Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Let me start off by saying this. It's.
[00:00:13] It's not possible. I wouldn't just say it's not ideal. I would say it's impossible to walk the Christian life alone.
[00:00:21] Because if we're Christians, we don't get to model what it looks like. It's modeled by Christ.
[00:00:26] And Jesus didn't do life alone.
[00:00:28] He did life in community.
[00:00:30] And here's a freebie for you if you're like, well, I'm waiting for a perfect community.
[00:00:35] Jesus didn't do community with perfect people.
[00:00:38] So sometimes we're waiting for perfect people to do community. Meanwhile, we already have access to community, but now we have to learn how to build it and to receive it. And I'm praying that happens for us if we're in this room. You were never meant to do life alone.
[00:00:52] So can we pray? Lord, we love you.
[00:00:55] We thank you for your presence in this room. We thank you that you are with us. Would you come and manifest yourself to us? Holy Spirit, would you open up the scriptures that we might comprehend them? Holy Spirit, would you reveal Jesus and him crucified to us this morning?
[00:01:10] Have your way this afternoon, Lord. Have your way.
[00:01:15] There is none like you, Lord.
[00:01:18] You are the answer to the human condition. You are the only way to contentment. Nothing compares to you.
[00:01:26] In Jesus name, Amen.
[00:01:28] I want to start off in Luke chapter 14. So if you have your Bibles, turn with me to Luke chapter 14.
[00:01:36] I think sometimes our view of Jesus is that he stayed away from hard moments. And I think when I was reading this passage, I would be scared to be at this table because.
[00:01:47] Well, let's take a look. In verse seven, he told this parable to those who were invited when he noted how they chose the best places. So I love this. Like, imagine Jesus invites you over. He sits at the table and watches you sit where you sit.
[00:02:02] And then he goes, some of you are going to. And he starts by saying, I'm going to tell a story. Some of you get invited somewhere. It's like, bro, we just got invited here.
[00:02:09] And then you chose to sit in the best seats. Like, he's giving them an example. But there's somebody at the table that promoted themselves and sat in a seat they weren't supposed to sit in.
[00:02:18] So it's mad awkward for somebody that's there. Are you with me? It's like when someone's talking about it, but they're like, it's aimed directly at you. Like somebody at the table, he's like, hey, you gonna be one day? You're gonna be humbled and move to another seat. And everyone's just like, oh, this is kind of awkward.
[00:02:35] And I love this about Jesus because that's the same God that we serve today. He exalts the humble and humbles those who exalt themselves.
[00:02:43] I think that's one of the traits that we should actually almost bring back to the church, is waiting for God to exalt us.
[00:02:50] I've literally heard people come up and sit in seats they aren't supposed to. That's reserved, and be like, it's sonship, bro. I'm like, sonship should be modeled by the Son. And he would have taken the lowest seat.
[00:03:02] So you want to model sonship. Sit in the back, wait for someone to exalt you. Sonship, are you with me? Or is that too quick?
[00:03:10] Like, we forget sometimes that Jesus is being very specific.
[00:03:15] Like, God knows exactly where you are. He's ready to exalt you in due time.
[00:03:20] Self promotion is not of the kingdom.
[00:03:24] So it's kind of awkward at the table. And Jesus is like, some of you pick the best seats, and you can tell they're a little awkward. And he goes in verse 11, whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
[00:03:38] That's a good promise to take to the bank.
[00:03:41] God exalts those who learn how to humble themselves.
[00:03:46] Some of us like, why that person and not me? That question is your answer.
[00:03:55] Then he said to them, and he keeps going, verse 15. I love this. Now, when one of those who sat at the table with him heard these things, he said, blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. I love that. Like, you know when it gets awkward at the table and someone says something kind of spiritual, it's like, versus someone that eats in the kingdom. It's like, bro, that has nothing to do with the conversation at all. But somebody felt awkward at the table. Are you with me? You ever been there that God is correcting this table. He's like, well, we get to eat bread in the kingdom one day.
[00:04:23] And then Jesus doubles down on what he says. He goes, a certain man having a great supper, invited many. Remember, they're sitting at a supper, invited many, and sent his servant at suppertime to say to those who were invited, come, for all things are ready. But they all, with one accord, began to make excuses.
[00:04:44] The first said to him, I've bought a piece of ground and I must go and see it. I ask that you that I may be excused. Another said, I Brought five yoke of oxen and I'm going to test.
[00:04:55] To test them, I ask that you have me excused.
[00:05:00] What is he saying? These people get invited, but they have something better to do.
[00:05:06] And I think what's challenging to me is he doesn't use super extreme examples. He uses things that would be seen as good stewardship.
[00:05:14] But what I've realized in the church is sometimes we hide behind good stewardship and run from a radical life.
[00:05:22] We have to be really careful that we don't good stewardship our way out of a radical life.
[00:05:28] Because like, okay, I have a business deal, I can't make the feast. It's a good thing if it's placed in the right place.
[00:05:35] But when it's holding you back from a feast that God is inviting to, what was actually stewardship is now holding you back. Yeah.
[00:05:44] So we have to be really careful that we don't become too wise and forget that we are actually called to a radical life. That doesn't make sense. Like, hey, I have a business deal, I can't make the feast.
[00:05:55] I have to go buy a piece of land. I can't make the feast.
[00:05:59] And he's actually talking to Jews here, and he's saying, it's not just you chosen people, it's the people that show up, including the Gentiles. Whoever comes, they get a space at this table, they're going to feast. Whoever's willing to show up is going to feast.
[00:06:12] And I wonder how often in the name of good stewardship we miss out on a feast.
[00:06:17] And even talking about death to self and laying down our lives in a cross, sometimes I'm like, how do we. How do I articulate that? That pales in comparison to what you get. I think the story preaches that, like, when you show up and you're feasting with Jesus, who cares about the plot of land?
[00:06:34] So the cost pales in comparison, but in the moment, it can feel costly.
[00:06:39] And sometimes our mindsets hold us back from the feast that God is calling us to.
[00:06:45] I think sometimes I forget that the call from God is radical. He doesn't just say, believe in me, follow me. And there's a unique scripture where a guy goes, hey, I just got to go bury my dad real quick, and then I'll follow you.
[00:07:00] Fun fact, we never hear about that man again.
[00:07:04] He's saying, it's not a convenient time for me right now to follow you at a more convenient date. I'll follow you. And almost every Jewish scholar would believe the same thing, that that man's dad was not dead.
[00:07:17] So he's saying right now doesn't really make sense. I'm going to wait for my dad to die and then throw a funeral and then follow you. Basically, at a more convenient time, I'll follow you.
[00:07:28] I haven't been in ministry very long, but over the last 10 years, I've watched as this happens in people's lives.
[00:07:34] The person that I'm sitting with them at 18 years old, they go, well, once I graduate high school, then I'll sell out.
[00:07:40] Like, okay, I watch graduate high school. Hey, bro, what's up? Well, well, once I go to college, then I'll live a radical life. Okay, cool.
[00:07:49] In college, once I graduate, then I'll live a radical life.
[00:07:54] Well, once I get a job, once I save enough money. I've heard these things verbatim. Once I say, well, once I reach 30 years old, then once I get married, well, once I have kids, well, once the kids graduate, once the kids go to college, once they're done. No, no, once I'm retired.
[00:08:15] The day is not going to come where Christianity becomes convenient.
[00:08:22] The day will never come where Christianity and radical lifestyle are not combined.
[00:08:29] The call to discipleship is not convenient. I would go strong to say that if we aren't living inconvenient, we haven't even started the journey of true discipleship to Jesus, because let's look at what he actually says next. He's talking to believers. Then I was like, oh, okay, that's discipleship. No, no, the call to discipleship. He transitions to it. Remember, Jesus is super loved at this point. There will come a day where everyone will abandon him, but at this point, he has a multitude that are walking with him, thousands of people gathering with him.
[00:09:02] And what I love about Jesus is that he's very clear on the cost of what they're called to be to do.
[00:09:10] I wish someone had sat me down when they shared the gospel and shared the cost of discipleship.
[00:09:16] So often we try to sell the gospel and then people accept it, things get tough and they think something's wrong because we told them, come to Jesus. You won't have any problems anymore.
[00:09:30] But the storm in Matthew 7 comes for the rock with cracks, and the perfect rock storms come.
[00:09:38] But do we teach that to people?
[00:09:41] So the crowd I try to picture thousands are walking with him. They're like, we with this guy. We with. They're all walking and he turns to them, to the thousands, to preach a sermon. Like, okay, maybe he's gonna encourage them.
[00:09:56] Verse 26. If any of you wants to come to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and child, brothers and sisters, yes. His own life also. He cannot be my disciple.
[00:10:10] What a church growth strategy.
[00:10:14] How not to grow your following.
[00:10:17] That's why sometimes people are like, well, God's really on this person. Their social media is blowing up. Really.
[00:10:23] Because when the Lord was on Jesus, people were falling away, too.
[00:10:27] Not everyone loved him.
[00:10:29] Okay, that's not for today.
[00:10:32] That I believe it, but it wasn't for today.
[00:10:38] Is he saying literally hate? No, the original language means, like, love less than.
[00:10:43] Essentially, if I love my family more than him, I'm not a disciple.
[00:10:49] And he goes on to say, not just your family, your own life.
[00:10:56] I love this. Like, he narrows down the doorway to discipleship.
[00:11:00] He goes like, you guys might all believe in me, cool.
[00:11:03] But if you want to be a disciple, you better love your family less than me.
[00:11:08] You better love your own life less than me.
[00:11:16] Because I think at times we've made, like, denial of self this end goal. Denial of self is not the end goal. It's the doorway.
[00:11:26] If you haven't started living an inconvenient life, you aren't even in the doorway to discipleship.
[00:11:32] I know I'm being strong, but I wish somebody had given me the reality.
[00:11:37] Like, if you aren't inconvenienced yet, you aren't a disciple of Jesus yet.
[00:11:43] Okay, good word, Dylan. I get it. I get it.
[00:11:49] Verse 27. It gets better. Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Praise God. He's very clear now. He hasn't gone to the cross yet, so you have to go. What are they hearing when he's saying, bear their cross?
[00:12:05] Public humiliation and death. Like, a criminal would die.
[00:12:11] So, meaning, like, you cannot care about reputation.
[00:12:15] And you're going to be like, life is going to get hard. There's going to be a cross you that you're going to have to carry.
[00:12:21] And if you aren't willing to, you aren't a disciple. And the beauty is that he would model this for us.
[00:12:29] Whoever does not come after me and bear his cross.
[00:12:34] What are crosses? Crosses are the hardships in our life. Your cross is anything that puts self to death.
[00:12:43] As we go on this journey, I guarantee you'll see in our kingdom there's no shortage of crosses.
[00:12:50] In life, there's no shortage of crosses. He goes on to say, for which of you intending to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost?
[00:13:01] Recently, I was talking to a mentor about this. No one ever taught me the cost.
[00:13:05] I remember being 22 years old and got one of my first international preaching engagements. Like, someone wanted to fly me across the world. I'm like, of course you can fly me so I can share some good wisdom with you.
[00:13:18] Like, I've got so much. Like, Ann put me up in a nice hotel, and then you're gonna pay me for it. Like, this is amazing.
[00:13:24] And then more and more invitations come in, and five or six years go by, and I'm like, this is awesome. And then one day, I'm sitting in a service preaching. This is like six or seven years in, and I'm sitting in a service, preaching, and the worship leader is going a bit long.
[00:13:39] And I'm like, bro, it's been 90 minutes.
[00:13:42] I mean, I know no one's ever done that, but for me, somehow the service became about me. I'm like, bro, I.
[00:13:48] I'm sure God wasn't bored of the worship.
[00:13:51] That's a word for some of you. But I'm like.
[00:13:54] I'm like, this is 90 minutes, and I'm going to preach. One of my biggest pet peeves, because now people's engagement's going to be gone. When I preached, and, like, I'm here to preach. You flew me in to preach. And then this. This worship, I don't even know her name, where she lives. Suddenly she starts taking risks, doing words of others, and demons start coming out in the room.
[00:14:11] And I feel a shift in the room where you feel the manifest presence of God invade a space.
[00:14:18] And you can. If you know his presence, you know when he shows up in a room, the air begins to shake.
[00:14:25] You begin to feel him in the room. And I remember thinking to myself, like, God, thank you for this, and repenting. And I realized that day that I'm getting to experience something that I never paid a price for.
[00:14:38] That woman's intimacy, her surrender to the Lord. And now some of you are starting, like, that's why Kathryn Kuhlman. Because some people are like, well, that's not his. Her price. Jesus price. Yeah, but she learned how to surrender.
[00:14:50] And if you can't surrender alone in a gas station, try in front of 500 people.
[00:14:56] Some young people are like, hey, bro, how do you transition? Like, them, like, go and die.
[00:15:03] I'm dead serious. Die to yourself. Like, you can't suddenly live in the flesh and get on stage and, like, the flesh is no longer there. You surrender. The fear of man's gone. Reputation's gone. I'm like, that better be crucified. Day after day after day, until you don't care what anyone thinks anymore.
[00:15:20] This sermon, you are my offering to God. The fact that I'm not being controlled by you is what I offer God.
[00:15:28] I promise that's my internal reality. Like God, I offer their reputation and opinions to you.
[00:15:37] That's years of surrender, to not be controlled by what somebody thinks in a room. So that day I said, God, I'll pay a price to know what moves your heart.
[00:15:48] And a few months later, I was sitting in a service like this, and there's some generals in our faith. It was Benny Hinn and Bill Johnson, and they were talking about how our generation has never seen what Kathryn Kuhlman saw, how the presence would fill stadiums. And this is Benny and Bill, who have seen a lot, but both of them said nothing compares to what they experienced in her meetings.
[00:16:11] Hopefully that provokes your heart.
[00:16:14] Oh, my God, I want to see that in my generation.
[00:16:18] I want to see your presence fill stadiums again, fill bedrooms again, fill houses again, fill churches.
[00:16:27] And the question obviously becomes, well, why do we not see it, what they saw? And their answers will stick with me forever. Bill went first, and he said, because we move on too quickly.
[00:16:39] We change the subject so much.
[00:16:43] And I say this humbly today, but I can give you an example.
[00:16:48] When Charlie Kirk passed away, everyone was going to pick up his mantle.
[00:16:52] Are you still doing that, or have you moved on?
[00:16:58] I don't mean to come to everyone, but that's a good example. Everyone was so passionate about doing what he was going to do and standing up for truth. Then, like, three weeks later, it's like, Iran happens and then this happens, then Venezuela, and it's like, wait, what? Like, I've moved on so much.
[00:17:13] I've determined within myself and maybe over the last few years, the rest of my life pursuing Christ and him crucified.
[00:17:22] I pray nothing becomes more interesting to me because that would mean I backslid.
[00:17:32] See, when we move on too quick, it's Christ in his presence today, and then it's shifting the fourth heaven tomorrow.
[00:17:39] And I'm like, no, no. Paul said, who knew a lot.
[00:17:43] I want to know Christ and him crucified.
[00:17:46] If that's boring to me, that's. I need him to move my heart again.
[00:17:54] So these two things of death to self, and I think death to self is very much so needed to be preached in our generation, in our time, because unfortunately, culture has enthroned self and it's crept into the church.
[00:18:11] We've enthroned self. We've given Ourselves, rights that Christ never had.
[00:18:18] How do you know you've enthroned self when you get to decide what is right and wrong?
[00:18:25] When I get to decide what I have to do.
[00:18:29] I'm not going to share the gospel because I don't like doing that.
[00:18:34] That means I've enthroned self, because Mark 16 is very clear.
[00:18:41] So I decided that I'm the Lord of my life.
[00:18:45] If it's costly, I don't want to do means I've enthroned self.
[00:18:50] If it doesn't benefit me, I don't do it.
[00:18:56] See, hardships in our life were always meant to be a gift.
[00:19:07] God will ask you to do hard things because it brings you to the end of yourself.
[00:19:12] This is the roadmap to freedom.
[00:19:15] The person in this room that I'm the most worried about is not the one that is in need of God, but the one who believed the lies. They aren't in need of God.
[00:19:23] It's not possible.
[00:19:26] Okay, okay, turn to Second Corinthians.
[00:19:31] Second Corinthians 12.
[00:19:34] One of my concerns is that Second Corinthians 12, you're going to talk about the thorn in the flesh. We've got so caught up in arguing about what the thorn in the flesh is. If you're new to church, like, don't worry about it. Like, but everyone else arguing for years without but missing the point of the passage.
[00:19:51] Whether you believe it's persecution, sickness, whatever, Eileen, persecution, whatever it is, the point is not argue about the thorn.
[00:20:00] Look at what it says.
[00:20:02] And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of revelation, a thorn was given to me, a messenger of Satan, lest I be exalted above measure. Some translations say, I was so close to being perfect because of my revelation, God gave me a thorn.
[00:20:19] So sometimes people are like, hey, brother, God gave me a thorn. It's like, no, I know your life. God didn't give you a thorn like me. I don't need a thorn. I got plenty of areas to grow. Anyone else? Like, I got plenty of areas. I still need God's grace. Like, I'm not so close to being perfect. Where God's like, I actually got to help you to be perfect. So firstly, if you got a thorn, you're almost perfect.
[00:20:46] Okay, so people like, never mind. That wasn't me. If you think you got a thorn because of your perfection, ask your spouse.
[00:20:52] Okay, okay, that was a joke. Some of you like me, okay?
[00:21:00] Listen to what he. Listen. Verse 8. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it should depart from me. I love Paul. Like, he has so much faith. He's like, bro, I prayed three times and nothing happened.
[00:21:10] I'm. I'm like, bro, three times was a lot for you. I kind of loved it. He's like, I asked God three times, nothing happened.
[00:21:17] He said to me also, that shows that Paul's like us. He's like, hey, God, like this thing, very difficult.
[00:21:25] Can you get rid of it?
[00:21:27] Anyone else been there before? And it was probably people, which was fascinating.
[00:21:33] Some of you like, that hits home even more.
[00:21:37] Look at what God says.
[00:21:39] My grace, which is divine empowerment is sufficient for you.
[00:21:45] Wait, what? My empowerment is enough.
[00:21:48] Not, I'm going to take it. I'm going to help you.
[00:21:52] My strength is made perfect in weakness.
[00:21:57] Therefore, most gladly, I would rather boast in my infirmities.
[00:22:01] Imagine, we came a church that boasted in our infirmities because we knew it formed Christ in us, that the power of Christ might rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities. Reproaches, persecution, distress, for Christ's sake. See, when we say no to hardships, we aren't just saying no to hardships. We're saying no to formation.
[00:22:23] Like this. Like when you say no to community, you aren't just saying no to community, you're saying no to being formed.
[00:22:31] We afraid of. Okay, if you are unaware of any areas of growth in your life, I'll help you right now. Number one, you probably aren't in community.
[00:22:40] Community is like a mirror.
[00:22:43] That's so frustrating about them. Wait, I do that.
[00:22:47] God help me. You with me? If you're like, I'm in community and I'm still perfect, try fasting.
[00:22:53] Paul David, I humbled myself with fasting.
[00:22:57] You want to see how much of you are still left fast?
[00:23:01] Thirdly, you're still like, no, I'm crushing it. Try silence and solitude.
[00:23:06] Those are three helpful tools. Now you are aware of God.
[00:23:10] Now you behold Christ crucified and walk that out in your body.
[00:23:15] So as I'm aware of my weakness, I behold the crucified Christ. And that weakens me beautifully.
[00:23:23] Are you with me? Like, here's what's fascinating to me. I'll ask people sometimes, like, hey, bro, like, how's marriage going by? Who they start with reveals a lot.
[00:23:38] Well, she, A, B, C, D. Well, she, whoever shortcomings they start with reveals the heart.
[00:23:44] See, something that was meant to be, something that forms us, becomes our opposition.
[00:23:52] Versus like, here's where I'm growing.
[00:23:55] Here's where I really Need God's grace, community, the same. How's community? Most people start with all the negatives of community versus how community is forming them, what they can grow. In my community, this, this and this. You were hurt by community.
[00:24:10] That does suck.
[00:24:12] That's hard. But I know someone else who was hurt by community.
[00:24:17] You were rejected. I know someone else who was rejected.
[00:24:24] It has to start with, why do I say, behold Christ crucified? Because he has to be the example.
[00:24:30] What I mean by that is his story. I want to be more like Christ. Like he says to Peter, peter, I'm going to build my church on you.
[00:24:38] Like, I'm going to build history of the church on you. And I'm going to sow into you for three and a half years. And then on his last night alive, like in between praying, which that's another point, like Jesus. People who pray are humble.
[00:24:52] Prayer is humble Jesus. Last few moments spent time with God because he knew he needed God.
[00:24:58] The humble pray.
[00:25:00] But in his last moments, Peter denies him a third time. And he locks eyes with Peter across a filled room.
[00:25:08] Imagine one of your best friends who said they would always be there for betrays you in that moment, denies you and Christ is crucified. But after he resurrects and comes back, he doesn't give up on Peter.
[00:25:22] I want to be like Jesus. Like, he sees the shortcomings of Peter and he's hurt by Peter and he has emotions and feelings, but he's not like, I'm not seeing the gold or your future anymore. I'm done with you, Peter.
[00:25:35] Somehow he goes, man, I still love you and believe in you. And yes, you have this area of growth, but I'm going to be there for you and love you and encourage you and walk with you.
[00:25:45] So once you understand that somebody hurts you and you look at Christ and you start to walk it out. Because the offense that comes up in you walking away from community and acting like it's not there doesn't heal you.
[00:26:01] Acting like something's not there is not a good game plan for healing.
[00:26:06] Can I get an amen?
[00:26:09] So oftentimes things that were meant to form us crosses actually become our opposition when they were actually a gift from God.
[00:26:21] Community is meant to form you. It's meant like, community is a tough one because it's like, I show up or that's all I have control over.
[00:26:30] Once I get there, there's no more control.
[00:26:33] Like, it's beautiful. You might encourage me and pray for me and prophesy over me and I'm like praise God, but you also might show up and really annoy me.
[00:26:41] And now I'm frustrated and then I need God to help mold me.
[00:26:47] We need crosses in our life. We need to be inconvenienced. We need to live inconvenient lives if we are to be disciples of Jesus.
[00:27:09] I think one of the passages to me that I often preach on is Philippians chapter two, where it says consider others better than yourself.
[00:27:18] And I think that's where God is taking us. I think God is restoring humility in the church.
[00:27:24] I would say the holiest one in the room is always the humblest.
[00:27:29] Humility is if you want to see if someone's acting holy or actually holy, you look for the fruit of humility.
[00:27:37] You can never obtain holiness without humility.
[00:27:40] Holiness is only obtained through the dethronement of self.
[00:27:44] See, when people say, like, what is the biggest thing holding the church back?
[00:27:48] I would say globally, the enthronement of self.
[00:27:56] Philippians chapter 2. Consider others better than yourself.
[00:27:59] Have the mind of Christ who. Who God didn't consider robbery to become equal with man. Like we live that out. Philippians 2. So I think what we all praying for is Acts chapter two, which we can turn. I want to read this real quick. This is where I believe God wants to take us. As to Acts chapter 2 and with many verses 40, with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, be saved from this perverse generation. And those who gladly received the word were baptized. And that day about 3,000 were added to them. Would you do that again, Lord? And they continued steadfast in the apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common, had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need.
[00:28:58] My question is how is it even possible to get there with the church community?
[00:29:03] So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
[00:29:15] If we aren't careful, this will become like works to pursue this. But the outcome of the early church is literally they willingly sold all that they had, so no one was in lack.
[00:29:28] So my challenge to us at times we try to pursue Acts Chapter two, but it's impossible to have Acts chapter two without Philippians Chapter Two Philippians, Chapter two is what gives us the platform and the way forward to to host revival.
[00:29:44] But it's going to be costly and it's going to be inconvenienced. But because Jesus lived that life first, we can become like him. And then you start to live with cruciform community. What is cruciform community? It's community that is being molded into the crucified Christ.
[00:30:00] His example becomes our end destination.
[00:30:04] So we start to live in cruciform community as people that desire to live weak before God and man so that God can be their strength.
[00:30:15] Have you been running from crosses in your life? Have you been busying yourself on things that were actually meant to weaken you beautifully?
[00:30:22] We need to be weakened.
[00:30:26] This road is going to be hard. I'm sorry that you were sold the lie. The Christian life is going to be easy.
[00:30:33] If you want to be my disciple, pick up your cross like you're going to be humiliated.
[00:30:38] That's what that meant publicly. The worst death you could die.
[00:30:45] Discipleship to Jesus, the doorway is denial of self.
[00:30:50] We need to learn how to dethrone ourselves.
[00:30:57] How do you do that? By beholding Christ and by obeying.
[00:31:01] Obeying his voice. He will lead you to inconvenience.
[00:31:09] If we read Galatians, Chapter 3, Galatians 5:13.
[00:31:21] For you brethren have been called to freedom.
[00:31:25] Only do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
[00:31:34] You were set free. I was set free to love like I proposed to you, Adam. When God looked at it and said, it's not good for him to be alone. One of the reasons is because how can love love nothing? It would only love itself, which is then self indulgent.
[00:31:50] If you are made in the image of love, you have to be in community to walk in your identity of becoming love.
[00:31:56] Otherwise we just end up loving ourselves. And can I tell you, that's a terrible game plan.
[00:32:04] So do not use your freedom or two different face, but love one another. So we are actually set free to love like you are the most yourself. When you sacrificially love.
[00:32:16] That's what you were designed to do. That's who you were designed to become.
[00:32:21] And those people that feel like a thorn in the flesh, they're a blessing to you.
[00:32:28] God will use them.
[00:32:30] I quote this all the time, but Henry Nouwen, one of my favorite authors, says community is often where the person you like the least lives.
[00:32:42] God used Judas.
[00:32:45] You're like, I'm waiting for perfect community. Even Jesus didn't have Perfect community. They all left him.
[00:32:51] They all betrayed him.
[00:32:53] People are like, well, this community. And then they go to the next one. You'll never find perfect community.
[00:32:59] But the good news is you aren't perfect either.
[00:33:05] It's good news.
[00:33:06] You want some People like you, we hear right, the people like. Everyone hears this. Everyone hears that. Well, bro, let me know when you find perfect community, because you won't be there either. But wherever they are, When we say no to community, we aren't just saying no to friendships. We're saying no to formation.
[00:33:30] I don't want to live running from things. I want to take those things to Christ and allow him to form me.
[00:33:35] The reason why I'm so passionate about this. Can we put up James 3:16?
[00:33:39] We have lived in a time where the world is teaching that the pursuit of self is the way to contentment.
[00:33:46] And it's crept into the church and it worries me.
[00:33:49] That's why I said, I think the greatest hindrance for us is the enthronement of self.
[00:33:55] This is what James 3:16 says.
[00:33:57] For where envy and self seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing is there.
[00:34:07] I don't know about you, but that strikes the fear of God into me.
[00:34:12] Especially a generation that's been taught that self help and seeking yourself will lead to freedom.
[00:34:20] We weren't made to live isolated lives, alone.
[00:34:23] Pursuing self, just pursuing our own dreams, our own desires, our own callings. Isolated, that gets tiring. Are you tired of saying no to your crosses? Like living a prideful life is tiring.
[00:34:36] Holding onto reputation is tiring.
[00:34:39] Holding onto offense is tiring. Holding onto bitterness is tiring.
[00:34:44] Psalm 37 says, the meek will have peace.
[00:34:48] There's something peaceful about this. Be like, hey, this is hard. Humbling yourself, picking up your cross, picking up the hardships.
[00:34:58] Are you tired of fighting it while pick it up you like it's hard. Exactly. You carry it till it crucifies you.
[00:35:07] The flesh gets crucified.
[00:35:12] We have to deny ourselves.
[00:35:15] Ignatius of Antioch, who was actually discipled by John the Beloved in his writings to the Church on his way to be eaten by wild animals in a Roman coliseum.
[00:35:32] The church tried to get in the way.
[00:35:37] And he said to them, don't stop me for now I am beginning to become a disciple.
[00:35:45] We've come a long way from there now. I'm. Because he knew that self denial was the doorway into discipleship.
[00:35:58] See, we admire the cross, we preach the cross and we sing about the Cross as we should.
[00:36:04] But the cross isn't just a symbol to admire it's a road to walk.
[00:36:13] See Jesus later On in Luke 14, he says, hey, don't lose your flavor because you guys are salt. Right afterwards.
[00:36:22] A Christian has lost its flavor when they no longer carry a cross.
[00:36:28] We've made it about how loud can you be? How much can you shout? How can you heal? No, no, the cross is the salt.
[00:36:35] The cross is the salt in my life. If somebody comes into my life, are they seeing a cruciform life?
[00:36:42] Are they seeing something different?
[00:36:46] You want to be salty and make an impact? Behold the cross and walk his death out in your body. You go, well, what about healing? Well, those who are dead to themselves, obey. When he says, go and pray for that person.
[00:36:58] This is the doorway into everything he has for us.
[00:37:04] We admire the cross, we preach, we sing about it, like I said.
[00:37:08] But it should be not just a symbol to admire, but it's a road to walk and a life to be conformed into.
[00:37:18] Can we stand right now?
[00:37:22] A life to be conformed into.
[00:37:26] God's greatest desire is to form you into the image of his son.
[00:37:35] I want to be more like Jesus.
[00:37:38] But the roadmap is going to be one of going lower and lower, of carrying crosses and hardships. And things are going to come from people and situations. And even if I become perfect, God's going to help me stay humble.
[00:37:56] I think somewhere along the line I started thinking that maturity means no more hardship.
[00:38:01] But Paul got there and found out that's not the reality.
[00:38:06] Paul got to perfection, and God said, no, you'll still need me.
[00:38:13] What if hardship is something to actually thank God for?
[00:38:18] And I sense this afternoon there's a moment right now where people have been running from their crosses and God's asking you to pick it up again.
[00:38:27] Maybe it's a part of your heart that you've silenced a relationship that you've acted like. Like it isn't there anymore a situation, bitterness, offense.
[00:38:37] You've been so concerned with the speck in everyone else's eye, you've forgotten about your own plank.
[00:38:44] Every community is an issue. Every leader falls short. No friend is good enough.
[00:38:51] So concerned with everyone else's speck.
[00:38:54] I just sense it's like a release happening as you just go, man, I'm done holding on to my rights.
[00:38:59] God, I'm going to enthrone you back in the throne.
[00:39:04] I'm taking myself off the throne today.
[00:39:08] I gave myself the right to not love. I gave myself the right to not share the gospel. I gave myself the right to not pray. I gave myself the right not to read the Bible. I created my own Christianity, God, and I'm done with it.
[00:39:19] When you live life your way, you get your fruit.
[00:39:25] When you do it his way, you get freedom and life.
[00:39:29] And his way is the way down.
[00:39:33] In our kingdom, kings carry crosses.
[00:39:40] If you. If you know that's you today, I want you to respond boldly right now and just come forward.
[00:39:45] Just respond right now. I feel there's an invitation right now where people have been throwing self or cut off community or stop coming to community because somebody hurt you. You've probably heard someone too before.
[00:39:57] Just respond right now. There's an invitation. Don't miss this and don't. Don't let these moments just be for the people that always respond. There's people in the room that you live isolated lives.
[00:40:06] Sometimes physical obedience brings spiritual release. Hey, throw your net on the other side when they did, their eyes open to Jesus.
[00:40:14] Some people like, I don't have to come forward. Why not deal with that pride this afternoon?
[00:40:21] Respond. If there's anyone else in the room.
[00:40:26] You've lived isolated lives, just respond. There's a grace this afternoon.
[00:40:31] Jesus, we behold you, crucified high and lifted up.
[00:40:38] We thank you for the cross, Lord, by which we are saved.
[00:40:45] We thank you for your sacrifice, Jesus.
[00:40:51] Can we just take a moment to reflect on the cross?
[00:40:55] That God would become a man.
[00:40:58] This is not by works or by strength, but by his grace. Lord, we acknowledge again our need for you.
[00:41:06] We repent from running or hiding our weakness or distracting ourselves from weakness. Lord, we accept that weakness is the greatest invitation into grace.
[00:41:18] Lord, let us be people that are weak before you.
[00:41:22] Let us be people that are in need of your grace.
[00:41:27] Let's worship together.
[00:41:34] Thank you for joining Kingdom Movement online. I pray and hope that that sermon impacted you deeply. I would love if you shared this with a few friends and family. And before you go, don't forget to subscribe. See you next week.
