WEBVTT

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 Good morning.

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 For anyone who doesn't know me, my name is Eric Scott.

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 I'm the youth director here at Watermark Church.

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 As most of you know, I got engaged recently.

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 And contrary to any crazy rumors you may have heard,

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 she's not actually working at the church.

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 The last few weeks, we've been looking at the letters

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 to the churches in Revelation.

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 There's seven letters to seven different churches.

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 Each of them has a unique set of circumstances,

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 unique issues and trials that it is facing,

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 and unique ways that it is responding to these trials.

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 And today we're looking, as you just heard, at the church in Sardis.

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 And what we're going to see today is that although the church at Sardis

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 had a reputation of being alive, of being strong,

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 actually it was dead.

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 And we need to examine ourselves to see whether the same is true of us.

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 So the first thing I want us to see about this church

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 is that appearances aren't everything.

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 Appearances aren't everything.

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 Pretty much every other church that we've looked at so far

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 has some really serious issues going on within the church,

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 but God finds something positive to say about each of them.

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 We looked at the church at Ephesus,

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 and they had lost their first love of God,

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 but they endured through trials,

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 and they wouldn't stand up, or they wouldn't tolerate false teachers.

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 The church at Pergamum,

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 they tolerated false teachers,

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 and they had sexual immorality going on in the church,

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 but they held fast their confession of Jesus' name,

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 even to the point of death.

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 Last week we looked at the church in Thyatira,

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 and there was a false teacher they allowed into the church

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 that led the church into sexual immorality.

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 And there were major issues going on there,

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 and they were eating food sacrificed to idols,

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 but God praises them for their love,

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 for their faith,

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 for their service,

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 and for their endurance.

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 Each of these churches had major serious issues going on,

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 but each of these churches had something going for them

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 that God could look at and say,

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 you're doing this well.

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 See this area where you're doing well?

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 Keep pushing on in that area.

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 And today we come to a church

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 where if you were to look at them from the outside,

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 you would think this church has it going on.

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 This church is alive.

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 This church has none of these big issues

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 that the other churches have,

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 and yet they're dead.

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 You know, God comes,

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 and he talks to the church at Sardis in this letter.

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 He doesn't complain about sexual immorality.

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 He doesn't complain about false teachers.

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 He doesn't complain about eating food sacrificed to idols.

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 You know, they have this reputation of being alive.

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 If they were around today,

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 their pastor would be invited

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 to all of the big conferences

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 because he is the expert

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 on how to build a healthy, lively church.

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 If he wrote this book called

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 Building an Alive Church,

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 Building the Living Church,

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 maybe that could be the title,

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 Building the Living Church.

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 You know, seminary students would go out

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 and they would buy it

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 and they would read it

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 and they would discuss it with their friends

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 because this guy is the expert.

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 His church has got it going on.

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 They've got this reputation

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 as being a church that is alive,

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 and yet despite all their appearances,

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 the church is dead.

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 Even though everything outside looks great,

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 there's death inside.

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 It's like Jesus used the analogy one time about tombs.

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 He said, you know, you're whitewashed tombs.

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 You're painted and fresh and pretty on the outside,

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 and inside you're full of dead men's bones.

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 And that's the picture that we get

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 when we look at this church in Sardis.

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 Everyone else is deceived

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 concerning their spiritual health.

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 But the scarier thing

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 is that most likely they themselves

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 are deceived concerning their spiritual health.

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 Nowhere in this letter to the church at Sardis

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 does Jesus come and say,

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 hey, I can't believe you guys are lying to everyone

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 about what's really going on in your church.

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 He doesn't rebuke them

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 for trying to trick other churches

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 into thinking everything's great with them

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 when it's not.

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 Every indication in this letter

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 would lead us to believe

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 that they themselves

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 believe the same things about themselves

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 that everyone else believed.

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 They looked at the church

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 and they said, there's no false teachers here.

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 There's no sexual immorality here.

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 There's no food offered to idols

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 that's being eaten by the people here.

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 We've got it together.

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 And he says, there's a deeper issue.

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 There's a bigger issue

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 that you've missed out on.

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 And because you're focusing

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 on the appearances

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 and on the outside

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 and on your behavior,

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 you think you're alive.

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 You think you have it all together

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 when in reality,

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 you're dead.

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 You're a whitewashed tomb.

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 You're pretty on the outside,

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 but you're dead on the inside.

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 You know, appearances

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 don't tell us

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 of true health.

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 It's really easy

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 to look at ourselves

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 or at our churches

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 and assume that

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 because certain things are going on,

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 they are healthy.

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 Right?

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 Like, think about it.

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 With our churches,

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 there are certain things

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 that if we look at a church,

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 we think that church is healthy.

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 Like, numbers.

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 I can't tell you

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 how many times

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 I've had a conversation

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 with someone

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 where I tell them,

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 oh, I'm working at Watermark.

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 And they're like,

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 oh, how old is Watermark now?

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 And I say, oh, you know,

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 we're four years old.

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 And they say,

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 and how big are you guys now?

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 And I tell them,

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 and they say,

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 oh, that's great.

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 God's doing great things there.

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 No question about, like,

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 what are you guys

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 teaching about Jesus?

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 No question about,

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 do you guys love

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 the lost in your community?

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 No question about anything

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 other than,

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 how big are you?

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 Awesome.

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 And we have this philosophy

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 that, you know,

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 living things grow.

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 If it's healthy,

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 it's going to grow,

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 which in some sense

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 may be true.

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 But as Tobin reminded me once,

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 weeds grow.

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 And oftentimes faster

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 than the plants

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 that you actually want

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 in your garden.

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 Other things we look at,

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 buildings.

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 I was at a church

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 in the States one time.

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 this church had spent

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 tens of millions

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 of U.S. dollars

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 building a new auditorium

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 for them to hold

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 their Sunday services in.

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 And this money

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 that they had spent,

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 they didn't have.

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 They had gone into

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 massive debt

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 that the church

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 was having lots

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 of trouble paying off.

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 The gospel wasn't being

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 preached there faithfully.

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 The church had sacrificed

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 their ability

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 to reach out

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 to the community

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 because they were crippled

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 by the debt

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 that they had

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 from this new auditorium.

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 and one day

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 this guest preacher

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 comes in,

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 a very well-respected guy.

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 He gets up

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 to start preaching

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 and he opens the sermon

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 by saying,

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 you know,

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 I can tell just by

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 looking at this building

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 that God is doing

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 great things here.

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 He looked at

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 the external appearances.

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 He looked at

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 the facilities

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 and judged

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 how God was working

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 at the church

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 based on that

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 and had a totally

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 wrong judgment

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 about what was happening

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 because he was looking

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 at the wrong thing.

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 Programs,

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 we think the more

00:07:19.840 --> 00:07:20.400
 that's going on

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 at the church,

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 the healthier that church is,

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 the better that church is.

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 The music,

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 does the music

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 put me in the right mood

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 to worship,

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 to connect with God?

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 We look at all

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 these different things

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 to determine

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 whether a church

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 is healthy or not,

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 but are they

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 the right things?

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 And then personally,

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 we look at ourselves

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 and we try and figure out

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 how am I doing

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 in my walk with God?

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 Maybe we look at

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 church attendance.

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 You know,

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 I've been at church

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 every week

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 for the last month.

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 I'm doing great.

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 Or church involvement.

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 You know,

00:07:58.939 --> 00:08:00.000
 they wouldn't have asked me

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 to sing in the choir

00:08:00.780 --> 00:08:03.280
 if I wasn't doing okay

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 in my relationship

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 with God.

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 It's scary to me

00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:09.879
 the times in my life

00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:11.160
 that I've like known

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 that there are issues

00:08:11.980 --> 00:08:12.639
 in my relationship

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 with God

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 that I need to deal with.

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 And I brush them off

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 because I'm like,

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 you know,

00:08:17.500 --> 00:08:18.319
 they asked me to preach

00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:18.699
 this week

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 and they wouldn't ask me

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 to preach

00:08:19.959 --> 00:08:21.099
 if I was really

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 that messed up, right?

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 If we're looking

00:08:25.159 --> 00:08:26.019
 at our service,

00:08:26.539 --> 00:08:27.860
 we're looking

00:08:27.860 --> 00:08:28.519
 at the wrong place.

00:08:28.579 --> 00:08:28.860
 We're looking

00:08:28.860 --> 00:08:29.459
 at appearances.

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 We're looking at

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 what other people

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 think about us,

00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:32.759
 about our reputation,

00:08:32.759 --> 00:08:35.120
 rather than this primary,

00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:36.679
 most important thing.

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 Maybe we look at

00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:40.000
 obedience to God's commands.

00:08:40.419 --> 00:08:40.679
 You know,

00:08:40.779 --> 00:08:41.379
 I'm not sleeping

00:08:41.379 --> 00:08:41.919
 with my girlfriend,

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 so I must have

00:08:42.820 --> 00:08:43.360
 something good

00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:44.299
 going for me with God.

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 I'm not robbing the banks.

00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:48.700
 My relationship

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 with God must be okay.

00:08:52.580 --> 00:08:53.519
 Or the opinions

00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:54.120
 of others.

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 We know something's

00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:57.100
 messed up

00:08:57.100 --> 00:08:57.679
 in our relationship

00:08:57.679 --> 00:08:58.120
 with God,

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 but someone comes up

00:08:58.960 --> 00:08:59.559
 to us and they say,

00:08:59.639 --> 00:08:59.919
 you know,

00:09:01.299 --> 00:09:03.120
 you're a really

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 strong Christian

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 and you encourage

00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:05.399
 and inspire me

00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:06.440
 to follow Christ more.

00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:07.480
 And we think,

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 eh,

00:09:08.379 --> 00:09:09.340
 I can't be doing

00:09:09.340 --> 00:09:10.340
 that bad, right?

00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:12.980
 It's scary to me

00:09:12.980 --> 00:09:13.620
 the number of times

00:09:13.620 --> 00:09:14.080
 that's happened

00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:14.899
 with me

00:09:14.899 --> 00:09:15.580
 where I know

00:09:15.580 --> 00:09:16.559
 something is messed up

00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:17.039
 in my heart

00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:17.860
 and someone comes up

00:09:17.860 --> 00:09:18.340
 and they're like,

00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:19.039
 you know,

00:09:19.139 --> 00:09:20.159
 you're a really

00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:20.779
 strong Christian.

00:09:20.980 --> 00:09:22.059
 You encourage me.

00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:22.799
 You inspire me

00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:23.700
 to follow God more.

00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:25.120
 And I think to myself,

00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:27.139
 if they say that about me,

00:09:27.179 --> 00:09:28.039
 I can't really be

00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:28.960
 that messed up, right?

00:09:30.620 --> 00:09:31.600
 The problem is,

00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:32.779
 while all of these

00:09:32.779 --> 00:09:33.340
 things are good,

00:09:33.439 --> 00:09:34.919
 while numbers in a church,

00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:36.080
 it's great to have

00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:36.659
 a big church.

00:09:36.659 --> 00:09:38.100
 Or great to have

00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:38.740
 good facilities

00:09:38.740 --> 00:09:39.399
 in your church.

00:09:39.860 --> 00:09:40.939
 Great to have programs.

00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:42.240
 Great to go to church.

00:09:42.299 --> 00:09:42.879
 I'm not saying

00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:43.679
 don't go to church.

00:09:44.659 --> 00:09:45.799
 It's great to be involved

00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:46.699
 when you're at church.

00:09:48.719 --> 00:09:50.039
 But none of these things

00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:51.379
 are the primary thing

00:09:51.379 --> 00:09:52.079
 that indicates

00:09:52.079 --> 00:09:52.879
 spiritual health

00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:53.759
 in a church

00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:54.620
 or in us

00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:55.399
 as individuals.

00:09:57.319 --> 00:09:58.100
 There's something

00:09:58.100 --> 00:09:58.740
 bigger.

00:09:59.079 --> 00:09:59.719
 There's something

00:09:59.719 --> 00:10:00.899
 more important.

00:10:01.539 --> 00:10:02.399
 And that's Christ.

00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:03.959
 We need to look

00:10:03.959 --> 00:10:04.860
 at Jesus

00:10:04.860 --> 00:10:06.579
 and our relationship

00:10:06.579 --> 00:10:07.100
 with him

00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:08.959
 to determine

00:10:08.959 --> 00:10:09.879
 spiritual health

00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:11.139
 for us as individuals

00:10:11.139 --> 00:10:12.159
 and as churches.

00:10:13.319 --> 00:10:14.259
 If a church

00:10:14.259 --> 00:10:15.659
 has lots of numbers

00:10:15.659 --> 00:10:17.000
 and has great facilities

00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:18.459
 and has dynamic

00:10:18.459 --> 00:10:19.139
 speakers

00:10:19.139 --> 00:10:22.519
 but doesn't teach

00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:23.100
 about Jesus,

00:10:24.139 --> 00:10:25.279
 it's dead.

00:10:27.240 --> 00:10:28.579
 If we're going

00:10:28.579 --> 00:10:29.039
 to church

00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:29.779
 every week

00:10:29.779 --> 00:10:31.559
 and we're involved

00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:31.919
 in church

00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:32.459
 and we're singing

00:10:32.459 --> 00:10:33.039
 in the choir

00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:34.259
 and we're playing

00:10:34.259 --> 00:10:34.879
 in the band,

00:10:35.179 --> 00:10:35.839
 we're teaching

00:10:35.839 --> 00:10:36.519
 Sunday school

00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:37.719
 but we aren't

00:10:37.719 --> 00:10:38.399
 loving Jesus,

00:10:39.219 --> 00:10:40.819
 we're dead.

00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:42.740
 Even if we're

00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:43.579
 following all the rules,

00:10:43.699 --> 00:10:44.299
 even if we're doing

00:10:44.299 --> 00:10:44.860
 everything right,

00:10:44.959 --> 00:10:45.579
 even if we're putting

00:10:45.579 --> 00:10:46.439
 our money in the offering

00:10:46.439 --> 00:10:47.019
 every week,

00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:49.879
 if we miss out

00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:51.219
 on a relationship

00:10:51.219 --> 00:10:51.959
 with Jesus,

00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:53.599
 if we miss out

00:10:53.599 --> 00:10:54.139
 on the gospel,

00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:54.939
 the fact that we're

00:10:54.939 --> 00:10:56.500
 sinners that have

00:10:56.500 --> 00:10:57.620
 separated ourselves

00:10:57.620 --> 00:10:58.199
 from God,

00:10:58.379 --> 00:10:59.279
 that we desperately

00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:00.419
 need Jesus

00:11:00.419 --> 00:11:01.799
 to forgive us,

00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:02.819
 to restore us

00:11:02.819 --> 00:11:03.559
 to that relationship

00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:04.079
 with God,

00:11:05.079 --> 00:11:06.099
 we can have

00:11:06.099 --> 00:11:07.099
 everything right

00:11:07.099 --> 00:11:07.759
 on the outside.

00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:08.759
 All our appearances

00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:09.740
 can be great

00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:11.459
 and in reality

00:11:11.459 --> 00:11:12.379
 we're nothing more

00:11:12.379 --> 00:11:13.599
 than a tomb,

00:11:14.299 --> 00:11:14.819
 painted white

00:11:14.819 --> 00:11:15.699
 so it looks nice,

00:11:16.479 --> 00:11:17.259
 full of dead men's

00:11:17.259 --> 00:11:18.079
 bones inside.

00:11:19.959 --> 00:11:20.439
 Appearances

00:11:20.439 --> 00:11:22.379
 aren't everything.

00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:26.019
 The second thing

00:11:26.019 --> 00:11:26.840
 I want us to see

00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:27.700
 from this church

00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:28.419
 at Sardis

00:11:28.419 --> 00:11:29.299
 is that assumptions

00:11:29.299 --> 00:11:30.500
 are deadly.

00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:32.740
 Assumptions

00:11:32.740 --> 00:11:34.100
 are deadly.

00:11:35.659 --> 00:11:36.139
 Now there's

00:11:36.139 --> 00:11:37.419
 not actually a lot

00:11:37.419 --> 00:11:38.019
 that we know

00:11:38.019 --> 00:11:38.820
 about this church

00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:39.279
 at Sardis

00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:40.019
 so a lot of

00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:42.399
 what I'm going to say

00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:43.259
 today is sort of

00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:44.340
 somewhat speculation

00:11:44.340 --> 00:11:45.259
 based off

00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:46.200
 pretty,

00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:46.840
 I think,

00:11:46.980 --> 00:11:48.360
 good guesses

00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:49.340
 based on what we see

00:11:49.340 --> 00:11:49.600
 here.

00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:51.259
 But we do know

00:11:51.259 --> 00:11:51.759
 a little bit

00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:52.379
 about the city

00:11:52.379 --> 00:11:53.060
 of Sardis

00:11:53.060 --> 00:11:54.360
 and one thing

00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:54.759
 that we know

00:11:54.759 --> 00:11:55.300
 about the city

00:11:55.300 --> 00:11:55.779
 of Sardis

00:11:55.779 --> 00:11:56.460
 is that it was

00:11:56.460 --> 00:11:57.519
 a very strategic

00:11:57.519 --> 00:11:58.460
 military city.

00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:00.139
 It was built

00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:00.980
 up on top

00:12:00.980 --> 00:12:01.480
 of a hill

00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:02.440
 and sort of

00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:02.720
 the city

00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:03.139
 went down

00:12:03.139 --> 00:12:03.659
 into the valley

00:12:03.659 --> 00:12:04.300
 but on top

00:12:04.300 --> 00:12:04.860
 of this hill

00:12:04.860 --> 00:12:06.139
 they had a fortress

00:12:06.139 --> 00:12:07.659
 that no attacking

00:12:07.659 --> 00:12:08.639
 army could get into.

00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:10.700
 They had the high ground,

00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:11.659
 they had a strong

00:12:11.659 --> 00:12:12.440
 building on top

00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:12.700
 of it

00:12:12.700 --> 00:12:13.740
 and to make it

00:12:13.740 --> 00:12:14.580
 easier to defend

00:12:14.580 --> 00:12:15.680
 one side

00:12:15.680 --> 00:12:16.420
 of this hill

00:12:16.420 --> 00:12:17.460
 was a cliff

00:12:17.460 --> 00:12:19.200
 that was so steep

00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:20.340
 that no one

00:12:20.340 --> 00:12:21.300
 could climb up it

00:12:21.300 --> 00:12:22.320
 which meant

00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:22.900
 that even when

00:12:22.900 --> 00:12:23.780
 they were under attack

00:12:23.780 --> 00:12:25.060
 they had the high ground,

00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:26.080
 they had this great

00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:26.720
 building to keep

00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:27.200
 them safe

00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:28.400
 and they only

00:12:28.400 --> 00:12:28.980
 had to defend

00:12:28.980 --> 00:12:30.240
 against two or three sides

00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:31.660
 not in every direction

00:12:31.660 --> 00:12:32.379
 at once.

00:12:33.220 --> 00:12:33.900
 It was a very

00:12:33.900 --> 00:12:35.340
 strategic military city

00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:37.879
 but the problem

00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:39.080
 is twice,

00:12:39.259 --> 00:12:40.180
 not once in their history

00:12:40.180 --> 00:12:41.400
 but twice in their history

00:12:41.400 --> 00:12:43.100
 about 200 years

00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:43.640
 or so apart

00:12:43.640 --> 00:12:44.240
 from each other

00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:46.360
 their strongest point

00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:48.220
 became their weakest point

00:12:48.220 --> 00:12:50.560
 on two different occasions.

00:12:50.560 --> 00:12:51.299
 You'd think they would have

00:12:51.299 --> 00:12:52.259
 learned after the first time

00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:52.820
 but they didn't.

00:12:53.399 --> 00:12:54.460
 They were under attack

00:12:54.460 --> 00:12:55.259
 the first time

00:12:55.259 --> 00:12:55.899
 by the Persians

00:12:55.899 --> 00:12:56.560
 the second time

00:12:56.560 --> 00:12:57.240
 by the Greeks.

00:12:57.700 --> 00:12:58.740
 They were under attack

00:12:58.740 --> 00:12:59.580
 and the attacking army

00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:00.500
 brought all their forces

00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:01.639
 up against the front gate

00:13:01.639 --> 00:13:02.799
 of the fortress

00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:04.019
 and started attacking

00:13:04.019 --> 00:13:05.039
 and attacking

00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:05.820
 and attacking

00:13:05.820 --> 00:13:07.240
 and the people

00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:08.080
 that were in the city

00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:08.659
 at the time

00:13:08.659 --> 00:13:09.799
 defended against

00:13:09.799 --> 00:13:10.519
 this front gate

00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:11.480
 and while they were

00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:12.159
 being attacked

00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:12.960
 at the front gate

00:13:12.960 --> 00:13:15.560
 a couple of attackers

00:13:15.560 --> 00:13:16.680
 climbed up

00:13:16.680 --> 00:13:18.480
 this unclimbable cliff

00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:19.300
 under the cover

00:13:19.300 --> 00:13:19.920
 of darkness

00:13:19.920 --> 00:13:22.160
 snuck through the fortress

00:13:22.160 --> 00:13:23.920
 opened up the front gate

00:13:23.920 --> 00:13:24.639
 from the inside

00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:26.500
 and let their troops in

00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:28.480
 and the first time

00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:29.019
 it happens

00:13:29.019 --> 00:13:29.840
 it's understandable

00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:30.680
 you think no one

00:13:30.680 --> 00:13:31.480
 can climb the cliff

00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:33.080
 but 200 years later

00:13:33.080 --> 00:13:34.240
 the exact same thing

00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:34.700
 happened.

00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:35.960
 You think that they

00:13:35.960 --> 00:13:36.360
 would have learned

00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:37.280
 just leave one guy

00:13:37.280 --> 00:13:38.139
 back there to look

00:13:38.139 --> 00:13:38.740
 and make sure

00:13:38.740 --> 00:13:39.540
 they're not climbing

00:13:39.540 --> 00:13:40.160
 up the cliff.

00:13:40.500 --> 00:13:41.360
 They didn't learn

00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:41.879
 their lesson.

00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:43.560
 This point

00:13:43.560 --> 00:13:44.340
 that they thought

00:13:44.340 --> 00:13:46.060
 was their strongest point

00:13:46.060 --> 00:13:47.519
 their best wall

00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:47.980
 of defense

00:13:47.980 --> 00:13:48.600
 this cliff

00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:49.120
 that no one

00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:49.759
 can get up

00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:52.120
 turned out to be

00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:52.820
 their biggest weakness

00:13:52.820 --> 00:13:53.720
 because they left it

00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:55.139
 completely undefended

00:13:55.139 --> 00:13:57.580
 and they allowed

00:13:57.580 --> 00:13:58.139
 the attackers

00:13:58.139 --> 00:13:59.000
 to get in

00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:00.139
 through their backs

00:14:00.139 --> 00:14:01.399
 without them noticing

00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:03.320
 because they were

00:14:03.320 --> 00:14:04.100
 so distracted

00:14:04.100 --> 00:14:05.180
 by the fighting

00:14:05.180 --> 00:14:05.940
 up front.

00:14:07.860 --> 00:14:08.279
 And I think

00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:08.740
 there's a really

00:14:08.740 --> 00:14:09.220
 good reason

00:14:09.220 --> 00:14:09.759
 to believe

00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:10.920
 that the church

00:14:10.920 --> 00:14:11.560
 at Sardis

00:14:11.560 --> 00:14:12.279
 was going through

00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:13.399
 a similar experience

00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:14.139
 to those soldiers.

00:14:15.920 --> 00:14:17.000
 Looking at the other

00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:17.980
 letters that we've

00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:18.420
 been reading

00:14:18.420 --> 00:14:19.440
 there's good reason

00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:19.920
 to believe

00:14:19.920 --> 00:14:20.940
 that there were

00:14:20.940 --> 00:14:22.320
 attacks and temptations

00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:23.700
 coming from every side.

00:14:24.460 --> 00:14:25.160
 False teachers

00:14:25.160 --> 00:14:26.800
 sexual immorality

00:14:26.800 --> 00:14:28.480
 other stuff

00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:29.000
 from the world

00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:30.040
 just coming at them

00:14:30.040 --> 00:14:30.840
 saying come

00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:31.360
 follow

00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:32.139
 join in.

00:14:34.259 --> 00:14:35.460
 And like I said

00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:36.040
 there's nothing

00:14:36.040 --> 00:14:36.580
 in this letter

00:14:36.580 --> 00:14:37.279
 indicating that

00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:37.800
 they were doing

00:14:37.799 --> 00:14:38.699
 any of that stuff.

00:14:39.599 --> 00:14:40.219
 They were probably

00:14:40.219 --> 00:14:41.079
 doing a good job

00:14:41.079 --> 00:14:41.759
 fighting against

00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:42.539
 the false teachers

00:14:42.539 --> 00:14:43.579
 at least somewhat.

00:14:44.379 --> 00:14:44.879
 They were probably

00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:45.740
 doing a good job

00:14:45.740 --> 00:14:46.599
 fighting against

00:14:46.599 --> 00:14:47.799
 sexual immorality.

00:14:48.939 --> 00:14:49.839
 But the problem

00:14:49.839 --> 00:14:50.439
 is they put

00:14:50.439 --> 00:14:51.539
 their primary focus

00:14:51.539 --> 00:14:52.759
 on these things

00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:54.219
 rather than on

00:14:54.219 --> 00:14:55.159
 maintaining a

00:14:55.159 --> 00:14:56.159
 relationship with Christ.

00:14:57.019 --> 00:14:57.819
 And as they did

00:14:57.819 --> 00:14:58.319
 this well

00:14:58.319 --> 00:14:58.979
 as they said

00:14:58.979 --> 00:14:59.799
 hey we're sexually

00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:00.159
 pure

00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:00.899
 yes

00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:02.419
 they began

00:15:02.419 --> 00:15:03.099
 to find their

00:15:03.099 --> 00:15:03.500
 identity

00:15:03.500 --> 00:15:04.659
 in these

00:15:04.659 --> 00:15:06.019
 external behaviors

00:15:06.019 --> 00:15:07.379
 rather than

00:15:07.379 --> 00:15:07.659
 in their

00:15:07.659 --> 00:15:08.039
 relationship

00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:08.699
 with Christ.

00:15:10.019 --> 00:15:10.860
 Satan kept

00:15:10.860 --> 00:15:11.460
 them distracted

00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:12.079
 by these

00:15:12.079 --> 00:15:12.840
 things that

00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:13.240
 seemed to be

00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:13.860
 big issues

00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:14.759
 at the front gates

00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:16.899
 and subtly

00:15:16.899 --> 00:15:17.740
 crept in the back

00:15:17.740 --> 00:15:20.360
 and crumbled

00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:21.179
 their relationship

00:15:21.179 --> 00:15:21.819
 with Christ

00:15:21.819 --> 00:15:22.860
 because they

00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:23.679
 were so distracted

00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:24.720
 by these

00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:25.500
 other issues.

00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:28.039
 And because of that

00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:28.740
 they were able

00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:29.379
 to maintain

00:15:29.379 --> 00:15:29.939
 this appearance

00:15:29.939 --> 00:15:30.699
 of being alive

00:15:30.700 --> 00:15:32.980
 when in reality

00:15:32.980 --> 00:15:34.180
 the life

00:15:34.180 --> 00:15:35.220
 was slowly

00:15:35.220 --> 00:15:36.140
 falling

00:15:36.140 --> 00:15:36.879
 and fading

00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:37.840
 out of the church.

00:15:40.040 --> 00:15:40.900
 And this is a

00:15:40.900 --> 00:15:41.320
 big issue

00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:41.780
 in the church

00:15:41.780 --> 00:15:42.420
 even today.

00:15:43.560 --> 00:15:43.800
 You know

00:15:43.800 --> 00:15:44.320
 back in the

00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:45.360
 late 1900s

00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:46.420
 there was a

00:15:46.420 --> 00:15:47.140
 group of

00:15:47.140 --> 00:15:47.560
 pastors

00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:48.740
 and Christian

00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:49.220
 leaders in

00:15:49.220 --> 00:15:49.540
 America

00:15:49.540 --> 00:15:50.440
 who looked

00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:50.940
 around at

00:15:50.940 --> 00:15:51.740
 the moral

00:15:51.740 --> 00:15:52.280
 scene in

00:15:52.280 --> 00:15:52.600
 America

00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:53.220
 and said

00:15:53.220 --> 00:15:53.980
 this is a

00:15:53.980 --> 00:15:54.300
 mess.

00:15:54.900 --> 00:15:55.379
 We need to

00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:55.900
 stand up

00:15:55.900 --> 00:15:56.460
 for proper

00:15:56.460 --> 00:15:56.879
 morals.

00:15:57.759 --> 00:15:58.120
 And they

00:15:58.120 --> 00:15:58.540
 got together

00:15:58.540 --> 00:15:58.800
 and they

00:15:58.800 --> 00:15:59.220
 formed some

00:15:59.220 --> 00:15:59.540
 groups.

00:15:59.700 --> 00:15:59.820
 You've

00:15:59.820 --> 00:16:00.280
 probably heard

00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:00.539
 of them

00:16:00.539 --> 00:16:00.980
 things like

00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:01.299
 the moral

00:16:01.299 --> 00:16:01.799
 majority

00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:02.720
 the religious

00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:03.120
 right.

00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:04.339
 And they

00:16:04.339 --> 00:16:04.620
 said we

00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:04.959
 need to

00:16:04.959 --> 00:16:05.579
 stand up

00:16:05.579 --> 00:16:06.220
 for what's

00:16:06.220 --> 00:16:06.500
 right.

00:16:07.559 --> 00:16:07.919
 They said

00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:08.399
 we need to

00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:08.839
 fight against

00:16:08.839 --> 00:16:09.480
 things like

00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:10.720
 abortion or

00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:11.720
 sexual promiscuity

00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:12.600
 that's coming

00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:13.539
 up all across

00:16:13.539 --> 00:16:14.120
 our nation.

00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:16.959
 And while I'm

00:16:16.959 --> 00:16:17.459
 all about

00:16:17.459 --> 00:16:17.919
 standing up

00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:18.439
 for morality

00:16:18.439 --> 00:16:19.899
 the problem

00:16:19.899 --> 00:16:20.299
 with this

00:16:20.299 --> 00:16:20.879
 group is

00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:21.839
 that as

00:16:21.839 --> 00:16:22.220
 they did

00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:23.860
 this a

00:16:23.860 --> 00:16:24.159
 lot of

00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:24.539
 times they

00:16:24.539 --> 00:16:25.259
 would implicitly

00:16:25.259 --> 00:16:25.779
 spread the

00:16:25.779 --> 00:16:26.600
 message that

00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:27.059
 if you do

00:16:27.059 --> 00:16:27.720
 these things

00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:28.519
 that is what

00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:28.980
 makes you a

00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:29.259
 Christian.

00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:31.139
 You are a

00:16:31.139 --> 00:16:31.679
 Christian not

00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:32.100
 because you

00:16:32.100 --> 00:16:32.559
 love Jesus

00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:33.480
 but because

00:16:33.480 --> 00:16:35.019
 you rally

00:16:35.019 --> 00:16:35.559
 against the

00:16:35.559 --> 00:16:37.159
 doctors who

00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:37.959
 perform abortions.

00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:38.819
 You are a

00:16:38.819 --> 00:16:39.199
 Christian not

00:16:39.199 --> 00:16:39.559
 because you

00:16:39.559 --> 00:16:39.939
 love Jesus

00:16:39.939 --> 00:16:40.419
 but because

00:16:40.419 --> 00:16:40.980
 you vote

00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:41.259
 for the

00:16:41.259 --> 00:16:41.439
 right

00:16:41.439 --> 00:16:41.839
 presidential

00:16:41.839 --> 00:16:42.240
 candidate.

00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:45.939
 And these

00:16:45.939 --> 00:16:47.759
 leaders

00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:49.779
 implicitly

00:16:49.779 --> 00:16:50.199
 spread the

00:16:50.199 --> 00:16:51.439
 message that

00:16:51.439 --> 00:16:52.279
 Christianity is

00:16:52.279 --> 00:16:52.839
 more about

00:16:52.839 --> 00:16:53.439
 what you

00:16:53.439 --> 00:16:55.500
 do than

00:16:55.500 --> 00:16:55.899
 it is about

00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:56.399
 loving Jesus.

00:16:56.539 --> 00:16:56.799
 It's more

00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:57.159
 about what

00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:58.039
 you do than

00:16:58.039 --> 00:16:58.720
 about who

00:16:58.720 --> 00:16:59.480
 you are.

00:17:00.259 --> 00:17:00.639
 And it's

00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:01.040
 led to

00:17:01.040 --> 00:17:02.360
 my generation

00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:03.980
 being brought

00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:05.360
 up believing

00:17:05.360 --> 00:17:06.079
 that Christianity

00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:06.920
 is about

00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:08.140
 our actions

00:17:08.140 --> 00:17:08.779
 and what we

00:17:08.779 --> 00:17:09.819
 do and

00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:10.380
 who we

00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:11.860
 hate and

00:17:11.860 --> 00:17:12.240
 not about

00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:12.759
 loving Jesus.

00:17:14.940 --> 00:17:15.319
 And now

00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:15.920
 don't get me

00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:16.380
 wrong I'm not

00:17:16.380 --> 00:17:16.759
 saying we

00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:17.339
 shouldn't stand

00:17:17.339 --> 00:17:17.860
 for morality

00:17:17.860 --> 00:17:20.640
 but look at

00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:21.759
 the fruits that

00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:22.180
 have come from

00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:22.339
 this.

00:17:22.460 --> 00:17:23.240
 There are in

00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:23.680
 the states

00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:24.480
 today there

00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:25.200
 are so many

00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:25.980
 Christians who

00:17:25.980 --> 00:17:26.960
 are looking to

00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:28.539
 prominent Mormon

00:17:28.539 --> 00:17:29.400
 leaders for

00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:30.120
 spiritual and

00:17:30.120 --> 00:17:30.779
 moral leadership

00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:32.019
 because these

00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:32.660
 guys stand for

00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:33.819
 the same morals

00:17:33.819 --> 00:17:34.460
 that Christians

00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:35.019
 stand for.

00:17:36.140 --> 00:17:36.920
 When fundamentally

00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:37.460
 they believe

00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:38.100
 different things

00:17:38.100 --> 00:17:38.480
 about the

00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:38.960
 identity of

00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:39.360
 who God

00:17:39.360 --> 00:17:41.440
 is and we

00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:41.819
 shouldn't be

00:17:41.819 --> 00:17:42.259
 looking to

00:17:42.259 --> 00:17:42.700
 them for

00:17:42.700 --> 00:17:43.059
 spiritual

00:17:43.059 --> 00:17:43.460
 leadership.

00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:46.380
 And now I

00:17:46.380 --> 00:17:46.980
 know that's

00:17:46.980 --> 00:17:48.180
 one extreme of

00:17:48.180 --> 00:17:48.779
 the pendulum and

00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:49.200
 there's another

00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:49.799
 extreme of the

00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:50.420
 pendulum maybe

00:17:50.420 --> 00:17:51.500
 that would say

00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:52.299
 forget about

00:17:52.299 --> 00:17:53.340
 morals it's just

00:17:53.340 --> 00:17:53.660
 about a

00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:54.220
 relationship with

00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:54.799
 Christ so we

00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:55.400
 can do whatever

00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:55.880
 we want.

00:17:57.160 --> 00:17:57.700
 God's going to

00:17:57.700 --> 00:17:58.040
 forgive us

00:17:58.040 --> 00:17:58.720
 anyway so let's

00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:00.320
 go sleep around.

00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:01.880
 Let's go do what

00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:02.360
 we want and not

00:18:02.360 --> 00:18:02.860
 worry about the

00:18:02.860 --> 00:18:03.600
 consequences and

00:18:03.600 --> 00:18:05.000
 I'm absolutely not

00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:05.680
 advocating that.

00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:06.519
 The Bible says

00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:08.000
 that God has a

00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:08.759
 moral code that

00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:09.640
 he expects us to

00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:09.920
 follow.

00:18:11.280 --> 00:18:12.080
 But there's a

00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:12.720
 third way that

00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:13.620
 Christianity offers

00:18:13.620 --> 00:18:14.040
 us.

00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:16.660
 Not by defining

00:18:16.660 --> 00:18:17.480
 ourselves by our

00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:18.040
 morality and

00:18:18.040 --> 00:18:18.600
 clinging to

00:18:18.600 --> 00:18:19.000
 Christ.

00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:21.120
 And it says that

00:18:21.120 --> 00:18:21.940
 if we do that

00:18:21.940 --> 00:18:23.920
 our behavior will

00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:24.220
 change.

00:18:24.320 --> 00:18:24.980
 We will become

00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:25.700
 more like him.

00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:26.460
 But that's a

00:18:26.460 --> 00:18:27.200
 secondary thing.

00:18:27.579 --> 00:18:28.779
 It's something that

00:18:28.779 --> 00:18:29.700
 happens in response

00:18:29.700 --> 00:18:31.200
 to who we

00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:31.700
 already are.

00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:33.120
 It's not what

00:18:33.120 --> 00:18:33.700
 makes us a

00:18:33.700 --> 00:18:34.000
 Christian.

00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:35.180
 It's what happens

00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:35.759
 in our lives

00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:36.819
 because of the

00:18:36.819 --> 00:18:37.759
 fact that we're

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:38.720
 already Christians.

00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:41.960
 And so just like

00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:42.440
 the church at

00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:43.259
 Sardis the church

00:18:43.259 --> 00:18:44.839
 today is so

00:18:44.839 --> 00:18:45.620
 susceptible to

00:18:45.620 --> 00:18:46.299
 these attacks.

00:18:46.980 --> 00:18:47.799
 To seeing a

00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:48.720
 big issue on the

00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:49.700
 horizon and

00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:50.500
 focusing on that

00:18:50.500 --> 00:18:51.299
 and losing our

00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:52.319
 sight of Christ

00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:53.700
 in the process.

00:18:53.700 --> 00:18:56.460
 And when we

00:18:56.460 --> 00:18:57.120
 see ourselves

00:18:57.120 --> 00:18:58.000
 fighting against

00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:59.380
 these big issues

00:18:59.380 --> 00:19:02.440
 well and we

00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:02.960
 think we're doing

00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:04.720
 great we have

00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:05.259
 this assumption

00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:06.100
 that we as a

00:19:06.100 --> 00:19:07.100
 church are alive

00:19:07.100 --> 00:19:09.180
 and strong when

00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:10.000
 the foundation that

00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:10.799
 the church is built

00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:12.059
 on has crumbled

00:19:12.059 --> 00:19:12.880
 from our lives.

00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:15.380
 The assumption

00:19:15.380 --> 00:19:16.140
 is deadly.

00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:20.460
 The third thing I

00:19:20.460 --> 00:19:21.000
 want us to see

00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:21.680
 about this church

00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:22.799
 at Sardis is

00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:23.500
 that current

00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:24.900
 circumstances don't

00:19:24.900 --> 00:19:25.900
 seal our fate.

00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:28.080
 Current

00:19:28.080 --> 00:19:29.580
 circumstances don't

00:19:29.580 --> 00:19:30.640
 seal our fate.

00:19:31.740 --> 00:19:32.180
 You know Christ

00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:32.960
 comes to this

00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.100
 church and he

00:19:34.100 --> 00:19:34.580
 says you guys

00:19:34.580 --> 00:19:35.400
 have a great

00:19:35.400 --> 00:19:35.920
 reputation.

00:19:36.140 --> 00:19:36.880
 Everyone thinks

00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:37.740
 you got it going

00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:37.940
 on.

00:19:38.060 --> 00:19:38.700
 Everyone thinks

00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:39.380
 you're great.

00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:40.060
 Everyone thinks

00:19:40.060 --> 00:19:40.779
 you're the church

00:19:40.779 --> 00:19:41.620
 to look at and

00:19:41.620 --> 00:19:42.100
 you're not.

00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:43.539
 You're dead.

00:19:45.840 --> 00:19:46.519
 But I'm not

00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:47.180
 giving up on you.

00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:49.120
 I'm not

00:19:49.120 --> 00:19:49.880
 abandoning you

00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:50.480
 and saying it's

00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:50.759
 over.

00:19:53.080 --> 00:19:53.840
 No he gives

00:19:53.840 --> 00:19:54.640
 him a challenge.

00:19:55.120 --> 00:19:56.299
 He says wake

00:19:56.299 --> 00:19:57.940
 up strengthen

00:19:57.940 --> 00:19:58.799
 what remains and

00:19:58.799 --> 00:19:59.600
 is about to die

00:19:59.600 --> 00:20:00.840
 for I have not

00:20:00.840 --> 00:20:01.480
 found your works

00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:02.380
 complete in the

00:20:02.380 --> 00:20:03.039
 sight of my God.

00:20:03.900 --> 00:20:04.560
 Remember then

00:20:04.560 --> 00:20:05.360
 what you received

00:20:05.360 --> 00:20:06.240
 and heard keep

00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:06.980
 it and repent.

00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:09.460
 He says I'm

00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:10.460
 giving you another

00:20:10.460 --> 00:20:11.180
 chance.

00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:13.100
 You've messed

00:20:13.100 --> 00:20:14.200
 up a lot.

00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:18.299
 but I forgive.

00:20:18.500 --> 00:20:18.980
 I'm the God

00:20:18.980 --> 00:20:19.700
 who forgives.

00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:21.740
 I'm the God

00:20:21.740 --> 00:20:22.240
 who gives

00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:23.360
 second and

00:20:23.360 --> 00:20:24.120
 third and

00:20:24.120 --> 00:20:24.880
 fourth and

00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:25.960
 fifth chances.

00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:27.559
 I'm giving you

00:20:27.559 --> 00:20:28.240
 another one.

00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:29.940
 Wake up.

00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:33.100
 Yeah a lot of

00:20:33.100 --> 00:20:33.640
 you are dead

00:20:33.640 --> 00:20:34.960
 but it's not

00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:35.680
 too late.

00:20:37.779 --> 00:20:38.000
 Judgment

00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:38.700
 hasn't come

00:20:38.700 --> 00:20:39.000
 yet.

00:20:39.180 --> 00:20:39.880
 It may soon

00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:40.700
 but it hasn't

00:20:40.700 --> 00:20:40.920
 yet.

00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:44.200
 And I

00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:44.779
 think if we

00:20:44.779 --> 00:20:45.820
 here today

00:20:45.820 --> 00:20:47.000
 feel that

00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:47.840
 as we listen

00:20:47.840 --> 00:20:48.300
 to this that

00:20:48.300 --> 00:20:49.039
 our lives sort

00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:49.800
 of reflect this

00:20:49.800 --> 00:20:50.500
 church at Sardis

00:20:50.500 --> 00:20:51.019
 that we have

00:20:51.019 --> 00:20:51.580
 everything going

00:20:51.580 --> 00:20:52.420
 on good on

00:20:52.420 --> 00:20:52.920
 the outside

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:53.680
 but on the

00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:55.279
 inside this

00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:55.960
 relationship with

00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:56.560
 Christ that's

00:20:56.560 --> 00:20:57.259
 fundamental has

00:20:57.259 --> 00:20:58.340
 sort of crumbled.

00:20:59.800 --> 00:21:00.519
 God's telling

00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:01.380
 us it's not

00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:02.259
 too late for

00:21:02.259 --> 00:21:02.500
 you.

00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:04.380
 Wake up.

00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:06.039
 Repent.

00:21:08.360 --> 00:21:09.019
 You know I

00:21:09.019 --> 00:21:09.980
 had a startling

00:21:09.980 --> 00:21:10.660
 reminder this

00:21:10.660 --> 00:21:11.360
 week of how

00:21:11.360 --> 00:21:12.360
 short life can

00:21:12.360 --> 00:21:12.500
 be.

00:21:12.579 --> 00:21:12.880
 One of my

00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:13.420
 friends, he's

00:21:13.420 --> 00:21:14.000
 younger than I

00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.299
 am, had a

00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:16.039
 heart attack, a

00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:16.599
 very serious

00:21:16.599 --> 00:21:16.920
 one.

00:21:18.220 --> 00:21:19.039
 He survived

00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:20.279
 this reminder

00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:21.240
 that at any

00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:22.240
 moment none

00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:22.900
 of us knows

00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:23.779
 when our time

00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:24.079
 is going to

00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:24.299
 come.

00:21:25.460 --> 00:21:25.819
 This guy was

00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:26.279
 in his early

00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:27.900
 20s, heart

00:21:27.900 --> 00:21:28.279
 attack.

00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:31.380
 None of us

00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:32.140
 knows when

00:21:32.140 --> 00:21:32.720
 our time is

00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.360
 and God's

00:21:33.360 --> 00:21:34.079
 calling us to

00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:35.160
 wake up right

00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:35.700
 now.

00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:39.120
 So I have

00:21:39.120 --> 00:21:39.620
 some questions

00:21:39.620 --> 00:21:40.059
 that I want

00:21:40.059 --> 00:21:40.460
 us to think

00:21:40.460 --> 00:21:42.420
 about today.

00:21:42.819 --> 00:21:43.319
 The first

00:21:43.319 --> 00:21:46.080
 one, if

00:21:46.080 --> 00:21:46.460
 God were

00:21:46.460 --> 00:21:46.940
 writing one

00:21:46.940 --> 00:21:47.259
 of these

00:21:47.259 --> 00:21:47.759
 letters to

00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:49.580
 you, like

00:21:49.580 --> 00:21:49.940
 he's writing

00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:50.400
 to the seven

00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:53.059
 churches, what

00:21:53.059 --> 00:21:53.580
 would he say

00:21:53.580 --> 00:21:53.900
 in it?

00:21:56.700 --> 00:21:57.240
 What would

00:21:57.240 --> 00:21:57.840
 he list off

00:21:57.840 --> 00:21:58.120
 as your

00:21:58.120 --> 00:21:58.559
 strengths?

00:22:00.460 --> 00:22:01.000
 What would

00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:01.640
 he list off

00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:02.140
 as your

00:22:02.140 --> 00:22:02.500
 weaknesses?

00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.080
 What would

00:22:03.080 --> 00:22:03.960
 he list off as

00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:04.559
 your weaknesses?

00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:07.039
 Would the

00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:07.679
 overall mood

00:22:07.679 --> 00:22:08.119
 of the letter

00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:08.859
 be a positive

00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:09.279
 thing?

00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:10.639
 Like, good

00:22:10.639 --> 00:22:12.559
 job, you're

00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:13.139
 holding fast

00:22:13.139 --> 00:22:14.639
 to Christ, you're

00:22:14.639 --> 00:22:15.139
 standing up for

00:22:15.139 --> 00:22:15.359
 me?

00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:17.779
 Or would it

00:22:17.779 --> 00:22:18.940
 be something

00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:19.639
 like the

00:22:19.639 --> 00:22:19.980
 church at

00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:20.319
 Sardis?

00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:20.639
 You know,

00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:21.179
 everyone else

00:22:21.179 --> 00:22:21.539
 thinks that

00:22:21.539 --> 00:22:21.940
 you've got it

00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:22.480
 going on, but

00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:22.879
 you don't.

00:22:24.159 --> 00:22:24.859
 Or would it

00:22:24.859 --> 00:22:26.139
 just be, you

00:22:26.139 --> 00:22:26.460
 don't even

00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:26.879
 pretend.

00:22:28.399 --> 00:22:29.220
 Everyone knows

00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:29.639
 that you're not

00:22:29.639 --> 00:22:30.159
 following me.

00:22:31.339 --> 00:22:32.099
 And I want to

00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:32.700
 be careful with

00:22:32.700 --> 00:22:33.139
 this because I

00:22:33.139 --> 00:22:33.619
 know that we

00:22:33.619 --> 00:22:34.419
 live in this

00:22:34.420 --> 00:22:34.920
 culture where

00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:35.759
 we're perfectionist

00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:36.259
 and we hold

00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:36.800
 ourselves to

00:22:36.800 --> 00:22:37.279
 this super

00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:37.960
 high standard

00:22:37.960 --> 00:22:38.880
 that if I

00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:39.960
 get 99% on

00:22:39.960 --> 00:22:40.720
 the exam and

00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:41.620
 miss one

00:22:41.620 --> 00:22:42.600
 question, then

00:22:42.600 --> 00:22:43.060
 it's basically

00:22:43.060 --> 00:22:43.580
 the same as

00:22:43.580 --> 00:22:43.880
 failing.

00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:49.019
 And I don't

00:22:49.019 --> 00:22:49.800
 want us to

00:22:49.800 --> 00:22:50.840
 judge ourselves

00:22:50.840 --> 00:22:51.880
 super harshly,

00:22:52.460 --> 00:22:53.039
 but at the

00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:53.700
 same time, I

00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:54.320
 also know that

00:22:54.320 --> 00:22:54.820
 we have this

00:22:54.820 --> 00:22:55.460
 tendency to

00:22:55.460 --> 00:22:56.519
 justify ourselves,

00:22:56.980 --> 00:22:58.940
 to approve of

00:22:58.940 --> 00:22:59.420
 actions in

00:22:59.420 --> 00:23:00.000
 ourselves that

00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:00.460
 we would never

00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:01.100
 approve of in

00:23:01.100 --> 00:23:03.700
 others, to

00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:04.900
 overlook our

00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:05.460
 faults, to

00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:06.120
 overlook our

00:23:06.120 --> 00:23:06.840
 failures and

00:23:06.840 --> 00:23:07.360
 our weaknesses

00:23:07.360 --> 00:23:08.259
 because we

00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:09.180
 want ourselves

00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:10.160
 to be better.

00:23:12.360 --> 00:23:13.080
 And so my

00:23:13.080 --> 00:23:13.720
 challenge is,

00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:15.940
 think honestly

00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:16.500
 about it.

00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:19.100
 Where is our

00:23:19.100 --> 00:23:19.340
 hope?

00:23:20.700 --> 00:23:21.259
 We were saying

00:23:21.259 --> 00:23:22.000
 earlier, my hope

00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:22.580
 is built on

00:23:22.580 --> 00:23:23.759
 nothing less than

00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:24.500
 Jesus' blood and

00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:24.819
 righteousness.

00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:25.779
 Is that actually

00:23:25.779 --> 00:23:26.340
 where our hope

00:23:26.340 --> 00:23:26.620
 is?

00:23:28.700 --> 00:23:29.559
 Or is our hope

00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:30.480
 built on our

00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:30.860
 morality?

00:23:30.859 --> 00:23:33.439
 Is our hope

00:23:33.439 --> 00:23:33.919
 built on our

00:23:33.919 --> 00:23:34.500
 church attendance?

00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:37.500
 Is our hope

00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:38.139
 built on our

00:23:38.139 --> 00:23:38.959
 reputation, whether

00:23:38.959 --> 00:23:39.659
 we deserve that

00:23:39.659 --> 00:23:40.379
 reputation or

00:23:40.379 --> 00:23:40.699
 not?

00:23:46.099 --> 00:23:46.759
 My second

00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:47.459
 question for us

00:23:47.459 --> 00:23:49.519
 today is, where

00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:50.439
 is our battle?

00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:52.479
 You know, the

00:23:52.479 --> 00:23:53.240
 city of Sardis,

00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:55.459
 they had fights,

00:23:55.539 --> 00:23:56.219
 they had lots of

00:23:56.219 --> 00:23:56.839
 battles because it

00:23:56.839 --> 00:23:57.299
 was such a

00:23:57.299 --> 00:23:58.259
 strategic city.

00:23:58.259 --> 00:24:01.140
 And like we

00:24:01.140 --> 00:24:02.400
 saw, their huge

00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:03.759
 weakness that

00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:04.200
 happened to them

00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:06.000
 twice was that

00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.559
 the place they

00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:07.019
 thought they were

00:24:07.019 --> 00:24:07.759
 the strongest was

00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:08.799
 actually the place

00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:09.559
 where they were

00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:10.019
 the weakest.

00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:11.379
 The place they

00:24:11.379 --> 00:24:12.019
 thought they didn't

00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:12.759
 need to defend was

00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:13.619
 the place where the

00:24:13.619 --> 00:24:14.379
 enemies were able

00:24:14.379 --> 00:24:14.980
 to get in.

00:24:16.119 --> 00:24:16.740
 And the Bible

00:24:16.740 --> 00:24:17.579
 tells us that for

00:24:17.579 --> 00:24:18.599
 each of us, our

00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:19.599
 lives are a battle.

00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:22.579
 That every day

00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:23.400
 there's a war going

00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:24.319
 on for our souls

00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:24.900
 and the souls of

00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:25.720
 everyone around us

00:24:25.720 --> 00:24:27.819
 where God is

00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:29.059
 saying, hey, come

00:24:29.059 --> 00:24:29.839
 follow me.

00:24:30.980 --> 00:24:31.779
 And Satan is

00:24:31.779 --> 00:24:32.640
 trying to distract

00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:33.559
 us and show us

00:24:33.559 --> 00:24:34.200
 why we don't need

00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:34.940
 God and convince

00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:35.779
 us that God's not

00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:36.500
 really as good as

00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:37.460
 he says he is.

00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:39.799
 There's a battle.

00:24:41.360 --> 00:24:41.860
 And Satan loves

00:24:41.860 --> 00:24:42.860
 to distract us

00:24:42.860 --> 00:24:44.220
 from this battle.

00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:45.559
 One of his

00:24:45.559 --> 00:24:46.620
 primary tactics is

00:24:46.620 --> 00:24:47.480
 making us so

00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:47.980
 comfortable we

00:24:47.980 --> 00:24:48.620
 forget there is a

00:24:48.620 --> 00:24:48.819
 battle.

00:24:51.620 --> 00:24:52.620
 But where is

00:24:52.620 --> 00:24:53.360
 our battle?

00:24:53.779 --> 00:24:54.400
 Have we forgotten

00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:54.980
 that we're in a

00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:55.180
 battle?

00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:56.799
 If so, we're

00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:57.380
 already losing.

00:24:58.779 --> 00:24:59.600
 But if we know

00:24:59.600 --> 00:25:00.259
 we're in a battle,

00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:01.779
 are we focusing

00:25:01.779 --> 00:25:02.299
 on the right

00:25:02.299 --> 00:25:02.620
 enemies?

00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:05.140
 You know, this

00:25:05.140 --> 00:25:05.960
 church at Sardis,

00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:07.839
 they were probably

00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:09.140
 fighting very

00:25:09.140 --> 00:25:10.980
 vigilantly to

00:25:10.980 --> 00:25:11.500
 stand up for

00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:12.039
 their morality,

00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:14.900
 to stand up for

00:25:14.900 --> 00:25:15.740
 what they saw as

00:25:15.740 --> 00:25:16.019
 right.

00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:18.120
 They were fighting

00:25:18.120 --> 00:25:20.420
 so hard, but

00:25:20.420 --> 00:25:21.079
 all their focus,

00:25:21.259 --> 00:25:21.819
 all their attention,

00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:22.519
 all their energy

00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:23.180
 was on the wrong

00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:24.059
 part of the battle.

00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:29.119
 they left a

00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:29.980
 deadly weakness

00:25:29.980 --> 00:25:31.759
 that killed

00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:32.019
 them.

00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:35.539
 And in our

00:25:35.539 --> 00:25:37.740
 lives, yes, we

00:25:37.740 --> 00:25:38.720
 struggle against a

00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:39.399
 lot of things.

00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:41.000
 There's temptation

00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:42.159
 all around us

00:25:42.159 --> 00:25:42.659
 every day.

00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:44.539
 Temptation to

00:25:44.539 --> 00:25:45.200
 conform to what

00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:45.960
 our boss wants

00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:46.839
 rather than what

00:25:46.839 --> 00:25:47.460
 Christ wants.

00:25:47.460 --> 00:25:50.000
 temptation to

00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:50.660
 sort of blend in

00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:51.140
 and fit in with

00:25:51.140 --> 00:25:51.600
 the crowd and

00:25:51.600 --> 00:25:52.340
 not stand up for

00:25:52.340 --> 00:25:52.880
 the fact that we

00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:53.759
 actually believe in

00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:54.200
 Jesus.

00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:59.960
 temptation sexually

00:25:59.960 --> 00:26:01.120
 everywhere in our

00:26:01.120 --> 00:26:01.779
 culture.

00:26:03.779 --> 00:26:04.720
 All sorts of

00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:05.279
 temptations.

00:26:06.460 --> 00:26:07.580
 And it's good to

00:26:07.580 --> 00:26:08.200
 fight against these

00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:08.640
 things.

00:26:10.600 --> 00:26:11.539
 But if we fight

00:26:11.539 --> 00:26:12.279
 against them

00:26:12.279 --> 00:26:14.680
 exclusively and

00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:15.600
 lose sight of the

00:26:15.600 --> 00:26:16.380
 primary battle,

00:26:16.580 --> 00:26:17.100
 which is the

00:26:17.100 --> 00:26:18.380
 battle for us to

00:26:18.380 --> 00:26:19.019
 hold on to

00:26:19.019 --> 00:26:19.500
 Christ,

00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:22.380
 then no matter

00:26:22.380 --> 00:26:23.100
 how hard we

00:26:23.100 --> 00:26:23.640
 fight, no matter

00:26:23.640 --> 00:26:24.420
 how well we

00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:25.160
 fight, we're

00:26:25.160 --> 00:26:25.820
 going to lose

00:26:25.820 --> 00:26:26.300
 because we're

00:26:26.300 --> 00:26:27.440
 fighting primarily

00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:28.880
 against the

00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:29.920
 wrong enemy.

00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:32.320
 You know, there

00:26:32.320 --> 00:26:33.040
 was a time in my

00:26:33.040 --> 00:26:34.280
 life when I was

00:26:34.280 --> 00:26:35.040
 relatively new in

00:26:35.040 --> 00:26:35.480
 Hong Kong.

00:26:36.560 --> 00:26:37.660
 I struggled a lot

00:26:37.660 --> 00:26:38.280
 with loneliness

00:26:38.280 --> 00:26:39.220
 during this time.

00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:40.900
 I was settling in

00:26:40.900 --> 00:26:42.759
 a new city, and I

00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:44.300
 just didn't know how

00:26:44.300 --> 00:26:45.000
 to cope with the

00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:45.300
 loneliness.

00:26:48.380 --> 00:26:49.080
 And there was

00:26:49.080 --> 00:26:49.640
 definitely this

00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:50.580
 spiritual battle

00:26:50.580 --> 00:26:51.259
 going on.

00:26:53.640 --> 00:26:54.860
 And in my

00:26:54.860 --> 00:26:56.140
 youth and

00:26:56.140 --> 00:26:57.259
 immaturity, I

00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:57.920
 didn't know the

00:26:57.920 --> 00:26:58.840
 proper response to

00:26:58.840 --> 00:26:59.040
 it.

00:27:00.040 --> 00:27:00.920
 And I could see

00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:01.380
 that there were

00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:02.440
 spiritual elements to

00:27:02.440 --> 00:27:04.660
 it, but I

00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:05.080
 couldn't see the

00:27:05.080 --> 00:27:05.520
 full picture.

00:27:06.200 --> 00:27:07.820
 And I began to

00:27:07.820 --> 00:27:10.560
 focus primarily on

00:27:10.560 --> 00:27:11.220
 this problem of

00:27:11.220 --> 00:27:11.820
 loneliness and

00:27:11.820 --> 00:27:12.780
 fighting against it

00:27:12.780 --> 00:27:14.300
 rather than

00:27:14.300 --> 00:27:15.460
 primarily on

00:27:15.460 --> 00:27:16.360
 holding on to

00:27:16.360 --> 00:27:17.020
 Christ and

00:27:17.020 --> 00:27:17.720
 clinging to him.

00:27:17.720 --> 00:27:20.539
 And so what I

00:27:20.539 --> 00:27:21.539
 would do is

00:27:21.539 --> 00:27:22.180
 whenever I felt

00:27:22.180 --> 00:27:22.779
 this loneliness,

00:27:23.100 --> 00:27:23.740
 I would find

00:27:23.740 --> 00:27:24.519
 ways to cope

00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:24.900
 with it.

00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:26.700
 I would watch

00:27:26.700 --> 00:27:27.819
 TV or a movie

00:27:27.819 --> 00:27:29.500
 because that would

00:27:29.500 --> 00:27:30.160
 make the loneliness

00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:31.839
 go away until the

00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:32.500
 end of the episode.

00:27:33.620 --> 00:27:34.440
 I would hang out

00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:35.039
 with friends because

00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:35.700
 when I was around

00:27:35.700 --> 00:27:36.420
 people, I wasn't

00:27:36.420 --> 00:27:36.740
 lonely.

00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:38.600
 I would read a

00:27:38.600 --> 00:27:39.200
 book or play

00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:40.819
 guitar or focus

00:27:40.819 --> 00:27:41.539
 really hard on my

00:27:41.539 --> 00:27:41.860
 work.

00:27:43.579 --> 00:27:44.600
 What I found was

00:27:44.600 --> 00:27:45.940
 that each of these

00:27:45.940 --> 00:27:46.620
 things that I would

00:27:46.620 --> 00:27:46.940
 do,

00:27:46.940 --> 00:27:48.660
 did get me

00:27:48.660 --> 00:27:49.140
 through the day.

00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:50.840
 They'd numb the

00:27:50.840 --> 00:27:51.640
 pain long enough

00:27:51.640 --> 00:27:53.500
 for me to go to

00:27:53.500 --> 00:27:54.100
 bed that night and

00:27:54.100 --> 00:27:54.660
 wake up the next

00:27:54.660 --> 00:27:54.980
 morning.

00:27:56.740 --> 00:27:57.940
 The problem was,

00:27:58.140 --> 00:27:59.680
 as I continued to

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:01.580
 focus exclusively on

00:28:01.580 --> 00:28:02.259
 this feeling of

00:28:02.259 --> 00:28:03.559
 loneliness rather

00:28:03.559 --> 00:28:04.620
 than focusing on

00:28:04.620 --> 00:28:08.600
 Christ, I fought

00:28:08.600 --> 00:28:09.920
 and fought and

00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:11.080
 fought and inside

00:28:11.080 --> 00:28:12.380
 me, the life was

00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:13.380
 crumbling apart.

00:28:15.740 --> 00:28:16.900
 And I knew it.

00:28:16.940 --> 00:28:18.700
 people would come

00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:19.299
 up to me and

00:28:19.299 --> 00:28:20.920
 they'd see that I

00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:21.440
 had this great

00:28:21.440 --> 00:28:22.160
 reputation because

00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:22.779
 I'm working in the

00:28:22.779 --> 00:28:23.120
 church.

00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:24.960
 I'm impacting

00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:25.820
 people's lives and

00:28:25.820 --> 00:28:26.620
 things must be great

00:28:26.620 --> 00:28:27.019
 for me.

00:28:30.660 --> 00:28:32.100
 And I knew I'm a

00:28:32.100 --> 00:28:32.380
 fake.

00:28:34.820 --> 00:28:35.940
 I remember one time

00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:37.279
 someone was praying

00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:38.100
 for me during this

00:28:38.100 --> 00:28:38.460
 time.

00:28:39.140 --> 00:28:39.700
 They were like,

00:28:39.740 --> 00:28:40.980
 Eric, as I pray,

00:28:41.059 --> 00:28:41.620
 I just see this

00:28:41.620 --> 00:28:42.000
 picture.

00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:43.640
 I don't have any

00:28:43.640 --> 00:28:44.380
 idea what it means,

00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:45.000
 but I see this

00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:45.440
 castle.

00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.460
 And it's big and

00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:48.359
 it's beautiful and

00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:49.880
 it has these huge

00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:52.880
 like turrets or

00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:54.980
 something on top of

00:28:54.980 --> 00:28:55.220
 it.

00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:57.900
 And it's nice and

00:28:57.900 --> 00:28:58.859
 painted fresh on the

00:28:58.859 --> 00:29:00.740
 outside and it looks

00:29:00.740 --> 00:29:01.480
 so strong.

00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:04.039
 But then inside, it's

00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:04.759
 just crumbling apart.

00:29:05.539 --> 00:29:06.220
 There's no one there.

00:29:06.440 --> 00:29:07.440
 Everything inside it is

00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:07.700
 dead.

00:29:07.700 --> 00:29:10.940
 And I knew that that

00:29:10.940 --> 00:29:11.720
 was a description of

00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:12.960
 my life at that

00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:13.259
 moment.

00:29:14.180 --> 00:29:14.920
 There's this beautiful

00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:15.380
 castle.

00:29:15.840 --> 00:29:16.620
 Anyone who looked at

00:29:16.620 --> 00:29:17.240
 it from the outside

00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:18.680
 said, it's great.

00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:22.120
 Because I was

00:29:22.120 --> 00:29:22.900
 focusing on the

00:29:22.900 --> 00:29:23.640
 wrong battle.

00:29:24.259 --> 00:29:24.980
 Because I was

00:29:24.980 --> 00:29:25.960
 focusing on this

00:29:25.960 --> 00:29:27.960
 battle of the way

00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:29.039
 that I felt rather

00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:30.400
 than on focusing on

00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:32.120
 knowing Christ and

00:29:32.120 --> 00:29:32.660
 loving him.

00:29:34.019 --> 00:29:35.400
 I kept up all the

00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:36.180
 external appearances.

00:29:36.340 --> 00:29:37.460
 I kept up the great

00:29:37.460 --> 00:29:41.240
 reputation when I was

00:29:41.240 --> 00:29:41.500
 dead.

00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:43.600
 And thankfully, God

00:29:43.600 --> 00:29:44.259
 has brought people

00:29:44.259 --> 00:29:45.360
 into my life who

00:29:45.360 --> 00:29:46.480
 have called me out

00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:47.079
 on that and helped

00:29:47.079 --> 00:29:47.860
 me work through that

00:29:47.860 --> 00:29:48.700
 and helped point me

00:29:48.700 --> 00:29:49.500
 back to Christ.

00:29:50.660 --> 00:29:51.799
 But I know that this

00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:53.960
 tendency is so common

00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:54.779
 in the church today.

00:29:55.620 --> 00:29:56.840
 We see a problem, we

00:29:56.840 --> 00:29:57.559
 know that it's wrong.

00:29:58.900 --> 00:29:59.840
 And yet we focus on

00:29:59.840 --> 00:30:00.600
 that problem rather

00:30:00.600 --> 00:30:01.319
 than on Christ.

00:30:02.019 --> 00:30:02.880
 And as we focus on

00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:03.880
 that problem, it draws

00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:04.960
 us further and further

00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:05.900
 from Christ.

00:30:05.900 --> 00:30:07.040
 And while we do a

00:30:07.040 --> 00:30:08.420
 great job defeating

00:30:08.420 --> 00:30:12.080
 that problem, the

00:30:12.080 --> 00:30:13.720
 life crumbles because

00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:14.420
 we lose hold of

00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:14.820
 Christ.

00:30:17.360 --> 00:30:17.860
 I mean, think about

00:30:17.860 --> 00:30:17.960
 it.

00:30:17.960 --> 00:30:19.540
 How many guys groups

00:30:19.540 --> 00:30:20.320
 are out there in

00:30:20.320 --> 00:30:21.220
 churches around the

00:30:21.220 --> 00:30:22.440
 world focused on

00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:23.259
 fighting against porn?

00:30:24.540 --> 00:30:25.160
 And what's the

00:30:25.160 --> 00:30:25.480
 approach?

00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:26.560
 Don't do porn.

00:30:26.660 --> 00:30:27.320
 Don't do porn.

00:30:27.420 --> 00:30:27.980
 Don't do porn.

00:30:28.040 --> 00:30:28.420
 And as you're

00:30:28.420 --> 00:30:29.440
 focusing on this, your

00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:30.620
 focus is always on

00:30:30.620 --> 00:30:30.900
 porn.

00:30:31.540 --> 00:30:32.440
 It's a focus on don't

00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:33.160
 do it, but it's still

00:30:33.160 --> 00:30:33.980
 a focus on porn.

00:30:33.980 --> 00:30:35.140
 And you're never

00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:36.200
 focusing on Christ.

00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:39.759
 It's rampant in the

00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:40.079
 church.

00:30:40.259 --> 00:30:41.099
 We focus on our

00:30:41.099 --> 00:30:42.339
 problems rather than

00:30:42.339 --> 00:30:44.200
 on Christ, just like

00:30:44.200 --> 00:30:45.440
 the church at Sardis.

00:30:45.980 --> 00:30:47.180
 We're able to have

00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:49.160
 great behavior, great

00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:50.360
 reputations on the

00:30:50.360 --> 00:30:50.759
 outside.

00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:53.819
 And the life is

00:30:53.819 --> 00:30:54.519
 crumbling inside.

00:30:57.380 --> 00:30:58.460
 But there's hope.

00:30:58.740 --> 00:30:59.519
 Just like the church

00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:00.339
 in Sardis, there's

00:31:00.339 --> 00:31:01.660
 hope for us.

00:31:01.660 --> 00:31:03.900
 Jesus didn't give up

00:31:03.900 --> 00:31:04.200
 on them.

00:31:04.340 --> 00:31:06.100
 Jesus isn't giving up

00:31:06.100 --> 00:31:06.840
 on us.

00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:08.759
 He tells them, wake

00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:08.940
 up.

00:31:08.980 --> 00:31:10.440
 And he tells us, wake

00:31:10.440 --> 00:31:10.940
 up.

00:31:12.279 --> 00:31:13.420
 He tells them, you

00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:14.440
 haven't been doing a

00:31:14.440 --> 00:31:14.900
 good job.

00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:16.660
 But it's not over.

00:31:17.880 --> 00:31:18.779
 There's still time.

00:31:20.080 --> 00:31:21.100
 There's still a chance.

00:31:23.160 --> 00:31:24.460
 And if you turn to me,

00:31:25.140 --> 00:31:26.800
 if you trust in me,

00:31:27.860 --> 00:31:29.259
 there's still a reward

00:31:29.259 --> 00:31:30.700
 waiting for you.

00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:32.840
 He says, you still

00:31:32.840 --> 00:31:34.180
 have a few names in

00:31:34.180 --> 00:31:35.059
 Sardis, people who

00:31:35.059 --> 00:31:36.059
 have not soiled their

00:31:36.059 --> 00:31:37.240
 garments, and they

00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:38.779
 will walk with me in

00:31:38.779 --> 00:31:39.720
 white, for they are

00:31:39.720 --> 00:31:39.980
 worthy.

00:31:41.700 --> 00:31:42.940
 This white garments,

00:31:43.059 --> 00:31:43.740
 this white clothing,

00:31:43.840 --> 00:31:44.880
 it's a picture of

00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:46.039
 purity and holiness

00:31:46.039 --> 00:31:46.720
 and victory.

00:31:47.019 --> 00:31:48.000
 And Jesus promises

00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:49.380
 that to those who

00:31:49.380 --> 00:31:50.500
 will walk with him,

00:31:50.779 --> 00:31:51.519
 not just in

00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:53.039
 appearance, but in

00:31:53.039 --> 00:31:54.299
 truth and reality.

00:31:55.980 --> 00:31:57.360
 He continues on.

00:31:57.580 --> 00:31:58.519
 He says, the one who

00:31:58.519 --> 00:31:59.480
 conquers will be

00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:01.039
 clothed thus in

00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:02.220
 white garments.

00:32:02.839 --> 00:32:03.420
 And I will never

00:32:03.420 --> 00:32:05.160
 blot his name out of

00:32:05.160 --> 00:32:05.839
 the book of life.

00:32:07.420 --> 00:32:08.460
 This word for

00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:09.559
 conquer that he uses

00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:10.940
 here, it means to

00:32:10.940 --> 00:32:11.700
 win in the face of

00:32:11.700 --> 00:32:12.720
 obstacles, to be the

00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:14.640
 victor, to conquer

00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:15.420
 or overcome.

00:32:16.299 --> 00:32:16.880
 So this is not going

00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:17.360
 to be easy.

00:32:19.380 --> 00:32:20.299
 But it's possible.

00:32:21.319 --> 00:32:22.120
 It's going to be a

00:32:22.120 --> 00:32:22.440
 battle.

00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:24.720
 You're going to have

00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:25.240
 to fight.

00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:28.620
 But when your

00:32:28.620 --> 00:32:29.319
 strength comes from

00:32:29.319 --> 00:32:30.960
 me, you have the

00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:32.000
 power to win.

00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:34.839
 And when you look

00:32:34.839 --> 00:32:36.440
 to me, when you

00:32:36.440 --> 00:32:38.700
 trust in me, he says,

00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:40.079
 I will give you the

00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:40.839
 strength to overcome,

00:32:41.140 --> 00:32:42.200
 to be a conqueror.

00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:44.220
 I will never blot your

00:32:44.220 --> 00:32:45.380
 name out of the book

00:32:45.380 --> 00:32:45.859
 of life.

00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:47.400
 We'll be welcomed

00:32:47.400 --> 00:32:48.660
 into God's kingdom

00:32:48.660 --> 00:32:50.599
 if we hold on to

00:32:50.599 --> 00:32:52.620
 Christ, if we hold

00:32:52.620 --> 00:32:53.400
 fast to him.

00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:55.480
 He continues, I

00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:56.620
 will confess his

00:32:56.620 --> 00:32:57.480
 name before my

00:32:57.480 --> 00:32:58.960
 father and before

00:32:58.960 --> 00:32:59.680
 his angels.

00:33:01.620 --> 00:33:02.620
 Jesus says, look,

00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:03.320
 if you do these

00:33:03.320 --> 00:33:04.200
 things, if you hold

00:33:04.200 --> 00:33:07.380
 on to me, not just

00:33:07.380 --> 00:33:08.280
 appearing to follow

00:33:08.280 --> 00:33:09.440
 me, but truly

00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:10.519
 trusting in me,

00:33:10.660 --> 00:33:11.700
 truly being

00:33:11.700 --> 00:33:13.220
 desperate for me,

00:33:14.500 --> 00:33:16.100
 I won't be ashamed

00:33:16.100 --> 00:33:17.180
 to be called your

00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:17.460
 God.

00:33:18.600 --> 00:33:19.640
 When the day comes

00:33:19.640 --> 00:33:20.140
 when you're at

00:33:20.140 --> 00:33:20.820
 judgment and you're

00:33:20.820 --> 00:33:21.540
 standing before the

00:33:21.540 --> 00:33:22.220
 father, I will be

00:33:22.220 --> 00:33:22.860
 standing there next

00:33:22.860 --> 00:33:23.240
 to you.

00:33:24.400 --> 00:33:25.180
 I'll say, Father,

00:33:25.700 --> 00:33:28.280
 this one's with me.

00:33:28.580 --> 00:33:29.000
 Let him in.

00:33:31.580 --> 00:33:33.280
 Father, I love this

00:33:33.280 --> 00:33:33.580
 one.

00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:40.040
 I died for him,

00:33:40.280 --> 00:33:41.380
 for her,

00:33:43.519 --> 00:33:44.880
 so that you can

00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:45.540
 accept them.

00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:48.560
 There is hope.

00:33:49.560 --> 00:33:50.519
 There is a promise.

00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:51.019
 God's love.

00:33:51.019 --> 00:33:52.460
 It requires that we

00:33:52.460 --> 00:33:53.259
 wake up.

00:33:54.599 --> 00:33:55.839
 We can't rest on our

00:33:55.839 --> 00:33:56.259
 appearances.

00:33:57.359 --> 00:33:58.700
 We can't rest on our

00:33:58.700 --> 00:33:59.119
 assumptions.

00:33:59.900 --> 00:34:01.099
 We can't rest on our

00:34:01.099 --> 00:34:01.740
 reputations.

00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:04.220
 We can't rest on our

00:34:04.220 --> 00:34:04.639
 obedience.

00:34:06.139 --> 00:34:07.660
 We have to rest in

00:34:07.660 --> 00:34:09.780
 Christ, in Christ

00:34:09.780 --> 00:34:10.139
 alone.

00:34:12.539 --> 00:34:13.579
 I don't know what it

00:34:13.579 --> 00:34:14.539
 means for everyone in

00:34:14.539 --> 00:34:15.420
 here to wake up today.

00:34:15.500 --> 00:34:16.380
 Maybe for some of us,

00:34:16.460 --> 00:34:17.739
 we've never trusted in

00:34:17.739 --> 00:34:18.339
 Christ before.

00:34:19.439 --> 00:34:20.459
 And waking up means for

00:34:20.459 --> 00:34:21.279
 the first time ever

00:34:21.279 --> 00:34:22.259
 acknowledging our need

00:34:22.259 --> 00:34:22.719
 for him.

00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:25.319
 Acknowledging that we are

00:34:25.319 --> 00:34:26.659
 messed up, that we need

00:34:26.659 --> 00:34:28.019
 him to forgive us and

00:34:28.019 --> 00:34:29.379
 save us and give us this

00:34:29.379 --> 00:34:30.639
 new relationship with God.

00:34:32.599 --> 00:34:33.599
 Maybe for some of us,

00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:34.959
 you're like me, where you

00:34:34.959 --> 00:34:36.000
 have this issue in your

00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:36.659
 life and you're fighting

00:34:36.659 --> 00:34:37.779
 against it, but you

00:34:37.779 --> 00:34:39.839
 realize, I'm fighting

00:34:39.839 --> 00:34:41.039
 against and against and

00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:42.039
 against this issue, but

00:34:42.039 --> 00:34:43.119
 never fighting to hold on

00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:43.539
 to Christ.

00:34:43.539 --> 00:34:44.800
 And waking up means

00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:46.480
 turning and holding on

00:34:46.480 --> 00:34:47.079
 to Christ.

00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:50.599
 Maybe some of us in

00:34:50.599 --> 00:34:51.739
 here, we're doing great

00:34:51.739 --> 00:34:52.440
 at all these things.

00:34:52.579 --> 00:34:53.380
 We're holding on to

00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:53.739
 Christ.

00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:56.340
 And he's calling us to

00:34:56.340 --> 00:34:57.480
 strengthen what remains,

00:34:57.579 --> 00:34:58.400
 to turn to the person

00:34:58.400 --> 00:34:59.679
 next to us and help them

00:34:59.679 --> 00:35:01.219
 do that in their life

00:35:01.219 --> 00:35:01.480
 too.

00:35:04.599 --> 00:35:05.559
 Regardless of where you

00:35:05.559 --> 00:35:07.079
 are, Jesus is calling

00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:08.599
 us to wake up,

00:35:11.199 --> 00:35:12.360
 strengthen what remains,

00:35:13.539 --> 00:35:15.880
 turn to him, look to

00:35:15.880 --> 00:35:18.920
 him, rest in him, find

00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:22.159
 our identity in him, in

00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:23.059
 him alone.

00:35:24.279 --> 00:35:25.039
 Let's pray.

00:35:27.820 --> 00:35:29.300
 Jesus, we thank you for

00:35:29.300 --> 00:35:29.840
 your love.

00:35:30.739 --> 00:35:31.920
 We thank you that you

00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:34.279
 are the God who forgives,

00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:36.259
 who gives second chances

00:35:36.259 --> 00:35:37.840
 and third chances and

00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:40.960
 fourth chances, who hasn't

00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:42.099
 given up on us, but is

00:35:42.099 --> 00:35:43.779
 giving us the chance

00:35:43.779 --> 00:35:46.259
 even today to wake up,

00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:48.599
 to repent, to come

00:35:48.599 --> 00:35:50.659
 back, even if we've

00:35:50.659 --> 00:35:51.500
 wandered far away.

00:35:52.839 --> 00:35:54.099
 We pray that we would

00:35:54.099 --> 00:35:57.339
 see you, we would know

00:35:57.339 --> 00:35:59.779
 you, we would trust you

00:35:59.779 --> 00:36:02.880
 and follow you, that we

00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:03.599
 wouldn't just have an

00:36:03.599 --> 00:36:04.539
 appearance of being alive,

00:36:04.619 --> 00:36:05.779
 but that we would truly be

00:36:05.779 --> 00:36:06.360
 alive.

00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:09.460
 and that one day we'd be

00:36:09.460 --> 00:36:11.059
 able to walk with you in

00:36:11.059 --> 00:36:13.480
 these white garments, that

00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:14.280
 our names would not be

00:36:14.280 --> 00:36:15.000
 blotted out of the book

00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:15.480
 of life.

00:36:17.140 --> 00:36:18.380
 And that at that day, when

00:36:18.380 --> 00:36:19.240
 we stand before the

00:36:19.240 --> 00:36:20.000
 Father, that you'll be

00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:21.260
 standing there beside us,

00:36:21.940 --> 00:36:23.620
 saying that we are yours

00:36:23.620 --> 00:36:25.500
 and you are ours.

00:36:28.140 --> 00:36:29.660
 In Jesus' name, amen.

00:36:29.659 --> 00:36:31.399
 And I saw CO250.

00:36:31.399 --> 00:36:32.319
 Can you ask someone to

00:36:32.319 --> 00:36:33.579
 raise your hand in both

00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:33.940
 girls' layout and

00:36:33.940 --> 00:36:34.639
 Doug Smith?

00:36:34.759 --> 00:36:35.440
 Yes.

00:36:35.460 --> 00:36:36.099
 You may be near

00:36:36.099 --> 00:36:36.460
 자연PBN.

00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:50.299
きますygstation.