0:07 This is a title that was given to Jesus. Uh, a precious cornerstone and yet a rock of offense. Rock of offense meaning someone would get offended by this Jesus. And the same 0:24 Jesus also for some were precious. If you turn with me to 1 Peter 2, 1 Peter 2 [clears throat] and we can read from verse 4. 0:43 1 Peter chapter 2:4. This is talking about us coming together as a church. And it says here, "And coming to Jesus as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of 1:03 God." Verse 5, you also as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And so Jesus 1:22 is a living stone. He's a cornerstone, precious stone. But God is building the church with each of us as living stones, one with another. One stone to my left, one stone to the 1:40 right, one stone on the top. All of us connected together building a [laughter] a a dwelling place for the Lord. And the cornerstone is precious. And it says here in verse six, for this is contained in scripture, behold, I lay 1:59 in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in him will not be disappointed. The one who believes in Jesus will never be disappointed. 2:16 It says in one place it says he will never be put to shame. He'll never come to a place where he's trusted on this cornerstone and God let him down. That's what it says. This is a wonderful promise for everyone 2:36 who's put their confidence in Jesus. No matter what the circumstance and situation, God has never failed one person who's trusted him till today and he will never. In Joshua, if you just turn with me to Joshua, this was the testimony 2:54 after they walked with God. Joshua chapter 21. Joshua 21 verse 45. Joshua 21:45. 3:11 And we have to remember this. Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel or made to me has failed. all came to pass. 3:30 Never one time God made a promise and it failed. God said he'll deliver them from Egypt. Did he do? Yes. He said he'll take them into the promised land. Did he do it? Yes. Every single promise that he made never failed. And that's why we can 3:48 have confidence. No matter what circumstance we are in today, how bleak it may seem, the one who puts their confidence and trust and belief in Jesus, this cornerstone whose precious will not be going back disappointed or 4:07 ashamed. However, the same precious cornerstone, it says here in verse 7, this precious value then is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve or don't have faith in this cornerstone, that 4:26 same stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone. And it says verse eight, the a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense for they stumbled because they are 4:44 disobedient. The same the same stone one embraced it and considered it precious and that cornerstone never let them down. But for others who didn't believe it in 5:02 this, it became a stone of stumbling, a rock of offense. They got offended by that same stone. And so I wanted to share as we think about each of us may be going through a situation 5:21 where we're in a tight spot and God has or are orchestrated circumstances so that we would be in a tight spot so that we have a choice to put our trust in him or not. 5:40 And if you think if you turn back to Exodus, Exodus 14, the children of Israel just saw the mighty miracles that God did in their midst, turning the Nile into blood, the frogs, 5:59 the lice, all of those plagues, darkness all around that you could feel. Yet in Gan where the children of God were it was daylight and God said I'll make a distinction between those who are my children and 6:17 those who are not. And here after they saw all of that another time came of testing whether they would trust him. And it says here verse 3, Exodus 14:3, 6:36 this is what Pharaoh is saying after he saw all these plagues, all of these things, his firstborn dies. He's saying, "What are we doing? We need to go and get them." And it's perfect. We'll we have our finally got our chance to take 6:54 our revenge on all of what has happened to us. And look at them. This is what he says. They are wandering aimlessly in the land. The wilderness has shut them in. The wilderness has shut them in. They're in a corner. 7:12 And this is our time to go and all destroy them all. And so they come and their plan is to destroy them. And you see all of these people and they're frantic. God who had done all these miracles for them in their midst. 7:31 Now they have another testing. Am I going to trust in God? And I was thinking it was so simple for God to when they got there the Red Sea was already opened up and say, "What do you know? The Red Sea is already there. We have a way." Could God have done that 7:49 before they got there? Could God have opened up the Red Sea before they came there? Yes, he could have. But he made sure that the Red Sea was filled. The wilderness was shutting them in. That Pharaoh will say they're now in a 8:08 place where they're in a desperate situation and they have no hope. They're going to be disappointed in the one they trusted. They're going to be ashamed. God is going to let them down. Now they're trapped. And each of us come 8:23 through sit circumstances and situations in our life where we feel we're all caved in. I've felt that situations. Lord, the time is going. It's very close. I'm almost at the end of all my hoarded 8:40 resources. I'm there. I'm at the last And they're all all all looking at the circumstances in verse verse 11 already it's a difficult situation but in the midst of the difficult situation 8:58 Moses hears this also verse 11 then they said to Moses is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness why have you dealt with us in this way bringing us out of Egypt? Eypt. Verse 9:15 12. Is not Is this not the word that we spoke to you? Didn't we tell you already in Egypt, saying, "Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians, for it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here in the 9:29 wilderness." Verse 13. But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians which you have seen today, you 9:46 will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. God is going to do something in your days that even if they told you, you would not believe it. They started off their day looking at 10:05 the chariots coming for them, the Red Sea closing them in, the wilderness shutting them out. That's what they saw when they got up. But God's plan was different for them. More than you can think or imagine, 10:23 God will do. Ephesians, more than you think or imagine. They never thought or imagine that the Red Sea was going to open up. They thought that was the day, their last day on earth. But God took that, God planned their day much more than they they could 10:39 have ever imagined. They went into their days thinking, "Okay, this is a terrible day." God said, "No, it's not going to be a terrible day. This is going to be a day of great rejoicing. I will bless the hand that guideth. I will bless the 10:55 heart that planned." That's the song we sang. [snorts] The sand the the the sands of time are sinking. That's the God that we serve. God is pleased with our faith. When I say, "Oh yeah, this is how it's going to end up. What good is going to come out 11:15 of it?" That's unbelief. I say, "Lord, no matter how it is, I may have had this plan, but your plans for me is greater than what I can ever think or imagine." And I believe that faith pleases the Lord because in the midst of people who 11:30 are crying out, "Oh, this is our last day. God is going to let us down." There are people who say, "No, God has never let us down. He's always never failed and he's not going to be a disappointment. I'm never going to be 11:43 put ashamed, be put to shame. And you see that God delivered them. And it says that through faith they went through the Red Sea. Uh actually turn with me to Hebrews 11. 12:02 Through faith they went through the Red Sea. But when the Egyptians who didn't have faith tried to attempt to do the same thing, this is what happened. So turn with me to Hebrews 11 verse 29. By faith the children of 12:20 Israel passed through the Red Sea as though they passed through dry land. And the Egyptians when they attempted it were drowned. Why? Because they didn't have faith. But the children of Israel who had faith and I could imagine they'd 12:36 come to the other side and they say, "You know what? My feet have the dust from the bottom of the Red Sea. It was dry land. A proof that they went through something that nobody else ever that was always covered with water, but they had 12:53 dry ground, dry sand from that bottom of the ocean, bottom of the Red Sea. a testimony, a reminder that God was faithful. Again, another man, Elijah, if you turn with me to First Kings 18. 13:12 First Kings 18. He was a lonely man, one man standing up for God in the midst of many who had backslid in. Yet one man with God is 13:29 one man with God is a majority. And so he's there and everybody's there. And I love you. You remember how the prophets of Baal they were praying and seeking to hear from their God 13:48 all the way all throughout the morning. Did they hear anything? No. nothing. And now Elijah's going up there. The Israelites are backsliden. The prophets of Baal. The king is against him. Everybody's against him. 14:05 And he's standing there already. The fire hasn't come down for most of the day. And now he's counting on one person to stand by him. Who is that? He's counting on 14:23 Elijah is counting on God. God, if you don't come through in front of all these people for whom I'm standing in front of them saying to worship you, Lord, my trust is in you. Don't let me be ashamed in front of all these people who are here. 14:42 I'm taking a stand for you, Lord. Everyone else is backsliden. Lord, let that fire come. Was El Elijah ever disappointed? Did God put him to shame in front of all the others? No. Did God put Moses to 14:59 shame in front of the Egyptians? No. And it's wonderful in a time of drought when there's no rain, what's the thing that's missing the most when you don't have any rain? Water. Water. And so, so it says here in verse 15:18 32, first Kings 18:32, so with the stones he built the altar in the name of the Lord and made a trench around the altar. Verse 33, then he arranged the wood, cut the pieces, and laid it on the laid it on the wood. And he said, "Fill the fill 15:38 four pictures of water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." I am so confident that God is going to come through [snorts] that I'm going to take this water which is very limited because we're in a drought and say, 15:56 "Okay, pour it." Why? because he wanted to show how God was going to come through despite the difficult circumstance. How is God going to come through? I'll show you how God's going to come through. And then not one time, but then second time. And then you 16:14 know how many times, three times, another time. This is not good enough. Three times. Pour water. Let it be drenched. So that you will all know if fire comes, it came from heaven. And it says that he prayed. And it says 16:33 here, verse 37, First Kings 18:37, "Answer me, oh Lord. Answer me that this people might know that you are the Lord our God, and that you have turned their heart back again." And then the fire of the Lord fell and 16:52 consumed the burnt offering, the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. God did not let him down. He put his faith on that cornerstone 17:08 and he was not disappointed. Another example, Daniel. Why do I share example after example? Because we see testimony after testimony. God has never let down those who put their trust in them. 17:28 Trust in him. Turn with me to Daniel chapter 2 verse one. Now in the second year, Daniel chapter 2 verse one. Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar 17:46 had dreams and his spirit was troubled and in his sleep and his sleep left him. Rashu, the king gave orders, calling the magicians and the conjurers and the sorcerers and the calaldanss to tell the king the dreams. So they came and stood 18:00 before the king. The king said to them, I had a dream and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream. And you might remember he tells them, "I'm not going to tell you the dream, but you have to tell me the answer. If you tell me the 18:17 dream and its answer, you'll live. If you don't tell me the dream and its answer, do you know what the consequence was?" They would all be killed. All the magicians, all these sorcerers, all of them, including Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, 18:35 Meshach, and Abedneo. And you think about this at the Red Sea. Life and death. Daniel also life and death. God could have easily given the answer to the dream. I'm going to give a dream 18:53 to the uh dream to the king tomorrow. But here's the answer to the dream. Could God have done that? Yes. But he said, "No, I'm not going to give you Daniel and your friends the dream now. You're going to be in a tight spot 19:08 where you don't have the answer to the dream. Your life is going to be on the line. What are you going to do when you can't count on anything else? What are you going to do? And they said, "No." It says, verse 14, "Then Daniel replied 19:26 with discretion and discernment to the to the captain of the bodyguard who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. And he said, "Give me more some more time." And it says here in verse 17, "What did Daniel do when he was in a 19:40 tight spot? He went to his he went to the house and informed his friends or you can say his brothers Haniah, Michelle, and Azariah about the matter. He said, "I can't deal with this alone. I need your encouragement. Please 19:58 pray with me. It's a matter of life and death. If we don't get this answer, we're going to die. They couldn't make up an answer. Also, the king knew what the dream was. So, they couldn't You might have heard of 20:16 that game called 20 questions where you ask the questions. Is it is it living or is it not living? Is it a a a boy or a girl? And then you get 20 questions and you find out what the answer is. They didn't have 20 questions. They had one 20:30 answer. It's either the right answer where they'll live but every other answer was going to be death. Every answer was going to be death. There was only one answer which will bring life. 20:46 For us also in the church there's one word that will bring life. Many other words that will bring death. And that's why Peter said, "You alone have the words of eternal life. I'll be able to live from 21:05 your words, Jesus, all the other words." And so they had to get one word, the right word. And so they sought the Lord, Lord, if I give another, if I give just a wrong word here, it's going to cost me my life. And that's why it's so 21:21 important that we hear the words of the Lord. Lord, what are you saying? He says to the churches, hear what the spirit is speaking to the churches. Make sure you can hear what he's speaking because there's one word of life. 21:38 The rest all will be bring death. Did God let Daniel and his friends down? No. And I could imagine there in the middle of the night as time is ticking they see I don't know if they had clocks but they the time is ticking 21:58 and the time is going down and Lord it's nearly daybreak. We need the answer. Our life depends on it. And God answers them in the middle of the night tells them the dream. And they say this in verse 23. To you, oh God of 22:15 my fathers, I give thanks and praise. For you have given me wisdom and power. Even now you have made known to me what we requested. You didn't let us down. Lord, thank you so much. You came through for us. Brothers and sisters, we 22:30 also go through circumstances in life where it's there. I'm so close. Lord, the time is ticking. The sands of time are sinking. [snorts] Lord, will you come through? I put my confidence and trust in you. I have no other hope but you. 22:50 And those who put their trust were never disappointed. But it also says the sad thing is the same stone that was a cornerstone for many that was 23:06 precious to many that same stone became a rock of offense to many. You might remember if you turn with me to Luke this was a prophe prophecy about Jesus when he was born. 23:25 Simeon came to them and said this to them. Luke chapter 2:34. Luke 2:34. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, "Behold, this child, behold, Jesus is appointed for the fall 23:45 and rise of many, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce even your own soul." Why? Why is the soul why is why is it going to pierce the soul to the end that the thoughts from many 24:03 hearts may be revealed recently in our brother's studies. This is something that we've been talking about. We've been hearing about how one day everything that's happened in secret will be shown for everyone to see. Today 24:20 it's hidden, but that day it won't be. what you're thinking about others, what you're thinking about the Lord, circumstances, attitudes, everything will be open. And as I was listening to that, I was thinking, Lord, 24:37 I want to be ready for that day by examining what's going in my thoughts and attitudes. If my mind was opened up here, would I be ashamed? Is there anything that's happening and hidden that I'm ashamed of 24:54 this recent this week last week um you might I don't know for some of us we had uh heavy winds this last week and they some of us are even still I think in Boulder they're still affected by it where they 25:13 had to take out the power because they were scared that the power lines might get affected and such But during that time was a time of testing, a time where all these trees were shaken. 25:29 And there was a tree near our home. Two trees, aspen trees that were there. Both looked almost identical. And they were just standing right beside each other. Two of them, those aspen trees. And these aspen trees have seen 25:46 storms. They've been through winters and they endured all of it. But this last storm was just a little too strong for one of the trees. I couldn't see both of the trees on the outside look exactly the almost exactly 26:05 the same, the same thickness, the same height, everything. But one at the end of the storm had found fallen down. The other one was still standing. Both looked identical on the outside. 26:25 It wasn't what was looking on the outside that made the difference. Do you know what made the difference? It was what was on the inside. They both both looked healthy on the outside, but on the inside, one was healthy in in the 26:41 inside as well as the outside. The other one wasn't healthy inside. And as I was thinking about that, Jesus said Jesus was going to be a rock of offense for some. 27:00 And when I think about Judas's Scariot, one of those who got offended by this rock of offense one day, it was a cornerstone for him. I believe the day in Mark 3:3 and 14 when Jesus called Judas along with the other disciples, those he he himself wanted to 27:19 be with him and to minister, he called him. I'm sure Judas's scariot so happy that day among the 70 and among all of these things you picked me. You're precious to me, Jesus. You're my cornerstone. And even as time went on, when he fed 27:41 the 5,000 and shared with them, many got offended. It says many of his disciples left him because they stumbled and they got offended. But Peter said when Jesus asked him do you get you 12 want to go he said where 28:00 can we go you you have where can we go who is a part of the wei Judas the scariot where can we go yes they all got offended but where can we go he was not offended even when many disciples had left enduring enduring just like that tree endured through many 28:20 winters and storms but then came another storm and Judas's scariot again shaken. If you turn with me to Matthew 26, Matthew 26 Verse 28:55 8, Matthew 8, uh, 26:8. But the disciples were indignant or angry or upset. But we know from the gospel of John who exactly it was. Do you know who was exact who was the one who was concerned about this that Mary poured out the 29:12 costly ointment on Jesus' feet? It was Judas's Scariot. It was troubling to him that this happened. And then Jesus gave him a correction. Actually, it says that why was why why this waste? For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money 29:30 given to the poor. But it says in gospel in the gospel of John, it says that he was not concerned for the poor, but because he was in charge of the money box that he would often piler from it. So on the outside he showed something 29:46 but on the inside it it was a different story. On the outside it looked good. Everything seemed fine. But in the inside he was doing something that he would be ashamed of if others knew about. And then Jesus being aware of this verse 30:07 10. Why do you bother this woman? For she has done a good deed to me. For you will always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. For when she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 30:24 Verse 13, for truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be spoken of in memory of her. Verse 14, what does Judas do immediately after he gets corrected? Verse 30:41 14. Then one of the 12 named Judas the Scariot went to the chief priest and says, "What are you willing to give me to betray him to you?" That's how much when a person gets offended when you or me gets offended will be willing to do 30:59 anything even betray the Lord. And that's why Jesus said to some I'll be a rock of offense. In Ezekiel 3:20, I believe it is, it says that the Lord himself will put a stumbling block. And when they stumble 31:15 over that small stumbling block, it'll show up what was there in their heart all along. When that wind shook this tree, that's what proved what was inside all along. When that situation arose with Mary 31:36 pouring the alabaster oil, that just shook the tree to show what was inside already. And when circumstances and situations happen in our lives where it shakes us, that will show us what's really inside. And how good it is if we're shaken on 31:54 this side of eternity and say, "Oh Lord, the thoughts I have, the attitudes I have, the things I have towards others, Lord, it's not right. Let me set it right. Very often we hear that you know when Jesus said one of you will betray me. 32:13 Surely it is not I. And I used to think that they all said the same thing but there was something that's different. Verse 21. Matthew 26 21. As they were eating truly I say Jesus said truly I say to you one of you will 32:30 betray me. Verse 22. Being grieved, they each one began to say, "Surely not I. Surely not I, Lord. Surely not I, Master, Lord. Surely not I." Peter said 32:48 that. John said that, James said that. All of them going in line. And then Jesus says that the one who I dipped the dipped in who dipped his hand with me in the bowl is the one who will betray me. Verse 25, listen to what 33:05 Judas says. And Judas who was betraying him said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi." The rest of them said, "Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord." But when it came to Judas's scariot, the one who said, "Where will we go 33:25 Lord?" You have the words now came from Lord to teacher. What happened when our life is not right with the Lord? Our respect for the Lord also goes 33:42 down. Once he called him Lord, now he became teacher and [clears throat] ready to betray him. And it says here in second Peter, if you turn with me to second Peter, when our life is not right inside, 33:59 this is also a symptom that we'll have a lack of respect for authority. It goes hand in hand. Second Peter chapter 2 verse 10. Especially those who indulge in the flesh and its corrupt desires. 34:18 What comes hand inhand with that and despise? Authority. And you see that and I see that when I have a lack of respect for authority, it could be in the home. It could be in the 34:34 workplace. It could be in the church. It could be for the Lord. When I have a lack of reverence and respect for authority, it's a telltale sign that there's something wrong in my life. Jesus could see it. He He could see what 34:54 was inside. Everything was coming. That stone of stumbling was there. And Judas is carried without knowing all of these things are coming out from his heart revealing what was inside. The other thing is also God trusted 35:12 Judas's scariot among that brotherhood that night when he betrayed Jesus. He was not only betraying Jesus, he's betraying those brothers with whom he ministered with, he went and shared with, he went they went and cast out 35:29 demons together. All of these things they went and met with Jesus together. They all trusted him. And in Amos 1:9, it says, "You forgot or you did not remember this covenant of brotherhood you had with all of these others, 35:48 brothers, sisters. When our relationship with the Lord is not right, that'll also affect our relationship with one another." He forgot all of what the other how they went and got it a a basket of bread 36:06 after Jesus fed the 5,000. How they ministered to how they were in the boat when the boat was in the winds and the waves and how Jesus stormed them. They're all together encouraging one another. But now when he was offended, 36:22 he forgot all about these brothers that had helped him so much, encouraged him so much, who worked with them so much. He forgot about that and he took him to the place where Jesus met them. It says that Judas knew exactly where they 36:42 would be vulnerable and he was going to take them. And so you see that a lack of love for the Lord will make me also break my covenant of brotherhood with my brothers. 36:59 Very dangerous thing. But if you turn with me to Psalm 32, I'm not sure if you ever experienced this, but I know in my life there have been 37:15 times like this. I'm sure it would have been weighing on Judas's Scariot of what he was doing. Psalm 32 it says that when Jesus 37:35 corrected him he didn't say anything he just went to the chief priest and then said what will you do to betray him there was a silence that he had on the outside but on the inside he was plotting against the Lord it says here 37:53 in Psalm 32:3 when I kept silent about my sin my body wasted ed away. That means he knew he was doing something wrong. And when we also do something wrong and God is telling us to go and set a matter 38:10 right if we keep silent, this is this is this is what happens in our lives. I've experienced it. My body wasted away. Meaning there's something of heaviness in my life. I know that I'm not feeling good. Things are not going well. And if I'm honest with 38:29 myself, I would say if I'll say to the Lord, Lord, I'm not doing well spiritually. Things are not going well in my private life if I was honest. But when I keep silent about it, I cover it up. I say, I'm not going to deal with 38:44 it. I'm going to wrestle with the Lord on this though through my groaning all the day long. Verse four. And the people around us may see us going through that difficult situation. And the only answer is 39:05 for them to go and set things right with the Lord. No matter of other things that you can try to do to pacify it is going to work. Unless you and I go and set matters right with the Lord and with others that and it says verse four, for day and 39:22 night your hand was heavy upon me. My vitality or my life was being drained away as with the fever heat of summer. And brother and sister, if you're there to today, 39:40 if we're there in this situation where God is working in your heart, saying to set a matter right, the only way the heavy hand of the of the Lord is going to be lifted up is if we do what it says here, verse 5, 39:57 I'm thankful for verse five, I acknowledge my sin to you. I said, 'Lord, this is the situation I'm in. Things are not going well for me spiritually, but I want to come clean. You've heard of that expression, coming clean. I'm coming clean, Lord. This is 40:13 the way it is in reality. I want to set matters right for you. I'm going to acknowledge it. I'm not going to justify it. It's not that brother or that circumstance, that situation, that stumbling block. No, it was me. That 40:27 stumbling block just showed me what was there inside my heart all along. and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you 40:44 forgave the guilt of my sin." What a wonderful day. And I remember times like that where I'm wrestling, Lord, I don't want to set this matter right. Everything feels heavy upon me and everything saying, "Don't do it. Don't go and apologize. Don't go and 41:01 humble yourself and set that matter right. You are also right too, weren't you? I say, "No, I'm going to go and set that matter right. No matter how hard it is, I'm going to go and do it." And that day, 41:19 hand lifted up, heavens opened, and I felt felt like this man. You forgave the guilt of my sin. Verse six, therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when they may be found. 41:39 A time when they have an opportunity to go and set matters right. Let you be found at that time. Surely in a flood of great waters or winds, they will not reach you. You are my hiding place. I used to think very often that how I'm 42:05 doing spiritually affects just me. But the Bible does not say that. If we're in a church family, my sin just does not affect me alone. Some of us sometimes in the middle of 42:23 the night might bump ourselves against our toe against the especially the small toe against the bed side of the bed. Your entire body you have I think 78 body parts but out of all the 78 body parts there's only one body part that you think of at 42:41 that time. Which body part is that? Your little toe. The other 77 they're fine. You don't think about them. The one part that you do. Why? Because it's a body. Everything is connected with one another. If one body is hurting, the 42:59 entire body hurts for it. When one part of the body rejoices, every part of the body rejoices with it. And so each one of us, the reason I share this, brothers and sisters, is the way I am in private walking with the 43:17 Lord in secret, it's not just going to affect me. It's going to affect every single one of you. Paul said in the church in Corinth, do you not know that a little levan, one body part which is not doing well 43:35 will affect the leavenven the whole thing? So that's why it's important brother sister if we're a part of this body. It's not just me doing well for myself or not doing well for I a part of this 43:52 body my spiritual well-being is going to be the health of this body. And I think about this, we always want to know one of the what's the evidence that I've been filled with God's Holy Spirit. 44:10 It's interesting when John wrote the epistle of John, the letter of John, he wrote it about 80 AD after most of the people in the Gospel of John had probably passed away. That's when he's writing the Gospel of John. And if you look at Peter and and John, 44:29 both of them in Mark 10, John is saying, "Who's going to be on the left and right? Jesus in glory. Who can sit on the right and left? Can it be me, John? And on the other side, let it be James, my brother." And it's almost like, "Okay, I 44:48 got this side covered, you got this side covered. None of the other disciples can get a spot beside Jesus." Competition. competition and in in in the gospel of John he says you know what I can't write everything that I want to write because there's so 45:03 much to write about it but I'm going to write about a few things because you'll have faith through these few things that I'm mentioning which is going to give you life and so when he asked to write only a few things one of the things that he writes 45:18 about is after Jesus rose from the dead he said that there was a race between him and Peter to the tomb. And I'm thinking, if you have a limited words that you have to write the gospel, why would you? Isn't it good enough to just say that 45:34 you both got there? Why do you have to say that you went there first and he went there second? But he said, there's a reason why I'm writing this. This is how I was with with Peter and I. We were always in competition with one another. 45:53 I wanted to run ahead of him. I want to decide here. All of these things. And then afterwards, Peter, when Jesus says, "Someone's going to take you where you don't want to go, and you're going to suffer and die." There's all these other disciples there. 46:10 There's James, Andrew, and all of them. Who's the one he's thinking of? He's saying, "What about John? Is he also going to have a difficult life and then die or is he going to have a easy life? Why didn't you ask about Andrew or 46:24 James? There's you could see this competition between each other. But in Acts three, if you look at them after God filled them with the Holy Spirit, they were no longer in competition with one another. 46:44 It says here in verse three, Acts 3:3, when he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. But Peter, verse four, along with John fixed gaze on him and said, what did they say? Look at 47:03 us. It wasn't say, look at me anymore. It was look at us. Peter did the preaching. Peter did the raising of him from the ground. John wrote the gospels. It didn't matter who did what. God had given a calling for John and John was 47:22 content with it. God gave a calling for Peter, Peter was content in it. They both started to be able to instead of being in competition with one another, the Holy Spirit made them not jealous of one another, they were working together 47:36 in unity with one another. And I say, Lord, that is going to be the evidence, one of the evidences, that I've genuinely been filled with your Holy Spirit. That when you look at my life and I look at every single one and I think about 47:51 every single person in this church family, there's no competition. There's no I can really have a genuine care and love for them that was not manufactured by my own effort but through the Holy Spirit the two people who ran to that 48:07 grave who are in competition would could walk together now brother sister young person each of us are tempted to be in competition with one another in the body of Christ but that's not a healthy church where one is in competition with one other. 48:26 And you see that a church that will be triumphant, where the gates of hell will not prevail against it, is going to be one where every single member, youngest to oldest, is healthy. You're healthy in your private life. That means you have a 48:43 deep concern for each and every member of this family because you know that your spiritual well-being affects everybody else. And you think about the church in Jerusalem. Why could they pray and those doors be open and Peter come out 49:02 successfully safely out? I believe because after they dealt with the partiality in the church, after they dealt with the hypocrisy in the church, the church now was a church that was united. They cared for one another. And that's why God 49:19 could use that church to free Peter and do many things through that church. In the book of Revelation also, the healthy churches were the ones that were doing well. They didn't have few doing this, some doing that, unhealthy 49:34 members. No, it was the churches that were fully healthy that God was able to be pleased with. And I say for each one of us, brothers and sisters, we each have a part to play if we want to be a church that the Lord looks at and is pleased. 49:52 So may the Lord help each one of us. Each one of you, youngest to oldest, has a part to play. It's so important that we're not offended in the church. That Jesus is precious to us and not a rock of offense. that he's someone we 50:10 could put all our confidence in because he'll never let us down. That we value the brothers and sisters in this church. That we know what's happening in secret and we're willing to walk in the light with the Lord, saying, "Lord, it's okay 50:23 if you show what's in my mind because I have nothing to hide." So, let's pray together. Heavenly Father, I pray I want you to be even more and more precious to every single one of us. You said to those who believe you are 50:40 precious and I want you to be precious to me even more and more never being offended Lord by the correction or anything that I see in myself Lord one day everything will come to light Lord but I want along with my brothers and 50:56 sisters and young people here to walk in the light Lord where we have nothing to hide the inside of that tree is just as good as what's on the outside I pray Lord that you will give us such lives, Lord, that we take our lives with you 51:12 seriously because we each of us are connected in one body. And if we do well, the entire church family is going to do well on account of that. I pray that you'd fill each one of us with your Holy Spirit so that we walk in unity 51:28 with one another. And I pray that we would be able to be a church that you're pleased with and will be able to accomplish your purposes for your glory in Jesus name. Amen.
