WEBVTT 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:01.600 Second Corinthians, Chapter 11. 00:00:02.180 --> 00:00:03.680 So we're going to be we're going to pick up in verse 16. 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:08.260 We started the first half of this chapter last week, but first the second Corinthians Chapter 11. 00:00:08.300 --> 00:00:15.360 Interesting passage of scripture Paul is going to get into, and he starts off really tongue in cheek in the way he presents what he's what 00:00:15.360 --> 00:00:17.180 he's about to discuss with us. 00:00:17.180 --> 00:00:23.650 It's a he's really getting to our identity in Jesus, which I think is a is a beautiful passage in light of recognition. 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:29.960 This is baptism Sunday because baptism Sunday is all about identifying in Jesus as Jesus has given his life for us. 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:37.000 So we respond by giving our life back to Him, finding new life in Christ because he's become that sacrifice for our sins. 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.420 It's all about identity in baptism. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:41.130 And so today it should be all about identity. 00:00:41.720 --> 00:00:49.160 And Paul is going to talk to us specifically about identity as it relates to the battle that all of us have regarding pride 00:00:49.160 --> 00:00:50.260 and humility. 00:00:50.760 --> 00:00:58.020 If you study in the very beginning of the Bible from the Book of Genesis, what you discover with Adam and Eve from the beginning, there was this war 00:00:58.020 --> 00:01:05.220 with within us, against God for this position of self autonomy, as if we want to usurp the position that God has 00:01:05.220 --> 00:01:07.400 in all of creation, especially over us. 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:10.200 Who is this creation and declare ourselves to be God? 00:01:10.620 --> 00:01:13.210 That is not biblical, that is not godly, that is not good. 00:01:13.500 --> 00:01:15.380 You didn't create you for your purpose. 00:01:15.380 --> 00:01:17.340 God made you for His purposes. 00:01:17.860 --> 00:01:25.100 And so when we rebelled against God and our self made pride and try to elevate ourselves over the position of God and live for our glory rather 00:01:25.100 --> 00:01:26.340 than than His. 00:01:26.380 --> 00:01:27.270 It is destructive. 00:01:27.880 --> 00:01:35.040 And Paul is really identifying that today in the situation that he is addressing in the Church of Corinth. 00:01:35.240 --> 00:01:38.180 And you'll see this theme that Paul is reminding us of. 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:41.460 This has been the battle for mankind from the beginning. 00:01:42.080 --> 00:01:49.400 And you see throughout scripture the reminder of that when we humbly come before the Lord and we choose to live our lives in light of Him as we surrender ourselves. 00:01:49.860 --> 00:01:55.580 There is incredible blessing in that not just for your lives, but also for people around you. 00:01:56.040 --> 00:02:02.100 A God made you strong, and when you use your strength for your glory, it will destroy life. 00:02:02.740 --> 00:02:08.320 But when you use your strength for His glory, it not only is a blessing to you, but a blessing to people around you. 00:02:08.419 --> 00:02:15.580 And just by way of reminder, I mean, you can find this is not an exhaustive list, but you can go throughout Scripture and just see the blessing of 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:18.600 a humble life before the Lord to the benefit of others. 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:25.140 And God hears when we're humble and praying before Him, they enjoy the humble, enjoy his presence. 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:26.830 God delivers them from trouble. 00:02:27.100 --> 00:02:28.610 They are the objects of His concern. 00:02:28.940 --> 00:02:33.530 God will lead and teach them their they experience His grace. 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:35.360 They have wisdom. 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:37.380 They will lead long and prosperous lives. 00:02:37.860 --> 00:02:40.380 The humble will be exalted and honored. 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:42.760 So there's tremendous blessing in Scripture. 00:02:42.760 --> 00:02:49.600 And then you see juxtaposed to that the position of pride and where that leads Scripture repeatedly warns against it. 00:02:50.100 --> 00:02:51.530 A pride is the first sin. 00:02:51.820 --> 00:02:53.120 God hates pride. 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:54.880 Pride is expressed in boasting. 00:02:55.180 --> 00:02:57.500 Pride leads to persecution of the righteous by the wicked. 00:02:57.600 --> 00:03:00.220 Pride is found in evil speech. 00:03:00.220 --> 00:03:03.570 Pride is in the lives of the wicked and especially false teachers. 00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:07.800 Pride will be especially prevalent in the last days. 00:03:08.440 --> 00:03:15.020 I mean, Proverbs says like this very plainly in chapter 11, verse two, When pride comes, then comes disgrace. 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:18.400 But with the humble is wisdom. 00:03:19.720 --> 00:03:21.660 So why does pride lead to that? 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:25.760 We've generally said it already that pride is about self autonomy. 00:03:25.760 --> 00:03:31.220 It's about individual glory, elevating yourself above others, really at the expense of others. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:37.990 And when you make the purpose of life all about you elevating yourself, the only position to go from there is down right. 00:03:38.140 --> 00:03:43.390 You live in your glory and you don't find your the strength of what you're seeking or you don't reach what you desire. 00:03:43.760 --> 00:03:46.860 It just it leads to a downfall. 00:03:47.660 --> 00:03:48.360 But humility. 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:55.160 Humility is about surrendering your identity to your creator. 00:03:56.420 --> 00:04:03.520 And using self for his purpose because you understand you didn't make you, and therefore 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:11.140 the purpose of your identity is not found within you, but without you or outside of you and 00:04:11.220 --> 00:04:11.700 found in him. 00:04:12.300 --> 00:04:19.320 And you know, as I thought about this, one of the one of the incredible thoughts, I think 00:04:19.320 --> 00:04:26.500 even in our culture today, that when we just because of the position we have found ourselves or the trajectory of our culture now, 00:04:26.760 --> 00:04:34.120 I mean, even in these two terms of pride and humility, there is a there's a thought that I just have had resonated with in my mind that the man saying 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:38.800 this sounds shocking in our culture, but I don't mean it to be maligning or attacking anybody. 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:41.030 But it's the reality. 00:04:41.060 --> 00:04:48.100 And I think it's important just to remind us as God's people, that the way that we choose to live our lives in light of the Lord is just going to be different than the world. 00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:49.260 Right? 00:04:49.280 --> 00:04:51.780 When we want to identify in Jesus, it's going to be different in the world. 00:04:52.400 --> 00:04:54.340 And saying something like this can be shocking. 00:04:55.100 --> 00:04:57.520 Pride is not a virtue. 00:04:58.840 --> 00:05:00.010 Pride is not a virtue. 00:05:01.140 --> 00:05:05.000 Somehow in our culture today, we've even created a month about that. 00:05:06.080 --> 00:05:09.260 And it's not it's not about trying to attack or malign people. 00:05:09.280 --> 00:05:16.760 It's just to simply recognize where did we get to the place where that becomes when we start to celebrate the idea of pride, when the Bible is very clear. 00:05:18.060 --> 00:05:20.410 That it's not something that we should identify ourselves in. 00:05:21.780 --> 00:05:24.320 It's not a virtue, and that should not be shocking to us. 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:28.500 But yeah, that's where we are as a culture today. 00:05:31.140 --> 00:05:33.740 God didn't create us for self autonomy. 00:05:35.620 --> 00:05:36.860 But for his glory. 00:05:38.080 --> 00:05:42.140 And finding our identity in him and living for that purpose. 00:05:42.200 --> 00:05:49.420 In fact, in modeling after Jesus and Philippians two, it says this Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. 00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:49.880 That's pride. 00:05:49.880 --> 00:05:50.890 That's all about yourself. 00:05:50.900 --> 00:05:51.900 It's arrogance. 00:05:53.380 --> 00:05:53.900 But in humility. 00:05:55.840 --> 00:06:00.660 Count others more significant than your selves. 00:06:02.140 --> 00:06:04.680 Now there is I don't have time to dive into all this. 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:05.780 There is a sense of false humility. 00:06:07.060 --> 00:06:14.320 But we're talking in terms of biblical humility, someone that confidently finds their identity in God, which is the only reason then you 00:06:14.320 --> 00:06:15.220 can serve others. 00:06:15.820 --> 00:06:22.940 Proud people do not have the benefit of doing that because they need others to make them feel important, because they're elevating themselves, because they see life 00:06:22.940 --> 00:06:23.840 about their glory. 00:06:23.880 --> 00:06:27.240 And so they need the constant reminder from others what makes them so special? 00:06:30.400 --> 00:06:33.520 But people that walk in true biblical humility. 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:42.000 We are able to live a life of service to others because they have found their true identity and the reason they were created through through their 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:49.050 creator and not just as a creator, but also a Savior who pursued them with his life and gave his very life for them. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:52.760 John Piper says it like this. 00:06:54.440 --> 00:06:56.720 The basic reason for this is not hard to find. 00:06:57.980 --> 00:07:00.840 Humility can only survive in the presence of God. 00:07:02.100 --> 00:07:04.120 When God goes, humility goes. 00:07:04.120 --> 00:07:07.960 In fact, you might say that humility follows God like a shadow. 00:07:08.700 --> 00:07:16.520 We can expect to find humility applauded in our society about as often as we find God applauded. 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:26.360 And in our culture today, we typically find if you want to find the purpose of your life, look deeper within yourself, look, 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:27.780 look further within yourself. 00:07:27.840 --> 00:07:31.000 But it's no wonder, as a society, we tend to struggle. 00:07:31.280 --> 00:07:35.880 And this is not in every case but with depression, because when we look deeper within ourselves. 00:07:36.540 --> 00:07:41.700 What we find is that we can't satisfy ourselves because we weren't created for ourselves. 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:45.440 It's not until you look outside of yourself. 00:07:46.960 --> 00:07:49.620 Looking to the one who created you that you discover meaningfulness. 00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:56.000 And the second Corinthians, Paul is laying this out for us. 00:07:57.100 --> 00:08:00.420 The pride of the religious leaders and where that leads to. 00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:06.380 Against his position of humility demonstrated in his weakness. 00:08:06.440 --> 00:08:09.920 And it is it is incredible how Paul, he builds this up. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:17.200 We're going to see this in these passes where he builds this up or it almost looks like he's about to go toe to toe against these religious leaders 00:08:17.200 --> 00:08:20.320 fighting in the exact arena that they're in. 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:22.140 But all of a sudden, he just turns course. 00:08:22.280 --> 00:08:29.240 And it's profound how Paul does this, but he starts off in this first passage, verse 16 to 18, we're going to see this together. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:30.640 How pride destroys. 00:08:30.640 --> 00:08:31.160 Look at this. 00:08:31.540 --> 00:08:34.860 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. 00:08:34.940 --> 00:08:39.820 He's saying, just as he started at the very beginning of this chapter, he talked about this idea of foolishness. 00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:41.400 He's back to repeating this again. 00:08:41.460 --> 00:08:44.020 So I repeat, let no one think me foolish. 00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:46.000 He doesn't want to be perceived as being foolish. 00:08:46.340 --> 00:08:48.440 But even if you do, he's okay with it, right? 00:08:48.700 --> 00:08:50.180 Except me as a fool. 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:51.080 That's fine, Paul. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:53.940 Saying you guys have already been in this arena. 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:55.520 I'm about to go toe to toe with these people. 00:08:55.520 --> 00:09:01.220 And since you're familiar with these religious leaders, I'm just going to step onto the same platform that they're that they are on. 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:01.480 Right. 00:09:01.680 --> 00:09:08.720 I'm going to meet you where you're at, which, by the way, is very wise when you engage people in this world with the Lord as you go in this world and you 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:14.220 represent God, it's finding mutual ground with people as a basis for discussion is important. 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:22.020 And that's exactly what Paul is doing here, except me as a fool, so that I may I too may boast a little what I'm saying with this boastful 00:09:22.020 --> 00:09:29.140 confidence, I say not as the Lord would, but as a fool, since many boast according to the flesh, I too 00:09:29.140 --> 00:09:29.540 will boast. 00:09:29.560 --> 00:09:36.460 So, he says in verse 18, Look, since since the religious leaders are already used to doing this with you, I'm just going to go ahead and jump on this. 00:09:36.520 --> 00:09:38.400 And this is where we're going to start from in this discussion. 00:09:39.220 --> 00:09:43.800 But he says something interesting in verse 17, and I've heard people ask questions about this passage. 00:09:44.260 --> 00:09:47.880 You know, he's saying he's saying this, but not as the Lord would say. 00:09:47.980 --> 00:09:54.640 This show is about to teach us something that Jesus doesn't want us to know, like, is this contrary to what Christ would say? 00:09:54.640 --> 00:09:56.520 And that's not that's what Paul's saying here. 00:09:56.520 --> 00:09:58.940 He's not saying, look, I'm going to teach you something, not biblical. 00:09:58.980 --> 00:10:00.080 God would never say this. 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:00.940 I'm just going to say this. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:01.860 That's not what he's saying. 00:10:01.900 --> 00:10:09.540 But what instead what he's saying is, look, Jesus hasn't directly taught this type of way, but he's 00:10:09.540 --> 00:10:10.160 going to teach us. 00:10:10.160 --> 00:10:11.800 It doesn't make what he's about to say is ungodly. 00:10:12.560 --> 00:10:17.260 He's just saying that this isn't a direct teaching from Christ, but he is teaching in light of Christ. 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:17.910 Does that make sense? 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:19.260 So this is still a godly thing. 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:24.140 He doesn't hear Jesus specifically say this, but he's still teaching the truth of Christ. 00:10:24.160 --> 00:10:24.860 That's what Paul is saying. 00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:27.100 He's done this a few times in his letters. 00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:28.120 You'll see Paul say this. 00:10:28.340 --> 00:10:30.520 I've never heard Jesus say this specifically, but. 00:10:30.760 --> 00:10:33.600 But this is godly according to what Christ desires for us to know. 00:10:33.660 --> 00:10:35.420 And this is what Paul's saying in this passage. 00:10:35.880 --> 00:10:43.000 And then he goes on to explain, and this is what you guys are used to verse 19 for you gladly bear 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:45.520 with fools being wise yourself. 00:10:46.760 --> 00:10:53.180 This is kind of like a really a mic drop moment for the Apostle Paul saying, that's fine, I'll step in the platform of being fool. 00:10:53.220 --> 00:10:56.020 I mean, you guys are just used to put up, putting up with fools. 00:10:56.140 --> 00:10:57.820 You guys think you're so smart. 00:10:58.100 --> 00:11:01.980 He's using what we call sarcasm, right? 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:09.540 The circumstance when you say the opposite of what's really true in order to make a pointed statement, this can be one 00:11:09.540 --> 00:11:16.920 of the most cutting ways to make a direct hit in really what you're trying to communicate to 00:11:16.920 --> 00:11:17.480 people. 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:22.610 Or this is not something that should just be characterized by the life of a Christian. 00:11:23.060 --> 00:11:29.980 But Paul here just sees it as important because the crowd has become dull to where these religious leaders are taking them. 00:11:30.020 --> 00:11:31.780 And Paul's just trying to shock them back to life. 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:34.180 You want me to talk like a fool? 00:11:34.180 --> 00:11:34.420 Fine. 00:11:34.420 --> 00:11:35.100 I'll talk like a fool. 00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:36.530 You guys are used to putting up with fools. 00:11:37.060 --> 00:11:37.860 Think you're so smart. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:40.020 That's what he's saying. 00:11:41.140 --> 00:11:41.140 This. 00:11:41.140 --> 00:11:41.700 This passage. 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:48.740 Then he goes on in verse 20 and he tells them how for you bear it if someone makes slaves of you. 00:11:49.560 --> 00:11:50.200 Or devours you. 00:11:51.340 --> 00:11:57.640 Or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or strikes you in the face. 00:11:58.020 --> 00:12:00.960 To my shame, I might say we were too weak for that. 00:12:02.300 --> 00:12:07.080 And Paul's looking at these guys and saying, Look, you guys are so used to putting up with foolish things. 00:12:07.270 --> 00:12:13.760 You're putting up with people that have enslaved you, that have exploited you, that have entrapped you, that have dominated you. 00:12:13.780 --> 00:12:17.420 They've publicly humiliated you, and they've even smacked you in the face. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:19.820 And why would you put up with that? 00:12:22.380 --> 00:12:25.760 Even if it's under the guise of religion. 00:12:25.760 --> 00:12:26.990 I mean, why would you. 00:12:27.160 --> 00:12:28.540 That doesn't make it better. 00:12:28.580 --> 00:12:29.520 In fact, it's worse. 00:12:31.580 --> 00:12:32.740 And you think this is godly? 00:12:35.940 --> 00:12:37.460 And Paul's beginning to shape here. 00:12:38.980 --> 00:12:40.850 Really the identity of the religious leaders. 00:12:43.420 --> 00:12:45.560 Why would someone behave like that towards you? 00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:49.230 And why do you think that's so great? 00:12:49.260 --> 00:12:51.100 And why do you keep putting them on a platform? 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:55.120 They're exploiting you. 00:12:55.760 --> 00:12:56.540 Not for you. 00:12:58.600 --> 00:12:59.320 But for yourself. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.680 This religious system they've brought to you is all about their boasting. 00:13:07.540 --> 00:13:14.680 They've come under the guise of religion as if it looks humble, but in reality they are pursuing their individual glory 00:13:14.680 --> 00:13:17.820 and taking advantage of you to do it. 00:13:21.140 --> 00:13:22.840 Don't you see Paul saying pride? 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:24.850 How it even destroys. 00:13:27.400 --> 00:13:34.540 And Paul even tells us in the very next verse, verse 21, at least the first half, he's saying, good on you for tolerating 00:13:34.540 --> 00:13:34.900 that. 00:13:34.900 --> 00:13:37.420 I guess I wouldn't even put up with that. 00:13:39.780 --> 00:13:41.130 Why do you think that's so beneficial? 00:13:43.380 --> 00:13:50.750 And in fact, in Galatians chapter two, verse four, Paul writes in Galatia, he's dealing with the same type of religious people. 00:13:50.760 --> 00:13:53.480 Paul had these individuals follow them throughout his ministry. 00:13:53.900 --> 00:14:00.920 These are Jewish religious leaders that go around and they start to tell people why not why they shouldn't listen to the Apostle Paul. 00:14:00.920 --> 00:14:03.100 He's such a bad leader, why they should listen to them. 00:14:03.100 --> 00:14:10.260 They start to make argument for what makes them such great Jewish religious leaders that they need to belong to and obey the law and elevate 00:14:10.260 --> 00:14:11.310 these individuals. 00:14:11.760 --> 00:14:14.380 And Paul, he's made the case against them constantly. 00:14:14.400 --> 00:14:15.830 It starts in the Book of Galatians. 00:14:15.880 --> 00:14:21.600 That's one of the first letters the Apostle Paul writes, and it says in chapter two, verse four, religious people. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:24.840 They will spy out your freedom and Jesus. 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:27.100 And they will try to enslave you. 00:14:30.660 --> 00:14:34.280 And it's all about man made boasting and pride. 00:14:36.420 --> 00:14:37.240 You do this work? 00:14:38.800 --> 00:14:45.420 So that you can look good to yourself and to others and be able to boast yourself in your arrogance before God. 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:48.100 And Paul saying, Fine, you want me to play there? 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:48.620 We'll play there. 00:14:48.620 --> 00:14:52.000 But I just want you to consider what this leads to in your life. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:53.320 This is all about you. 00:14:53.320 --> 00:15:00.520 It might be hidden under the name of God, but it's still all about you because it's about your performance, your works, your glory, what you've done. 00:15:04.060 --> 00:15:05.120 So then Paul says. 00:15:06.540 --> 00:15:07.300 Second half of this. 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:08.620 First he wants to teach us about. 00:15:09.920 --> 00:15:11.100 The power of humility. 00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:17.600 At the end of the day, these religious people will put themselves first and look for themselves alone. 00:15:17.640 --> 00:15:21.520 But he wants us to consider the power of humility and look how he does. 00:15:21.580 --> 00:15:22.840 This is this is incredible. 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:26.790 Paul begins by defending his Jewish upbringing. 00:15:26.800 --> 00:15:33.920 He goes on from this verse 21, he says, But whatever anyone else dares to boast of, 00:15:34.900 --> 00:15:35.980 I am speaking as a fool. 00:15:36.980 --> 00:15:38.860 I also dare to boast of that. 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:41.680 And then he begins in the same place that they are. 00:15:41.680 --> 00:15:41.800 Right? 00:15:41.820 --> 00:15:43.920 These Jewish leaders come in, they're like, Look at me. 00:15:44.280 --> 00:15:45.980 We're more Jewish than Paul. 00:15:46.380 --> 00:15:49.040 And now Paul is having to defend his Jewishness. 00:15:49.620 --> 00:15:50.250 That is incredible. 00:15:51.060 --> 00:15:53.060 Paul is defending his Jewishness. 00:15:53.140 --> 00:15:55.900 You can think there is no one more Jewish than Paul. 00:15:55.900 --> 00:16:01.160 Paul tells us that in Philippians chapter three, that's how he starts in Galatians chapter one, verse 13 to 23. 00:16:01.180 --> 00:16:05.920 If you read that, Paul, Paul tells us he was to the point he was so zealous, he was persecuting the church. 00:16:05.940 --> 00:16:13.060 I mean, if you just read Acts Chapter eight of Paul talks about how zealous he was for the 00:16:13.060 --> 00:16:18.120 Jewish faith, and he says in verse 22, Are they Hebrews talking about the religious leaders? 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:18.500 So am I. 00:16:18.500 --> 00:16:19.050 Are they Israelites? 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:20.280 So am I. 00:16:20.280 --> 00:16:21.240 Are they offspring of Abraham? 00:16:21.270 --> 00:16:22.120 So am I. 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:23.250 So here's what Paul is saying. 00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:26.120 I mean, there's a few different types of Jewish people in Paul's day. 00:16:26.420 --> 00:16:29.680 There's Hellenistic Jews, which means that they've embraced Greek culture. 00:16:30.260 --> 00:16:31.390 And Paul is saying, I'm not those. 00:16:31.700 --> 00:16:32.880 You wouldn't know how Jewish I am. 00:16:33.040 --> 00:16:33.800 I'm so Jewish. 00:16:33.800 --> 00:16:34.940 I'm Palestinian, Jewish. 00:16:34.940 --> 00:16:35.700 And I speak Hebrew. 00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:37.240 I'm not Greek speaking Jew. 00:16:37.400 --> 00:16:38.600 I'm Hebrew speaking Jew. 00:16:38.600 --> 00:16:38.880 Right. 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:41.010 My ethnicity, I am definitely an Israel. 00:16:41.220 --> 00:16:45.300 As far as my devotion to Jewish law, I've been circumcised of the seed of Abraham. 00:16:45.300 --> 00:16:46.720 You don't get any more Jewish than this. 00:16:46.860 --> 00:16:48.360 That's why that's what Paul is saying there. 00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:51.580 So these guys that think they're better than me and nobody's going to top that. 00:16:54.020 --> 00:16:56.520 And then Paul goes on from there. 00:16:57.800 --> 00:17:02.660 He begins to share a little bit further about his position in Jesus. 00:17:02.680 --> 00:17:09.000 And he says, he says in verse 23, and then he goes on, Are they servants of Christ? 00:17:10.760 --> 00:17:11.380 I am a better. 00:17:13.260 --> 00:17:14.660 I'm talking like a mad man. 00:17:14.680 --> 00:17:21.920 Paul recognizes how crazy this is with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:23.400 countless beatings. 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:25.700 There's an essay on the end of that, right? 00:17:25.760 --> 00:17:28.339 And you think, How far are you willing to go for Jesus? 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:33.760 And Paul doesn't said in one time I was beat and he and he wore his medal for the rest of his life. 00:17:33.760 --> 00:17:35.260 You know how valiant he was. 00:17:35.260 --> 00:17:36.580 There's an ass there. 00:17:36.580 --> 00:17:37.840 And often near death. 00:17:38.020 --> 00:17:43.140 And five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 40 lashes less one. 00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:45.340 And he goes on three times. 00:17:45.340 --> 00:17:46.460 I was beaten with rods. 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:52.000 Once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked a night in the day I was adrift at sea. 00:17:52.020 --> 00:17:53.640 And have you ever you ever read the Book of Acts? 00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:56.720 You know, the Book of Acts ends with this or gets as it gets to the end. 00:17:56.720 --> 00:18:03.620 Paul is in this shipwreck at the end of Acts, and that shipwreck is not even has not even happened in this timeline when this letter is written. 00:18:03.620 --> 00:18:06.700 So Paul gets shipwrecked even another time after this. 00:18:06.700 --> 00:18:08.300 So he's been shipwrecked at night. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:15.620 In the day I was adrift at sea, on frequent journeys and in dangers from rivers and dangers from robbers and dangers from my own people. 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:23.400 And you think when Paul talks about dangers from rivers, let's say, in this passage like or on these journeys, 00:18:24.220 --> 00:18:29.370 when you read about dangers in rivers, you might ask why in the world what's so dangerous about a river like rivers? 00:18:29.420 --> 00:18:30.220 Don't hunt people. 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:30.940 Really. 00:18:30.980 --> 00:18:32.700 That's not a it's not a thing to be afraid of. 00:18:32.700 --> 00:18:39.900 But you remember in Paul's day, if you wanted to cross a river like you might be in a region and think, well, I know they built a bridge. 00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:41.320 I heard at least 15 miles upstream. 00:18:41.320 --> 00:18:45.580 And there's another there's another bridge 15 miles downstream. 00:18:45.580 --> 00:18:51.240 But I've got to walk a day down and a day back up just to be able to cross where I am on the river. 00:18:51.600 --> 00:18:58.180 And so you're left with deciding, are you going to make that journey and that rickety bridge that someone may have built, or are you just going to cross the river? 00:18:58.180 --> 00:19:00.040 And if you're traveling in the spring, that's difficult. 00:19:00.060 --> 00:19:04.860 And if you're off a typical beaten path, maybe it's a smaller caravan that you're with. 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:08.080 I mean, people, bandits would hang out in the woods and rob you. 00:19:08.520 --> 00:19:15.580 Yet Paul went on these journeys for the sake of the gospel, and he was in danger for my own people and danger from the Gentiles and danger 00:19:15.580 --> 00:19:22.600 in the city and danger in the wilderness and danger at the sea and danger from false brothers and toil and hardship though 00:19:22.600 --> 00:19:28.620 many sleepless nights and hunger and thirst, often without food in cold and exposure. 00:19:30.520 --> 00:19:33.680 Now, this is, I think, incredible what Paul does here. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:39.570 And he starts off in saying, I'm going to boast about how great I am. 00:19:40.080 --> 00:19:42.450 And he starts to relate himself to the religious leaders. 00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:42.820 Right. 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:45.260 And here they are in their pride, talking about all the things that make them great. 00:19:45.280 --> 00:19:47.260 And they're coming in and saying, look how Jewish I am. 00:19:47.260 --> 00:19:48.280 I'm super Jewish, right? 00:19:48.280 --> 00:19:49.370 This makes me so good. 00:19:49.500 --> 00:19:51.480 You should you should listen to me and they start to brag. 00:19:51.560 --> 00:19:58.930 And we've seen in previous chapters, they talk about how eloquent they are in speech and how attractive and charismatic they are when they're before people. 00:19:59.020 --> 00:20:00.570 And look at Paul, he's poor. 00:20:00.600 --> 00:20:02.380 You don't want you don't want what Paul's like. 00:20:02.380 --> 00:20:03.540 How could God be with that? 00:20:03.540 --> 00:20:04.120 Look at this guy. 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:05.880 He's struggling, right? 00:20:05.880 --> 00:20:06.980 That can't be godly. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:11.700 And now when Paul comes to this place where he really starts boasting about himself, you know what he does? 00:20:13.640 --> 00:20:17.180 He doesn't talk about things that he doesn't talk about his accolades, the things that make him great. 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:20.300 He talks about his suffering. 00:20:23.580 --> 00:20:29.880 Paul talks about a suffering and that would if you're reading this story in this first century, that would give you a moment of pause, wouldn't it? 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:32.170 You're like, okay, Paul, you're going to tell us how great you are. 00:20:32.260 --> 00:20:33.440 Let's fine, let's let's hear it. 00:20:33.800 --> 00:20:35.500 And then he starts to describe all these horrible things. 00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:36.400 You'd be like, wait a minute. 00:20:36.420 --> 00:20:37.120 What? 00:20:37.380 --> 00:20:40.320 How does this how does this make you great? 00:20:40.320 --> 00:20:42.180 And you think of all the things Paul could say. 00:20:42.180 --> 00:20:47.640 He could say, I was educated under Gamaliel, the greatest of the rabbi of my day. 00:20:47.660 --> 00:20:51.190 That's who taught me directly, directly of the Jewish people. 00:20:51.320 --> 00:20:52.820 I was the elite of the elite. 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:55.080 I persecuted the church. 00:20:55.120 --> 00:20:56.270 You want to know how Jewish I am? 00:20:56.440 --> 00:20:58.970 That's how that's how much I push things forward. 00:20:59.080 --> 00:21:00.600 And then he could have even gone on from there. 00:21:00.600 --> 00:21:05.970 And when I followed Christ, I mean, just look at the cities I've gone to and the churches that have been built and established. 00:21:07.080 --> 00:21:11.360 He could have all day long just been bragging about his journeys and the success that he saw. 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:13.720 But what does he do? 00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:20.300 He chooses to find his identity in suffering. 00:21:22.860 --> 00:21:25.040 That. 00:21:26.320 --> 00:21:26.940 Is incredible. 00:21:29.540 --> 00:21:36.580 Because in finding his identity in his suffering, Paul is starting to help us understand how much he wants his life to 00:21:36.580 --> 00:21:37.640 be aligned with Jesus. 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:43.040 Because Jesus did the same thing for us. 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:46.660 It's not about putting himself before anybody. 00:21:48.200 --> 00:21:53.860 It's about making his life a servant to the one who came as the greatest servant that we could find. 00:21:54.100 --> 00:21:55.760 Freedom. 00:21:56.380 --> 00:22:03.560 And Jesus even told his disciples in Matthew, chapter ten, verse 16, It's where really He ordained the first 00:22:03.800 --> 00:22:04.180 disciples. 00:22:04.220 --> 00:22:11.240 The first apostles to send them out is a night he spends in prayer, and then he points the first 12 to go out and 00:22:11.240 --> 00:22:11.980 represent the Lord. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:14.100 You know what Jesus says to them right after this? 00:22:14.180 --> 00:22:17.240 This celebratory moment where Jesus picks his first 12. 00:22:18.360 --> 00:22:19.620 He says, now go die. 00:22:19.700 --> 00:22:20.970 I mean, that's essentially what he says. 00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:23.360 And this is going to be hard and here's how it's going to be hard. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:26.780 And he tells them he's like, I'm sending you out a sheep in the midst of wolves. 00:22:26.860 --> 00:22:29.320 So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 00:22:29.320 --> 00:22:33.410 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues. 00:22:33.760 --> 00:22:39.320 And you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 00:22:39.320 --> 00:22:40.180 Verse 21. 00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:47.280 Brother will deliver your brother over to death, and the father, his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to 00:22:47.280 --> 00:22:47.900 death. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:50.410 And you will be hated by all for my namesake. 00:22:50.740 --> 00:22:57.540 And then verse 25, it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. 00:22:57.800 --> 00:23:04.660 If they have called you the master of the household Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household? 00:23:06.940 --> 00:23:09.530 That'll take the wind right out of the party line. 00:23:11.330 --> 00:23:12.800 Everyone, this is great. 00:23:12.820 --> 00:23:13.180 We picked them. 00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:13.860 Okay. 00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:15.980 You know, here's what's before you. 00:23:16.340 --> 00:23:17.140 He shares this. 00:23:17.360 --> 00:23:18.180 This struggle with him. 00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:19.720 In fact, Paul. 00:23:19.940 --> 00:23:20.520 Paul's going to go. 00:23:20.520 --> 00:23:21.920 And we're going to see more of this next week. 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:26.690 And I would say next week we get the privilege of talking about the third heaven, what that even means. 00:23:27.100 --> 00:23:34.260 And I think next week, as we lean into the next the next section of this passage, there's a lot of people that use what next week 00:23:34.260 --> 00:23:36.100 will be in Chapter 12, beginning of Chapter 12. 00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:37.600 Paul continues this theme. 00:23:38.120 --> 00:23:40.520 Many people pick that as really a life verse. 00:23:40.860 --> 00:23:40.860 But. 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:43.300 But Paul wants us to see in this. 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:47.220 That identity in Jesus is not about boasting in you. 00:23:49.300 --> 00:23:49.940 Identity. 00:23:49.960 --> 00:23:52.140 And Jesus is found in your willingness to surrender to. 00:23:54.600 --> 00:23:56.560 And the reality is there is there is a struggle. 00:23:58.460 --> 00:23:59.480 There is a struggle in that. 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:00.620 There is a battle in that. 00:24:00.620 --> 00:24:03.120 There is even suffering in that. 00:24:03.600 --> 00:24:04.020 How? 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:06.900 How can the believer do that? 00:24:07.840 --> 00:24:11.960 And Paul Paul says these last couple of verses and I'll tell you how in just a minute. 00:24:12.040 --> 00:24:15.580 But second Corinthians Chapter 11, he goes on and says, Verse 28. 00:24:16.740 --> 00:24:24.960 And apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches who 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:25.500 was weak. 00:24:27.100 --> 00:24:28.160 And I am not weak. 00:24:29.100 --> 00:24:30.020 Who is made to fall. 00:24:30.820 --> 00:24:31.840 And I am not indignant. 00:24:33.320 --> 00:24:33.910 It's Paul saying. 00:24:34.100 --> 00:24:35.280 You want to know what my boasting is? 00:24:36.040 --> 00:24:36.850 It's seen in my humility. 00:24:38.820 --> 00:24:41.600 I am a servant of Christ, and that is the way I desire to be labeled. 00:24:41.740 --> 00:24:44.180 When you think of me, think of servant, not my accolades. 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:47.330 That's where and when I read this passage. 00:24:47.420 --> 00:24:54.160 One of the things that's so incredible to me is if Paul goes this entire list of all the things that he's gone through to suffer for the Lord. 00:24:55.120 --> 00:24:59.340 And then he says, and then apart from all that, you want to know what really weighs on me? 00:25:00.600 --> 00:25:01.260 It's the church. 00:25:02.760 --> 00:25:03.460 It's God's people. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:06.120 I've gone through all of this in Corinth. 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:06.610 You know what? 00:25:06.680 --> 00:25:08.430 I carry on my heart most of all? 00:25:09.300 --> 00:25:09.660 It's you. 00:25:10.860 --> 00:25:11.280 That's you. 00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:15.090 And when I read this passage, this always reminds me of a meme. 00:25:15.320 --> 00:25:16.200 I don't know. 00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:19.440 But when I think about being in ministry as a pastor. 00:25:20.040 --> 00:25:20.520 Right. 00:25:20.560 --> 00:25:22.540 Who said pastoring a church is stressful? 00:25:22.540 --> 00:25:24.270 I'm 42 and I feel great. 00:25:24.760 --> 00:25:32.960 That's you know, you think about you could go through physical things but in life and you know this you can't really weigh emotional 00:25:32.960 --> 00:25:37.120 mental suffering or the struggle just where you're at physically. 00:25:37.120 --> 00:25:40.900 Sometimes you see what people go through, but emotionally, mentally, not always. 00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:42.000 And let me just say this. 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:44.720 I'm not using this meme as like an I'm a pastor. 00:25:44.720 --> 00:25:45.460 Feel bad for me. 00:25:45.460 --> 00:25:45.860 I don't. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:47.480 Let's not care about that for a minute. 00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:49.000 But let me say this to you. 00:25:50.320 --> 00:25:51.300 God calls all of you. 00:25:52.420 --> 00:25:53.060 To shepherd somewhere. 00:25:55.780 --> 00:25:59.000 God calls you to minister to the hearts of people around you. 00:25:59.800 --> 00:26:03.320 And when you carry the heart of Jesus for them, you wear that. 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:05.100 You wear that? 00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:08.150 And it's a battle and it's a struggle. 00:26:08.360 --> 00:26:15.380 But it's also a reflection of what Christ has done in you and what Christ wants to do through you. 00:26:17.100 --> 00:26:19.600 And it's a beautiful picture that Paul paints. 00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:24.860 That even as this church has not been the easiest for Paul to work with. 00:26:25.240 --> 00:26:29.000 In fact, I would say the Corinthian church was probably the worst church in the New Testament. 00:26:30.600 --> 00:26:31.960 He never quit on him. 00:26:34.780 --> 00:26:35.620 He never gave up on. 00:26:38.120 --> 00:26:41.420 And I think for Paul, his only reason for that. 00:26:42.900 --> 00:26:46.240 It's because he didn't find his identity in his own self made pride. 00:26:49.020 --> 00:26:51.960 He found his identity as he humbly walked with Jesus. 00:26:54.200 --> 00:26:56.100 I guess the same is true for us. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:01.560 We will not do or be who God calls us to be, or what God calls us to do in this world without that. 00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:08.100 Without really finding our identity in Jesus and humbly walking in it. 00:27:09.100 --> 00:27:11.470 So at the end of your notes, there's just a couple of blinks there, a few blinks. 00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:12.720 I want you to be able to fill out. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:18.980 If you picked up notes this morning as we humbly identify in Christ, let me just give you five advantages that we find in that. 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:21.860 Number one, these will not be on the screen, but. 00:27:22.820 --> 00:27:23.200 Number one. 00:27:24.940 --> 00:27:28.200 We get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:32.280 We get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 00:27:34.020 --> 00:27:41.120 You know, I tell this to us every once in a while, but you can endure incredible adversity as 00:27:41.120 --> 00:27:41.900 long as you have hope. 00:27:44.540 --> 00:27:47.100 And with Christ, you have a hope that never ends. 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:52.840 We can we can get we get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 00:27:53.340 --> 00:28:00.280 It's a love where Paul went with at the end of this passage and just describing everything that he went through in his life. 00:28:00.320 --> 00:28:05.800 And the reason I think he did that is it is difficult to fake your following for Jesus when you're suffering. 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:12.160 It is difficult to fake a following of Jesus when you suffer for it. 00:28:13.180 --> 00:28:14.530 Let me ask it another way. 00:28:14.760 --> 00:28:18.080 How do you know your faith in Jesus is genuine unless it cost you something. 00:28:19.120 --> 00:28:21.620 Anyone can follow Jesus when it's easy to follow Jesus. 00:28:22.900 --> 00:28:29.400 It's not until your pursuit of Christ really costs you something that the genuineness of your relationship with Jesus supersedes anything else in life. 00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:34.920 That's what that communicates to you and you impulse saying this look church, these other people, they're just taking advantage of you. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:36.360 When it gets hard, you know where they're going to be. 00:28:36.360 --> 00:28:36.910 They're going to go. 00:28:37.140 --> 00:28:37.680 They're gone. 00:28:39.580 --> 00:28:41.100 But I'm not I'm not quitting. 00:28:41.100 --> 00:28:44.840 And here's how, I'm not quitting because I have given my life for this. 00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:47.280 And look what I've gone through. 00:28:47.280 --> 00:28:49.020 And I am not about to turn away now. 00:28:50.500 --> 00:28:54.380 And the reason Paul does this is because he's found his identity in Christ. 00:28:54.480 --> 00:29:00.000 And therefore, because of that, he gets comfortable with being uncomfortable when inside has peace. 00:29:02.140 --> 00:29:09.880 You can live for the Lord and we find that peace through Christ, power, Christ presence, Christ promises. 00:29:11.540 --> 00:29:12.340 He's always with you. 00:29:13.760 --> 00:29:15.040 God knows where you are. 00:29:15.040 --> 00:29:16.360 He knows what you need. 00:29:16.360 --> 00:29:17.600 And he is not going anywhere. 00:29:18.940 --> 00:29:25.940 When you choose to rest in your position in Jesus because of his promise and his presence, that becomes your hope because 00:29:25.940 --> 00:29:27.580 you know you will never lose. 00:29:28.360 --> 00:29:34.420 And so no matter what you go through in life, you can you can get comfortable with being uncomfortable because, in Christ, you win. 00:29:34.520 --> 00:29:36.120 We'll talk more about that in just a minute. 00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:39.640 But then but then point number two, in your notes, we respond with empathy and hardship. 00:29:41.140 --> 00:29:44.340 We can respond because of that with empathy in hardship. 00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:45.580 So the blink is empathy there. 00:29:46.460 --> 00:29:51.980 When your life feels like it's barely surviving and in chaos, it's difficult to think beyond yourself. 00:29:55.100 --> 00:30:02.200 When you feel like your lack, when you're not adequate, like you're looking to other things to help you feel important, to survive, to sustain anything you can write because 00:30:02.280 --> 00:30:03.730 you've been taught, look within yourself. 00:30:03.740 --> 00:30:04.520 It's all about you. 00:30:04.520 --> 00:30:05.420 What makes you happy? 00:30:06.060 --> 00:30:08.970 Maybe not you specifically, but culture teaches us that. 00:30:10.360 --> 00:30:12.020 But when you find your identity in Jesus. 00:30:13.340 --> 00:30:20.420 God who pursued you, who created you, who gave his life for you when you surrender to that, his promise, his presence in your life and find your identity 00:30:20.420 --> 00:30:21.060 there. 00:30:21.060 --> 00:30:23.140 You find your life filled in him. 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:27.460 And then not only not now, are you not looking to the things of this world to fill your life. 00:30:27.720 --> 00:30:32.460 Now you can look beyond you to bless other people because you've found everything that you desire and need within Christ. 00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:35.320 And therefore you can be empathetic towards others. 00:30:36.800 --> 00:30:37.780 That was not the religious people. 00:30:39.280 --> 00:30:42.360 Religious people you saw described in verse 20 and their pride. 00:30:42.380 --> 00:30:44.760 They were enslaving people and trapping people. 00:30:44.780 --> 00:30:46.990 They were taking advantage of people. 00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:48.900 Because it was about them. 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.440 Number three, we see ourselves as victors, not victims. 00:30:54.920 --> 00:30:56.870 We see ourselves as victors, not victims. 00:30:57.100 --> 00:31:02.920 I know in our culture today it is getting more and more popular to just wear a label of a victim. 00:31:02.980 --> 00:31:05.840 And I'm not saying in life we are not victimized by certain things. 00:31:06.140 --> 00:31:08.440 I want to be sensitive to that. 00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:15.640 I know we go through difficult things in life, but I do want us to know in Jesus that we are ultimately victors in 00:31:15.640 --> 00:31:16.080 this world. 00:31:17.420 --> 00:31:18.000 Proud people. 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:24.020 It can only ever be victims because they find their boasting and accolades and things. 00:31:24.100 --> 00:31:28.900 And if they lose those things because their identity was there, once they're lost, they are just in constant suffering. 00:31:28.900 --> 00:31:29.690 They're forever victims. 00:31:32.340 --> 00:31:37.010 But people that find their ultimate identity in Jesus, they may lose some things in this world, but they know in Christ. 00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:38.340 None of it is ever lost. 00:31:40.500 --> 00:31:42.320 They know how the story ends. 00:31:43.800 --> 00:31:45.880 You and Jesus are a victor. 00:31:45.900 --> 00:31:47.700 And this is where Paul rested his life. 00:31:47.740 --> 00:31:51.740 Number four is this We find strength to take responsibility. 00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:55.830 And I would say even in Paul's case, even extreme responsibility. 00:31:56.520 --> 00:31:58.890 I mean, Jesus told us in the beginning when we're created. 00:31:59.720 --> 00:32:06.800 He told Adam and Eve, go into this world and bless, take responsibility of life around you and let the goodness of Christ come 00:32:06.800 --> 00:32:08.720 through your life to bless people around you. 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:10.990 That's that was God's desire for all of creation. 00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:17.680 Because as we find our fulfillment in him, our satisfaction, our identity in him, we can then live for His glory in this world. 00:32:20.540 --> 00:32:21.010 And take responsibility. 00:32:22.840 --> 00:32:25.000 You know, Paul said it to us last last week, right? 00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:29.920 As a spiritual father, he wanted to present us to Christ as a pure virgin to Jesus. 00:32:29.980 --> 00:32:34.290 Paul has taken responsibility of the Church of Corinth when the Church of Corinth didn't even want him around. 00:32:36.820 --> 00:32:38.020 And he endures that hardship. 00:32:38.380 --> 00:32:41.380 And number five is this We are dependable. 00:32:43.120 --> 00:32:43.600 We're dependable. 00:32:46.560 --> 00:32:54.120 Because your identity is resting in Jesus and you find yourself secure as a victor, then you're you become 00:32:54.120 --> 00:33:01.360 reliable in your pursuit for the sake of Christ, to the benefit of others, because you don't need the things of this world 00:33:01.360 --> 00:33:03.060 to find your significance. 00:33:03.080 --> 00:33:06.670 You found all that you need in Christ, and you get to be present for His glory and goodness. 00:33:06.780 --> 00:33:13.880 Can I can I just tell you, when I first moved to Utah, right before I moved to Utah, I actually came out 00:33:13.880 --> 00:33:16.680 here and I did a demographic study of our state. 00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:25.640 And I wanted to find an area in our state that had the least, least percentage of evangelical Christians of anywhere 00:33:25.640 --> 00:33:27.350 that we could put a church. 00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:31.440 And population as far as population density goes. 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:38.620 We landed here in Lehigh and I did a study in our general area thinking there had to have been a church that has 00:33:38.620 --> 00:33:39.290 come here before. 00:33:39.600 --> 00:33:47.000 Like why is there why is there not a freestanding Christian church in our Valley Evangelical Church, a mainstream Christian 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:47.400 church? 00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:48.370 Why can not find? 00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:53.710 And as I did a study, I started to recognize there had been people that had come to Utah and attempted. 00:33:55.080 --> 00:33:56.980 And for whatever reason, they weren't here. 00:33:58.460 --> 00:34:01.940 And as I started to say, I know that we can't control everything that happens to us in our life. 00:34:01.940 --> 00:34:05.540 And so there's some reasons that some churches aren't able to sustain here. 00:34:05.960 --> 00:34:10.360 But as I continue to study, I found there were other reasons, and I wouldn't say they were necessarily godly reasons. 00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:16.270 And as I started to study them, I began to realize if the Lord would allow me to come here to do ministry. 00:34:16.860 --> 00:34:21.980 There are two characteristics I needed to carry in my demeanor as I live for the Lord here. 00:34:23.420 --> 00:34:23.659 One. 00:34:24.280 --> 00:34:25.900 I needed to have godly character. 00:34:27.500 --> 00:34:28.020 And the other. 00:34:28.739 --> 00:34:29.570 I needed to be committed. 00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:36.679 I needed to really come come to the place where I was going to be willing to give my life no matter the cost. 00:34:37.980 --> 00:34:38.860 I needed to be committed. 00:34:41.060 --> 00:34:48.159 And one of the things that I had noticed is individuals would come here and try to see a church but hit a hard spot and 00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:49.340 get discouraged and quit. 00:34:50.540 --> 00:34:54.060 And it just so happened, I grew up as a poor kid with a single mother in West Virginia. 00:34:54.380 --> 00:34:57.240 So God, God gave me a lot of grit growing up. 00:34:58.040 --> 00:35:01.040 And I realized in that moment that God, without me even knowing it. 00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:04.530 How prepared my heart for a place like Utah. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:12.120 And I had just determined that day as I was studying that whatever happened, I was going to have character and commitment. 00:35:13.400 --> 00:35:20.060 And one of the things I found so important about commitment is I realized when I share the gospel with people and people give their lives to Christ. 00:35:21.660 --> 00:35:25.400 People in doing that may turn their back on their friends and family. 00:35:26.840 --> 00:35:29.340 Or at least their friends and family might turn their back on them. 00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:34.720 And when they make that kind of decision for Jesus, I want to be there for them. 00:35:36.040 --> 00:35:39.500 If they're willing to do that for Christ, I want to give my life to serve. 00:35:41.780 --> 00:35:42.320 God's people. 00:35:43.480 --> 00:35:45.140 Can be a people of character and commitment. 00:35:46.600 --> 00:35:51.820 We can walk with that empathy in this world because we're victors, not victims. 00:35:51.900 --> 00:35:52.680 We carry that responsibility. 00:35:53.200 --> 00:35:55.640 We can be dependable, dependable, not because of ourselves. 00:35:57.800 --> 00:35:58.320 But because of him. 00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:00.300 He's dependable. 00:36:02.360 --> 00:36:09.400 And when I think about this story of the Apostle Paul and all the characteristics that we learned about our lives, if we if we were willing to humbly walk with Jesus 00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:11.600 and find our identity there. 00:36:11.700 --> 00:36:14.800 This is not to come before the world boasting or bragging. 00:36:14.840 --> 00:36:16.920 It's just to choose to live this life for God's glory. 00:36:17.600 --> 00:36:21.460 One of the stories that ties all this together for me is in Chapter 16. 00:36:23.060 --> 00:36:28.180 Chapter 16 is where the Apostle Paul goes to the to the Philippine jail. 00:36:29.260 --> 00:36:31.320 You can actually still Google this today. 00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:33.860 The jail that Paul was in Philippi still exists. 00:36:33.880 --> 00:36:34.640 You can look it up online. 00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:35.480 Don't do that right now. 00:36:35.820 --> 00:36:36.620 If you want to do that later, you can. 00:36:38.140 --> 00:36:40.320 But in Act 16, this is where Paul goes to jail. 00:36:40.400 --> 00:36:47.660 And I don't know about you, but if I were ever thrown in jail for my faith in Christ, it tells us in the story that Paul was 00:36:47.660 --> 00:36:49.940 singing to the Lord and worship and praying. 00:36:50.400 --> 00:36:50.560 Right. 00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:53.730 And when I read that, I'm thinking, I already know what he's singing and praying. 00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:54.060 Right? 00:36:54.140 --> 00:36:55.060 He's praying. 00:36:55.120 --> 00:36:56.550 Lord, I just want to go home. 00:36:57.320 --> 00:37:01.500 Just let me out of this place and I just want to lay in my own bed. 00:37:01.620 --> 00:37:02.660 I just want to eat a warm meal. 00:37:03.260 --> 00:37:04.240 And he's singing. 00:37:04.440 --> 00:37:10.600 He can sing in some kind of song about Lord set me free, just whatever the song is, he's probably making it up, but he's singing it. 00:37:10.600 --> 00:37:11.060 He's praying. 00:37:11.120 --> 00:37:12.540 I could just picture that, right? 00:37:12.540 --> 00:37:15.320 Because if I were in jail, that's what I would be singing and praying. 00:37:15.340 --> 00:37:21.000 And then in Chapter 16, all of a sudden, an earthquake happens and it tells us the doors to the jail bust open. 00:37:22.040 --> 00:37:22.900 And Paul has freedom. 00:37:23.900 --> 00:37:26.500 And if you're like me, you would see that you're praying. 00:37:26.500 --> 00:37:29.060 You're like, wow, prayer works, right? 00:37:29.120 --> 00:37:30.660 And you're like, Hey, I'm out of here. 00:37:30.660 --> 00:37:34.080 If you've got anything with you just grab it and go, You're just trying to pull everybody with you. 00:37:34.160 --> 00:37:34.720 We're free. 00:37:34.720 --> 00:37:35.260 Let's go. 00:37:35.260 --> 00:37:35.580 Right. 00:37:35.640 --> 00:37:38.380 And it tells us Paul's not there by himself, but Silas is also with him. 00:37:38.380 --> 00:37:39.540 And they're praising the Lord in jail. 00:37:40.440 --> 00:37:43.120 And but here's the interesting thing about this story. 00:37:43.380 --> 00:37:46.490 Paul's got his freedom, and he can get up and he can just go. 00:37:46.900 --> 00:37:54.100 And as he starts to go, he looks out and he sees that there's a Roman that's guarding the jail and he draws a sword to take 00:37:54.100 --> 00:37:54.520 his life. 00:37:54.600 --> 00:38:00.410 Because the law in Rome is if you lose a prisoner, you must give your life in exchange. 00:38:00.560 --> 00:38:04.240 And he just knows, because the earthquake and the jail is open, those prisoners are gone. 00:38:04.240 --> 00:38:05.320 What Rome's going to do to him. 00:38:05.560 --> 00:38:06.760 So he's about to end his life. 00:38:06.780 --> 00:38:06.900 They're. 00:38:08.780 --> 00:38:09.400 And here's Paul. 00:38:11.080 --> 00:38:11.970 Looking at his freedom. 00:38:13.340 --> 00:38:14.480 Looking at this jailer. 00:38:15.160 --> 00:38:16.000 I'm looking back at the jail. 00:38:17.300 --> 00:38:18.460 Freedom. 00:38:18.460 --> 00:38:18.880 Jailer. 00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:19.580 Jail. 00:38:20.580 --> 00:38:21.250 And you know what he does? 00:38:23.120 --> 00:38:24.360 He goes back into the jail. 00:38:26.020 --> 00:38:30.040 He turns and goes back into the jail. 00:38:31.780 --> 00:38:32.440 Would you do that? 00:38:34.520 --> 00:38:35.010 That is incredible. 00:38:36.720 --> 00:38:38.000 And why did Paul do that? 00:38:39.700 --> 00:38:42.350 Why would Paul give his life? 00:38:42.600 --> 00:38:44.660 Who knew what was going to happen to him? 00:38:44.680 --> 00:38:45.060 But he. 00:38:45.160 --> 00:38:47.320 He turns his back on his freedom. 00:38:49.440 --> 00:38:53.320 And he walks back into bondage joyfully. 00:38:55.760 --> 00:38:56.400 Why would he do that? 00:38:58.060 --> 00:38:59.740 And Chapter 16, verse 30. 00:38:59.740 --> 00:39:00.540 You see what the jailer says. 00:39:02.100 --> 00:39:06.460 He sees Paul still in jail and he knows his life is spared. 00:39:07.780 --> 00:39:09.460 And he's heard Paul praying and singing. 00:39:10.060 --> 00:39:15.780 And he goes to Paul and he asks the question, What must I do to be saved? 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:19.020 You know, the Bible tells us. 00:39:20.460 --> 00:39:23.500 It's your kindness, Lord, that leads us to repentance. 00:39:26.660 --> 00:39:28.280 It's the law of the genuine love. 00:39:29.540 --> 00:39:31.620 The kindness that leads us to repentance. 00:39:32.500 --> 00:39:37.100 And when he sees Paul, he sees someone that only proclaims what he believes. 00:39:37.140 --> 00:39:39.150 But he lives what he believes. 00:39:40.280 --> 00:39:41.060 And if we're to Paul. 00:39:41.420 --> 00:39:41.960 Paul, why? 00:39:42.860 --> 00:39:44.040 Why would you do this? 00:39:44.080 --> 00:39:46.210 Why would you explain yourself? 00:39:47.200 --> 00:39:49.780 Why would you give your life for this cause? 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:54.060 And I think Paul would say to us, and I think even record it for some Philippians chapter two. 00:39:55.120 --> 00:39:55.640 He would say. 00:39:57.360 --> 00:39:59.000 When my life was in danger. 00:40:01.960 --> 00:40:04.300 Jesus went into bondage for me. 00:40:05.600 --> 00:40:07.200 So they could be made free. 00:40:08.840 --> 00:40:10.620 And knowing your life was in danger. 00:40:11.940 --> 00:40:14.200 I chose to go back into bondage for you. 00:40:15.660 --> 00:40:17.520 So that you could be made free. 00:40:20.340 --> 00:40:21.420 That's what humility does. 00:40:22.980 --> 00:40:24.760 And the only way that's discovered. 00:40:25.900 --> 00:40:26.800 Is the gospel. 00:40:28.640 --> 00:40:31.360 It's not looking for adequacy of life within yourself. 00:40:32.560 --> 00:40:40.480 But to understand the adequacy for your life is found outside of yourself and the one who gave his life for you and 00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:41.040 in Jesus. 00:40:41.780 --> 00:40:46.060 Nothing in your life is lost because of the goodness of Christ.