WEBVTT

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 Okay, so I want to start this story today because we're in this book of Corinthians.

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 And I'm going to do it in a way that's going to seem random, probably more random than what I normally do.

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 But hopefully it will make sense as we go on.

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 If it doesn't, then just forgive me.

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 What I want to do is I want to start off with a story in Scripture.

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 And then I want to ask us some questions.

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 And then we're going to get to the Scripture for today, which is an awesome passage and a fun passage.

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 The Scripture today, the story I want to share is in Luke 10.

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 So Jesus was going through the villages of Capernaum and Judea, and he was teaching.

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 And we're told in Luke 10 that this lawyer came up to him to cause some trouble.

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 And in Greek, actually, it says the lawyer came up, and he wanted to test Jesus to show flaws.

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 And so he wanted to ask Jesus some questions.

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 And so he asked Jesus this question.

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 He says, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

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 Basically, what he's asking Jesus is, okay, how can I make God happy with me?

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 And what does God expect from me that I'll make him happy?

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 And Jesus answered him and says, well, what does it say in the Torah, God's Word?

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 And the lawyer, without exception, he just said it right off.

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 He said, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.

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 And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

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 And Jesus looked at him and said, you're right.

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 Now go do that.

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 So a question I have for us to begin our time off is, what if everything you knew about singleness and about love and about sex and about marriage,

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 what if everything you knew was disordered?

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 What if everything you knew and you thought you knew about these topics was fractured?

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 What if it was corrupted?

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 I mean, I'm not talking like 100% corruption, but what if at the core of what we thought we knew about marriage and sex and singleness and dating,

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 what if at its foundation we were just, we weren't very good?

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 What would you do?

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 Maybe an easier way, I think sometimes, because I ask this question, maybe an easier way to ask it would be,

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 or a different way would be, what if within your profession right now, your job, what you're doing in your job,

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 everything you're doing in your job, what if you found out that within your job, in your profession,

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 that everything you knew or you thought you knew was disordered or fractured or broken?

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 What if you, and not like 100% broken, but let's just say what you're doing right now as a doctor or a lawyer

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 or whatever you're doing in your world teaching, what if only 75% of what you knew was correct?

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 And there was a 25% part that was corrupted and broken,

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 and you knew that if you continued on the path in your job and in your profession,

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 you knew that if you continued doing the things the way that you did,

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 that you would eventually hurt a lot of people.

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 And not just for your generation, but you would hurt a lot of people for future generations.

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 And that you would eventually hurt yourself.

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 What would you do?

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 How would you function?

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 The Corinthian church was in this situation.

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 I mean, we've been going through this book of 1 Corinthians,

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 and we've been doing 5 and 6 and 7,

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 and they're like these hot potatoes that were bouncing around,

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 and they are just intense,

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 and it's so comforting to be able to come back to God's Word

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 and say, this is what God says,

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 and say, this is what Tobin says,

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 because Tobin's a mess.

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 But I was talking to a local pastor this week,

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 and we were talking about these things,

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 and he surprised me.

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 He said, you know, I've been listening to the sermons of Watermark,

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 because I wanted to hear what you guys are going to do about 1 Corinthians,

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 and I wanted to hear that.

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 I said, oh, really?

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 And he goes, yeah, this idea of accountability and community

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 and how it works together,

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 and we're all in the same boat.

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 And he said, you know,

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 if I preached that sermon in my church,

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 people would leave.

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 It would be too intense.

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 It would be too personal,

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 and people would feel like I was being too,

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 just in their life,

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 and they would leave.

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 And so I wanted to share that,

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 because I don't want you to leave, okay?

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 I don't want you to leave, you know?

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 But there's just something about this,

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 as God's word offends us.

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 And if I offend you, that's a different story.

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 You come up, and you can just punch me.

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 But if God's word offends us,

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 then we have to ask ourselves,

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 why does God's word offend us?

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 I mean, because God's word is meant to challenge us

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 and to rebuke us and to exhort us and to heal us,

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 and it's meant to show us as we come to God's word

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 that we're worshiping God, the creator of the universe,

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 that Jesus is the hero of the story and not Tobin.

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 But God is at the center of everything and not Tobin.

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 And what we see in this whole book of God's word

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 and in these stories is that God wants to have

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 an intimate relationship with you.

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 Did you know that?

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 God wants to have an intimate relationship with you.

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 And most people don't get that.

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 Most people don't understand that.

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 When we think of intimate, we think of, like last week,

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 we think of sex, and we think of things like that.

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 But, you know, the Bible says that the most intimate thing

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 that you're ever going to do,

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 the most intimate experience that you're ever going to have

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 is when you come face to face with your creator in heaven.

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 It's going to be better than sex.

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 It's going to be perfect.

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 You and God and Christ married,

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 and you're going to be perfect and holy and complete.

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 And so last week I was in a bookstore,

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 and literally I was walking down the bookstore,

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 and this girl had this on the back of her shirt.

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 So I took a picture.

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 God is better than sex.

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 Now, I didn't, I was, it's like one of those awkward moments,

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 you know, she has this long hair kind of dream,

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 you know, floating back on her back,

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 and I see it, I catch it on my eye,

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 and I'm like, oh, wow, I got to take a picture of that

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 because that's what we were talking about last week.

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 But I have my camera behind her, you know,

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 and she's looking at the books,

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 and I feel kind of like I'm a predator or something, right?

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 So I almost tried to touch her hair

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 and kind of move it off because it was kind of,

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 and I said, hey, I'm so sorry, I know this is so weird,

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 I'm not a freak, I have, I'm married, I have kids,

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 but can I get a picture of your shirt?

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 And I looked at that, and I thought about that,

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 and I said, wow, that's pretty interesting, you know,

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 because that's what we're talking about, right?

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 I don't know if she believes it or not,

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 I don't know where she got it.

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 I thought we'd just get everybody,

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 get a watermark shirt like that, front and back.

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 God is better than sex, and we just,

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 everybody in the church, if you remember,

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 you have to wear it for one week, right,

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 or something like that, I don't know.

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 But, you know, we saw last week

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 that the church was struggling with sex.

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 Not watermark, but the church of Corinthians,

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 it was struggling with sex,

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 and there was prostitutes everywhere,

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 and people were having sex,

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 and we are told by historians

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 that the closest you could get to God

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 was by having sex with a prostitute in the temple.

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 That was the most religious experience

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 that you could have,

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 and we talked last week about Genesis

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 and how God actually made sex

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 and intimacy and relationships,

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 and nowadays people say Christians are down on those things,

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 but in reality, when Paul speaks and Jesus speaks,

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 he's actually elevating these things

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 to levels that are much greater

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 than the world understands,

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 and we looked in the Hebrew

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 when it says to know, yada, to know your spouse,

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 it means not just a physical sexual intimacy,

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 but it means a meshing of your life and of your soul.

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 It means you're mentally and you're socially

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 and you're physically and you're economically.

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 It means all of your life is together

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 with your partner, husband and wife in marriage.

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 Sex, you know, relationship is just there.

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 It's just your soul is bound to that person,

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 and that's why God takes sexual immorality

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 so hard and massively.

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 He's disappointed with it

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 because it's not just having sex with another person,

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 but what you're doing is you're destroying your soul,

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 and your soul is made in the image of God,

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 and so we talked about that last week,

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 and we talked about how this idea of this sin,

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 and this sin comes into us,

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 and it started at the garden,

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 and it invades our DNA,

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 and it's in everything that we do,

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 and it tempts us,

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 and it longs, and it draws us,

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 and it disorders everything in our life

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 and how we think,

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 and the Corinthian church was just falling apart

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 because everything in their lives was disordered.

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 They didn't understand sex.

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 They didn't understand marriage.

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 They didn't understand dating.

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 They didn't understand singleness,

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 and instead of going to God's word,

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 they were looking in the government and society,

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 and they were saying,

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 what does the government say about this,

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 and what can we do these things,

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 and they were just getting even more disordered

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 like a lot of us do.

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 They went to Oprah like a lot of us do.

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 I don't know what the big thing is today,

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 but my day was Dr. Phil and Oprah,

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 and those are how you learned

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 what sex and relationships were all about,

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 but Paul says there's something different,

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 and that's what God has to teach us,

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 and today, he's talking to this group of,

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 so last week,

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 he's talking to this group of people

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 who were sex-crazed.

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 Everything they did was sex,

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 sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex.

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 They would disagree with that shirt

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 that God is better than sex,

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 and this week, he's talking about

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 this other group of people

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 who basically say no sex,

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 so I don't know how he's a pastor in this church

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 because I'm a pastor,

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 and I think watermark is 300 or 400.

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 Depends on how many people come on a Sunday,

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 but Corinthian church was only like 150 people,

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 at least as far as I can figure out at this time,

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 and they had all these massive divisions

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 of sex and no sex and slaves,

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 and it seemed like it was just a mess,

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 and so this group comes in on chapter seven,

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 and they're saying no sex.

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 Sex is bad.

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 Sex is carnal.

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 The spirit is what you want to look at,

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 and what you see in the church

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 is it just disturbs everybody.

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 It disturbs the singles and the marrieds

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 and the divorces and the widows,

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 and everybody's just freaking out,

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 and all of a sudden in verse one,

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 they say this statement,

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 and it's not what Paul says.

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 It's what they said.

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 It's good for a man not to touch a woman.

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 It's basically saying that it's good for a man

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 not to have sex with a woman, ever,

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 not even in marriage,

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 and they think when they write this to Paul

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 because Paul's reading their letter,

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 and he's writing down a response,

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 which again, I don't understand how he does it

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 because I get in trouble

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 when I respond to somebody's email,

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 and I don't say one word correctly,

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 but Paul is talking about these massive issues,

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 and he's just responding to people about these things,

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 and they think that he's going to be happy

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 because he's single, and he's celibate,

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 and he's intense,

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 but he's actually disappointed,

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 and the amazing thing to me about this passage,

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 again, like last week,

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 that Paul doesn't come in and just slam them

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 and then beat them up,

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 but he kind of just gently and carefully

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 and lovingly and compassionately

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 nurtures them and talks to them

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 about what's going on,

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 and he allows the gospel to come into our lives,

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 and it reorders our disorderedness,

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 and so Paul does that,

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 and he starts to talk today

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 about the singles and sex and marriage,

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 and you know, to be honest with you,

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 when you look at chapter seven,

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 you've got to realize something, guys.

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 People are coming to faith out of a society

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 which is probably the most immoral

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 and out-of-control society in the world,

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 and these people were coming to faith,

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 and they were asking questions

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 just like the rich young ruler.

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 They're asking questions like,

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 how can I make God happy?

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 What does God want out of me?

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 How can I really serve the Lord?

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 What do I need to do to change my lifestyle

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 and to honor God and please him?

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 I mean, these are all,

00:11:03.259 --> 00:11:05.000
 they're all great questions.

00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:07.319
 Maybe they're all questions

00:11:07.319 --> 00:11:08.299
 that we should be asking,

00:11:08.299 --> 00:11:11.259
 but the assumption behind

00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:12.899
 every one of these people's questions

00:11:12.899 --> 00:11:14.259
 is that wherever they are,

00:11:15.019 --> 00:11:16.539
 wherever they were at their stage of life,

00:11:16.599 --> 00:11:18.559
 whether they were single or married or divorced

00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:20.839
 or whatever kind of lifestyle they were living,

00:11:20.959 --> 00:11:22.879
 whether they were free man or slave or poor

00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:24.719
 or circumcised or uncircumcised or a teacher

00:11:24.719 --> 00:11:26.519
 or a managing director or a student

00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:27.620
 or a pilot or a housewife,

00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:29.240
 whatever they were living now,

00:11:29.500 --> 00:11:31.479
 they just assumed that they weren't doing the right thing.

00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:34.719
 They just assumed that wherever they were,

00:11:34.819 --> 00:11:36.039
 that that's not where God wanted them.

00:11:36.099 --> 00:11:37.779
 They thought that there was something better for them,

00:11:37.779 --> 00:11:39.919
 more blessings, more great things.

00:11:40.039 --> 00:11:42.079
 And so they were looking for the next big thing.

00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:43.419
 They were looking for a total blessing.

00:11:43.539 --> 00:11:45.240
 They were looking for true happiness.

00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:46.639
 They were looking for a lot of wealth.

00:11:46.819 --> 00:11:48.679
 They were looking for health.

00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:50.899
 They were looking for victory and all these things.

00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:52.480
 And what you see throughout this church

00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:53.639
 is that no one was content.

00:11:55.539 --> 00:11:57.980
 No one was happy with where God had them.

00:11:58.059 --> 00:12:00.079
 No one understood contentment.

00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:01.419
 They didn't understand what that meant.

00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:04.679
 And so Paul is lovingly in chapter seven

00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:06.079
 going to address these issues again

00:12:06.079 --> 00:12:07.500
 to all these group of people.

00:12:07.500 --> 00:12:08.740
 And I want to just briefly,

00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:10.879
 in the time that we have,

00:12:10.940 --> 00:12:12.159
 just talk about these things.

00:12:12.580 --> 00:12:14.139
 And I want to look at what he says to singles.

00:12:14.340 --> 00:12:15.960
 And I want to look at what he says to marrieds.

00:12:16.120 --> 00:12:17.779
 And I want to look at how we change.

00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:19.059
 What is it we're to do?

00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:20.779
 How do we have the power to change?

00:12:20.860 --> 00:12:21.919
 So what does he say to singles?

00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:25.039
 What does he say to married people?

00:12:25.100 --> 00:12:27.539
 And then how do we have the power to change?

00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:29.240
 So first, the singles.

00:12:29.460 --> 00:12:30.779
 So for those of you who are in singles,

00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:32.259
 this is what Paul's saying.

00:12:32.259 --> 00:12:34.779
 I was a single for 35 years of my life

00:12:34.779 --> 00:12:37.439
 before trouble walked in the door.

00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:39.139
 That's what he says.

00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:41.480
 Verse 28, you're going to have trouble, right?

00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:43.639
 So I'm hoping that trouble doesn't come walking in here now

00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:45.279
 as I'm teaching on these things.

00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:47.080
 But so I was a single.

00:12:47.179 --> 00:12:48.059
 And this is what Paul says.

00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:50.700
 He's talking about these issues of man not touching a woman.

00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:55.820
 And this idea of no sex turns into this huge discussion about celibacy.

00:12:57.020 --> 00:12:58.980
 And what does it mean to honor and serve the Lord?

00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.680
 And Paul, it's just amazing because in verses 7, 8, and 9,

00:13:03.720 --> 00:13:07.200
 he takes that question and he kind of redirects the energy

00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:09.379
 into single people's lives.

00:13:10.860 --> 00:13:12.600
 And now Paul was single when he wrote this.

00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:15.460
 Now, I don't know if Paul was ever married.

00:13:15.560 --> 00:13:17.800
 It seems like there's a pretty good chance that he was married.

00:13:17.799 --> 00:13:21.579
 Because if he was a rabbi, if he was a rabbi of rabbis,

00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:23.759
 if he was a Pharisee, you had to be married.

00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:26.059
 And so we don't know what happened to Paul's wife.

00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:30.259
 Maybe because Paul was on the track to become the man, right?

00:13:30.319 --> 00:13:32.439
 He was going to be the man in Judaism.

00:13:33.899 --> 00:13:37.579
 And so maybe when he came to faith and he gave all that up

00:13:37.579 --> 00:13:40.279
 and he just started following a bunch of crazy men in the desert,

00:13:40.599 --> 00:13:42.519
 his wife just said, I'm out of here.

00:13:43.019 --> 00:13:44.859
 This isn't what I signed on for.

00:13:45.359 --> 00:13:46.559
 Or maybe she died.

00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:47.120
 We don't know.

00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:49.779
 But what we know now is that Paul is single.

00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:52.019
 And as he talks to the singles in his church,

00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:54.179
 what he does is he does something that was never done

00:13:54.179 --> 00:13:55.279
 in the history of the world before.

00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:59.899
 And what he does is he basically validates singleness.

00:14:01.580 --> 00:14:04.240
 He takes a single person who before,

00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:07.480
 from every culture in the world, is kind of smashed down.

00:14:07.720 --> 00:14:11.100
 And what he does is he lists the benefits for staying single.

00:14:12.460 --> 00:14:14.120
 I mean, he says to every one of them,

00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:16.720
 I wish that you could be like I was.

00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:20.060
 Now, when we read this, and you and I read this,

00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:21.580
 we go, you know, what's the big deal?

00:14:21.799 --> 00:14:24.440
 But in his day, it was a massive deal

00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:26.779
 because no one ever talked about that.

00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:27.879
 No one ever talked like that.

00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:30.460
 I mean, if you took out a questionnaire for going into a country

00:14:30.460 --> 00:14:31.860
 or whatever they did back then,

00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.000
 there was never a box, click off, or singleness.

00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:37.460
 The only person who clicked off for singleness was a prostitute

00:14:37.460 --> 00:14:40.759
 because singleness was not valued in any culture

00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:43.040
 because in every culture up until this time,

00:14:43.160 --> 00:14:44.400
 you had to have a family.

00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:45.240
 You had to have a heritage.

00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:46.879
 You had to put down your land.

00:14:46.980 --> 00:14:48.440
 You had to be able to pass things off to people.

00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:50.840
 And so when he talks about this idea

00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:52.320
 that there's a different family,

00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:57.600
 that there's a spiritual family that we're responsible for,

00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.759
 and that this spiritual family actually has a trump card

00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:04.220
 over a physical, biological family,

00:15:04.220 --> 00:15:08.960
 when Paul says these things, everybody is in shock.

00:15:10.820 --> 00:15:12.860
 No one would ever have heard that before,

00:15:13.040 --> 00:15:13.800
 but he says it.

00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.379
 He says, you know, there are these incredible values

00:15:16.379 --> 00:15:17.500
 and things of being single,

00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:20.180
 and one of these things is that you have this spiritual family

00:15:20.180 --> 00:15:22.519
 around you, and you have this ability

00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:24.160
 to spend time with them.

00:15:25.420 --> 00:15:26.620
 Now, if you were to ask me,

00:15:26.680 --> 00:15:27.740
 and I'm being very honest here,

00:15:27.800 --> 00:15:29.220
 so please, no recording.

00:15:30.180 --> 00:15:32.279
 You could tell Christina and I talked to her before,

00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:35.360
 but as you've asked me as a single for 35 years,

00:15:35.419 --> 00:15:37.379
 and you say, Tobin, what's the benefits for being single?

00:15:37.419 --> 00:15:38.339
 I would say things like,

00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:40.100
 well, I get to do whatever I want to do.

00:15:40.539 --> 00:15:42.179
 I get to use my money the way I want.

00:15:42.419 --> 00:15:44.139
 I can buy a watch whenever I want.

00:15:44.199 --> 00:15:45.159
 I don't have to ask anybody.

00:15:46.740 --> 00:15:48.600
 No one has demands on my life.

00:15:48.699 --> 00:15:49.819
 I don't have kids asking me.

00:15:49.860 --> 00:15:50.839
 When I'm working on something,

00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:51.939
 they don't come in and bother me.

00:15:52.319 --> 00:15:54.120
 I mean, you know, that's, I just want to read.

00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:56.639
 I want to be able to have two minutes

00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:58.039
 in the toilet by myself

00:15:58.039 --> 00:16:00.399
 without a kid opening the door and saying,

00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:01.199
 hey, Dad, what are you doing?

00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:04.199
 I don't know.

00:16:04.319 --> 00:16:06.579
 I'm just kind of sitting on a toilet, right?

00:16:06.939 --> 00:16:07.799
 My clothes off.

00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:10.919
 But, you know, so as a single, I could do that.

00:16:10.980 --> 00:16:12.819
 I didn't have to worry about my money.

00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:13.419
 I didn't have to worry about my,

00:16:13.500 --> 00:16:14.139
 I had more energy.

00:16:14.259 --> 00:16:14.980
 I had less demands.

00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:19.419
 I had more ability to be intimate with people

00:16:19.419 --> 00:16:20.459
 if I wanted to.

00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:22.360
 My options were open.

00:16:22.439 --> 00:16:24.439
 I didn't have to make decisions and plan them out.

00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:26.440
 And so when I looked at my life as a single,

00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:27.540
 I was just self-focused.

00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:32.160
 The focus is on Tobin and who I am

00:16:32.160 --> 00:16:33.420
 and what I want and what I need.

00:16:33.460 --> 00:16:34.980
 And the focus was all on me.

00:16:36.780 --> 00:16:38.660
 I don't know if you're like that as a single in here.

00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:40.900
 But I was.

00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:43.980
 But in verse 32 and 33,

00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:47.120
 what Paul says is that's not the benefit of being single.

00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:48.539
 The benefit of being single

00:16:48.539 --> 00:16:50.919
 is that you have a greater freedom to serve the Lord.

00:16:52.659 --> 00:16:54.459
 And you have a greater freedom to serve this thing

00:16:54.459 --> 00:16:56.620
 called this spiritual family around you.

00:16:57.740 --> 00:16:59.819
 You have less things to occupy your thoughts

00:16:59.819 --> 00:17:00.459
 and your desires.

00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:03.319
 You have this freedom to think about other people.

00:17:03.740 --> 00:17:06.500
 And so when Paul talks about the values of singleness,

00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:07.819
 it's other-focused.

00:17:07.819 --> 00:17:10.659
 He's saying if you're married,

00:17:10.899 --> 00:17:12.319
 you have obligations to your spouse.

00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:13.139
 But if you're single,

00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:15.119
 you don't have obligations to your spouse or your kids.

00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:16.700
 And you just have a lot of free time.

00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:19.359
 Do we?

00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:22.000
 I mean, in verses 6 through 9,

00:17:22.039 --> 00:17:23.980
 he says that Paul actually comes in and he says,

00:17:24.059 --> 00:17:25.319
 hey, if it's a single person,

00:17:25.379 --> 00:17:26.460
 you're actually less distracted.

00:17:28.119 --> 00:17:29.899
 You're less preoccupied about yourself.

00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.480
 You're able to focus on serving people

00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:32.879
 and serving God's kingdom.

00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:34.119
 And as you serve people

00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:35.839
 and serve God's kingdom and this freedom,

00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:37.579
 you actually honor the Lord.

00:17:37.819 --> 00:17:42.240
 Serving others is what God has called us to.

00:17:43.299 --> 00:17:44.279
 And so in this passage,

00:17:44.899 --> 00:17:46.399
 and I want you to go back to it tonight

00:17:46.399 --> 00:17:47.799
 because Paul takes singleness

00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:49.319
 and he just lifts it up here.

00:17:50.899 --> 00:17:52.759
 I mean, he lifted it up to women last week.

00:17:52.819 --> 00:17:54.079
 He lifted up sex last week.

00:17:54.299 --> 00:17:55.279
 And this week he just says,

00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:56.279
 if you're single,

00:17:56.419 --> 00:17:58.359
 you're no longer a second-class citizen.

00:17:58.460 --> 00:17:59.439
 You're no longer not a citizen.

00:17:59.939 --> 00:18:02.679
 You're a first-class citizen in God's kingdom.

00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:06.320
 Now, no one ever heard that before, guys.

00:18:07.860 --> 00:18:09.779
 I never heard that as a single.

00:18:11.980 --> 00:18:12.799
 Actually, you know,

00:18:12.860 --> 00:18:14.240
 just a little secret for you guys

00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:15.360
 is that, you know,

00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:16.019
 in heaven,

00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:17.220
 there's not gonna be any marriage.

00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:21.180
 So that thing that singles

00:18:21.180 --> 00:18:22.820
 were so anxious in and were pursuing,

00:18:23.060 --> 00:18:25.060
 it's just for 20 or 30 years

00:18:25.060 --> 00:18:26.920
 and then eternity without marriage.

00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:28.440
 Don't tell anybody this,

00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:28.660
 but you know,

00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:28.900
 in heaven,

00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:29.940
 there's not gonna be any sex.

00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:32.279
 Now, a lot of people freak out

00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:32.980
 when they hear that,

00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:34.920
 but what he says is

00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:35.680
 that when we get to heaven

00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:36.960
 that we're gonna be married to God

00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.059
 and that our souls

00:18:39.059 --> 00:18:41.279
 will be meshed so intimately with him

00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:42.920
 that whatever we experience,

00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:44.420
 we're gonna have all over our body,

00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:45.799
 God is better than sex

00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:47.860
 because that's gonna be true.

00:18:49.180 --> 00:18:50.799
 So I didn't understand this as a single.

00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:52.640
 Then one day as a single Christian,

00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:53.460
 I was in church

00:18:53.460 --> 00:18:55.080
 and an older guy grabbed me

00:18:55.080 --> 00:18:56.960
 and pulled me to the side.

00:18:57.059 --> 00:18:58.340
 I will never forget the day

00:18:58.340 --> 00:18:59.559
 that this happened

00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.139
 because I was kind of one of those singles

00:19:02.139 --> 00:19:03.299
 where I showed up for certain things,

00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:04.159
 I did other things

00:19:04.159 --> 00:19:06.399
 and I was okay kind of with my commitments,

00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:07.720
 but sometimes I wasn't really okay

00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:08.359
 with my commitments

00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:09.639
 and I found something better to do,

00:19:09.679 --> 00:19:10.200
 I would do it.

00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:11.960
 And this guy basically

00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:12.919
 just kind of laid into me

00:19:12.919 --> 00:19:13.179
 and he said,

00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:14.859
 Tobin, you have to be

00:19:14.859 --> 00:19:16.159
 one of the most self-focused,

00:19:17.139 --> 00:19:17.599
 selfish,

00:19:18.579 --> 00:19:20.539
 self-centered people

00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:22.179
 I know.

00:19:23.679 --> 00:19:24.279
 And I was like,

00:19:24.339 --> 00:19:24.539
 whoa,

00:19:25.159 --> 00:19:27.000
 I don't know if I'll come back here next week.

00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:30.420
 And then he reminded me

00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:32.099
 that I'm part of this spiritual family

00:19:32.099 --> 00:19:34.339
 and he reminded me

00:19:34.339 --> 00:19:36.740
 that God has something for me to do

00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:37.660
 in this spiritual family

00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:38.440
 and he's told me

00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:40.259
 that as long as I am a single

00:19:40.259 --> 00:19:41.099
 in this family

00:19:41.099 --> 00:19:41.900
 that I could have

00:19:41.900 --> 00:19:43.900
 this incredible heritage

00:19:43.900 --> 00:19:45.500
 with the people in the church.

00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:46.900
 You know,

00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:47.799
 I never heard that before.

00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:50.920
 This guy who I really respected

00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:52.140
 told me that I could be

00:19:52.140 --> 00:19:53.259
 more of a father

00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:54.299
 to some of the children

00:19:54.299 --> 00:19:55.839
 than their parents are.

00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:59.159
 because often

00:19:59.159 --> 00:19:59.899
 they're neglected

00:19:59.899 --> 00:20:00.759
 by their parents.

00:20:01.980 --> 00:20:02.799
 And just a high,

00:20:02.919 --> 00:20:03.699
 how are you doing

00:20:03.699 --> 00:20:05.319
 in leading a Sunday school

00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:07.740
 might change a kid's life.

00:20:09.399 --> 00:20:10.000
 He told me

00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:10.500
 that I could be

00:20:10.500 --> 00:20:11.240
 more of a friend

00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:12.939
 to most of the marrieds

00:20:12.939 --> 00:20:13.599
 and singles

00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:14.459
 in the church

00:20:14.459 --> 00:20:15.839
 because most people

00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:17.259
 didn't have many friends

00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:18.220
 and they were afraid

00:20:18.220 --> 00:20:19.019
 of sharing things

00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:19.720
 in their heart.

00:20:21.859 --> 00:20:23.019
 And he basically

00:20:23.019 --> 00:20:24.519
 just chewed out my butt.

00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:28.059
 But afterwards,

00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:29.740
 I was so thankful

00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:31.919
 that someone loved me enough

00:20:31.919 --> 00:20:34.299
 to point out error

00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:35.459
 in my life.

00:20:36.759 --> 00:20:38.059
 So I got to ask this guy,

00:20:38.179 --> 00:20:39.419
 you know the question's coming,

00:20:39.500 --> 00:20:40.159
 the question is this,

00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:42.339
 do most of the singles

00:20:42.339 --> 00:20:43.159
 in the church

00:20:43.159 --> 00:20:44.939
 use their energy

00:20:44.939 --> 00:20:45.699
 in free time

00:20:45.699 --> 00:20:47.619
 serving the Lord

00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:48.459
 and God's people?

00:20:48.460 --> 00:20:50.799
 or do they use

00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:51.299
 their energy

00:20:51.299 --> 00:20:52.360
 in their free time

00:20:52.360 --> 00:20:53.900
 on themselves?

00:20:55.840 --> 00:20:56.720
 And Paul says

00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:57.720
 that one of the great benefits

00:20:57.720 --> 00:20:58.299
 that you have

00:20:58.299 --> 00:20:59.420
 as a single person

00:20:59.420 --> 00:20:59.980
 is that God

00:20:59.980 --> 00:21:00.620
 has given you

00:21:00.620 --> 00:21:01.880
 this great opportunity

00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:03.120
 to minister to this family

00:21:03.120 --> 00:21:03.840
 that's eternal

00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:05.039
 and that you will

00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:06.220
 see them in heaven?

00:21:10.699 --> 00:21:11.379
 How are we doing?

00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:14.579
 Again,

00:21:14.679 --> 00:21:15.480
 this was revolutionary

00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:15.959
 for me.

00:21:16.059 --> 00:21:17.159
 I just was just,

00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:17.500
 you know,

00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:18.859
 I was,

00:21:18.959 --> 00:21:19.279
 I don't know,

00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:19.879
 the British say

00:21:19.879 --> 00:21:20.759
 I was gobsmacked

00:21:20.759 --> 00:21:21.539
 or something like that.

00:21:21.579 --> 00:21:21.879
 I don't know,

00:21:21.919 --> 00:21:22.699
 is that a British term

00:21:22.699 --> 00:21:23.480
 or Australian term?

00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:24.459
 Colin will tell me later

00:21:24.459 --> 00:21:25.220
 if I messed it up.

00:21:27.419 --> 00:21:28.099
 I love you.

00:21:29.939 --> 00:21:30.699
 But you know,

00:21:30.899 --> 00:21:31.699
 and that when I heard

00:21:31.699 --> 00:21:32.159
 those things,

00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:33.660
 I realized that as a single person

00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:35.540
 God has a role for us

00:21:35.540 --> 00:21:37.460
 and it's not a second class role

00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:38.279
 or it's not a role

00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:39.700
 but it's the first class role

00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:41.160
 within God's kingdom.

00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.340
 And Paul says

00:21:43.340 --> 00:21:44.000
 to the singles

00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:44.900
 in this church

00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:45.779
 and to all the churches,

00:21:46.320 --> 00:21:46.700
 rejoice.

00:21:48.019 --> 00:21:49.860
 God has you

00:21:49.860 --> 00:21:51.259
 right where he wants you.

00:21:51.660 --> 00:21:52.620
 Right where you are

00:21:52.620 --> 00:21:53.360
 is where God

00:21:53.360 --> 00:21:54.340
 has called you.

00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:55.380
 All these people

00:21:55.380 --> 00:21:56.019
 in this chapter

00:21:56.019 --> 00:21:57.060
 wanted to move out

00:21:57.060 --> 00:21:57.640
 because they wanted

00:21:57.640 --> 00:21:58.279
 something better

00:21:58.279 --> 00:21:59.060
 but what Paul

00:21:59.060 --> 00:21:59.640
 is trying to say

00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:00.220
 to the singles

00:22:00.220 --> 00:22:01.080
 and to the marrieds

00:22:01.080 --> 00:22:01.540
 is that

00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:02.899
 where you are

00:22:02.899 --> 00:22:03.480
 is where God

00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:04.319
 has you

00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:05.500
 and he wants you

00:22:05.500 --> 00:22:07.000
 to serve

00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:10.059
 and he wants you

00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:10.579
 to love

00:22:10.579 --> 00:22:11.119
 and he wants you

00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:11.819
 to take care

00:22:11.819 --> 00:22:13.019
 of the people around you

00:22:13.019 --> 00:22:14.399
 and don't be in such a hurry

00:22:14.399 --> 00:22:15.339
 to get married guys.

00:22:16.299 --> 00:22:17.500
 Don't be so eager

00:22:17.500 --> 00:22:18.159
 to do it.

00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:20.980
 I remember

00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:22.480
 as a young pastor

00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:23.500
 one of the first churches

00:22:23.500 --> 00:22:24.180
 I was in,

00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:26.119
 Christina and I

00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:27.279
 basically got

00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:28.700
 six newly married

00:22:28.700 --> 00:22:29.460
 couples together

00:22:29.460 --> 00:22:30.120
 and we were kind of

00:22:30.120 --> 00:22:30.799
 discipling them

00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:31.340
 and hanging out

00:22:31.340 --> 00:22:31.740
 with them

00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:33.779
 and they were all

00:22:33.779 --> 00:22:34.559
 married less than

00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.319
 three years

00:22:35.319 --> 00:22:37.039
 and within a year

00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:39.920
 three or four

00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:40.680
 of the six

00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:41.420
 were divorced

00:22:41.420 --> 00:22:44.900
 and they'd only been

00:22:44.900 --> 00:22:45.900
 married for three years

00:22:45.900 --> 00:22:47.660
 but because they hadn't

00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:49.299
 done singleness well

00:22:49.299 --> 00:22:53.059
 they couldn't do

00:22:53.059 --> 00:22:53.860
 marriage well

00:22:53.859 --> 00:22:56.240
 and Paul says

00:22:56.240 --> 00:22:56.839
 there's a direct

00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:57.959
 correlation to that

00:22:57.959 --> 00:22:59.479
 verse 28

00:22:59.479 --> 00:23:00.099
 but if you marry

00:23:00.099 --> 00:23:00.919
 you haven't sinned

00:23:00.919 --> 00:23:01.599
 so it's not a sin

00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:02.379
 to be married guys

00:23:02.379 --> 00:23:03.639
 but be careful

00:23:03.639 --> 00:23:04.759
 because if you marry

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:05.379
 you're going to have

00:23:05.379 --> 00:23:05.939
 trouble and he's

00:23:05.939 --> 00:23:06.679
 trying to spare you.

00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:08.799
 Now all the married

00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:10.019
 people after I said

00:23:10.019 --> 00:23:10.919
 this should be saying

00:23:10.919 --> 00:23:12.719
 amen.

00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:14.519
 Right?

00:23:14.679 --> 00:23:15.000
 Trouble.

00:23:15.219 --> 00:23:15.379
 Right.

00:23:15.439 --> 00:23:16.199
 I can mark that down.

00:23:16.759 --> 00:23:17.259
 I don't know.

00:23:17.419 --> 00:23:17.839
 I mean you know

00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:18.579
 there's still things

00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:19.240
 I'm trying to understand

00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:19.819
 about Christina.

00:23:19.959 --> 00:23:21.139
 We're married 17 years

00:23:21.140 --> 00:23:22.860
 and there's still

00:23:22.860 --> 00:23:24.140
 trouble in our lives

00:23:24.140 --> 00:23:25.060
 I'm trying to figure

00:23:25.060 --> 00:23:25.880
 out things like

00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:26.340
 you know when your

00:23:26.340 --> 00:23:27.100
 wife comes in

00:23:27.100 --> 00:23:27.720
 and she says

00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:29.380
 the light in the

00:23:29.380 --> 00:23:30.100
 bathroom is out.

00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:33.500
 And I go okay.

00:23:36.600 --> 00:23:37.240
 And then she gets

00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:37.880
 really frustrated.

00:23:39.460 --> 00:23:40.220
 And then I go okay

00:23:40.220 --> 00:23:40.440
 okay.

00:23:41.620 --> 00:23:42.460
 Tell me that again.

00:23:42.940 --> 00:23:44.340
 The light in the

00:23:44.340 --> 00:23:44.880
 bathroom is out.

00:23:44.980 --> 00:23:45.400
 I'm like okay

00:23:45.400 --> 00:23:45.880
 so you want me to go

00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:46.280
 change it?

00:23:47.180 --> 00:23:47.759
 No no no

00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:48.400
 I'm not telling you

00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:48.680
 that.

00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:50.700
 I just want you to

00:23:50.700 --> 00:23:50.960
 know.

00:23:51.140 --> 00:23:53.920
 Trouble.

00:23:57.600 --> 00:23:58.920
 So Paul is saying

00:23:58.920 --> 00:23:59.460
 to singles

00:23:59.460 --> 00:24:00.020
 he's saying hey

00:24:00.020 --> 00:24:00.759
 guys as a single

00:24:00.759 --> 00:24:01.400
 don't waste your

00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:01.800
 singleness.

00:24:04.620 --> 00:24:05.280
 Because you have

00:24:05.280 --> 00:24:06.100
 great opportunities

00:24:06.100 --> 00:24:06.740
 to minister to

00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:07.200
 people and to

00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:07.640
 love people

00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:08.700
 and I think for

00:24:08.700 --> 00:24:09.120
 sure there are

00:24:09.120 --> 00:24:09.460
 going to be

00:24:09.460 --> 00:24:10.420
 many many

00:24:10.420 --> 00:24:11.520
 spiritual children

00:24:11.520 --> 00:24:11.980
 in heaven

00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:12.440
 that will be

00:24:12.440 --> 00:24:13.000
 lived out

00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:14.240
 by people

00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:14.880
 who are single

00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:15.600
 and just sharing

00:24:15.600 --> 00:24:16.140
 and pouring out

00:24:16.140 --> 00:24:16.620
 their lives.

00:24:18.300 --> 00:24:19.060
 Paul goes on

00:24:19.060 --> 00:24:19.600
 and he says

00:24:19.600 --> 00:24:20.460
 to marrieds

00:24:20.460 --> 00:24:20.800
 okay so

00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:21.220
 singles are you

00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:21.519
 okay?

00:24:22.419 --> 00:24:22.940
 You can punch

00:24:22.940 --> 00:24:23.339
 me later

00:24:23.339 --> 00:24:23.680
 okay?

00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:25.299
 Where's your

00:24:25.299 --> 00:24:25.720
 focus?

00:24:26.099 --> 00:24:26.700
 Is it on yourself

00:24:26.700 --> 00:24:27.379
 or is it on

00:24:27.379 --> 00:24:27.980
 others and people

00:24:27.980 --> 00:24:28.460
 around you?

00:24:29.159 --> 00:24:30.079
 To Paul in the

00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:30.700
 marriage he says

00:24:30.700 --> 00:24:31.119
 this in verses

00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:32.259
 11 and 12

00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:33.259
 and 20 and 24

00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:34.119
 he says to the

00:24:34.119 --> 00:24:34.480
 married people

00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:35.539
 hey don't be so

00:24:35.539 --> 00:24:36.299
 eager to become

00:24:36.299 --> 00:24:36.680
 single.

00:24:38.579 --> 00:24:39.319
 Don't look at the

00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:40.019
 single's lives and

00:24:40.019 --> 00:24:40.440
 say oh you're

00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:40.960
 missing out on

00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:41.279
 something.

00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:42.779
 because the

00:24:42.779 --> 00:24:43.440
 Lord has you

00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:44.099
 right where he

00:24:44.099 --> 00:24:44.660
 wants you

00:24:44.660 --> 00:24:45.500
 the Lord has

00:24:45.500 --> 00:24:45.980
 made you

00:24:45.980 --> 00:24:46.660
 right where

00:24:46.660 --> 00:24:47.039
 you are

00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:47.480
 and the

00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:47.839
 best way

00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:48.119
 that you

00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:48.619
 can honor

00:24:48.619 --> 00:24:49.579
 him is to

00:24:49.579 --> 00:24:50.119
 serve and

00:24:50.119 --> 00:24:50.579
 to take care

00:24:50.579 --> 00:24:50.799
 of your

00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.220
 spouse.

00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:54.980
 Now you

00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:55.700
 don't understand

00:24:55.700 --> 00:24:56.779
 again the

00:24:56.779 --> 00:24:57.579
 depth of what

00:24:57.579 --> 00:24:58.079
 he's saying

00:24:58.079 --> 00:24:58.319
 here.

00:24:58.700 --> 00:24:59.500
 It's counter

00:24:59.500 --> 00:24:59.980
 cultural,

00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:00.759
 it's revolutionary,

00:25:01.180 --> 00:25:01.680
 no one's ever

00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:02.180
 said that before

00:25:02.180 --> 00:25:02.960
 because in the

00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:03.700
 Greek culture and

00:25:03.700 --> 00:25:04.139
 in the Roman

00:25:04.139 --> 00:25:04.819
 culture and the

00:25:04.819 --> 00:25:05.359
 Jewish culture

00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:06.160
 marriage was

00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:06.599
 terrible.

00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:08.819
 I mean

00:25:08.819 --> 00:25:09.179
 marriage,

00:25:09.699 --> 00:25:10.459
 the institution

00:25:10.459 --> 00:25:10.919
 of marriage

00:25:10.919 --> 00:25:12.039
 was at the

00:25:12.039 --> 00:25:12.419
 point of

00:25:12.419 --> 00:25:13.099
 collapse when

00:25:13.099 --> 00:25:13.639
 Paul and

00:25:13.639 --> 00:25:14.159
 Jesus are

00:25:14.159 --> 00:25:14.619
 teaching.

00:25:16.740 --> 00:25:17.579
 In any of

00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:18.219
 those cultures

00:25:18.219 --> 00:25:20.159
 so the

00:25:20.159 --> 00:25:20.939
 Jewish guy

00:25:20.939 --> 00:25:21.619
 every day he

00:25:21.619 --> 00:25:22.199
 got up and

00:25:22.199 --> 00:25:22.740
 prayed if he

00:25:22.740 --> 00:25:23.099
 was a good

00:25:23.099 --> 00:25:23.659
 Jewish guy he

00:25:23.659 --> 00:25:23.980
 would say

00:25:23.980 --> 00:25:24.980
 this oh Lord

00:25:24.980 --> 00:25:25.559
 I thank you

00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:26.079
 I thank you

00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:26.319
 that you

00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:26.819
 haven't made

00:25:26.819 --> 00:25:27.599
 me a Gentile

00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:29.119
 dog, an

00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:30.719
 Australian or

00:25:30.719 --> 00:25:31.299
 a woman.

00:25:32.459 --> 00:25:33.319
 So there's

00:25:33.319 --> 00:25:33.939
 something about

00:25:33.939 --> 00:25:34.459
 the Jewish

00:25:34.459 --> 00:25:34.919
 culture that

00:25:34.919 --> 00:25:35.359
 women and

00:25:35.359 --> 00:25:36.059
 Australian were

00:25:36.059 --> 00:25:36.559
 not looked

00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:37.039
 out as

00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:37.700
 very good.

00:25:38.759 --> 00:25:39.379
 But you

00:25:39.379 --> 00:25:40.019
 see that

00:25:40.019 --> 00:25:40.480
 over and

00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:40.819
 over, I'm

00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:41.299
 teasing, they

00:25:41.299 --> 00:25:41.579
 didn't know

00:25:41.579 --> 00:25:42.159
 Australia back

00:25:42.159 --> 00:25:44.159
 then but they

00:25:44.159 --> 00:25:44.740
 killed all their

00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:45.299
 prisoners before

00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:45.740
 they sent them

00:25:45.740 --> 00:25:47.599
 away so but

00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:50.179
 I'm going to

00:25:50.179 --> 00:25:50.619
 get in trouble,

00:25:50.740 --> 00:25:51.019
 I know.

00:25:52.639 --> 00:25:53.179
 But the

00:25:53.179 --> 00:25:53.720
 Jewish guy

00:25:53.720 --> 00:25:54.179
 thought that

00:25:54.179 --> 00:25:54.720
 women were

00:25:54.720 --> 00:25:55.599
 like dogs.

00:25:57.299 --> 00:25:57.919
 Seneca who

00:25:57.919 --> 00:25:58.279
 was a very

00:25:58.279 --> 00:25:58.980
 famous Roman,

00:25:59.079 --> 00:25:59.480
 if you ever

00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:00.099
 take Aladdin,

00:26:00.220 --> 00:26:00.480
 if you ever

00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:01.019
 read any Roman

00:26:01.019 --> 00:26:01.759
 history you're

00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:02.119
 always going to

00:26:02.119 --> 00:26:02.579
 read Seneca,

00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:03.259
 he's an orator

00:26:03.259 --> 00:26:04.000
 and he said

00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:04.359
 this, he said

00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:04.819
 women are to

00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:05.399
 be married, to

00:26:05.399 --> 00:26:06.079
 be divorced and

00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:06.639
 they're divorced, to

00:26:06.639 --> 00:26:08.019
 be married and

00:26:08.019 --> 00:26:08.419
 that's all that

00:26:08.419 --> 00:26:08.819
 women are good

00:26:08.819 --> 00:26:09.019
 for.

00:26:10.179 --> 00:26:11.159
 In his day when

00:26:11.159 --> 00:26:11.639
 you signed a

00:26:11.639 --> 00:26:12.539
 legal contract, you

00:26:12.539 --> 00:26:13.059
 didn't sign a

00:26:13.059 --> 00:26:13.559
 date on the

00:26:13.559 --> 00:26:13.859
 contract.

00:26:14.419 --> 00:26:15.019
 What you actually

00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:15.779
 signed was who

00:26:15.779 --> 00:26:16.500
 your husband was

00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:17.960
 because the

00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:19.519
 husbands change so

00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:20.399
 frequently and wives

00:26:20.399 --> 00:26:21.359
 change so frequently.

00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:23.259
 Jerome, one of the

00:26:23.259 --> 00:26:24.220
 early church fathers, he

00:26:24.220 --> 00:26:24.939
 told this story that

00:26:24.939 --> 00:26:25.559
 there was a woman in

00:26:25.559 --> 00:26:27.439
 his church and she

00:26:27.439 --> 00:26:28.679
 had had 23 husbands

00:26:28.679 --> 00:26:31.159
 and the husband that

00:26:31.159 --> 00:26:32.480
 she was with now, she

00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:33.779
 was that guy's 21st

00:26:33.779 --> 00:26:34.160
 wife.

00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:36.779
 And so divorce was

00:26:36.779 --> 00:26:37.759
 just rampant throughout

00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.460
 all of the empire and

00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:39.940
 through all the

00:26:39.940 --> 00:26:41.099
 generations and so

00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:42.019
 Paul comes in and he

00:26:42.019 --> 00:26:42.799
 says these words, he

00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:43.879
 says, hey, remain where

00:26:43.879 --> 00:26:44.379
 you're called.

00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:46.440
 Serve your spouse.

00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:47.960
 Marriage is holy.

00:26:48.940 --> 00:26:49.680
 I mean, he elevates

00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:50.980
 women, he elevates

00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:52.700
 marriage, he takes this

00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:53.799
 radical stance which is

00:26:53.799 --> 00:26:55.279
 never before taken in the

00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:56.279
 history of the world and

00:26:56.279 --> 00:26:57.180
 he says all these things

00:26:57.180 --> 00:26:57.879
 are good and he actually

00:26:57.879 --> 00:26:58.920
 says if you want to honor

00:26:58.920 --> 00:26:59.619
 the Lord, if you want to

00:26:59.619 --> 00:27:01.099
 make God happy, you take

00:27:01.099 --> 00:27:01.819
 care of your spouse.

00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:05.139
 You meet their needs, you

00:27:05.139 --> 00:27:06.299
 be with them.

00:27:08.159 --> 00:27:09.159
 If you look at verses

00:27:09.159 --> 00:27:11.000
 two through six, he's

00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:11.759
 talking to the married

00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:13.980
 people and after he

00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:14.740
 talks about that issue

00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:15.459
 of not touching a

00:27:15.459 --> 00:27:17.259
 woman, he warns us.

00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:19.500
 He warns us if you're a

00:27:19.500 --> 00:27:20.539
 married person in here, he

00:27:20.539 --> 00:27:21.159
 said if you're a married

00:27:21.159 --> 00:27:22.240
 person in here, your

00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:24.219
 view of marriage and sex

00:27:24.219 --> 00:27:24.959
 is disordered.

00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:26.819
 That your view of

00:27:26.819 --> 00:27:27.919
 marriage and sex is

00:27:27.919 --> 00:27:30.500
 broken and that you and

00:27:30.500 --> 00:27:32.660
 me, if you're married,

00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:34.259
 you're always going to

00:27:34.259 --> 00:27:35.279
 struggle with selfishness

00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:38.039
 and you're always going

00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:38.779
 to struggle with pride.

00:27:40.059 --> 00:27:41.200
 And this is what he says

00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:43.740
 which is so, kills me.

00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:45.920
 He says, Tobin, you're

00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:48.240
 going to be tempted to

00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:51.079
 intentionally withhold what

00:27:51.079 --> 00:27:51.859
 your spouse needs.

00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:56.460
 You ever done that?

00:27:56.460 --> 00:28:01.000
 You ever intentionally

00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:03.759
 withheld what your spouse

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:04.360
 needs?

00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:07.240
 I have.

00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:09.880
 Christian and I have

00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:10.779
 beginning arguments and

00:28:10.779 --> 00:28:11.799
 discussions and in my mind,

00:28:11.860 --> 00:28:12.759
 I know, okay, she's a

00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:13.779
 woman, she's made this way

00:28:13.779 --> 00:28:14.779
 and I don't say that in a

00:28:14.779 --> 00:28:15.380
 bad way, I say it in a

00:28:15.380 --> 00:28:15.960
 great way because she's

00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:16.860
 much greater than I am.

00:28:17.380 --> 00:28:19.240
 And I know, okay, so she

00:28:19.240 --> 00:28:19.980
 doesn't really need

00:28:19.980 --> 00:28:21.160
 intimacy, physical intimacy

00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:22.539
 like I do, but she needs

00:28:22.539 --> 00:28:24.039
 relationships and she needs

00:28:24.039 --> 00:28:25.100
 caring and she needs

00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:26.139
 gentleness and she needs

00:28:26.139 --> 00:28:26.839
 to know that I'm with

00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:27.759
 her, she needs to know

00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:29.039
 I'm for her, she needs to

00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:29.980
 know that I can talk to

00:28:29.980 --> 00:28:30.139
 her.

00:28:30.419 --> 00:28:31.439
 And I get angry with her.

00:28:31.459 --> 00:28:31.899
 You know what sometimes

00:28:31.899 --> 00:28:32.279
 I do?

00:28:33.539 --> 00:28:34.579
 I just don't talk to her.

00:28:36.259 --> 00:28:37.399
 I'm like, I'll show her.

00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:39.699
 She messed with me, I'll

00:28:39.699 --> 00:28:40.419
 mess with her back.

00:28:41.819 --> 00:28:42.559
 See how you feel you

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:43.399
 don't talk for two days.

00:28:45.019 --> 00:28:45.879
 You walk in the house.

00:28:45.959 --> 00:28:46.759
 I know, am I the only

00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:47.419
 married person who's ever

00:28:47.419 --> 00:28:47.819
 done this?

00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:50.719
 Your wife says, how are you

00:28:50.719 --> 00:28:50.819
 doing?

00:28:50.859 --> 00:28:51.179
 He said, good.

00:28:52.179 --> 00:28:52.939
 And you walk past her.

00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:55.039
 What's going on?

00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:55.259
 Nothing.

00:28:57.440 --> 00:28:58.859
 And Paul says that because

00:28:58.859 --> 00:29:01.059
 of this brokenness and

00:29:01.059 --> 00:29:02.059
 because of this disorder

00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:02.960
 in our life, we're going

00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:04.119
 to be tempted to withhold

00:29:04.119 --> 00:29:06.619
 what our spouse needs.

00:29:07.879 --> 00:29:08.839
 I mean, he tells us that

00:29:08.839 --> 00:29:13.059
 marriage is God's greatest

00:29:13.059 --> 00:29:14.839
 example to a lost world of

00:29:14.839 --> 00:29:17.019
 two broken people coming

00:29:17.019 --> 00:29:18.980
 together and melding and

00:29:18.980 --> 00:29:20.680
 molding their lives together

00:29:20.680 --> 00:29:22.120
 together on all levels.

00:29:25.080 --> 00:29:26.680
 But that you and I are

00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:27.500
 going to always struggle

00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:28.440
 with contentment.

00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:33.200
 And you and I are always

00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:33.840
 going to struggle with

00:29:33.840 --> 00:29:34.500
 selfishness.

00:29:35.299 --> 00:29:36.580
 And you and I are always

00:29:36.580 --> 00:29:37.140
 going to struggle with

00:29:37.140 --> 00:29:38.420
 having our needs the way we

00:29:38.420 --> 00:29:39.180
 want them met.

00:29:40.220 --> 00:29:41.400
 And what he actually says in

00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:42.259
 this passage, listen to this

00:29:42.259 --> 00:29:45.820
 guys, verse 6, 5, and 6.

00:29:45.819 --> 00:29:47.700
 He says, Tobin, as you

00:29:47.700 --> 00:29:49.799
 withhold what your wife

00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:52.119
 needs, what you're actually

00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:53.119
 doing to that relationship

00:29:53.119 --> 00:29:55.839
 is you're allowing Satan to

00:29:55.839 --> 00:29:56.240
 come in.

00:29:57.619 --> 00:29:58.879
 You're allowing Satan to come

00:29:58.879 --> 00:29:59.779
 in and you're allowing him

00:29:59.779 --> 00:30:01.359
 to destroy your marriage and

00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:01.799
 your relationship.

00:30:01.919 --> 00:30:02.399
 And you know what, Tobin?

00:30:02.439 --> 00:30:03.299
 You're not just destroying your

00:30:03.299 --> 00:30:03.759
 marriage and your

00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:04.019
 relationship.

00:30:04.119 --> 00:30:05.000
 You're destroying yourself.

00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:07.819
 And you think that you're

00:30:07.819 --> 00:30:08.859
 getting what you want, but

00:30:08.859 --> 00:30:09.740
 what you're actually doing is

00:30:09.740 --> 00:30:11.880
 you're dishonoring the Lord.

00:30:13.660 --> 00:30:15.319
 Because as married people,

00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:18.619
 God calls us, Paul challenges

00:30:18.619 --> 00:30:20.380
 us to take care of each other.

00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:25.119
 I don't need to go into a lot

00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:26.240
 of detail, what your spouse

00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:27.240
 needs, what they don't need.

00:30:27.559 --> 00:30:28.359
 You know that.

00:30:28.619 --> 00:30:30.000
 My prayer is that you would

00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:31.299
 think about what that means.

00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:34.940
 Paul says that you and I were

00:30:34.940 --> 00:30:37.279
 always going to be tempted as

00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:40.279
 married people to be self-centered.

00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:44.680
 That you and I, as married

00:30:44.680 --> 00:30:46.160
 people, are always going to be

00:30:46.160 --> 00:30:50.240
 tempted to not feel contentment.

00:30:52.320 --> 00:30:54.360
 And if we allow that to fester

00:30:54.360 --> 00:30:56.160
 in our hearts like this church

00:30:56.160 --> 00:30:58.400
 was doing, if we deprive our

00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:00.340
 spouses, if we don't do the

00:31:00.340 --> 00:31:02.500
 things that they need, then we

00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:04.740
 are destroying ourselves.

00:31:04.940 --> 00:31:09.120
 And we're dishonoring the Lord.

00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:13.700
 Paul goes on in verse 5 and he

00:31:13.700 --> 00:31:14.400
 says, you know what?

00:31:15.320 --> 00:31:18.200
 If you're a healthy couple, you

00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:19.559
 don't withhold intimacy from each

00:31:19.559 --> 00:31:19.759
 other.

00:31:22.100 --> 00:31:23.480
 If you're a healthy couple, you

00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:24.960
 don't withhold intimacy from each

00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:26.180
 other because you know that what

00:31:26.180 --> 00:31:27.140
 the other person needs, whatever

00:31:27.140 --> 00:31:28.240
 that is in that marriage.

00:31:28.620 --> 00:31:30.360
 And if you withhold it, you're

00:31:30.360 --> 00:31:30.940
 hurting them.

00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:32.019
 And if you hurt them, you're

00:31:32.019 --> 00:31:33.279
 hurting yourself.

00:31:35.900 --> 00:31:36.799
 Did you hear what I said?

00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:39.640
 If you hurt them, you're hurting

00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:40.100
 yourself.

00:31:42.320 --> 00:31:43.580
 And so Paul is talking to this

00:31:43.580 --> 00:31:45.279
 church that is disoriented and

00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:47.620
 freaking out and falling apart and

00:31:47.620 --> 00:31:49.420
 fractured and full of sin and

00:31:49.420 --> 00:31:51.039
 selfishness and lack of contentment.

00:31:51.360 --> 00:31:52.480
 And he's saying, hey guys, if you

00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:54.180
 want to serve the Lord, if you want

00:31:54.180 --> 00:31:56.840
 to make the Lord happy, you serve

00:31:56.839 --> 00:32:01.720
 your wife, you serve your husband.

00:32:02.980 --> 00:32:04.039
 You take care of them.

00:32:04.139 --> 00:32:06.679
 You outwardly focus instead of

00:32:06.679 --> 00:32:07.039
 yourself.

00:32:09.220 --> 00:32:12.179
 One of my biggest struggles as a

00:32:12.179 --> 00:32:15.139
 married person is the words that

00:32:15.139 --> 00:32:15.899
 come to my mind.

00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:18.220
 I deserve this.

00:32:20.659 --> 00:32:21.799
 Or I need this.

00:32:23.579 --> 00:32:24.639
 And I need this.

00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:26.660
 And they haven't given it to me.

00:32:27.780 --> 00:32:28.640
 And that's wrong.

00:32:31.020 --> 00:32:32.580
 And Paul says if we do that in

00:32:32.580 --> 00:32:35.040
 our marriages, we're going to

00:32:35.040 --> 00:32:35.700
 destroy each other.

00:32:39.060 --> 00:32:40.860
 So Paul goes on and he says at the

00:32:40.860 --> 00:32:42.000
 end of this to singles and to

00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:43.759
 marrieds, he says that we all, we're

00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:44.680
 always going to struggle with

00:32:44.680 --> 00:32:45.120
 ourselves.

00:32:47.060 --> 00:32:48.060
 Singles and marrieds, you're

00:32:48.060 --> 00:32:48.880
 always going to struggle with

00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:49.320
 pride.

00:32:49.480 --> 00:32:50.460
 You're always going to struggle with

00:32:50.460 --> 00:32:51.220
 not being content.

00:32:51.960 --> 00:32:53.180
 You're always going to struggle with

00:32:53.180 --> 00:32:54.340
 getting instead of giving.

00:32:55.360 --> 00:32:56.480
 You're going to struggle with

00:32:56.480 --> 00:32:57.820
 life and circumstances.

00:32:58.280 --> 00:32:59.300
 You're going to want to change

00:32:59.300 --> 00:33:00.400
 your life and your circumstances.

00:33:00.540 --> 00:33:01.360
 But you know one of the things the

00:33:01.360 --> 00:33:01.980
 Bible says?

00:33:03.040 --> 00:33:04.420
 God really isn't concerned about

00:33:04.420 --> 00:33:05.259
 what your job is.

00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:07.160
 I mean, if you're a prostitute,

00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:07.500
 yeah.

00:33:08.100 --> 00:33:10.200
 If you're a pimp or you're a hit

00:33:10.200 --> 00:33:11.980
 man, yeah, that's a bad job.

00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:13.040
 Okay?

00:33:13.160 --> 00:33:14.259
 I'll just say that all right now.

00:33:14.780 --> 00:33:17.140
 But for most of us, our jobs

00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:19.660
 really aren't what God's focus is.

00:33:20.500 --> 00:33:21.340
 The external.

00:33:22.339 --> 00:33:24.439
 What God is mostly focused on is

00:33:24.439 --> 00:33:25.139
 your heart.

00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:28.819
 He's worried about the internal.

00:33:30.500 --> 00:33:31.519
 And so everything God's going to do

00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:33.000
 to us, guys, is to make our hearts

00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:34.240
 different and to change us.

00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:37.120
 So if you're a single in here,

00:33:37.160 --> 00:33:38.400
 this is what Paul says in his passage.

00:33:38.819 --> 00:33:40.180
 Paul says, use your time,

00:33:40.460 --> 00:33:41.099
 use your energy,

00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:42.079
 use your capacity,

00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:43.200
 and serve him,

00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:44.519
 and serve God,

00:33:44.579 --> 00:33:44.960
 not Paul,

00:33:45.079 --> 00:33:45.839
 serve God,

00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:46.799
 and serve others.

00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:49.139
 He says to the singles in here,

00:33:49.399 --> 00:33:50.619
 be careful because there's nothing

00:33:50.619 --> 00:33:51.619
 that has the capacity

00:33:51.619 --> 00:33:53.919
 to scar your soul more

00:33:53.919 --> 00:33:56.419
 than having sex outside of marriage.

00:33:57.799 --> 00:33:59.379
 And there are a lot worse things

00:33:59.379 --> 00:34:00.799
 than not being married.

00:34:02.919 --> 00:34:04.159
 And the biggest one I've found

00:34:04.159 --> 00:34:05.240
 as a pastor and a counselor

00:34:05.240 --> 00:34:06.899
 is marrying the wrong person.

00:34:08.380 --> 00:34:09.239
 That's a lot worse

00:34:09.239 --> 00:34:10.179
 than not getting married, guys.

00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:13.320
 So be careful.

00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:15.500
 Because if you're single

00:34:15.500 --> 00:34:16.720
 and you want to honor the Lord,

00:34:16.780 --> 00:34:17.400
 you're going to do that

00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:18.280
 by serving him,

00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:20.300
 serving others.

00:34:21.740 --> 00:34:22.760
 And if you do that,

00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:24.680
 God promises that he's going to meet you

00:34:24.680 --> 00:34:25.700
 where you need to be met.

00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:28.700
 I don't know what you think

00:34:28.700 --> 00:34:29.360
 about God's word,

00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:30.539
 but I hold it very high.

00:34:31.720 --> 00:34:33.760
 And when God promises us something,

00:34:34.140 --> 00:34:34.960
 you can better bet

00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:36.100
 that he's going to deliver on that.

00:34:36.280 --> 00:34:36.940
 And he's saying that

00:34:36.940 --> 00:34:37.780
 if you serve others

00:34:37.780 --> 00:34:38.539
 and you serve him,

00:34:38.760 --> 00:34:39.700
 he's going to take care of you.

00:34:42.059 --> 00:34:42.820
 Now as a married,

00:34:42.820 --> 00:34:43.180
 he says,

00:34:43.320 --> 00:34:44.440
 almost the exact same thing.

00:34:44.680 --> 00:34:45.000
 He says,

00:34:45.059 --> 00:34:45.860
 now if you're married,

00:34:46.820 --> 00:34:47.920
 stay married

00:34:47.920 --> 00:34:49.519
 if at all possible.

00:34:49.600 --> 00:34:50.519
 And they had some weird stuff

00:34:50.519 --> 00:34:51.180
 going on in this church.

00:34:51.400 --> 00:34:52.260
 They had stuff in this church

00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:53.960
 that Jesus never even experienced, right?

00:34:54.519 --> 00:34:55.200
 Because they had people

00:34:55.200 --> 00:34:55.960
 coming to faith

00:34:55.960 --> 00:34:58.000
 and then the spouse

00:34:58.000 --> 00:34:58.860
 wasn't in faith

00:34:58.860 --> 00:35:00.160
 and there's all this tension.

00:35:00.340 --> 00:35:01.539
 Jesus didn't even have that happen

00:35:01.539 --> 00:35:03.400
 because he was the faith.

00:35:03.519 --> 00:35:04.059
 And when he left,

00:35:04.120 --> 00:35:05.000
 then people started talking

00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:06.260
 about the gospel.

00:35:07.140 --> 00:35:07.880
 And so Paul is trying

00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:09.039
 to navigate these things.

00:35:09.120 --> 00:35:09.580
 But he says,

00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:10.740
 if you're married,

00:35:11.100 --> 00:35:12.320
 try as much as you can

00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:13.320
 to stay married.

00:35:14.980 --> 00:35:15.280
 He says,

00:35:15.340 --> 00:35:16.059
 use your time

00:35:16.059 --> 00:35:16.740
 and your energy

00:35:16.740 --> 00:35:17.559
 and your capacity

00:35:17.559 --> 00:35:18.900
 to serve God

00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:20.940
 and serve your spouse.

00:35:22.680 --> 00:35:24.039
 Take care of your spouse.

00:35:25.220 --> 00:35:26.160
 Focus on them

00:35:26.160 --> 00:35:27.640
 and not yourself.

00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:30.360
 And then he warns us.

00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:31.600
 He says,

00:35:31.660 --> 00:35:32.039
 be careful

00:35:32.039 --> 00:35:32.840
 because there's nothing

00:35:32.840 --> 00:35:34.240
 that has the capacity

00:35:34.240 --> 00:35:36.400
 to scar your soul more

00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:38.700
 than harming your spouse

00:35:38.699 --> 00:35:41.619
 and running away

00:35:41.619 --> 00:35:42.219
 from your marriage.

00:35:43.919 --> 00:35:44.919
 Did you hear what he said?

00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:46.539
 There's nothing

00:35:46.539 --> 00:35:47.500
 that has the capacity

00:35:47.500 --> 00:35:49.599
 to scar your soul more

00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:52.359
 than harming your spouse

00:35:52.359 --> 00:35:54.919
 and running away

00:35:54.919 --> 00:35:55.500
 from your marriage.

00:35:57.199 --> 00:35:58.039
 One last thing.

00:35:59.039 --> 00:35:59.519
 We're done.

00:36:02.879 --> 00:36:03.819
 How do we do this?

00:36:03.820 --> 00:36:08.240
 I mean,

00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:09.160
 when I hear this

00:36:09.160 --> 00:36:10.120
 and I've been reading it

00:36:10.120 --> 00:36:11.059
 and I'm thinking about it,

00:36:11.080 --> 00:36:11.320
 I'm like,

00:36:11.400 --> 00:36:12.280
 this just seems

00:36:12.280 --> 00:36:14.600
 too hard.

00:36:17.220 --> 00:36:17.640
 I mean,

00:36:17.660 --> 00:36:18.080
 to do this,

00:36:18.120 --> 00:36:18.760
 I have to die

00:36:18.760 --> 00:36:19.460
 to myself.

00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:22.960
 I have to give up

00:36:22.960 --> 00:36:23.880
 my dreams.

00:36:23.980 --> 00:36:24.539
 I have to give up

00:36:24.539 --> 00:36:25.360
 the things that I

00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:27.000
 want to serve people

00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:28.019
 because I might not get

00:36:28.019 --> 00:36:30.300
 what I want.

00:36:30.300 --> 00:36:33.240
 And the answer's found

00:36:33.240 --> 00:36:33.880
 in verse 23.

00:36:35.740 --> 00:36:36.620
 He says this,

00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:38.460
 you were bought

00:36:38.460 --> 00:36:39.060
 with a price.

00:36:42.360 --> 00:36:43.580
 Don't become a slave of men.

00:36:45.080 --> 00:36:46.140
 What he's saying there

00:36:46.140 --> 00:36:47.300
 is that you and I

00:36:47.300 --> 00:36:49.140
 were bought

00:36:49.140 --> 00:36:49.900
 with a price

00:36:49.900 --> 00:36:50.740
 by Christ.

00:36:52.200 --> 00:36:53.260
 Because he's bought us

00:36:53.260 --> 00:36:54.320
 and because now we're his

00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:55.100
 and because now we're

00:36:55.100 --> 00:36:55.820
 out of slavery

00:36:55.820 --> 00:36:56.519
 and because now

00:36:56.519 --> 00:36:58.019
 our lives are being reordered

00:36:58.019 --> 00:36:59.240
 with the gospel,

00:37:00.300 --> 00:37:00.960
 and we're understanding

00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:02.019
 where we're disordered,

00:37:02.420 --> 00:37:03.580
 because all these things

00:37:03.580 --> 00:37:03.940
 are true,

00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:04.840
 because God's spirit

00:37:04.840 --> 00:37:05.580
 is in us,

00:37:06.539 --> 00:37:08.000
 you and I have the power

00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:11.400
 and the strength

00:37:11.400 --> 00:37:14.240
 to live the life

00:37:14.240 --> 00:37:15.280
 that God wants us to live.

00:37:17.380 --> 00:37:18.380
 When I went to Israel,

00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:19.880
 and if you want to go with us,

00:37:19.900 --> 00:37:21.100
 we're going to go next May,

00:37:21.160 --> 00:37:21.580
 I think.

00:37:23.360 --> 00:37:24.080
 We love it.

00:37:24.100 --> 00:37:24.800
 It's a great time.

00:37:24.940 --> 00:37:25.700
 I bought this coin.

00:37:27.180 --> 00:37:28.300
 It's a silver coin.

00:37:28.300 --> 00:37:31.080
 It has Mark Anthony's

00:37:31.080 --> 00:37:31.800
 picture on it.

00:37:31.840 --> 00:37:32.200
 It's real.

00:37:32.420 --> 00:37:33.060
 It's antiquities,

00:37:33.140 --> 00:37:33.980
 the guy I was talking to.

00:37:34.620 --> 00:37:35.380
 He told me it's one

00:37:35.380 --> 00:37:36.780
 of the 30 silver coins

00:37:36.780 --> 00:37:38.000
 that they paid Jesus

00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:38.500
 to get, you know,

00:37:38.539 --> 00:37:38.840
 betrayed.

00:37:39.680 --> 00:37:40.760
 So I paid a little extra

00:37:40.760 --> 00:37:41.560
 for it, you know,

00:37:41.640 --> 00:37:41.920
 because I thought

00:37:41.920 --> 00:37:42.539
 that was really cool.

00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:46.360
 No, but it's a real coin

00:37:46.360 --> 00:37:47.380
 and it has Mark Anthony

00:37:47.380 --> 00:37:48.260
 on it, silver,

00:37:49.180 --> 00:37:49.660
 Daenerys.

00:37:50.940 --> 00:37:51.760
 And the Bible says

00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:52.320
 that when Jesus

00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:53.019
 was betrayed

00:37:53.019 --> 00:37:54.980
 or when you buy a slave,

00:37:55.780 --> 00:37:57.019
 it costs 30 of these.

00:37:57.019 --> 00:38:01.280
 But the Scripture says

00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:02.000
 that when God

00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:02.800
 bought you

00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:05.099
 and me,

00:38:06.460 --> 00:38:08.079
 he paid for something

00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:09.860
 much more precious

00:38:09.860 --> 00:38:12.639
 than 30 pieces of silver.

00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:16.340
 He gave his son.

00:38:18.219 --> 00:38:19.119
 He gave all of his son.

00:38:21.059 --> 00:38:22.360
 Jesus didn't tie his blood.

00:38:22.460 --> 00:38:23.659
 He paid it all for us.

00:38:23.659 --> 00:38:26.759
 And Paul says,

00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:30.139
 because God has done that

00:38:30.139 --> 00:38:32.619
 for you and for me,

00:38:33.420 --> 00:38:35.839
 we can trust him.

00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:40.079
 We can trust him.

00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:44.039
 He's going to take care of us.

00:38:45.960 --> 00:38:47.119
 He knows where you're at.

00:38:48.659 --> 00:38:49.699
 He knows your struggles.

00:38:49.699 --> 00:38:52.059
 He knows your needs.

00:38:53.619 --> 00:38:54.759
 He wants you to trust him

00:38:54.759 --> 00:38:55.419
 with your life.

00:38:59.299 --> 00:39:00.139
 Be content

00:39:00.139 --> 00:39:02.239
 knowing that the God

00:39:02.239 --> 00:39:02.879
 of the universe

00:39:02.879 --> 00:39:04.899
 desires

00:39:04.899 --> 00:39:06.739
 to have an intimate

00:39:06.739 --> 00:39:07.779
 relationship with you.

00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:10.439
 And there's nothing,

00:39:10.859 --> 00:39:12.359
 nothing

00:39:12.359 --> 00:39:14.460
 he withheld

00:39:14.460 --> 00:39:17.519
 to make that happen.

00:39:22.519 --> 00:39:23.119
 Can I ask you

00:39:23.119 --> 00:39:23.639
 three questions?

00:39:24.019 --> 00:39:24.440
 We're done.

00:39:25.639 --> 00:39:26.720
 First question is this.

00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:30.000
 If all the singles

00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:30.820
 in the church,

00:39:31.599 --> 00:39:32.400
 this is for the singles,

00:39:33.900 --> 00:39:34.840
 if all the singles

00:39:34.840 --> 00:39:35.300
 in the church

00:39:35.300 --> 00:39:35.980
 were like you

00:39:35.980 --> 00:39:39.099
 and they all copied

00:39:39.099 --> 00:39:39.599
 how you used

00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:40.320
 your free time,

00:39:41.960 --> 00:39:42.440
 how you used

00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:42.860
 your energy,

00:39:42.860 --> 00:39:44.480
 how you used

00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:44.880
 your money,

00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:46.260
 how you used

00:39:46.260 --> 00:39:46.800
 your words,

00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:48.120
 what you focused

00:39:48.120 --> 00:39:49.099
 on in your free time,

00:39:49.840 --> 00:39:50.300
 what you used

00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:51.240
 your capacity for,

00:39:51.700 --> 00:39:52.640
 if all the singles

00:39:52.640 --> 00:39:53.740
 in the church

00:39:53.740 --> 00:39:56.039
 did and copied

00:39:56.039 --> 00:39:57.079
 exactly what you did,

00:39:59.420 --> 00:40:00.200
 would the church

00:40:00.200 --> 00:40:01.019
 be a healthy place?

00:40:05.640 --> 00:40:06.200
 If you were

00:40:06.200 --> 00:40:06.740
 the role model,

00:40:08.200 --> 00:40:09.120
 would the church

00:40:09.120 --> 00:40:09.500
 be healthy?

00:40:09.500 --> 00:40:09.599
 Would the church

00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:09.620
 be healthy?

00:40:12.860 --> 00:40:14.440
 I would have

00:40:14.440 --> 00:40:15.140
 to answer no

00:40:15.140 --> 00:40:16.280
 when I was a single.

00:40:18.200 --> 00:40:18.940
 And he comes back

00:40:18.940 --> 00:40:19.780
 and he asks the marriages,

00:40:19.900 --> 00:40:20.640
 let me ask the marriages

00:40:20.640 --> 00:40:21.460
 because I think we all

00:40:21.460 --> 00:40:22.599
 have to think about this

00:40:22.599 --> 00:40:23.579
 in our selfishness

00:40:23.579 --> 00:40:24.360
 and our pride

00:40:24.360 --> 00:40:25.920
 to the married

00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:26.620
 brothers and sisters.

00:40:28.760 --> 00:40:30.320
 If all the married

00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:32.440
 people in Watermark

00:40:32.440 --> 00:40:35.500
 treated their spouse

00:40:35.500 --> 00:40:37.519
 like you do,

00:40:37.519 --> 00:40:42.380
 they all focused

00:40:42.380 --> 00:40:42.900
 the same amount

00:40:42.900 --> 00:40:43.340
 of energy,

00:40:44.579 --> 00:40:45.400
 same amount

00:40:45.400 --> 00:40:45.940
 of time,

00:40:47.219 --> 00:40:47.659
 same amount

00:40:47.659 --> 00:40:48.079
 of money,

00:40:49.179 --> 00:40:49.659
 same amount

00:40:49.659 --> 00:40:50.920
 of just intentionality,

00:40:51.480 --> 00:40:52.380
 meeting their needs.

00:40:52.820 --> 00:40:53.820
 If every married

00:40:53.820 --> 00:40:54.900
 person in Watermark

00:40:54.900 --> 00:40:56.259
 copied you,

00:40:58.259 --> 00:40:59.219
 so their marriage

00:40:59.219 --> 00:40:59.780
 was just like

00:40:59.780 --> 00:41:00.320
 your marriage,

00:41:02.320 --> 00:41:03.139
 would we have

00:41:03.139 --> 00:41:03.800
 a healthy church?

00:41:03.800 --> 00:41:11.060
 Or would we be

00:41:11.060 --> 00:41:11.560
 disordered?

00:41:13.900 --> 00:41:14.600
 Would we be

00:41:14.600 --> 00:41:14.980
 in trouble?

00:41:16.980 --> 00:41:17.760
 Paul says

00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:18.320
 that the greatest

00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:18.900
 testimony

00:41:18.900 --> 00:41:20.300
 to a world

00:41:20.300 --> 00:41:21.480
 that's perishing

00:41:21.480 --> 00:41:22.140
 and walking

00:41:22.140 --> 00:41:22.740
 in darkness

00:41:22.740 --> 00:41:24.720
 is you and I.

00:41:27.660 --> 00:41:28.500
 He's not calling

00:41:28.500 --> 00:41:29.120
 us to be perfect,

00:41:29.280 --> 00:41:29.560
 guys,

00:41:30.560 --> 00:41:31.019
 and I'm far

00:41:31.019 --> 00:41:31.519
 from that.

00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:33.219
 He's calling

00:41:33.219 --> 00:41:33.820
 us to trust

00:41:33.820 --> 00:41:34.139
 Him,

00:41:35.599 --> 00:41:36.340
 to walk

00:41:36.340 --> 00:41:36.739
 with Him,

00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:38.480
 to know

00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:38.780
 that He's

00:41:38.780 --> 00:41:39.159
 good,

00:41:40.539 --> 00:41:41.039
 that He paid

00:41:41.039 --> 00:41:41.659
 everything for

00:41:41.659 --> 00:41:41.960
 you,

00:41:43.119 --> 00:41:43.800
 and that He

00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:44.500
 wants to have

00:41:44.500 --> 00:41:44.860
 an intimate

00:41:44.860 --> 00:41:45.739
 relationship with

00:41:45.739 --> 00:41:46.079
 you and He

00:41:46.079 --> 00:41:46.880
 wants to change

00:41:46.880 --> 00:41:47.420
 you and make

00:41:47.420 --> 00:41:48.280
 something amazing

00:41:48.280 --> 00:41:49.039
 into your life.

00:41:52.659 --> 00:41:53.219
 I don't know

00:41:53.219 --> 00:41:53.639
 how you answered

00:41:53.639 --> 00:41:54.079
 that single

00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:54.679
 question or the

00:41:54.679 --> 00:41:55.239
 married question,

00:41:56.980 --> 00:41:57.360
 but maybe you

00:41:57.360 --> 00:41:57.679
 could just do

00:41:57.679 --> 00:41:58.139
 this one other

00:41:58.139 --> 00:41:58.500
 question.

00:41:59.739 --> 00:42:00.420
 Is there something

00:42:00.420 --> 00:42:00.759
 you could do

00:42:00.759 --> 00:42:01.179
 this week?

00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:03.259
 that could

00:42:03.259 --> 00:42:03.679
 change it?

00:42:08.699 --> 00:42:09.300
 As a married

00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:09.579
 person,

00:42:09.659 --> 00:42:10.019
 is there some

00:42:10.019 --> 00:42:10.440
 way that you

00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:11.159
 can go towards

00:42:11.159 --> 00:42:11.559
 your spouse

00:42:11.559 --> 00:42:12.139
 and care for

00:42:12.139 --> 00:42:12.659
 them and show

00:42:12.659 --> 00:42:13.059
 them your

00:42:13.059 --> 00:42:13.800
 appreciation and

00:42:13.800 --> 00:42:14.320
 how much you

00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:15.340
 love them and

00:42:15.340 --> 00:42:16.000
 are for them

00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:16.340
 and you're on

00:42:16.340 --> 00:42:16.980
 the same team?

00:42:17.159 --> 00:42:17.639
 What would that

00:42:17.639 --> 00:42:18.380
 look like this

00:42:18.380 --> 00:42:18.659
 week?

00:42:19.940 --> 00:42:20.519
 Some of us,

00:42:20.579 --> 00:42:20.860
 we need to do

00:42:20.860 --> 00:42:21.480
 it every day.

00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:22.719
 I'm sure I do.

00:42:25.679 --> 00:42:26.360
 As a single

00:42:26.360 --> 00:42:27.239
 person, what is

00:42:27.239 --> 00:42:27.579
 it that you

00:42:27.579 --> 00:42:28.059
 could do this

00:42:28.059 --> 00:42:28.340
 week?

00:42:28.340 --> 00:42:30.840
 What could

00:42:30.840 --> 00:42:31.539
 you change

00:42:31.539 --> 00:42:33.860
 that could

00:42:33.860 --> 00:42:34.500
 affect people's

00:42:34.500 --> 00:42:35.019
 lives?

00:42:37.460 --> 00:42:37.980
 And that's

00:42:37.980 --> 00:42:38.320
 Christ.

00:42:42.480 --> 00:42:43.140
 You have the

00:42:43.140 --> 00:42:43.700
 freedom and you

00:42:43.700 --> 00:42:44.340
 can do this

00:42:44.340 --> 00:42:46.360
 because Christ

00:42:46.360 --> 00:42:46.780
 has already done

00:42:46.780 --> 00:42:47.160
 it for you.

00:42:48.660 --> 00:42:49.360
 The answer to

00:42:49.360 --> 00:42:49.860
 the warrior at

00:42:49.860 --> 00:42:50.200
 the beginning,

00:42:51.160 --> 00:42:51.720
 what must I do

00:42:51.720 --> 00:42:52.220
 to make God

00:42:52.220 --> 00:42:52.559
 happy?

00:42:53.559 --> 00:42:54.180
 The answer is

00:42:54.180 --> 00:42:54.760
 you can't

00:42:54.760 --> 00:42:56.540
 because you're

00:42:56.540 --> 00:42:57.020
 broken and

00:42:57.020 --> 00:42:57.160
 you're

00:42:57.160 --> 00:42:57.560
 disordered.

00:42:58.900 --> 00:42:59.540
 The only thing

00:42:59.540 --> 00:42:59.880
 that can make

00:42:59.880 --> 00:43:02.000
 God happy is

00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:02.480
 his son.

00:43:04.840 --> 00:43:05.640
 You have his

00:43:05.640 --> 00:43:07.300
 son if you're

00:43:07.300 --> 00:43:07.780
 his child.

00:43:10.300 --> 00:43:11.140
 Be content.

00:43:12.880 --> 00:43:13.860
 Rest in peace.

00:43:15.340 --> 00:43:15.900
 Know that God

00:43:15.900 --> 00:43:16.400
 is with you.

00:43:18.460 --> 00:43:19.000
 Father, we

00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:19.340
 thank you for

00:43:19.340 --> 00:43:19.640
 this day.

00:43:19.720 --> 00:43:20.020
 We thank you

00:43:20.020 --> 00:43:21.040
 for your word

00:43:21.040 --> 00:43:21.700
 that is living

00:43:21.700 --> 00:43:22.240
 and active.

00:43:22.380 --> 00:43:22.820
 We thank you

00:43:22.820 --> 00:43:23.500
 for this church

00:43:23.500 --> 00:43:23.980
 at Corinth.

00:43:25.179 --> 00:43:26.039
 It's a mess

00:43:26.039 --> 00:43:28.219
 and I'm sure

00:43:28.219 --> 00:43:28.599
 that people

00:43:28.599 --> 00:43:29.219
 will look at

00:43:29.219 --> 00:43:30.079
 us years from

00:43:30.079 --> 00:43:30.960
 now and say

00:43:30.960 --> 00:43:32.739
 they're a mess.

00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:34.280
 But in the

00:43:34.280 --> 00:43:34.739
 midst of all

00:43:34.739 --> 00:43:34.980
 of this,

00:43:35.079 --> 00:43:35.320
 Lord, we

00:43:35.320 --> 00:43:37.199
 walk in

00:43:37.199 --> 00:43:37.739
 your mercy

00:43:37.739 --> 00:43:38.900
 and we

00:43:38.900 --> 00:43:39.360
 walk in

00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:39.940
 your grace

00:43:39.940 --> 00:43:41.920
 and we

00:43:41.920 --> 00:43:42.159
 know that

00:43:42.159 --> 00:43:42.320
 you're

00:43:42.320 --> 00:43:43.000
 changing us.

00:43:45.019 --> 00:43:45.659
 Father, I

00:43:45.659 --> 00:43:46.260
 just

00:43:46.260 --> 00:43:47.619
 confess

00:43:47.619 --> 00:43:49.760
 the

00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:50.400
 disorderedness

00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:50.960
 in my life

00:43:50.960 --> 00:43:51.579
 even now

00:43:51.579 --> 00:43:52.300
 as I have

00:43:52.300 --> 00:43:52.699
 your word

00:43:52.699 --> 00:43:52.960
 and your

00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:53.480
 word changes

00:43:53.480 --> 00:43:53.679
 me.

00:43:53.719 --> 00:43:53.960
 I still

00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:54.559
 make choices

00:43:54.559 --> 00:43:55.119
 not to

00:43:55.119 --> 00:43:55.679
 follow and

00:43:55.679 --> 00:43:56.039
 not to

00:43:56.039 --> 00:43:56.460
 obey.

00:43:59.119 --> 00:43:59.639
 Repent of

00:43:59.639 --> 00:44:00.179
 that for

00:44:00.179 --> 00:44:00.659
 our church

00:44:00.659 --> 00:44:00.940
 and for

00:44:00.940 --> 00:44:01.380
 myself.

00:44:03.099 --> 00:44:03.760
 I pray for

00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:04.260
 the singles

00:44:04.260 --> 00:44:04.659
 in this

00:44:04.659 --> 00:44:04.980
 church,

00:44:05.119 --> 00:44:05.179
 Lord.

00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:05.639
 There are

00:44:05.639 --> 00:44:06.019
 many and

00:44:06.019 --> 00:44:06.260
 they have

00:44:06.260 --> 00:44:06.679
 incredible

00:44:06.679 --> 00:44:07.480
 capacity and

00:44:07.480 --> 00:44:07.800
 power.

00:44:08.280 --> 00:44:08.639
 I pray that

00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:09.000
 they would

00:44:09.000 --> 00:44:09.740
 take their

00:44:09.740 --> 00:44:10.300
 eyes off of

00:44:10.300 --> 00:44:10.760
 their self

00:44:10.760 --> 00:44:10.960
 and they

00:44:10.960 --> 00:44:11.119
 would put

00:44:11.119 --> 00:44:11.500
 their eyes

00:44:11.500 --> 00:44:11.900
 on you

00:44:11.900 --> 00:44:12.119
 and they

00:44:12.119 --> 00:44:12.519
 would rest

00:44:12.519 --> 00:44:12.920
 knowing that

00:44:12.920 --> 00:44:13.340
 you've done

00:44:13.340 --> 00:44:13.900
 this great

00:44:13.900 --> 00:44:14.280
 work in

00:44:14.280 --> 00:44:14.719
 their life

00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:15.300
 and that

00:44:15.300 --> 00:44:15.460
 you've

00:44:15.460 --> 00:44:15.740
 equipped

00:44:15.740 --> 00:44:15.980
 them to

00:44:15.980 --> 00:44:16.119
 do

00:44:16.119 --> 00:44:16.360
 something

00:44:16.360 --> 00:44:16.780
 amazing.

00:44:16.900 --> 00:44:17.300
 Help us

00:44:17.300 --> 00:44:18.539
 help them

00:44:18.539 --> 00:44:18.800
 to do

00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:19.039
 something

00:44:19.039 --> 00:44:19.599
 amazing.

00:44:19.599 --> 00:44:22.159
 Father, I

00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:22.559
 pray for the

00:44:22.559 --> 00:44:23.119
 marrieds in

00:44:23.119 --> 00:44:23.440
 this group.

00:44:23.519 --> 00:44:23.819
 I know that

00:44:23.819 --> 00:44:24.440
 some marrieds are

00:44:24.440 --> 00:44:25.119
 newly married and

00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:26.000
 some have been

00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:26.420
 around for a

00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:27.460
 long time, but

00:44:27.460 --> 00:44:27.839
 I think that we

00:44:27.839 --> 00:44:28.619
 could always ask

00:44:28.619 --> 00:44:29.219
 the question,

00:44:30.779 --> 00:44:31.299
 am I being a

00:44:31.299 --> 00:44:31.900
 good spouse?

00:44:31.900 --> 00:44:35.160
 how can I be

00:44:35.160 --> 00:44:35.420
 better?

00:44:37.320 --> 00:44:38.260
 I pray, Lord, that

00:44:38.260 --> 00:44:39.360
 people would look at

00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:40.260
 our marriages and

00:44:40.260 --> 00:44:41.000
 realize that it's

00:44:41.000 --> 00:44:41.820
 not us, it's

00:44:41.820 --> 00:44:44.039
 you changing us

00:44:44.039 --> 00:44:46.000
 and molding us.

00:44:48.619 --> 00:44:49.500
 Father, I pray for

00:44:49.500 --> 00:44:50.480
 us as a church that

00:44:50.480 --> 00:44:51.180
 we wouldn't just sit

00:44:51.180 --> 00:44:51.880
 here in our own

00:44:51.880 --> 00:44:52.619
 little church and

00:44:52.619 --> 00:44:53.200
 just think about

00:44:53.200 --> 00:44:54.039
 ourselves and look

00:44:54.039 --> 00:44:54.619
 at our belly

00:44:54.619 --> 00:44:55.320
 buttons and not

00:44:55.320 --> 00:44:55.900
 worry about the

00:44:55.900 --> 00:44:56.619
 world around us,

00:44:56.700 --> 00:44:57.420
 but help us to

00:44:57.420 --> 00:44:58.059
 realize that you've

00:44:58.059 --> 00:44:59.360
 put us here to

00:44:59.360 --> 00:45:01.840
 love people, to

00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:02.600
 reach out to a

00:45:02.600 --> 00:45:03.180
 world that does

00:45:03.180 --> 00:45:04.180
 not yet know you

00:45:04.180 --> 00:45:06.320
 and to point them

00:45:06.320 --> 00:45:07.100
 to the creator,

00:45:08.100 --> 00:45:09.519
 the creator of

00:45:09.519 --> 00:45:11.880
 singleness, the

00:45:11.880 --> 00:45:12.940
 creator of marriage,

00:45:14.200 --> 00:45:15.440
 the creator of

00:45:15.440 --> 00:45:18.039
 love, the creator

00:45:18.039 --> 00:45:20.700
 of sex, and that

00:45:20.700 --> 00:45:21.340
 they would realize

00:45:21.340 --> 00:45:22.840
 that only in you

00:45:22.840 --> 00:45:23.640
 are all those

00:45:23.640 --> 00:45:24.220
 things going to be

00:45:24.220 --> 00:45:26.940
 met in a way that

00:45:26.940 --> 00:45:27.800
 is not disordered.

00:45:29.519 --> 00:45:30.320
 Father, we love

00:45:30.320 --> 00:45:31.620
 you and we need

00:45:31.619 --> 00:45:31.799
 you.

00:45:32.619 --> 00:45:33.339
 We pray all these

00:45:33.339 --> 00:45:33.659
 things in your

00:45:33.659 --> 00:45:34.440
 son Jesus' name.

00:45:35.259 --> 00:45:35.519
 Amen.