1 00:00:00,500 --> 00:00:02,000 Hi there Mars Hill Church 2 00:00:02,083 --> 00:00:05,042 and the extended family of Mars Hill Global. 3 00:00:05,125 --> 00:00:08,333 I'm pastor Sutton Turner here in Dilla, Ethiopia 4 00:00:08,375 --> 00:00:10,625 and I wanted to take a moment and explain 5 00:00:10,667 --> 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 --> 00:00:22,167 and consuming those podcasts every week, 8 00:00:22,208 --> 00:00:26,167 participating, really one way, from Mars Hill Church. 9 00:00:26,208 --> 00:00:27,958 I was really a consumer. 10 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:29,667 So what we're doing is setting up 11 00:00:29,708 --> 00:00:33,167 the extended family of Mars Hill Global and saying, 12 00:00:33,250 --> 00:00:39,042 "Come, be a part of what Jesus Christ is doing in and through our church." 13 00:00:39,125 --> 00:00:40,917 So what does Mars Hill Global do? 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,167 Well, Mars Hill Global is doing and participating in church planting 15 00:00:46,208 --> 00:00:48,458 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 --> 00:00:53,917 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 --> 00:01:03,042 So I want to ask you to be a part. I want to as you to be a part 20 00:01:03,125 --> 00:01:05,042 of the extended family of Mars Hill Global. 21 00:01:05,125 --> 00:01:06,375 Sign up today. 22 00:01:06,458 --> 00:01:08,333 Become a member of the extended family, 23 00:01:08,375 --> 00:01:10,958 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 --> 00:01:17,167 not only in the United States, but to the ends of the Earth. 26 00:01:17,208 --> 00:01:30,083 [music] 27 00:01:35,625 --> 00:01:37,542 [laughing] 28 00:01:37,625 --> 00:01:38,958 Hi, I'm Holly. 29 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:40,333 I'm Caleb. Joshua. 30 00:01:40,417 --> 00:01:42,333 I decided to open up my own agency. 31 00:01:42,417 --> 00:01:43,750 I'm a lawyer. 32 00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:45,500 I'm a colorist in the fashion industry. 33 00:01:45,542 --> 00:01:47,667 Some days I help out in our lumber mill. 34 00:01:47,750 --> 00:01:49,083 I'm a professional boy wrangler. 35 00:01:49,167 --> 00:01:50,583 I work in commercial real estate. 36 00:01:50,667 --> 00:01:52,750 I'm a seasoned human resources professional. 37 00:01:52,833 --> 00:01:54,292 Yeah, I am a baseball fan. 38 00:01:54,333 --> 00:01:57,958 And I lost the house that I cherished. 39 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,500 A typical day is waking up next to my wife. 40 00:02:00,583 --> 00:02:02,208 Couldn't get her out of my head. 41 00:02:02,292 --> 00:02:03,625 [laughing] 42 00:02:03,667 --> 00:02:05,458 I'm the tallest person in my family. 43 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:07,833 I like to make comic books. 44 00:02:07,875 --> 00:02:09,667 I got a tattoo of a tree. 45 00:02:09,708 --> 00:02:11,042 I love--I love that. 46 00:02:11,125 --> 00:02:12,833 Yeah, so that's all I think about. 47 00:02:12,875 --> 00:02:15,375 Who do you think-- Who do you think you are? 48 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:18,583 For those of you that have studied the Bible, 49 00:02:18,667 --> 00:02:20,875 have you ever noticed that whatever you're studying 50 00:02:20,958 --> 00:02:23,708 tends to be what you're experiencing? 51 00:02:23,792 --> 00:02:26,583 Like, your life and your studies totally intersect. 52 00:02:26,667 --> 00:02:28,833 That's why some of you have never studied suffering, 53 00:02:28,875 --> 00:02:30,667 you knew what might happen. 54 00:02:30,708 --> 00:02:33,125 But what I find is whatever it is I'm studying, 55 00:02:33,167 --> 00:02:34,917 that tends to be what I'm experiencing, 56 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,625 and God in his providence takes the Scriptures, 57 00:02:37,667 --> 00:02:39,833 and he knows what's coming in my life, 58 00:02:39,875 --> 00:02:41,250 and then they coordinate together, 59 00:02:41,333 --> 00:02:44,042 and all of sudden God's Word is incredibly timely. 60 00:02:44,125 --> 00:02:46,000 And in light of today's sermon, 61 00:02:46,083 --> 00:02:48,917 "I Am Appreciated" in Ephesians 1:15-23, 62 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,250 that was the kind of week that I had. 63 00:02:51,333 --> 00:02:55,667 It was a really busy week, I'm sick, not feeling the best, 64 00:02:55,708 --> 00:02:57,917 but I'm feeling really encouraged. 65 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,125 And it was a long week, a great week though. 66 00:03:02,167 --> 00:03:05,292 Earlier this week I got to go to Mars Hill Rainier Valley 67 00:03:05,333 --> 00:03:09,417 and person, after person, after person just so encouraging 68 00:03:09,500 --> 00:03:12,875 to see the work of Jesus in their life. 69 00:03:12,958 --> 00:03:15,375 And sometimes when you're in the position 70 00:03:15,458 --> 00:03:17,792 that I am where you get to preach, and teach, 71 00:03:17,833 --> 00:03:19,167 and send things out, 72 00:03:19,250 --> 00:03:21,375 and then hear all your critics on the Internet, 73 00:03:21,458 --> 00:03:24,125 you just overlook or don't get a good perspective of what's 74 00:03:24,167 --> 00:03:26,167 actually going on in people's lives. 75 00:03:26,250 --> 00:03:28,875 And one woman in particular, she came up and she said, 76 00:03:28,958 --> 00:03:31,750 "You know, I met Jesus at Mars Hill recently," 77 00:03:31,833 --> 00:03:33,500 and she said, 78 00:03:33,583 --> 00:03:36,667 "Jesus is the first man who's never abused me," and she said, 79 00:03:36,708 --> 00:03:39,833 "Mars Hill has good men, and I feel safe here, 80 00:03:39,917 --> 00:03:43,042 and they're now investing in my son who's never had a father." 81 00:03:43,125 --> 00:03:45,250 It's like, man, that's amazing. 82 00:03:45,333 --> 00:03:48,125 That's wonderful and so encouraging, and story, 83 00:03:48,167 --> 00:03:50,333 after story, after story, after story. 84 00:03:50,375 --> 00:03:52,042 And throughout the course of the week, 85 00:03:52,125 --> 00:03:54,833 preaching and teaching in other places, story after story, 86 00:03:54,917 --> 00:03:56,625 after story, people just coming up, 87 00:03:56,667 --> 00:03:58,333 "Thank you for Mars Hill Church. 88 00:03:58,375 --> 00:03:59,958 "Thank you for teaching the Bible. 89 00:04:00,083 --> 00:04:03,000 "Thank you for all the leaders in the church who have loved 90 00:04:03,083 --> 00:04:04,792 and served me very, very, very well." 91 00:04:04,833 --> 00:04:06,292 And everything sort of emotionally culminated 92 00:04:06,333 --> 00:04:07,667 yesterday. 93 00:04:07,750 --> 00:04:09,125 We buried Grace's dad. 94 00:04:09,167 --> 00:04:13,917 We officially had his funeral, and just all week, calls, texts, 95 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:18,125 e-mails, lots of people praying for us, lots of encouragement. 96 00:04:18,167 --> 00:04:20,708 And Grace and I, with the family, 97 00:04:20,792 --> 00:04:23,375 showed up for the funeral at Mars Hill West Seattle, 98 00:04:23,458 --> 00:04:26,000 and there was just an army of volunteers there. 99 00:04:26,083 --> 00:04:28,833 Many people we met for the first time. 100 00:04:28,875 --> 00:04:30,500 Just asked, "Why are you here?" 101 00:04:30,583 --> 00:04:32,500 and they're like, "We really appreciate your family. 102 00:04:32,583 --> 00:04:35,500 "We're here to love and to serve today so that you guys 103 00:04:35,583 --> 00:04:38,500 can grieve and greet others and not have to worry about that." 104 00:04:38,583 --> 00:04:42,750 And just felt so incredibly appreciated, blessed. 105 00:04:42,833 --> 00:04:45,333 On the drive home, my kids said, "Dad, 106 00:04:45,375 --> 00:04:48,750 "we had dozens and dozens of people come up and just thank us 107 00:04:48,833 --> 00:04:52,250 "for being your kids and let us know that they're praying for us 108 00:04:52,333 --> 00:04:54,042 all the time." 109 00:04:54,125 --> 00:04:56,708 One of my kids in the back seat shouted out, 110 00:04:56,792 --> 00:04:59,333 "We might be the most prayed for kids on earth." 111 00:04:59,375 --> 00:05:02,500 It was kind of their--I said, "Yeah, I think you might be," 112 00:05:02,542 --> 00:05:05,333 and that's a good thing and we praise God for that. 113 00:05:05,375 --> 00:05:11,500 And just a very encouraging week where I feel incredibly 114 00:05:11,583 --> 00:05:15,333 appreciated, my family feels incredibly appreciated, 115 00:05:15,375 --> 00:05:18,708 and I even feel really appreciated by my wife. 116 00:05:18,792 --> 00:05:21,708 I went to bed last night sick early, and she stayed up, 117 00:05:21,792 --> 00:05:24,708 and I wake up this morning and all these shirts are ironed. 118 00:05:24,792 --> 00:05:26,208 I said, "What did you do?" 119 00:05:26,292 --> 00:05:28,208 She said, "Well, I stayed up really late 120 00:05:28,292 --> 00:05:29,625 and ironed all your shirts." 121 00:05:29,667 --> 00:05:32,667 "You don't need to do that, you need to go to bed. 122 00:05:32,708 --> 00:05:35,333 I only need one shirt, and if it's wrinkled it's okay." 123 00:05:35,417 --> 00:05:37,958 And she got up early and made breakfast for me, 124 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:39,833 and prayed over me. 125 00:05:39,917 --> 00:05:42,042 I feel really encouraged and appreciated by 126 00:05:42,125 --> 00:05:44,667 my best friend, Grace. 127 00:05:44,708 --> 00:05:47,667 And so I'm in a season where there's been a culture change 128 00:05:47,708 --> 00:05:50,458 at Mars Hill, and I feel very appreciated, 129 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:53,833 we feel very appreciated, very loved, very encouraged, 130 00:05:53,875 --> 00:05:58,167 very supported, but it wasn't always that way. 131 00:05:58,208 --> 00:06:00,500 Early on when we started the church, 132 00:06:00,583 --> 00:06:02,625 I was angry all of the time 133 00:06:02,667 --> 00:06:04,833 and then sometimes I was asleep. 134 00:06:04,875 --> 00:06:09,500 That was pretty much the emotional variety for me, 135 00:06:09,583 --> 00:06:13,292 and it felt like just a real strong culture of entitlement, 136 00:06:13,333 --> 00:06:15,708 and expectation, and demand, and ingratitude, 137 00:06:15,792 --> 00:06:17,292 if I'm really honest. 138 00:06:17,333 --> 00:06:20,500 It's not that way today, so I can talk about it. 139 00:06:20,583 --> 00:06:23,917 And I'll never forget the early years of the church. 140 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:26,083 For the first, I think it was 3 years, 141 00:06:26,167 --> 00:06:27,583 we didn't take a salary. 142 00:06:27,667 --> 00:06:29,583 I was working full-time outside of the church. 143 00:06:29,667 --> 00:06:31,417 We were small, and broke, and poor. 144 00:06:31,500 --> 00:06:34,167 And nobody ever called me pastor except a guy named Pete, 145 00:06:34,208 --> 00:06:35,958 and he did so as a joke. 146 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:37,333 "Hey, Pastor." 147 00:06:37,417 --> 00:06:40,542 He always did it as a joke, so that was my one seemingly 148 00:06:40,625 --> 00:06:42,667 respectful guy who was really disrespectful. 149 00:06:42,708 --> 00:06:47,333 And then--and I remember that Grace and I would have literally 150 00:06:47,417 --> 00:06:49,958 upwards of a few thousand people in our home every year 151 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,125 for small groups, the offices were there, 152 00:06:52,167 --> 00:06:53,625 the small groups were there, 153 00:06:53,667 --> 00:06:55,125 the premarital was there, the membership, 154 00:06:55,167 --> 00:06:56,750 everything was there. 155 00:06:56,833 --> 00:07:01,125 And literally, I don't remember hardly anybody ever even saying 156 00:07:01,167 --> 00:07:02,833 thank you. 157 00:07:02,875 --> 00:07:05,292 I remember over, and over, and over, 158 00:07:05,333 --> 00:07:07,875 the spring and the summer was particularly brutal because 159 00:07:07,958 --> 00:07:09,917 we'd have these weddings. 160 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,708 Everybody was getting married, which meant usually some sort of 161 00:07:12,792 --> 00:07:15,083 chicken dinner on Friday night with a rehearsal, 162 00:07:15,167 --> 00:07:17,625 and then Saturday do the wedding, 163 00:07:17,667 --> 00:07:19,125 and then Sunday preach, 164 00:07:19,167 --> 00:07:21,417 and so that meant usually spring and summer, 165 00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:24,792 there wouldn't be a day off for 4 months or so because it 166 00:07:24,833 --> 00:07:27,583 would be church during the week and then weddings on weekends 167 00:07:27,667 --> 00:07:29,125 in addition to church. 168 00:07:29,167 --> 00:07:32,833 And I'll never forget, like all these couples that we had 169 00:07:32,917 --> 00:07:35,458 into our home, and we invested in for months, 170 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:38,333 and did the premarital for, and then I'd go officiate 171 00:07:38,417 --> 00:07:41,125 their wedding, and nobody'd even say thank you. 172 00:07:41,167 --> 00:07:44,458 There were couples, more than one, but one in particular, 173 00:07:44,500 --> 00:07:46,333 we invested in them, we helped them, 174 00:07:46,417 --> 00:07:48,667 we did their premarital for months in our home, 175 00:07:48,708 --> 00:07:52,042 flew out of state to go do their wedding, 176 00:07:52,125 --> 00:07:55,250 didn't even say thank you, flew back to preach on Sunday, 177 00:07:55,333 --> 00:07:57,208 and they never showed up at church again. 178 00:07:57,292 --> 00:08:00,500 And I called them up and I said, "Well, we miss you guys. 179 00:08:00,542 --> 00:08:03,208 You know, you haven't been at church since you got married." 180 00:08:03,292 --> 00:08:06,417 And he said, "Well, her dad said he wouldn't pay for the wedding 181 00:08:06,500 --> 00:08:09,625 "unless it was in a church, so now that we've had the wedding, 182 00:08:09,667 --> 00:08:11,625 we don't have to go to church anymore." 183 00:08:11,667 --> 00:08:13,000 It's like, wow. 184 00:08:13,083 --> 00:08:17,917 And for me, in that season, I dealt with it in a sinful way. 185 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,125 And how many you, your experience is like mine? 186 00:08:20,167 --> 00:08:22,333 When you're in a season when you're really encouraged 187 00:08:22,375 --> 00:08:25,000 and you feel love like I do today, it's pretty easy. 188 00:08:25,083 --> 00:08:28,000 Just like, "Oh yeah, the Lord is good and I love you," 189 00:08:28,083 --> 00:08:30,208 and it just sort of flows a little easier. 190 00:08:30,292 --> 00:08:31,958 Then there's those other seasons, you're like, 191 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,958 "I don't know if the Lord is good and I'm pretty sure 192 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,125 I don't love you." You know? 193 00:08:37,167 --> 00:08:40,250 And how many of you are in one of those seasons where, 194 00:08:40,333 --> 00:08:43,000 with your family, with your friends, with your work, 195 00:08:43,083 --> 00:08:46,042 there's a culture of entitlement, or ingratitude, 196 00:08:46,125 --> 00:08:49,542 or expectation, or criticism? 197 00:08:49,625 --> 00:08:54,417 And in those years when I was in sin and I responded sinfully, 198 00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:58,833 I started getting bitter against people, I started getting angry, 199 00:08:58,917 --> 00:09:01,792 self-righteous, judgmental, grumbling. 200 00:09:01,833 --> 00:09:04,708 My attitude was not very good. 201 00:09:04,792 --> 00:09:08,708 Sometimes I would serve, but do so out of an impure motive, 202 00:09:08,792 --> 00:09:10,208 and sometimes I just wouldn't serve. 203 00:09:10,292 --> 00:09:12,000 Like, "Well, they don't even care. 204 00:09:12,042 --> 00:09:14,000 Why even try?" 205 00:09:14,083 --> 00:09:18,333 And I tell you this because the church has changed, 206 00:09:18,375 --> 00:09:21,792 but for those of you that are in those seasons, 207 00:09:21,833 --> 00:09:26,125 how's it going for you and what do you do? 208 00:09:26,167 --> 00:09:30,667 And that brings us to the text of Scripture today, 209 00:09:30,708 --> 00:09:35,833 and it speaks in a very timely way about appreciation. 210 00:09:35,917 --> 00:09:39,042 And I think this is a timely word because I believe our world 211 00:09:39,125 --> 00:09:44,042 is more rude, critical, and demanding than ever. 212 00:09:44,125 --> 00:09:46,833 Okay, for all of you who work in the service industry, 213 00:09:46,875 --> 00:09:51,125 I just apologize in general for almost everyone, okay? 214 00:09:51,167 --> 00:09:53,958 What a horrible job it is to serve people 215 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,333 with certain attitudes. 216 00:09:56,375 --> 00:10:00,208 And this culture of entitlement is so deep that, you know, 217 00:10:00,292 --> 00:10:03,333 it would be laughable if an elected official stood up 218 00:10:03,417 --> 00:10:06,333 today and said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, 219 00:10:06,417 --> 00:10:08,750 ask what you can do for your country." 220 00:10:08,833 --> 00:10:10,833 We'd say, "That guy's hilarious. 221 00:10:10,917 --> 00:10:13,250 "Look at those funny jokes that he tells, 222 00:10:13,333 --> 00:10:15,042 "talking about our responsibilities 223 00:10:15,125 --> 00:10:17,250 instead of our rights." 224 00:10:17,333 --> 00:10:20,708 The whole world is filled with a lack of appreciation, 225 00:10:20,792 --> 00:10:23,833 thankfulness, and gratitude. 226 00:10:23,875 --> 00:10:26,458 That being said, as we come to Paul's words today, 227 00:10:26,500 --> 00:10:29,458 I don't know if you're in a season like I am where 228 00:10:29,500 --> 00:10:32,583 you feel really appreciated and encouraged or you feel really 229 00:10:32,667 --> 00:10:35,375 unappreciated and discouraged. 230 00:10:35,458 --> 00:10:37,792 The question is, what do you with it? 231 00:10:37,833 --> 00:10:40,292 Well, he starts by telling us this: 232 00:10:40,333 --> 00:10:43,333 "You are appreciated by Jesus." 233 00:10:43,417 --> 00:10:45,875 If you're a Christian-- to be a Christian is one 234 00:10:45,958 --> 00:10:48,292 who appreciates Jesus. 235 00:10:48,333 --> 00:10:50,875 He just told us this in Ephesians 1:3-14. 236 00:10:50,958 --> 00:10:53,292 He says, "Blessed be the God and Father 237 00:10:53,333 --> 00:10:54,750 of our Lord Jesus Christ," 238 00:10:54,833 --> 00:10:56,750 and then he talks about all the things 239 00:10:56,833 --> 00:10:59,083 that he appreciates that God does for us. 240 00:10:59,167 --> 00:11:02,167 And here, he then transitions saying that not only is 241 00:11:02,208 --> 00:11:04,917 the Christian one who really appreciates Jesus, 242 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,667 and you may have never even thought of this 243 00:11:07,708 --> 00:11:10,750 if you're a Christian, but that the Christian is one who 244 00:11:10,833 --> 00:11:13,208 Jesus appreciates as well. 245 00:11:13,292 --> 00:11:14,917 Here's how he says it. 246 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:16,667 Ephesians 1:15-16, "For this reason, 247 00:11:16,708 --> 00:11:19,417 "because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus 248 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:21,208 "and your love toward all the saints, 249 00:11:21,292 --> 00:11:23,667 I do not cease to give," what? 250 00:11:23,708 --> 00:11:25,750 "Thanks for you." 251 00:11:25,833 --> 00:11:27,667 Okay, I want you to receive this, 252 00:11:27,708 --> 00:11:30,542 not just as a letter from Paul to the Ephesians, 253 00:11:30,625 --> 00:11:33,167 but from God to you. 254 00:11:33,208 --> 00:11:35,750 We believe in something called verbal plenary inspiration. 255 00:11:35,833 --> 00:11:38,750 Big words, I know, but what it means is that God wrote 256 00:11:38,833 --> 00:11:42,833 the Bible through people, and so though it's Paul's voice, 257 00:11:42,875 --> 00:11:45,750 it's God's words. 258 00:11:45,833 --> 00:11:47,625 Though it's Paul's voice, 259 00:11:47,667 --> 00:11:49,958 it's God's words. 260 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,500 And here, God is not just speaking to the people 261 00:11:52,583 --> 00:11:54,167 in Ephesus. 262 00:11:54,208 --> 00:11:56,417 He's speaking to all of his people, including us 263 00:11:56,500 --> 00:11:59,833 2,000 years later and some miles removed. 264 00:11:59,875 --> 00:12:03,292 How many of you, it would really change the course of your 265 00:12:03,333 --> 00:12:07,583 whole day or your whole life if you simply knew that God 266 00:12:07,667 --> 00:12:10,000 paid attention to your life, 267 00:12:10,083 --> 00:12:12,375 and he was thankful for your obedience, 268 00:12:12,458 --> 00:12:15,208 and generosity, and service, and sacrifice, 269 00:12:15,292 --> 00:12:19,125 and that the Lord Jesus himself generally appreciated you? 270 00:12:19,167 --> 00:12:20,917 Would that make a difference? 271 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:22,667 It does. 272 00:12:22,750 --> 00:12:25,500 See, the sinful trap that I fell into-- 273 00:12:25,583 --> 00:12:28,083 and it affected my attitude, and my joy, 274 00:12:28,167 --> 00:12:30,917 and my service for years; 275 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,000 it was my sin-- was I wanted to be appreciated 276 00:12:35,083 --> 00:12:36,542 and I looked to people, 277 00:12:36,625 --> 00:12:38,958 and I didn't find them to be appreciative, 278 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,333 and then I became bitter, and angry, and frustrated. 279 00:12:42,417 --> 00:12:46,458 Well here, Paul is telling us that God is thankful for us, 280 00:12:46,500 --> 00:12:49,542 that God appreciates the obedience, 281 00:12:49,625 --> 00:12:51,042 and the generosity, 282 00:12:51,125 --> 00:12:53,042 and the faithfulness of his people. 283 00:12:53,125 --> 00:12:57,125 And so it's not that you shouldn't have appreciation, 284 00:12:57,167 --> 00:12:59,708 but it's best if that appreciation comes from 285 00:12:59,792 --> 00:13:01,333 the Lord Jesus. 286 00:13:01,375 --> 00:13:04,208 And some of you may know that God is omniscient. 287 00:13:04,292 --> 00:13:05,917 That means that he's all-knowing. 288 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,417 And let me just say that I don't think I've taught that doctrine 289 00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:12,792 as well as I could or should have, and most of the time, 290 00:13:12,833 --> 00:13:15,000 in my 16-year history of teaching the Bible here, 291 00:13:15,083 --> 00:13:17,333 when I've said that God sees and knows all, 292 00:13:17,375 --> 00:13:20,500 it's to talk about how evil you are and how he knows 293 00:13:20,583 --> 00:13:22,500 what you're doing, right? 294 00:13:22,583 --> 00:13:24,875 And so omniscience is kind of a bad thing. 295 00:13:24,958 --> 00:13:28,875 It's like a surveillance camera in your life, you know? 296 00:13:28,958 --> 00:13:32,542 Like, he's always got one eye. 297 00:13:32,625 --> 00:13:35,542 God does see and know all, and he does see and know 298 00:13:35,625 --> 00:13:39,333 all of our sin, but he also sees and knows all of our obedience, 299 00:13:39,417 --> 00:13:43,000 and all of our service, and all of our generosity. 300 00:13:43,083 --> 00:13:46,000 If God sees and knows all, he doesn't just see the day 301 00:13:46,083 --> 00:13:49,042 you give into temptation, he sees the day that you say no 302 00:13:49,125 --> 00:13:51,417 to temptation; not just the day that you're greedy, 303 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:52,958 but the day that you're generous; 304 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,833 not just the day that you're lazy, 305 00:13:54,917 --> 00:13:57,750 but the day that you're serving by the grace of God. 306 00:13:57,833 --> 00:14:01,333 And even though others may not appreciate, God sees, knows, 307 00:14:01,375 --> 00:14:03,000 and appreciates all. 308 00:14:03,083 --> 00:14:05,625 Jesus talks about things that are done, quote, "in secret." 309 00:14:05,667 --> 00:14:08,708 What that means is the Lord's the only one that really knows 310 00:14:08,792 --> 00:14:10,792 what's going on. 311 00:14:10,833 --> 00:14:17,125 Now, imagine that you and I got this letter and we are receiving 312 00:14:17,167 --> 00:14:19,208 it today from the Apostle Paul. 313 00:14:19,292 --> 00:14:22,208 I mean, it's hard to think of anyone outside of Jesus 314 00:14:22,292 --> 00:14:25,000 that we could esteem as highly as Paul. 315 00:14:25,042 --> 00:14:28,000 And what he says is this: "I want to thank you for 316 00:14:28,042 --> 00:14:30,958 "two things: your love for Jesus and your love for God's people, 317 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:32,417 the church." 318 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:34,500 Okay, if you're here and you love Jesus 319 00:14:34,583 --> 00:14:37,833 and you love the church, this is a word from God for you, 320 00:14:37,917 --> 00:14:40,333 and if you don't love Jesus and/or you don't love 321 00:14:40,417 --> 00:14:43,042 the church, you need to repent so that this can be 322 00:14:43,125 --> 00:14:44,458 God's word for you. 323 00:14:44,500 --> 00:14:46,667 I really, really, really want you to know that 324 00:14:46,708 --> 00:14:48,833 the two most important things are to love Jesus 325 00:14:48,917 --> 00:14:51,250 and love the church, and that's exactly what he says, 326 00:14:51,333 --> 00:14:53,042 "Your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 327 00:14:53,125 --> 00:14:54,833 and your love toward all the saints." 328 00:14:54,875 --> 00:14:57,208 And the love here means that you're praying for people, 329 00:14:57,292 --> 00:14:58,708 you're giving, you're serving, you're caring, 330 00:14:58,792 --> 00:15:01,500 you inconvenience yourself by getting into Community Group, 331 00:15:01,542 --> 00:15:04,333 you give time and energy to serve through Redemption Group, 332 00:15:04,375 --> 00:15:05,833 you're working with the kids. 333 00:15:05,875 --> 00:15:09,000 Whatever your thing is, there's a life that is flowing toward 334 00:15:09,083 --> 00:15:12,083 the well-being of the whole church. 335 00:15:12,167 --> 00:15:15,500 Now how many of you, if I walked up to you and I said-- 336 00:15:15,542 --> 00:15:17,500 and I looked in you in the eye, 337 00:15:17,542 --> 00:15:19,500 and I was very serious and very genuine, 338 00:15:19,542 --> 00:15:21,500 as I believe the Apostle Paul is here, 339 00:15:21,542 --> 00:15:24,000 and I said, "I just want to say thank you. 340 00:15:24,042 --> 00:15:30,458 I thank God for you all the time," what would you say? 341 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:33,750 It makes us feel awkward, right, because some of us 342 00:15:33,833 --> 00:15:36,458 have been trained through religion to say things like, 343 00:15:36,500 --> 00:15:39,958 "Well, don't praise me. All glory be to God." 344 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:41,958 It's like, "Yeah, but the Lord sent you 345 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:43,667 "to serve me and you did, 346 00:15:43,708 --> 00:15:47,042 so I do give glory to God, but I give thanks to you," or, 347 00:15:47,125 --> 00:15:50,250 you know, "The Lord did give to me, but he gave through you, 348 00:15:50,333 --> 00:15:53,333 so I give glory to God and I give thanks for you." 349 00:15:53,417 --> 00:15:55,833 How many of you have tried to appreciate someone 350 00:15:55,917 --> 00:15:57,958 and they bristle at it, get all religious, 351 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,083 turn it into a theological argument that doesn't 352 00:16:00,167 --> 00:16:01,500 even make sense? 353 00:16:01,542 --> 00:16:03,000 It doesn't even make sense. 354 00:16:03,042 --> 00:16:04,500 "Well, you know, God is sovereign 355 00:16:04,542 --> 00:16:06,667 and it's all by his grace, and I'm just--" 356 00:16:06,750 --> 00:16:08,667 It’s just like, "That's a lot of words. 357 00:16:08,750 --> 00:16:10,375 You're supposed to say thank you." 358 00:16:10,458 --> 00:16:13,625 It's supposed to be pretty simple. 359 00:16:13,667 --> 00:16:17,000 And sometimes what can happen is in our desire to give all glory 360 00:16:17,083 --> 00:16:20,500 to God, we don't allow others to appreciate us 361 00:16:20,583 --> 00:16:23,417 or we don't appreciate others. 362 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:26,417 Yeah, the glory does go to God, but the appreciation 363 00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:28,708 can go to his servants. 364 00:16:28,792 --> 00:16:30,542 You can do both. 365 00:16:30,625 --> 00:16:32,708 If God sends someone and God uses them, 366 00:16:32,792 --> 00:16:35,750 you can glorify him and thank them. 367 00:16:35,833 --> 00:16:39,917 And I think sometimes what happens is we don't appreciate 368 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,958 and thank people as we should because we think, 369 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,958 "Well, I just need to tell God thank you." 370 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,167 I was recently at an event where, you know, 371 00:16:52,208 --> 00:16:55,167 lots of people were serving and lots of things were happening, 372 00:16:55,208 --> 00:16:58,542 and someone said, "Well, you know, praise be to God. 373 00:16:58,625 --> 00:17:00,292 He really pulled it off." 374 00:17:00,333 --> 00:17:03,000 I said, "Yeah, he did, through all these faithful people, 375 00:17:03,083 --> 00:17:07,708 so we need to thank them for being God's faithful people." 376 00:17:07,792 --> 00:17:10,500 Yeah, glory be to God that the Holy Spirit pulled it 377 00:17:10,542 --> 00:17:13,000 all together, but glory be to God that he's working 378 00:17:13,042 --> 00:17:14,917 through his people and his people are faithful. 379 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,125 And sometimes I think we can give all glory to God 380 00:17:18,167 --> 00:17:20,833 and not give appreciation and thankfulness to people, 381 00:17:20,875 --> 00:17:23,500 and as a result, we could be actually discouraging people 382 00:17:23,542 --> 00:17:25,375 when we should be encouraging them. 383 00:17:25,458 --> 00:17:28,083 And I love the fact that Paul starts off talking about 384 00:17:28,167 --> 00:17:30,917 how much he appreciates God the Father, God the Son, 385 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:33,833 and God the Holy Spirit, and then he transitions to talk 386 00:17:33,917 --> 00:17:36,250 about how much he appreciates God's faithful people 387 00:17:36,333 --> 00:17:39,208 who love the Lord Jesus and love the church. 388 00:17:39,292 --> 00:17:43,208 You and I, quite frankly, need a little bit of encouragement, 389 00:17:43,292 --> 00:17:47,625 and if you're looking for it from people, it may never come, 390 00:17:47,667 --> 00:17:51,625 but if you're looking for that from the Lord Jesus, 391 00:17:51,667 --> 00:17:54,167 he appreciates you. 392 00:17:54,208 --> 00:17:56,958 It means a lot. 393 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,708 Second thing that he says, and he starts to talk about 394 00:18:00,792 --> 00:18:03,500 the implications of knowing you're appreciated by Jesus, 395 00:18:03,583 --> 00:18:05,583 and the big theme is identity in Christ 396 00:18:05,667 --> 00:18:07,292 through the book of Ephesians, 397 00:18:07,333 --> 00:18:09,833 and knowing, "Man, Jesus appreciates me. 398 00:18:09,875 --> 00:18:13,625 "He sees and knows everything I do, and I say, and I give, 399 00:18:13,667 --> 00:18:15,500 “and he appreciates that. 400 00:18:15,583 --> 00:18:19,417 And through the Apostle Paul, he says thank you.” 401 00:18:19,500 --> 00:18:22,917 What happens, then, is it changes your life 402 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:24,833 and your reaction to circumstances. 403 00:18:24,875 --> 00:18:27,292 So, number one, appreciated people exchange 404 00:18:27,333 --> 00:18:29,833 grumbling for praying. 405 00:18:29,875 --> 00:18:32,667 How many of you, when you feel unappreciated 406 00:18:32,708 --> 00:18:34,750 or underappreciated, you're prone toward grumbling? 407 00:18:34,833 --> 00:18:38,250 Is it just me or has this caught on with others? 408 00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:40,125 Have you noticed that? 409 00:18:40,167 --> 00:18:41,667 I tend to grumble. 410 00:18:41,708 --> 00:18:43,042 Sometimes it leaks. 411 00:18:43,125 --> 00:18:44,833 You know, you're like, "Yeah, these people, 412 00:18:44,875 --> 00:18:47,333 "they don't appreciate it and I did this for them 413 00:18:47,375 --> 00:18:48,833 "and they don't even say thanks. 414 00:18:48,875 --> 00:18:51,833 "Oh, good luck if I'm ever gonna do that for you again. 415 00:18:51,875 --> 00:18:54,000 You didn't even say thanks," or you know, whatever. 416 00:18:54,083 --> 00:18:55,750 Or, "You know, I've always served you, 417 00:18:55,833 --> 00:18:57,167 you've never served me." 418 00:18:57,208 --> 00:19:01,000 You know, it all kicks into that where all of a sudden 419 00:19:01,083 --> 00:19:04,333 you don't grumble to them, you grumble about them. 420 00:19:04,375 --> 00:19:06,208 "You know, my boss, they're really unappreciative. 421 00:19:06,292 --> 00:19:07,792 "My kids, they never say thanks. 422 00:19:07,833 --> 00:19:09,708 "My parents, you know, I've looked after them 423 00:19:09,792 --> 00:19:12,208 in their old age and they don't even appreciate it." 424 00:19:12,292 --> 00:19:18,667 All of a sudden, that grumbling starts to cause you to be 425 00:19:18,750 --> 00:19:21,792 very negative and very critical. 426 00:19:21,833 --> 00:19:24,583 You say, "Well, what's the answer?" 427 00:19:24,667 --> 00:19:26,875 Praying. Praying. 428 00:19:26,958 --> 00:19:30,208 See, grumbling is when you talk about people to other people, 429 00:19:30,292 --> 00:19:33,625 praying is when you talk to Jesus about people. 430 00:19:33,667 --> 00:19:35,542 Some of you say, "They're driving me crazy." 431 00:19:35,625 --> 00:19:37,250 Well, you need to talk to someone. 432 00:19:37,333 --> 00:19:38,833 His name is Jesus. 433 00:19:38,917 --> 00:19:42,167 We call that prayer, and prayer is always better than grumbling, 434 00:19:42,208 --> 00:19:44,500 and that's exactly what Paul does here. 435 00:19:44,583 --> 00:19:47,458 He says this, "I do not cease to give thanks for you, 436 00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:49,667 remembering you in my," what? 437 00:19:49,708 --> 00:19:51,250 "Prayers." 438 00:19:51,333 --> 00:19:53,750 Paul's praying for people. 439 00:19:53,833 --> 00:19:57,750 Now, he could be grumbling. 440 00:19:57,833 --> 00:19:59,833 His life is very hard at this point. 441 00:19:59,875 --> 00:20:01,667 He has a lot to grumble about. 442 00:20:01,708 --> 00:20:04,042 Where is he? Do you know where he's at? 443 00:20:04,125 --> 00:20:06,500 He's in prison. He's in prison. 444 00:20:06,583 --> 00:20:09,458 Now, you could grumble off that for a while, right? 445 00:20:09,500 --> 00:20:11,000 Why is he in prison? 446 00:20:11,083 --> 00:20:13,167 DUI, capped a guy? 447 00:20:13,208 --> 00:20:15,333 Why is he in prison? 448 00:20:15,417 --> 00:20:17,833 Tax evasion, knocked over a liquor store? 449 00:20:17,917 --> 00:20:19,667 Why is he in prison? 450 00:20:19,708 --> 00:20:22,750 For preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 451 00:20:22,833 --> 00:20:24,958 It'd be very easy for Paul to grumble. 452 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,125 "Man, I love Jesus and I go to jail. 453 00:20:27,167 --> 00:20:28,958 What kind of deal is that?" 454 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,250 He's not grumbling, he's praying. 455 00:20:31,333 --> 00:20:33,958 He knows that Jesus appreciates his hard work 456 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,667 by the grace of God, 457 00:20:35,750 --> 00:20:37,875 and his generosity, and his service, and his sacrifice, 458 00:20:37,958 --> 00:20:40,292 so rather than grumbling about how hard his life is-- 459 00:20:40,333 --> 00:20:41,667 does he have a wife? 460 00:20:41,750 --> 00:20:43,250 No. 461 00:20:43,333 --> 00:20:44,667 Could he grumble about that? 462 00:20:44,708 --> 00:20:46,583 Single people, could he grumble about that? 463 00:20:46,667 --> 00:20:49,083 Single people, could he grumble about that? 464 00:20:49,167 --> 00:20:50,500 Yes. 465 00:20:50,542 --> 00:20:54,792 You even said it in a grumbling tone. 466 00:20:54,833 --> 00:20:57,083 You know, "I don't have a wife. I'm poor. 467 00:20:57,167 --> 00:20:59,792 "I don't make a lot of money. My life is hard. 468 00:20:59,833 --> 00:21:01,667 "I walk 20 miles a day. 469 00:21:01,708 --> 00:21:03,167 "I've been beaten, shipwrecked, 470 00:21:03,208 --> 00:21:05,667 "homeless, left for dead, adrift on the open sea, 471 00:21:05,708 --> 00:21:08,458 and now I'm in jail for preaching the gospel." 472 00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:12,958 No, he knows that Jesus appreciates his life, 473 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,333 and his service, and his sacrifice, 474 00:21:15,417 --> 00:21:17,625 as he appreciates the life, and the service, 475 00:21:17,667 --> 00:21:20,042 and the sacrifice of Jesus. 476 00:21:20,125 --> 00:21:24,667 And as a result, he's not grumbling, he's praying. 477 00:21:24,708 --> 00:21:26,542 He's praying. 478 00:21:26,625 --> 00:21:28,542 And he's praying for others. 479 00:21:28,625 --> 00:21:32,042 He's not even self-absorbed, because that appreciation 480 00:21:32,125 --> 00:21:34,000 is met by the Lord Jesus. 481 00:21:34,083 --> 00:21:38,000 That allows him to simply have affection for other people. 482 00:21:38,083 --> 00:21:40,667 And for those of you who are maybe new to Christianity, 483 00:21:40,708 --> 00:21:42,417 prayer is when we talk to God. 484 00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:44,750 Scripture is how God talks to us, 485 00:21:44,833 --> 00:21:46,750 but prayer is how we talk to God. 486 00:21:46,833 --> 00:21:50,958 This can be audibly talking to God, alone, in a group. 487 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,833 God also knows our thoughts, so even, 488 00:21:54,917 --> 00:21:57,250 let's say you're at work or in a situation 489 00:21:57,333 --> 00:22:01,125 where praying out loud would not be best, 490 00:22:01,167 --> 00:22:04,625 you could pray silently and the Lord knows your thoughts. 491 00:22:04,667 --> 00:22:06,667 For some of you, this is journaling, 492 00:22:06,750 --> 00:22:08,417 and journaling is a form of praying. 493 00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:11,917 It's where you sort of think it through with the Lord. 494 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:17,292 It can include singing, where you're singing to the Lord, 495 00:22:17,333 --> 00:22:20,083 and it's your way of communicating to him in prayer. 496 00:22:20,167 --> 00:22:22,833 That's why the book of Psalms is a book of worship 497 00:22:22,875 --> 00:22:24,625 and it's also a book of prayer, 498 00:22:24,667 --> 00:22:26,792 because singing to the Lord is just another way 499 00:22:26,833 --> 00:22:29,583 of praying to the Lord. 500 00:22:29,667 --> 00:22:32,417 And what's interesting here is Paul's life is very hard. 501 00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:35,542 He's hated, he's criticized, he's opposed, 502 00:22:35,625 --> 00:22:39,000 he's physically beaten, he's separated from his church, 503 00:22:39,083 --> 00:22:42,708 he's sitting in jail, and what he's not doing is grumbling. 504 00:22:42,792 --> 00:22:45,458 And might I submit to you that whatever you're going through 505 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:49,833 and I'm going through, his was harder, more difficult, right? 506 00:22:49,917 --> 00:22:51,250 Alright, no wife. 507 00:22:51,333 --> 00:22:54,458 I mean, I have a wife who last night, you know, kissed me, 508 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:57,208 prayed over me, got up this morning and made me breakfast, 509 00:22:57,292 --> 00:23:00,292 hugged me, kissed me, prayed over me, sent me out the door. 510 00:23:00,333 --> 00:23:01,667 He didn't have that. 511 00:23:01,750 --> 00:23:04,667 I've got five beautiful kids that I love with all my heart 512 00:23:04,750 --> 00:23:07,417 and are a great source of encouragement and joy to me. 513 00:23:07,500 --> 00:23:12,000 You know, last night, Gideon sat on my lap for an hour. 514 00:23:12,083 --> 00:23:16,333 Paul didn't have that. 515 00:23:16,375 --> 00:23:18,167 I get to be with you today. 516 00:23:18,250 --> 00:23:23,125 Paul couldn't be with his people. 517 00:23:23,167 --> 00:23:25,708 Financially, you guys are generous to me. 518 00:23:25,792 --> 00:23:31,042 He had seasons of deep poverty. 519 00:23:31,125 --> 00:23:33,667 His life was very hard. 520 00:23:33,708 --> 00:23:36,333 People say bad things, but that's different than getting 521 00:23:36,417 --> 00:23:42,167 physically assaulted and shipwrecked, 522 00:23:42,208 --> 00:23:43,542 and he's not grumbling. 523 00:23:43,625 --> 00:23:45,542 And what I don't want you to--here's what 524 00:23:45,625 --> 00:23:46,958 I don't want to do. 525 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,125 I don't want to look at you in a religious way and say, 526 00:23:50,167 --> 00:23:51,500 "Stop your grumbling." 527 00:23:51,583 --> 00:23:53,000 You would say, "Stop your yelling. 528 00:23:53,083 --> 00:23:56,167 We both have things to work on here, Pastor Mark," right? 529 00:23:56,208 --> 00:23:58,958 The key to overcoming your grumbling is to know that 530 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,292 the Lord Jesus suffered for you, that the Lord Jesus loves you, 531 00:24:02,333 --> 00:24:05,583 that the Lord Jesus is generous toward you, 532 00:24:05,667 --> 00:24:08,917 and in any way that you are obedient to him, he sees, 533 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:14,625 he knows, he appreciates, and he's thankful for you. 534 00:24:14,667 --> 00:24:17,208 That allows you to stop grumbling because you know that 535 00:24:17,292 --> 00:24:19,500 you're loved, and cared for, and appreciated, 536 00:24:19,583 --> 00:24:22,000 and it allows you to start praying for the well-being 537 00:24:22,083 --> 00:24:24,708 of others, amen? 538 00:24:24,792 --> 00:24:27,667 Another thing that happens to those who realize that they 539 00:24:27,750 --> 00:24:30,250 are appreciated by God: appreciated people exchange 540 00:24:30,333 --> 00:24:33,042 competing for celebrating. 541 00:24:33,125 --> 00:24:34,500 Now, here's what happens. 542 00:24:34,583 --> 00:24:37,250 If you don't feel appreciated, all of a sudden you become 543 00:24:37,333 --> 00:24:39,042 competitive with others. 544 00:24:39,125 --> 00:24:40,708 Is that true? 545 00:24:40,792 --> 00:24:42,250 All of sudden you're like, 546 00:24:42,333 --> 00:24:43,667 "Well, I'm gonna outperform them," 547 00:24:43,708 --> 00:24:45,042 or "They got an award. 548 00:24:45,125 --> 00:24:48,042 I'm going to beat them so that I can get the award." 549 00:24:48,125 --> 00:24:50,042 They got the promotion, they got the raise, 550 00:24:50,125 --> 00:24:52,750 they got called deacon or elder, or they got the 4.0, 551 00:24:52,833 --> 00:24:55,250 or they got the scholarship, or they got the trophy, 552 00:24:55,333 --> 00:24:56,750 or they got the "'Atta boy," 553 00:24:56,833 --> 00:24:58,750 or they got the Employee of the Month. 554 00:24:58,833 --> 00:25:00,583 Whatever it is, somebody said thank you. 555 00:25:00,667 --> 00:25:03,583 Whatever it is, you're like, "Oh, they got, I want it, 556 00:25:03,667 --> 00:25:09,500 I'm going to outperform them so that I can be appreciated." 557 00:25:11,667 --> 00:25:14,625 The result is unhealthy competition sets in. 558 00:25:14,667 --> 00:25:17,125 There's healthy competition in the Bible where it says, like, 559 00:25:17,167 --> 00:25:19,875 "Let us spur one another on to love and good deeds." 560 00:25:19,958 --> 00:25:21,833 That's kind of good. 561 00:25:21,875 --> 00:25:23,667 This is unhealthy competition. 562 00:25:23,750 --> 00:25:27,208 This is where I'm feeling unappreciated and I'm competing 563 00:25:27,292 --> 00:25:30,750 with you because I want to be appreciated in the way 564 00:25:30,833 --> 00:25:33,333 that you are. 565 00:25:33,375 --> 00:25:36,458 This is where you get things like sibling rivalries. 566 00:25:36,500 --> 00:25:39,625 This is where even spouses can become jealous of one another. 567 00:25:39,667 --> 00:25:41,917 This is where coworkers can turn on one another. 568 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,833 Even in a ministry like ours, 569 00:25:43,917 --> 00:25:46,333 this is where people can be jockeying for power, 570 00:25:46,417 --> 00:25:49,417 and politics sets in and it becomes very unholy, 571 00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:54,458 becomes very unhealthy, becomes very, very, very unhappy. 572 00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:56,750 All of sudden, you're speaking ill of other people 573 00:25:56,833 --> 00:25:58,542 to take them down a notch. 574 00:25:58,625 --> 00:26:02,167 If they succeed, you're angry, and frustrated, and critical. 575 00:26:02,250 --> 00:26:04,208 If they fail, you're kind of happy. 576 00:26:04,292 --> 00:26:07,500 "Oh, I knew they'd come down." 577 00:26:07,583 --> 00:26:13,208 And the answer is, again, to know that we are appreciated 578 00:26:13,292 --> 00:26:15,417 by the Lord Jesus. 579 00:26:15,500 --> 00:26:17,167 Here's how Paul says it. 580 00:26:17,250 --> 00:26:18,708 Ephesians 1:17-20, 581 00:26:18,792 --> 00:26:20,708 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ," 582 00:26:20,792 --> 00:26:22,917 that's God the Father, "the Father of glory, 583 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:24,625 may give you the Spirit." 584 00:26:24,667 --> 00:26:27,333 And I just want you to see, there's the whole Trinity, 585 00:26:27,375 --> 00:26:29,333 the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, 586 00:26:29,375 --> 00:26:31,542 and the Holy Spirit. “--of wisdom and of revelation 587 00:26:31,625 --> 00:26:33,167 "in the knowledge of him, 588 00:26:33,208 --> 00:26:34,833 "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, 589 00:26:34,917 --> 00:26:37,417 "that you may know what is the hope to which 590 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:38,958 he has called you." 591 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,958 He continues by saying, "What are the riches of his glorious 592 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,667 "inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable 593 00:26:44,708 --> 00:26:47,667 "greatness of his power toward us who believe, 594 00:26:47,708 --> 00:26:50,542 "according to the working of his great might that he worked in 595 00:26:50,625 --> 00:26:53,333 "Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him 596 00:26:53,417 --> 00:26:56,167 at his right hand in the heavenly places." 597 00:26:56,208 --> 00:26:58,042 Okay, first he starts by saying, 598 00:26:58,125 --> 00:27:00,708 "Here's why we should really appreciate Jesus: 599 00:27:00,792 --> 00:27:03,417 "that God the Father sent God the Son 600 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:07,000 "into human history to be empowered by the Holy Spirit 601 00:27:07,083 --> 00:27:10,000 "to live among us as one of us, 602 00:27:10,083 --> 00:27:12,417 "and he lived without sin, and he died, 603 00:27:12,500 --> 00:27:15,500 "and he went in the ground, but he didn't stay there; 604 00:27:15,583 --> 00:27:18,917 "that our Jesus rose from death, and he conquered Satan, sin, 605 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,417 "death, hell, and the wrath of God; 606 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:23,875 "and that he ascended into heaven and today he's ruling 607 00:27:23,958 --> 00:27:27,208 and reigning from this authoritative position." 608 00:27:27,292 --> 00:27:29,667 So, the first thing he starts with is, "Dear Christian, 609 00:27:29,750 --> 00:27:34,042 always appreciate who Jesus is and what he's done." 610 00:27:34,125 --> 00:27:37,958 And secondly then, he prays for them two things. 611 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:42,625 One, that they would learn more about Jesus. 612 00:27:42,667 --> 00:27:45,167 He says, "So I'm praying for you that you would--" 613 00:27:45,208 --> 00:27:47,000 And here's how he says it, actually. 614 00:27:47,083 --> 00:27:52,167 He says, "That he would give you the Spirit of wisdom, 615 00:27:52,208 --> 00:27:55,208 revelation, knowledge of him." 616 00:27:55,292 --> 00:27:57,750 He's saying, "I want you to learn more about Jesus, 617 00:27:57,833 --> 00:28:01,167 and I'm praying that you would learn more about Jesus." 618 00:28:01,250 --> 00:28:03,875 And let me say this: it doesn't matter how long you're 619 00:28:03,958 --> 00:28:06,125 a Christian, there's always something new 620 00:28:06,167 --> 00:28:08,125 to learn about Jesus. 621 00:28:08,167 --> 00:28:10,292 Absolutely true. 622 00:28:10,333 --> 00:28:13,000 I first picked up my first Bible--my father-in-law 623 00:28:13,083 --> 00:28:15,708 and my wife, as a gift, gave it to me 624 00:28:15,792 --> 00:28:17,292 when I was in high school. 625 00:28:17,333 --> 00:28:20,625 I picked it up in college and I started learning about Jesus, 626 00:28:20,667 --> 00:28:22,417 and I've been reading the Scriptures now 627 00:28:22,500 --> 00:28:25,125 for a couple of decades and studying them intensely, 628 00:28:25,167 --> 00:28:29,625 and I can assure you of this: every week, I learn new things. 629 00:28:29,667 --> 00:28:32,417 Let me submit to you, if you're a person who's still 630 00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:35,250 just quoting the same verses you've been quoting for years, 631 00:28:35,333 --> 00:28:38,417 going back to the same books you've been going back to for 632 00:28:38,500 --> 00:28:41,167 years, if you're still just echoing the things that you've 633 00:28:41,208 --> 00:28:44,917 known for a long time, that's not bad, but that's not enough. 634 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,333 That's not enough. 635 00:28:47,375 --> 00:28:49,958 The goal is not just to have your questions answered 636 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,333 and have your systematic theology completed, 637 00:28:52,417 --> 00:28:56,333 but to have your relationship with Jesus always growing. 638 00:28:56,417 --> 00:28:59,042 And so he prays for these people that they would learn 639 00:28:59,125 --> 00:29:00,875 more about Jesus. 640 00:29:00,958 --> 00:29:03,917 I pray that for you all the time. 641 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,125 And these are people who had good teaching. 642 00:29:06,167 --> 00:29:09,208 I mean, you think of the pastors who resided in their city 643 00:29:09,292 --> 00:29:14,708 of Ephesus for at least a season: Paul, John, Luke. 644 00:29:14,792 --> 00:29:17,000 That's a pretty good team, right? 645 00:29:17,083 --> 00:29:19,792 All of a sudden, guys show up and they're like, 646 00:29:19,833 --> 00:29:22,500 "Hey, turn to the book in the Bible that I wrote." 647 00:29:22,542 --> 00:29:25,208 You're like, "Wow, this is gonna be a pretty good sermon. 648 00:29:25,292 --> 00:29:27,500 "I think that guy's interpretation is probably 649 00:29:27,542 --> 00:29:29,917 "gonna be accurate, that guy right there. 650 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:32,333 This is the book that he wrote." 651 00:29:32,417 --> 00:29:35,333 So Paul, Timothy, John, and Luke all lived in Ephesus, 652 00:29:35,417 --> 00:29:41,042 they all taught in Ephesus, they wrote some from Ephesus. 653 00:29:41,125 --> 00:29:43,542 And what he says is, "And there's so much more 654 00:29:43,625 --> 00:29:46,042 to learn about Jesus." 655 00:29:46,125 --> 00:29:48,500 There's always something more to learn about Jesus. 656 00:29:48,583 --> 00:29:51,000 I appreciate that you allow me to teach and preach 657 00:29:51,083 --> 00:29:52,833 at Mars Hill. 658 00:29:52,875 --> 00:29:55,750 I'm grateful that I have such great freedom to go through 659 00:29:55,833 --> 00:29:57,167 books of the Bible. 660 00:29:57,208 --> 00:29:59,333 We want you to study the Scriptures for yourself. 661 00:29:59,417 --> 00:30:01,333 That's why we put together Community Group resources. 662 00:30:01,417 --> 00:30:04,042 This is why we want you to be in Community Group, 663 00:30:04,125 --> 00:30:05,833 or Women's Study, or Redemption Group. 664 00:30:05,875 --> 00:30:09,042 We always want you to be learning more about Jesus. 665 00:30:09,125 --> 00:30:12,042 And the second thing he prays for is not only that they 666 00:30:12,125 --> 00:30:14,333 would have more knowledge about Jesus but they'd have 667 00:30:14,375 --> 00:30:16,333 a deeper experience of Jesus. 668 00:30:16,417 --> 00:30:20,250 He says it this way: "What is the immeasurable greatness 669 00:30:20,333 --> 00:30:23,833 of his power toward us who believe." 670 00:30:23,917 --> 00:30:27,833 He's praying that not only would we know more about Jesus, 671 00:30:27,875 --> 00:30:30,667 but we'd experience more of Jesus, 672 00:30:30,750 --> 00:30:34,833 that his power would be something that we experience 673 00:30:34,917 --> 00:30:37,583 in our life. 674 00:30:37,667 --> 00:30:40,875 And this is what the Holy Spirit's ministry is 675 00:30:40,958 --> 00:30:45,292 to us, to take the life of Jesus, to place it in us, 676 00:30:45,333 --> 00:30:49,750 and to give us power to live a new life, increasingly more, 677 00:30:49,833 --> 00:30:53,833 and more, and more, and more like Jesus. 678 00:30:53,917 --> 00:30:56,750 And I would say that there's always something new to learn 679 00:30:56,833 --> 00:30:59,458 about Jesus and there's always something new to experience 680 00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:01,042 regarding Jesus. 681 00:31:01,125 --> 00:31:03,458 And the Holy Spirit has always got things he wants 682 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:05,667 to teach you, he calls it revelation here, 683 00:31:05,708 --> 00:31:09,333 and there's experiences that he wants to send the Holy Spirit 684 00:31:09,417 --> 00:31:13,333 to give you power to learn from and to walk through. 685 00:31:13,375 --> 00:31:17,917 And let me say, for some of you I worry because your thought is 686 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,208 almost that Jesus ascended back into heaven 687 00:31:20,292 --> 00:31:22,750 and now you're on your own. 688 00:31:22,833 --> 00:31:24,667 He said, "I won't leave you as orphans. 689 00:31:24,708 --> 00:31:27,458 "I'll send you the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit's gonna 690 00:31:27,500 --> 00:31:30,333 lead you, and guide you, and convict you, and instruct you." 691 00:31:30,375 --> 00:31:33,250 And that's what Paul is echoing here, the words of Jesus, 692 00:31:33,333 --> 00:31:36,042 saying, "I'm praying that you would learn more about Jesus 693 00:31:36,125 --> 00:31:38,667 "and that you'd experience more of his power through 694 00:31:38,708 --> 00:31:41,833 "the Holy Spirit so that your life would continually change 695 00:31:41,917 --> 00:31:44,250 to be more like his." 696 00:31:44,333 --> 00:31:47,667 Mars Hill, I pray for this all the time for us and for you, 697 00:31:47,708 --> 00:31:50,458 as do the other leaders, that you would always learn 698 00:31:50,500 --> 00:31:53,833 something new about Jesus and you'd experience his power 699 00:31:53,875 --> 00:31:56,667 in a new way in your life. 700 00:31:56,708 --> 00:31:59,667 And I can tell you, having walked with the Lord Jesus now 701 00:31:59,708 --> 00:32:03,708 since I was 19 years of age, there's always something 702 00:32:03,792 --> 00:32:06,417 to learn, and there's always ways to change, 703 00:32:06,500 --> 00:32:10,083 and his power is always available to help us become 704 00:32:10,167 --> 00:32:12,625 who God wants us to be. 705 00:32:12,667 --> 00:32:16,875 I'm very, very, very encouraged, and as I've seen the Holy Spirit 706 00:32:16,958 --> 00:32:21,708 work in people's lives for years, I see them growing, 707 00:32:21,792 --> 00:32:26,917 I see them learning, I see them changing by the power of God. 708 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:30,000 And again, what we should do then is we should give 709 00:32:30,042 --> 00:32:32,333 the glory to God but the appreciation to them. 710 00:32:32,417 --> 00:32:35,542 Say, "God is so good to you, and I'm so grateful that you 711 00:32:35,625 --> 00:32:37,833 "have availed yourself to his instruction, 712 00:32:37,917 --> 00:32:42,167 that you have submitted yourself to the Holy Spirit." 713 00:32:42,208 --> 00:32:46,333 A lot happens when you know how much there is to appreciate in 714 00:32:46,417 --> 00:32:50,042 the Lord Jesus and how much he appreciates you. 715 00:32:50,125 --> 00:32:53,208 I just feel like asking this: how many of you even coming in 716 00:32:53,292 --> 00:32:56,542 here today, you even wondered if God cared or paid attention 717 00:32:56,625 --> 00:32:59,042 to your life? 718 00:32:59,125 --> 00:33:02,833 I just want this to be an encouraging word for you. 719 00:33:02,875 --> 00:33:05,792 You know, if you have been obedient, 720 00:33:05,833 --> 00:33:08,917 if you have been generous, if you have been serving, 721 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,417 if you have been faithful-- and some of you say, 722 00:33:11,500 --> 00:33:12,833 "Oh, I've got sin." 723 00:33:12,875 --> 00:33:16,000 Look, we all do, as did they. 724 00:33:16,042 --> 00:33:20,125 But I want you to hear this as a word from the Lord himself. 725 00:33:20,167 --> 00:33:24,375 You know, "I never cease giving thanks for you." 726 00:33:24,458 --> 00:33:27,083 I want you to just capture that as your own 727 00:33:27,167 --> 00:33:28,917 and take that with you. 728 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,500 God says he never ceases to give thanks for me. 729 00:33:32,583 --> 00:33:35,917 I don't have to grumble, I can pray. 730 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,958 I don't have to compete, I can celebrate. 731 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,542 I don't have to become jealous of what other people are doing, 732 00:33:42,625 --> 00:33:45,458 I can rejoice at God's grace in their life and rejoice 733 00:33:45,500 --> 00:33:48,417 at God's grace in my life. 734 00:33:48,500 --> 00:33:50,542 He goes on to say that appreciated people exchange 735 00:33:50,625 --> 00:33:53,333 bitterness for thankfulness. 736 00:33:53,417 --> 00:33:58,042 Now, if you feel unappreciated, you'll end up becoming bitter. 737 00:33:58,125 --> 00:34:03,333 "I don't have this, they didn't do that, they didn't say that." 738 00:34:03,375 --> 00:34:07,500 Bitterness is, for me, a deep rut in my soul. 739 00:34:07,583 --> 00:34:10,292 I can get bitter quick. 740 00:34:10,333 --> 00:34:13,292 You ever had a car that was out of alignment that just 741 00:34:13,333 --> 00:34:14,667 drifted that direction? 742 00:34:14,750 --> 00:34:16,500 My soul is like that. 743 00:34:16,583 --> 00:34:19,708 I can go to bitterness easy if I feel hurt, 744 00:34:19,792 --> 00:34:25,208 if I feel taken advantage of, if I feel unappreciated. 745 00:34:25,292 --> 00:34:27,417 And what's the answer? 746 00:34:27,500 --> 00:34:30,750 Again, the answer is not, "Well, don't get bitter." 747 00:34:30,833 --> 00:34:35,250 Okay, that's kind of like, "Don't be short." 748 00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:39,333 Like, there's just certain things that seem--you're like, 749 00:34:39,375 --> 00:34:42,833 "Any other advice to maybe help this process?" 750 00:34:42,875 --> 00:34:45,208 And here's what he says. 751 00:34:45,292 --> 00:34:48,458 Ephesians 1:21-23, he talks about Jesus being 752 00:34:48,500 --> 00:34:51,958 "far above all rule and authority and power." 753 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,833 He's over all spirits, angels, demons, everybody, 754 00:34:55,875 --> 00:34:59,167 and everything, "and dominion, and above every name that is 755 00:34:59,208 --> 00:35:02,167 named, not only in this age but the age to come." 756 00:35:02,250 --> 00:35:05,375 We'll be saying the name of Jesus for eternity. 757 00:35:05,458 --> 00:35:08,625 "And he put all things under his feet," so Jesus rules over all, 758 00:35:08,667 --> 00:35:11,833 "and gave him as the head," the supreme and the preeminent, 759 00:35:11,875 --> 00:35:14,917 "over all things to the church, which is his body, 760 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:18,667 the fullness of him who fills all in all." 761 00:35:18,750 --> 00:35:21,208 What happens when you feel unappreciated is 762 00:35:21,292 --> 00:35:22,625 you become bitter. 763 00:35:22,667 --> 00:35:25,375 You think, "You know, how come they're healthy and I'm sick?" 764 00:35:25,458 --> 00:35:27,375 and "How come they're married and I'm single?" 765 00:35:27,458 --> 00:35:29,208 and "How come they got a promotion 766 00:35:29,292 --> 00:35:30,625 and I got a termination?" 767 00:35:30,667 --> 00:35:33,625 or "How come they didn't even do anything and people really love 768 00:35:33,667 --> 00:35:40,042 them, and I do everything I can and nobody even cares?" 769 00:35:40,125 --> 00:35:46,333 And what he says is Jesus has given us himself 770 00:35:46,417 --> 00:35:48,167 as a gift, 771 00:35:48,208 --> 00:35:51,542 and Jesus, right now, he says, is ruling and reigning over 772 00:35:51,625 --> 00:35:54,500 Satan, and demons, and all nations, and all peoples, 773 00:35:54,583 --> 00:35:57,167 and all times, and all places, 774 00:35:57,208 --> 00:36:00,208 and that everything is under his feet. 775 00:36:00,292 --> 00:36:03,333 And the names of people are gonna come and go. 776 00:36:03,375 --> 00:36:05,500 Alright, the people that we're praising today are not 777 00:36:05,542 --> 00:36:08,208 the people that'll be being praised tomorrow, 778 00:36:08,292 --> 00:36:11,125 that everybody's name eventually comes to an end, 779 00:36:11,167 --> 00:36:14,500 but it's the name of Jesus that continues on forever. 780 00:36:14,542 --> 00:36:16,708 Paul says it this way in Phillipians 2, 781 00:36:16,792 --> 00:36:19,500 that "At the name of Jesus, every knee should bow 782 00:36:19,583 --> 00:36:21,792 "and every tongue confess, both on the earth 783 00:36:21,833 --> 00:36:23,375 "and under the earth, 784 00:36:23,458 --> 00:36:26,625 that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." 785 00:36:26,667 --> 00:36:30,167 What he's saying here is when you think it's about your name, 786 00:36:30,250 --> 00:36:35,042 you get bitter, but when you realize it's about Jesus' name, 787 00:36:35,125 --> 00:36:37,542 you get thankful. 788 00:36:37,625 --> 00:36:40,750 And some of you say, "Man, my name has not gotten the honor, 789 00:36:40,833 --> 00:36:42,417 "the recognition, the gratitude, 790 00:36:42,500 --> 00:36:43,833 the appreciation that it should," 791 00:36:43,875 --> 00:36:47,500 and Paul is saying, "Well, we live for the name of Jesus." 792 00:36:47,583 --> 00:36:49,917 We live for the name of Jesus. 793 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,250 And Paul here is thankful for two things: 794 00:36:52,333 --> 00:36:55,333 he's thankful for Jesus and the church. 795 00:36:55,375 --> 00:36:57,333 Those are the two things that he mentions. 796 00:36:57,417 --> 00:36:59,833 He says, "Here's Jesus, ruling and reigning right now, 797 00:36:59,917 --> 00:37:03,125 "and he's in glory, and he's enthroned, and he's in charge, 798 00:37:03,167 --> 00:37:05,833 "and he loves us, and he appreciates us, 799 00:37:05,875 --> 00:37:08,833 "and he sees everything we say, and everything we do, 800 00:37:08,875 --> 00:37:12,500 "and every dollar we give, and every effort we make, 801 00:37:12,583 --> 00:37:14,500 "and he looks at us and he says, 802 00:37:14,583 --> 00:37:18,500 "'I thank God for you all the time continually 803 00:37:18,583 --> 00:37:20,333 in my prayers.'" 804 00:37:20,375 --> 00:37:22,500 Wow, thank you Lord Jesus. 805 00:37:22,583 --> 00:37:27,500 That's enough to keep me going for the rest of this life. 806 00:37:27,583 --> 00:37:30,458 And he talks about, then, the church. 807 00:37:30,500 --> 00:37:33,542 And I want you to hear this, Mars Hill. 808 00:37:33,625 --> 00:37:39,250 He talks about the church, as head over the church. 809 00:37:39,333 --> 00:37:42,750 If you and I would be concerned primarily about the name 810 00:37:42,833 --> 00:37:44,958 of Jesus and the well-being of the church, 811 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:49,333 it would safeguard our hearts from bitterness. 812 00:37:49,417 --> 00:37:55,167 Are people honoring Jesus and how is our church? 813 00:37:55,208 --> 00:37:58,167 It takes our eyes off of me. 814 00:37:58,208 --> 00:38:01,208 "What do they say about me? How much do they appreciate me? 815 00:38:01,292 --> 00:38:03,208 "Do they thank me? Do they acknowledge me? 816 00:38:03,292 --> 00:38:04,625 "Do they honor me? 817 00:38:04,667 --> 00:38:06,625 Do they compensate me? Do they reward me?" 818 00:38:06,667 --> 00:38:08,000 Nope. 819 00:38:08,083 --> 00:38:11,208 "How can I magnify the name of Jesus, and while I'm at it, 820 00:38:11,292 --> 00:38:12,625 "how's our church? 821 00:38:12,667 --> 00:38:14,125 How's the church doing?" 822 00:38:14,167 --> 00:38:17,792 Now, what's amazing is, can you imagine how this letter 823 00:38:17,833 --> 00:38:23,417 would be different if Paul was bitter? 824 00:38:23,500 --> 00:38:26,417 Right? 825 00:38:26,500 --> 00:38:32,167 Is Paul's name, at this point, is it a glorious name 826 00:38:32,208 --> 00:38:35,042 or is it a shameful name? 827 00:38:35,125 --> 00:38:39,833 Well, in the world, he's a man who's got a shameful name. 828 00:38:39,917 --> 00:38:42,167 He's opposed by the government, 829 00:38:42,208 --> 00:38:44,917 he's hated by many, religious people 830 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,958 want to kill him as they did the Lord Jesus, 831 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,625 and he's in jail. 832 00:38:49,667 --> 00:38:52,667 I mean, do you know what--my name isn't great to start with, 833 00:38:52,708 --> 00:38:58,208 but imagine if I was in jail, what people would say. 834 00:39:00,792 --> 00:39:03,125 Paul's gone from freedom to imprisonment. 835 00:39:03,167 --> 00:39:07,000 He has gone from a position in the culture where he had dual 836 00:39:07,083 --> 00:39:10,375 citizenship, and he was able to speak multiple languages, 837 00:39:10,458 --> 00:39:13,375 and highly educated under the leading rabbi, Gamaliel, 838 00:39:13,458 --> 00:39:16,167 he was highly honored, possibly a member of the Sanhedrin. 839 00:39:16,250 --> 00:39:19,583 I mean, this is a very successful man. 840 00:39:19,667 --> 00:39:25,583 Now he's broke, single, hated, and in prison. 841 00:39:25,667 --> 00:39:28,083 How many of you are shocked his heart didn't go 842 00:39:28,167 --> 00:39:30,417 toward bitterness? 843 00:39:30,500 --> 00:39:36,167 It didn't, and here's why: because it was just another 844 00:39:36,208 --> 00:39:41,042 opportunity to make much of Jesus and help the church. 845 00:39:41,125 --> 00:39:43,333 So he didn't even look at his circumstances 846 00:39:43,417 --> 00:39:45,208 in a negative light. 847 00:39:45,292 --> 00:39:47,667 He looked at them as an opportunity to make much 848 00:39:47,708 --> 00:39:52,333 of Jesus and to help the well-being of his church. 849 00:39:52,417 --> 00:39:56,333 We really want you to love Jesus and love the church, 850 00:39:56,417 --> 00:40:01,833 and it's not just so that we can use you to grow a bigger church. 851 00:40:01,875 --> 00:40:04,667 It's in part so that we can guard your heart against 852 00:40:04,708 --> 00:40:08,167 bitterness, that you would give your life to what Jesus gave 853 00:40:08,208 --> 00:40:11,625 his life to, the well-being of his people, 854 00:40:11,667 --> 00:40:14,833 and that you'd stop thinking it's all about your name 855 00:40:14,875 --> 00:40:19,167 and your fame and it would be about his name and his fame. 856 00:40:19,208 --> 00:40:22,625 And what that is is that's not God just taking from you 857 00:40:22,667 --> 00:40:27,250 a treasured possession, it's giving to you a brand-new life, 858 00:40:27,333 --> 00:40:31,542 a better life, one that's free of bitterness. 859 00:40:31,625 --> 00:40:34,000 He says, "You know what, I appreciate Jesus, 860 00:40:34,042 --> 00:40:36,667 "he appreciates me, I love our church, 861 00:40:36,750 --> 00:40:39,292 "I want everybody to know about him, 862 00:40:39,333 --> 00:40:43,542 and I want to make sure that our church family's okay." 863 00:40:43,625 --> 00:40:45,583 And it frees you from this bitterness trap. 864 00:40:45,667 --> 00:40:48,583 And I know that for those of you who are like me 865 00:40:48,667 --> 00:40:51,292 and that's just sort of the default of your soul, 866 00:40:51,333 --> 00:40:55,167 bitterness is a horrible place to live. 867 00:40:55,208 --> 00:40:58,667 It just clouds and darkens all of life, 868 00:40:58,750 --> 00:41:01,458 and it causes you to mistrust or distrust people, 869 00:41:01,500 --> 00:41:04,500 and it gets you into a position where you're not really loving 870 00:41:04,583 --> 00:41:11,000 people, you're using them to make your name greater. 871 00:41:11,083 --> 00:41:15,667 Appreciated people exchange bitterness for thankfulness. 872 00:41:15,708 --> 00:41:19,500 The last two I want to share with you are not explicitly from 873 00:41:19,583 --> 00:41:23,625 the text, but I believe they are illustrated in the life of Paul. 874 00:41:23,667 --> 00:41:28,208 And as much as his words, I'm really amazed at his actions. 875 00:41:28,292 --> 00:41:31,333 And let me say this, that one of the keys to Christian leadership 876 00:41:31,417 --> 00:41:33,625 is prayer. 877 00:41:33,667 --> 00:41:36,833 About half of the letter to the Ephesians is prayer. 878 00:41:36,917 --> 00:41:40,042 It's prayer requests, prayer reports, and full prayers, 879 00:41:40,125 --> 00:41:42,458 so this is actually a prayer. 880 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:45,333 And there are other occasions where you'll find a prayer 881 00:41:45,417 --> 00:41:47,625 in Ephesians, and we'll get to them later, 882 00:41:47,667 --> 00:41:50,417 but I want you to see that Paul's teaching was intersected 883 00:41:50,500 --> 00:41:51,833 with prayer. 884 00:41:51,917 --> 00:41:54,458 I want you see that Paul's serving was intersected with 885 00:41:54,500 --> 00:41:56,667 prayer, that Paul's suffering was intersected with prayer, 886 00:41:56,708 --> 00:41:59,542 that all of his communication was intersected with prayer. 887 00:41:59,625 --> 00:42:02,792 And sometimes what can happen is when we come to the prayers of 888 00:42:02,833 --> 00:42:05,333 the Bible, we just treat it like a systematic theology. 889 00:42:05,375 --> 00:42:06,875 It's not. 890 00:42:06,958 --> 00:42:10,292 It's a guy, on his knees, with a broken body, in a jail cell, 891 00:42:10,333 --> 00:42:13,167 opening his heart, and by the power of the Holy Spirit 892 00:42:13,250 --> 00:42:17,208 talking to the Lord, and we get to eavesdrop in on it. 893 00:42:17,292 --> 00:42:23,208 We get to hear--we get to hear this relationship between Paul 894 00:42:23,292 --> 00:42:26,500 and the resurrected, ascended Jesus. 895 00:42:26,583 --> 00:42:31,042 And one of the keys, then, to Christian leadership is prayer, 896 00:42:31,125 --> 00:42:33,333 and soaking everything in prayer, 897 00:42:33,375 --> 00:42:37,000 and intersecting everything with prayer. 898 00:42:37,083 --> 00:42:39,542 And so what this means, practically, for you, 899 00:42:39,625 --> 00:42:43,042 that part of your ministry is praying. 900 00:42:43,125 --> 00:42:45,333 You don't know how to reach your unbelieving friends, 901 00:42:45,417 --> 00:42:47,708 and maybe they're resistant or hostile to the gospel, 902 00:42:47,792 --> 00:42:49,833 ask them how you can be praying for them. 903 00:42:49,917 --> 00:42:51,333 I've seen lots of people say, 904 00:42:51,417 --> 00:42:53,042 "Don't hammer me with the gospel." 905 00:42:53,125 --> 00:42:54,542 "Anything I can pray about?" 906 00:42:54,625 --> 00:42:56,000 "Actually, yes." 907 00:42:56,083 --> 00:42:58,000 I've seen atheists give me prayer requests, like, 908 00:42:58,083 --> 00:43:00,583 "I don't believe in God, but if there is one, 909 00:43:00,667 --> 00:43:02,292 tell him this is what I'd like." 910 00:43:02,333 --> 00:43:03,667 "Glad to do it." "Okay." 911 00:43:03,750 --> 00:43:05,667 Let's at least get the conversation going, alright? 912 00:43:05,750 --> 00:43:07,667 Let's at least get it opened up here. 913 00:43:07,750 --> 00:43:09,625 How many of you have people, circumstances, 914 00:43:09,667 --> 00:43:12,625 you don't know what to say, you don't know what to do, 915 00:43:12,667 --> 00:43:14,000 you can't fix it? 916 00:43:14,083 --> 00:43:15,667 You know what you do? Pray. 917 00:43:15,750 --> 00:43:18,417 Paul doesn't know if he's going to get out of prison, 918 00:43:18,500 --> 00:43:21,417 he doesn't know if he's going to come back to the church, 919 00:43:21,500 --> 00:43:23,208 he doesn't know what's going to happen. 920 00:43:23,292 --> 00:43:26,583 He doesn't know, but he could pray for them. 921 00:43:26,667 --> 00:43:29,292 Let me say this: the shortest distance between two people 922 00:43:29,333 --> 00:43:31,750 is prayer. 923 00:43:31,833 --> 00:43:33,750 You want to make a stranger a friend? 924 00:43:33,833 --> 00:43:35,167 Pray. 925 00:43:35,208 --> 00:43:37,167 You want to make an enemy a friend? 926 00:43:37,208 --> 00:43:38,542 Pray. 927 00:43:38,625 --> 00:43:40,417 Sometimes prayer moves the hand of God, 928 00:43:40,500 --> 00:43:43,167 but usually it changes us and it brings us into alignment 929 00:43:43,208 --> 00:43:44,833 with God's will. 930 00:43:44,875 --> 00:43:47,833 See, a lot of times, we'll come to the Lord, we're like, 931 00:43:47,875 --> 00:43:50,542 "Lord, I'm going to pray and I want you to move." 932 00:43:50,625 --> 00:43:53,042 The Lord's like, "Well, I told you to pray because 933 00:43:53,125 --> 00:43:54,750 "I'm trying to get you to move. 934 00:43:54,833 --> 00:43:56,208 "It's interesting here. 935 00:43:56,292 --> 00:43:59,000 "I want you to move your thoughts, and your actions, 936 00:43:59,083 --> 00:44:02,792 and your feelings into alignment with mine." 937 00:44:02,833 --> 00:44:06,125 Prayer is oftentimes us lining up with God's will 938 00:44:06,167 --> 00:44:08,000 and God's heart. 939 00:44:08,083 --> 00:44:09,875 That's what's happening here, 940 00:44:09,958 --> 00:44:13,917 and Paul let's us eavesdrop in on that. 941 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:17,625 Some of you may not be great teachers, but you can pray. 942 00:44:17,667 --> 00:44:20,208 You may not be bold leaders, but you can pray. 943 00:44:20,292 --> 00:44:22,792 One of the most influential people in my whole life 944 00:44:22,833 --> 00:44:24,167 was a mom. 945 00:44:24,250 --> 00:44:27,167 I'll never forget, it was a little league tournament, 946 00:44:27,250 --> 00:44:29,417 I got hurt playing ball, 947 00:44:29,500 --> 00:44:31,750 and a Christian mother came over to the dugout 948 00:44:31,833 --> 00:44:33,458 and just said, "Mark, are you okay?" 949 00:44:33,500 --> 00:44:36,667 I said, "No, I got hurt." She said, "Can I pray for you?" 950 00:44:36,750 --> 00:44:40,125 And she prayed for me, and all of a sudden it revealed like, 951 00:44:40,167 --> 00:44:43,417 "Oh, maybe there is a God, and maybe he's kind, 952 00:44:43,500 --> 00:44:46,500 "and maybe he loves us, and maybe he listens to us, 953 00:44:46,583 --> 00:44:48,625 and maybe he would help us." 954 00:44:48,667 --> 00:44:51,625 And it piqued my curiosity about this God. 955 00:44:51,667 --> 00:44:53,500 I didn't get saved until years later, 956 00:44:53,583 --> 00:44:57,500 but it piqued my curiosity about this God that she seemed to know 957 00:44:57,542 --> 00:44:59,208 that I apparently didn't know, 958 00:44:59,292 --> 00:45:02,250 even though I was a religious boy. 959 00:45:02,333 --> 00:45:05,375 Mars Hill, feel free to pray for people. 960 00:45:05,458 --> 00:45:07,833 And don't just say things like, "I'll pray for you." 961 00:45:07,917 --> 00:45:09,792 Pray. 962 00:45:09,833 --> 00:45:11,458 Pray for them. 963 00:45:11,500 --> 00:45:14,167 Put a hand on them, pray for them, call them up, 964 00:45:14,250 --> 00:45:17,167 send them an e-mail, send them a text, drive to their house, 965 00:45:17,250 --> 00:45:18,667 when they're at Community Group say, 966 00:45:18,750 --> 00:45:21,500 "Okay, we're going to take a second, we're going to pray." 967 00:45:21,583 --> 00:45:22,917 Paul does that here. 968 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:25,208 And some of you would say, "You know what? 969 00:45:25,292 --> 00:45:28,000 We have a lot to do and a lot to study." 970 00:45:28,042 --> 00:45:31,000 Look, nobody has more to do or more to teach than Paul, 971 00:45:31,042 --> 00:45:33,000 and he's the one who prays a lot. 972 00:45:33,042 --> 00:45:35,917 Again, half of the book of Ephesians is prayer. 973 00:45:36,000 --> 00:45:37,417 It's prayer. 974 00:45:37,500 --> 00:45:40,625 And let me say this: I think when you know--first of all, 975 00:45:40,667 --> 00:45:43,333 when you appreciate Jesus and you know that he appreciates 976 00:45:43,375 --> 00:45:46,792 you, it becomes very easy to talk to him about everything. 977 00:45:46,833 --> 00:45:48,583 Is that not true? 978 00:45:48,667 --> 00:45:51,000 Is there anyone you have a relationship with that you 979 00:45:51,042 --> 00:45:53,500 really appreciate them, and they really appreciate you, 980 00:45:53,542 --> 00:45:56,292 and they really encourage you, do you find that you tend 981 00:45:56,333 --> 00:45:58,292 to talk to those people a lot? 982 00:45:58,333 --> 00:46:00,500 I'll tell you who I talk to a lot: 983 00:46:00,542 --> 00:46:02,792 anybody with a gift of encouragement. 984 00:46:02,833 --> 00:46:04,833 The prophets, I try to avoid them. 985 00:46:04,917 --> 00:46:08,250 The gift of encouragement, those are nice people to talk to. 986 00:46:08,333 --> 00:46:11,667 Here we see that if you know that you're appreciated by God, 987 00:46:11,750 --> 00:46:14,208 that he loves you, and he's thankful for you, 988 00:46:14,292 --> 00:46:17,125 and he encourages you, it opens your heart to talk to him 989 00:46:17,167 --> 00:46:21,417 all the time because he loves you. 990 00:46:21,500 --> 00:46:23,375 And the last two are observations 991 00:46:23,458 --> 00:46:26,125 from the life of Paul. 992 00:46:26,167 --> 00:46:29,417 Appreciated people exchange performing for serving. 993 00:46:29,500 --> 00:46:32,500 Two people can go do something, and one is doing it with 994 00:46:32,583 --> 00:46:35,208 an attitude of performing, and the other is doing it 995 00:46:35,292 --> 00:46:37,125 for the attitude of serving, 996 00:46:37,167 --> 00:46:40,583 and the motives are entirely different. 997 00:46:40,667 --> 00:46:45,917 What we see here is Paul is not--he's not performing. 998 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:49,000 He doesn't talk about, "Oh, and enjoy this book of the Bible 999 00:46:49,042 --> 00:46:51,000 "that I've written for you. 1000 00:46:51,042 --> 00:46:53,625 "And by the way, I am in prison for the Lord. 1001 00:46:53,667 --> 00:46:55,833 "That makes me varsity. 1002 00:46:55,875 --> 00:47:00,833 "And all of you who got saved, you're welcome. 1003 00:47:00,917 --> 00:47:03,000 "Please come visit, it is lonely. 1004 00:47:03,042 --> 00:47:04,875 "Bring a sandwich. 1005 00:47:04,958 --> 00:47:07,083 "Make it a ham sandwich, now the New Covenant. 1006 00:47:07,167 --> 00:47:09,458 Please visit me with a ham sandwich." 1007 00:47:09,500 --> 00:47:12,792 You know, he's not performing. 1008 00:47:12,833 --> 00:47:16,125 He's not telling us all the things that he's done. 1009 00:47:16,167 --> 00:47:18,375 People who don't know that they're appreciated, 1010 00:47:18,458 --> 00:47:20,500 they have to brag about what they've done, 1011 00:47:20,583 --> 00:47:22,208 they have to exaggerate what they've done. 1012 00:47:22,292 --> 00:47:24,417 They need to tell everybody what they have done. 1013 00:47:24,500 --> 00:47:26,625 You say, "Pastor Mark, how do you know that?" 1014 00:47:26,667 --> 00:47:28,292 Because that's what I've done, alright? 1015 00:47:28,333 --> 00:47:29,667 This is my sin. 1016 00:47:29,750 --> 00:47:31,500 And I read Paul, and I'm like, 1017 00:47:31,583 --> 00:47:34,292 "Man, if I did some of the stuff Paul did, 1018 00:47:34,333 --> 00:47:37,500 I'd definitely put that on my wall." 1019 00:47:37,583 --> 00:47:39,125 You know? 1020 00:47:39,167 --> 00:47:42,708 Like, "Dear Universe, today I converted a city." 1021 00:47:42,792 --> 00:47:44,208 You know? 1022 00:47:44,292 --> 00:47:46,625 Like, I mean, "And here's the photos of the riot. 1023 00:47:46,667 --> 00:47:48,333 You're welcome." You know? 1024 00:47:48,375 --> 00:47:50,917 I mean--but he doesn't do that. 1025 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:54,500 He's not performing, he's serving. 1026 00:47:54,542 --> 00:47:58,000 Two people can be very ambitious and very fruitful, 1027 00:47:58,083 --> 00:48:02,167 and their attitudes can be very different. 1028 00:48:02,208 --> 00:48:05,292 Say it this way: knowing God appreciates us allows us 1029 00:48:05,333 --> 00:48:08,000 to exchange our performance for service. 1030 00:48:08,042 --> 00:48:10,250 Here's the difference: performance is done for 1031 00:48:10,333 --> 00:48:12,500 the sight and approval of others; 1032 00:48:12,542 --> 00:48:15,000 service is done knowing that God is watching and approving, 1033 00:48:15,083 --> 00:48:17,625 whether or not anyone else is. 1034 00:48:17,667 --> 00:48:21,500 Performance causes us to be enslaved to others' opinions, 1035 00:48:21,542 --> 00:48:24,333 unable to say no, and prone to being overworked; 1036 00:48:24,375 --> 00:48:27,500 service frees us to do what God wants, 1037 00:48:27,583 --> 00:48:30,167 thereby saying no is needed. 1038 00:48:30,250 --> 00:48:33,333 Performance presses us towards perfectionism, 1039 00:48:33,375 --> 00:48:36,208 where we seek to do everything just right so that others will 1040 00:48:36,292 --> 00:48:39,500 praise us; service allows us to do our best knowing that God's 1041 00:48:39,542 --> 00:48:44,000 appreciation of us is secure, regardless of our performance. 1042 00:48:44,042 --> 00:48:46,875 Performance causes us to focus on the, quote unquote, 1043 00:48:46,958 --> 00:48:50,333 "big things" and only do what is highly visible or significant; 1044 00:48:50,375 --> 00:48:53,708 service allows us to do simple, humble, menial tasks, 1045 00:48:53,792 --> 00:48:55,833 the quote unquote "little things," 1046 00:48:55,875 --> 00:48:58,500 knowing that the peasant Jewish carpenter we worship 1047 00:48:58,583 --> 00:49:03,083 equally appreciates them both. 1048 00:49:03,167 --> 00:49:07,375 See, performing is where people are an audience and you want 1049 00:49:07,458 --> 00:49:13,583 their praise; serving is where God is the audience. 1050 00:49:13,667 --> 00:49:16,625 It doesn't matter if people see it, 1051 00:49:16,667 --> 00:49:19,833 it doesn't matter if people know. 1052 00:49:19,875 --> 00:49:23,500 Some of you moms really struggle with this, don't you? 1053 00:49:23,583 --> 00:49:26,583 "I had my career, now I became a mom, 1054 00:49:26,667 --> 00:49:29,333 "and now so much of what I'm doing is very simple, 1055 00:49:29,375 --> 00:49:33,167 "and no one's watching, and we don't get awards for this. 1056 00:49:33,250 --> 00:49:37,292 "I got up at 2:30 with the screaming kid again 1057 00:49:37,333 --> 00:49:41,375 "and no one was there with a trophy, you know, and a hat, 1058 00:49:41,458 --> 00:49:45,833 and a congratulations." 1059 00:49:45,875 --> 00:49:48,625 Jesus is. 1060 00:49:48,667 --> 00:49:51,625 He appreciates it. 1061 00:49:51,667 --> 00:49:54,667 And if it's performing, it's not enough because 1062 00:49:54,750 --> 00:49:58,000 the audience isn't big enough. 1063 00:49:58,042 --> 00:50:03,208 If it's serving, it's enough because the audience is one. 1064 00:50:03,292 --> 00:50:05,167 You see the difference? 1065 00:50:05,250 --> 00:50:07,417 It changes things. 1066 00:50:07,500 --> 00:50:11,375 What it means is, friends, we could stop using people for 1067 00:50:11,458 --> 00:50:15,208 our praise and we could start loving people 1068 00:50:15,292 --> 00:50:19,542 for his praise. 1069 00:50:19,625 --> 00:50:23,125 I'm just personally, deeply convicted by 1070 00:50:23,167 --> 00:50:27,042 Paul's own life example, 1071 00:50:27,125 --> 00:50:32,708 that he is--he's just serving, he's always serving. 1072 00:50:32,792 --> 00:50:36,208 He's in prison, serving his church. 1073 00:50:36,292 --> 00:50:38,542 How many of you, if you went to prison, 1074 00:50:38,625 --> 00:50:40,750 you’d feel like you should get a day off? 1075 00:50:40,833 --> 00:50:43,750 Like, "You know what, I used to really pray for the church, 1076 00:50:43,833 --> 00:50:45,458 but I'm in prison now." 1077 00:50:45,500 --> 00:50:47,042 Not Paul. 1078 00:50:47,125 --> 00:50:53,417 Paul says it elsewhere, I think it's to the Corinthians--he says 1079 00:50:53,500 --> 00:50:56,708 his resume is this, you know, beaten, shipwrecked, homeless, 1080 00:50:56,792 --> 00:51:00,333 left for dead, adrift on the open sea, 39 lashes, 1081 00:51:00,375 --> 00:51:03,167 left for dead. 1082 00:51:03,250 --> 00:51:07,000 Then he has this little line, and only if you love the church 1083 00:51:07,083 --> 00:51:09,417 does it really make any sense. 1084 00:51:09,500 --> 00:51:11,417 And he says, "In addition to that, 1085 00:51:11,500 --> 00:51:15,375 my constant concern for all the churches." 1086 00:51:15,458 --> 00:51:18,208 He loved the church, and he was worried about the church, 1087 00:51:18,292 --> 00:51:21,000 and he was concerned about the church, and he says, 1088 00:51:21,042 --> 00:51:22,708 "Here's the hardest stuff in my life, 1089 00:51:22,792 --> 00:51:25,417 "but what keeps me awake at night is the well-being 1090 00:51:25,500 --> 00:51:27,375 of our church." 1091 00:51:27,458 --> 00:51:29,917 And that's what you see here. 1092 00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:31,708 He's serving. 1093 00:51:31,792 --> 00:51:33,333 He's serving. 1094 00:51:33,375 --> 00:51:34,708 He's not performing. 1095 00:51:34,792 --> 00:51:37,500 There's no audience, he's in jail. 1096 00:51:37,542 --> 00:51:40,917 This isn't a stadium, this is a jail cell. 1097 00:51:41,000 --> 00:51:42,583 How about you? 1098 00:51:42,667 --> 00:51:45,125 Would you say that your life is marked primarily by 1099 00:51:45,167 --> 00:51:47,667 performing or serving? 1100 00:51:47,750 --> 00:51:50,500 Jesus says that he is a servant; 1101 00:51:50,583 --> 00:51:54,583 he's come not to be served but to serve. 1102 00:51:54,667 --> 00:51:57,583 That's different than performing. 1103 00:51:57,667 --> 00:52:00,292 Paul opens most of his New Testament letters 1104 00:52:00,333 --> 00:52:02,292 by saying, "Paul." 1105 00:52:02,333 --> 00:52:04,958 Here he called it an apostle, but elsewhere he calls himself 1106 00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:09,500 a servant of Jesus Christ. 1107 00:52:09,542 --> 00:52:12,750 You can see two people doing the same thing, 1108 00:52:12,833 --> 00:52:15,333 and God sees the heart and sees that there are 1109 00:52:15,375 --> 00:52:20,000 very different motives between serving and performing. 1110 00:52:20,083 --> 00:52:22,792 Lastly, the Apostle Paul demonstrates for us that 1111 00:52:22,833 --> 00:52:26,708 appreciated people exchange boasting for encouraging. 1112 00:52:26,792 --> 00:52:29,417 What happens when we feel unappreciated-- 1113 00:52:29,500 --> 00:52:31,333 how about this, we. 1114 00:52:31,375 --> 00:52:35,583 How about I say "me", okay? 1115 00:52:35,667 --> 00:52:38,000 I wrote down three things that I have done 1116 00:52:38,083 --> 00:52:39,625 when I feel unappreciated. 1117 00:52:39,667 --> 00:52:42,667 Number one, I obsess about making known 1118 00:52:42,750 --> 00:52:44,333 everything that I do. 1119 00:52:44,375 --> 00:52:47,083 I like to just, "Okay, I did this, I did this, 1120 00:52:47,167 --> 00:52:48,583 I did this, I did this." 1121 00:52:48,667 --> 00:52:51,583 I need to collect it all, I need to keep a list, 1122 00:52:51,667 --> 00:52:53,583 I need to make sure I got it. 1123 00:52:53,667 --> 00:52:56,583 "This is all the stuff." And then I need to tell people. 1124 00:52:56,667 --> 00:52:58,000 "How are you doing?" 1125 00:52:58,042 --> 00:52:59,375 "I'm exhausted. 1126 00:52:59,458 --> 00:53:01,958 Do you know how much I got done this week?" 1127 00:53:02,000 --> 00:53:03,333 "How was your week?" 1128 00:53:03,417 --> 00:53:04,750 "It was very full. 1129 00:53:04,833 --> 00:53:06,250 I'm very busy, I'm very important. 1130 00:53:06,333 --> 00:53:07,750 Here's all the things I did." 1131 00:53:07,833 --> 00:53:09,750 So, obsess about making sure that everybody knows 1132 00:53:09,833 --> 00:53:11,167 everything that I did. 1133 00:53:11,208 --> 00:53:12,875 Number two, exaggerate. 1134 00:53:12,958 --> 00:53:15,417 Have you ever done things, and people didn't praise you, 1135 00:53:15,500 --> 00:53:17,625 so you told them you did a little more, 1136 00:53:17,667 --> 00:53:20,125 hoping that they would then kick in with the praise? 1137 00:53:20,167 --> 00:53:22,125 Just me? Okay. 1138 00:53:22,167 --> 00:53:25,708 Well, you're like, "Yeah, I led four people to Christ. 1139 00:53:25,792 --> 00:53:28,333 Actually, it was six, or ten." 1140 00:53:28,375 --> 00:53:31,417 Like, we're gonna keep up until you say, "That's amazing." 1141 00:53:31,500 --> 00:53:33,375 "There we go, okay, whatever. 1142 00:53:33,458 --> 00:53:36,625 I didn't lead anyone to Christ, and I lied, but you're welcome." 1143 00:53:36,667 --> 00:53:38,625 You know? 1144 00:53:38,667 --> 00:53:40,792 And what happens is all of a sudden, 1145 00:53:40,833 --> 00:53:42,917 we start exaggerating. 1146 00:53:43,000 --> 00:53:48,000 Exaggerating is what people do when they feel unappreciated. 1147 00:53:48,083 --> 00:53:50,625 And number three, lie. 1148 00:53:50,667 --> 00:53:53,333 You just lie. 1149 00:53:53,375 --> 00:53:56,500 You lie about things that you've done to get praise 1150 00:53:56,542 --> 00:53:58,917 that you don't deserve. 1151 00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:01,292 You didn't really do that. 1152 00:54:01,333 --> 00:54:07,375 How many of you at work--let's flip it. 1153 00:54:07,458 --> 00:54:09,833 You did something, somebody else took credit for it 1154 00:54:09,917 --> 00:54:12,000 so that they could get praise for it. 1155 00:54:12,042 --> 00:54:14,333 That's a form of lying. 1156 00:54:14,375 --> 00:54:16,708 Okay, now that you're emotionally with me. 1157 00:54:16,792 --> 00:54:18,417 You're like, "Yeah, those are terrible people." 1158 00:54:18,500 --> 00:54:21,875 How many of you are the terrible person who has taken credit for 1159 00:54:21,958 --> 00:54:24,625 what someone else has done so that you could get praised? 1160 00:54:24,667 --> 00:54:27,625 Oh yeah. 1161 00:54:27,667 --> 00:54:31,417 What I really appreciate about the example of the Apostle Paul, 1162 00:54:31,500 --> 00:54:36,708 again, he's not boasting, he's encouraging. 1163 00:54:36,792 --> 00:54:39,917 He's not talking about all the things that he's done, 1164 00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:44,208 he talks about all the things that they've done. 1165 00:54:44,292 --> 00:54:46,917 He doesn't start off with, "I'm your Pastor Paul, 1166 00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:50,000 "and I've had a very hard week, and here's all the things 1167 00:54:50,083 --> 00:54:51,833 I've done for the Lord." 1168 00:54:51,875 --> 00:54:57,667 He says, "I praise God for you continually in my prayers. 1169 00:54:57,750 --> 00:55:01,292 "I love you, I'm thinking about you, I'm praying for you. 1170 00:55:01,333 --> 00:55:07,167 I'm really proud of you." 1171 00:55:07,250 --> 00:55:10,458 And the result is that Paul has a ministry of encouragement 1172 00:55:10,500 --> 00:55:15,208 that has now lasted more than 2,000 years. 1173 00:55:15,292 --> 00:55:18,417 That's how powerful that gift of encouragement is. 1174 00:55:18,500 --> 00:55:21,875 That's how powerful that act of appreciation is. 1175 00:55:21,958 --> 00:55:26,458 It can actually extend itself for a few thousand years. 1176 00:55:30,458 --> 00:55:35,083 I want you to be very encouraged, 1177 00:55:35,167 --> 00:55:39,500 I want you to appreciate who Jesus is and what he's done, 1178 00:55:39,583 --> 00:55:43,875 and I want you to know that the Lord Jesus appreciates you. 1179 00:55:43,958 --> 00:55:47,625 If you have served, Jesus says thank you. 1180 00:55:47,667 --> 00:55:50,875 If you have given, Jesus says thank you. 1181 00:55:50,958 --> 00:55:54,708 If you have prayed, Jesus says thank you. 1182 00:55:54,792 --> 00:56:00,375 If you are growing, Jesus says thank you. 1183 00:56:00,458 --> 00:56:03,833 And he wants to free you from the performance trap 1184 00:56:03,917 --> 00:56:07,458 and let you enjoy the serving like he did. 1185 00:56:07,500 --> 00:56:10,333 No one got more done than Jesus, but it was not performance, 1186 00:56:10,417 --> 00:56:12,833 it was service. 1187 00:56:12,917 --> 00:56:15,833 I want to close with this: I want to tell you that 1188 00:56:15,875 --> 00:56:18,917 when we criticize one another, we make withdrawals; 1189 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:23,500 when we appreciate one another, we make deposits. 1190 00:56:23,542 --> 00:56:26,333 With your friends, with your roommate, with your spouse, 1191 00:56:26,375 --> 00:56:29,000 with your Community Group, with your leaders in church, 1192 00:56:29,083 --> 00:56:33,208 with your coworkers on the job, would you covenant with me 1193 00:56:33,292 --> 00:56:36,333 to follow in the example of Paul and make lots of deposits 1194 00:56:36,375 --> 00:56:38,917 through appreciation? 1195 00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:40,667 Say, "Thank you. Thank you. 1196 00:56:40,750 --> 00:56:43,125 I really appreciate that." 1197 00:56:43,167 --> 00:56:45,708 And then, as we need to correct or criticize, 1198 00:56:45,792 --> 00:56:48,917 we realize we're making withdrawals, but let us seek, 1199 00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:51,083 by the grace of God, like the Apostle Paul, 1200 00:56:51,167 --> 00:56:55,917 to be people who have far more deposits than we do withdrawals. 1201 00:56:56,000 --> 00:57:01,667 Secondly, who do you need to thank? 1202 00:57:01,708 --> 00:57:03,167 Who do you need to thank? 1203 00:57:03,208 --> 00:57:05,583 When Paul wrote this letter, these were not to people 1204 00:57:05,667 --> 00:57:07,083 that he didn't know. 1205 00:57:07,167 --> 00:57:10,042 Unlike some cities where he was only out for hours, or days, 1206 00:57:10,125 --> 00:57:12,792 or weeks, he was in the city of Ephesus ministering 1207 00:57:12,833 --> 00:57:14,625 for a couple of years. 1208 00:57:14,667 --> 00:57:16,625 He was there for a long time. 1209 00:57:16,667 --> 00:57:19,292 This church loved him so much that you can read his 1210 00:57:19,333 --> 00:57:22,500 farewell address in Acts 20, and as he's getting on a boat 1211 00:57:22,583 --> 00:57:24,208 and God's calling him away, 1212 00:57:24,292 --> 00:57:26,417 it basically says that the church kind of had 1213 00:57:26,500 --> 00:57:28,125 an emotional nervous breakdown. 1214 00:57:28,167 --> 00:57:30,333 Like, everybody is weeping, and bawling, 1215 00:57:30,375 --> 00:57:34,333 and sobbing because Paul is leaving. 1216 00:57:34,375 --> 00:57:37,375 It probably took him hours to just get through 1217 00:57:37,458 --> 00:57:40,917 the crying hug line. 1218 00:57:41,000 --> 00:57:44,333 Why did they love him so much? 1219 00:57:44,375 --> 00:57:47,583 Because he taught them the Word of God 1220 00:57:47,667 --> 00:57:50,708 and he appreciated everything they gave and did. 1221 00:57:50,792 --> 00:57:53,417 Let me say, I don't think I've been strong at that, 1222 00:57:53,500 --> 00:57:55,125 and I ask your forgiveness. 1223 00:57:55,167 --> 00:57:58,417 I deeply, genuinely, sincerely appreciate the faithful people 1224 00:57:58,500 --> 00:58:01,333 in this church, those who've prayed, and given, and served, 1225 00:58:01,417 --> 00:58:04,500 and continue to do so. 1226 00:58:04,542 --> 00:58:07,583 And then Paul left, but he knew those people well. 1227 00:58:07,667 --> 00:58:09,500 They were friends of his. 1228 00:58:09,542 --> 00:58:13,375 They were people that he had relationship with. 1229 00:58:13,458 --> 00:58:16,292 And how much do you think it meant to them to receive 1230 00:58:16,333 --> 00:58:20,208 a letter from Paul? 1231 00:58:20,292 --> 00:58:25,083 How much would it mean for you to do something similar? 1232 00:58:25,167 --> 00:58:28,917 Who, this week, do you need to thank? 1233 00:58:29,000 --> 00:58:31,792 Call them up, meet with them, look them in the eye, 1234 00:58:31,833 --> 00:58:33,208 write them a letter. 1235 00:58:33,292 --> 00:58:35,583 He wrote a letter because he was in prison. 1236 00:58:35,667 --> 00:58:37,333 Maybe distance prohibits a face-to-face 1237 00:58:37,375 --> 00:58:39,708 for you right now. 1238 00:58:39,792 --> 00:58:42,917 What does it look like for you to sit down and even following 1239 00:58:43,000 --> 00:58:46,083 his example, say, "Man, there is a person or there are 1240 00:58:46,167 --> 00:58:50,208 "some people that I am so thankful for and I praise God 1241 00:58:50,292 --> 00:58:53,083 continually for them." 1242 00:58:53,167 --> 00:58:56,292 Then quote Paul's words and say, "You know, 1243 00:58:56,333 --> 00:58:59,833 "I was studying Ephesians and there were some people that were 1244 00:58:59,875 --> 00:59:03,250 "dear to Paul's heart, and he says that he never 1245 00:59:03,333 --> 00:59:05,167 "stopped praying for them, 1246 00:59:05,250 --> 00:59:07,500 "and he thanked God for them continually. 1247 00:59:07,542 --> 00:59:09,333 "And when I heard that, 1248 00:59:09,417 --> 00:59:12,083 "the Holy Spirit brought you to mind. 1249 00:59:12,167 --> 00:59:15,833 "And I want to say thank you, and I want to encourage you 1250 00:59:15,875 --> 00:59:18,667 because I appreciate you." 1251 00:59:18,750 --> 00:59:21,708 And let me say, Mars Hill, for my sin in my past, 1252 00:59:21,792 --> 00:59:24,792 I did not do that well when I felt unappreciated. 1253 00:59:24,833 --> 00:59:27,500 Instead, I was waiting for others to do that for me, 1254 00:59:27,583 --> 00:59:29,708 which was completely selfish. 1255 00:59:29,792 --> 00:59:32,708 And once we realize that the Lord Jesus appreciates us, 1256 00:59:32,792 --> 00:59:38,500 our heart is full and able to encourage others, amen? 1257 00:59:38,583 --> 00:59:40,875 Father God, I pray against the enemy, his servants, 1258 00:59:40,958 --> 00:59:42,875 their works, and effects. 1259 00:59:42,958 --> 00:59:45,375 And Father, I just feel this is a very pastoral, 1260 00:59:45,458 --> 00:59:47,375 very practical word. 1261 00:59:47,458 --> 00:59:49,125 God, we live in a day when 1262 00:59:49,167 --> 00:59:51,000 a lot of people feel discouraged, 1263 00:59:51,083 --> 00:59:54,917 depressed, used, abused, underappreciated, unappreciated. 1264 00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:57,917 And Lord God, we're talking about the health and well-being 1265 00:59:58,000 --> 01:00:02,375 of our soul, of our families, of our church, of our workplace, 1266 01:00:02,458 --> 01:00:05,625 of the spheres in which we find ourselves. 1267 01:00:05,667 --> 01:00:08,125 God, we don't want to divert just to self-help talk, 1268 01:00:08,167 --> 01:00:10,417 and "Be positive," and "Look on the bright side." 1269 01:00:10,500 --> 01:00:13,917 We want a gospel-centered, Jesus-focused way 1270 01:00:14,000 --> 01:00:17,542 of being encouraged and encouraging people. 1271 01:00:17,625 --> 01:00:20,167 And we thank you for the words and the example 1272 01:00:20,208 --> 01:00:22,500 of the Apostle Paul, that Lord Jesus, 1273 01:00:22,583 --> 01:00:25,167 he sure appreciated you and he appreciated 1274 01:00:25,208 --> 01:00:31,667 your people, and through him you give us encouragement. 1275 01:00:31,708 --> 01:00:36,542 And so, Holy Spirit, we invite you to allow us to be something 1276 01:00:36,625 --> 01:00:40,542 like Paul, someone who knows that they are appreciated 1277 01:00:40,625 --> 01:00:42,833 and as a result is free to appreciate others, 1278 01:00:42,917 --> 01:00:45,833 someone who knows they are loved so they're free to love others, 1279 01:00:45,917 --> 01:00:48,958 someone who is encouraged and so they know that they are free 1280 01:00:49,000 --> 01:00:50,625 to encourage others. 1281 01:00:50,667 --> 01:00:52,750 And Father God, I ask for your forgiveness 1282 01:00:52,833 --> 01:00:55,333 for some of the culture I've set at Mars Hill 1283 01:00:55,417 --> 01:00:57,542 when for years I was bitter, 1284 01:00:57,625 --> 01:01:02,000 or angry, or grumpy, or selfish, and that my attitude was more 1285 01:01:02,042 --> 01:01:04,125 one of performing than serving. 1286 01:01:04,167 --> 01:01:07,000 And I ask for the culture and well-being of our church that, 1287 01:01:07,083 --> 01:01:09,708 Lord Jesus, we would grow in this grace by the power 1288 01:01:09,792 --> 01:01:11,792 of the Holy Spirit for your glory, amen. 1289 01:01:13,500 --> 01:01:16,375 Each year, over 10 million Mars Hill church sermons 1290 01:01:16,458 --> 01:01:19,500 are downloaded worldwide for free. 1291 01:01:19,542 --> 01:01:22,083 This ministry is generously supported 1292 01:01:22,167 --> 01:01:24,750 by Mars Hill church members and listeners like you. 1293 01:01:24,833 --> 01:01:28,292 If you'd like to support our efforts to preach Jesus to the world, 1294 01:01:28,333 --> 01:01:31,292 Please consider making a tax-deductible donation 1295 01:01:31,333 --> 01:01:34,208 by visiting marshill.com/give.