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#24448 - Serving & Supporting Your Pastors & Leaders - Philippians 2:19-20 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace Media or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary, Co
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dot church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us into our study.
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Amen. Amen.
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Open your Bibles to Philippians chapter 2 and Exodus chapter 17.
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Philippians chapter 2 and Exodus chapter 17.
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This is the servants class. Number three.
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And I've entitled, our Bible study serving and supporting
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your pastors and leaders. Each class Builds on one
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another, they're very much intertwined.
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And today we want to learn how to serve and support the pastors
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and leaders that God has put over our lives.
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It is true. There's no question that in our
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Christian Service as a doulos that was a Greek word.
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We learned last time or as a Deaconess another Greek word
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describing service. There is no question whatsoever
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that in our ministry and service we serve Jesus Christ.
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He alone is our pastor, he is singularly the chief Shepherd.
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He is our leader and there can be no question about that.
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The church belongs Songs to him, it's bought by his blood sealed.
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By the resurrection, he's the one that builds his church, the
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Gates of Hell will not Prevail against it.
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No question whatsoever. However, I have met over the
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many years. I've had the privilege to serve
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in this church and also my home church.
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I've met people that have used the truth.
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That Jesus is our chief Shepherd as a way of justifying, their
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lack of submission to the god. Pointed spiritual leadership.
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God, gave them in a local congregation you say Ed, what do
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you mean? Well when someone doesn't agree
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with something or doesn't want to do something, I've literally
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heard this this is a quote that has been spoken to me.
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Eye-to-eye where someone didn't agree with the direction or have
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they were asked to do something, they didn't want to do it and
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they literally told me I serve God and not you.
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Now that is true in many ways that you do serve God, however,
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it's not possible to serve God in Rebellion to local
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leadership. It's, it doesn't go.
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It's like Peter saying, it's like Peter saying not.
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So Lord, that doesn't make sense.
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God has appointed leadership in his church.
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So when you serve God, the way you serve God, many ways in the
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local congregation is by serving the leaders that God has put in
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your life. And so, when there's resistance
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to serving the leaders in your life and supporting them,
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there's always Division and chaos and confusion.
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And when that occurs in a local church, the devil always wins.
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Just remember that, the devil loves to fish and Troubled
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Waters and one of the ways Waters, get troubled in a local
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church is by a lack of submission to the leadership
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that God has appointed. Let's make the biblical Point
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first. Bible teaches very clearly
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unequivocally. That God has ordained spiritual
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leadership in his church. Another way of looking at it is
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you could say there is a clear chain of command.
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Within the ministry, you can draw them down, I'll read them
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to you first. Timothy 5:17, let the elders who
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rule, well, be counted of double honor, especially those who
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labor in the word and in Doctrine, Hebrews 13:17.
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Obey those who rule over you and be submissive for, they watch
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out for your souls as those who must give account.
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Let them do so with joy and not with grief for that would be
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unprofitable to you. Peter says, in First Peter 5,
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verse 5, likewise you younger people submit yourselves to your
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elders. Yes.
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All of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with
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humility for God. Resists, the proud, but gives
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grace to the humble. And I like how the N inlt pulls
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out, a portion of Is the NLT would say, likewise you younger
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people, you must accept the authority of the elders.
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This is an important truth to keep at the Forefront of our
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serving that we are cold laboring together for the work
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of the kingdom. When you think of Co laboring, I
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want you to think of this, when you hear the word Co laboring, I
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want you to think of partnership.
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So much of ministry is a partnership even companies today
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are changing the titles of those that and they'll call them
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partners. He is a such a valuable
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understanding that we're in this together.
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I also want you to think. When you think of Co laboring, I
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want you to think of joining a team.
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It's it takes a team. We're collaborating together as
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a team and I think a team is a really good illustration because
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you have different roles, different positions, different
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places and in order for a team to be successful, everyone has
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to do what they are supposed to do, where they're supposed to do
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it. As a team Cole, a boring,
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collaborating is also something that we would use a phrase that
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we like to say around here at Calvary, is we lock Shields.
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We're in this together, we're side by side, fighting the Real
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Enemy, not each other or another phrase that we like to use here.
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To describe this thought is a Bible said.
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I did a bible study on this entitled?
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We is the language of ministry. We as the language of ministry,
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we none of us do anything alone. We do it together and the more
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together we are, the more progress we can make for the
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kingdom submission to leadership, is vital.
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Another way of thinking of this is to never forget that, we are
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all under Authority, not some of us, but all of us, and when we
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speak of authority, we have to remember that God desires our
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submission to Authority. Now, this is a good time to
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pause and let's broaden the subject just a little bit.
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Because it's a very difficult subject to talk about and I know
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that some of you have strong feelings, surrounding Authority,
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and leadership in submission, because in previous Authority
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structures that you have witnessed or you of experience.
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You have seen horrible abuses by those in positions of authority.
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It could be a previous churchy went to where there was a gross
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abuse happening from the highest levels of leadership.
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Shepherd, it could be a home. You grew up when where it was
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indeed dysfunctional and and your father or your mother,
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perhaps hurt you or abused, you or took advantage of you or it
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could be an experience you had at work and and and here's the
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thing, it what it did was it put deep down inside of you and a
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resistance to Authority because you carrying around the pain and
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you're carrying around the injury and so that has caused
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you to have strong feelings about this.
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Maybe even In your known as is kind of like the Rebel or the
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resistant and and it's because you've been hurt before.
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So let me just clarify and make sure you understand, listen very
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carefully where there is abuse and pain your submission to God
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takes precedent. You are under no obligation to
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submit to abusive painful leadership.
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None whatsoever, especially in the name of God however, Where
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there is Godly leadership, that is to be matched with Godly
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submission. There really is no other choice
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because I would say, among all the abuses in the hurts that
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happen in churches, specifically Godly leadership, far, outweighs
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the bad leadership now. There is bad leadership.
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And there are mistakes being made and there is pain and hurt.
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Even in this church, through all the years that we've been here
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even through decisions I've made and yet, God is gracious.
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Help us through them. God is gracious to help us
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learn. He's gracious to receive humbled
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and repentant hearts. And, and on the same point as we
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learn in Ezekiel, if there's no repentance, God will not allow
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it to continue. It will not, he will replace
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those Shepherds, he will take them out and replace them with
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Shepherds after his own heart, as we learn in our last class.
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But let me repeat this, this is so important to your success in
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serving God, where there is Godly leadership.
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Ship in the church. There is also to be Godly
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submission. Otherwise there's disorder
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confusion and chaos and ultimately none of us want that
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none of us want that in our church.
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Submission comes very naturally. When there is like-mindedness.
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That's a core value of our church.
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Like-mindedness. Like-mindedness is not
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Conformity or forced obedience like-mindedness in a definition.
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You could say that we like - means we generally see things
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the same way. We don't see everything the same
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way, but that's okay. But we generally see most things
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the same way and because of that, we're not going to You
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about things are going to hold us back.
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We're just going to agree to disagree in a very loving,
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caring way, and we're going to move forward for the cause of
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Christ. There is a greater cause than
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our disagreements. And that is for the gospel to
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reach the lost and lives to be transformed.
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So like-minded in this, I mean, you think about it, it's
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necessary in every area of life. You need like, - in your
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marriage, you need like-mindedness in your
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friendships, you need like - with your kids, you need like -
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with your coworkers. I mean, you think There's like -
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is such a core of healthy relationships, but it's not,
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like you have to be like someone like, you have to, you have to
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conform to this church. That's not like - you have to be
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like, the pastor. That's not like mine.
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It is. Well, this is how we've always
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done it in. This is the movement of God.
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You have to be a, that's not like-mindedness.
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Like my Nana's. This were in the spirit and the
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spirit brings unity. And we fight to keep the unity
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of the spirit in the bond of peace.
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Let me show you what I mean. Turn.
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Over. If you haven't already to
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Philippians chapter 2 and we see an example of this here,
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Philippians chapter 2 like-mindedness was super
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important to Jesus. He spent three years recruiting
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retaining and training the disciples and the ladies, the
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men and women that would carry on the mission of the church.
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Three years, he invested in them, he instructed them.
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He guided them. He corrected them so that they
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would grow in like-mindedness. Paul the Apostle he looked for
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like, - as well as we see here is, he's writing to the
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Philippians notice. In verse 1 he says therefore if
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there's any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, if
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there's any Fellowship of the spirit, any affection and mercy,
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fulfill my Joy by being like-minded Mark that word Mark,
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that word, you can Circle it and write the words.
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We've already mentioned right next to it.
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Team, right, Mech? Right next to it.
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Cold laboring or collaborating, right next to it.
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A team. Teammates Partners.
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That's what this word means. It actually comes to us, from
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two Greek words, ich that mean equal and soul.
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And the idea here is Unity Harmony and agreement.
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Another way of saying this is to be activated by the same motives
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or to be of like character. So he says fill my Joy by being
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like-minded. Notice having the same love and
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being of one Accord and one mind this is pretty interesting.
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All the Words surrounding like-mindedness from verse 1.
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There's encouragement, which is what constellation means a
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comfort of Love Fellowship of the spirit affection, Mercy, joy
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and verse 2, having the same love being of one, accord or
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unity and having one mind. So, we're generally going in the
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same direction because we think the same way, we love the same
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way. We encourage the same way,
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because the holy spirit's all of us, and we have our own
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personalities and we're lived out in Our own upbringing but
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like-minded is the man we're going together together so
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important. And then he give some
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instruction on how he says, in verse 3.
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Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit.
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You can just write this over your service here.
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You step into serving in this church.
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Don't let anything be done in your service, through your
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selfishness, or your conceit. I mean, that'll help you.
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That will Propel us so far in our service.
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If we were just going selfless, but instead he says in lowliness
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of mind, Mind, let each esteem others better than himself.
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Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but
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also for the interests of others, then he jumps in gives
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the example of the humility of Jesus, the Eternal Son of God
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coming down, taking the form of a human being dying on a cross.
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And then he says in verse 19, notice, but I'm trusting in the
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Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly.
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That I also may be encouraged. When I know your state for, I
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have no one like-minded who was sincerely care for your state.
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And this is what, like, my Nana's doesn't look like,
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because everyone seeks their own and not the things that are of
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Christ Jesus. So if we fulfill Matthew 6:33,
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seek first, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, like, -
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right on the heels of that. When you seek the things of
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Christ, God puts his heart in you, like he said, in Ezekiel.
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Remember, I'm going to give you Shepherds.
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I'm going to Shepherd you. I'm going to take care of To
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you. I'm going to give you that
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pastor's heart. I'm going to take care of you
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because I love you like - is so important.
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Paul is so he values like mine is so much that he says to take
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care of the church in Philippi. I'm going to send Timothy to
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you. The only guy that thinks like
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me, the only guy that I trust at the time that Paul wrote this,
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he was sitting in a prison and his encouragement came from
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Timothy. So basically what he's saying is
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we're so like-minded. I can't go to you.
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It's impossible but I'm going to send my only source of
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encouragement. I would rather be alone in
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prison by sending someone that thinks like me that loves like
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Acme that serves like me to take care of you and to minister to
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you, than I would to take that encouragement myself.
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I mean, that's a closeness of relationship that God wants to
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build in all of us as we serve him together with that in mind.
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Let's go back to Exodus now chapter 17, Exodus chapter 17,
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as we study now, a time in the life of the leadership of Moses
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as he is leading the children of Israel.
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They come to a place where they are attacked and lives are
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threatened. And we find in this example of
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Moses, a beautiful picture of like-minded leadership, even in
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the old, Covenant, even before the blood of Jesus Christ is
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shed because God is the same yesterday yesterday today.
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And forever, his heart for like-mindedness began in the
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Garden of Eden between Adam and Eve.
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They were come, they were to come together and know.
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No one another in unity to be together to fight for one
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another to know that someone has your back and is watching out
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for you and seeing things that you can't see and doing things
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for you that you can't do. Can you imagine a church filled
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with men and women or just looking out for one another?
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It's God's will for our lives and you can't stop a church like
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that, but a church that's fighting and divided.
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And I don't like this and I don't like that.
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What a waste of time and let me tell you something, What a waste
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of a life to go through life, criticizing everything all the
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time, it does. Nothing only makes things worse
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and you'll see. There's even an opportunity here
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where criticism could totally take away the opportunity to
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partner together in Ministry. So pick up with me in verse 8
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and let's see. This in action, Exodus 17 verse
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8. Now amalek came and fought with
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Israel in rephidim and Moses said to Joshua.
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Choose us some men and go out fight with amalek tomorrow.
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I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my
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hand, the nation of Israel being attacked.
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This is life and death here. These are life and death issues
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if they lose this battle, many lives will be lost, kids will be
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kidnapped. It's a horrible situation and
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the amulet come the amalekites come to attack and I don't have
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time to develop this. I've done it in another Bible
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study but it's Porn for you to realize that the amalekites hear
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this group of people, they become a picture and a type of
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the flush because there's a broader lesson in this section
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besides just the unity of leadership and the submissions
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of leadership. But there's a broader lesson of
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how the flesh always attacks and how you're always going to have
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to deal with your flesh. Always going to have to deal
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with the temptation of your flesh and you can't compromise
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with your flesh. You've got to wipe it out as a
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new testament would say you have to reckon the old man dead.
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Ed and I think it's a great illustration for service that
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you can't serve God In the Flesh.
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You need to walk in the spirit trusting in God and you got a
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deal with the flesh. You can't make excuses for it.
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You can't coddle your flesh. You can't feed your flesh, you
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can't compromise with your flesh and we see this.
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When the flesh shows up to attack, God wipes it out.
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That's the same thing he wants for you notice in verse 9,
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there's really no more information given to us other
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than the scenario and then the response.
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So we don't know what the rest of this conversation.
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Relation is but what was given to us?
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Is simply in verse 9, Moses said to Joshua and he says a couple
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of things he says, first of all choose some men and go out and
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fight with amalek Joshua. That's what you need to do and
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just do it and he doesn't give any explanation.
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He doesn't give other than just there were being attacked.
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He doesn't, he's not giving any more information.
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Just go do it. And can I say this is a place of
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great Temptation for people that service.
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Specially in the church when they're told to do something or
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asked to do something, but aren't given all the
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information, this is a great place where people cop an
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attitude about. Well, I don't like this.
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I don't want to do this and they want explanation after
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explanation, but it reminds me, listen, if you want to serve the
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Lord, you want to be effective, you ready.
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Do what you're told to do. How's that do what you're told
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to do or do what you're asked to do?
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And do what you're told to do the way you were told to do it.
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That's very important. You may not know what's going on
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behind the scenes, and you may never know, it may be something
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in an area of confidentiality or some, you may never know what's
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happening, but you have to have the kind of trust in the
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leadership that God has placed over your life.
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You have to realize, God has placed these leaders in your
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life. You didn't choose them.
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God chose them for you, and he's going to use them in their life
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here Joshua because if the second thing he tells him is is
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Joshua. You get the men and you go fight
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and I'm gonna go up to The highest safest place and I'm
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just going to be up on the hill. I mean, can you imagine Joshua
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and his response? Can you imagine, what do you
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mean? What you talking about?
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I'm going to Phi 1, is you come fight with us?
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Why are you going to the top of the hill?
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What do you mean? You can put my life at stake.
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So you can be up on the hill and have a little barbecue or
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whatever. Like, who knows what he was
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saying, who knows what he could have said, but that's not what
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he said. The right response, when being
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given Direction, in the church is here in verse 10.
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So Joshua did, as Moses said to him, That's the best response
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leading in the church. Again, let me clarify if you're
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asked to do something simple or sinful.
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The answer's. No.
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And no, no way. If you're asked to compromise or
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something that would not glorify.
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God, you're being led by bad leadership, run Godly
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leadership, the answer's? No, no, no.
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But let's be, let's be honest here, let's be clear.
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Most of the leadership in church is very good, very God, Godly,
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very god-honoring. There's no reason or excuse for
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us to cop an attitude when we're asked to do something and then
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asked to do something very specifically.
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Because if you are going to support those, that God put in
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your life, if you are going to come alongside to strengthen
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their Ministry, then it has to be cooperative it.
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Can't be his way in your way. Can't be her way in your way.
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It can't be their vision and your vision, It's Only One
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Vision. There's only one Vision in a
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local church. It's the vision that God has
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given to us. There's not 10, there's not 15,
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there's not 40. There's only one and we got to
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catch on to that and say God I'm willing to do it even though
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this would be hard, hey, I'm you go fight.
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Go the place of danger but I'm going to go up on the hill and
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he doesn't even really, we aren't given the the word there
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except that he's going to have. The rod of God in his hand and
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that could trigger in Joshua. Hey, I know when the rod is
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lifted, God does great things. I remember.
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So that there's enough for God to say, okay.
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I may not have all the answers, but I have seen God's hand on
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this man before and I'm going to trust him and that's really
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what's needed in Ministry. We need to build.
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Trust trust is the currency of ministry by the way, for a lack
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of a better term using currency because it's valuable to us in
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the world. Well, what's valuable in the
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Church is not money. What's valuable in the church is
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trust and trust is the currency of any relationship and it's
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especially important that we have each other's back and we
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trust one another. That's why when those that are
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closest to you and have you have given the most trust to betray
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you? That's why it hurts so much.
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That's why you'd have said you like.
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But I trusted you, I gave you that information.
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I mean, we did this together. We did this together and you did
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what, that's why it hurts so much.
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And perhaps that's even why you're withholding trust even
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now because you don't want to be hurt again.
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But see that proach that approach there is a way to walk
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in wisdom toward something without taking things into your
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own hands. If you're withholding trust, if
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you're withholding obedience, if you're withholding submission,
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in the context of your local congregation to people that love
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you and demonstrated love, you are taking away your life of
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faith. You're no longer living a life
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of Faith, you're living a life that you control.
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You want to live by faith and it's vulnerable to live by
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faith. For us, it's risky because you
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can get hurt. Again, let me just say you will
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get hurt. Again, pain is a part of life.
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In this world, you will suffer tribulation, the Bible says, but
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because we're going to suffer is no reason.
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No good reason. No bad reason for us to withhold
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ourselves from all that God wants to do through our lives,
23:59
and it's usually little, it's usually this area right here.
24:02
The leaders and people that put in your life, I look even
24:05
leaders that that are Godly and love the Lord, but maybe have
24:07
made mistakes along the way here.
24:09
You know, you're serving with a leader that's made a mistake, or
24:12
is offended you or didn't say something Rye or make some bad
24:15
joke or something that offended you the Bible gives you
24:18
Direction on what to do. If your brother is offended, you
24:21
go to him you and him alone and work it out.
24:25
Work it out, talk about it. You'd be amazed how much will
24:29
happen when you just go to the brother or sister and say, You
24:32
know what? What you said, hurt my feelings,
24:34
and the response can only be, will you forgive me?
24:38
That wasn't my intent, and then God works it out and we move
24:41
forward. I think of the conference that
24:43
we just hold recently this week. First time, ever big step of
24:46
faith for us. I mean, we went big and God
24:49
blessed it amazingly, but if you were to hang out with us for the
24:52
last few months behind the scenes, oh my the spiritual
24:58
warfare, the tension, the friction, the Says of all this
25:03
working together and this didn't work and this didn't happen and
25:06
this but you know what we've learned to work it out to talk
25:10
about it love covers a multitude of sins.
25:13
Why? Because we need to choose to die
25:15
to ourselves so that the people will be taken care of and loved
25:21
everyone that showed up, they didn't know about.
25:23
They didn't know about, they did not need to know about all that
25:26
we were going through, all the little things, big things.
25:28
They didn't know. All they needed to know, is that
25:31
Jesus high and lifted up? Up that he loves them as worship
25:34
leaders, creatives Tech and everything else and that he
25:37
wants to equip them for the work of the ministry until he
25:40
returns, we'll take it. The leaders and the servants
25:43
will take, the hits, will take the difficulties and believe me.
25:48
I'm not saying, I want more of them.
25:49
I'm just saying, we'll take them because, that's why God put us
25:53
in that position. And what course, we're going to
25:55
make mistakes, but there's ways to rectify them and ways to
25:58
solve them, so that the church doesn't become all divisive and
26:01
upset and And critical and everything that would cause us
26:05
to stunt our spiritual growth. so, here was It says that the
26:12
Universe 10 Moses. And now two more guys are
26:15
revealed Aaron and Hur they go up to the top of the hill and so
26:20
it was When Moses held up his hand Israel prevailed.
26:27
And when he let down his hand, a mile off amalek Prevail.
26:31
So, you get the picture, he's up on the hill.
26:33
It's a, it's the mountains. There are not very big.
26:36
It's a hill. He's up there, overlooking the
26:38
valley, and he's got his hands up, perhaps like this.
26:41
And he's got a rod in one hand and it's the position of prayer.
26:45
He's in a place interceding for with God, for the people, he's
26:49
praying for them and Moses wrote Exodus.
26:52
And so, he looks back on this and he says, Hey when Moses
26:55
hands were at my hands were up. There was Victory, but if I got
26:58
tired of my hand started coming down, then there was defeat.
27:02
And he's showing that the place of Victory is always the place
27:05
of prayer, but you can get tired and prayer.
27:07
And you can get weary and prayer, and you can, when you're
27:10
doing one thing for a long time, it can be very easy to get
27:14
tired. Because notice it says in verse
27:17
12, when Moses hands became heavy And you anybody knows if
27:23
you ever tried this to keep your hands up like this, you're not
27:26
going to keep him up forever. They're going to start feeling
27:28
like they're two tons hanging on your arms and before you know it
27:31
you're like, oh and there's nothing, nothing changed.
27:34
It's just hard with your muscles and everything.
27:35
Keep them up. So it beat your are his arms,
27:38
began to feel heavy and what happens when his arms became
27:43
heavy, his arms went down and what happened.
27:46
When his arms went down, there was defeat with the children of
27:50
Israel. So, notice what happens in verse
27:52
S12 his art, his hands are becoming heavy, they took a
27:56
stone, put it on her him, and he sat on it, and Erin and her
28:02
Mark. These words supported his hands
28:05
one on one side. One on the other side and his
28:08
hands were steady until the going down of the Sun and Joshua
28:13
defeated amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
28:18
Remember last time in session. Number two, I shared with you.
28:23
One of the most important tools you have in serving God, that's
28:27
in addition to reading all the spiritual things reading, the
28:30
Bible, praying, one of the most important tools that you and I
28:34
have in Ministry is the gift of observation, just open your eyes
28:40
and pay attention, because if you open your eyes and pay
28:43
attention, you will see so much to be taken care of.
28:47
So, Many people. So many situations.
28:49
Just be a good Observer. I see an example of this here
28:53
because Moses doesn't say, hey guys, I'm getting tired now.
28:56
What's your problem? I need some help here, give me a
28:59
rock. Hold my hands.
29:01
He doesn't do that. He's working against the
29:03
heaviness. He's doing what God has called
29:05
him to do. But he it's inevitable, he's
29:08
getting tired and they see it. And they act on it and it's so
29:13
powerful like God has given you eyes and His holy spirit.
29:18
That when you see something, you could take care of it, you just
29:21
go take care of it. That's what they do.
29:22
The good get a rock, they put the rock down there.
29:25
They sit him down and they start to hold up as an so.
29:28
Let's think about that first. He's like this.
29:30
Moses like this. And he's like this.
29:31
And like this. And like this.
29:33
The guys rush over put a rocket. Put some down here, but his arms
29:37
are up. That's what's necessary.
29:38
Put some down here. Sometimes I do this little
29:40
situation with others. I'm gonna do it by myself.
29:42
He's up here and he needs his arms.
29:44
So Aaron and her eyes, they have a couple options.
29:47
I think I wasn't there. You weren't there, but this
29:49
might thinking they have a couple of options.
29:51
The first one is to hold his arm up like this and it can hold his
29:55
arms up. Like this one here and then one
29:57
here. But again, they're putting
29:59
themselves in the same position. They're going to get heavy.
30:02
They need some kind of Leverage to keep his hands.
30:04
So this is what I think they did.
30:06
I think they got down really low under the arm and they went
30:10
right up in his And they held his hand up with some leverage,
30:14
we call that the armpit Ministry.
30:18
It's very stinky, very nasty. You know, Moses hasn't taken a
30:22
shower in Forever. The deserts hot.
30:25
It's just, it's just not the place.
30:27
Anybody wants to be Unless you're submissive and supportive
30:33
and you realize that it doesn't matter where you go the people
30:37
matter. I don't care.
30:39
I'll stinky Moses is it doesn't matter.
30:41
And that stinkiness could be a lot of different things.
30:43
You know, you serve with someone and you start to see, they're
30:46
not a perfect person. You start to see that they don't
30:49
walk on water. You see?
30:51
Oh man, this guy's just as normal as me.
30:53
Yes, it stinks, doesn't it? But nobody wants to know
30:58
everybody wants the glory. Everybody wants the attention,
31:01
but there's none of that. That that is.
31:03
So, so wrong, in every sense of the word, the whole lot of
31:09
ministry is stinky business. Let me just let me just say it.
31:13
Like you just got to hear it this way.
31:15
Ministry is hard. Sometimes it's harder than hard.
31:22
Serving people in the context of the church being a
31:26
representative Jesus is very much like First Responders like
31:31
police officers like er techs and ER nurses and doctors, where
31:37
you're dealing with people on the worst day of their life.
31:43
You're stepping into with love and hope and mercy on the worst
31:46
day of their life and you do that every day over and over and
31:49
over and over again. It's hard work.
31:53
It is not for the faint of heart.
31:55
It's not like a little hobby, you dabble in.
31:58
You've got to really care. You have to have the Heart of
32:01
Jesus in you, you have to be willing to die to yourself, you
32:05
want. God is calling you to take care
32:06
of people's lives and some of the worst situations in it, if
32:09
you don't do so with love, you could do a lot of damage.
32:14
And rarely people sign up for the armpit Ministry.
32:16
People want other things. You know, they hear this phrase,
32:21
I kind of changed my voice for it, but like, I hear this phrase
32:24
all, I'm not cold to that. Well what do you call two?
32:27
Like the rest of us are called to that?
32:29
Why aren't you called to that? Why aren't you cold to do the
32:32
hard work? Why don't you call to chip in?
32:35
And again, as we build on other studies, it's kind of like the
32:37
worldwide climb the corporate ladder.
32:39
I paid my dues and until you die on a cross and rise again.
32:42
You paid nothing man. Nothing, this is all unto Jesus,
32:46
the author and finisher of our faith and the people Walk in
32:49
this church even if this is the first time someone walks into
32:52
this church and he you they deserve to be served in the love
32:55
of Jesus, to get a taste of the love that God has for them.
33:01
The ministry is not glamour or celebrity.
33:05
There's even a new phrase today. It wasn't this way 10 or 15
33:08
years ago, but it's super popular now and that is the
33:11
celebrity Pastor. Let me tell you something.
33:14
There is no such thing as a celebrity pastor.
33:19
Or you've got to pick one, you want to be a celebrity, then go
33:22
off and be a celebrity, but that's not pastoral Ministry.
33:25
A pastor is a shepherd and a servant who lays down his life
33:30
for the flock. And so don't let the world lie
33:32
to you. Don't let the church World lie
33:34
to you. There's no such thing and if you
33:36
start serving in this church because that's the sake of this,
33:38
you're going to start serving his surgical manner that's
33:40
heavy. It is because people matter
33:45
People matter. I'm not saying you won't make a
33:46
mistake. I'm not saying you won't do
33:48
something wrong. I'm not saying that we're all
33:51
going to be perfect, that's silly.
33:53
Of course, that's not going to happen, but with the right
33:55
heart, Really God will use you in ways that you haven't even
33:59
imagined. It says in verse 13, Joshua
34:02
defeated amalek what Aaron and Hur saw nobody asked them to do
34:06
it. They saw it.
34:07
They go. Hey man, let's take care of him.
34:08
Let's go over, Let's help him. Let's support him and and this
34:11
is a phrase. I'm going to be meditating on
34:13
because I was looking at this text again the last week or so.
34:16
I love this phrase and I'm just going to be meditating on it for
34:19
a couple weeks in verse 12 where it says his hands were steady I
34:25
mean that's pretty cool. I mean that's just Stays steady?
34:28
I looked out Hebrew our Hebrew word up.
34:30
It actually means faithful. So, something to do with
34:33
steadiness and faithfulness, I'm going to be thinking about is,
34:35
like so cool because that's what we want.
34:37
We want our hands to Be steady. We want our lives to be
34:40
faithful. And and one way I like to
34:43
describe it in the life of the ministry here, especially those
34:46
that might be closest to me in serving alongside of me is this
34:51
I need help in my Ministry, God's call me too.
34:54
I need help for people supporting me.
34:57
Lifting up my arms. What I don't need is people
35:00
hanging on my arms. As I make sense it's going to
35:02
make things worse. I don't need hanging on my arms
35:06
because then I'm taking away from what God has called me to
35:09
do and shepherding and pastoring because my responsibility as a
35:12
pastor part of it is to make life easier for you.
35:16
My responsibility is to make sure you can serve better that.
35:19
You're well-equipped that your well cared for my responsibility
35:23
is to make sure that it's easy for you to serve and I support
35:26
you. You and I study your hands and I
35:29
don't hang on your hands. I mean, think about it like the
35:31
things they we might take for take for granted but like you,
35:35
when you come to a church, you're looking for Godly
35:37
leadership, right? You're looking for examples.
35:39
I mean, what if I came to church this weekend so I got a new
35:41
revelation for you guys. Just want to let, you know, I
35:44
did the Christian thing for a while, but now I all week, I
35:47
didn't really have time to study, you know, I was partying.
35:50
I went to the bars and went to a couple Raves, you know, I've
35:53
tried some new drugs that are legal and I just didn't have any
35:55
time but last night, I I downloaded a sermon from I need
35:58
a sermon.com so I'm just going to tell you the sermon today and
36:02
you know like you know what would happen after this week and
36:05
another couple weeks of that this place will be empty.
36:08
I mean the people that stay really need to be evangelized
36:10
but most people will eat That's not church.
36:14
That's not what you expect from a pastor.
36:16
We'll listen, that's not weeks what we expect from you, either.
36:20
It's the same thing. You can have one standard for
36:22
the pastor and not for yourself. You have a walk with the Lord.
36:26
We don't expect that for you too.
36:27
So if you said, oh, you know, and I partied all week and I'm
36:29
okay and smoking pot during the week, but I'm ready to serve the
36:32
kids. We don't want you to serve the
36:34
kids. We don't want you anywhere near
36:36
the kids like that. We don't want you teaching them
36:39
that you got Parts in your life. I don't want the kids to know So
36:43
like presenting yourself to the Lord a Living Sacrifice and
36:47
serve the Lord. Well, I mean that's the world
36:49
that we're in right now. It's going to require more not
36:51
less for us to serve him effectively.
36:54
So Victory comes because the kids matter.
36:57
You know, you got you all of us pray today.
36:59
One way or another for little Anaya she matters.
37:02
She's going to grow up in this church.
37:04
She's going to watch your life for the time that they're here.
37:07
They're going to watch your lives and they matter they
37:10
matter to God, Jesus even said it.
37:12
Didn't he suffer the little children to come unto me.
37:15
Jesus placed, a high value on kids even more so he says, hey
37:19
man, it'd be better for someone to have a millstone hung around
37:22
their neck and thrown into the sea.
37:24
Then to stumble, one of these little ones.
37:26
How much more for the children of God?
37:29
So, service is pretty serious. We take it.
37:31
Seriously, it was so important that in verse 14, God told Moses
37:36
write it down. He said, this is what I want you
37:39
to remember. The Lord is my banner.
37:42
This is the banner of what he wants to see Cooperative
37:45
collaborative, teamwork and in summary two things before we
37:49
leave. How does Victory come?
37:52
I want you to notice, we kind of go back, first of all, number
37:55
one, there is an attack, there is an attack in the spirit, the
38:00
amalek, the amalekites are attacking the children.
38:02
There's Warfare and in the midst of that number to notice, God
38:06
spoke God saw it and had a solution for it and he spoke to
38:12
Moses and gave Moses the instructions.
38:15
You'll see this all throughout the scriptures.
38:17
He gave Moses the instructions. What did Moses do?
38:19
He called Joshua and he told Joshua.
38:22
This is what I want you to do. Go do it, Joshua did it.
38:26
And then Moses said I'm going up and so then Moses did what he
38:29
was supposed to do. And he went up, had his arms up
38:31
with the stop, then he became tired and the guys are hung out
38:35
with them without any Direction. They see a need and they rush
38:38
over and they take care of Moses because they realized that his
38:41
arms were falling, the people were, were, were being defeated.
38:45
And let's get that man to rest. And we'll hold your arms up.
38:47
We'll do this together. It's not just you Moses.
38:50
To us. We're going to do this together
38:53
because we all love the people and we all want to see them
38:55
grow. And basically you got you, this
38:59
is the key when everybody does what they're supposed to do.
39:05
When they're supposed to do it the way they're supposed to do
39:07
it in the context of the church, then the church cannot be
39:11
stopped. I mean, it just goes with power
39:14
of God's anointing comes down on that and you know, as well as I
39:18
do division and all It just stunt our growth.
39:23
You sometimes. Haven't you ever been?
39:24
You don't have to say yes or anything or a mint.
39:25
Don't don't because I want anybody get in trouble.
39:27
But haven't you ever been in a conversation?
39:29
You go. Why are we talking about this?
39:32
Why is this such a big deal? Why do you care about this so
39:36
much? When all the Sinners and Sinners
39:39
and lost people walking all by some, we're arguing about, I
39:42
don't think you have the right flag up there.
39:45
I just don't think that's the right color green.
39:48
I think it's a different cut. Like what?
39:51
Someone's probably just bust it right now.
39:53
Don't worry about it. I mean, silly stuff.
39:55
I just caught my eye just so silly.
39:57
The Lord is doing great things and we want to be a part of it.
40:01
So let me just say this as the worship team comes back up, let
40:04
me just say this, I want to give you the number one, hindrance to
40:07
your Effectiveness in Ministry and it's a practical thing.
40:11
I mean, obviously the spiritual is already taken care of your,
40:13
in the word, you're praying. You have a growing walk with the
40:16
Lord. You got that.
40:18
And sin is an obvious one, so it's not just sent in general.
40:22
This number one thing will stunt your spiritual growth and halt
40:26
your progress in serving immediately.
40:30
You ready for it? Write it down.
40:32
You ready? Pride, pride will stop you in
40:38
your tracks. It will grieve the Holy Spirit.
40:42
It will make you someone you didn't want to be.
40:45
It pride will make you argumentative.
40:48
Instant unsub missive and it happens to us all.
40:52
We have to keep our eyes on the Lord God values, humility and
40:55
Brokenness. You know, pride is so, so so bad
41:00
that the Bible has to say that. God resists the proud, but gives
41:07
grace to the humble. That's how important it is in
41:12
your life. You want to be effective, walk
41:14
in humility and dependents, pray for a servant's heart.
41:19
So that you can support your pastor and you can support your
41:22
Leaders with a like-mindedness that grows and grows and grows.
41:28
Amen. Wow, heavy stuff.
41:31
So good. It is so good to learn how to
41:33
serve. I mean, this is this is gold
41:36
right here. This is gold.
41:37
This is, this is so good. If you would just put it into
41:40
practice, our church will be so blessed.
41:43
And so, will our community. Father, thank you for the work
41:46
of your spirit in us and And help us.
41:49
God, we're all human. And that's the, that's the
41:51
problem. We're human, we make mistakes.
41:55
But God, I know there's wounded people here.
41:57
I know they're people are mad at pastors.
41:59
Mad at churches. Maybe not even in the room, but
42:02
watching online and listening on the radio.
42:06
Maybe because they're not, they're not mad.
42:08
I don't know. Maybe they're mad at you too.
42:09
It's not like, I don't know, I don't know what you're, I don't
42:12
know all the feelings, but I know there are people angry,
42:14
which kind of holding them back, is they got burned, and they
42:18
didn't forgive. Viv.
42:20
And I think that's a key. So I just pray forgiveness into
42:23
their hearts so they could be released from their own
42:26
bitterness and they could be released from their own Pride,
42:30
really. Maybe it was a dysfunctional
42:34
home that caused such great pain and just as a little kid.
42:37
Oh little daughter, little Sun, they don't really have any power
42:40
or control over it. God just pray comfort and
42:43
healing in their hearts. Could be the last Church.
42:46
They were at could be this church gone.
42:49
That they're just be a willingness to resolve it.
42:53
And let's, let's be serious about our failures and let's be
42:58
serious about our mistakes and submit ourselves to you.
43:01
So you get all the glory for the great things you have done.
43:05
And so we admit to our Humanity God.
43:07
We admit to you that without you, we are nothing.
43:10
But with you, we can be, you know, without you.
43:12
We can't do anything. But with you, we can do all
43:15
things through Christ, who strengthens us.
43:17
So as people are watching or listening to this, Enlist them
43:20
in the ministry and let's serve until you return in Jesus name.
43:25
Amen. Amen.
43:26
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
43:29
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
43:32
prayer. Call us at 877, 30 Grace.
43:37
That's eight 77304, 2:53 to listen to this message in its
43:43
entirety or to join us for our live stream Services.
43:47
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43:52
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43:55
this week.