Mission Church
Mission Church
Navigating Life's Challenges with Faith and Perseverance
Can the pursuit of material success bring true peace, or does spiritual fulfillment hold the key to a contented life? This episode of our podcast invites you to join us on a journey through Romans 8:12-15, where we explore the profound teachings of living by the Spirit rather than the flesh. By examining the misinterpretations that can arise from reading scripture in isolation, we uncover the deeper significance behind Jesus' promise in Matthew about asking in His name, emphasizing the importance of approaching God with reverence and understanding His sovereign wisdom.
Through a series of personal anecdotes, including JT's comical yet determined quest to master nunchucks and the trials of dealing with physical pain, we draw lessons on perseverance and faith. We reflect on the commitment to our spiritual beliefs and how faith and community play transformative roles in overcoming life's challenges. The discussion transitions to understanding human desires versus spiritual fulfillment, highlighting the endless quest for material satisfaction contrasted with the peace found in living a life guided by the Spirit.
Our conversation doesn't shy away from the tough questions about overcoming doubt and fear through faith. We share stories of personal crises, such as the agony of seeing a loved one suffer, and explore how biblical teachings can guide us through these moments of doubt. Emphasizing the eternal bond of adoption, we remind listeners of the unbreakable connection we have with God and the security it provides. Join us in embracing change and finding life through faith, living boldly, and setting an example for others as we navigate the transformative impact of a Christ-like life.
All right, and, like I said, I apologize ahead of time. You're not going to see the verses up on screen. Like I said, it was a super long week. I didn't have time to get done with everything I needed to get done with this week, with the hospital and all of that. But if you don't believe me that what I'm saying is in the Bible, if you stick around, just make a note I would be more than happy to show you where I got it when we get done.
Speaker 1:All right, so I'm going to read what we're covering tonight, I will pray and then we will jump into it. So, starting in Romans 8, verse 12, it says so. Then, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if, by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live, for all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God, for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry. Abba, father, dear heavenly, I ask and I pray that, as we go through this tonight, that God, you illuminate through your word, that God, you speak through me. That it not be me speaking, father, but you talking to your people. Father, I ask that I am just a tool that you use to get through this. And, father, I ask that we are changed from the inside out. We pray all of this in Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 1:All right, so to kick it off? So then, brothers, all right that. So then, brothers, what Paul is doing is he's going in light of everything I just said. So then, brothers, all right. So we have to understand again, just like everything, that nothing in scripture exists by itself, in this vacuum and I know it's very popular right for us to pick a verse from anywhere and just go. Hey, this verse says this. So this must be true. Like in Matthew, when Jesus says anything you ask in my name, I will give you. It would be very easy for me to go. Well, jesus said if I ask for it in his name, he will give it to me. So that just means that if I pray as long as I end my prayer with in Jesus' name, then I'll get whatever I pray for. And then, all of a sudden, I start viewing God, and I start viewing Jesus not as the supreme creator of all things who made all things and holds all things together, but I start looking at him more like a divine ATM machine and I start going to God, not because he is God, but I start going to him to fill the needs of my heart. And when that doesn't work and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but a lot of times it doesn't work the way I want it to all of a sudden I'm disappointed and I go well, you must not be God.
Speaker 1:Then I heard a saying I don't even know who said it, I forget off the top of my head. It was a couple of weeks ago. But they said this that if you knew everything that God knew, you would answer prayers the way God does. And see, and at first it's like man, it sounds really cool and it sounds like you're smart, and I didn't really understand like the full depth of what they were saying. But it's really easy to think about what they were saying. But it's really easy to think about what they were saying just in light of who. We are right.
Speaker 1:Like JT asked me for some ridiculous things, sometimes, like just today, jt decided that now, all of a sudden, above and beyond the MMA, he wants some nunchucks. Why not? Right, like we don't have enough weapons to defend our home. So now JT said he's going to not only buy some training nunchucks but be proficient in using them. To which I looked at JT and I went that's ridiculous. They are not easy and I want grandchildren, so I would rather them pick a different weapon. Right, like anyone laughing understands what happens with them when we try to do those fancy things.
Speaker 1:But again, as his father, as his elder, as a 41 year old forgot my age for a second that happens with time. Right, I get to look at him and go hey, that's ridiculous and you should save your money for something better. Like there, there are better things for you to spend your money on. But as a 16 year old, he is looking at me, going daddy, you're ridiculous and you don't understand that when I become proficient with my nunchucks, not only will I lead the revolt against anybody and everybody who could possibly harm our house, but I won't even need you to protect us anymore. See, it's very easy for us and I say all of that to go hey, let me just take this one verse and I'm going to tell you, over the next couple of weeks we're going to have a lot of those one verses, a lot of those verses that sound really really good by themselves. Like in just a couple of weeks we'll drop down to verse 28, which says this and we know this that all things work together for good for those who love God.
Speaker 1:And if I were to just simply look at that verse and go, hold up, jesus, you must not know everything that goes on in my life, because everything didn't work together for good for me. Like there were some things in my life, jesus, that really I need you to fix, and I need you to fix now. Like I'll go ahead and be the first one to admit like 10 years ago now, so at 31, I went to a doctor because, like I had this pain shooting down my arm and it wouldn't go away, no matter how much ibuprofen I took. And they sent me to go do an MRI, to go do this scan. And they went hey, look, man, you have the shoulder of an 80-year-old. And I went, excuse me, and they're like look, there is no cartilage left in here whatsoever, Like absolutely none. And here's the deal. The only thing we can do to fix it Is we can pull out your shoulder and put a new shoulder in. And I was like cool, when can we schedule that? Because, like this is not cool.
Speaker 1:And they went here's the deal, we can schedule that when you're about 60 to 70 years old. I went what, what kind of sense does that make? Like you want me to wait another 50 plus years to get pain relief. They're like look, you can do some physical rehab if you want. We can tighten up some of those smaller muscles so it kind of holds the shoulder joint in better place. And I was like no, like you need to put a new one in. This hurts. And they're like here's the deal, though A new shoulder is only good for 15 years, and that means that if we give this to you at 31, by the time you're 46, we're doing it again. And by the time you're 61, we're doing it again.
Speaker 1:And we can't do it that many times, because every time we go in, because you know you can't add on to the perfection that God gave, and for those of you looking at me going well, obviously it's not perfected if you need a new one. No, it was my choice, right, and we do have this thing called sin that we all battle with. Not that it was something sinful. I did that because that kind of came out wrong. Right, it wasn't like I didn't sinfully hurt my shoulder. It's just because of the curse we are no longer made perfect.
Speaker 1:Things break. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Well, I don't know. Some of you guys look a lot younger than me, but sometimes I get hurt, like sleeping, like I went to bed fine and I woke up with a new pain. I know you two don't understand that yet, but it happens, it's coming right, but I go again. That is what happens when we take things out of context in scripture. So it's important for us to remember what Paul is talking about here. Remember Paul right here is not talking to the world. He's not talking to everybody. He is talking to a specific group of people. He is talking to people who would sit here and go. Yes, I believe that Jesus is exactly who he claimed to be and did exactly what he claimed to do. That song that Kayla just sang and you know what? I'm really proud of her for being able to step up in the way that she has to be able to fill in and lead like this, but that song she just sang, we believe like that should be our anthem and that's what Paul is sitting here driving at.
Speaker 1:So, because we are saved, we are debtors. Okay, not to the flesh, like we don't owe our flesh anything, because we did nothing to earn that salvation. Therefore, I owe nothing to myself, and what that means is I have never in my life, ever, just white knuckle, gripped my sin and overcame my sin. Now I know we love a good story like that, though, right, we love a story about someone who came from nothing, you know, those rags to riches kind of things, right, like we love hearing Jeff Bezos, you know, rented a garage and built up this multi-trillion, gazillion-dollar company by selling used books out of his garage. And we're like, yeah, yeah, because we love that, because we go. If he did it, then there's hope for me. That's what. Honestly, that's why we love those stories so much because we're sitting here going, it's possible, it can be done. And so we love hearing the underdog wins, because we love picturing ourself as the underdog and we love the idea of sitting here going. Well, if he overcame it or if she overcame it, then I can too. The problem with that is, we didn't overcome anything Like we didn't. None of us in this room white-knuckled our sin, because we are no match for the temptations of our sin.
Speaker 1:I will, in no fewer than a hundred times tonight, tell JT no, I am not making a DraftKings account to bet on a fight as we sit and watch UFC 302 tonight. Why? Because my money is pretty hard to come by, and every time you've picked, picked a winner, it ain't been like and, and I've even had the idea well, what if I just picked the opposite of who he thinks is gonna win? Right, and then I could beat the system. The house never loses, though, ever.
Speaker 1:I was watching in the hospital with my mom this week. We were watching um, I don't even remember what the name of the show was, but it's like where you try to smuggle stuff through the airport and like they find all the cocaine to catch a smuggler. Like they find all the cocaine and no matter how, like awesome you did at smuggling, like they find it and they have dogs and they have scanners and they have all these different things, and like we're watching and I was like you know. The funny thing to me, though, is is for every one, you found a thousand more, made it through and see what we do is for every one person you can think of, that overcame something. There's a thousand more that just became a statistic.
Speaker 1:Mike Tyson, I don't you know. He has a big fight coming up and I hear about it all the time. He's 58 years old and if you really know his story, he should have been another statistic. He was a kid who was doing nothing but getting in trouble. He was headed down the wrong road and he had a chance meeting with a guy who trained boxers. And so this kid, who by all intents and purposes should have wound up just being in and out of jail his entire life, becomes arguably one of the greatest heavyweights to ever box. But how many of those kids never found that one trainer? I see it all the time.
Speaker 1:Now, with you know, being a teacher, you see the same things. Right when I was at one school, every kid I ever ran into, they were going to be a rapper. And I go oh, dude, that's really cool. Man Like oh, no, no, no, I'm saving up, I'm going to get some studio time, da, da, da. Well, dude, let me hear you flow. And then they start rapping. It's like, dude, I wouldn't put all your eggs in that basket. I don't think that's gonna work out for you. Coaching baseball or football, it was always the same right. Like I'm gonna grow up and I'm gonna be in the MLB and then you watch them play kickball after recess and you're like I might want to like invest a little more in your education. Just throwing it out to you, see, because for every one that makes it, there's a thousand, if not a million, that don't.
Speaker 1:But we hold on to that right Because we want to believe that we have the power inside of us. And Paul has spent seven chapters up to this point going you don't have the power in you. In fact, john would word it like this greater is the one who lives in me than he who lives in the world. See, we're not a debtor to our flesh, because our flesh has never done anything to put us in our debt. And he keeps going that if we live according to the flesh, we will die. But and again, listen, if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. See, paul is just reiterating that right. You're not going to put to death the deeds of the body because you like the deeds of the body.
Speaker 1:I will never in my life until a doctor goes, hey look, you have two choices lose weight or die. I'm not dieting. Why? Because I like food and I like sugar, Like I've seen 18 videos this week. Again, when you spend time in a hospital all week, you see a lot of health-related things, right, and I have found that sugar is definitely the enemy to weight loss. But you know what's really good? Strawberry key lime pie Name withheld but like key lime pie is really nothing but like whipped cream, a little bit of lime juice and sugar, and when you mix those things together, your body goes oh my god, this is amazing. Now it doesn't do anything for your hips or stomach region, but see I, If I live according to the desires of my flesh, that's what I'm going to do, because I'm just trying to please my flesh. And, like we looked at last week, here's what happens when I try to please my flesh it's never pleased, it always constantly wants more, it always goes. That was nice, nice.
Speaker 1:But like me and JT, we went out one day fishing and we probably caught, I don't know, somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 to 100 fish somewhere in there and I mean, I'm talking about like fish, like these were, like we're having to chase fish down to get our line back because they're making these long runs, and it was this amazing day of fishing. And then we get home and we go. So when are we going again, like, why wouldn't we have just been happy with this amazing, like, wonderful day of fishing? Well, it's the same thing. I'm not happy with anything. Right, You've met some of your goals in life.
Speaker 1:Why didn't you ever get to a point where you go, hey, look, I'm done. Like, think about it. Why do I have three kids instead of just one? Like one would have been cheaper. Now that I think about it, and obviously I hit the goal we procreated, congratulations to us. But no, I went. One's not enough. Let's try to have a girl this time went one's not enough, let's try to have a girl this time. And because I'm so much of an overachiever, we went with two girls on one time, thank you.
Speaker 1:Now, if you ask JT, it's because, well, actually, if you ask Kayla, it's because we wanted perfection and we couldn't find it with JT. So we decided but see, that's the story. Raise your hand if you had lunch. Okay, so some of us were smart enough to eat lunch. Raise your hand if you plan on having dinner too, though, like, your flesh is never satisfied and if you live according to your flesh, you're just living to die.
Speaker 1:But if by the Spirit, in other words, if Jesus is sitting here going, hey, hey, hey, look, there is a better way to live and understand. That's why we have things like the commandments, because Jesus went I designed this, I know how it's supposed to work. So here, if you follow what I'm telling you, this is going to go a lot better for you. Like, if you do marriage. I mean, when is it Wednesday, I think yes, wednesday me and Debbie hit 20 years in marriage. Did we do it perfect? No, not at all. Were there patches where it was like she's going to kill me A hundred times? But again at some point in our marriage we went hey, look, we don't know how to do this perfectly, but let's look and see what scripture said. Like, how, where are we messing up at? And I promise you, if you follow scripture, it's going to help in every area of your life. Like, if you really took the Bible seriously, you will be financially independent, you will have an amazing marriage, you will know how to deal with your children.
Speaker 1:That's not the purpose of the Bible. The purpose of the Bible is so that you may know God, that you may know that there was a Savior who loved you enough, who went. I don't want eternity without you and because of that I will give myself to pay for your sin. Like that is the purpose of the Bible. But an overflow of that is sitting here, going. Hey, you want a successful marriage? Wives submit to your husband as to Christ. Husbands love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave his life up for her. That's it. Like that is the best marriage advice you could possibly ever have. Because I promise you, if you are a wife and you put your husband above yourself, and if you are a husband and you put your wife above yourself, it will work. We don't work like that because we try to live according to the flesh. But see what the Bible is sitting here saying is no, no, no, no. You live according to the Spirit. You will live.
Speaker 1:I don't know about you, but has anyone in here ever like went? What's the benefit of following Jesus? Like, is it really just so I can suffer through this life, not have any fun, because all of the fun things apparently are sin. But that way when I die I get to go to heaven. And I'll tell you right now your kids, if you have kids in here, who go to Mission Academy. That's what most of them thought.
Speaker 1:The whole point of getting saved is so that one day I can go to heaven. And I love when people answer me like that because I go, where do you see in Scripture, you go to heaven. And I love when people answer me like that because I go, where do you see in scripture? You go to heaven. Scripture says heaven comes to you. And they're like, what? Like we just spent last week going over the book of Revelation and it was by far the most questions of any of the other 65 books of the Bible from middle schoolers going hold up, this great beast and prostitute, is this America? And like just asking all these outlandish questions. But see what was happening. And what we need to understand is when we have the spirit, you get to live the life that God designed us to live.
Speaker 1:I asked you guys this last week but what if everybody in your life acted like Jesus? Like what if they really acted like Jesus. What if they really put other people's needs ahead of their own? Because I'm going to tell you right now if you want to see some extremely selfish behavior, go hang out at a hospital, like I was just appalled at some of the behavior, and I get it. Like that's your loved one, that's your world, laying in that bed, I get it. And you know what? I was probably no different than anyone else. Because if it was like, hey look, we can only save these two patients Sorry, mom, I won the arm wrestling contest you get to go home Right. Like I get it. That's who we are by nature.
Speaker 1:And if you don't believe me, go to the maternity ward. You ever been around a baby? They're the most self-centered individual you will ever meet in your life. All they worry about is themselves. They don't care about anything. Like they don't care if you're tired. They don't care if you worked a long day. Like they care about nothing. They just want their needs met. How many of you in here actually understand? We don't really grow out of that Like, isn't that what self-control should look like? Sitting here, going? Yeah, I'm hungry, but we're going to wait for mommy to sit down and pray before we start just engorging ourself on food, since mommy was nice enough to make your plate and bring it to you.
Speaker 1:Right, jt's like I'm going back to the sound booth he can look at me here, but then he keeps going. He keeps going. You will live, for all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God and women, don't get. He's not saying like we're all boys, okay, I know our culture is like weird about stuff like that, For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into the spirit of fear. Or actually it doesn't say the spirit of fear, I'm sorry. It says you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Now we're going to talk about this word fear real quick. What is the opposite of faith? Like, if faith means to believe, what is the opposite of that Doubt? What did you say, j JT? You had your hand up. Huh, you're actually on the right track with that. See, the opposite of faith isn't doubt. I'll let you guys in on a secret.
Speaker 1:There are times where I have been like and when I say times, I don't mean like, oh, years ago, before I mastered the scriptures Like there are times where I go God, do you even hear when I pray? Like I'm supposed to be a pastor, god, we're supposed to be closer than the. You know other people Like I do your work. You're supposed to help me out, I help you out, like that kind of thing, right? I don't actually believe that. That is just a joke.
Speaker 1:However, there are times I doubt that God even hears my prayers. As I sat and watched my dad die, you don't think every ounce and fiber of my being was praying for the miraculous. You don't think like my mind is automatically sitting here going god, you, you raised lazarus. God, tabitha came back, dorcas, like that was her name. Like you don't think like my mind is sitting about all these. Like god, this, this dead guy they put in a grave with elishaa, who was already dead, and as soon as he hit the bones of Elisha, he stood up. Like God, you have the power to do this, do it. And yet he didn't. There are times I doubt. There are times I doubt that god hears anything I say and all I got to do is look at the past week. Really, god, like god, you know how tired me and wbr, like we were dumb enough to believe that we could run a school by ourselves. How we got this? Been in class. 32 kids, 26 ain't nothing. There's two of us. We'll divide and conquer these kids, whoop my tail to the point where I'm like Deb, look, I'm done, and we'll talk more about that if you have kids that go to Mission Academy after service. But again, there are times I doubt.
Speaker 1:When, in Matthew, the chapter is blinking on me right now, but in Matthew, there's a guy on me right now. But in Matthew there's a guy who has a demon-possessed son, all right, and his son throws himself in fires and burns him. He rolls around, he's tried to throw himself into the river and drown the child Like he's demon-possessed. And when the guy comes to Jesus, instead of going Jesus, heal my son. Here's what he says Jesus, if you are able, if you're able. And you know what Jesus' response to him was. It wasn't this, it wasn't what do you mean? If I'm able, boy, do you not know who I am Like? I am Jesus. No, no, no, no, no. That wasn't his response. Jesus' response was this With God, all things are possible. Your faith has healed your son. But he doubted, and the Bible said he still had faith. See, doubt isn't the opposite of faith. Here's the opposite of faith Fear.
Speaker 1:Fear is what keeps you paralyzed in your life. Fear is what keeps you from doing Anyone in here ever done like a cliff jump or a high dive or anything like that. And you get to the edge, right, and you're looking down and you're like shouldn't look down, like I already did those. Now I got to overcome this. If you're a guy in here, you did it, especially if your friends are watching, because ain't no one going to pump me out, right? If you're a girl, you're probably like I'm backing up, but I'm cute, so it doesn't matter, but I'm cute, so it doesn't matter. Right, see, fear, understand. Fear is what freezes you. You want proof of it.
Speaker 1:Anyone in here have a plan. Like someone kicks in the door, like you're sleeping, someone kicks. I knew it. You got a plan, right? Here's the deal Hire someone tonight to come in and kick in your door. Told um, so I was a deputy sheriff and then I became a teacher my military deputy sheriff, construction worker and became a teacher.
Speaker 1:Um, I was talking to our school safety coordinator. I forget their actual title. I worked with them at the sheriff's office, so we knew each other and we're talking and I was like look, here's the deal. If you guys are going to do drills, especially like active shooter drills, we need to add more to this drill. All right, because here's what you're telling them. Hey, look, when this happens and this happens, here's what you're going to do as a teacher. And that's all well and good, like, do the drills.
Speaker 1:But you know what happens during an active shooting situation Gunshots Anyone in here ever heard a gun go off? They're not quiet. So what happens when you do this in a hallway that is complete cement, it's going to be even louder, right? And if you think that you're going to sit in a classroom with 30, you know, 5th graders or kindergartners or whatever 12th graders for that matter, and they're going to hear pow, pow, pow and everything's echoing, and you hear screams and you smell things that you don't normally smell, what do you think's going to happen? Chaos. You think you're just like oh, just sit and look at the Bronco, we're okay, the door's locked. Absolutely not, because fear is going to set in.
Speaker 1:And there are two responses to fear. What are they? Fight or flight. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the majority of you in here are flight, because the majority of human beings are flight. I want to get away. Some of us are like, built differently and we're like what? This sounds fun, let's try it.
Speaker 1:But I'm telling you fear is the opposite of faith, because fear is what keeps you from doing. If faith is saying not, I believe these facts are true, but because I believe these facts are true, I will do. Then fear is the opposite of that going. Because I do not believe these facts are true, I will not do. You want to know why you don't talk to people in your life about Jesus? Because you're afraid of what they're going to think of you. You want to know why you don't go up to people and go hey, we're going to pray for miraculous healing. Because you're afraid it's not going to work, because you're going to look like the idiot. Now. You want to know why the church has no voice in the community. Because we're afraid to be canceled, because we're afraid of what people might think of us, because we're afraid of all of this. You want to know why we don't do Because of fear, and what Paul is reminding the church at Rome.
Speaker 1:Does anybody know what's happening with Rome at this time? It's close to Nero, yep, yeah, christians at this time. And just a few years later, here's what's going to happen. Nero goes hey, my garden. He's Caesar, he's in charge of Rome. He goes my garden's too dark at night. Why don't you go, find me some of those Christians so I can impale them up the back, out the front, we can dip them in oil and light them on fire so I can see my garden at night.
Speaker 1:Think you'd be a little bit afraid if people knew you were a Christian then, and here's what Paul is telling them hey, look, you have the spirit of God inside of you. You weren't delivered from a spirit of slavery to fall into the spirit of fear. Be bold with what you have to say. Be bold in your actions. Stand up for what you believe in.
Speaker 1:Men. I hate to tell you, but our culture here in America would have never got to the point it got if we weren't so afraid and walking on eggshells and going hey look, you know, they feel like a nut If men would have stood up and went hold up, hold up, hold up. You're going to try to attack me for being a man. Now, I'm not saying toxic masculinity, this whole idea of oh, you know, he beats his wife and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. There ain't a man. I know that wouldn't be like, hey, put me in the room with him. He likes to hit up on little people, let's go. There's not a man. I know that would condone behavior like that. That would sit here and go ooh, you're a big, strong, tough guy. So I'm not talking about that.
Speaker 1:But when we were afraid, as men, to just stand up and go, hey, you know what? Yeah, I'm a man and I'm built to protect and I'm built to serve and I'm built to make sure my wife has a good home and I'm built to I don't know, do crazy things like discipline. My, you want to know why our culture is the way it is? It's because men decided, hey, it's cooler to be a woman. No, it ain't.
Speaker 1:And see what happens is Paul is sitting here, going dude, don't you understand who you are in God? Don't you understand that the same spirit that rose Jesus from the grave resides in you? If you are led by the spirit, then you have the right to be called sons of God, and again, I don't mean that in the masculine, like sons or daughters, masculine like sons or daughters. What that means is we should not be afraid to stand up and be bold. We should not be afraid to look different, to sound different, to talk different. We shouldn't be afraid to go hey, look, I don't care who's elected, it ain't Jesus. They're not going to save anybody. We're still going to have the same problems because we have a sinner in an elected office.
Speaker 1:See, fear is the opposite of faith. You want to know how to stunt what you do for Jesus? Be afraid. That's why every pastor's worst nightmare is at the end of service. Right, you've just spent however long some as short as 20, some as long as an hour and 27 minutes pouring your heart out, pleading with people to go hey, just repent, just trust Jesus, take your next step. And then you get done and you go hey, here's the invitation. Are you ready to take a next step? During this last song Blah. Hey, here's the invitation. Are you ready to take a next step? During this last song Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then you're standing there and you're like, why? Because we're afraid, because what does that mean for the rest of my life If I take this step now? What does that mean? Well, I'm so glad you asked.
Speaker 1:So he keeps saying, for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoptions as sons, by whom we call Abba Father. I'm going to talk about one thing, then we're going to jump back into the rest of that verse. Abba Father in Greek does not mean Daddy, god, okay, none of us should ever look at our Heavenly Father and go, oh Daddy, that is not at all what Paul is talking about. It is an affectionate way to say Father, but it is not this like oh, just hold me, because that is not who Jesus is. I'm not saying Jesus is that cold, callous father that some of us grew up with. Like, straight up, me and my dad. We shook hands every night like good, firm handshake, looked him in the eye night, father, night, son, like that was it. I didn't even hear. I was proud until I was like 22, 21, 21,. Shipping off to boot camp, getting married, and he didn't even tell me. He told my new bride to tell me later. But he did the best he could and I never doubt he loved me. But that's not what Paul is talking about. He's not talking about this effeminate, you know. Just hey, daddy. So I wanted to get that out of the way before we jump back into that.
Speaker 1:What spirit were we given the spirit of adoptions as sons of God and Roman culture? Let me go ahead and explain what adoption is, because I know some of us in this room have a have an idea of what adoption is right like. You took a child that wasn't yours and they're now legally yours. In the Roman culture that Paul is writing this to, though it was more than that. See, back then, when you did an adoption, it was a very lengthy well, I guess it's a lengthy process today too but you literally had to buy a child from their parents Not like this ridiculous sex slavery that we see all over the place now parents, not like this ridiculous sex slavery that we see all over the place now. But what you were doing is you were standing up and you were going, hey, look, that child will be my child, and once that adoption was complete, that child is now your child, regardless.
Speaker 1:Here's what that meant. If you adopted a child and then you guys had children like you and your wife had children after the adoption, it was illegal and punishable by forfeiture of all of your estate for you not to leave that child's birthright to them. Understand at this point when you adopted, there was no. Okay, you're 18, you're off on your own now. When you adopted, you were that father's child and nothing, absolutely nothing, could change that. There was no emancipation. There was none of that. Adoption was a permanent, lifelong thing. That Adoption was a permanent, lifelong thing. So when Paul writes that you were given the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry Abba, father, here's what he's saying, the same thing Jesus says in John 10, and what the Father has given me, I will lose none of, for no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Speaker 1:I've given this example plenty of times, but I mean, debbie actually just shared the best story right before service. See, all JT had to do was be born. That's all he had to do. Like, for me, I'll tell you, and I'm sure most guys in here understand, like the entire time Debbie was pregnant, I was like, oh cool, like it kicked. Like I didn't get to feel him moving around, I didn't get to feel all of that stuff until like the very end. So like, yeah, I knew my wife was pregnant. I knew, logically speaking, here's what's going to happen. But, man, the day he was born, the day I could literally see, touch, hold, smell man, I must have counted how many fingers and toes he had at least a thousand times just to make sure I didn't miscount the first 999. And when I went, yep, he's got everything. I went, that's it, he's mine and nothing will take him from me. I remember he was like four months old.
Speaker 1:Debbie went out for the first time after you know, the birth, and I guess that's a big deal for women, right. Like you know, I haven't been able to have fun or move or breathe for, you know, 10 months now, and now I can go do all of these things. So her and her friends went out, me and JT stayed at the house, terrified of everything, like I'm, like dude, I don't know. Actually, it was way worse for me with the girls, because with JT at least I know what's going on everywhere the girls, it was kind of like I'll soak you in water until mommy gets home, like there's some differences, right. But anyway, with JT.
Speaker 1:So we had this great night. We watched some TV, you know, we wrestled around a little bit, we fought, you know I was trying to show him Kimuras and triangles and everything I was hoping his mind was just going to suck it up like he does with language. And then we fell asleep and he laid down on my chest and I had my arm around him and at some point I don't know what time it was, or anything like that all of a sudden I felt him being lifted off my chest and for those of you that are like, oh, he's about to get spiritual, it wasn't a spiritual thing, it was a physical like. I felt him leaving my chest and with that the arm that was wrapped around him, my left arm, which was holding him, reached out, grabbed whatever was taking him, pulled it to me so I could get it within striking distance, went to punch and Debbie luckily went. Josh and I went. Debbie, sweetheart, that's a good way to die, because he is my son and nothing will take him from me.
Speaker 1:See, understand when we who are led by the Spirit have received the Spirit. You are a son of God who gets to go, abba, Father, and what that means is is you don't have to come down here every week and go. Hey look, I messed up again this week. I did it again. I promised God I wouldn't do it. I did it, whatever it may be for you. I need to rededicate, I need to do this, I need to do that Confess your sins Absolutely. But that doesn't mean you need to be saved all over again, because all it took was that one time. All it took was you being serious one time and going. You know what? I want to receive that spirit. I want Jesus to invade every inch of my heart. I want to give it all to Jesus.
Speaker 1:See, nowhere in Scripture are we called to make converts. So it's not about oh, did you say this prayer? Did you do this thing? Did you do that thing? It says we're called to make disciples, and here's what that means that we are a lifelong follower submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ. That's what y'all should sound like. Every time I'm wrapping up service, you should be like no, not yet, amber, it is completely fine. I would much rather hear that than die of a oh, all we got are old people in here. I mean no disrespect by that, but you know what I mean. Life is a good thing to hear, but all it takes is submission to Jesus Sitting here, going no, I ain't got it. I got nothing to boast for in my flesh, but Jesus, he's got it for me.
Speaker 1:So tonight, as we close, I don't have a big question because, again, I didn't have time to write out everything I was gonna say this week, so you didn't get to see cool graphics, all it was was the Bible. But what's your next step? And are you sitting here in fear going, but what if I fail again? Are you sitting in fear going, but what if it rejects? What if they don't like the new me? I'll tell you right now I've lost many more than one friend when I went, hey, I don't drink anymore. Like I'll still go out. I'll tell you right now I've lost many more than one friend when I went, hey, I don't drink anymore. Like I'll still go out, I'll still have fun with you, man, like we can joke around, but like I just don't do that anymore. I've had family members who are like, seriously, the Toby Keith song, you ain't much fun since you quit drinking.
Speaker 1:It happens, but you know what? I've found Life, and life abundantly in Christ, the creator of life, and it's helped in every single, every other area of my life. Is it perfect? By no means, but I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.
Speaker 1:So, father, I ask and I pray that tonight, as we wrestle with your word, that, father, you do what only you can do. That, god, you melt hearts. That, god, you give us our next step. God, I pray for boldness and I pray for courage. I pray for bravery to take whatever that next step is. God, we weren't given the spirit to fall back into slavery and fear. I pray, father, that we just become outspoken and I pray that it starts with me. I pray that I give an example for people to follow. Father, I ask and I pray that, as we go from this place, that, wherever we go, that we don't worship, we don't live in fear, but we live in a boldness, knowing that greater is he who lives in me than he who lives in the world. Father, we pray all of this in Jesus' name, amen.