772 00:36:49,958 --> 00:36:52,333 spiritually speaking, in the history of 773 00:36:52,417 --> 00:36:54,250 the United States of America. 774 00:36:54,333 --> 00:36:56,583 He's written two books. And his basic summary is that 775 00:36:56,667 --> 00:37:00,083 the average young adult believes in something called moralistic, 776 00:37:00,167 --> 00:37:01,708 therapeutic deism. 777 00:37:01,792 --> 00:37:03,583 Big words. Deism--God lives far away. 778 00:37:03,667 --> 00:37:05,583 He's not really involved in our life. 779 00:37:05,667 --> 00:37:08,208 Moralistic--he wants us to be good people. 780 00:37:08,292 --> 00:37:11,000 Therapeutic--so we should take whatever we could find in 781 00:37:11,083 --> 00:37:14,500 psychology and sociology, and anthropology and theology 782 00:37:14,583 --> 00:37:19,208 and spirituality and just grab some tricks and some tips 783 00:37:19,292 --> 00:37:23,667 so that we can live a better, more satisfying, happy life. 784 00:37:23,708 --> 00:37:26,750 That view of God is like their earthly father: 785 00:37:26,833 --> 00:37:32,167 he left, he doesn't know me, he's not here to help me, 786 00:37:32,208 --> 00:37:34,208 he hopes I do my best, 787 00:37:34,292 --> 00:37:39,208 and maybe once in awhile he sends a check. 788 00:37:39,292 --> 00:37:43,250 The view of God in the Bible is absolutely different than 789 00:37:43,333 --> 00:37:46,250 the view of God in culture. 790 00:37:46,333 --> 00:37:49,083 In the Bible, God is Father. 791 00:37:49,167 --> 00:37:50,667 I need you to know that. 792 00:37:50,708 --> 00:37:52,250 I need you to believe that. 793 00:37:52,333 --> 00:37:53,833 I need you to trust that. 794 00:37:53,917 --> 00:37:55,375 And for some of you, 795 00:37:55,458 --> 00:37:57,375 this is a truth that's gonna take awhile 796 00:37:57,458 --> 00:37:59,667 to penetrate your hardness of heart. 797 00:37:59,708 --> 00:38:03,250 There's one guy at Mars Hill that I have told him this to his 798 00:38:03,333 --> 00:38:09,250 face fairly often for, I think it is now, coming up on 6 years. 799 00:38:09,333 --> 00:38:11,250 And after I preach this kind of sermon, 800 00:38:11,333 --> 00:38:13,167 almost every time over the years, 801 00:38:13,208 --> 00:38:16,083 he's come up to me and said, "I still struggle to believe 802 00:38:16,167 --> 00:38:17,583 that God is my Father." 803 00:38:17,667 --> 00:38:20,083 He is. 804 00:38:20,167 --> 00:38:24,500 He is, and once you understand that identity, 805 00:38:24,542 --> 00:38:28,333 it changes your activity. 806 00:38:28,417 --> 00:38:33,833 So, the key to "Don't do this" and "Do do that" is to ask, 807 00:38:33,917 --> 00:38:37,708 "Who's my Father? 808 00:38:37,792 --> 00:38:42,250 "If that's my Father, then I don't want to behave this way, 809 00:38:42,333 --> 00:38:44,375 and I do want to behave that way." 810 00:38:44,458 --> 00:38:46,375 And Paul summarizes it by saying, 811 00:38:46,458 --> 00:38:48,667 "Be imitators of God as dearly loved children of God." 812 00:38:48,708 --> 00:38:52,250 That's his thesis statement. 813 00:38:52,333 --> 00:38:56,000 Little kids who have a dad who absolutely adores them 814 00:38:56,083 --> 00:38:58,833 want to be like their dad, right? 815 00:38:58,917 --> 00:39:01,667 Little boys who have a dad that absolutely loves them-- 816 00:39:01,708 --> 00:39:03,500 they want to be like their dad. 817 00:39:03,542 --> 00:39:06,500 And little girls who have a dad that absolutely loves them want 818 00:39:06,583 --> 00:39:10,833 to grow up and marry somebody who's like their dad, amen? 819 00:39:10,917 --> 00:39:14,333 That's what children do. 820 00:39:14,417 --> 00:39:17,500 When children have a father who loves them, 821 00:39:17,542 --> 00:39:21,375 they want to be like him. 822 00:39:21,458 --> 00:39:25,250 So the change in activity and behavior-- 823 00:39:25,333 --> 00:39:28,375 it really starts with a change in identity. 824 00:39:28,458 --> 00:39:30,875 It's a father issue. 825 00:39:30,958 --> 00:39:34,708 You know why I don't want to do that and I do want to do that? 826 00:39:34,792 --> 00:39:38,000 Because my Dad loves me, and I want to be like my Dad. 827 00:39:38,083 --> 00:39:42,167 And if my Dad should tell me no, it must be because 828 00:39:42,208 --> 00:39:47,375 it's a bad thing, because I know that my Dad is a good man. 829 00:39:47,458 --> 00:39:51,167 So, some of you come to the Bible and you're not sure that God is 830 00:39:51,208 --> 00:39:52,750 a good, loving, committed Father. 831 00:39:52,833 --> 00:39:55,375 When he says "No," you're like, "I want to argue. 832 00:39:55,458 --> 00:39:57,375 I want to debate. I want to disagree." 833 00:39:57,458 --> 00:39:59,583 You're like a rebellious, foolish teenager. 834 00:39:59,667 --> 00:40:03,333 If you know that your Father loves you and that he's good 835 00:40:03,375 --> 00:40:05,167 and he tells the truth 836 00:40:05,250 --> 00:40:06,917 and that he's there to protect you 837 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,333 and he's always seeking you're good--if your Dad comes along 838 00:40:09,375 --> 00:40:13,333 and says, "Please don't do that," you say, "OK. 839 00:40:13,375 --> 00:40:16,833 "I don't fully understand, Dad, but I do trust you, 840 00:40:16,875 --> 00:40:21,292 "and I know that you're always seeking my good, 841 00:40:21,333 --> 00:40:24,667 "so I'm going to live by faith and trust that. 842 00:40:24,750 --> 00:40:27,458 "And as I walk in that, then eventually it'll become sight, 843 00:40:27,500 --> 00:40:30,667 and I'll see what you're talking about." 844 00:40:30,708 --> 00:40:36,417 As dearly loved children of God, imitate your Dad. 845 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:39,333 So, number one, you're adopted by God the Father. 846 00:40:39,375 --> 00:40:41,167 Number two, we've already alluded to it, 847 00:40:41,250 --> 00:40:43,833 but you're adopted with a new identity. 848 00:40:43,875 --> 00:40:46,583 Do you know what happens to a kid who gets adopted? 849 00:40:46,667 --> 00:40:48,167 Their whole identity changes. 850 00:40:48,250 --> 00:40:49,958 First thing that changes is what? 851 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:53,833 Their legal status, their last name. 852 00:40:53,875 --> 00:40:59,167 Their identity literally, completely changes. 853 00:40:59,250 --> 00:41:02,000 This is not your name. This is your name. 854 00:41:02,042 --> 00:41:05,667 This is not the person or the organization that is 855 00:41:05,708 --> 00:41:09,250 legally responsible for you. These people are. 856 00:41:09,333 --> 00:41:12,167 Their identity changes. 857 00:41:12,208 --> 00:41:15,667 When you are adopted into the family of God by God the Father, 858 00:41:15,708 --> 00:41:18,167 your identity changes. 859 00:41:18,208 --> 00:41:21,333 That's why we bear the family name, Christian. 860 00:41:21,417 --> 00:41:25,167 And he, here, in this section of Ephesians 5, he juxtaposes our 861 00:41:25,208 --> 00:41:29,500 identity before God the Father adopts us and then after 862 00:41:29,583 --> 00:41:31,250 God the Father adopts us. 863 00:41:31,333 --> 00:41:35,708 So, before God the Father adopts us--Ephesians 5:6--he says, 864 00:41:35,792 --> 00:41:39,000 "The wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." 865 00:41:39,083 --> 00:41:42,167 Before you're adopted by God the Father, as a non-Christian, 866 00:41:42,208 --> 00:41:45,833 your identity is 867 00:41:45,917 --> 00:41:52,333 "Sons of disobedience under the wrath of God." 868 00:41:53,958 --> 00:41:56,208 Once God the Father adopts you into his family through 869 00:41:56,292 --> 00:41:59,875 Jesus--Ephesians 5:8--your new identity is what? 870 00:41:59,958 --> 00:42:04,375 "Children of light." 871 00:42:04,458 --> 00:42:09,500 "Dearly loved children," he says as well. 872 00:42:09,583 --> 00:42:12,500 Do you understand that? 873 00:42:12,583 --> 00:42:16,583 See, before you were a Christian, God was angry, 874 00:42:16,667 --> 00:42:19,375 and now that you're a Christian, he's not. 875 00:42:19,458 --> 00:42:20,875 Before you were a Christian, 876 00:42:20,958 --> 00:42:23,583 there was punishment awaiting you. 877 00:42:23,667 --> 00:42:26,208 Now that you're a Christian, there's not. 878 00:42:26,292 --> 00:42:28,000 The punishment already went to Jesus; 879 00:42:28,042 --> 00:42:30,500 the wrath already went to Jesus. 880 00:42:30,583 --> 00:42:34,000 Your big Brother took care of everything, friend. 881 00:42:34,083 --> 00:42:40,208 Everything's changed. Everything's changed. 882 00:42:40,292 --> 00:42:43,667 It's interesting--when kids are adopted, 883 00:42:43,708 --> 00:42:45,333 one of the things that the counselors 884 00:42:45,417 --> 00:42:47,708 and the caseworkers will say is-- 885 00:42:47,792 --> 00:42:49,875 to the family that's adopting the child-- 886 00:42:49,958 --> 00:42:53,083 "You know, sometimes adopted children, 887 00:42:53,167 --> 00:42:56,750 "they struggle with attachment issues-- 888 00:42:56,833 --> 00:43:01,417 "that sometimes they will have been used or abused 889 00:43:01,500 --> 00:43:04,833 "or neglected or abandoned to the degree that the child--yeah, 890 00:43:04,917 --> 00:43:07,250 "the parents love them, the new family loves them, 891 00:43:07,333 --> 00:43:09,375 "but they're not sure that it's going to endure, 892 00:43:09,458 --> 00:43:11,250 "and so there's this self-preservation, 893 00:43:11,333 --> 00:43:13,208 "self-protection where the kid isn't 894 00:43:13,292 --> 00:43:16,375 "very affectionate, they're not very attached to their family, 895 00:43:16,458 --> 00:43:21,167 they stay very aloof." 896 00:43:21,208 --> 00:43:26,208 Some Christians are like that, too. 897 00:43:26,292 --> 00:43:28,167 See, I've seen some children when they're adopted, 898 00:43:28,208 --> 00:43:30,375 they don't have any attachment issues at all. 899 00:43:30,458 --> 00:43:33,875 They just run to their dad, jump in his arms, kiss him, hug him, 900 00:43:33,958 --> 00:43:35,250 "Dad!" 901 00:43:35,333 --> 00:43:37,375 There's just, like, no attachment issues there. 902 00:43:37,458 --> 00:43:39,875 Other kids, they're not like that. 903 00:43:39,958 --> 00:43:42,875 "My dad's nice today, but maybe he'll be mean tomorrow. 904 00:43:42,958 --> 00:43:45,583 "My dad loves me today, but maybe he'll disown me tomorrow. 905 00:43:45,667 --> 00:43:47,167 "My dad's for me today, 906 00:43:47,208 --> 00:43:48,833 "but maybe he'll be against me tomorrow. 907 00:43:48,917 --> 00:43:53,375 I'm not sure I can trust this family." 908 00:43:53,458 --> 00:43:55,500 As it is with those who are adopted physically, 909 00:43:55,583 --> 00:43:58,000 so it is with those who are adopted spiritually. 910 00:43:58,083 --> 00:44:01,292 Some of you know that God is your Father, and you've just ran. 911 00:44:01,333 --> 00:44:03,375 "Yay, I've got a Dad finally!" 912 00:44:03,458 --> 00:44:06,375 The psalmist says he's a father to the fatherless. 913 00:44:06,458 --> 00:44:11,667 Some of you are still uncertain, unsure, suspicious. 914 00:44:11,708 --> 00:44:16,375 Here's what he says: "You're now children of the light." 915 00:44:16,458 --> 00:44:19,167 That means that God's grace is shining upon you. 916 00:44:19,208 --> 00:44:21,667 God's affection is always set before you. 917 00:44:21,708 --> 00:44:23,375 God can't love you any more. 918 00:44:23,458 --> 00:44:25,375 He won't love you any less. 919 00:44:25,458 --> 00:44:29,208 And once he's signed the adoption papers 920 00:44:29,292 --> 00:44:32,000 by sealing you with the Holy Spirit, 921 00:44:32,083 --> 00:44:34,250 he will never leave you nor forsake you. 922 00:44:34,333 --> 00:44:35,875 He will never disown you. 923 00:44:35,958 --> 00:44:39,375 You are his child forever. 924 00:44:39,458 --> 00:44:42,250 Your Dad loves you. 925 00:44:42,333 --> 00:44:44,667 Your Dad loves you. 926 00:44:44,708 --> 00:44:49,250 It changes your identity, right? 927 00:44:49,333 --> 00:44:51,167 So as you read the Bible, friend, 928 00:44:51,208 --> 00:44:53,583 and you read negative things about the wrath of God 929 00:44:53,667 --> 00:44:57,500 and hell and judgment, I want you to remember, 930 00:44:57,583 --> 00:45:00,333 "Oh, that's my old identity." 931 00:45:00,375 --> 00:45:03,167 When you read about love and grace and mercy and affection 932 00:45:03,208 --> 00:45:06,750 and God being a Father, I want you to say, 933 00:45:06,833 --> 00:45:09,500 "Oh, and that's my new identity." 934 00:45:09,583 --> 00:45:12,833 And he compares these two so that you and I would know what 935 00:45:12,917 --> 00:45:16,375 we're saved from and who we're saved by, so that we would know 936 00:45:16,458 --> 00:45:18,375 how much the Father loves us 937 00:45:18,458 --> 00:45:21,500 and what a great thing he's done for us. 938 00:45:21,542 --> 00:45:26,250 I want you to approach God with a childlike faith, 939 00:45:26,333 --> 00:45:29,750 not a childish faith but a childlike faith. 940 00:45:29,833 --> 00:45:32,375 "I have a good Dad. I can trust him. 941 00:45:32,458 --> 00:45:34,583 He loves me." 942 00:45:34,667 --> 00:45:37,667 We're adopted with a new identity. 943 00:45:37,708 --> 00:45:42,500 We're also adopted into a new family by Jesus, 944 00:45:42,542 --> 00:45:44,875 our big Brother. 945 00:45:44,958 --> 00:45:48,000 Ephesians 5:2, "Walk in love, as Christ loved us 946 00:45:48,083 --> 00:45:50,000 and gave himself up for us"-- 947 00:45:50,042 --> 00:45:51,375 there's the cross-- 948 00:45:51,458 --> 00:45:53,375 "a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." 949 00:45:53,458 --> 00:45:57,250 The "us" and the "us"-- that's the church. 950 00:45:57,333 --> 00:45:59,333 That's the children of God. 951 00:45:59,417 --> 00:46:03,167 That's not just me individually, but that's us collectively. 952 00:46:03,208 --> 00:46:05,750 And what he's saying is that we're brought into the family 953 00:46:05,833 --> 00:46:08,708 through Jesus, our big Brother. 954 00:46:08,792 --> 00:46:11,208 And to use this familial language, 955 00:46:11,292 --> 00:46:16,000 the Bible speaks of Jesus elsewhere as our big Brother. 956 00:46:16,083 --> 00:46:18,375 I'll give you a couple of examples. 957 00:46:18,458 --> 00:46:22,667 In Hebrews 2:17, it says that Jesus had to be made like 958 00:46:22,708 --> 00:46:24,708 his brothers. 959 00:46:24,792 --> 00:46:27,500 See, we're the rebellious kids. 960 00:46:27,542 --> 00:46:31,167 It's not that the Father has orphaned us, but through sin, 961 00:46:31,208 --> 00:46:32,875 we've run away from home. 962 00:46:32,958 --> 00:46:35,250 We've rebelled against our Father. 963 00:46:35,333 --> 00:46:38,333 We've all just gone our own way. 964 00:46:38,417 --> 00:46:40,875 And so Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, 965 00:46:40,958 --> 00:46:43,875 comes to human history and he's made like his brothers. 966 00:46:43,958 --> 00:46:46,083 He takes upon himself human flesh. 967 00:46:46,167 --> 00:46:47,750 He walks upon the earth. 968 00:46:47,833 --> 00:46:50,750 He suffers temptation, though he says no to the temptation. 969 00:46:50,833 --> 00:46:53,500 And he's on a rescue mission to go out and get 970 00:46:53,583 --> 00:46:56,375 all the rebellious and wayward children 971 00:46:56,458 --> 00:46:59,250 that the Father wants to adopt into the family. 972 00:46:59,333 --> 00:47:03,875 So Hebrews 2:17 says that he had to be made like his brothers. 973 00:47:03,958 --> 00:47:08,250 Hebrews 2:11, it says that Jesus calls us his brothers 974 00:47:08,333 --> 00:47:10,375 if we are Christians. 975 00:47:10,458 --> 00:47:14,333 Another place it says this, as well, is Romans 8:29 976 00:47:14,417 --> 00:47:16,375 where it talks about salvation-- 977 00:47:16,458 --> 00:47:21,208 that Jesus is the firstborn among many brothers. 978 00:47:21,292 --> 00:47:24,500 The firstborn in that day was the one who would be 979 00:47:24,583 --> 00:47:26,500 the head of the household. 980 00:47:26,583 --> 00:47:28,375 It's a patriarchal society. 981 00:47:28,458 --> 00:47:30,000 It's traced through the male line. 982 00:47:30,083 --> 00:47:32,375 That's why, in the Bible, the genealogies say, 983 00:47:32,458 --> 00:47:34,750 "So-and-so had this son and these sons, 984 00:47:34,833 --> 00:47:37,250 and then they had this son and these sons," 985 00:47:37,333 --> 00:47:40,333 and it tells us the family history through the male line. 986 00:47:40,417 --> 00:47:43,583 And it always tells us--or generally so--who the firstborn 987 00:47:43,667 --> 00:47:45,375 was, because the firstborn-- 988 00:47:45,458 --> 00:47:47,750 he was the patriarch of the next generation, 989 00:47:47,833 --> 00:47:50,167 and all of the inheritance rights of the family 990 00:47:50,208 --> 00:47:51,667 came to the firstborn. 991 00:47:51,708 --> 00:47:54,167 And the oldest son, then, would oversee all the family's 992 00:47:54,208 --> 00:47:58,375 property, estates, wealth, the family business. 993 00:47:58,458 --> 00:48:01,458 If Dad died, he would care for Mom and the sisters, 994 00:48:01,500 --> 00:48:04,250 and he would be the one responsible for the oversight 995 00:48:04,333 --> 00:48:07,333 and well-being of the Father, and that he would then assume 996 00:48:07,417 --> 00:48:12,667 the responsibilities as head of extended household. 997 00:48:12,708 --> 00:48:18,250 And Jesus is our first-born big Brother. 998 00:48:18,333 --> 00:48:22,750 Our big Brother died so that we could be adopted into 999 00:48:22,833 --> 00:48:28,208 the family of God. And he rose, conquering sin and death, 1000 00:48:28,292 --> 00:48:32,833 and he reconciles all of the sons and daughters 1001 00:48:32,917 --> 00:48:36,333 back to their loving Father. 1002 00:48:36,417 --> 00:48:39,208 And whatever inheritance we receive--the Holy Spirit, 1003 00:48:39,292 --> 00:48:42,083 eternal life, forgiveness of sin, 1004 00:48:42,167 --> 00:48:46,750 the kingdom of God--all of those things are the possession of 1005 00:48:46,833 --> 00:48:53,250 Jesus, the firstborn, and he shares them with 1006 00:48:53,333 --> 00:48:56,250 the family of God. 1007 00:48:56,333 --> 00:48:59,250 It's beautiful, isn't it? 1008 00:48:59,333 --> 00:49:02,083 It's amazing. 1009 00:49:02,167 --> 00:49:04,708 And this has been God's heart, friends, since the beginning. 1010 00:49:04,792 --> 00:49:07,208 One of the great recurring themes of the Old Testament 1011 00:49:07,292 --> 00:49:10,083 is--God keeps saying, "I will be your God, 1012 00:49:10,167 --> 00:49:13,167 and you will be my people." 1013 00:49:13,208 --> 00:49:17,750 The Father's been making a family since Genesis 3, 1014 00:49:17,833 --> 00:49:21,375 when our first parents turned their back on him. 1015 00:49:21,458 --> 00:49:25,000 And he came looking for them. 1016 00:49:25,083 --> 00:49:30,375 This Father is committed to making a family. 1017 00:49:30,458 --> 00:49:34,250 And so when he's talking about the "us," 1018 00:49:34,333 --> 00:49:37,750 he's talking about the church. 1019 00:49:37,833 --> 00:49:40,375 A couple of things I want to say on that. 1020 00:49:40,458 --> 00:49:43,875 The church family is where you meet your brothers and sisters. 1021 00:49:43,958 --> 00:49:46,333 You know why you need to be involved in church? 1022 00:49:46,417 --> 00:49:48,208 Because you don't have a personal relationship 1023 00:49:48,292 --> 00:49:50,250 with Jesus exclusively, 1024 00:49:50,333 --> 00:49:53,875 just like a child does not get adopted into a family 1025 00:49:53,958 --> 00:49:56,375 and have a personal relationship with the father. 1026 00:49:56,458 --> 00:49:57,875 They also have a relationship 1027 00:49:57,958 --> 00:50:00,167 that involves the rest of the family. 1028 00:50:00,208 --> 00:50:03,083 You need to get to know Mom and brothers and sisters 1029 00:50:03,167 --> 00:50:07,333 and aunts and uncles and cousins, right? 1030 00:50:07,375 --> 00:50:10,167 See, Christmas Eve we have one side of the family over; 1031 00:50:10,250 --> 00:50:12,833 Christmas Day, we have the other side of the family over. 1032 00:50:12,875 --> 00:50:19,583 Both include, as I told you, a lovely, adopted girl. 1033 00:50:19,667 --> 00:50:22,458 They're part of our family. 1034 00:50:22,500 --> 00:50:25,167 For Christmas, they can't say, "I do not participate 1035 00:50:25,250 --> 00:50:26,917 "in the family activities. 1036 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:28,833 I have a personal relationship and not a--" 1037 00:50:28,875 --> 00:50:32,167 "No, hey man, you're part of the family now." 1038 00:50:32,250 --> 00:50:35,333 Mars Hill, church is family. 1039 00:50:35,375 --> 00:50:37,583 Church is family. 1040 00:50:37,667 --> 00:50:40,083 Some of you say, "Mars Hill's a big family." 1041 00:50:40,167 --> 00:50:42,292 Oh yes, I know. I know. 1042 00:50:42,333 --> 00:50:46,417 We are a big family, but we're still a family. 1043 00:50:46,500 --> 00:50:49,458 That's why, in addition to big meetings on Sunday we have 1044 00:50:49,500 --> 00:50:52,333 little meetings during the week called Community Groups, 1045 00:50:52,375 --> 00:50:54,500 where people eat meals together and do life together, 1046 00:50:54,583 --> 00:50:56,417 because that's what families do. 1047 00:50:56,500 --> 00:50:58,833 Families break bread around a table, 1048 00:50:58,875 --> 00:51:01,375 and families one love another and serve one another 1049 00:51:01,458 --> 00:51:04,333 and drive one another crazy. 1050 00:51:04,417 --> 00:51:06,375 So if you've shown up and you're like, 1051 00:51:06,458 --> 00:51:09,250 "I went to a Community Group and those people are so annoying," 1052 00:51:09,333 --> 00:51:10,750 welcome to the family. 1053 00:51:10,833 --> 00:51:13,500 They were thinking the same thing when you showed up, right? 1054 00:51:13,542 --> 00:51:15,708 Family is where people drive each other nuts, right? 1055 00:51:15,792 --> 00:51:18,375 Who drives you nuts more than your family? 1056 00:51:18,458 --> 00:51:22,083 Nobody. That's what family's for. 1057 00:51:22,167 --> 00:51:25,083 Family's for your sanctification. 1058 00:51:25,167 --> 00:51:27,208 So, if your family is driving you nuts, 1059 00:51:27,292 --> 00:51:30,375 they're doing their job, helping you grow to become more patient, 1060 00:51:30,458 --> 00:51:33,875 loving, merciful, forgiving, to buy less bullets 1061 00:51:33,958 --> 00:51:36,000 and to offer more prayers. 1062 00:51:36,042 --> 00:51:38,833 That's why they're there, so you can grow in these things. 1063 00:51:38,917 --> 00:51:43,583 Don't walk into church with this idealistic, judgmental view. 1064 00:51:43,667 --> 00:51:46,250 What kind--you know, "You are here to meet my needs." 1065 00:51:46,333 --> 00:51:48,375 No, welcome to the family. 1066 00:51:48,458 --> 00:51:51,708 One of the things that happens when you show up in a family is 1067 00:51:51,792 --> 00:51:53,750 you quickly learn everybody's got a chore, right? 1068 00:51:53,833 --> 00:51:56,208 How many of you came from a big family? 1069 00:51:56,292 --> 00:51:58,208 Everybody's got to pitch in and help out, right? 1070 00:51:58,292 --> 00:52:00,333 I was the oldest of five kids. 1071 00:52:00,375 --> 00:52:01,583 We have five kids now. 1072 00:52:01,667 --> 00:52:04,250 Mars Hill's a big family. 1073 00:52:04,333 --> 00:52:06,000 Everybody's got a chore. 1074 00:52:06,083 --> 00:52:08,667 Everybody needs to be helping out, looking out for others. 1075 00:52:08,708 --> 00:52:11,500 Those of you that are older, older in faith, you're like 1076 00:52:11,583 --> 00:52:13,375 big brothers, big sisters. 1077 00:52:13,458 --> 00:52:15,750 Those of you who are newer Christians and new to 1078 00:52:15,833 --> 00:52:17,875 the faith--you're like little brothers, little sisters. 1079 00:52:17,958 --> 00:52:20,375 You know what the big brothers, the big sisters do? 1080 00:52:20,458 --> 00:52:22,583 They look after the little brothers, the little sisters. 1081 00:52:22,667 --> 00:52:24,083 That's what happens. 1082 00:52:24,167 --> 00:52:28,250 The Bible uses this language: "Brothers and sisters." 1083 00:52:28,333 --> 00:52:32,583 And in this day, it may have actually been illegal. 1084 00:52:32,667 --> 00:52:35,375 And I've told you before, but what would happen was that 1085 00:52:35,458 --> 00:52:38,875 the inheritance rights were passed through the family, 1086 00:52:38,958 --> 00:52:41,750 and you were not allowed to say that someone was your brother 1087 00:52:41,833 --> 00:52:43,875 or sister unless they were a biological relative 1088 00:52:43,958 --> 00:52:47,708 because then it would legally confuse the estate. 1089 00:52:47,792 --> 00:52:50,500 But when people met God the Father and they 1090 00:52:50,583 --> 00:52:53,250 were adopted into the family by Jesus, the big Brother, 1091 00:52:53,333 --> 00:52:56,083 everything was so radically altered, they just decided, 1092 00:52:56,167 --> 00:52:58,375 "Our spiritual family is more important than 1093 00:52:58,458 --> 00:53:00,083 "our physical family. 1094 00:53:00,167 --> 00:53:03,250 "Our family of new birth exceeds our family of birth. 1095 00:53:03,333 --> 00:53:06,375 "And who cares if it messes up the estate? 1096 00:53:06,458 --> 00:53:11,375 I love her like a sister, and he treats me like a brother." 1097 00:53:11,458 --> 00:53:13,667 For those of you that get frustrated with the church, 1098 00:53:13,708 --> 00:53:16,667 hang in there, because once a family works through their 1099 00:53:16,708 --> 00:53:19,208 hard times, that tends to be where they really know 1100 00:53:19,292 --> 00:53:21,500 how to love one another. 1101 00:53:21,583 --> 00:53:24,208 If you're one of those people who pulls into the church, 1102 00:53:24,292 --> 00:53:26,208 has a little conflict and pulls out, 1103 00:53:26,292 --> 00:53:28,250 the reason it doesn't feel like family is 1104 00:53:28,333 --> 00:53:30,208 because you keep quitting. 1105 00:53:30,292 --> 00:53:32,875 I know I've driven my family nuts. 1106 00:53:32,958 --> 00:53:35,375 It's my spiritual gift. 1107 00:53:35,458 --> 00:53:38,000 But they have endured with me, and as a result, 1108 00:53:38,042 --> 00:53:40,708 we love each other. And that's what families do: 1109 00:53:40,792 --> 00:53:42,708 they hang in there together. 1110 00:53:42,792 --> 00:53:45,333 And I want you to hear this, Mars Hill. 1111 00:53:45,417 --> 00:53:47,250 My heart for our church is a family, 1112 00:53:47,333 --> 00:53:49,250 and my heart is a father's heart. 1113 00:53:49,333 --> 00:53:52,500 That's my heart. 1114 00:53:52,583 --> 00:53:55,333 And I want to thank publicly the Community Group leaders and 1115 00:53:55,417 --> 00:53:57,750 the Redemption Group leaders who are practicing hospitality 1116 00:53:57,833 --> 00:54:00,708 and loving and serving and gathering people together 1117 00:54:00,792 --> 00:54:03,250 as the family of God. 1118 00:54:03,333 --> 00:54:05,333 It connects with what I do on Sunday. 1119 00:54:05,417 --> 00:54:07,875 I get to preach and teach to the whole family, 1120 00:54:07,958 --> 00:54:11,167 and they get to love and meet with the rest of the family 1121 00:54:11,208 --> 00:54:13,583 in groups where people can actually be known and loved 1122 00:54:13,667 --> 00:54:15,375 and do life together in community. 1123 00:54:15,458 --> 00:54:17,167 It's very important to me. 1124 00:54:17,208 --> 00:54:19,375 It's very important to the father-heart of God. 1125 00:54:19,458 --> 00:54:22,250 We're not just a conference that meets 52 times a year; 1126 00:54:22,333 --> 00:54:26,208 we're a family that meets all the time. 1127 00:54:26,292 --> 00:54:32,583 And lastly, we are adopted to worship. To worship. 1128 00:54:34,458 --> 00:54:36,833 He says it this way-- Ephesians 5:18-21-- 1129 00:54:36,917 --> 00:54:43,000 "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery." 1130 00:54:43,042 --> 00:54:46,750 Do you know where the happiest, loudest places tend to be? 1131 00:54:46,833 --> 00:54:49,208 Where there's alcohol. 1132 00:54:49,292 --> 00:54:52,875 You show up at a bar. It's loud. It's packed. 1133 00:54:52,958 --> 00:54:54,833 Everybody's excited. 1134 00:54:54,917 --> 00:54:57,875 There's a lot of activity, a lot of energy. 1135 00:54:57,958 --> 00:54:59,875 And usually we include music, right? 1136 00:54:59,958 --> 00:55:05,250 So there's a band or music playing or, tragically, 1137 00:55:05,333 --> 00:55:09,833 karaoke, right? 1138 00:55:09,917 --> 00:55:13,750 And you put those two together--people drunk, 1139 00:55:13,833 --> 00:55:17,250 with debauchery and a microphone--at that point, 1140 00:55:17,333 --> 00:55:23,250 we are so far from the glory of God, it's unfathomable. 1141 00:55:23,333 --> 00:55:26,833 But isn't it interesting that when unbelievers 1142 00:55:26,917 --> 00:55:33,000 gather together, they do so in a common place, like a family, 1143 00:55:33,083 --> 00:55:35,667 with people they know and alcohol 1144 00:55:35,708 --> 00:55:39,500 and music so they can be filled with something 1145 00:55:39,542 --> 00:55:42,375 and sing to something. 1146 00:55:42,458 --> 00:55:46,583 See, deep down, everybody wants to be a Christian. 1147 00:55:46,667 --> 00:55:49,250 God's made us in his image and likeness. 1148 00:55:49,333 --> 00:55:51,500 God's made us to gather together. 1149 00:55:51,542 --> 00:55:55,333 God's made us to be filled with someone, not something. 1150 00:55:55,417 --> 00:55:59,375 And God has made us to sing. 1151 00:55:59,458 --> 00:56:01,958 And if it's not Jesus, 1152 00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:04,375 it becomes someone or something else. 1153 00:56:04,458 --> 00:56:10,375 And if it's not the church, it becomes somewhere else. 1154 00:56:10,458 --> 00:56:12,750 "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, 1155 00:56:12,833 --> 00:56:16,250 "but be filled with the Spirit, and addressing one another 1156 00:56:16,333 --> 00:56:20,375 in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing." 1157 00:56:20,458 --> 00:56:23,583 Yes, you Calvinists, singing! 1158 00:56:23,667 --> 00:56:27,250 Yes, you Baptists, singing! 1159 00:56:27,333 --> 00:56:29,875 Yes, you Indie rockers, singing! 1160 00:56:29,958 --> 00:56:32,333 I know you don't sing at an Indie rocker show 1161 00:56:32,417 --> 00:56:34,208 because it's not cool. 1162 00:56:34,292 --> 00:56:39,875 You're not cool; you're a Christian. 1163 00:56:39,958 --> 00:56:44,000 "Singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart." 1164 00:56:44,083 --> 00:56:46,000 The Holy Spirit lives in your heart. 1165 00:56:46,083 --> 00:56:48,250 The Bible speaks of your heart more than 900 times. 1166 00:56:48,333 --> 00:56:50,500 It's the seat, sum, center of who you are. 1167 00:56:50,542 --> 00:56:52,375 In your heart, there's love for Jesus. 1168 00:56:52,458 --> 00:56:54,375 In your heart, there's joy for Jesus. 1169 00:56:54,458 --> 00:56:57,375 In your heart, there's singing to Jesus. 1170 00:56:57,458 --> 00:57:00,333 "Giving thanks always for everything." 1171 00:57:00,375 --> 00:57:02,458 You know why? 1172 00:57:02,500 --> 00:57:07,333 Even if life is hard, God's still your Father. 1173 00:57:07,417 --> 00:57:10,500 The only thing worse than a hard season is a hard season 1174 00:57:10,583 --> 00:57:13,333 without a Father who cares. 1175 00:57:13,417 --> 00:57:15,500 "Always giving thanks to God the Father 1176 00:57:15,542 --> 00:57:17,375 "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1177 00:57:17,458 --> 00:57:19,708 submitting to one another out of reverence for worship." 1178 00:57:19,792 --> 00:57:21,333 He's talking about worship. 1179 00:57:21,417 --> 00:57:25,333 Worship is out in action, and it's up in adoration. 1180 00:57:25,417 --> 00:57:27,083 That's worship. 1181 00:57:27,167 --> 00:57:30,000 Out in action is loving one another, serving one another, 1182 00:57:30,042 --> 00:57:32,250 caring for one another, enduring with one another. 1183 00:57:32,333 --> 00:57:34,250 That's the worship that's out. 1184 00:57:34,333 --> 00:57:36,333 That's being imitators of God. 1185 00:57:36,417 --> 00:57:39,375 "The Father loves, so I love. The Father gives, so I give. 1186 00:57:39,458 --> 00:57:42,583 The Father serves, so I serve. The Father cares, so I care." 1187 00:57:42,667 --> 00:57:45,250 So, part of our worship is out; it's action. 1188 00:57:45,333 --> 00:57:48,000 But it's also up; it's adoration--singing, 1189 00:57:48,083 --> 00:57:50,667 making music, giving thanks for God the Father, 1190 00:57:50,708 --> 00:57:54,000 enjoying Jesus Christ. 1191 00:57:54,083 --> 00:57:57,250 Please don't leave when the sermon is done because worship 1192 00:57:57,333 --> 00:57:59,583 is just beginning. 1193 00:57:59,667 --> 00:58:03,500 And when we sing, it glorifies God, it's good for us, 1194 00:58:03,583 --> 00:58:06,083 but it also encourages the family. 1195 00:58:06,167 --> 00:58:09,500 That's what he says, "Addressing one another." 1196 00:58:09,583 --> 00:58:12,833 You know what happens when an 18-year-old guy walks in 1197 00:58:12,917 --> 00:58:18,083 and he sees some guy who's 6'4", 240, with a beard, 1198 00:58:18,167 --> 00:58:21,375 wearing boots, looks like he could take down a tree 1199 00:58:21,458 --> 00:58:25,083 with no axe-- when he looks at that guy 1200 00:58:25,167 --> 00:58:27,875 and he sees that guy raising his hand in worship 1201 00:58:27,958 --> 00:58:30,667 to Jesus, the 18-year-old kid's learning something, 1202 00:58:30,708 --> 00:58:33,875 and that is men worship Jesus. 1203 00:58:33,958 --> 00:58:36,500 Men worship Jesus. 1204 00:58:36,542 --> 00:58:39,375 When kids walk in and they see their mom and dad worshipping 1205 00:58:39,458 --> 00:58:45,250 Jesus, they realize, "I want to grow up and be a man or a woman. 1206 00:58:45,333 --> 00:58:49,333 "I want to marry a woman, I want to marry a man who worships 1207 00:58:49,417 --> 00:58:55,375 Jesus, because that's what my mom and dad are like." 1208 00:58:55,458 --> 00:58:59,375 When a woman who is divorced and, through a difficult season, 1209 00:58:59,458 --> 00:59:03,875 is singing and raising her hands and crying out to Jesus, 1210 00:59:03,958 --> 00:59:08,208 and she brings her divorced friend who's in the same state, 1211 00:59:08,292 --> 00:59:12,000 and that woman sees her enjoying God as her Father and thanking 1212 00:59:12,042 --> 00:59:15,250 Jesus, her big Brother, it teaches her that that's 1213 00:59:15,333 --> 00:59:20,500 where she's to go emotionally on her dark days. 1214 00:59:20,583 --> 00:59:23,750 Yes, we do worship God, but when we worship God, 1215 00:59:23,833 --> 00:59:26,375 we encourage one another. 1216 00:59:26,458 --> 00:59:30,083 One of the most joyful things for me to do is to see 1217 00:59:30,167 --> 00:59:34,000 God's people singing and celebrating. 1218 00:59:34,042 --> 00:59:37,000 One of the things that is most joyful for me, quite frankly, 1219 00:59:37,083 --> 00:59:40,333 is when I see a man holding his wife's hand and carrying their 1220 00:59:40,417 --> 00:59:45,250 baby as they come up for Communion. 1221 00:59:45,333 --> 00:59:52,167 When we worship, it's glorious to God, it's good for us, 1222 00:59:52,208 --> 00:59:54,708 it encourages the family, amen? 1223 00:59:54,792 --> 00:59:56,875 That's why we get together. 1224 00:59:56,958 --> 01:00:00,375 It's why Mars Hill can't just be a podcast, 1225 01:00:00,458 --> 01:00:03,000 because we're a family. 1226 01:00:03,083 --> 01:00:05,417 We have to get together and see one another 1227 01:00:05,500 --> 01:00:07,500 and encourage one another and sing together. 1228 01:00:07,583 --> 01:00:10,167 So, we're gonna do that in just a moment. 1229 01:00:10,250 --> 01:00:12,333 My question to you is, have you been adopted 1230 01:00:12,375 --> 01:00:13,958 into the family of God? 1231 01:00:14,000 --> 01:00:15,333 Is God your Father? 1232 01:00:15,375 --> 01:00:17,167 Is Jesus your big Brother? 1233 01:00:17,208 --> 01:00:20,333 Have you turned from sin and trusted in him or are you still 1234 01:00:20,375 --> 01:00:22,500 "Sons of disobedience," and, as Ephesians 2 says, 1235 01:00:22,583 --> 01:00:24,500 "Children of wrath"? 1236 01:00:24,583 --> 01:00:27,333 This is where you give your life to Jesus, 1237 01:00:27,375 --> 01:00:29,833 you get connected to God the Father 1238 01:00:29,875 --> 01:00:31,500 through God the Son, 1239 01:00:31,583 --> 01:00:33,583 and you get connected to the church family, 1240 01:00:33,667 --> 01:00:36,292 get to know your brothers and sisters. 1241 01:00:36,333 --> 01:00:39,833 And one of the things I want to do before we transition our time 1242 01:00:39,875 --> 01:00:44,667 together--I want to give you a brief family update. 1243 01:00:44,750 --> 01:00:47,458 What we like to say at Mars Hill is, 1244 01:00:47,500 --> 01:00:49,458 "We're not a business. We're a family." 1245 01:00:49,500 --> 01:00:51,667 But just like every family, we've got a budget, 1246 01:00:51,750 --> 01:00:54,167 and occasionally we let the kids know how it's going. 1247 01:00:54,250 --> 01:00:56,958 And here's how you can be in prayer for our church 1248 01:00:57,000 --> 01:00:58,833 and, kind of, here's where we're at. 1249 01:00:58,875 --> 01:01:00,500 We do an update once a month. 1250 01:01:00,583 --> 01:01:02,500 We're averaging over 10,000 adults a week, 1251 01:01:02,583 --> 01:01:04,250 over 2,000 kids a week. 1252 01:01:04,333 --> 01:01:06,250 Good or bad? Good or bad? 1253 01:01:06,333 --> 01:01:07,750 Yay, OK? 1254 01:01:07,833 --> 01:01:09,250 We like kids. 1255 01:01:09,333 --> 01:01:11,708 They're a blessing, amen? 1256 01:01:11,792 --> 01:01:16,375 Look at that, 2,000 little people! 1257 01:01:16,458 --> 01:01:17,833 Awesome, OK? 1258 01:01:17,917 --> 01:01:22,458 Praise God for that. 1259 01:01:23,708 --> 01:01:25,750 Number of people contributing anything to the church 1260 01:01:25,833 --> 01:01:30,167 financially is about 3,700 or about 30%, OK? 1261 01:01:30,208 --> 01:01:32,167 So, like I told you, in a family, 1262 01:01:32,208 --> 01:01:33,833 everybody's got to do their part. 1263 01:01:33,917 --> 01:01:36,167 We need everybody to do their part--giving, praying, 1264 01:01:36,208 --> 01:01:38,250 serving so that we can have a great family. 1265 01:01:38,333 --> 01:01:40,875 And this is a growing family and a complex family 1266 01:01:40,958 --> 01:01:43,083 an extended family a complicated family 1267 01:01:43,167 --> 01:01:45,500 but a glorious family. 1268 01:01:45,583 --> 01:01:48,375 And I've had people say, "Man, do we have to keep growing?" 1269 01:01:48,458 --> 01:01:50,167 Well, I hope we do. 1270 01:01:50,208 --> 01:01:51,875 I hope more people meet Jesus. 1271 01:01:51,958 --> 01:01:54,875 If Jesus wants to save more people and the Father wants to 1272 01:01:54,958 --> 01:01:57,750 adopt more people, we want to welcome those people, amen? 1273 01:01:57,833 --> 01:01:59,375 Amen to that. 1274 01:01:59,458 --> 01:02:01,333 So, that's where we're at. 1275 01:02:01,375 --> 01:02:04,667 And if you're in that 30% of givers, thank you, we love you, 1276 01:02:04,708 --> 01:02:06,333 we appreciate you. 1277 01:02:06,417 --> 01:02:09,083 To the rest--we invite you to participate in the family. 1278 01:02:09,167 --> 01:02:10,708 And so right now, 1279 01:02:10,792 --> 01:02:12,667 we're going to collect our tithes and offerings, 1280 01:02:12,708 --> 01:02:15,667 and I would encourage you to give as an act of worship, 1281 01:02:15,708 --> 01:02:18,333 to be imitators of God as dearly loved children of God. 1282 01:02:18,417 --> 01:02:22,000 And as he says that, as Jesus gave his life for us, we give. 1283 01:02:22,083 --> 01:02:25,375 So, we're imitating God when we give because our God is a giver, 1284 01:02:25,458 --> 01:02:27,333 and when we give we're imitating God. 1285 01:02:27,417 --> 01:02:29,250 It's part of our worship. 1286 01:02:29,333 --> 01:02:31,250 So, as they're collecting tithes and offerings, 1287 01:02:31,333 --> 01:02:34,250 if you have more questions, we have our monthly letter. 1288 01:02:34,333 --> 01:02:36,667 You should have received a copy on the way in. 1289 01:02:36,708 --> 01:02:38,833 If not, grab one on your way out. 1290 01:02:38,917 --> 01:02:41,667 It'll give you an update of how things are going at 1291 01:02:41,708 --> 01:02:44,583 your particular, local Mars Hill church. 1292 01:02:44,667 --> 01:02:47,750 And we did this a month ago for the first time, 1293 01:02:47,833 --> 01:02:51,167 and many of you responded to us and said that you appreciate 1294 01:02:51,208 --> 01:02:52,750 the information. 1295 01:02:52,833 --> 01:02:55,333 And even some people were very generous and said, "You know, 1296 01:02:55,417 --> 01:02:57,833 I've not been participating but now I understand the need." 1297 01:02:57,917 --> 01:02:59,375 So, thank you for that. 1298 01:02:59,458 --> 01:03:01,583 And if you're brand-new, fill out the "Connect" card 1299 01:03:01,667 --> 01:03:04,750 because we want to know you, and we want to serve you, 1300 01:03:04,833 --> 01:03:06,375 and we want to connect with you. 1301 01:03:06,458 --> 01:03:10,000 And so you can fill that out and either put that in the offering, 1302 01:03:10,083 --> 01:03:12,583 or you can drop it off on your way out. 1303 01:03:12,667 --> 01:03:14,750 That being said, you can give through mail. 1304 01:03:14,833 --> 01:03:16,375 There's envelopes you can take with you. 1305 01:03:16,458 --> 01:03:19,083 You can give online at marshill.com/give. 1306 01:03:19,167 --> 01:03:21,375 You can also set up recurring giving. 1307 01:03:21,458 --> 01:03:24,000 Just go to marshill.com and you'll find all the details 1308 01:03:24,083 --> 01:03:26,333 there to sign up for a Connect account. 1309 01:03:26,417 --> 01:03:28,375 Our family is growing. 1310 01:03:28,458 --> 01:03:30,000 Our family is maturing. 1311 01:03:30,083 --> 01:03:31,875 Our family is complex. 1312 01:03:31,958 --> 01:03:33,500 Our family is moving. 1313 01:03:33,583 --> 01:03:35,875 Everett's moving into a new building. 1314 01:03:35,958 --> 01:03:39,167 Tacoma's going to be opening up--we hope and pray--soon. 1315 01:03:39,208 --> 01:03:42,167 We're asking you to be praying and giving as we're caring for 1316 01:03:42,208 --> 01:03:43,667 the whole family. 1317 01:03:43,708 --> 01:03:47,000 And as a dad, one of the things I'm really excited about is 1318 01:03:47,083 --> 01:03:49,000 Mars Hill Students. 1319 01:03:49,083 --> 01:03:51,833 When we started the church, we didn't have a student ministry 1320 01:03:51,917 --> 01:03:53,375 because we're in Seattle. 1321 01:03:53,458 --> 01:03:55,208 There's more dogs than children. 1322 01:03:55,292 --> 01:03:58,250 There's more cats than dogs and children in Seattle. 1323 01:03:58,333 --> 01:04:01,583 So, there weren't a lot of kids, and the kids we did have, 1324 01:04:01,667 --> 01:04:04,250 high school age, they'd come to our night services. 1325 01:04:04,333 --> 01:04:06,875 But recently, as you can see, there's over 1326 01:04:06,958 --> 01:04:10,167 2,000 kids a week under the age of 10 at Mars Hill. 1327 01:04:10,208 --> 01:04:12,375 So, there's a tsunami of junior high/high school kids 1328 01:04:12,458 --> 01:04:14,167 on the horizon. 1329 01:04:14,208 --> 01:04:15,667 Here they come. 1330 01:04:15,708 --> 01:04:18,833 We want to have student ministry that allows Christian kids to be 1331 01:04:18,917 --> 01:04:22,375 leaders and non-Christian kids to meet Jesus and to be welcomed 1332 01:04:22,458 --> 01:04:26,167 into the family of God because their family may not be 1333 01:04:26,208 --> 01:04:28,833 Christian, so we want to be church family. 1334 01:04:28,917 --> 01:04:31,667 And so, in the grace of God, we just recently started 1335 01:04:31,708 --> 01:04:33,375 Mars Hill Students. 1336 01:04:33,458 --> 01:04:35,250 It's off to a good start. 1337 01:04:35,333 --> 01:04:37,500 It's had as many as, I think, 434 students 1338 01:04:37,542 --> 01:04:39,500 in any recent week. 1339 01:04:39,583 --> 01:04:42,708 It's moving and being organized across all of our churches. 1340 01:04:42,792 --> 01:04:46,000 And I want to give you a little picture of what's going on, 1341 01:04:46,042 --> 01:04:48,000 and then you can pray for junior high 1342 01:04:48,042 --> 01:04:49,208 and high school camp, 1343 01:04:49,292 --> 01:04:51,500 and be preparing to give generously to scholarship kids 1344 01:04:51,542 --> 01:04:54,000 who don't have families that can afford it this summer. 1345 01:04:54,042 --> 01:04:57,333 So, let me share with you what's going on in Mars Hill Students. 1346 01:05:00,792 --> 01:05:09,792 [Music] 1347 01:05:10,958 --> 01:05:13,667 Hey, what's up Mars Hill? My name is Adam Ramsey. 1348 01:05:13,708 --> 01:05:17,375 And about a year ago, I was a part of a great church, 1349 01:05:17,458 --> 01:05:19,000 living in Australia. 1350 01:05:19,042 --> 01:05:21,167 We had a thing out there called the sun. 1351 01:05:21,208 --> 01:05:22,667 That was pretty cool. 1352 01:05:22,708 --> 01:05:25,583 And we were getting ready to go plant a church, and instead, 1353 01:05:25,667 --> 01:05:28,708 Jesus sent us here to Seattle to come and help pioneer 1354 01:05:28,792 --> 01:05:32,583 a student ministry across all 14 of our Mars Hill churches, 1355 01:05:32,667 --> 01:05:35,500 and by God's grace, beyond that as well. 1356 01:05:35,542 --> 01:05:38,500 And that's what we're teaching our young people--that Jesus 1357 01:05:38,583 --> 01:05:41,375 doesn't save people so that they can just sit down 1358 01:05:41,458 --> 01:05:46,375 in their salvation, but he saves us to send us. 1359 01:05:46,458 --> 01:05:49,500 And when young people get this, all right--that the gospel 1360 01:05:49,542 --> 01:05:51,875 isn't just something we know in our heads, 1361 01:05:51,958 --> 01:05:55,167 but something we orbit our lives around, 1362 01:05:55,208 --> 01:05:58,500 that Jesus doesn't save us just to walk the path 1363 01:05:58,583 --> 01:06:01,083 of least resistance in life, 1364 01:06:01,167 --> 01:06:03,667 but to live on mission for his fame, 1365 01:06:03,708 --> 01:06:07,208 for our joy, and for the good of those he's placed around 1366 01:06:07,292 --> 01:06:11,750 us--something powerful starts to happen through their lives. 1367 01:06:11,833 --> 01:06:16,083 And the stories that are coming out are just amazing. 1368 01:06:16,167 --> 01:06:18,583 We had a girl that met Jesus in November. 1369 01:06:18,667 --> 01:06:20,667 We got to baptize her in December. 1370 01:06:20,708 --> 01:06:24,250 She brought along some friends in January. They met Jesus. 1371 01:06:24,333 --> 01:06:27,208 And we're seeing found people-- they're going and finding people 1372 01:06:27,292 --> 01:06:29,375 with the good news about Jesus. 1373 01:06:29,458 --> 01:06:32,500 We had another girl who got to share her testimony at school 1374 01:06:32,583 --> 01:06:34,667 in front of her entire class. 1375 01:06:34,708 --> 01:06:37,667 Another one, we had a security guard at one of our churches 1376 01:06:37,708 --> 01:06:40,083 just listening in from the back of the room, 1377 01:06:40,167 --> 01:06:43,250 and he heard about Jesus, and he got saved as well. 1378 01:06:43,333 --> 01:06:46,250 And we're seeing, even like today--I got a text message 1379 01:06:46,333 --> 01:06:49,708 and a young guy, a high schooler over at Sammamish, introduced 1380 01:06:49,792 --> 01:06:51,833 his friend to Jesus. 1381 01:06:51,917 --> 01:06:54,208 And so we're not waiting for students to grow up; 1382 01:06:54,292 --> 01:06:57,167 we're finding that God's using them right now where they are, 1383 01:06:57,208 --> 01:06:59,375 where he sovereignly put them in their schools, 1384 01:06:59,458 --> 01:07:01,583 in their neighborhoods, with their friends, 1385 01:07:01,667 --> 01:07:03,375 right here and right now. 1386 01:07:03,458 --> 01:07:06,208 So, if you're a student, we'd love for you to come 1387 01:07:06,292 --> 01:07:08,750 and be a part of the great mission of God 1388 01:07:08,833 --> 01:07:11,250 that's being worked out here at Mars Hill Church. 1389 01:07:11,333 --> 01:07:13,833 If you're a parent, we'd love for you to encourage your 1390 01:07:13,917 --> 01:07:17,667 student to be involved, to live on mission, and if nothing else, 1391 01:07:17,708 --> 01:07:19,250 would you pray? 1392 01:07:19,333 --> 01:07:22,167 Would you pray that God would continue to accelerate 1393 01:07:22,208 --> 01:07:25,333 the movement that is happening here at Mars Hill 1394 01:07:25,417 --> 01:07:28,333 in the next generation? 1395 01:07:29,333 --> 01:07:32,417 [Music] 1396 01:07:38,333 --> 01:07:43,167 "Mahs Hill" sounds way cooler than Mars Hill. 1397 01:07:43,208 --> 01:07:45,375 All right, what we're gonna do now--we're gonna take Communion, 1398 01:07:45,458 --> 01:07:48,000 where we remember Jesus, our big Brother, amen?, 1399 01:07:48,083 --> 01:07:50,375 and how we're adopted into the family of God 1400 01:07:50,458 --> 01:07:52,375 through his broken body and shed blood. 1401 01:07:52,458 --> 01:07:55,250 And we're all going to sing because we're a family 1402 01:07:55,333 --> 01:07:58,000 and God's a good Father, amen? 1403 01:07:58,083 --> 01:08:00,708 So, go ahead and stand and I'll read it to you. 1404 01:08:00,792 --> 01:08:03,083 Father God, here is what you say. 1405 01:08:03,167 --> 01:08:05,875 "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, 1406 01:08:05,958 --> 01:08:07,875 but be filled with the Spirit." 1407 01:08:07,958 --> 01:08:11,250 Holy Spirit, we invite you to fill us right now 1408 01:08:11,333 --> 01:08:14,000 so that we can obey you. 1409 01:08:14,042 --> 01:08:17,375 And you say to address "one another in psalms and hymns 1410 01:08:17,458 --> 01:08:21,000 "and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord 1411 01:08:21,083 --> 01:08:25,167 "with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything 1412 01:08:25,208 --> 01:08:29,875 to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1413 01:08:29,958 --> 01:08:33,000 Lord God, we come now to obey you. 1414 01:08:33,083 --> 01:08:35,000 We come to sing. 1415 01:08:35,042 --> 01:08:39,250 We come to celebrate who you are and what you've done. 1416 01:08:39,333 --> 01:08:42,208 As we raise our voices, as we raise our hands, 1417 01:08:42,292 --> 01:08:47,000 we do so together as a family who is loved by a Father 1418 01:08:47,083 --> 01:08:50,083 and saved by a big Brother, in whose name we pray. Amen. 1419 01:08:52,000 --> 01:08:54,917 Each year, over 10 million Mars Hill church sermons 1420 01:08:55,000 --> 01:08:58,000 are downloaded worldwide for free. 1421 01:08:58,083 --> 01:09:00,667 This ministry is generously supported 1422 01:09:00,750 --> 01:09:03,333 by Mars Hill church members and listeners like you. 1423 01:09:03,375 --> 01:09:06,875 If you'd like to support our efforts to preach Jesus to the world, 1424 01:09:06,958 --> 01:09:09,875 Please consider making a tax-deductible donation 1425 01:09:09,958 --> 01:09:12,792 by visiting marshill.com/give.