WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:19.339 Good evening. How's everybody doing? Good, good. Well, before you get into your face stuffing for your Labor Day cookout and such, I just wanted to come by and just say God bless you and thank you for having me here. 00:00:19.339 --> 00:00:28.460 I send you greetings from Revolution Church where I am the lead pastor and I'm blessed to be here to share with you today. 00:00:28.780 --> 00:00:38.060 Pastor Tommy is a buddy of mine and can we just give a round of applause for your pastor, Pastor Tommy, and also Pastor Dan and Deborah, everybody holding it down. 00:00:40.460 --> 00:00:48.799 Today we're going to talk about something pretty cool. We're going to talk about attitudes. Can somebody say attitudes? 00:00:49.340 --> 00:00:59.720 As believers in Jesus Christ, we don't always have the right attitude. And so what I want to talk to you today about is to be or not to be. 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:11.240 That old saying, that old Shakespearean saying, Jesus told us how to be and he actually told us about it in the unique way that it has everything to do with our attitudes. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:15.480 And so what we're going to do is take a moment to pray over the word and we're going to dig right in. Amen. 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:21.640 Let's pray. Father God, in the name of Jesus Christ, would you just synchronize our hearts and our minds with yours? 00:01:22.320 --> 00:01:29.219 Lord, would you please remove every distraction, any and everything that wants to get in the way of you being exalted, in the way of you being glorified? 00:01:29.800 --> 00:01:37.560 God, we want you to totally, totally take control of our attention span and help us, Lord God, to walk out of here different than the way we came. 00:01:38.300 --> 00:01:39.700 In Jesus name. Amen. 00:01:39.700 --> 00:01:47.460 Amen. Well, I was blessed to go to Israel last year and I traveled on a nine day trip to Israel. 00:01:47.960 --> 00:01:52.700 And while I was there, I had an opportunity to go to the Mount of Beatitudes. 00:01:52.960 --> 00:01:54.579 And you're going to see that picture come on the screen. 00:01:55.379 --> 00:02:03.159 I went to the Mount of Beatitudes and basically this is where Jesus gave his famous speech, the Beatitudes. 00:02:03.700 --> 00:02:08.199 The second picture is a picture of me wearing a whitish kind of colorful shirt. 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:12.479 But what I want you to focus on is the view. 00:02:13.619 --> 00:02:19.619 Imagine your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on that mountain speaking the words that we're going to read today. 00:02:20.199 --> 00:02:23.399 And it has everything to do with our attitudes. 00:02:24.579 --> 00:02:30.319 The Latin word for blessed, if you take a look at the screen, is beatus. 00:02:30.679 --> 00:02:31.939 Can everyone say beatus? 00:02:31.939 --> 00:02:32.340 Beatus. 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:36.979 And from beatus comes the word beatitude. 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:43.340 And so that basically means the attitudes that ought to be in our lives today. 00:02:44.219 --> 00:02:49.579 Now Jesus is going to break down how we're blessed with these different attitudes. 00:02:49.860 --> 00:02:53.680 But before we talk about blessings, I want to define righteousness just for a moment. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:55.819 One more look at the screen. 00:02:55.819 --> 00:03:02.060 Righteousness is defined as the quality of being in right standing with God. 00:03:02.780 --> 00:03:04.840 The condition acceptable to God. 00:03:05.859 --> 00:03:11.319 So in the book of Genesis, the Bible talks about how God and man were one. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:14.259 God and man were in a great, healthy relationship. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.219 But sin came and broke that relationship. 00:03:17.219 --> 00:03:22.120 So only through a relationship with Jesus Christ are we able to be friends with God. 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:24.439 Are we able to be sons and daughters of God? 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:26.319 Are we able to be connected with God? 00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:26.740 Amen. 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:30.840 And that's the right standing, the condition acceptable to God. 00:03:31.620 --> 00:03:34.979 So I'm kind of a one point kind of preacher. 00:03:35.219 --> 00:03:36.240 I have a focus point. 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:41.099 We're going to say over and over again and over and over again and over and over again. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:43.659 And as Pastor Dan said, I am a hip hop artist. 00:03:43.780 --> 00:03:46.180 And so my focus point does rhyme. 00:03:46.180 --> 00:03:51.060 So if you would indulge me in a little Dr. Seuss kind of preaching this evening, okay? 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:53.300 It's going to rhyme. 00:03:54.200 --> 00:03:55.680 Our focus point for today is this. 00:03:56.180 --> 00:04:00.340 Being righteous is not just doing things the Bible says I should do. 00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:05.800 It's having the attitude of my heart being like Christ in what I pursue. 00:04:06.819 --> 00:04:07.560 Did you catch the rhyme? 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:09.100 You got it. 00:04:10.020 --> 00:04:14.140 Being righteous is not just doing things the Bible says I should. 00:04:14.139 --> 00:04:16.659 That was like three of us. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:20.939 Being righteous is not just doing what the Bible says I should. 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:26.839 It's having the attitude of my heart being like Christ in what I pursue. 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:28.000 You guys are rhyming. 00:04:28.139 --> 00:04:28.959 We're going to have fun today. 00:04:30.019 --> 00:04:33.779 Well, let's look in Matthew chapter 5, verse 20. 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:36.639 I'm going to give you a spoiler to this passage. 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:41.680 We're going to skip all the way down to verse 20 toward the end of the whole Beatitudes speech. 00:04:42.219 --> 00:04:44.919 And Pastor Dan actually read it to us a few moments ago. 00:04:45.060 --> 00:04:47.740 But let's take a look at Matthew chapter 5, verse 20 one more time. 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:54.000 Jesus says after he finishes this whole thing about attitudes and he tells people, man, make sure your attitude is like this. 00:04:54.300 --> 00:04:56.479 Yo, you're going to be blessed if your attitude is like that. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:17.720 Jesus says, hey, I got to warn you, Christians, people, the Advent, I must warn you, unless your righteousness, unless your condition with God, unless your relationship with God is better than the relationship of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:05:18.379 --> 00:05:19.900 Now, you got to understand this, Advent. 00:05:19.899 --> 00:05:23.879 The people who heard this were like, wait a minute, Jesus, hold up, time out. 00:05:25.179 --> 00:05:34.879 How in your name could my condition with God be cooler than the condition with all the Pharisees? 00:05:35.599 --> 00:05:39.879 These religious guys study the Old Testament since they were babies, man. 00:05:40.060 --> 00:05:41.479 I just came to the faith. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:48.179 How can I be in a great relationship with you or dare I say, better relationship with you than these religious leaders? 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:51.819 And that's a question we have today, isn't it, church? 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:54.800 We've seen religious leaders come and go. 00:05:55.079 --> 00:06:00.439 We've seen religious leaders who talk a good talk but don't walk a good walk. 00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:02.180 It's hypocrisy. 00:06:03.060 --> 00:06:07.960 It's a hypocritical Christianity that we've seen a lot of leaders of the church embrace. 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:16.480 And a lot of us, if we can be honest, we question ourselves and say, well, if these religious leaders are not living up to the measuring condition of God, then how could I? 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:22.420 And so our focus point is going to direct us to the message that Jesus is describing in Matthew chapter 5. 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:25.120 That it's not just about what you do externally. 00:06:25.379 --> 00:06:29.720 It's about what God has done internally in your heart. 00:06:30.460 --> 00:06:33.480 Our focus point before we get into the scriptures in depth one more time. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:37.460 Being righteous is not just doing things the Bible says I should. 00:06:37.459 --> 00:06:43.919 It's having the attitude of my heart being like Christ in what I pursue. 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:46.159 Let's look into the scriptures. 00:06:46.739 --> 00:06:49.099 In Matthew chapter 5, let's start at verse 1. 00:06:50.479 --> 00:06:51.259 The Bible says, 00:06:51.259 --> 00:07:13.199 God blesses those who what, church? 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:17.360 Church, mourn for they will be comforted. 00:07:17.620 --> 00:07:21.599 God blesses those who are, for they will inherit the whole. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:28.279 God blesses those who and thirst for righteousness, which is also justice. 00:07:28.539 --> 00:07:29.779 We're going to come back to that righteousness. 00:07:30.599 --> 00:07:32.159 For they will be what, church? 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:33.879 Good. 00:07:34.099 --> 00:07:37.699 God blesses those who are, for they will be shown. 00:07:37.699 --> 00:07:42.939 God blesses those who are pure of, for they will see. 00:07:43.979 --> 00:07:48.579 God blesses those who work for, for they will be called the children of. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:54.879 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 00:07:55.099 --> 00:07:55.740 Look at 11. 00:07:56.139 --> 00:08:02.079 God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and talk about you on social media 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:05.860 and make fun of you and run your name through the mud and they're your co-worker 00:08:05.860 --> 00:08:09.520 and they didn't deserve the promotion but they rubbed it in your face because you know you worked harder than they did. 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:15.920 God blesses you when people hate on you and talk about you and want to treat you like crap. 00:08:16.280 --> 00:08:21.620 God blesses you when you're a follower of him because they're doing it sometimes to get a rise out of you. 00:08:21.860 --> 00:08:23.800 They want to check your attitude. 00:08:25.340 --> 00:08:29.240 Don't you hate, church, when you tell people at your job or in your school or your family, 00:08:29.460 --> 00:08:32.060 yeah, I'm a Christian, and they throw it in your face? 00:08:32.059 --> 00:08:38.779 Sometimes people at the job would say things to us that they know we're not cool with, 00:08:38.819 --> 00:08:42.179 that they know that it's not pleasing to God, but they want to get a rise out of us. 00:08:42.239 --> 00:08:46.419 They want to get a reaction out of us to see if we're going to live up to this standard of godliness. 00:08:47.239 --> 00:08:50.619 And sometimes, if we can be honest, our attitudes are not always Christ-like. 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:50.919 Amen? 00:08:52.199 --> 00:08:53.279 Okay, just me, huh? 00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:53.839 Okay. 00:08:55.419 --> 00:08:57.259 We're going to tell Pastor Tommy about this guy. 00:08:58.599 --> 00:09:00.119 Let's be honest, right, church? 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:03.039 Church, our attitudes are not always pleasing to God. 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:03.279 Amen? 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:04.120 Amen. 00:09:05.060 --> 00:09:06.519 That was three of us in a cough. 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:09.240 I'll take the cough. 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:10.120 That's four of us. 00:09:11.700 --> 00:09:12.519 Come on, church. 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:18.460 I need you to understand that a lot of religious people can talk the talk but not walk the walk. 00:09:18.460 --> 00:09:25.860 And coming into this building or any church edifice on Sundays does not qualify you for having a righteousness with a good standing with Jesus. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:28.560 It's about the condition of your heart. 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:32.319 Because watch this, you can even serve in church and your heart not be in the right place. 00:09:32.459 --> 00:09:33.819 That's what the Pharisees were doing. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:42.039 And that's why Jesus told us in verse 20, your righteousness, your relationship with God has to be better than these so-called Christian leaders who just talk a good talk. 00:09:42.139 --> 00:09:45.419 And they even serve, but they're serving with the wrong heart. 00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:47.599 Let's take a look at the word. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:51.879 Jesus says in verse 12, be happy about that. 00:09:52.139 --> 00:09:53.800 Be happy that you're going through these trials. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:55.800 Be happy that people are talking about you. 00:09:56.040 --> 00:09:57.899 Be happy that people are trying to get a rise out of you. 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:02.940 Be happy that people on social media are saying all this kind of stuff and they're saying negative things about you. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:03.200 Why? 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:05.080 Because you're his followers. 00:10:05.300 --> 00:10:07.259 For a great reward awaits you in heaven. 00:10:07.640 --> 00:10:10.660 And remember the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:14.740 Now Jesus gives us all this emphasis on these attitudes. 00:10:14.900 --> 00:10:16.120 He says you're blessed if you do this. 00:10:16.180 --> 00:10:17.140 You're blessed if you do that. 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:17.640 You're blessed. 00:10:17.740 --> 00:10:18.160 You're blessed. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:18.680 You're blessed. 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:19.120 You're blessed. 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:19.540 You're blessed. 00:10:19.539 --> 00:10:22.779 There's an old friend hymn and song that says we're blessed in the city. 00:10:23.099 --> 00:10:24.099 We're blessed in the field. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:25.480 We're blessed when we come. 00:10:25.740 --> 00:10:26.679 We're blessed when we go. 00:10:27.019 --> 00:10:33.339 And a lot of times if we look at social media and we look at celebrities in the world, they'll say they're blessed. 00:10:35.299 --> 00:10:39.899 I'm in the hip-hop industry and so a lot of rappers talk about being blessed. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:43.360 And oftentimes they're focusing on material external possessions. 00:10:44.279 --> 00:10:46.019 You're blessed if you got a hot wife. 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:47.539 You're blessed if you got a nice car. 00:10:47.539 --> 00:10:49.139 You're blessed if your house is big. 00:10:49.139 --> 00:10:50.779 You're blessed if you're wearing a lot of jewelry. 00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:52.559 You're blessed if you're wearing fancy clothes. 00:10:52.819 --> 00:10:54.379 You're blessed if you work down on Capitol Hill. 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:56.240 You're blessed if you got you a nice penthouse. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:00.419 But being blessed is not about stuff. 00:11:02.819 --> 00:11:08.299 Being blessed is about having the right attitude in your heart, in your relationship with God. 00:11:09.819 --> 00:11:17.000 And Jesus is breaking down to us in these verses we just read in Matthew chapter 5 that there's four attitudes that we need to have, church. 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:28.559 So we're going to go through four attitudes that Jesus breaks down for us so that we can check to make sure that our relationship with God is beyond the hypocritical religious people that talk about them but don't walk with them. 00:11:29.019 --> 00:11:29.200 Amen? 00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:29.280 Amen? 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.280 Let's look at the four attitudes to pursue. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:38.820 Number one, the attitude toward myself. 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:42.400 Jesus said in verse 3 that, you know, blessed are the poor in spirit. 00:11:42.680 --> 00:11:45.680 When the Bible says the poor in spirit, it means to be humble. 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:48.300 It means to have a correct estimate of oneself. 00:11:48.299 --> 00:11:54.379 I just, I know I'm not the only person in here that sometimes thinks more highly of myself than I ought to. 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:56.979 That's called pride, everybody. 00:11:57.399 --> 00:12:00.679 And the Bible says that if you walk in pride, you will fall. 00:12:01.099 --> 00:12:03.599 Because the Bible says pride comes before fall. 00:12:03.939 --> 00:12:05.659 The Bible also says that pride kills. 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:10.719 So the first attitude adjustment that needs to happen is the attitude toward my, what, church? 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:11.740 Self. 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:15.759 We need to have a right perspective of ourselves. 00:12:16.139 --> 00:12:19.060 That we're not doing God a favor by being saved. 00:12:19.259 --> 00:12:21.720 We're not doing God a favor by serving him. 00:12:22.560 --> 00:12:25.580 Our posture should be, Lord, I am a sinner. 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:27.919 I deserve the wrath and judgment of heaven. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.419 But by your grace, God, I'm saved. 00:12:31.060 --> 00:12:32.580 That's a humble posture. 00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:34.220 That's being poor in spirit. 00:12:34.220 --> 00:12:38.940 Jesus says you're blessed if you first understand that you're nothing without God. 00:12:38.940 --> 00:12:42.980 As a matter of fact, everybody deserves to go to hell. 00:12:43.160 --> 00:12:43.840 Including me. 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:45.780 Including Pastor Dan. 00:12:46.220 --> 00:12:47.180 Including Pastor Tommy. 00:12:47.540 --> 00:12:49.380 We all deserve God's wrath. 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:50.560 That's the bad news. 00:12:50.660 --> 00:12:52.640 But the good news is God loved us so much. 00:12:52.880 --> 00:12:54.840 He sent his only son to die on the cross for us. 00:12:55.020 --> 00:12:57.380 That if we confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:12:57.520 --> 00:12:59.920 And we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. 00:12:59.920 --> 00:13:05.340 We can be saved and have access to his kingdom and to his blessings and to purpose on this earth. 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:10.340 Arrogant Christians don't do any good. 00:13:11.340 --> 00:13:12.300 They just talk. 00:13:12.700 --> 00:13:13.660 And they might walk. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:14.980 But they're not walking willingly. 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:18.600 We have to have the right attitudes in our heart, ladies and gentlemen. 00:13:19.180 --> 00:13:21.220 Which is why our focus point for today is this. 00:13:21.320 --> 00:13:22.280 Let's look at it on the screen. 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:28.960 Being righteous is not just doing things the Bible says I should what, church? 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:29.519 You. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:35.080 It's having the attitude of my heart being like Christ in what I pursue. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:37.300 Some of us can pursue things at the workplace. 00:13:37.540 --> 00:13:39.320 We can pursue promotions. 00:13:39.540 --> 00:13:41.120 We can pursue good grades in school. 00:13:41.300 --> 00:13:42.560 We can pursue a relationship. 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.160 We can pursue financial advancement. 00:13:45.379 --> 00:13:46.740 We can pursue all types of things. 00:13:46.740 --> 00:13:49.879 But if our hearts are not aligned with Jesus and it doesn't line up with his will. 00:13:50.060 --> 00:13:51.300 That's not the right move. 00:13:52.100 --> 00:13:54.160 We need an attitude adjustment. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:56.740 Our first attitude adjustment. 00:13:56.740 --> 00:13:57.500 We just say it. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.399 We have to adjust the way that we view our what, church? 00:14:01.220 --> 00:14:01.659 Selves. 00:14:01.899 --> 00:14:02.139 Good. 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:04.259 Our second attitude adjustment is this. 00:14:04.680 --> 00:14:07.480 My attitude toward my sins. 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:09.940 And you can look at that at your own time again. 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:11.180 Verses 4 through 6. 00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:12.279 Let's take a look at it, church. 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:14.899 We should mourn sin. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:16.860 Like we shouldn't be happy about sin. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:18.480 Like, yes, man. 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:20.180 I just messed up. 00:14:20.220 --> 00:14:21.500 I just cursed out my wife. 00:14:21.740 --> 00:14:22.180 Yes. 00:14:23.019 --> 00:14:24.600 Man, I just looked at some pornography. 00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:25.480 Yes. 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:26.279 No. 00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:28.180 We shouldn't have a joy about sin. 00:14:28.340 --> 00:14:33.580 But we need to understand that sin is not just something that we commit. 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:40.560 When we sin, if we are embracing sin, we have to be careful that we're not applauding what God is appalling. 00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:46.320 Because some of us, if we can be honest, we're around people that applaud our falls. 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:51.879 We surround ourselves with so-called friends who encourage us to commit acts of sin. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:53.980 To say things that we shouldn't say. 00:14:54.400 --> 00:14:56.100 To do things that we know we shouldn't do. 00:14:56.900 --> 00:14:59.879 And they don't ask us and hold us accountable to God's word. 00:15:00.520 --> 00:15:03.740 And so we need to have a right perspective of sin in our lives, ladies and gentlemen. 00:15:03.740 --> 00:15:10.680 Because the little quiet sins you commit behind closed doors in the darkness of your privacy will come out in the public and expose you. 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:24.379 Satan wants us to think that the little sins we commit when nobody's watching on the internet, the little sins we commit when nobody's looking, how we talk to our children, how we talk to our spouse, the things we do with our friends. 00:15:24.379 --> 00:15:27.539 We're doing it low-key over here as if no one knows. 00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:34.039 But what God wants you to understand is that your heart is not in the right place because your heart is in a hidden place. 00:15:34.340 --> 00:15:37.740 And the Bible talks about a heart being calloused and hard before the Lord. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:41.360 And the Bible says the Lord will take the trouble. 00:15:41.960 --> 00:15:43.399 He will take this tool. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:47.700 He uses the agricultural metaphor to break up the hard heart and soften the heart. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:48.799 And it's painful. 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:57.799 So whether you come willingly or you come with an attitude problem, God will get through and soften up your heart and use you for his glory one way or another. 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:02.359 I've officiated many funerals of people who were resistant to the will of God. 00:16:02.500 --> 00:16:05.679 But even at their funeral, people came to Christ while they were in the casket. 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:08.099 God will get his glory out of your life. 00:16:08.099 --> 00:16:13.819 The question you need to ask yourself, church, is am I going to willingly, humbly submit to his will? 00:16:14.079 --> 00:16:17.899 Or am I going to be brought down to my knees in pain before the Lord? 00:16:17.899 --> 00:16:22.079 One way or another, I will submit and God will get his glory out of my life. 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:24.779 Focus point for this afternoon. 00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:31.279 Being righteous is not just doing the things the Bible says I should do. 00:16:32.459 --> 00:16:39.159 It's having the attitude of my heart being like Christ in the things I pursue. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:40.720 What are you pursuing? 00:16:41.819 --> 00:16:42.840 A relationship? 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:45.120 More money? 00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:48.579 Popularity? 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:49.939 Status? 00:16:51.179 --> 00:16:51.620 Fame? 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.000 Success? 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:54.799 Larger family? 00:16:56.279 --> 00:17:02.399 Whatever you're pursuing, you need to have the right perspective and the right attitude toward that thing. 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:08.259 That if God says don't pursue it, you can let that thing go and pursue what he wants you to pursue. 00:17:08.259 --> 00:17:13.879 Our first perspective for the attitude adjustment was my attitude towards myself. 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:18.079 The second perspective of the attitude adjustment is my attitude towards my sins. 00:17:18.180 --> 00:17:18.759 There's two more. 00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:23.240 The third perspective is my attitude toward the Lord. 00:17:24.259 --> 00:17:24.720 Oh, yeah. 00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:31.599 You know, we're being pretty quiet this evening, so I'm not going to ask you all to do any more call and response. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:34.379 Just think about this within yourselves. 00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:40.339 Since we're so quiet, I won't try to pull anything else out of you. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:42.679 Not too much. 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:48.799 Some of us just think about God like a holy ATM. 00:17:50.740 --> 00:17:51.000 Right? 00:17:51.900 --> 00:17:57.180 I mean, we come to the Advent, we give our tithes, our offerings, you know. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.640 We repeat the liturgy, we say the words, right? 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:09.040 But, I mean, when it boils down to it, I kind of only call on you, God, when I'm in trouble. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:16.920 You know, like, next time I'm really in a bind, I mean, I might talk to you around grace time, but I talk to you when I'm really in need. 00:18:17.040 --> 00:18:20.240 And God becomes this panic button guy. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:21.300 Right? 00:18:21.560 --> 00:18:25.600 In case of emergency, break the glass and pick up the phone and call Jesus. 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:35.219 And what we have to be careful of, ladies and gentlemen, is that God is more than just a genie in a bottle that we make our requests known to. 00:18:35.339 --> 00:18:41.699 Yes, the Bible says make our requests known to him, but our requests have to be in line with his good, pleasing, and perfect will for our lives. 00:18:42.500 --> 00:18:44.399 Some of us will be praying some crazy stuff. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:51.699 Like, God, please, please, God, let his wife leave him so I can marry him. 00:18:51.699 --> 00:18:52.899 Please, God. 00:18:52.900 --> 00:18:57.060 Some of us pray crazy stuff. 00:18:57.300 --> 00:19:00.820 We pray these things that are so selfishly driven, they have nothing to do with Jesus. 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:08.040 So our third perspective that needs to be adjusted is our attitude toward the Lord. 00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:11.920 Verses 7 through 9 said that blessed are the peacemakers. 00:19:13.940 --> 00:19:20.740 Because of our relationship with Jesus Christ in this troubled world, we become these channels and advocates of God's peace, purity. 00:19:20.740 --> 00:19:23.500 That's why the Bible is talking about all these blessings. 00:19:23.900 --> 00:19:28.680 See, when you get saved, a good metaphor is like an agricultural metaphor, right? 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:29.900 Let's break this down, right? 00:19:31.059 --> 00:19:32.440 Your heart is like soil. 00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:33.819 That's the parable of the sower, right? 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:35.200 You all familiar with that? 00:19:36.140 --> 00:19:36.960 Y'all are so quiet. 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:39.460 Are y'all hearing me? 00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:41.559 In the back, can you hear me? 00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:42.799 It's okay. 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:44.500 I'm just used to people talking to me. 00:19:44.700 --> 00:19:45.059 It's okay. 00:19:45.059 --> 00:19:47.700 So your heart is like soil, right? 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:50.039 The Holy Spirit is like a seed. 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:57.539 The seed of righteousness gets planted in the soil of your heart, and it produces what Galatians chapter 5 says, the fruit of the Spirit. 00:19:58.559 --> 00:20:02.279 So when you're truly saved, the Holy Spirit of God is dwelling inside of you. 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:10.059 He produces more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:19.059 So the power of the Holy Spirit working within us gives us the proper perspective to say, God, you're not just giving me these abilities just so I can call on you whenever I'm in trouble. 00:20:19.059 --> 00:20:19.940 I want to do sins. 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:22.639 You've given me more love and more patience. 00:20:22.819 --> 00:20:24.319 So this is the thing I've learned, church. 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:28.460 Whenever I ask God for more patience, he puts me in the most impatient situations. 00:20:29.980 --> 00:20:35.460 It's the day I go to McDonald's and I ask for ice cream and the ice cream machine is broken. 00:20:35.460 --> 00:20:48.920 It's when I'm in traffic and I'm behind a lady or a guy that slows down so much when the light starts turning yellow and they stop before the light turns red. 00:20:51.200 --> 00:21:00.440 When I ask God to help me with patience, it shows me how much my attitude needs to be adjusted and how my perspective needs to be aligned with him. 00:21:00.579 --> 00:21:02.319 Because I can't just talk a good talk. 00:21:02.380 --> 00:21:03.860 I got to walk a good what, church? 00:21:04.539 --> 00:21:04.980 Walk. 00:21:06.420 --> 00:21:07.519 Focus point for today. 00:21:08.259 --> 00:21:09.120 Let's get on the screen. 00:21:10.140 --> 00:21:13.640 Being righteous is not just doing things the Bible says I should what? 00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:14.420 You. 00:21:14.819 --> 00:21:15.240 Thank you. 00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:16.140 Thank you, Pastor Dan. 00:21:16.700 --> 00:21:19.640 It's having the attitude of my heart being like Christ and what I what? 00:21:20.299 --> 00:21:20.660 Pursue. 00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:21.440 Pursue. 00:21:22.059 --> 00:21:25.600 Will Smith had a movie called The Pursuit of Happiness and there's a lot of things we could pursue. 00:21:25.900 --> 00:21:28.860 But God wants us to make sure we're pursuing righteousness, not just happiness. 00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:34.220 Because when we're pursuing righteousness, we're pursuing being in a good relationship with him and he will give us everything we need. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:35.340 Last one. 00:21:35.919 --> 00:21:37.679 We talked about these three attitudes already. 00:21:37.679 --> 00:21:40.859 We said my attitude toward myself should be what I'm pursuing. 00:21:41.019 --> 00:21:41.939 That needs to be adjusted. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:43.579 My attitude toward my sins. 00:21:43.679 --> 00:21:44.559 That needs to be adjusted. 00:21:44.859 --> 00:21:46.699 My attitude toward the Lord needs to be adjusted. 00:21:46.700 --> 00:21:49.039 The last attitude is the attitude toward the world. 00:21:49.880 --> 00:21:51.500 Some of us have this perspective of the world. 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:53.940 Like we think the world, man, ah, man, they get everything. 00:21:54.839 --> 00:21:56.500 Man, they get so much stuff, man. 00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:57.420 They get to do so much stuff. 00:21:57.480 --> 00:21:59.920 I'm sitting over here with my little Christian party. 00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:02.440 My pity party of a Christian. 00:22:02.440 --> 00:22:04.980 You know, my biological clock is ticking. 00:22:05.100 --> 00:22:06.799 I can't get any guy to come over here. 00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:08.420 Oh, my gosh, man. 00:22:08.420 --> 00:22:10.400 I just want to go out here and one night just have fun. 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:13.460 I want to get hammered and make the Uber just drag me home, man. 00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:20.840 Like we see the world having such a quote-unquote good time, and we kind of envy it a little bit sometimes. 00:22:20.839 --> 00:22:23.240 Like the purge. 00:22:25.019 --> 00:22:31.980 One night, you can commit whatever sin you want, and God will see nothing. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:40.519 Okay, so if we can be honest, a lot of us would like to have a Christian purge, like one night of sin with no consequences. 00:22:40.879 --> 00:22:44.319 But the Bible says that we must understand that this world is broken. 00:22:44.579 --> 00:22:53.399 So, fellas, one of the things I had to do, fellas, is, you know, when I saw a lady that looked nice, you know, I asked God, Lord, please change my perspective of these beautiful women. 00:22:53.639 --> 00:22:55.480 This was even before I got married to my beautiful wife. 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:57.919 And even as a married man, I still have to pray this prayer. 00:22:58.299 --> 00:23:04.379 God, help me to see women that are attractive as beautiful creations, and you made them good. 00:23:04.599 --> 00:23:04.879 Bam. 00:23:05.079 --> 00:23:06.179 Okay, and I'm moving on. 00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:07.619 Not with a lustful eye. 00:23:07.919 --> 00:23:11.859 And then when I'm in conversation with some women, I had to pray this prayer as a single man. 00:23:11.859 --> 00:23:17.599 And Lord, help me to view her with the proper perspective that if she doesn't know you, she's perishing and she's on her way to hell. 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:20.859 What's more important, me staring at her body or me leading her to you? 00:23:22.639 --> 00:23:24.659 And I taught myself that as a single man. 00:23:25.219 --> 00:23:28.240 And I share it with you all today because I think somebody in here needs to hear it. 00:23:29.059 --> 00:23:30.599 You're flirting and playing with fire. 00:23:31.139 --> 00:23:38.319 And the reality is, ladies and gentlemen, we have to have a healthy perspective of the world that they need what we have. 00:23:38.979 --> 00:23:41.479 It's like people are dying of a disease all around us. 00:23:41.859 --> 00:23:46.799 And we have the cure, but we're selfishly holding on to it, wanting what the sick people have. 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:52.679 If you have the power of life within you, share that with people who are perishing. 00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:53.179 Amen? 00:23:54.539 --> 00:23:55.539 We'll close with this. 00:23:55.639 --> 00:23:58.159 You may say, Pastor Devin, how do I apply this message to my life? 00:23:58.439 --> 00:24:00.799 How do I take this one step further in my spiritual journey? 00:24:01.139 --> 00:24:02.119 Here's our next steps. 00:24:02.119 --> 00:24:11.519 Ask God to help you submit to his will, respond correctly to conviction, and share his love with others. 00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:13.379 Let's stand to our feet and pray. 00:24:13.379 --> 00:24:13.419 Let's pray.