WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.120 The white rabbit, you know, in Alice in Wonderland who kept saying, the hurrier I go, the behinder I get. 00:00:07.020 --> 00:00:12.640 You know, I think we're living in an interesting time in America, aren't we? 00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:23.140 You know, it seems to me like we have those who are campaigning for president, 00:00:23.140 --> 00:00:27.060 and it just doesn't seem like there's any moral compass that's involved. 00:00:27.059 --> 00:00:43.739 And the direction of our country seems to be going, you know, lower and lower as the Christian community seems to be becoming weaker and weaker. 00:00:44.739 --> 00:00:52.399 And it seems to me like there's a case where Christians can really be alarmed because even recently, 00:00:52.399 --> 00:01:03.659 I mean, even this week we heard how there are people in political power who absolutely want to do something that is contrary to Christianity. 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:10.000 And we're facing kind of, in America, we're facing kind of the same kind of situation, 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:13.019 although it maybe hasn't gotten to the point where Russia is, 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:18.879 but we seem to be going down and down and down that same road. 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:26.420 One of the things that just amazes me, however, is there's a passage in Scripture that I want to direct your attention to 00:01:26.420 --> 00:01:28.920 that's found in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:36.140 And the reason why this is significant is because Paul was dealing with a situation that's not unlike, 00:01:36.539 --> 00:01:38.140 and it was not unlike what we're dealing with. 00:01:38.259 --> 00:01:43.519 I mean, the Corinthians were people that had a reputation for deviant living. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:51.519 I mean, they were morally corrupt, and the Christians in this particular area were in the minority. 00:01:52.039 --> 00:01:57.579 And in the minority, they not only had very little power in relationship to their own communities, 00:01:57.819 --> 00:02:00.840 but they had absolutely no political power. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:07.640 And Paul is talking to a group of people that, you know, they had family issues, 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:12.159 they had strife in the church. 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:17.979 I mean, there was all kinds of things that were part of this particular group of believers 00:02:17.979 --> 00:02:21.219 that could have made Paul get extremely discouraged. 00:02:21.699 --> 00:02:26.340 And particularly, those believers who really wanted to live for Jesus Christ, 00:02:26.419 --> 00:02:27.439 they could have been downhearted. 00:02:27.699 --> 00:02:30.919 They could have been very, very disappointed. 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:33.919 They could have absolutely been at the point of saying, 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:35.439 is it worth it? 00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:37.560 Is it really worth it? 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:42.979 And maybe some of you have come to a point where you say, 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:48.719 man, you know, is this all, is this what we're doing? 00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:56.300 Is this, is this, are we going to have any influence in what's going on in America today? 00:02:56.520 --> 00:02:57.860 Or in the world today? 00:02:57.860 --> 00:03:04.440 And in the midst of that, Paul writes these words to the Corinthians. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:08.020 It's found in chapter 4, verse 1. 00:03:08.140 --> 00:03:08.420 It says, 00:03:08.680 --> 00:03:17.580 Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we don't lose heart. 00:03:17.580 --> 00:03:25.200 I remember reading this about, oh, let's see, maybe 10, 15 years ago when I was going through 00:03:25.200 --> 00:03:27.000 a really, really difficult time. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.420 And it just struck a chord in my heart. 00:03:32.020 --> 00:03:38.360 And when I started, when I read this, I said, this is a passage worth memorizing. 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:44.080 And, you know, when there's something that really, really, you know, you know, you know, 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:48.720 gets down deep in your heart, you know, it's easy to start, start memorizing these words. 00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:53.060 It goes on to say, we have, we've renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:57.660 in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of truth, 00:03:57.900 --> 00:04:00.700 commending ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 00:04:00.780 --> 00:04:04.580 For if the gospel is hid, it's hid to those who are lost. 00:04:04.580 --> 00:04:09.420 In whom the God of this world is blinded, the minds of those who believe not, lest the 00:04:09.420 --> 00:04:13.700 light of the glory of Christ should shine unto them. 00:04:14.820 --> 00:04:19.900 And I just, it just seems to me like there are some really interesting things that we 00:04:19.900 --> 00:04:21.660 need to understand about this passage of Scripture. 00:04:22.300 --> 00:04:25.720 And because Paul doesn't say to these people, buck up. 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:28.420 You know, he doesn't say, you know, get with it. 00:04:28.500 --> 00:04:31.340 He doesn't, he basically says, you know what? 00:04:31.339 --> 00:04:34.579 We have a message of mercy. 00:04:35.560 --> 00:04:41.500 And this message of mercy is so amazing because it reached down into the very heart of Paul. 00:04:41.719 --> 00:04:53.039 It reaches down into our hearts and it produces something that no human effort, no self-help 00:04:53.039 --> 00:04:55.120 lessons can do. 00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:00.980 I mean, it's an amazing thing that Paul describes later on in this, in his book. 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:02.780 He says, we are new creations. 00:05:02.899 --> 00:05:07.819 The very next chapter says, we are new creations in Christ Jesus. 00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:14.139 It's a transformation that takes place because of the wonderful mercy of God. 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:19.699 And so, we have a wonderful ministry of mercy. 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:28.000 And so, and there's three things that are part of this great ministry of mercy that motivates 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:28.319 us. 00:05:28.379 --> 00:05:32.039 First of all, he says, it's a ministry of truth. 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:34.399 It's a message of truth. 00:05:34.899 --> 00:05:37.680 He says, we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. 00:05:37.980 --> 00:05:39.259 We're not walking in craftiness. 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:41.800 We're not handling the word of deceitfully. 00:05:41.800 --> 00:05:51.600 It's a, the amazing thing is that God has given us an opportunity to understand that we are 00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:54.400 preaching, we are proclaiming the truth. 00:05:55.340 --> 00:05:59.960 Everyone knows how exhausting it is to be involved in lying. 00:06:00.139 --> 00:06:03.800 I mean, all of a sudden you have to think, okay, how did I, who did I say this, what did 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:04.439 I say this to? 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:07.939 I mean, being involved in lying is so exhausting. 00:06:08.420 --> 00:06:13.420 And in this particular time, there were, there were preachers, there were people that were 00:06:13.420 --> 00:06:16.480 coming to Corinth and they were, they were telling a story. 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:21.579 They were telling a gospel of lies saying that the only way that you can become, really become 00:06:21.579 --> 00:06:24.379 a believer is be kind, be gracious, you know. 00:06:24.379 --> 00:06:33.959 So, do a, a religious ritual because that's what's required in order for you to, to know, 00:06:34.379 --> 00:06:35.680 to know God. 00:06:35.980 --> 00:06:39.019 And Paul is proclaiming a gospel of mercy. 00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:45.040 Do you know, do you know that, you know that it's really amazing that in, in our day, in 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:54.219 our day, Christianity is the only religion where God has mercy. 00:06:54.379 --> 00:06:56.259 On sinners. 00:06:57.819 --> 00:07:04.000 Do you know that, you know that in, in, in Islam, God rejects sinners, God hates sinners. 00:07:04.159 --> 00:07:07.579 In, in Hinduism, if you do something wrong, there's karma. 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.759 And, and, and you don't even know what's next. 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:12.219 I mean, you could come back as a bug. 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:19.100 But, but in, but in, in Christianity, God has, I mean, in all the religions in all the 00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:21.879 world, God is a God of mercy. 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:28.680 And, and, and it's so, it's so amazing that we have the opportunity to experience the, the 00:07:28.680 --> 00:07:30.399 mercy and wonder of God. 00:07:30.719 --> 00:07:35.659 The other thing that, that's interesting here is, it says, it says, we commend ourselves to 00:07:35.659 --> 00:07:38.120 everyone's conscience in the sight of God. 00:07:38.620 --> 00:07:42.379 Um, mercy leads to a life of devotion. 00:07:43.620 --> 00:07:45.980 I, um, think about this. 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:53.080 Think about the fact that, that we, that, uh, in, in, uh, Romans chapter 12, verse one and 00:07:53.080 --> 00:08:02.560 two, it says, it says, um, I beseech you therefore brothers by the mercies of God that you present 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:04.460 your bodies a living sacrifice. 00:08:04.459 --> 00:08:08.759 I mean, those who really come to a point of understanding the mercy of God. 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:14.479 I mean, the, the results of that in your, in a person's life is you devote yourself, you 00:08:14.479 --> 00:08:18.500 give yourself to God because, because it's so amazing. 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:23.339 The first 11 chapters of the book of Romans talks about what God did for us. 00:08:23.599 --> 00:08:26.500 And then in chapter 12, it says, this is the response. 00:08:26.599 --> 00:08:31.819 This is the natural response of understanding what God has done for you and for me. 00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:33.200 It's an amazing thing. 00:08:34.059 --> 00:08:40.059 I, uh, in the first, in the chapter right before this, in chapter three of, of second Corinthians, 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:44.679 Paul, Paul talks about how amazing the old covenant was. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:45.740 But you know what? 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:52.139 At the very end of this chapter, he says, it doesn't hold a candle to what God has done in 00:08:52.139 --> 00:08:53.799 the, in the new covenant for us. 00:08:54.299 --> 00:09:00.080 It's kind of like, it's kind of like, um, when I, when, when, when we were, when our kids 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:03.400 were young, we, we got them a present for Christmas. 00:09:03.400 --> 00:09:03.720 Okay. 00:09:03.860 --> 00:09:06.560 And, and so we, they opened this present. 00:09:06.660 --> 00:09:08.620 They were, oh man, this is a fantastic thing. 00:09:08.680 --> 00:09:08.940 Wow. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:09.340 Wow. 00:09:09.540 --> 00:09:15.240 And, and as they opened the present and, and they looked at it, it said, batteries not 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:15.680 included. 00:09:18.580 --> 00:09:19.020 Okay. 00:09:19.040 --> 00:09:20.740 We didn't know the batteries weren't included. 00:09:22.160 --> 00:09:23.220 How disappointing. 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:26.940 You had to wait for a couple of days to use this thing that was so exciting. 00:09:26.940 --> 00:09:31.300 Cause, okay, that's, that was, that's the difference between the old Testament and the 00:09:31.300 --> 00:09:31.880 new Testament. 00:09:32.760 --> 00:09:39.440 You know, we just bought us a Swiffer or, you know, one of those things, you know, and, 00:09:39.520 --> 00:09:43.160 and I opened it up and, and, and it's, I didn't realize you had to have batteries. 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:44.220 Okay. 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:45.300 But you know what? 00:09:45.780 --> 00:09:47.140 They've gotten smart. 00:09:47.660 --> 00:09:49.180 Now batteries are included. 00:09:49.280 --> 00:09:49.960 It's amazing. 00:09:50.400 --> 00:09:53.260 And, uh, and so, so we were able to use it immediately. 00:09:53.259 --> 00:09:58.860 That the, the Lord, when that, when the disciples were talking to the Lord, they said to him, 00:09:59.620 --> 00:10:02.720 will you at this time establish your kingdom? 00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:04.039 And you know what he said to them? 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:11.559 It's not for you to know, but like Ben said, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:16.939 come upon you and you'll be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost part of 00:10:16.939 --> 00:10:17.399 the earth. 00:10:17.399 --> 00:10:23.919 The, the amazing thing is, you know, is that Jerusalem was a scary place for the disciples. 00:10:24.379 --> 00:10:26.379 It was way out of their comfort zone. 00:10:26.899 --> 00:10:27.120 Okay. 00:10:27.259 --> 00:10:32.500 They spent a lot of, most of their time in Galilee, but here, here, uh, Paul is, or excuse 00:10:32.500 --> 00:10:36.480 me, uh, Jesus is saying to the disciples, you're going to be in this very scary place. 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:40.620 You're going to be in a place where you feel way, it's way over your head. 00:10:41.259 --> 00:10:46.340 And then the very next place he sends them is to the place where people were absolutely rejected. 00:10:46.340 --> 00:10:47.840 They were called dogs. 00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:48.639 Okay. 00:10:48.780 --> 00:10:54.139 So he sent them to rejected people and then he sent them to people way beyond their comfort 00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:54.460 zone. 00:10:55.399 --> 00:11:00.460 And, uh, and so if you ever feel like you're, you know, way over your comfort zone, that's 00:11:00.460 --> 00:11:03.280 where the Lord, you know, likes to have us sometimes. 00:11:04.019 --> 00:11:09.120 The third thing that I, about the mercy of God that's amazing in this passage is that it 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:15.720 says, if our gospel is hid, it's hid to the lost in whom the God of this world has blinded 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:20.940 the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, whose 00:11:20.940 --> 00:11:22.320 image of God should shine to them. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:26.980 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord, and ourselves, your servants, for 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:27.540 Jesus' sake. 00:11:27.940 --> 00:11:32.779 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give 00:11:32.779 --> 00:11:37.680 the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:38.700 You know what mercy does? 00:11:38.700 --> 00:11:41.240 Because mercy exalts the wonder of God. 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:49.160 And yet, and the marvelous thing about this is that, is that the, that, the, the evil one 00:11:49.160 --> 00:11:53.879 wants to hinder, uh, uh, people from really seeing. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:57.540 He, he's blinding the minds of those that believe not. 00:11:58.180 --> 00:12:00.440 Paul experienced this in his own life. 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:06.879 He was so, he was so intent on believing that everything that he had going for him, all his, 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:12.820 his birthright, the way he was living, you know, it was all, it was all fantastic stuff. 00:12:13.220 --> 00:12:19.279 Until he came to the road to Damascus and all of a sudden this amazing light shone down upon 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:19.639 him. 00:12:20.620 --> 00:12:24.019 And, um, and I mean, it just, it, I'm basically, it, it, it blinded him. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:25.960 This amazing light. 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:28.259 And, um, and what is, what do you say? 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:36.799 You know, uh, he, uh, he was in, in chapter, in Acts chapter nine, uh, verse, 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:39.159 three, it tells the story. 00:12:39.860 --> 00:12:53.919 And, um, and it says, um, and he fell on this, he, and he fell to the earth and he heard a 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:56.820 voice saying, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:12:56.820 --> 00:12:59.799 And, and he said, and he said, who are you, Lord? 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:02.799 And he says, I'm Jesus whom you persecuted. 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:06.419 It's hard for you to kick against the goads. 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:12.879 And, and basically he, it was, Paul was, Paul was basically saying, he's at verse six, exactly, 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:19.099 exactly what he was experiencing in this place, in, in, in this, um, in this passage in Acts. 00:13:19.259 --> 00:13:23.759 He was, he was experiencing the face of God and it was convicting. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:26.879 Um, but you know what? 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:30.439 The mercy of God doesn't just, doesn't leave us there. 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:37.120 You know, when we really come to understand the wonderful mercy of God, we, we come to 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:39.939 a point of saying how marvelous God is. 00:13:40.620 --> 00:13:42.039 What a great God we serve. 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:45.139 What a glorious Lord we have. 00:13:45.139 --> 00:13:52.580 And, and, and, and Paul in, in first, uh, Timothy chapter, chapter, um, uh, one talks about 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:57.620 his life before the, before Timothy says, he says, I was a persecutor and a blasphemer and 00:13:57.620 --> 00:14:01.939 I was all this stuff, but God in his mercy saved me. 00:14:02.819 --> 00:14:08.080 And, um, and you know, I think, I think, I think we can all identify with, with who Paul 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:08.379 is. 00:14:08.439 --> 00:14:13.539 I mean, we're there, you know, um, we, we had our own intentions. 00:14:13.539 --> 00:14:16.000 We, we weren't just strangers of God. 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:17.879 We were all enemies of God. 00:14:18.599 --> 00:14:25.059 And in the midst of that particular situation, in the midst of that condition, Christ, God 00:14:25.059 --> 00:14:26.719 sent his son to die for us. 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:28.019 It's amazing thing. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:29.139 Absolutely amazing. 00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:35.839 And so, and so, uh, Paul in, in, uh, that first, first Timothy passage, he just glorifies 00:14:35.839 --> 00:14:37.679 God for his great mercy. 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:42.339 In, in Romans chapter one, verse 33, it says, oh, the depths. 00:14:42.340 --> 00:14:45.440 When he's talking about, he's talking all about the mercy of God. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:50.540 And he ends by saying this, oh, the depths of the riches, both of wisdom and power of 00:14:50.540 --> 00:14:50.740 God. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:57.320 How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways, way past finding out. 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:00.780 God's mercy is so amazing. 00:15:00.779 --> 00:15:00.839 God's mercy. 00:15:06.259 --> 00:15:07.579 But then he goes on. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:12.159 And like I said, he doesn't say to the, he doesn't say to the, to these Corinthians, 00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:12.819 buck up. 00:15:12.899 --> 00:15:14.039 He doesn't say, get with it. 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:20.399 He, he basically, in, in, in, in second Corinthians chapter four, he says something really amazing. 00:15:21.860 --> 00:15:26.459 He, he, he, um, he tells the Corinthians, yes, you are weak. 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:29.120 Here's what he says in verse seven. 00:15:34.920 --> 00:15:41.660 That we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God 00:15:41.660 --> 00:15:43.420 and not of us. 00:15:43.419 --> 00:15:50.339 When we were, when we were in, in Russia, it was, uh, it was an amazing thing that, that 00:15:50.339 --> 00:15:55.379 happened when we were in Russia because, uh, we looked in the cabinets in our kitchen and 00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:59.740 we were expecting to find some stuff, you know, and there were plates there and there 00:15:59.740 --> 00:16:04.019 were some, there were some frying pan, there was a frying pan, there was something, some 00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:05.019 other utensils. 00:16:05.019 --> 00:16:06.740 But you know what we didn't have? 00:16:07.319 --> 00:16:08.139 We didn't have any glasses. 00:16:09.439 --> 00:16:11.860 You know, you're, it was, it was very strange. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:16.340 And so we went to, we went to the store to find glasses and, and at that particular time 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:17.399 it was hard to find glasses. 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:18.159 I don't know why. 00:16:18.699 --> 00:16:21.259 Maybe we were, maybe we were looking at the wrong place. 00:16:21.539 --> 00:16:25.879 But, um, but, uh, I mean, we, and then, and then when we did find them, they were expensive. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:27.240 I mean, they're really expensive. 00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:29.240 And so, you know what we did? 00:16:29.779 --> 00:16:36.299 We decided because we were, because we, there were six of us and, and we went to buy, we went 00:16:36.299 --> 00:16:39.500 and we bought some jelly and all of a sudden we discovered, we discovered, hey, you know 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:39.799 what? 00:16:40.919 --> 00:16:43.779 Jelly jars make great glasses. 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:51.519 And, and it's really, it's really interesting because, because, um, even now, you know, in 00:16:51.519 --> 00:17:00.720 In our own home, we have, oh, this is my wife's tea. 00:17:01.179 --> 00:17:02.860 She makes the best tea in the world. 00:17:10.180 --> 00:17:17.879 So what we did is we decided we were going to have, we're going to use glasses, use jelly jars for glasses. 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:26.840 We had six, we had lots of jelly eaten, and pretty soon we had tons of jelly jars in our house. 00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:35.280 And it was really strange because when we invited Russians to come over to our table, 00:17:36.060 --> 00:17:40.860 and they're looking at these things sitting in front of them, it was very strange. 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:47.820 Okay, so probably, you know, it wasn't long before we had maybe a dozen jelly jars. 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:53.460 And there was only six of us, so we thought, you know, what can we do? 00:17:53.600 --> 00:18:00.600 So we decided that, you know, jelly jars make an amazing pen holder, right? 00:18:01.360 --> 00:18:04.680 So, you know, I had one on my desk, you know, and instead of stuff all over the place, 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:13.480 I put the pens and the stuff in the jelly jar, and it was cool. 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:22.839 So, jelly jars make great button holders, okay? 00:18:23.299 --> 00:18:29.819 I mean, we didn't have a whole lot of buttons back then, but because, but when the button fell off, 00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:35.460 and when we tried to find, you know, had to find new buttons, we could use jelly jars. 00:18:35.460 --> 00:18:41.380 Because we discovered that, my daughter discovered that jelly jars make great containers for crayons. 00:18:42.059 --> 00:18:43.940 I'm giving you all, like, really good ideas, right? 00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:47.380 I saw you shaking your head, yes. 00:18:47.380 --> 00:18:54.280 Jelly jars make amazing candy dishes, right? 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:56.940 Yeah, that's what I thought. 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:01.320 That's, you know, these, this, you know what this is? 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:02.020 What are these? 00:19:02.980 --> 00:19:03.520 M&M's. 00:19:03.560 --> 00:19:05.620 You know why these, you know why there's M&M's in here? 00:19:07.280 --> 00:19:10.240 That's my, yes, you're right, that's my favorite, but what other reason? 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:12.760 Because we're Tri-M, okay? 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:15.259 There's, you know, there's tons of threes in there. 00:19:15.700 --> 00:19:18.200 So, I just want to remind you, Tri-M. 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:32.099 Jelly jars make great ruble containers. 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:38.339 Now, I didn't have enough rubles, so this is full of coins. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:40.500 How much, how much money do you think's in here? 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:43.640 $20. 00:19:44.059 --> 00:19:44.619 $20. 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:46.460 I think you're wrong. 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:52.619 Try, try $75. 00:19:54.339 --> 00:19:56.220 Okay, how many would like this? 00:19:57.099 --> 00:19:57.980 That's what I thought. 00:19:59.859 --> 00:20:03.779 Okay, just, just to make sure you, just to make sure you understand. 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:05.619 Okay, what do you see here? 00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:07.900 What's that? 00:20:08.819 --> 00:20:10.480 I know, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. 00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:10.920 Okay? 00:20:11.360 --> 00:20:11.720 Okay? 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:13.839 What do you see here? 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:16.059 That's what I thought you saw here. 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:19.839 Isn't that interesting? 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:26.480 Isn't it interesting you ignored the container and saw what was inside? 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:29.900 You know, and that's exactly what God wants us to do. 00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:44.940 He wants us to be so transparent that when people look at us, when they see us, they don't, they don't, we, we, as missionaries, I came to the point of understanding that, you know, we're weak vessels. 00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:49.779 I mean, we are, we really have feet of clay. 00:20:51.160 --> 00:21:00.400 And, however, we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power is not of us. 00:21:00.900 --> 00:21:01.640 It's of God. 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:11.220 And the wonder, the wonder of all this is that, is that if we're living the right kind of life, people, people see Christ in us. 00:21:11.360 --> 00:21:13.920 And that's, and that is magnetic. 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:22.540 That has some, that has a, people, people can see the difference. 00:21:23.020 --> 00:21:29.259 I mean, they see the difference in a person living a life that's, it's given over to Christ. 00:21:29.259 --> 00:21:32.960 I want to, I want to ask you, I want to ask you something. 00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:38.619 Is jar full or empty? 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.640 Who said that? 00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:45.019 Okay. 00:21:45.740 --> 00:21:47.079 Kara said it's full of air. 00:21:49.099 --> 00:21:50.640 It is full of air, you know. 00:21:51.460 --> 00:21:55.000 It's, okay, so, so every jar, every jar that I have up here is full. 00:21:56.539 --> 00:21:57.700 It's full of something. 00:21:57.700 --> 00:22:05.660 And the interesting thing about this is that, is that it reminds me, what, what are we, what are we filling our life with? 00:22:06.620 --> 00:22:10.759 Because it's the very thing that we're filling our life with that spills out on people. 00:22:11.340 --> 00:22:16.220 When people bump into us, it's what we, it's what we're filling our life with that spills out. 00:22:17.080 --> 00:22:25.279 And so, so, you know, we can, we can, we really do exhibit, we exhibit what, what we're thinking about, what, what's important to us. 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:31.480 We, we are, we are people who absolutely are demonstrating what's important to us. 00:22:31.819 --> 00:22:35.480 Because when people bump into us, we spill it out. 00:22:35.480 --> 00:22:42.480 I bought these jars a couple days ago. 00:22:43.380 --> 00:22:46.099 You know, buying jelly jars at this time of year is a great idea. 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:52.240 I mean, they are, they are very, they're really not very, very expensive. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:55.140 And you know what's really amazing about this? 00:22:55.180 --> 00:22:56.440 There's not one crack in them. 00:22:56.440 --> 00:23:03.019 They are, and that's what, and that's really what the Lord is looking for. 00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:11.080 Ken was talking a couple days ago about, was that the staff? 00:23:11.360 --> 00:23:13.100 Was it, was it staff? 00:23:14.380 --> 00:23:15.559 Stay, that's it, sure. 00:23:16.059 --> 00:23:23.000 He was talking about a barrel and the, and how, and how, you know, if, if, if a barrel has a hole down here, 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:27.839 or you can't fill it above there because, and, and if this has a crack in it, you know, it's just gonna, 00:23:28.019 --> 00:23:29.119 it's gonna constantly leak. 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:35.720 The Lord, the Lord's looking for, for vessels that are faithful. 00:23:41.660 --> 00:23:49.480 So I guess I'm saying to you this morning, you know, the mercy of God is amazing, amazing message. 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:55.740 And in the, in the, in the, and we're living in a, in a very, very dark world. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:00.480 But, but the wonderful thing is that our vessels contain light. 00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:04.839 It's a, it's the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:10.720 And we have the amazing opportunity to share this light, not because we are so wonderful ourselves, 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:16.620 but because God has been so marvelous and wonderful to us in pulling us out of a corrupt, 00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:22.259 a corrupt world and, and bring us to a point of relationship with Jesus Christ that's amazing, 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:23.500 absolutely amazing. 00:24:24.860 --> 00:24:26.019 And so I want to challenge you. 00:24:26.500 --> 00:24:27.700 As a matter of fact, here's what I've done. 00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:32.559 I've, I have several, I have several empty jelly jars up here. 00:24:32.600 --> 00:24:36.039 And I would, I'd like to encourage you folks to sit, to do this. 00:24:36.039 --> 00:24:41.980 If, um, um, you know, maybe, you know, when we're done here, I'd like, I'd like you to use 00:24:41.980 --> 00:24:50.180 these empty jelly jars as a, as a motivation for you during this week, during this year to say, 00:24:50.299 --> 00:24:53.879 Jesus Christ is going to be, is going to be number one in my life. 00:24:53.899 --> 00:25:00.619 I'm going to be a faithful container and I'm going to share his word with those people that are around me. 00:25:00.619 --> 00:25:07.479 And Paul says he does it in, in the way he walks and in the way he thinks and the way, 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:08.419 and what he says. 00:25:08.959 --> 00:25:10.359 That's what I want us to do. 00:25:11.079 --> 00:25:17.399 And, um, so, so if you, if you'd like to grab an empty jar and real, and remember it's all in 00:25:17.399 --> 00:25:18.199 what we feel it with. 00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:19.539 It's a, it's really important. 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:21.299 God bless you. 00:25:21.339 --> 00:25:21.799 Let's pray. 00:25:22.479 --> 00:25:27.319 Father in heaven, thanks for the opportunity to spend some time over these last few minutes, 00:25:27.319 --> 00:25:32.919 thinking about your word, the wonder of your word and the greatness, the absolute greatness 00:25:32.919 --> 00:25:35.299 of your, of your mercy. 00:25:41.139 --> 00:25:43.899 We know that you've transformed our lives if we're believers. 00:25:45.019 --> 00:25:49.500 And you, we know that if there's, if there's somebody here, it is a believer that you have 00:25:49.500 --> 00:25:52.319 this transforming work that, that you do in, in life. 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:57.939 And so, and so I pray that we will be the correct conveyors of this. 00:25:58.639 --> 00:26:05.639 We know that, that, that, that we are really insignificant, but in your wonderful plan, you 00:26:05.639 --> 00:26:12.339 have used insignificant people, lowly people, people without any position all over the world 00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:14.240 to change things. 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:20.880 And so we want to submit to that, submit to your power, submit to your grace, and, and, 00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:26.400 and devote ourselves to, to the message of salvation for Jesus sake. 00:26:26.460 --> 00:26:26.680 Amen. 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:26.820 Amen. 00:26:30.940 --> 00:26:35.100 John's going to lead us in our closing song, but as we're standing, I'm going to ask that 00:26:35.100 --> 00:26:42.039 we let our missionary guests go first, and they're going to meet us over in the gymnasium 00:26:42.039 --> 00:26:46.400 where we are going to eat a wonderful meal that has been prepared. 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:54.800 And as we are singing together, I want your heart to be challenged by what Byron just put in front. 00:26:55.200 --> 00:27:00.140 I've got to tell you, I'm going to have an empty candy jar, filled with candy, because 00:27:00.140 --> 00:27:02.060 it's not about the jars, but what's inside. 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:02.620 Isn't that right? 00:27:03.380 --> 00:27:05.180 I appreciate that reminder. 00:27:05.180 --> 00:27:06.400 I appreciate that reminder. 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:07.240 John. 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:09.360 John. 00:27:09.360 --> 00:27:09.440 John. 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:09.440 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:17.400 John.