WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.860 How you guys doing? Good? Really good? So, so good? Hey, so if you're here for the first time, 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:11.679 my name is, I wish I could actually preach in front of everybody. We could be, well, 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:15.860 it'd be terrible if you're in a circle because then you could see that I have no rear end. But 00:00:15.860 --> 00:00:20.240 if we were closer to each other, that would be really good because I just kind of feel like 00:00:20.240 --> 00:00:25.740 as a family, we've come together here and we're finishing this sermon series on God's story, 00:00:25.739 --> 00:00:31.439 our story. We're looking at a new story. And so for those of you who are here for the first time, 00:00:31.479 --> 00:00:36.420 we just want to kind of lay some groundwork. And one of the groundworks is that we believe 00:00:36.420 --> 00:00:42.799 that this is God's word, that it's living and active and infallible. And it's all that we need 00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:50.459 for living the life that God has planned for us. Not one thing less, not one thing more. This is 00:00:50.460 --> 00:00:56.780 God's word to us. It's a covenant that God's given his people, God's people. So I know that 00:00:56.780 --> 00:01:00.020 there are people in here who aren't in the family of God yet. You're searching, you're seeking. 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:05.159 And just realize that this is, this is a message that's very personal to the family of God. And 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:12.819 God's given it to us to teach us about himself and what it means to walk with him. So don't go off 00:01:12.819 --> 00:01:19.240 tomorrow at work and say to your boss who's not in church, my pastor said, da, da, da, da, 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:23.379 and you should be doing this, this, and this, and this. Because that doesn't mean anything to people 00:01:23.379 --> 00:01:27.579 who aren't in the family of God, right? Because this is just for God's family. It's just, it's 00:01:27.579 --> 00:01:36.139 this message for us. My prayer would be more like your boss's life is falling apart and has no meaning. 00:01:36.259 --> 00:01:41.539 And he looks at you and he says, how do you keep your life together so much? Then you could say, 00:01:41.759 --> 00:01:49.219 I follow Jesus Christ. And through your actions, your words have so much more power, but God's word, 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:55.379 is powerful and it changes us for forever, right? We've also said we've been on this journey and 00:01:55.379 --> 00:01:59.959 we've looked at this journey. I have a little calendar here, a little diagram for you, that 00:01:59.959 --> 00:02:05.199 when we come on this journey and this, we come to Christ and that's the conversion point. And this 00:02:05.199 --> 00:02:09.840 is our whole life. And what the Bible says and what we've been doing through God's word and our word 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:13.479 and what we're going to learn in the church of Corinth is that on this whole life, we're going through 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:18.699 this process of growing and we're growing in our awareness of God's holiness and we're growing in an 00:02:18.699 --> 00:02:24.579 awareness of our sinfulness and our brokenness and our flesh. And wherever you are on your journey, 00:02:24.780 --> 00:02:30.739 these two things should be happening always in your life. And you see that if you've all of a 00:02:30.739 --> 00:02:34.979 sudden stopped growing in your awareness of God's holiness, what's going to happen is you're going to 00:02:34.979 --> 00:02:38.739 start performing. You're going to start saying things like, well, I go to church and I do Sunday 00:02:38.739 --> 00:02:44.500 school and I do this and I do that and I must be right because that's what we're supposed to do. 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:49.460 And you're going to see that if you stop growing in the awareness of your flesh and your sinfulness, 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:53.560 what you're going to start doing is you're going to pretend. And the church is full of pretenders, 00:02:53.620 --> 00:02:58.979 aren't we? We all wear masks. We all say, you know, everything's great and everything's perfect. And we 00:02:58.979 --> 00:03:04.860 don't want people to see that we are broken and we have struggles with these things in our life. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:12.159 But the Bible says that all of these things are true. And if we forget one or the other, 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:17.359 what ultimately happens is that we shrink the gospel. We shrink the power of the cross. We 00:03:17.359 --> 00:03:21.620 shrink the power of what Christ has done on the cross. And so that our lives and our message 00:03:21.620 --> 00:03:29.340 and what we teach here and what we talk about outside means less. It means nothing. It's going 00:03:29.340 --> 00:03:34.340 to be shore up. And so this is the journey that we're on. And as we look at Corinthians, the Corinthian 00:03:34.340 --> 00:03:41.879 church was struggling with these same things. Do you know that, does that make sense? And we just keep 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:46.199 teaching that over and over and over again because I need to hear that over and over again because I 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:54.319 forget. I forget often. You know, right before Christ was betrayed, he prayed for us. Did you know 00:03:54.319 --> 00:04:01.859 that? We're told that he prayed for you and I specifically, that he prayed for Watermark at least 00:04:01.859 --> 00:04:08.240 three times. I put parts of it in your bulletin. It's found in John 17. It's called the High Priestly 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:16.240 Prayer. And in it, he prays three times that you and I would be one, that we'd be united, that we'd be 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:21.720 whole, that we'd be unbroken. The word actually there and what Paul uses is untorn because Paul's 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:29.480 his tent maker. And when he says united, it means no tears. It's consistent. He's not praying. Jesus 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:33.560 isn't praying that we wouldn't be different because you just look around us and we have a lot of different 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:36.900 people. He's not praying that we wouldn't be diverse. But what he's praying is that we would be 00:04:36.899 --> 00:04:43.459 different and diverse and then we would be together. And it's my experience at the church who 00:04:43.459 --> 00:04:46.399 struggles with this the most out of anything throughout the history of the church. We struggle 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:52.179 with unity. I mean, I think Jesus prayed this for us because he knew that we would always be broken. 00:04:52.299 --> 00:04:55.679 He knew that we'd always be selfish. He knew that we'd always be self-centered. He knew that we would 00:04:55.679 --> 00:05:01.879 struggle with pride. He knew that it would be easier for Tobin to be divided and separated from the 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:06.719 people of God than it would be for me to be unified. It would be easier for me to find something wrong 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:10.380 with them or some kind of discrepancy that made them different. And it would be easier for me to 00:05:10.380 --> 00:05:16.040 be at odds with them than to be together with them. It'd be easier for us to be disunified than unified. 00:05:18.020 --> 00:05:23.680 Some people would even say it's in our DNA. But Jesus knew that the most powerful thing you and I 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:27.400 could... Now listen to this, guys. Jesus knew that the most powerful thing that you and I could do right 00:05:27.400 --> 00:05:33.760 now, the most powerful thing that would testify to the power of the cross in the gospel is that we would 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:40.039 be unified as a community. He says that this is the thing that's going to give the validity to the 00:05:40.039 --> 00:05:44.939 power of the cross. Now when I've looked at this service in here and I've counted, I've counted over 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:50.659 20 different cultures and origins and races and ethnicities and nations and cultures and background 00:05:50.659 --> 00:05:54.879 in Watermark. And I think it's amazing because when I go home to churches in America, they're all saying, 00:05:55.019 --> 00:05:59.159 we want a church that's not all white middle class. We want a church that's not all Asian. We want a church 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:04.320 that's all mixed together. And we're able to say that this is what Watermark is like already. 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:10.120 And what the Bible says and what Jesus says is this right now, right here, Watermark, 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:16.980 this is going to be the greatest testimony to the power of the gospel to a self-centered world. 00:06:18.300 --> 00:06:21.920 And what we're doing right here, this unity and coming together and worshiping together and loving 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:25.940 each other and being in fellowship with each other and praying for each other, this is going to be the 00:06:25.939 --> 00:06:32.719 greatest testimony to a world that is fragmented and separated. And he says to us that if you don't 00:06:32.719 --> 00:06:38.879 have love, if you don't show unity, then the power of the cross is diminished and the gospel is 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:46.000 diminished. And so Jesus continually over and over says that by this, they will know your love. 00:06:46.220 --> 00:06:49.519 By this, they are going to know your unity. By this, they're going to know that you have a community. 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:55.360 By this, when men see you come together in the church, in the family of God, the world, 00:06:55.360 --> 00:07:01.500 all the world is going to know that you're changed, that your heart is changed. They're going to know 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:05.100 that the gospel means something because you love each other. You're going to love people who are 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:08.220 different than you, and you're going to love people who come from different cultures than you. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:16.300 We're looking at this church in Corinth. We're looking at 1 Corinthians. It started in the book of Acts, 00:07:16.580 --> 00:07:20.800 Acts chapter 18, if you want to go back and read it. And Paul was on a missionary journey, and he was 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:29.120 teaching these people in Corinth, which was a crazy, crazy, diverse city. It's an old city. It was 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:33.720 founded in about 1200 BC and had been destroyed many times, but then the Romans came in. Julius Caesar, 00:07:33.800 --> 00:07:41.019 about 44 BC, redid Corinth, and he made it this incredibly strategic city. Some people would say 00:07:41.019 --> 00:07:46.620 that Corinth was the most powerful city in the empire. In some ways, it was even more powerful 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:52.899 than Rome. And historians would say that it was a strategic city, and we got a little map of it 00:07:52.899 --> 00:08:00.199 here, this strategic city that was on this peninsula, and it connected the northern part of Greece to the 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:04.939 southern part of Greece. So it was a land bridge, but not only was it a land bridge, but it connected 00:08:04.939 --> 00:08:10.800 these two bodies of water, the Mediterranean and the sea behind it. And so sometimes people, instead of 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:17.280 sailing around the coast, which was often very dangerous and fit with storms, they would just 00:08:17.280 --> 00:08:22.199 pull their boat up, and they would drag it three miles across Corinth to get it into the other 00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:30.040 harbor. And so because of this, Corinth was this massive, powerful city. Ancient historians say that 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:37.460 Corinth was the center of materialism and the center of sexuality in all the world. Did you know that? 00:08:37.460 --> 00:08:42.980 That it was this center that if you wanted to get wealthy, if you wanted to become wealthy, you moved 00:08:42.980 --> 00:08:50.100 to Corinth because this is where people got wealthy through commercial ventures. I mean, in Corinth, 00:08:50.220 --> 00:08:55.700 you became important in several ways. Either you became important because you were wealthy within 00:08:55.700 --> 00:09:00.480 society, or maybe you became important because you married into the right family within society, 00:09:00.680 --> 00:09:05.420 or maybe you became important because you had the correct social ties in society, or maybe that you 00:09:05.419 --> 00:09:09.219 were educated. Do you know that if you went to a seminary, or not a seminary, but a university in 00:09:09.219 --> 00:09:15.819 Corinth, they only taught two topics. They taught rhetoric, teach people how to speak well and speak 00:09:15.819 --> 00:09:19.919 about just eloquently, because people loved to have their ears tickled, and they just loved great, 00:09:20.139 --> 00:09:24.899 powerful speakers. And they taught philosophy. And these are the only two things that people learned in 00:09:24.899 --> 00:09:30.740 the universities in Corinth, and as what was valued in the culture, or you became powerful because you 00:09:30.740 --> 00:09:35.460 were a Jew, or you became powerful because you were a Greek, or you became powerful because you were 00:09:35.460 --> 00:09:41.279 Roman, or maybe you became powerful because you were part of a certain religious party. But what the 00:09:41.279 --> 00:09:48.019 historians tell us is that Corinth, like Hong Kong, was just full of different segregations and parties, 00:09:48.460 --> 00:09:55.639 and it was all these barriers to prevent unity and from people coming together. The historians say that 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:59.340 there's this big scramble for wealth and honor, and people were always trying to get wealthy, 00:09:59.340 --> 00:10:03.220 and they're always trying to be individualist, and they're always trying to be self-centered and 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:10.080 self-important. And it was so strong that it even moved into the church of Corinth. So the people in 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:14.600 the church, they struggled with self-centeredness and self-importance. And I know that we don't struggle 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:18.080 with this, but they did. They struggled with materialism. They struggled with individualism. 00:10:19.680 --> 00:10:24.720 And I've already said that the important thing in this church was wisdom. The most important thing was 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:31.940 that you were wise, and people sought after wisdom, and it was valued. And in the church or wherever, 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:38.680 in their clubs, they would have the best speakers. They had the most persuasive speakers because that 00:10:38.680 --> 00:10:43.000 was the thing that was most valued. It didn't care if you were teaching on nonsense or just whatever, 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:46.540 but the important thing was that you could teach on nonsense well. 00:10:46.539 --> 00:10:54.879 Corinth was also this melting pot of religions. I mean, all the religions came together in Corinth, 00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:59.419 and people worshiped all the religions. And it was really interesting because even if you look 00:10:59.419 --> 00:11:03.099 through archaeology, there's inscriptions on people's houses, and it would say stuff like, 00:11:03.579 --> 00:11:09.139 I pray to all the gods, or I worship all the gods, because that was important to have all your bases 00:11:09.139 --> 00:11:15.759 covered. The most important god to pray for was the Caesar, the cult of Caesar, the Roman emperor cult. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:21.460 And basically, if you didn't burn incense to the altar of Caesar, if you didn't worship Caesar in some form 00:11:21.460 --> 00:11:29.460 or the other, you couldn't do business. So Christians in this culture, in this day and age, they faced 00:11:29.460 --> 00:11:35.860 incredible struggles. I mean, it was so hard to be a Christian because they only worshiped one god. 00:11:38.340 --> 00:11:44.960 Do you know that, and I was reading this through some historians, that Christians were often labeled as hateful. 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:50.620 Christians were labeled as hateful because they didn't go along with everything that society said was okay. 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:54.879 And so when society said something was wrong, the Christians would say, no, we can't do that. 00:11:55.179 --> 00:11:58.299 And you could actually read documents that they were labeled as hateful. 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:00.620 Does that sound familiar? 00:12:00.620 --> 00:12:05.580 So the Christians had it really difficult, but not in Corinth. 00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:08.840 Listen to me, the Christians didn't have it hard in Corinth. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:13.480 And the reason is, is because the church in Corinth was like a club. 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:20.539 The church in Corinth was like the Aberdeen Boat Club, or the Marina Club, or the Hockey Club, or the Jockey Club, or the Cricket Club, 00:12:20.539 --> 00:12:22.719 or whichever club you went to. 00:12:22.779 --> 00:12:26.139 I remember when we were moving to Hong Kong, and Christina's dad was telling us about Hong Kong. 00:12:26.439 --> 00:12:29.179 He said, be careful of Hong Kong because it's a place where you can get clubbed to death. 00:12:30.579 --> 00:12:31.379 And you can. 00:12:31.740 --> 00:12:35.559 And so the church was like a club, and it was just something that people did with part of their lives. 00:12:36.339 --> 00:12:38.179 People just came to church because it was just something they did. 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:39.579 It wasn't a part of who they were. 00:12:39.899 --> 00:12:41.519 It wasn't something holistically of them. 00:12:41.779 --> 00:12:44.079 It's just they did it because it's just what they did. 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:47.620 And so because of that, the church faced no pressure from outside. 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:49.740 The church was just like the outside. 00:12:49.860 --> 00:12:52.080 And so people, when you came to church, you didn't feel any pressure from the outside 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:54.720 because you were just like the outside, and who cares about you? 00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:55.639 You're just like another club. 00:12:56.700 --> 00:13:00.180 But what happened to the church of Corinth was that they faced pressure internally. 00:13:01.800 --> 00:13:06.920 They faced these schisms and these breakings and these tearings of their relationships and their fellowships. 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:12.100 And what you see in the Bible is either a church faces temptation and hardship from outside 00:13:12.100 --> 00:13:13.259 because they're walking with the Lord, 00:13:13.259 --> 00:13:16.740 and they're loving God, and they're doing community well, and they're doing mission well, 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:17.960 and they're loving people well. 00:13:18.100 --> 00:13:20.580 Or if they're not doing that, then they're going to face tension from inside 00:13:20.580 --> 00:13:23.100 because they're being torn up and being torn apart. 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:25.840 When I was back in the States, I was talking to a friend, 00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:27.740 and his church is actually going through a church split. 00:13:27.799 --> 00:13:29.740 It's about to go through a massive church split right now. 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:33.740 And it's not going through a church split because they're standing up for Christ. 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:38.139 It's going through a church split because they're just like the culture. 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:41.600 And so people inside are fighting over this. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:47.659 And so Paul comes about 52 AD, and he comes to this amazing city called Corinth, 00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:50.279 which is diverse and segregated and powerful and rich. 00:13:50.560 --> 00:13:52.440 And he comes in and he plants his church. 00:13:53.540 --> 00:13:55.240 And this church starts to grow. 00:13:56.300 --> 00:13:59.440 And Paul stays there for 18 months if you read Acts because God says, 00:13:59.659 --> 00:13:59.899 stay here. 00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:00.940 I have something planned for you. 00:14:01.259 --> 00:14:05.019 And the first thing that is amazing that happens is the leader of the synagogue comes to Christ. 00:14:05.660 --> 00:14:09.639 This guy named Crispus comes to Christ, and there's just this big upheaval in the synagogue. 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:11.340 And so they kick the Christians out of the synagogue, 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:14.519 and they start worshiping in a house right next to the synagogue. 00:14:14.819 --> 00:14:18.779 But there's all this revival happening in the synagogue, and people don't know what's going on. 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:23.199 And so the synagogue gets in, and then they ordain another high priest. 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:25.379 His name is Sothenes. 00:14:26.539 --> 00:14:27.899 And you read about him in the beginning. 00:14:28.939 --> 00:14:31.519 And then a little while later, Sothenes comes to Christ also. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:35.500 And so the church is just doing some amazing things there. 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:38.600 And after 18 months, Paul hears from the Lord, and he says, 00:14:38.699 --> 00:14:39.600 okay, it's time for me to go on. 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:42.259 And he goes on this mission trip, and he goes on, and he serves, 00:14:42.319 --> 00:14:43.679 and he's planting other churches. 00:14:43.939 --> 00:14:47.299 And all of a sudden, he starts to hear these rumors about something going on in the church. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.519 He hears it from Chloe's people. 00:14:49.579 --> 00:14:52.720 We don't know who Chloe is, but we know that she was a very powerful woman within the church. 00:14:53.139 --> 00:14:55.840 Maybe even part of the church met in her house. 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:59.500 And he hears these rumors, and so he starts to write these letters. 00:15:00.620 --> 00:15:02.840 And he starts writing these letters, and what we're reading today, 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:06.639 and for the next couple months, is probably the second letter that he sent out. 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:09.860 And in this letter, it's really simple when you read it, 00:15:09.899 --> 00:15:12.139 because the focus is pretty clear. 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:16.500 He's talking to the people, and he's talking about the foolishness of our hearts, 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:18.560 and in our brokenness. 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.580 And he's trying to turn our focus off of ourselves, 00:15:21.580 --> 00:15:24.660 and he's trying to put our focus on the wisdom of God. 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:30.500 Maybe another way to say it is, he's trying to teach them and us 00:15:30.500 --> 00:15:32.920 what it means to be spiritual. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:36.300 Because we struggle with what it means to be spiritual. 00:15:36.420 --> 00:15:39.399 I wrote a definition for you in the bulletin above there. 00:15:39.540 --> 00:15:40.120 I said, 00:15:40.420 --> 00:15:41.920 Spirituality is the life of Jesus Christ, 00:15:42.500 --> 00:15:45.139 produced in a believer by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God 00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:47.000 in response to a beating of faith, 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:49.080 invading every area of human existence. 00:15:49.420 --> 00:15:51.480 And the church struggled with that. 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:54.060 They didn't understand what it meant to be holy, 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:55.259 and so they had these schisms. 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:58.040 And so we have in verse 10, if you look there, 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:00.200 Paul starts off his letter to these people. 00:16:00.540 --> 00:16:01.460 And what he's going to talk about, 00:16:01.500 --> 00:16:02.700 we're just going to talk about three things, 00:16:02.780 --> 00:16:04.080 and then we're going to pray. 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:04.840 But I think, 00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:11.139 I don't think this is the most important message for us as a church right now, 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:14.500 but I think it will be the most important message for us 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:16.899 as a church in the very, very near future. 00:16:17.660 --> 00:16:19.500 Because something's going to happen in this church 00:16:19.500 --> 00:16:20.840 as people start to love the Lord 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:22.220 and love each other. 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:24.080 And what's going to happen is 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:25.740 they're going to start talking to their friends at work. 00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:28.759 And they're going to start being different in the workplace. 00:16:29.800 --> 00:16:31.879 And they're going to start going to be living ethical lives. 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:33.899 And they're going to be very different 00:16:33.899 --> 00:16:35.460 than the culture of Hong Kong around them. 00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:38.220 And when that starts happening in your life 00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:40.740 and in your workplace and in your family, 00:16:41.780 --> 00:16:43.019 God's Spirit's going to move. 00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:45.720 People's lives are going to be changed. 00:16:46.620 --> 00:16:48.860 Because we're going to be different than the culture around us. 00:16:49.420 --> 00:16:50.420 And when that happens, 00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:51.519 we're going to have a choice. 00:16:52.379 --> 00:16:53.019 And our choice is, 00:16:53.100 --> 00:16:54.800 are we going to stay and start thinking about 00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:56.740 how we're going to take care of everybody in our church 00:16:56.740 --> 00:16:58.379 and stay inwardly focused? 00:16:58.700 --> 00:17:00.019 Or are we going to continue to remember 00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:01.679 that we're here to plant other churches 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:04.900 and reach out to people who aren't in church on Sunday? 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:07.380 And when we come to that point, 00:17:07.660 --> 00:17:09.000 we're going to need 1 Corinthians 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:11.220 more than any other part of the scripture. 00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:13.720 Because it's going to look at our heart. 00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:15.539 And it's going to ask us, 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:16.400 who are we serving? 00:17:17.339 --> 00:17:18.720 And who are we following? 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:21.619 And what's the most important thing in our life? 00:17:22.740 --> 00:17:23.660 So in verse 10, 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:24.559 he talks to them 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:25.720 and he starts to exhort them. 00:17:25.720 --> 00:17:27.960 And it's interesting because he's an apostle 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:28.839 and he doesn't say, 00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:29.980 I'm an apostle. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:31.100 This is what you need to do. 00:17:32.140 --> 00:17:33.259 I planted you. 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:34.299 This is what you should do. 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:36.420 I'm your dad. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:37.980 Who cares what you say? 00:17:38.380 --> 00:17:39.319 This is what's going to happen. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:39.680 Why? 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:40.839 Because I'm the dad. 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:42.819 He doesn't say that at all. 00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:44.559 He exhorts them. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:45.440 He pleads with them. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:46.279 And he says, 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.759 it's not based on his authority 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:48.740 and not based on who he is, 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:49.680 but it's based on Jesus. 00:17:51.100 --> 00:17:52.720 And what he's saying to them and to us 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:55.339 is that if we keep our eyes off of Christ, 00:17:55.339 --> 00:17:58.000 the moment we lose our focus off of Christ, 00:17:58.459 --> 00:18:00.319 bad things are going to happen in our lives. 00:18:01.099 --> 00:18:01.919 And so Paul says, 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:02.539 look at Jesus. 00:18:03.939 --> 00:18:04.980 Look at what he's done. 00:18:06.199 --> 00:18:07.359 Look at who he is. 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:10.059 Look at all the things that he's brought you to. 00:18:10.379 --> 00:18:11.679 He is the one who's called you. 00:18:11.859 --> 00:18:13.099 He is the one who's built you up. 00:18:13.399 --> 00:18:14.599 He's the one bringing you here. 00:18:15.959 --> 00:18:16.539 And then you see, 00:18:16.619 --> 00:18:18.559 he's going to put the standard for us as a church. 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:20.339 So we're going to have a standard, 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:21.220 we're going to have a problem, 00:18:21.339 --> 00:18:22.259 and we're going to have the solution. 00:18:22.399 --> 00:18:23.059 It's very simple. 00:18:23.399 --> 00:18:24.440 It's only going to be in three verses. 00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:25.559 Verse 10, 00:18:25.919 --> 00:18:26.679 verse 11 and 12, 00:18:26.779 --> 00:18:27.220 and verse 13. 00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:27.740 Four verses. 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:30.419 So we're going to have a standard, 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:31.539 we're going to have a problem, 00:18:31.679 --> 00:18:32.379 and we're going to have a solution. 00:18:32.679 --> 00:18:33.659 And the standard is this. 00:18:33.700 --> 00:18:35.000 This is what he says in verse 10. 00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:35.720 He says, 00:18:35.819 --> 00:18:37.200 and he's a really strong, 00:18:37.339 --> 00:18:38.339 passionate words in Greek. 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:39.339 They're very powerful. 00:18:39.899 --> 00:18:42.240 And it's a father begging for a son. 00:18:42.639 --> 00:18:44.339 The son is about to leave the household. 00:18:44.639 --> 00:18:46.819 The father's grabbed onto the cloak of the son. 00:18:47.159 --> 00:18:48.740 And the father is begging to the son. 00:18:48.980 --> 00:18:50.939 And the most passionate words that he could say, 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:51.759 and he's saying, 00:18:51.859 --> 00:18:52.720 I exhort you. 00:18:54.339 --> 00:18:55.720 I plead with you. 00:18:56.899 --> 00:18:58.419 Let there be no divisions. 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:00.240 Let there be no tears. 00:19:00.500 --> 00:19:01.700 Let there be no brokenness. 00:19:01.779 --> 00:19:04.980 Let there be nothing that separates each other among yourselves. 00:19:05.919 --> 00:19:07.299 That you be united. 00:19:07.899 --> 00:19:09.179 The Greek word means whole. 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:10.039 It means complete. 00:19:10.159 --> 00:19:10.799 It means together. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:12.859 That there should be nothing that can take you apart. 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:14.619 That you are no divisions. 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:15.480 That you are united. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.220 You're not just united in name, 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:18.559 but you're united in mind. 00:19:19.639 --> 00:19:21.220 And you're united in your judgment. 00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:24.799 Now what Paul is talking about here, 00:19:24.879 --> 00:19:26.879 what he's saying is he's talking about the gospel. 00:19:27.019 --> 00:19:28.700 It's something that we've been talking about all along. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:30.759 He's talking about this is what Christ has done for us. 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:32.019 This is who Christ is. 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:32.899 This is the cross. 00:19:33.299 --> 00:19:34.819 And he's saying that there's nothing, 00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:37.659 there's nothing more powerful in your life. 00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:41.320 There's nothing more important to us today. 00:19:41.640 --> 00:19:43.480 There's nothing that's the ability to change us. 00:19:43.540 --> 00:19:45.019 There's nothing that has the ability to heal us. 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:46.940 There's nothing that has the ability to bring us whole. 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:48.580 There's nothing that has the ability to fix us, 00:19:48.620 --> 00:19:49.140 to bring us life. 00:19:49.420 --> 00:19:51.120 There's nothing that has the ability to do that, 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:53.420 but Jesus Christ in the cross. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:57.480 That's what he's appealing to us for. 00:19:58.460 --> 00:20:00.240 Keep our focus on Christ. 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:03.180 Now he's not saying don't be diverse. 00:20:04.700 --> 00:20:06.540 I mean he's not saying don't have differences. 00:20:07.660 --> 00:20:09.640 But what he is saying that in these differences, 00:20:09.820 --> 00:20:10.700 in these diversities, 00:20:11.080 --> 00:20:13.600 don't raise them to the level of the gospel. 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:17.560 All these other things are secondary. 00:20:17.860 --> 00:20:19.300 And he's saying guard against these things 00:20:19.300 --> 00:20:22.040 because the minute these preferences that you and I have, 00:20:22.360 --> 00:20:24.700 the minute these things that we want in a church, 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.980 the minute these things we want in our community group, 00:20:27.259 --> 00:20:29.160 the minute these things we want in our Christian family, 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:31.779 the minute these things become more important than the gospel, 00:20:33.300 --> 00:20:34.820 they're going to tear us apart. 00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:38.960 And Paul is warning them about these things, 00:20:39.059 --> 00:20:40.439 and he's saying be different. 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:42.700 You don't have to be alike, 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:45.019 but remember that in secondary things, 00:20:45.259 --> 00:20:46.679 guard your heart. 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:51.359 Don't allow anything else to rise above the gospel. 00:20:51.439 --> 00:20:52.619 What he's saying is the gospel, 00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:55.099 who Christ is and what Christ has done, 00:20:55.339 --> 00:20:56.799 hold these things really tightly 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.659 because the minute we lose focus on the cross, 00:21:00.779 --> 00:21:02.379 then we lose focus on hope. 00:21:03.819 --> 00:21:05.940 We lose focus on the reason that we're together. 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:08.960 We lose the power that we change. 00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:10.000 Does that, does that, 00:21:10.139 --> 00:21:11.399 am I making any sense at all here? 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:13.200 So there are secondary things 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.099 that are going to come into our church, 00:21:14.159 --> 00:21:15.180 like how we baptize, 00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:18.039 and what Bible verses you like to read, 00:21:18.139 --> 00:21:20.039 and what scripture verses you like, 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:21.480 and what translations you like, 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:23.259 and what speakers you like, 00:21:23.539 --> 00:21:25.500 and what type of worship music you like, 00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:28.039 and what colors on the banners you like. 00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:32.440 And all of these things aren't the gospel. 00:21:34.620 --> 00:21:37.220 In my 40 years in churches, 00:21:37.220 --> 00:21:39.579 I've seen churches split over the color of the carpet. 00:21:39.579 --> 00:21:43.919 I've seen churches split over what mission groups 00:21:43.919 --> 00:21:44.619 they should support. 00:21:45.939 --> 00:21:48.659 I've seen churches split over the style of music, 00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:50.960 whether there's drums or there's not drums. 00:21:51.779 --> 00:21:54.039 I've seen churches split over how they use their money, 00:21:54.399 --> 00:21:56.319 how they save, how much should they save. 00:21:57.199 --> 00:21:59.379 I've seen churches split because they hired a pastor 00:21:59.379 --> 00:22:00.460 to make the church grow, 00:22:00.740 --> 00:22:02.240 and the church actually grew, 00:22:02.599 --> 00:22:04.599 and the people that were there got angry that it grew 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:06.679 because they were no longer the powerful ones 00:22:06.679 --> 00:22:08.480 because there's a lot of other powerful people then. 00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:14.819 And all these things happen like that 00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:20.079 because we keep and we lose our focus 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:22.259 off of the gospel and who Jesus is. 00:22:23.439 --> 00:22:24.939 And so Paul is exhorting them. 00:22:25.059 --> 00:22:27.000 He's saying, embrace your differences. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.059 I made you different. 00:22:31.179 --> 00:22:33.059 Be open to secondary things. 00:22:33.439 --> 00:22:34.859 Be open to all these things. 00:22:34.859 --> 00:22:38.099 But remember that the goal, the primary thing, 00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:40.740 is who Jesus is and what he's done for us. 00:22:41.639 --> 00:22:43.359 And the minute we lose focus of that, 00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:45.059 the minute we lose focus of our standard, 00:22:45.399 --> 00:22:48.299 then we lose focus of why we're here as a church. 00:22:50.019 --> 00:22:52.079 So in verse 11 and 12, what happens is 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.379 there's this problem comes in, and you can read it. 00:22:54.939 --> 00:22:56.619 I've been informed concerning you, my brethren, 00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:58.879 by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you. 00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:01.559 And by this I mean that some of you come in and say, 00:23:01.559 --> 00:23:03.119 hey, and I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos, 00:23:03.159 --> 00:23:04.599 and I am of Cephas, and I am of Christ. 00:23:05.460 --> 00:23:07.159 And what's happened is these powerful people, 00:23:07.299 --> 00:23:08.579 or these people within the church are there, 00:23:08.980 --> 00:23:11.500 and they start taking their focus off of the gospel, 00:23:11.639 --> 00:23:13.099 and they start taking their focus on things 00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:14.419 that were important in their society. 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:17.399 They start thinking about things like money. 00:23:18.399 --> 00:23:20.419 They start thinking about things like teaching styles 00:23:20.419 --> 00:23:21.119 and personalities. 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:23.960 And well, Apollos was probably one of the best preachers 00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:25.279 in the Old and New Testament. 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:28.440 And Paul says later that he's incredible. 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:31.940 But the church starts focusing on his teaching style 00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:33.759 instead of the gospel. 00:23:35.079 --> 00:23:37.019 And they focus on things like spiritual gifts, 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:38.299 and they focus on their wealth, 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:39.579 and they focus on their resources, 00:23:39.700 --> 00:23:41.779 and they focus on where they stand in society, 00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:44.379 and they focus on just their cultures that they come from, 00:23:44.420 --> 00:23:45.859 and they focus on their family background, 00:23:45.859 --> 00:23:48.399 and they focus on their intellect and their education. 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:50.440 And they focus on all these other things 00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:51.500 up until chapter five. 00:23:51.879 --> 00:23:53.619 And up until chapter five, you just see this church 00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:56.279 being torn apart and torn apart and torn apart 00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:58.019 and torn apart, because there's other things 00:23:58.019 --> 00:23:59.679 that have come in, and it's replaced the gospel 00:23:59.679 --> 00:24:01.619 and the Christ and the cross. 00:24:03.219 --> 00:24:05.619 And Paul's pleading with them, and he's begging with them, 00:24:05.679 --> 00:24:06.519 please don't do that. 00:24:07.959 --> 00:24:10.000 And in these two verses, he gives us some signs. 00:24:10.099 --> 00:24:10.679 We need to be careful. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:11.339 We need to warn. 00:24:11.619 --> 00:24:13.579 He says the minute we lose focus off of the cross, 00:24:13.579 --> 00:24:15.579 the minute we lose focus off of the gospel, 00:24:15.679 --> 00:24:17.159 what Jesus has done is the first thing that happens 00:24:17.159 --> 00:24:18.179 is we get these divisions. 00:24:19.419 --> 00:24:21.359 We get these divisions in our community 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:23.979 and in our care group and our community group 00:24:23.979 --> 00:24:26.659 and in our church, and in our church as a whole, 00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:28.699 there's these divisions that happen 00:24:28.699 --> 00:24:31.399 because we've lost focus of who Christ is 00:24:31.399 --> 00:24:32.099 and why he came. 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:35.299 The next thing he says is when these divisions happen, 00:24:35.379 --> 00:24:38.139 then we stop thinking that the gospel and the Christ 00:24:38.139 --> 00:24:39.579 is the only thing that we need, 00:24:39.579 --> 00:24:41.719 and we start putting power on other things. 00:24:42.740 --> 00:24:45.419 We start saying, well, I really need this person 00:24:45.419 --> 00:24:48.699 to bless my house and to preach for me. 00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:51.519 I really need this person to counsel me. 00:24:51.580 --> 00:24:52.759 I really need the right teacher. 00:24:52.900 --> 00:24:55.600 I really need to be baptized by the right person. 00:24:55.660 --> 00:24:57.519 I really need to be baptized by the right way. 00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:00.140 I really need to worship in the right church. 00:25:00.220 --> 00:25:01.720 I really need these spiritual gifts. 00:25:01.840 --> 00:25:03.279 I really need the right spiritual gifts. 00:25:03.600 --> 00:25:05.620 I really need to be able to use these spiritual gifts. 00:25:06.120 --> 00:25:07.319 And what happens in this church 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:09.200 and which could happen in every church 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:12.779 is that we take our focus off of Christ 00:25:12.779 --> 00:25:16.100 and we put it on the things around us. 00:25:16.099 --> 00:25:19.559 And so the things around us, we invest with power, 00:25:20.059 --> 00:25:25.980 like the worship style or the pastor or other things. 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:28.899 And Paul is warning them and he's warning us 00:25:28.899 --> 00:25:29.899 that the minute we do that, 00:25:29.959 --> 00:25:32.719 the minute we take our focus off of the gospel 00:25:32.719 --> 00:25:36.219 and we divide and we put power in who we are 00:25:36.219 --> 00:25:38.500 or our denomination or what we believe. 00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:41.619 I mean, some of us, we're like the theology police, right? 00:25:41.919 --> 00:25:43.740 We want to make sure everybody has perfect theology. 00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:45.480 And that's the most important thing, 00:25:45.720 --> 00:25:46.740 to have the perfect theology. 00:25:47.400 --> 00:25:48.500 And what Paul is saying is 00:25:48.500 --> 00:25:50.640 the minute we take our focus off of these things, 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:52.819 we put our focus on these things, 00:25:52.859 --> 00:25:53.920 we take our focus off of Jesus, 00:25:54.299 --> 00:25:57.559 then we start to take away the power of the gospel. 00:25:59.079 --> 00:26:00.319 And the last thing he says is 00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:01.299 when we start to do these things 00:26:01.299 --> 00:26:03.099 that we start to become prideful. 00:26:04.059 --> 00:26:06.220 And we say things like, I'm a Paul. 00:26:07.319 --> 00:26:08.440 And I'm of Cephas. 00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:10.180 And I am of Peter. 00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:11.039 And I am of Jesus. 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:12.720 And I am of Apollos. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:16.180 And so we've lost the focus of Christ 00:26:16.180 --> 00:26:17.220 and what he's done in our life. 00:26:17.259 --> 00:26:18.599 And so we put our focus on our groups 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:19.920 and what kind of groups we belong to, 00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:21.539 just like what's happening in the church in Corinth, 00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:24.279 just like society, just like Hong Kong. 00:26:24.599 --> 00:26:25.660 What group do you belong to? 00:26:25.720 --> 00:26:26.759 What club are you a part of? 00:26:26.859 --> 00:26:27.819 What's your major? 00:26:28.220 --> 00:26:29.019 Where do you go to school? 00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:29.960 How much money do you have? 00:26:30.019 --> 00:26:30.599 Where do you live? 00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:33.000 All these things are things that separate the church. 00:26:34.500 --> 00:26:36.680 And Paul says the minute we start allowing those to come in, 00:26:36.680 --> 00:26:39.779 then we've lost the power of God's word. 00:26:39.779 --> 00:26:44.059 He actually says that when we have these things come in 00:26:44.059 --> 00:26:45.779 and we stop focusing on the Christ, 00:26:45.879 --> 00:26:48.759 that people will start to mock us. 00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:51.279 Have you ever been mocked? 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:58.819 I was talking to a person about a month ago. 00:27:00.279 --> 00:27:01.680 I was talking to them about coming to church. 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:02.539 They weren't churchgoers. 00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:06.079 And they looked at me and they kind of laughed. 00:27:07.480 --> 00:27:08.579 And I said, so what's up? 00:27:08.680 --> 00:27:09.259 He goes, well, you know, 00:27:09.779 --> 00:27:15.299 I've found that my club can do everything that the church does. 00:27:16.500 --> 00:27:17.639 My club does it better. 00:27:19.480 --> 00:27:21.039 My club takes care of my kids. 00:27:22.159 --> 00:27:23.259 My club feeds me. 00:27:24.119 --> 00:27:26.039 I can find my community in my club. 00:27:26.879 --> 00:27:28.099 I know my kids are. 00:27:29.059 --> 00:27:30.339 I know they're going to be treated by people 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:32.000 who have the same values that I have. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:34.940 Why would I want to go to a church? 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:37.740 Because when I look at the church, 00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:40.119 it's no different than my club. 00:27:42.019 --> 00:27:43.960 And what Paul says is that's what happens 00:27:43.960 --> 00:27:45.059 when we lose our focus, 00:27:45.180 --> 00:27:47.539 when we've lost the power of the gospel. 00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:50.599 The people who don't know Christ, 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:52.759 people who are looking at us to see if we're different, 00:27:52.839 --> 00:27:53.779 to see if we're unified, 00:27:53.960 --> 00:27:54.980 to see if we don't fight, 00:27:55.359 --> 00:27:57.180 like everybody else in Hong Kong culture, 00:27:57.539 --> 00:27:59.559 if they don't see those things that are different, 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:02.539 then they just dismiss what Christ is doing 00:28:02.539 --> 00:28:05.500 because it's not working in your life. 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:09.819 It's not working in my life. 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:12.659 I mean, these are heavy words, right? 00:28:13.839 --> 00:28:16.179 I mean, I should have said at the very beginning, 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:16.799 I should have said, 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:18.500 hey, and by the way, this is God's word, 00:28:18.500 --> 00:28:21.039 and if I ever speak up here and you never get bothered, 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:23.859 if I ever say something that God's word says 00:28:23.859 --> 00:28:25.480 and it doesn't really challenge you, 00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:27.279 if it doesn't really, you get angry, 00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:28.799 hopefully you're not getting angry at me, 00:28:28.839 --> 00:28:29.799 but you're getting angry at God, 00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:32.339 if I ever say something that doesn't really challenge you, 00:28:32.599 --> 00:28:34.700 then you're not listening to what God's word is saying. 00:28:36.059 --> 00:28:37.839 And these are intense words. 00:28:37.980 --> 00:28:39.119 I mean, these are words that people, 00:28:39.579 --> 00:28:40.160 when they hear these, 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:41.480 sometimes they don't want to come back to church 00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:44.380 because they're being challenged in their walk. 00:28:46.460 --> 00:28:48.339 They're being challenged whether they're consistent 00:28:48.339 --> 00:28:50.680 and living like God wants them to live. 00:28:51.960 --> 00:28:53.220 And it's challenging me. 00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:56.839 I've been a part of some of these splits. 00:28:58.660 --> 00:29:00.059 And as I look back now over the years, 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:01.539 I just, I weep. 00:29:02.759 --> 00:29:04.240 And I wonder, what have we just said? 00:29:04.440 --> 00:29:05.680 Why are we really here? 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:09.759 And what's the primary thing? 00:29:11.480 --> 00:29:13.420 Where does the primary power come from? 00:29:15.259 --> 00:29:17.120 And it's not coming from our orthodoxy 00:29:17.120 --> 00:29:18.480 and it's not coming from our denomination. 00:29:18.680 --> 00:29:20.839 And it's not even, I've seen churches split over names. 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:25.200 It's not even coming from what we name the church. 00:29:27.360 --> 00:29:29.380 But the power's coming from a cross 00:29:29.380 --> 00:29:33.259 and Jesus Christ hanging on it. 00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:38.200 So we have, this is what the church is supposed to be, unified. 00:29:39.059 --> 00:29:40.680 We have, this is the problem, what's going on, 00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:41.519 because people have come in 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:42.620 and they start splitting up things 00:29:42.620 --> 00:29:43.380 and things are getting bad 00:29:43.380 --> 00:29:44.120 and things are getting messy. 00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:45.820 And finally, just in verse 13, 00:29:45.880 --> 00:29:46.960 he gives us the cure. 00:29:48.100 --> 00:29:49.720 And if you look at it, it's really simple. 00:29:49.880 --> 00:29:53.880 It's three sentences, three questions written in Greek. 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:56.580 And when you write a sentence or question in Greek, 00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:58.279 you can write it in such a way 00:29:58.279 --> 00:29:59.759 that it demands a positive response 00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:01.539 or a negative response or an open response. 00:30:01.539 --> 00:30:03.819 And both of these are written in such a way 00:30:03.819 --> 00:30:06.159 that the response has to be no. 00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:09.519 And so Paul was thinking about what's going on in the church 00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:10.899 and what could go on in our church. 00:30:12.139 --> 00:30:13.299 And he asked this question, 00:30:14.299 --> 00:30:15.740 has Christ been divided? 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:18.299 No. 00:30:20.299 --> 00:30:21.579 Is there something you need to add 00:30:21.579 --> 00:30:23.319 to the power of the gospel to change your life? 00:30:24.680 --> 00:30:25.000 No. 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:28.740 Is there something plus the cross that we need? 00:30:30.339 --> 00:30:30.759 No. 00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:33.440 Has Christ been divided? 00:30:34.420 --> 00:30:36.000 Was Paul crucified for you? 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:37.240 Was he? 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:40.299 Was your favorite speaker crucified for you? 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:42.940 Was that perfect church community group crucified for you? 00:30:43.660 --> 00:30:44.099 No. 00:30:46.099 --> 00:30:48.279 Were you baptized in Paul's name? 00:30:50.039 --> 00:30:50.579 No. 00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:53.599 What Christ is trying to teach us 00:30:53.599 --> 00:30:54.439 and he's trying to teach them 00:30:54.439 --> 00:30:56.299 is that what Paul is, 00:30:56.339 --> 00:30:58.939 is he's saying that Christ is everything. 00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:02.919 That Jesus is your only hope. 00:31:04.399 --> 00:31:06.639 You know, God might use your CG leader 00:31:06.639 --> 00:31:08.740 or a pastor or your community group 00:31:08.740 --> 00:31:10.019 or the elders or even Watermark. 00:31:10.259 --> 00:31:12.500 He might use this church in amazing ways 00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:13.919 to help you grow and take the next step 00:31:13.919 --> 00:31:15.839 in your spiritual formation with God. 00:31:16.500 --> 00:31:18.299 But this church isn't your hope. 00:31:18.299 --> 00:31:21.519 And if it becomes your hope, 00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:23.579 if you lift something up besides Jesus, 00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:25.240 you're always going to have trouble. 00:31:25.339 --> 00:31:26.159 And that's what's happening 00:31:26.159 --> 00:31:27.680 to the church in Corinth. 00:31:27.779 --> 00:31:28.980 They're lifting something else up. 00:31:29.859 --> 00:31:30.899 And can I be honest with you? 00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:33.480 A lot of us in here, 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:37.460 we're lifting up other things besides Jesus also. 00:31:39.480 --> 00:31:40.559 It's one of the reasons 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:43.000 some of our lives are in such a mess. 00:31:44.419 --> 00:31:46.159 Because we're looking to other things 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:48.680 for power and healing 00:31:48.680 --> 00:31:50.600 and change 00:31:50.600 --> 00:31:51.940 and hope 00:31:51.940 --> 00:31:53.460 and meaning 00:31:53.460 --> 00:31:54.960 and purpose 00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:56.540 and significance 00:31:56.540 --> 00:31:57.880 and honor. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:00.380 And what Paul is saying is 00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:02.380 if you look for them in anything else, 00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:04.779 you're going to be empty. 00:32:06.380 --> 00:32:07.759 You're going to be hollow. 00:32:08.620 --> 00:32:10.040 You're going to be hurting. 00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:12.539 Because the cross 00:32:12.539 --> 00:32:13.539 is enough. 00:32:16.159 --> 00:32:17.839 What Christ has done for you 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:18.920 is enough. 00:32:20.259 --> 00:32:21.839 And if you lift anything else up, 00:32:21.899 --> 00:32:22.740 you're going to be disappointed. 00:32:22.879 --> 00:32:23.740 And when you get disappointed, 00:32:23.940 --> 00:32:24.980 you're either going to be disappointed 00:32:24.980 --> 00:32:25.799 because not everybody else 00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:26.619 likes what you like, 00:32:27.639 --> 00:32:28.480 like the style of worship 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:29.259 or the pastors 00:32:29.259 --> 00:32:29.960 or the church. 00:32:30.440 --> 00:32:30.920 And so you're going to be 00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:31.579 disappointed at them 00:32:31.579 --> 00:32:32.480 and they're going to be disappointed at you 00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:33.339 because you like different things 00:32:33.339 --> 00:32:33.819 than they like 00:32:33.819 --> 00:32:34.980 and you're going to have disunity. 00:32:36.139 --> 00:32:37.079 Or you're going to be disappointed 00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:37.599 because you're going to say, 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:38.460 well, I really like Chris 00:32:38.460 --> 00:32:39.139 or I really like Tobin. 00:32:39.140 --> 00:32:39.759 They're great guys 00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:40.740 and one day you're going to see us 00:32:40.740 --> 00:32:42.240 do something stupid, 00:32:42.500 --> 00:32:43.300 something sinful, 00:32:43.460 --> 00:32:44.220 something broken. 00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:46.700 And then you're going to go, 00:32:46.780 --> 00:32:47.780 wow, I can't believe he did that 00:32:47.780 --> 00:32:48.480 because he's a pastor 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:49.160 and he shouldn't do that 00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:50.400 because pastors know better than that. 00:32:51.500 --> 00:32:52.460 And that happens all the time 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:53.600 in Asian cultures, doesn't it? 00:32:56.940 --> 00:32:58.520 But your pastors are broken, 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:01.160 sinful people. 00:33:02.980 --> 00:33:04.400 And if anyone ever comes up here 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:05.700 and teaches you that they're not, 00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:08.240 you need to get up and leave. 00:33:09.140 --> 00:33:11.840 Because you're going to be disappointed. 00:33:13.460 --> 00:33:14.500 And so in this book, 00:33:14.540 --> 00:33:15.300 we're going to go on 00:33:15.300 --> 00:33:16.780 and it's going to be so powerful. 00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:18.380 But Paul, his heart, 00:33:18.440 --> 00:33:19.000 and it's amazing 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:20.080 because he just goes over and over. 00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:21.860 He's so concerned about anything 00:33:21.860 --> 00:33:23.020 taking the place of Jesus. 00:33:23.360 --> 00:33:24.600 He's so concerned about anything 00:33:24.600 --> 00:33:25.680 taking the place of the cross. 00:33:26.120 --> 00:33:27.720 He's so concerned about baptisms 00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:28.600 and sacraments 00:33:28.600 --> 00:33:30.720 and flashy worship bands 00:33:30.720 --> 00:33:32.680 and a beautiful church building 00:33:32.680 --> 00:33:33.980 and how we preach 00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:35.060 and who's preaching. 00:33:35.059 --> 00:33:35.899 You know, Jesus, 00:33:36.159 --> 00:33:36.960 I mean, Paul says that 00:33:36.960 --> 00:33:39.279 he's glad that he's not a flashy teacher. 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:41.179 Paul actually, 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.240 in 1 Corinthians 4, 00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:42.440 says, 00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:43.700 I'm kind of glad 00:33:43.700 --> 00:33:45.159 that I'm not flashy 00:33:45.159 --> 00:33:46.759 and really rhetorical 00:33:46.759 --> 00:33:47.440 and logical 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:48.839 and that everybody loves my style 00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:49.940 because if I did, 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:50.500 maybe they would, 00:33:51.579 --> 00:33:52.079 like me, 00:33:52.139 --> 00:33:52.819 more than Christ. 00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:53.960 Maybe I would diminish 00:33:53.960 --> 00:33:55.960 the message of the gospel 00:33:55.960 --> 00:33:57.960 more by my actions 00:33:57.960 --> 00:33:58.879 and my jokes 00:33:58.879 --> 00:34:01.059 and how I teach. 00:34:01.059 --> 00:34:03.799 And so Paul was very cautious 00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:05.359 not to rob anything 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:06.279 of God's word. 00:34:08.279 --> 00:34:09.480 So let me ask you a question. 00:34:10.360 --> 00:34:11.239 I didn't know they're gonna come 00:34:11.239 --> 00:34:12.199 because it's at the end of the sermon 00:34:12.199 --> 00:34:13.219 and I always ask questions 00:34:13.219 --> 00:34:15.539 because it's the only way I learn. 00:34:18.199 --> 00:34:19.079 I learn a lot 00:34:19.079 --> 00:34:20.539 by watching people's facial expressions 00:34:20.539 --> 00:34:21.460 when I ask the questions. 00:34:23.719 --> 00:34:25.059 So how about us today? 00:34:27.139 --> 00:34:28.840 Are there things in our lives 00:34:28.840 --> 00:34:30.400 that take away the power of the gospel? 00:34:31.059 --> 00:34:36.199 Are there idols? 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:40.219 Things we cling to? 00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:43.019 Things we hope in? 00:34:44.699 --> 00:34:45.880 Take away the power of the gospel? 00:34:47.460 --> 00:34:49.400 I mean, is our hope in Jesus only? 00:34:51.279 --> 00:34:53.639 Or is it Jesus plus my bank account? 00:34:54.860 --> 00:34:55.820 Or my job? 00:34:57.059 --> 00:34:57.840 Or my family? 00:34:57.940 --> 00:34:58.559 Or my wife? 00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:01.559 Is my hope in Jesus only 00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:03.539 and realizing that Jesus is broken 00:35:03.539 --> 00:35:05.199 and crucified 00:35:05.199 --> 00:35:07.340 for me? 00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:11.360 I mean, do we understand 00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:13.159 the sacrifice that Christ paid for us 00:35:13.159 --> 00:35:13.840 on the cross? 00:35:15.639 --> 00:35:16.699 Do we understand 00:35:16.699 --> 00:35:17.579 what he's done for us? 00:35:17.639 --> 00:35:18.059 Do we understand 00:35:18.059 --> 00:35:19.699 the substitution of sinfulness 00:35:19.699 --> 00:35:20.500 for sinlessness? 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:23.340 Righteousness for unrighteousness? 00:35:23.420 --> 00:35:24.980 Do we see that? 00:35:24.980 --> 00:35:30.440 Or do we let things get in the way 00:35:30.440 --> 00:35:33.000 of God's power 00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:36.039 in the cross in our life? 00:35:40.719 --> 00:35:41.860 Maybe I should say it this way. 00:35:42.019 --> 00:35:43.460 Guys, I've been thinking about this. 00:35:43.519 --> 00:35:44.500 You get to hear it for four minutes 00:35:44.500 --> 00:35:45.480 and then you get to forget it 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:46.420 because you're going to go eat dim sum. 00:35:46.420 --> 00:35:50.460 But when we look at the cross 00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:54.139 and we see an innocent Jesus 00:35:54.139 --> 00:35:55.539 humiliated, 00:35:57.420 --> 00:35:58.760 beaten, 00:36:00.420 --> 00:36:00.900 broken, 00:36:02.720 --> 00:36:03.119 bleeding, 00:36:03.420 --> 00:36:06.619 when we see Jesus hanging on a cross for us, 00:36:07.420 --> 00:36:09.500 does that affect you? 00:36:09.500 --> 00:36:17.340 Does that affect how you treat other people? 00:36:22.039 --> 00:36:23.699 Does that affect how you treat your friends, 00:36:24.539 --> 00:36:25.039 your classmates? 00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:30.039 Does it affect how we treat our spouses? 00:36:31.320 --> 00:36:34.000 I mean, when we see a Christ crucified for us, 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:35.500 does it affect how we do business? 00:36:35.500 --> 00:36:40.739 I mean, when you go into the work on Monday, 00:36:40.940 --> 00:36:42.780 are you focusing on the gospel 00:36:42.780 --> 00:36:44.139 and knowing that no matter what happens, 00:36:44.519 --> 00:36:45.880 Christ has been crucified for you, 00:36:46.059 --> 00:36:46.659 he's there, 00:36:46.739 --> 00:36:47.500 he's gone before you, 00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:48.260 he's leading you, 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:49.880 he's taking care of your eternity, 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:50.940 he can take care of tomorrow. 00:36:51.059 --> 00:36:52.079 You don't need to worry about that. 00:36:52.320 --> 00:36:53.719 You can just let it go and be free 00:36:53.719 --> 00:36:55.599 and walk with him. 00:36:59.599 --> 00:37:02.280 Does the gospel affect you? 00:37:05.500 --> 00:37:08.900 Does it affect how we handle our resources? 00:37:09.079 --> 00:37:10.460 Does it affect how we handle our kids? 00:37:10.579 --> 00:37:12.780 Does it affect how we love each other? 00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:14.820 And Paul's saying, 00:37:14.940 --> 00:37:15.400 if it doesn't, 00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:16.559 if we can look at these gospels 00:37:16.559 --> 00:37:17.719 and we can look at Jesus hanging up there 00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:19.239 and it doesn't change how we do work, 00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:20.320 it doesn't change how we do business, 00:37:20.599 --> 00:37:21.679 it doesn't change how we treat people, 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:22.659 then what he's saying is 00:37:22.659 --> 00:37:23.940 we've missed the message 00:37:23.940 --> 00:37:25.739 and we've substituted the power of the cross 00:37:25.739 --> 00:37:27.300 for something else in our life, 00:37:27.340 --> 00:37:28.099 whether it's our job 00:37:28.099 --> 00:37:28.840 or our bank account 00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:29.960 or our mission 00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:30.860 or whatever we're on. 00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:32.420 We've substituted that power 00:37:32.420 --> 00:37:33.739 and we're grabbing for power from that 00:37:33.739 --> 00:37:34.500 and hope from that 00:37:34.500 --> 00:37:35.860 instead of who Jesus is. 00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:38.800 And the whole message of Corinthians is 00:37:38.800 --> 00:37:40.179 Paul's coming back 00:37:40.179 --> 00:37:41.239 and he wants us to focus. 00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:43.280 And I think it's, you know, 00:37:43.340 --> 00:37:44.539 some of us might say it's naive, 00:37:45.659 --> 00:37:47.599 but Paul says that if you focused on cross, 00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:48.820 if you focused on Christ, 00:37:49.179 --> 00:37:50.460 if you focused on all these things 00:37:50.460 --> 00:37:51.179 and you realize it 00:37:51.179 --> 00:37:51.920 as you went through your day 00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:53.360 that you wouldn't have divisions, 00:37:54.360 --> 00:37:58.539 that you wouldn't have arguments 00:37:58.539 --> 00:38:01.659 because you would realize 00:38:01.659 --> 00:38:02.420 that there's diversity 00:38:02.420 --> 00:38:03.200 and there's a difference 00:38:03.200 --> 00:38:04.639 and that's an amazing thing. 00:38:05.340 --> 00:38:06.099 But ultimately, 00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:08.400 it's Christ who brings us together. 00:38:10.400 --> 00:38:12.400 And the struggle with the Corinthian church 00:38:12.400 --> 00:38:14.840 and what could be our struggle one day 00:38:14.840 --> 00:38:15.400 is this. 00:38:15.860 --> 00:38:18.579 They allowed their personal preferences. 00:38:18.579 --> 00:38:20.679 They allowed their personal ideals. 00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:23.480 They allow the things 00:38:23.480 --> 00:38:24.299 that they valued. 00:38:24.659 --> 00:38:25.599 They allowed these things 00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:27.319 that were non-essentials 00:38:27.319 --> 00:38:28.139 and they grabbed them 00:38:28.139 --> 00:38:28.739 and they brought them 00:38:28.739 --> 00:38:29.259 into their heart 00:38:29.259 --> 00:38:30.719 and they allowed these things 00:38:30.719 --> 00:38:32.779 to rule their lives. 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:37.299 And because they ruled these, 00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:38.579 they allowed these things 00:38:38.579 --> 00:38:39.239 to rule their life, 00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:40.259 they didn't have 00:38:40.259 --> 00:38:41.039 any place for differences. 00:38:41.219 --> 00:38:41.960 They didn't have any place 00:38:41.960 --> 00:38:43.500 for different ideas. 00:38:43.779 --> 00:38:44.719 They didn't have any place 00:38:44.719 --> 00:38:45.659 for doing different things. 00:38:45.659 --> 00:38:47.799 and these divisions were formed 00:38:47.799 --> 00:38:49.199 just like they were formed in their culture, 00:38:49.319 --> 00:38:50.799 just like they're in Hong Kong right now. 00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:53.940 And these divisions nullified the power of the gospel 00:38:53.940 --> 00:38:57.699 and they made the church just like the city. 00:39:03.219 --> 00:39:06.319 Are you just like Hong Kong? 00:39:13.879 --> 00:39:15.139 Do we have the same values? 00:39:15.659 --> 00:39:20.559 Are we looking for the same thing that gives us power? 00:39:23.759 --> 00:39:25.319 Paul says if we do, we're lost. 00:39:27.980 --> 00:39:29.559 We might as well just close up shop. 00:39:31.319 --> 00:39:33.099 We might as well just all get a club membership. 00:39:35.639 --> 00:39:37.460 I want Hong Kong football club. 00:39:38.119 --> 00:39:39.219 Anybody has an extra one. 00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:42.440 But that's what he's saying, right? 00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:45.900 Because we're no different. 00:39:49.700 --> 00:39:51.579 Here's some questions I've been asking myself. 00:39:54.260 --> 00:39:55.679 How am I doing with my pride? 00:39:55.679 --> 00:40:03.659 Do I feel like I have all the things of God figured out? 00:40:07.500 --> 00:40:08.859 And everyone else is wrong? 00:40:10.859 --> 00:40:12.559 That only in our church we're doing it well, 00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:13.679 but all the other churches are wrong? 00:40:14.179 --> 00:40:15.519 Only in my life am I doing it well, 00:40:15.579 --> 00:40:16.460 but everybody else is wrong? 00:40:16.779 --> 00:40:17.859 Or unless they do it just like me, 00:40:17.899 --> 00:40:18.579 then they're right? 00:40:18.579 --> 00:40:21.880 Are we the policemen of the truth? 00:40:24.539 --> 00:40:26.340 Are we trying to correct everybody else's errors? 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:28.960 You know, I was in a church one time 00:40:28.960 --> 00:40:29.860 with a group of older people, 00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:32.539 and any time anything was said wrong or different 00:40:32.539 --> 00:40:33.799 or the wording was used wrong, 00:40:34.139 --> 00:40:36.420 they would be up immediately to talk to the pastor 00:40:36.420 --> 00:40:37.519 or the worship leader and say, 00:40:37.579 --> 00:40:38.420 well, you shouldn't use that word. 00:40:38.460 --> 00:40:39.179 You should use this word, 00:40:39.219 --> 00:40:39.920 and you should do these things, 00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:40.659 and you should do these styles. 00:40:41.279 --> 00:40:42.119 Because in their world, 00:40:42.199 --> 00:40:43.879 they had grabbed on to those things, 00:40:44.159 --> 00:40:45.500 and they had elevated those things 00:40:45.500 --> 00:40:48.859 more than they had elevated the cross in Jesus. 00:40:50.319 --> 00:40:51.539 And I use that as an example 00:40:51.539 --> 00:40:52.879 because I've done it also. 00:40:55.079 --> 00:40:58.000 And if we're honest, we've all done it 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:00.339 because we've allowed our pride to come in here, 00:41:00.359 --> 00:41:02.739 and we've allowed our pride to correct 00:41:02.739 --> 00:41:04.199 what people are saying, 00:41:04.379 --> 00:41:06.179 and what Paul is saying is if you do this, 00:41:06.199 --> 00:41:07.099 it's going to destroy you. 00:41:07.099 --> 00:41:11.440 It's going to destroy the unity of church. 00:41:13.380 --> 00:41:14.019 More importantly, 00:41:14.079 --> 00:41:15.519 it's going to destroy the message of the gospel. 00:41:19.900 --> 00:41:21.759 How do we do when other personalities 00:41:21.759 --> 00:41:24.759 or preferences hurt our feelings? 00:41:27.199 --> 00:41:29.539 When the worship music isn't exactly like you want it, 00:41:29.599 --> 00:41:31.599 or the sermon isn't exactly like you want it, 00:41:31.599 --> 00:41:33.179 or the personality of the pastor isn't exactly, 00:41:33.460 --> 00:41:35.400 or your community group isn't exactly like you want it, 00:41:35.400 --> 00:41:36.920 and you want a different leader in your community group, 00:41:37.099 --> 00:41:38.539 and you want to teach on something differently, 00:41:38.779 --> 00:41:40.420 how do we do when there's these differences 00:41:40.420 --> 00:41:42.579 and these personalities or these preferences, 00:41:42.980 --> 00:41:44.819 what do we do when we don't get our preference? 00:41:49.960 --> 00:41:51.759 How do you respond when you don't get your preference? 00:41:53.940 --> 00:41:55.639 Do you just take your ball up and go home? 00:41:56.239 --> 00:41:56.819 I'm out of here. 00:41:58.219 --> 00:41:59.380 They didn't have drums today. 00:41:59.380 --> 00:42:04.019 I had somebody who came to check this out, 00:42:04.119 --> 00:42:04.860 and they basically said, 00:42:04.920 --> 00:42:05.559 do you have a choir? 00:42:05.640 --> 00:42:06.140 And I said, yeah, 00:42:06.300 --> 00:42:07.960 we only have a choir like twice a year. 00:42:08.019 --> 00:42:08.860 They go, I'm out of here. 00:42:10.039 --> 00:42:10.920 And I was like, well, 00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:12.000 that's probably a good thing 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:13.180 because you're going to be really disappointed. 00:42:15.260 --> 00:42:16.880 But how do we react when we don't get our preferences? 00:42:19.260 --> 00:42:21.079 Are our preferences the primary thing? 00:42:22.980 --> 00:42:24.340 Are our preferences the gospel? 00:42:24.340 --> 00:42:29.920 Are our preferences style and look and feel 00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:31.780 and ideas like that? 00:42:32.579 --> 00:42:34.240 Paul says if we hold on to our preferences, 00:42:34.400 --> 00:42:35.880 we don't allow other people to have their preferences, 00:42:36.039 --> 00:42:37.220 we don't allow other people to be different, 00:42:37.559 --> 00:42:38.460 we don't allow diversity. 00:42:38.620 --> 00:42:40.039 If we don't allow those things, 00:42:40.079 --> 00:42:41.280 we're going to destroy ourselves, 00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:43.640 and we're going to destroy the church, 00:42:44.579 --> 00:42:46.079 and we're going to destroy the power of the gospel. 00:42:46.079 --> 00:42:48.639 And the last question is, 00:42:48.679 --> 00:42:49.539 what do we do with the gospel? 00:42:51.860 --> 00:42:54.239 I mean, are we teaching the gospel clearly at Watermark? 00:42:56.699 --> 00:42:57.799 Are there distractions? 00:43:00.079 --> 00:43:01.599 Are we teaching the cross clearly? 00:43:01.679 --> 00:43:03.639 Are we teaching all that Christ has done clearly? 00:43:08.759 --> 00:43:10.319 Is Christ beautiful to you? 00:43:10.319 --> 00:43:10.340 Is Christ beautiful to you? 00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:17.400 Think about that for a second. 00:43:19.299 --> 00:43:21.880 Is Jesus beautiful to you? 00:43:24.460 --> 00:43:26.559 Is the fact that he hung on a cross 00:43:26.559 --> 00:43:29.400 and was beaten and broken for you? 00:43:31.519 --> 00:43:32.599 Is that amazing? 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:37.880 Is that something that when you think about it, 00:43:37.920 --> 00:43:38.840 you just are in awe? 00:43:40.699 --> 00:43:41.880 And you wonder, 00:43:43.079 --> 00:43:44.259 and you ask questions, 00:43:44.259 --> 00:43:44.719 why? 00:43:46.079 --> 00:43:49.219 Is Christ's humility 00:43:49.219 --> 00:43:51.279 and sacrifice 00:43:51.279 --> 00:43:53.599 amazing to you? 00:43:58.719 --> 00:44:00.059 The church of Corinth 00:44:00.059 --> 00:44:01.880 struggled with that. 00:44:05.920 --> 00:44:07.420 And you and I will also. 00:44:11.360 --> 00:44:12.900 As only as we stay in community, 00:44:12.900 --> 00:44:16.280 as only as we keep the main thing, 00:44:16.360 --> 00:44:17.099 the main thing 00:44:17.099 --> 00:44:20.280 that will change. 00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:23.920 And the power won't be Tobin's message 00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:24.800 or Chris's message 00:44:24.800 --> 00:44:25.539 or Eric's message. 00:44:25.639 --> 00:44:26.880 The power will be God's word 00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:27.639 changing you. 00:44:30.519 --> 00:44:31.900 Some of the greatest revivals 00:44:31.900 --> 00:44:33.880 that have happened in the last 200 years 00:44:33.880 --> 00:44:36.480 have been from men 00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:37.960 who have no education. 00:44:37.960 --> 00:44:41.599 read the story of Dwight L. Moody, 00:44:42.800 --> 00:44:44.099 shoe salesman from Chicago. 00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:46.980 He became so popular, 00:44:47.079 --> 00:44:47.860 they took him to Oxford. 00:44:48.940 --> 00:44:50.519 Before he went up to preach at Oxford, 00:44:50.860 --> 00:44:52.900 the students and the faculty mocked him 00:44:52.900 --> 00:44:55.659 because of his ability to speak 00:44:55.659 --> 00:44:57.400 and couldn't use the right vocabulary 00:44:57.400 --> 00:44:58.280 or the verbiage. 00:44:58.280 --> 00:45:02.340 And his message to them 00:45:02.340 --> 00:45:03.080 when he got up was, 00:45:03.240 --> 00:45:03.760 hey guys, 00:45:04.840 --> 00:45:06.260 don't let anybody fool you. 00:45:08.200 --> 00:45:09.040 God loves you. 00:45:12.340 --> 00:45:13.140 God loves you. 00:45:16.560 --> 00:45:17.820 The church of Corinth 00:45:17.820 --> 00:45:19.840 forgot that. 00:45:23.380 --> 00:45:25.240 My prayer is that we would never do that. 00:45:25.239 --> 00:45:29.239 that we would remind each other daily 00:45:29.239 --> 00:45:32.319 how awesome and wonderful he is. 00:45:33.839 --> 00:45:35.719 We allow the power of his word, 00:45:36.259 --> 00:45:36.859 his deeds, 00:45:37.099 --> 00:45:37.679 the cross, 00:45:37.979 --> 00:45:38.519 his blood 00:45:38.519 --> 00:45:40.439 to change us, 00:45:41.519 --> 00:45:42.579 to bring us together 00:45:42.579 --> 00:45:45.299 so that all of your work 00:45:45.299 --> 00:45:46.239 and all of Hong Kong 00:45:46.239 --> 00:45:47.099 and all the world 00:45:47.099 --> 00:45:48.679 see something amazing 00:45:48.679 --> 00:45:51.500 that we have Texans 00:45:51.500 --> 00:45:53.279 worshiping with Australians 00:45:53.280 --> 00:45:55.600 and New Zealanders 00:45:55.600 --> 00:45:57.320 and South Africans. 00:45:58.640 --> 00:46:00.040 I don't want to use accents 00:46:00.040 --> 00:46:01.360 because every time I use any accent 00:46:01.360 --> 00:46:02.660 I always sound Mexican. 00:46:04.280 --> 00:46:05.019 I don't know. 00:46:07.060 --> 00:46:08.320 But that's what Paul's trying to say. 00:46:10.620 --> 00:46:11.580 Don't lose your focus. 00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:15.480 God loves you. 00:46:15.480 --> 00:46:22.599 Father, we thank you for this day. 00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:23.940 We thank you for your word. 00:46:24.460 --> 00:46:26.679 We thank you for your son. 00:46:26.840 --> 00:46:28.079 We thank you for the cross. 00:46:28.199 --> 00:46:29.760 We thank you that we can always come back 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:31.179 to the truth and the simplicity 00:46:31.179 --> 00:46:33.460 and we realize that the message 00:46:33.460 --> 00:46:35.019 that you have in your word for us 00:46:35.019 --> 00:46:36.199 is not difficult. 00:46:36.400 --> 00:46:37.199 It's not complex. 00:46:37.199 --> 00:46:37.380 It's not complex. 00:46:37.380 --> 00:46:42.260 It's very simple. 00:46:43.840 --> 00:46:45.980 It's a savior crucified for broken people 00:46:45.980 --> 00:46:49.260 doing everything that broken people 00:46:49.260 --> 00:46:50.440 could not do for themselves 00:46:50.440 --> 00:46:53.059 so that these broken and separated people 00:46:53.059 --> 00:46:54.220 could come back to the Father 00:46:54.220 --> 00:46:56.960 and once again be called his children 00:46:56.960 --> 00:46:59.059 and receive the blessings 00:46:59.059 --> 00:46:59.940 of what that means 00:46:59.940 --> 00:47:01.340 as we walk in this life 00:47:01.340 --> 00:47:02.460 and beyond. 00:47:03.940 --> 00:47:05.140 So what I pray for us, 00:47:05.139 --> 00:47:07.559 I pray for those of us in here right now 00:47:07.559 --> 00:47:09.219 who aren't in this journey. 00:47:09.339 --> 00:47:10.400 They're not with the family of God 00:47:10.400 --> 00:47:11.039 and they're struggling 00:47:11.039 --> 00:47:12.179 of what brings them meaning 00:47:12.179 --> 00:47:13.019 and what brings purpose. 00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:14.460 I pray that you would open their eyes 00:47:14.460 --> 00:47:15.299 to your son Jesus. 00:47:17.159 --> 00:47:18.239 I beg your forgiveness 00:47:18.239 --> 00:47:20.159 for our imperfectness as a church. 00:47:21.859 --> 00:47:22.859 Maybe you came today 00:47:22.859 --> 00:47:23.759 and no one welcomed you. 00:47:23.859 --> 00:47:24.679 Maybe you came today 00:47:24.679 --> 00:47:25.839 and no one asked your name. 00:47:25.839 --> 00:47:27.000 Maybe you came today 00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:29.559 and you still don't yet feel 00:47:29.559 --> 00:47:30.400 like you're at home 00:47:30.400 --> 00:47:32.199 and I just, I apologize 00:47:32.199 --> 00:47:34.960 because that's not what we're at. 00:47:35.139 --> 00:47:35.779 As a family. 00:47:37.739 --> 00:47:38.940 And when I pray for those of us in here 00:47:38.940 --> 00:47:39.980 who've been on this journey 00:47:39.980 --> 00:47:41.619 and we've lost focus, 00:47:41.719 --> 00:47:42.879 we've grabbed other things 00:47:42.879 --> 00:47:46.679 like style and texture 00:47:46.679 --> 00:47:48.500 and meeting places 00:47:48.500 --> 00:47:51.819 and feeling and business plan 00:47:51.819 --> 00:47:55.500 and budgets and structure 00:47:55.500 --> 00:47:58.299 and charismatic personalities 00:47:58.299 --> 00:47:59.759 and we've grabbed these things 00:47:59.759 --> 00:48:00.819 and we've elevated them 00:48:00.819 --> 00:48:01.339 and all of a sudden 00:48:01.339 --> 00:48:02.299 we've been disappointed 00:48:02.299 --> 00:48:03.259 and we realize that 00:48:03.260 --> 00:48:05.100 we've been grabbing the wrong things 00:48:05.100 --> 00:48:05.820 because our life 00:48:05.820 --> 00:48:06.700 really hasn't changed 00:48:06.700 --> 00:48:07.660 in the last couple years 00:48:07.660 --> 00:48:09.280 because we haven't been 00:48:09.280 --> 00:48:10.040 clinging to you. 00:48:10.140 --> 00:48:10.720 We haven't been clinging 00:48:10.720 --> 00:48:11.280 to your word. 00:48:11.380 --> 00:48:11.920 We haven't been clinging 00:48:11.920 --> 00:48:12.760 to the cross. 00:48:13.560 --> 00:48:14.340 We haven't been clinging 00:48:14.340 --> 00:48:15.040 to the gospel. 00:48:17.080 --> 00:48:19.640 So I apologize for you, 00:48:19.760 --> 00:48:20.200 for us. 00:48:20.280 --> 00:48:20.860 I apologize 00:48:20.860 --> 00:48:21.460 and I just, 00:48:21.980 --> 00:48:23.500 we repent before you. 00:48:24.840 --> 00:48:25.860 May we be different. 00:48:27.260 --> 00:48:28.680 And when I pray for our church 00:48:28.680 --> 00:48:29.680 that we wouldn't be a church 00:48:29.679 --> 00:48:30.319 that just gathers 00:48:30.319 --> 00:48:32.359 to focus inwardly 00:48:32.359 --> 00:48:33.159 but will you be a church 00:48:33.159 --> 00:48:33.839 that understands 00:48:33.839 --> 00:48:35.079 why you have us here 00:48:35.079 --> 00:48:36.899 and help us to understand 00:48:36.899 --> 00:48:37.859 that the power comes 00:48:37.859 --> 00:48:38.539 in your word 00:48:38.539 --> 00:48:40.859 and the power comes 00:48:40.859 --> 00:48:41.699 from the cross 00:48:41.699 --> 00:48:43.799 and the power comes 00:48:43.799 --> 00:48:44.799 from an empty tomb 00:48:44.799 --> 00:48:46.599 and the power comes 00:48:46.599 --> 00:48:47.159 from a spirit 00:48:47.159 --> 00:48:48.440 that inhabits his people 00:48:48.440 --> 00:48:49.259 and changes us 00:48:49.259 --> 00:48:50.039 and gifts us 00:48:50.039 --> 00:48:51.940 and the power comes 00:48:51.940 --> 00:48:52.419 from us looking 00:48:52.419 --> 00:48:53.219 through your word 00:48:53.219 --> 00:48:54.460 and allowing it to change us 00:48:54.460 --> 00:48:55.219 and make us different 00:48:55.219 --> 00:48:57.259 and that's the only thing 00:48:57.259 --> 00:48:58.059 the power comes from. 00:48:58.119 --> 00:48:58.819 It doesn't come from 00:48:58.819 --> 00:48:59.919 a program 00:48:59.919 --> 00:49:02.299 or an individual 00:49:02.299 --> 00:49:04.779 or a church 00:49:04.779 --> 00:49:07.219 but it comes through your son. 00:49:08.559 --> 00:49:09.319 Father, we love you. 00:49:10.099 --> 00:49:11.019 We need you. 00:49:12.259 --> 00:49:13.159 Help us to ask 00:49:13.159 --> 00:49:14.099 these questions well 00:49:14.099 --> 00:49:14.779 as we leave. 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:17.399 Do we find you beautiful? 00:49:19.599 --> 00:49:20.419 Are you enough? 00:49:21.919 --> 00:49:22.699 We pray these things 00:49:22.699 --> 00:49:23.659 in your son Jesus' name. 00:49:23.859 --> 00:49:24.079 Amen.