WEBVTT 00:00:01.260 --> 00:00:02.540 Happy 2012. 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:04.940 I hope it's been a great start. 00:00:06.560 --> 00:00:10.820 You've had 11 hours, eight of which were probably asleep. 00:00:11.980 --> 00:00:12.750 If you stayed till midnight. 00:00:13.900 --> 00:00:14.120 All right. 00:00:14.760 --> 00:00:15.620 I know some of you didn't. 00:00:17.020 --> 00:00:18.000 I wish I were in that boat. 00:00:20.180 --> 00:00:21.460 Goals for 2012. 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:27.240 It's always a good way to start things new, to look at life at a new perspective. 00:00:27.780 --> 00:00:32.460 To get better oriented with what you want to achieve in your life for this coming year. 00:00:33.300 --> 00:00:40.400 And you know, as a church, we have goals as well, things that we would like to see and we're asking God to 00:00:40.400 --> 00:00:42.820 do in us and through us as a family. 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:47.340 We're always looking for people who desire to serve the Lord. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:54.540 You know, here at our church, we don't particularly always come and ask the individual to seek a particular ministry they want to serve in. 00:00:54.620 --> 00:00:57.640 We just simply provide the opportunity to let you know what those ministries are. 00:00:57.740 --> 00:01:01.380 And if God works in your heart to serve in an area, we just ask you to let us know. 00:01:01.800 --> 00:01:03.680 We're happy to help you achieve that. 00:01:05.600 --> 00:01:08.340 One of the other things that we're about here at church is discipleship. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:16.390 We're always interested in the way that we can encourage one another in the Lord, and growing and getting to know him better. 00:01:17.720 --> 00:01:19.420 You'll see in both of your bulletins today. 00:01:19.420 --> 00:01:22.860 Those messages are communicated because you should have two pieces of information. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:29.000 One is studies to be involved in community groups, to grow and be a part of, in places in the church that you can serve. 00:01:30.360 --> 00:01:37.420 One of the long term goals that we had when we started this church was to build the first freestanding church in 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:38.680 the city of Lehi. 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:45.420 You remember a year ago, I think just under a year ago, some of us even took a journey just up the road to a bar. 00:01:46.520 --> 00:01:48.660 It's two blocks up, and we went inside of it and toured it. 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:56.180 And our desire is if the Lord would open up the doors for us to even be able to have that facility, to have a church with a. 00:01:56.200 --> 00:02:02.900 How great would it be if we turned a bar into a church and we put on the Billboard Happy Hour Sunday, 1030 to 12. 00:02:03.500 --> 00:02:09.860 In fact, Stacy and I were back east in November, and that's my wife. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:11.820 To those of you who are new, my name is Nathaniel. 00:02:12.880 --> 00:02:13.280 Hi. 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:21.540 when we were back east in November, we had the opportunity to tour some with some area churches, let them know the needs that are here in Utah, and 00:02:21.540 --> 00:02:26.880 we asked them if they would be interested in helping us to build the first free standing church in Lehi. 00:02:27.440 --> 00:02:34.580 And while Stacy were back east, we were able to have over $60,000 pledged to us for this church family to be able to build 00:02:34.580 --> 00:02:36.150 that first freestanding church. 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.620 And so, yeah, some of you didn't know that, right? 00:02:39.660 --> 00:02:40.420 Most of us didn't know. 00:02:40.440 --> 00:02:41.580 There's the announcement for us. 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:41.840 Right. 00:02:41.920 --> 00:02:43.280 That's a it's a wonderful thing. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:48.560 And so we have lots of wonderful goals for us as a church and what we desire for God to achieve. 00:02:48.620 --> 00:02:50.280 Those are just a few of them. 00:02:51.480 --> 00:02:56.460 You know, when I think about it, the primary goal for us as a church never changes. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:01.690 God built his church to make disciples. 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:10.100 And more than anything, above all other things, what we desire for you as a church family is that you could have this year just to seek 00:03:10.100 --> 00:03:16.800 the presence of God in your life, that you might have the opportunity to know and grow with him. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:25.380 And as you get to know the Lord personally in your own life, see the way that God works through you to be influential in the lives of other people. 00:03:26.940 --> 00:03:30.360 God desires to know you more than anything. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:32.560 What God wants from you is your heart. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:40.680 And so for our desire for 2012, we seek the face of the Lord and his presence in our lives. 00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:45.670 But you know, as we see with all goals, there comes adversity. 00:03:47.720 --> 00:03:54.020 In fact, when I read verses in the Bible many times, I find that they challenge me in my position with the Lord. 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:59.000 If God wants me to walk with him, a lot of times the way I want it to go is just easy. 00:04:01.020 --> 00:04:06.900 But then I read verses like Luke chapter 12, and what I find from the Lord is that life with him isn't always easy. 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:15.680 It says in Luke chapter 12 and verse 52, for from now on, five members in one household will be 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:18.800 divided, three against two and two against three. 00:04:20.019 --> 00:04:27.140 They will be divided father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother in 00:04:27.140 --> 00:04:28.580 law against daughter in law. 00:04:28.700 --> 00:04:32.400 You saw that over the holidays and daughter in law against mother in law. 00:04:32.920 --> 00:04:33.740 You're walking biblically. 00:04:36.500 --> 00:04:42.100 But, I see verses like that and understand the reason that Jesus is talking about this passage of Scripture is because of him. 00:04:43.260 --> 00:04:48.180 When people make decisions to seek after the face of the Lord, not everyone enjoys your decision. 00:04:49.400 --> 00:04:55.160 And what God is saying in this passage of Scripture is that when you pursue me, it causes division. 00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:04.300 Can I say this morning the most loving thing that you can do for your family, regardless of their opinion of who Jesus is to pursue 00:05:04.300 --> 00:05:05.900 God with all of your heart. 00:05:06.140 --> 00:05:07.700 Amen. 00:05:07.960 --> 00:05:14.840 Because in loving the Lord the way that God desires, you're pointing your family to the direction which God would want them to pursue as well. 00:05:16.140 --> 00:05:23.140 And just because the road might be difficult, and just because there may be some persuasion to back off, the most loving thing that you can do for 00:05:23.140 --> 00:05:24.860 your family is seek after the face of God. 00:05:25.960 --> 00:05:28.780 Because in so doing, God changes your heart. 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:36.400 Jesus says a verse like this and it presents to us adversity, difficulty, challenges. 00:05:36.440 --> 00:05:42.220 We set a goal to seek after the face of the Lord, and we see things like this that tell us, and the road might get complicated. 00:05:44.200 --> 00:05:46.890 And so the question I ask is, well, how do we deal with this adversity? 00:05:48.440 --> 00:05:52.750 How do we stand strong as followers who want to seek the face of the Lord in 2012? 00:05:54.440 --> 00:05:59.160 The great news for us is that Jesus and His own example faced adversity every day. 00:06:00.760 --> 00:06:04.520 And his example to us as people spoke volumes to the individual. 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:09.450 And how to stand strong when it seems difficult to pursue after the Lord in your life. 00:06:10.520 --> 00:06:13.300 If you bought a Bible this morning, I'm going to encourage you to turn to John chapter six. 00:06:17.400 --> 00:06:24.620 John chapter six, beginning in verse 35 and also in verse 38, it begins to share a story in the life 00:06:24.620 --> 00:06:25.360 of Jesus. 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:29.260 And Jesus has just performed in chapter six, a glorious miracle. 00:06:29.260 --> 00:06:34.520 He's fed over 4000 people in one setting with just a few loaves. 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:38.260 He's got the masses pursuing after him right now. 00:06:39.540 --> 00:06:44.070 Some people have been pursuing after him for years, and they've got to know him personally and intimately. 00:06:44.140 --> 00:06:46.680 And Jesus has got to call them his friend. 00:06:49.280 --> 00:06:55.530 In John chapter six and verse 35, Jesus begins to share a message about his pursuit in life. 00:06:56.740 --> 00:06:59.880 And Jesus said unto them, it says, I am the bread of life. 00:07:01.760 --> 00:07:04.060 It's interesting when you look at the term bread of life. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:09.100 In Israel's temple, they had a bread that they offered inside of the Holy place. 00:07:09.460 --> 00:07:10.510 They placed it upon a table. 00:07:10.660 --> 00:07:16.080 It was to remind them of the Word of God, and they were to keep that bread fresh and change that bread every day. 00:07:16.080 --> 00:07:20.380 And in the Bible we see that the Bible is referred to as the bread of life for us. 00:07:20.380 --> 00:07:24.500 It's to keep us fresh and renew us as we seek the face of God and reading his pages. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:31.940 And Jesus comes upon the scene and he says, and I also in that bread of life, he who comes to me will not hunger, and 00:07:31.940 --> 00:07:33.900 he who believes in me will never thirst. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:42.480 He says in verse 38, for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:43.090 sent me. 00:07:44.580 --> 00:07:48.140 Immediately Jesus begins to receive a response to the statement that he's making. 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:50.570 It was an unpopular statement. 00:07:50.960 --> 00:07:51.400 It says. 00:07:51.400 --> 00:07:58.820 Therefore, the Jews were grumbling about him because he said, I am the bread of life that came down out of heaven to call yourself sustaining 00:07:58.820 --> 00:08:00.000 in our lives like bread. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:01.180 Only God could do that. 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:03.860 And to say that you came from the place in which God dwells. 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:05.560 Only God does that. 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:07.800 And the Jews began to grumble with Jesus. 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:14.760 Says in the next verse, Jesus does what loving people do. 00:08:14.760 --> 00:08:20.840 He continues to stand for truth, not in an annoying way, but in a loving way to direct their hearts to him. 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:26.320 He says, truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me has eternal life. 00:08:27.960 --> 00:08:31.780 He goes on in verse 51 he says, I am the living bread that came down out of heaven. 00:08:31.780 --> 00:08:34.070 If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. 00:08:34.140 --> 00:08:38.260 And the bread also, which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. 00:08:40.780 --> 00:08:43.929 Jesus is attempting to get these people to seek after him. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:45.590 He is their salvation. 00:08:46.060 --> 00:08:53.280 And it tells us again that the Jews began to argue this time rather than grumble with one another, saying, how can this man give us his 00:08:53.280 --> 00:08:54.180 flesh to eat? 00:08:55.960 --> 00:09:03.160 Jesus responds once more, He who eats me, he also will live because of 00:09:03.160 --> 00:09:03.560 me. 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:08.100 This is the bread which came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. 00:09:08.700 --> 00:09:11.100 He eats this bread will live forever. 00:09:13.060 --> 00:09:15.180 And the Jews give one final response to Jesus. 00:09:17.040 --> 00:09:24.340 It says, as Jesus stood before this crowd of masses of people, therefore many of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:26.020 this is a difficult statement. 00:09:27.500 --> 00:09:28.700 And who can listen to it? 00:09:29.520 --> 00:09:33.680 But Jesus, conscious that his disciples grumbled at this, said to them, does this cause you to stumble? 00:09:34.900 --> 00:09:37.610 What then, if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 00:09:37.980 --> 00:09:39.400 It is the spirit who gives life. 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:40.640 The flesh profits nothing. 00:09:40.640 --> 00:09:43.760 The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 00:09:44.060 --> 00:09:45.860 You got the gist of what Jesus is saying, right? 00:09:45.920 --> 00:09:47.620 Take Jesus, Jesus's life. 00:09:48.100 --> 00:09:52.090 He keeps reiterating the point and it says, but there are some of you who do not believe. 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:57.180 For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were, who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. 00:09:58.340 --> 00:10:05.440 And he was saying this for this reason I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted him from the father. 00:10:06.280 --> 00:10:08.400 And listen to this verse 66. 00:10:08.400 --> 00:10:15.440 It kind of screams out to us as a result, many of his disciples withdrew and 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:16.740 were not walking with him anymore. 00:10:18.060 --> 00:10:23.080 So Jesus said to his 12 disciples, you do not want to go away also, do you? 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:30.660 Jesus's disciples were in a place of abandonment. 00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:33.420 I don't know if it was the beginning of a year. 00:10:33.420 --> 00:10:35.140 Let's call it the beginning of 2012. 00:10:35.140 --> 00:10:42.740 Here for Jesus, with all these wonderful goals and ideas of what he sought for the Kingdom of God and the lives of people in this world, and 00:10:42.760 --> 00:10:43.970 yet there was adversity. 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:49.250 And what we find in the life of Jesus is rather than walk away, he stood strong. 00:10:49.560 --> 00:10:53.580 And so the question we ask in the midst of Christ's adversity, how did he stand strong? 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:57.280 I know Jesus is God. 00:10:57.280 --> 00:11:01.160 It tells us in Colossians two nine, in his flesh the fullness of deity dwelled. 00:11:03.380 --> 00:11:04.800 But Jesus was also a man. 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:13.760 It tells us in Philippians two that in verse five that he didn't seek after the glory of his godhood, but became the form of 00:11:13.760 --> 00:11:15.180 a man and served this world. 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:20.760 And we know in being a man Jesus experienced emotions like we experience as people. 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:28.540 Could you imagine if you were to stand before thousands of people and one minute they love you, and the next minute you share a message and they all hate you? 00:11:30.270 --> 00:11:35.780 Could you imagine the emotions of Christ as he watched the people that he had done ministry with for years? 00:11:35.880 --> 00:11:41.820 The people that he had counted close, the ones that he had grown to love, turn their backs and walk away from him. 00:11:42.700 --> 00:11:43.320 How he would have felt. 00:11:45.500 --> 00:11:52.930 We know Jesus felt emotions because when Jesus went to the tomb of his good friend Lazarus and he saw Lazarus lying in the tomb dead, 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:55.470 Jesus wept from his heart. 00:11:57.740 --> 00:12:01.920 Now look at this moment and I ask the question, I wonder how Jesus would have felt. 00:12:04.140 --> 00:12:11.320 Now, when we read the Scripture, we honestly don't know how Christ would have felt in this passage of Scripture because it doesn't communicate 00:12:11.700 --> 00:12:15.540 to us the way Jesus feels in this particular point. 00:12:16.740 --> 00:12:22.260 But what Jesus communicated to us throughout all of his life is how we deal with situations like this. 00:12:22.340 --> 00:12:27.940 When we set goals that we know that God desires for us, and we stand strong in the midst of that adversity. 00:12:29.340 --> 00:12:36.840 And so this morning, what I want to share with you is just four simple points to how we as people can stand strong for the goals that God places on our heart for 00:12:36.840 --> 00:12:37.920 20 2012. 00:12:39.580 --> 00:12:47.400 The first is this the way that Jesus did, strong in adversity, the way that you can stand strong in adversity is to be secure in 00:12:47.400 --> 00:12:48.120 the father's love. 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:54.590 You know, we look and find acceptance in life for the things that are important to us. 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:57.540 We value their opinion. 00:12:59.680 --> 00:13:03.060 If God's not important to us, we will not care if God loves us. 00:13:03.180 --> 00:13:10.800 But when we talk about the context of Jesus, what Jesus enjoyed more than anything is the love that the father had for him. 00:13:11.880 --> 00:13:18.940 In fact, if you look in John chapter five, just the verse or the chapter right before us, and in the context of the verse, it says, For the 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:21.540 Father loves the son. 00:13:23.340 --> 00:13:28.280 What was important to Jesus is that he enjoyed the love of the father in his life. 00:13:30.020 --> 00:13:37.220 It's been said by an important theologian that the first thing that we should seek for every morning is to surround ourselves with 00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:38.860 the love of the father. 00:13:40.420 --> 00:13:42.140 Everyone else in this world may fall away. 00:13:42.140 --> 00:13:44.090 Everything else in this world may fall apart. 00:13:44.160 --> 00:13:47.180 But the love of the father is what sustains. 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:56.440 In fact, in thinking about the love of the father and the relationship between the father and the son can't help but think, as John wrote 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:58.980 the book of John, he also wrote this is in first John. 00:13:58.980 --> 00:14:02.660 I know it says John here, but this comes in first John chapter four and verse 18. 00:14:04.680 --> 00:14:09.040 It says, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:17.440 The context in which this passage of Scripture comes to us is talking and illustrating about the love that God has for us and the love that we 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:18.260 have for God. 00:14:18.540 --> 00:14:24.340 And when we focus upon enjoying that love and savoring that love with one another, everything else seems to fade away. 00:14:26.260 --> 00:14:29.400 You've been in that puppy love moment, I'm sure, at some point in your life, right? 00:14:30.900 --> 00:14:34.420 Your parents, maybe even in high school, tell you that guy's a loser. 00:14:34.420 --> 00:14:34.780 Get lost. 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:39.640 And you just can't hear what mom says because you're so fixed on that puppy love, right? 00:14:42.420 --> 00:14:45.200 Love for the father is much like the same way. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:46.400 Only more than puppy love. 00:14:46.540 --> 00:14:46.840 It endures. 00:14:49.320 --> 00:14:56.320 We focus so much on enjoying the love that he has for us, proven to us by coming to this world and dying on a cross for your sins, that 00:14:56.320 --> 00:15:00.160 we enjoy nothing more than to seek his face. 00:15:00.160 --> 00:15:04.120 And in seeking that love, all other problems and worries seem to just fade away. 00:15:06.300 --> 00:15:06.860 You give it to you. 00:15:06.860 --> 00:15:07.240 Like this. 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:08.060 An illustration. 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:10.840 Have you ever been away from home for a while? 00:15:12.180 --> 00:15:19.340 Or any of you have a job where you have to journey on the road for a little bit and all of a sudden, Friday is coming and it's about that 00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:26.400 time where you begin your track home and you start to think about home, what you miss, how 00:15:26.420 --> 00:15:32.990 it makes you feel, the comfort that you get when you walk in the door as you're surrounded with people who care about you in that place. 00:15:34.580 --> 00:15:35.710 Home is what you long for. 00:15:37.680 --> 00:15:44.680 Jesus is much the same way as if you were to go to bed every night, and you wake up every morning as if you have been 00:15:44.680 --> 00:15:51.400 away from home, and nothing that you would enjoy more in this world is than just to seek his face and enjoy his love for you. 00:15:53.540 --> 00:15:57.500 The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear. 00:15:59.080 --> 00:16:02.300 Can I tell you the one of the best ways to do this in our life? 00:16:02.760 --> 00:16:07.520 This is going to sound crazy for a minute, but is to not make God first in your life. 00:16:08.040 --> 00:16:08.600 That sounds like blasphemy. 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:09.420 Don't walk out. 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:13.490 Don't make God first in your life. 00:16:14.280 --> 00:16:18.680 We have a tendency to do this when we make New Year's resolutions as we come up with a list, right? 00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:21.810 If anyone wears orange and white underwear to church, you're kicked out. 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:22.060 Okay? 00:16:22.300 --> 00:16:22.940 We don't want that. 00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:23.520 All right? 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:25.030 We're not going to kick you out. 00:16:25.560 --> 00:16:25.700 But. 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:26.840 But don't worry. 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:27.360 Orange white underwear. 00:16:28.020 --> 00:16:29.020 But this is what we tend to do. 00:16:29.020 --> 00:16:31.260 We make New Year's resolutions and we list them out. 00:16:31.260 --> 00:16:32.100 This is what I want to achieve. 00:16:32.380 --> 00:16:32.660 Okay? 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:34.060 God, we're starting over this year. 00:16:34.060 --> 00:16:35.500 I know I messed up last year. 00:16:35.500 --> 00:16:38.530 So this year, number one, I'm going to love you above everything. 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:40.430 I'm going to read my Bible. 00:16:40.500 --> 00:16:43.220 Probably I'm going to come to church at least three out of four times a week. 00:16:43.280 --> 00:16:44.160 Month is my goal, right? 00:16:44.540 --> 00:16:45.750 We'll make a goal like make it four for four. 00:16:45.780 --> 00:16:48.620 Okay, let's shoot for the top four for four weeks in the month. 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:49.720 That's my goal. 00:16:50.400 --> 00:16:52.580 And then and then second, I'm going to love my family. 00:16:52.920 --> 00:16:57.380 And that sounds great to your family because you show up and you're like, honey, I love you. 00:16:57.560 --> 00:16:58.400 Second. 00:17:00.160 --> 00:17:00.800 How does that go over? 00:17:03.900 --> 00:17:10.130 Rather than make God first in your life and rather than prioritize it, the tendency is when we do this is we segregate our life. 00:17:10.859 --> 00:17:13.280 I come to church, and church is Sunday and this is the day I love God. 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:19.060 And then Monday is the day I do this, and Tuesday is the day I do this, and Wednesday is the day. 00:17:19.060 --> 00:17:19.560 Whatever. 00:17:19.560 --> 00:17:23.300 You know, we just we prioritize it day by day rather than make God first in your life. 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:25.380 How about this we make God the center of our lives. 00:17:27.380 --> 00:17:32.230 What God desires to be is in the middle of every activity of your life. 00:17:33.040 --> 00:17:34.440 God is not about a God of Sunday. 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:36.940 He's a God of Monday through Saturday too. 00:17:37.860 --> 00:17:44.940 God wants to be as much involved with your life right now as he does when you go to work on Monday morning, or when you're home taking care of the kids on 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:46.960 Tuesday and they're screaming at the top of their lungs. 00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:49.100 God wants to be in that moment. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.550 God wants to be there in your challenges and adversity. 00:17:52.700 --> 00:17:54.340 God wants to be there in the joy and triumphs. 00:17:55.700 --> 00:18:00.200 In fact, in Colossians it says this Colossians 115, he is the image of the invisible God. 00:18:01.420 --> 00:18:08.660 For by him all things were created both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. 00:18:08.820 --> 00:18:11.740 All things have been created through him and for him. 00:18:12.420 --> 00:18:12.840 You got that? 00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:18.800 Jesus is the center of it all, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 00:18:19.100 --> 00:18:20.900 Jesus is the center, not first. 00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:22.820 He is the center of everything in this world. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:31.020 The way that we stand strong in adversity is to seek the face of God's love for us in this world, to understand 00:18:31.040 --> 00:18:33.170 that God loves you. 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:37.350 To understand that what God desires more than anything is your heart. 00:18:39.120 --> 00:18:43.610 He doesn't care what you do as much as he cares just about you. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:48.480 God loves you and God wants you to spend time with him. 00:18:49.560 --> 00:18:51.580 And perfect love casts out fear. 00:18:52.580 --> 00:18:59.660 And when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, if you can take the moment to pause in your life and enjoy the love of the father, some 00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:06.760 of that worry and that fear and that tragedy begins to fade away as you seek him, like you seek the love and comfort of 00:19:06.760 --> 00:19:07.180 your home. 00:19:08.600 --> 00:19:13.220 As you seek him to be the center of your life rather than just first in your life. 00:19:15.540 --> 00:19:21.020 Second is this not only do we surround ourselves with the love of God, but we also play for an audience of one. 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:24.640 We live life for an audience of one. 00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:29.360 Jesus's life wasn't about entertaining the masses. 00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:36.380 God didn't care that if on the third year of the Sabbath, if there were more people attending church than there was on the second year of the Sabbath. 00:19:37.800 --> 00:19:42.280 Jesus knew his goal in this world was to seek the will of the father. 00:19:43.540 --> 00:19:49.440 It says in John chapter six and verse 38, I have come to do the will of God who sent me, not what I want. 00:19:51.740 --> 00:19:56.780 Can I tell you in your life, when you live for an audience of one, when you do things for God, it doesn't complicate life. 00:19:57.100 --> 00:19:57.420 It simplifies. 00:19:58.840 --> 00:20:05.940 If you live life to please people, if you respond to this world because of loneliness and fear, or you respond to this world because of 00:20:06.060 --> 00:20:07.860 popularity or convenience or feel good. 00:20:07.980 --> 00:20:12.640 Can I tell you as a pastor, I will drive myself crazy if that becomes my job to make everybody happy. 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:14.960 I can't make everybody happy. 00:20:16.900 --> 00:20:18.740 But to simplify life, there's one objective. 00:20:20.380 --> 00:20:22.160 I live for the will of the father. 00:20:23.560 --> 00:20:30.560 I play for an audience of one tells us in John chapter six and verse four, John 00:20:30.560 --> 00:20:32.220 chapter six and verse 18. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:36.120 Your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 00:20:37.760 --> 00:20:42.520 And whether it's in a public forum with thousands of people or behind the scenes, God is always watching what you're doing. 00:20:42.540 --> 00:20:49.660 And his desire is that you live for an audience of one, that we simplify our lives for him, but we're not going 00:20:49.660 --> 00:20:54.220 to care about loving God if we don't first accept the love of God in our lives. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:59.010 If you don't experience God's love, you will not live for his love. 00:20:59.620 --> 00:21:03.100 But if you begin to experience his love, you can respond with love. 00:21:03.140 --> 00:21:06.360 And the interest in your life will be to play for an audience of one. 00:21:07.260 --> 00:21:14.090 In fact, it says that in first John 419, we love him because he first loved us. 00:21:16.020 --> 00:21:22.440 The way that we begin to live for an audience of one in our lives is that we just fill ourselves with the love of God. 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:26.120 We understand for what he created us for in this world, we. 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:28.620 We see that he came to this world to die for our sins. 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:31.320 We see that he desires nothing more than to know us. 00:21:31.360 --> 00:21:38.380 We see that he provides opportunity to get to know him by church, family, and or the Word of God, or working in our hearts and in 00:21:38.380 --> 00:21:41.660 our lives and in those loving things that God has done for us. 00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:45.760 We can respond with love for him. 00:21:46.620 --> 00:21:47.600 Jesus had a purpose. 00:21:49.320 --> 00:21:51.260 Jesus made life simple. 00:21:53.080 --> 00:21:55.120 It wasn't about pushing people away, though. 00:21:55.320 --> 00:21:56.100 People did leave him. 00:21:56.100 --> 00:21:59.740 It was about seeking the will of the father because Jesus knew and seeking the will of the father. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:07.060 It was the most loving thing he could do for people, because in loving God, above all other things, he could show people the way to 00:22:07.060 --> 00:22:10.620 understand and grow in a relationship with God in their own lives. 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:16.120 People aren't concerned with what God thinks because they don't love him. 00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:19.380 People aren't concerned with what God wants. 00:22:20.040 --> 00:22:22.770 If we're honest, is because they don't love him. 00:22:25.320 --> 00:22:31.800 Do you know that it is possible to skip church on Sunday in the center of God's will? 00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:36.400 Some of you can nudge your spouse right now and be like, yes, we're coming back at least one more time. 00:22:38.080 --> 00:22:40.910 It is possible to skip church on Sunday in the center of God's will. 00:22:41.860 --> 00:22:45.080 For instance, you work late one night, had to take an extra shift. 00:22:45.180 --> 00:22:46.760 You wake up and you know if you come on Sunday. 00:22:47.180 --> 00:22:48.990 Church, when it starts at 1030, you get off at ten. 00:22:49.320 --> 00:22:50.350 You're just going to sleep through the service. 00:22:50.600 --> 00:22:52.340 Might be better to go home, get some sleep. 00:22:52.340 --> 00:22:54.620 I don't want you driving home and racking after church. 00:22:54.620 --> 00:22:54.720 Right? 00:22:55.820 --> 00:22:56.600 Your family's sick. 00:22:58.060 --> 00:23:02.000 Maybe it's a good idea just to minister to them, stay home and take care of your kids and your spouse. 00:23:02.660 --> 00:23:07.380 If they're sick, it's possible to skip church in the center of God's will. 00:23:07.420 --> 00:23:15.440 But you know what I fear and the decisions that we make is that when we do things like, I don't know, skip church, it's 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:18.800 not because we're seeking God's will. 00:23:20.060 --> 00:23:23.380 We don't come to church on Sunday because our interest is God. 00:23:23.380 --> 00:23:24.920 What I desire this morning is just to love you. 00:23:25.120 --> 00:23:32.580 We come because it's for us, or we skip church and sleep in on Sunday morning rather than come and be a part. 00:23:33.020 --> 00:23:38.250 Not because we cared if it was God's will, it's just because that morning it was just more convenient to sleep in. 00:23:38.460 --> 00:23:40.700 Good job staying up till midnight and coming to church today, by the way. 00:23:42.840 --> 00:23:43.460 That's good. 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.960 God's desire more than anything. 00:23:48.340 --> 00:23:49.180 Seek his love in your life. 00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:52.880 Live life to play for an audience of one. 00:23:52.900 --> 00:23:55.900 And when the rest of the crowd seems to fade away, it's not going to matter to you. 00:23:55.900 --> 00:23:57.410 Because you know what you're standing for. 00:23:59.120 --> 00:24:05.310 So when you stand and live life for the response of other people rather than God, it's persuaded by the response of the crowd. 00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:10.700 Jesus could have looked at that moment, and all those people began to leave him because he's standing with the father. 00:24:10.800 --> 00:24:11.090 And he said, you know what? 00:24:11.300 --> 00:24:11.900 You know what you know. 00:24:11.940 --> 00:24:12.840 Don't leave. 00:24:13.080 --> 00:24:14.270 I take all that back. 00:24:14.520 --> 00:24:15.880 Love me, please just love me. 00:24:16.380 --> 00:24:18.020 Please don't make me feel lonely. 00:24:18.040 --> 00:24:20.180 Or please just accept what I'm stating. 00:24:20.180 --> 00:24:22.900 Or let's just forget it and all seek to feel good. 00:24:25.060 --> 00:24:31.450 But what Jesus desired more than anything in his priorities, to stand strong for the Lord was to play for that audience of one. 00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:32.940 And can I encourage you to do that? 00:24:33.040 --> 00:24:33.860 Because that sounds hard. 00:24:34.700 --> 00:24:37.040 That sounds hard to stand for the Lord when it seems unpopular. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:40.560 But let me give you a few more points that can encourage you to do so. 00:24:41.660 --> 00:24:44.800 Third is this learn to process life with your inner circle. 00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:50.020 What I mean by that is even Jesus didn't do it alone. 00:24:51.780 --> 00:24:53.430 Remember what Jesus said to the 12 disciples? 00:24:55.520 --> 00:24:59.740 He said in this passage of Scripture, Jesus said to the 12, you do not want to go away also, do you? 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:03.660 And Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? 00:25:04.280 --> 00:25:05.760 You have the words of eternal life. 00:25:05.760 --> 00:25:10.680 We have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God. 00:25:12.360 --> 00:25:17.160 Even Jesus didn't do ministry in this world alone. 00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:20.970 He had the 12 disciples with him. 00:25:21.820 --> 00:25:23.240 Out of those 12, we know that one deserted. 00:25:23.540 --> 00:25:26.500 But even in the 12 he had an inner circle Peter, James, and John. 00:25:26.760 --> 00:25:31.600 And even out of Peter, James, and John he had Peter, who was very close to him. 00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:34.300 And Peter made the remarks here, Lord, where in the world are we going to go? 00:25:34.300 --> 00:25:40.240 And so can I tell you this morning, if you want to stand strong in adversity, learn to bounce everything off of your inner circle. 00:25:41.700 --> 00:25:47.220 Learn to trust and listen to what your inner circle speaks into your life. 00:25:47.220 --> 00:25:48.380 And let me tell you what I mean by inner circle. 00:25:50.180 --> 00:25:53.240 We all need someone in our life that is willing to tell us. 00:25:54.040 --> 00:25:54.500 That. 00:25:54.500 --> 00:25:55.340 We have spinach in our teeth. 00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:56.760 You know what I mean? 00:25:58.580 --> 00:25:59.400 Do you have those friends? 00:26:00.080 --> 00:26:03.160 You go to a restaurant, you order something with green in it, and then you start chewing. 00:26:03.260 --> 00:26:07.940 The next thing you know, you smile and they look at you and say, spinach in your teeth, man. 00:26:09.940 --> 00:26:13.420 We all need someone in our life that is willing to tell us you've got spinach in your teeth. 00:26:15.320 --> 00:26:22.500 What I mean by that is we need someone in our life that's going to speak very important and relevant truth when 00:26:22.500 --> 00:26:26.160 we're going in this world and we're living selfishly and we are messing up. 00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:32.380 We need someone that loves us enough to say to us, hey, you're off track. 00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:37.690 Someone that cares enough to speak into your life and tell you I think you're missing the mark. 00:26:39.260 --> 00:26:39.560 Yeah. 00:26:39.660 --> 00:26:41.260 I can't tell you everything that God wants in your life. 00:26:41.300 --> 00:26:43.620 But I can tell you what God probably doesn't want. 00:26:43.780 --> 00:26:45.450 And right now, you're making a stupid decision. 00:26:47.560 --> 00:26:50.150 Everyone needs a friend that tells them they have spinach in her teeth. 00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:52.400 Second is this. 00:26:57.460 --> 00:26:57.700 You all need a homie. 00:26:57.700 --> 00:26:59.400 Everyone needs a homie who's got your back. 00:27:03.930 --> 00:27:05.160 You think about it for a minute. 00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:09.280 When everything in the world seems to slip away. 00:27:10.420 --> 00:27:14.240 When you're losing something important to you need somebody around you. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:17.680 You need somebody to let you know they've got your back. 00:27:19.860 --> 00:27:20.500 Jesus. 00:27:20.500 --> 00:27:27.700 In these moments, we don't know what was going on emotionally in his mind as he looked at these thousands of people that were walking away from hope and eternal life in Christ. 00:27:29.100 --> 00:27:33.420 And he turns to Peter, and I'm thinking, he's asking Peter, are you my homie? 00:27:36.700 --> 00:27:42.060 Bible says this in Ephesians chapter four as a prisoner for the Lord. 00:27:42.900 --> 00:27:45.960 Then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 00:27:47.280 --> 00:27:48.840 Be completely humble and gentle. 00:27:48.840 --> 00:27:51.540 Be patient, bearing with one another in love. 00:27:51.540 --> 00:27:52.120 And you know what? 00:27:52.260 --> 00:27:55.400 If you're a homie of someone else, your friend isn't always going to make it easy to love them. 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:02.900 And it says in verse two that anyway, regardless, you have made the decision that regardless, you've got that person's back. 00:28:04.800 --> 00:28:09.060 In verse three, make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. 00:28:09.300 --> 00:28:11.920 And when you guys don't get along, you'll work it out. 00:28:12.520 --> 00:28:13.660 You don't abandon each other. 00:28:13.860 --> 00:28:14.620 You work it out. 00:28:15.780 --> 00:28:23.000 And so this morning, if you feel like you're kind of on an oasis all by yourself and you're looking for some more hopes and dreams 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:24.860 and some satisfaction in your life. 00:28:25.280 --> 00:28:26.180 Let me encourage you. 00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:28.280 Don't leave church without your homie, right? 00:28:29.300 --> 00:28:30.220 Ask this question. 00:28:30.580 --> 00:28:32.770 Or if you're not a homie, maybe a honky, right? 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:34.620 I ask this question this morning. 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:35.900 I don't know what that means. 00:28:35.960 --> 00:28:36.600 I don't even know what that means. 00:28:36.900 --> 00:28:37.460 I ask this question. 00:28:37.600 --> 00:28:38.840 Seriously, find your homie this morning. 00:28:38.840 --> 00:28:39.540 Ask this some question. 00:28:41.310 --> 00:28:47.900 if I have spinach in my teeth, will you tell me if I'm messing up in life? 00:28:48.040 --> 00:28:48.940 Will you speak that truth? 00:28:50.980 --> 00:28:54.660 Maybe you can ask him when the rest of the world seems to be falling away. 00:28:55.980 --> 00:28:57.060 Will you fight for me? 00:28:58.440 --> 00:28:59.940 Our kids, you can tell. 00:29:00.040 --> 00:29:00.720 Have them this morning. 00:29:01.080 --> 00:29:02.220 They have got each other's backs. 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:07.860 But to stand in the middle of adversity, the encouragement to us to seek the father's love. 00:29:08.060 --> 00:29:09.500 Second, play for an audience of one. 00:29:09.780 --> 00:29:10.720 Third, get your homie. 00:29:12.280 --> 00:29:16.210 And fourth is this trust in God's sovereignty. 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:25.560 Matthew ten and verse 28 to 31 says, do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to 00:29:25.580 --> 00:29:27.440 destroy both soul and body in hell. 00:29:28.360 --> 00:29:30.040 Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? 00:29:30.060 --> 00:29:33.200 And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:35.700 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 00:29:36.060 --> 00:29:37.040 So do not fear. 00:29:37.420 --> 00:29:39.540 You are more valuable than many sparrows. 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:48.080 Well, Jesus is saying in this passage of Scripture, as you know, these people lost out and left and they abandoned me. 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:49.400 But big deal. 00:29:51.440 --> 00:29:58.120 He knows what the importance of life is, and he knows his value in this world. 00:29:59.060 --> 00:30:06.080 And Jesus is saying the same thing to you When the world seems to be slipping away and adversity seems to be coming our way, and we need to stand strong 00:30:06.080 --> 00:30:12.700 in that moment, that to know that regardless of what anything in this world circumstantially might happen to us, God has got it under control. 00:30:14.600 --> 00:30:21.560 It tells us in Romans 828, For God works all things out together for good to those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:29.940 You know my favorite part of this whole story in John chapter six is what Jesus doesn't do. 00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:33.020 Because I know what church people sometimes will do. 00:30:33.280 --> 00:30:36.200 But I love what Jesus doesn't do in this passage of Scripture. 00:30:36.220 --> 00:30:39.240 And let me tell you, Jesus doesn't complain. 00:30:39.840 --> 00:30:41.420 I know I've read it a bunch of times. 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:41.940 I look for it. 00:30:42.280 --> 00:30:43.050 He didn't complain. 00:30:43.900 --> 00:30:44.980 Jesus didn't get angry. 00:30:45.240 --> 00:30:47.100 Jesus didn't get wrathful. 00:30:47.100 --> 00:30:48.580 Jesus didn't get fearful. 00:30:48.580 --> 00:30:48.790 In the moment. 00:30:49.360 --> 00:30:52.290 All Jesus did was trust the will of the father. 00:30:54.080 --> 00:31:00.080 Listen, in the end, we know when Jesus hung on the cross, every one of his disciples abandoned him. 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:02.200 Every disciple ran away. 00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:06.250 And in those moments, he had no one else to help hold him up. 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:11.260 But I can tell you, in the end, God's sovereignty wins out anyway. 00:31:12.860 --> 00:31:18.040 God works everything together for good to those who love him. 00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:25.100 Trust in the sovereignty rather than complain, understand that God sees your moment. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:29.940 Rather than get angry, allow God to work in that moment. 00:31:30.580 --> 00:31:33.440 And if his wrath needs to come down, let God's wrath come down. 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:34.760 It's far worse than yours anyway. 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:39.090 But trust in him to work through that moment. 00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:41.320 How do you overcome adversity? 00:31:42.540 --> 00:31:42.980 To stand strong? 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:48.380 Allow the experience of God's love to be most important to you. 00:31:48.900 --> 00:31:51.420 Long for it like you long for home. 00:31:52.320 --> 00:31:55.400 Make him the center of your life rather than first in your life. 00:31:56.460 --> 00:32:01.320 Love him by playing for him as an audience of one, life becomes far less complicated. 00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:09.930 Finding encouragement in other Christians and trusting God's sovereignty to satisfy. 00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:12.860 We're going to take communion in just a moment. 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:17.100 What I want to invite you to do right now is just go ahead and bow your heads for just a moment. 00:32:19.440 --> 00:32:24.010 The most loving thing that we can do is to pursue the face of God in the midst of adversity. 00:32:25.380 --> 00:32:32.180 Because in doing so, we show other people the way to trust and hope and the experience of love that they can have with the Lord. 00:32:33.900 --> 00:32:41.280 This is the beginning of 2012, an opportunity to renew our hearts with Christ, an 00:32:41.480 --> 00:32:49.880 opportunity to seek his face more than anything this year, above all the goals that we have, that is our desire here at alpine that 00:32:49.900 --> 00:32:57.020 you have the opportunity to grow close in your relationship with the Lord and he become the center of your life, giving you an opportunity just 00:32:57.020 --> 00:32:57.820 to talk to him. 00:32:59.780 --> 00:33:05.300 Whatever desire that you have for this year, just to seek his face and ask him to direct it. 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:07.020 Let me pray for us. 00:33:08.120 --> 00:33:09.540 God, we just thank you for this morning. 00:33:09.620 --> 00:33:10.880 Thank you, Lord, that you love us. 00:33:11.040 --> 00:33:12.480 God, thank you for your grace and mercy. 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:17.720 We thank you so much that God you care for us, that you meet our needs. 00:33:17.820 --> 00:33:20.320 God that you supply the strength that we need in this world. 00:33:21.600 --> 00:33:23.540 God, we love you, God. 00:33:23.540 --> 00:33:25.540 May this be a year that we seek your face. 00:33:25.660 --> 00:33:33.680 May every year be a year, Lord, that we seek to desire to live for you and love you and serve you and know you God. 00:33:33.700 --> 00:33:36.440 We look forward to everything that you have for us in 2012. 00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:38.990 And it's in your name we pray. 00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:40.170 Amen.