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Feb. 20, 2024

Life Beyond the Pew, Nurturing Faith in Community

Life Beyond the Pew, Nurturing Faith in Community
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CityLight NYC Church
Life Beyond the Pew, Nurturing Faith in Community
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Season 1

Join us as we explore the profound way Jesus touches our lives, turning everyday encounters into opportunities for transformation and growth. This episode is a heartfelt invitation to experience the fullness of faith beyond Sunday worship, where life groups become the lifeblood of the church, nurturing fellowship, and discipleship in the hum of daily existence. Through stories and Scripture, we see the power of 'one another'—to love, pray, and support each other—as we walk this journey together.

The power of connection takes center stage as we unravel the concept of destiny partners and their role in God's plan for our lives. There's a joy in discovering that our advancement within the body of Christ isn't just about personal success, but about reaching out for help, bolstering our courage, and walking alongside those who God has placed on our path. It's about embracing the discomfort that comes with growing pains and understanding that our achievements are mutually shared within the tapestry of our faith community.

This episode is more than just a listen; it's an open door to the communal aspect of Christian life, where support and wisdom pave the way to a liberated and flourishing faith.

Chapters

00:00 - Community's Power in Christian Life

15:08:00 - The Power of Connection and Community

21:05:00 - Embracing Growth and Community Pain

31:00:00 - Honest Conversations in Church

42:32:00 - Building Relationships for Spiritual Growth

52:06:00 - Pouring Into Others

Transcript
00:00.221 --> 00:05.966 And at just the perfect and right time he snatched you from the grip of hell and he gave you eternal life. 00:06.760 --> 00:08.282 But I love this Jesus. 00:08.703 --> 00:14.450 He could have said I've done this thing, that only God can do, this impossible work. 00:14.720 --> 00:19.367 And he could have said let me take the napkin off your face and let me cut you out of these grave clothes. 00:19.560 --> 00:20.605 But he doesn't do that. 00:20.860 --> 00:24.546 Jesus does what only God can do and he raises him to life. 00:26.300 --> 00:28.388 Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. 00:28.660 --> 00:34.949 Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. 00:35.700 --> 00:40.448 If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYCcom. 00:41.460 --> 00:43.406 That's CityLightNYCcom. 00:44.800 --> 00:51.908 Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. 00:52.640 --> 01:02.505 As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you. 01:06.292 --> 01:07.094 God is so good. 01:09.960 --> 01:13.230 I want to talk today about life groups. 01:14.620 --> 01:16.688 I know we looked at the video earlier. 01:16.881 --> 01:17.785 It looked real good. 01:17.880 --> 01:20.028 The whole bunch of beautiful people in there. 01:21.662 --> 01:22.700 See, only she gets that. 01:23.022 --> 01:23.828 I was in the video. 01:23.848 --> 01:27.287 That's why I said that the people's is beautiful, praise God. 01:29.540 --> 01:33.651 But no, there's something super powerful about life groups. 01:33.680 --> 01:37.547 And if you don't know what life groups are, let me show you from the scriptures what they are. 01:39.240 --> 01:42.806 So let's go to Acts 2, we're gonna read verse 46 and 47. 01:44.220 --> 01:49.288 So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house. 01:49.620 --> 01:56.920 They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. 01:56.920 --> 02:01.631 And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. 02:03.243 --> 02:04.127 This is life groups. 02:05.804 --> 02:08.860 They met in an official capacity in the temple on the Sabbath. 02:09.622 --> 02:12.270 Like what we're doing right now, we are in the church. 02:13.162 --> 02:16.030 I won't say in the temple, because you are the temple, amen. 02:16.984 --> 02:19.840 So they met in the church in an official capacity together. 02:20.545 --> 02:22.640 But I love what it says at the end in verse 19. 02:23.423 --> 02:25.169 People were getting saved daily. 02:25.260 --> 02:36.250 Well, how could they be getting saved daily if they only met in the temple on one day it was what was happening every other day as they met from house to house and they broke bread. 02:37.800 --> 02:45.087 See, this Christian thing that we do, this way of life, it's not meant to be relegated to this thing that you do just on Sunday. 02:46.440 --> 02:47.766 It's meant to be your life. 02:47.880 --> 02:51.426 It's meant to encapsulate all that you are, all of your relationships. 02:51.500 --> 02:54.309 It's meant to be a Monday through Sunday thing. 02:56.120 --> 03:07.590 So here on Sunday you come and the pastor and the preacher, they give you a word of encouragement and strengthen you and give you an exhortation to point you in the right direction. 03:07.900 --> 03:10.889 But then you need to follow that up with actual practice. 03:12.420 --> 03:15.687 So on a Sunday morning you don't actually do the ministering. 03:15.828 --> 03:19.067 I do, pastor Bo does, pastor James does. 03:21.124 --> 03:26.309 But in life groups you get to put to practice those Christian principles. 03:26.720 --> 03:33.387 You get to lay hands on people, you get to prophesy, you get to preach, you get prayer, you receive and give prayer. 03:35.020 --> 03:35.924 How powerful is that? 03:37.400 --> 03:41.446 But the thing is we don't often take advantage of that because we have a lot of Sunday Christians. 03:44.422 --> 03:46.769 Oh, he got heavy fast. 03:46.809 --> 03:47.250 What happened? 03:49.565 --> 03:59.809 No, I do believe that the Lord is calling us out of that place of nominal Christianity where we checked our attendance card and said I came because this is what happens. 04:00.020 --> 04:12.040 We're at a point in our lives where we go to church on the high holy days Mother's Day, easter and Christmas and then we graduate from there and we go. 04:12.080 --> 04:13.826 You know what I'm getting serious about? 04:13.867 --> 04:14.208 God? 04:15.620 --> 04:33.850 I'm gonna honor the King and I'm gonna go every Sunday and I'm gonna check my attendance card and they're gonna know I'm there because I'm gonna lift my hand and the Lord is saying I want more because and here's the reason why it's not just so that you can say that you've done something. 04:33.980 --> 04:35.747 God actually wants to give you something. 04:35.840 --> 04:43.185 As with all things, even as we were just collecting the offering just now, that's not really about you getting God money, that's about him getting you money. 04:44.600 --> 04:45.142 Did you catch that? 04:46.280 --> 04:51.885 Because when you sow, then you reap a harvest that, okay, they get it, they get it, they get it. 04:54.760 --> 05:02.308 So the reason we're talking about life groups today is life groups are the lifeblood of our church and I know it might seem like a misnomer. 05:02.580 --> 05:06.105 I'm the community pastor, so life groups are very much my heart. 05:07.900 --> 05:14.965 But we say it's the lifeblood of our church and I'm not the only one that says that is because, again, it's the connection, it's where community happens. 05:16.589 --> 05:21.044 We have this thing called fellowship and sometimes people call the services well, I'm gonna go fellowship. 05:21.064 --> 05:23.425 Some of the old time heads in Christianity call it that. 05:23.680 --> 05:24.745 It's not really fellowship. 05:25.200 --> 05:37.928 When you come on a Sunday morning, the only thing that you're fellowshiping with is the back of somebody's neck, and the real interaction that happens in Christianity is not meant to be with the back of somebody's neck. 05:39.623 --> 05:41.188 Oh, nobody's gonna say amen to the obvious. 05:41.268 --> 05:55.788 Okay, I love life groups because it teaches people to be great friends, friends that are like-minded, friends that are reliable friends, that are able to carry each other in discipleship. 05:56.860 --> 05:58.828 You know, life groups are where one another happens. 05:58.920 --> 06:05.403 You know, in the scriptures, the Bible says 59 separate times that we are to one another, each other, you might say one another. 06:05.443 --> 06:05.865 And what's that? 06:06.160 --> 06:07.645 Well, the Bible says that we should love one another. 06:08.840 --> 06:10.466 The Bible says that we should pray for one another. 06:11.280 --> 06:15.905 The Bible says that we should greet one another, that we should strengthen one another, that we should bear with one another. 06:16.980 --> 06:20.209 The one anothering happens in the context of life group. 06:21.080 --> 06:29.307 So, if you haven't figured it out, today, this is a big sermon inviting you to life groups, I'm inviting you to community. 06:30.500 --> 06:35.807 I'm inviting you out of nominal Christianity into a place called accountability. 06:46.880 --> 06:49.368 You know, cs Lewis once said this about friendship. 06:49.840 --> 06:50.964 He's a famous Christian writer. 06:51.900 --> 06:57.508 He said friendship is born at the moment when one man says to another what you two? 06:59.500 --> 07:02.028 I thought that no one but myself. 07:03.402 --> 07:09.365 So there's this dynamic where we get to connect with people and grow and bear fruit. 07:10.087 --> 07:14.928 Aka, you can't get where you wanna go by yourself. 07:18.660 --> 07:25.028 People don't really like hearing that, because there's a level of humility and dependence that is necessary that we don't really like. 07:29.120 --> 07:31.469 Your friends should motivate and inspire you. 07:31.580 --> 07:34.369 Your circle should be well-rounded and supportive. 07:35.980 --> 07:37.907 We need godly friendships in our lives. 07:40.100 --> 07:42.268 No one person can encompass all that we need. 07:42.308 --> 07:44.707 Relationally, though, how about this? 07:45.080 --> 07:53.306 Even your spouse for those of us privileged to be married even your spouse can't connect all of the dots of what you need relationally. 07:54.780 --> 08:00.770 Monica's, like you don't know my husband boo, she in the second row, like my man, is my best friend. 08:01.980 --> 08:06.584 Amen, amen, ah, amen, amen. 08:06.940 --> 08:12.665 But I've learned that sometimes you need more than just romantic relationship. 08:13.841 --> 08:17.130 You know why you need platonic, same gender friendship? 08:19.620 --> 08:29.716 Because there's not a threat of you doing to get All the married people immediately got what I was saying See, the married folk understand that. 08:29.736 --> 08:35.488 You know what I'm gonna keep this hair relationship nice and tight and good. 08:35.528 --> 08:39.000 Because, yeah well, praise God, praise God, praise God. 08:39.561 --> 08:48.604 There's something about the platonic friendship that you need to be able to tell each other the truth and garner things that you can't get from that romantic relationship. 08:49.087 --> 08:58.130 It actually causes you to become a better person because, if you didn't know, it's easy to call yourself anything in isolation. 09:00.041 --> 09:07.265 I am amazing and the minute I get around other people they will go nah, you all right. 09:09.800 --> 09:26.169 There's something about the accountability and the honesty of community that will bring out the truth Because, again, it's easy to say whatever it is that you wanna say in isolation, with nobody there to fact check to you, aka keyboard fingers on the internet. 09:26.189 --> 09:26.891 Somebody talk to me? 09:28.620 --> 09:29.664 Oh, you're not gonna talk to me about it. 09:29.744 --> 09:34.788 All right, all you people in the chat, you better put a fire emoji. 09:34.920 --> 09:44.480 Hope I'm not talking about you, if you look at it and again this is a real thing. 09:44.880 --> 09:56.010 You need a plethora of relationships in your life and I know this because even when I look at God, god in and of himself is relationship. 09:57.260 --> 10:03.805 Now, I don't know some of you have maybe heard this story before, but our city kids program that we have downstairs it is thebombcom. 10:05.280 --> 10:06.966 It is children's church for real. 10:07.880 --> 10:12.388 They don't sell a junior holy spirit down there, they are having church the same way we're having church. 10:12.640 --> 10:13.805 They're learning about the word of God. 10:14.220 --> 10:17.506 Sometimes the stuff in my door that hits me with I'm like I didn't teach you that where you got that from. 10:18.300 --> 10:20.067 She was like you know, I'll be going to church on Sunday. 10:20.180 --> 10:20.561 Right, I'm like. 10:25.500 --> 10:34.968 But it's funny because I've heard this said to children before and it grinds my gears in such a way where you'll have a little kid going hey, why did God create humans? 10:36.460 --> 10:45.463 And then you'll get some well-meaning Sunday school children's church teacher who will lie out the back of their mouth and say something that was born in the pit of hell. 10:47.843 --> 10:51.350 Well, god created humans because he didn't want to be lonely. 10:53.273 --> 10:53.814 That's a lie. 10:55.220 --> 10:56.806 God has never been lonely. 10:57.740 --> 10:59.406 God is relationship. 11:00.120 --> 11:02.368 He is the father, the son and the holy spirit. 11:02.580 --> 11:04.788 Let me show you from the scripture, so you don't just think I'm just talking. 11:05.120 --> 11:11.449 First, john 5.7 says for there are three that bear record in heaven the father, the word and the holy ghost. 11:11.760 --> 11:13.667 And these three are one. 11:15.824 --> 11:21.065 So again, there is no one person that can encompass all that we need relationally. 11:22.400 --> 11:29.051 We have friends of the same gender to help us learn how to actually love without motive or physical intimacy. 11:29.340 --> 11:36.827 We need to learn how to be actual friends to each other when it comes to community and kingdom. 11:37.769 --> 11:42.119 Amen, amen. 11:42.160 --> 11:49.569 Proverbs 18.24 says a man that has friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. 11:51.200 --> 11:54.884 We need to learn how to be willing to let other people's star shine. 11:55.960 --> 11:57.787 You can't do that in isolation. 12:02.000 --> 12:05.446 We need to be willing to be poured into as we pour out into others. 12:06.300 --> 12:10.729 There's a wonderful given taken friendship that displays God's love relationally. 12:14.340 --> 12:20.030 And one of the things I'm just gonna say flatly you've gone as far as you can go by yourself. 12:24.160 --> 12:28.287 God is going to build you up through your connections and not isolation. 12:30.982 --> 12:34.671 You have to be able to connect and flow with people to take it to the next level. 12:35.320 --> 12:37.567 You have to trust people and not just any people. 12:37.607 --> 12:39.843 You have to trust the right people with your vision. 12:40.600 --> 12:43.687 You have to get it out of your hands or it won't multiply. 12:46.280 --> 12:47.584 We multiply through connections. 12:49.008 --> 12:49.810 I'll give you a story. 12:50.000 --> 12:57.092 So I want to say it must have been somewhere in 2012. 12:58.800 --> 13:15.805 We, just because we had our services on Friday nights in the East Village, shout out to all my old schoolers who would come to hey, sheika, our Friday services were fun. 13:16.300 --> 13:19.650 We call them happy hour because our church was located in the East Village. 13:20.200 --> 13:23.369 And if you didn't know, the East Village is a very fun, weird place. 13:24.520 --> 13:29.531 Per capita, it has the most bars per square foot than any other place on earth. 13:30.840 --> 13:37.486 So just imagine we were getting quite a clientele of people coming in and getting saved and having their lives transformed on a weekly basis. 13:39.940 --> 14:04.065 So I remember after one Friday night, Pastor Bo and I were just conversing and we walked to his car and we got in the car and it was close to Thanksgiving and I remember I was sitting in his car and I was weeping and I remember he was trying to encourage me because there was this thing that I couldn't break past. 14:04.740 --> 14:09.730 I was trying to get into my destiny and I didn't know how. 14:11.480 --> 14:17.941 I knew I was called to lead and minister and preach and teach and serve and all of these things. 14:18.262 --> 14:20.449 But I had no opportunity. 14:20.880 --> 14:46.508 I was working full time at the YMCA counseling center and I remember just like just feeling so stuck because if you haven't known this feeling when you have a call of God on the inside of you, this is the best thing that I can akin it to it felt like a tree was growing on the inside of me Because you know, if you look at a tree it's imperceptible, you can't really gauge it from one day to the next and go you're bigger. 14:47.470 --> 14:48.352 You can't do that. 14:48.701 --> 15:01.871 But if you would put a tree right up against a piece of glass, eventually the glass would have to give way and break because of the growth, like we see this literally on the streets, where the roots of a tree can unearth concrete. 15:03.280 --> 15:07.531 So I felt like this thing was growing on the inside of me, but it hadn't broken through yet. 15:08.320 --> 15:12.351 So again I'm talking with my pastor like hey, man, how do I get to the next level? 15:12.840 --> 15:14.367 And it was funny because he was trying to encourage me. 15:14.540 --> 15:24.228 He says listen, when it comes to doing all that you can do, I can say with clarity and honesty you are doing everything that you're supposed to do. 15:25.740 --> 15:26.162 I know you. 15:26.840 --> 15:33.530 You are praying, you are fasting, you are serving, you are looking for every opportunity to pour yourself out for the sake of Jesus. 15:33.900 --> 15:34.582 So I don't know, bruh. 15:38.140 --> 15:42.210 So again I'm just crying because I'm just like God, I just want your will. 15:43.460 --> 15:45.728 And then he said something to me that was powerful. 15:46.140 --> 15:52.123 He goes when you've done everything that you know to do in order to reach your destiny but still feel stagnant. 15:52.604 --> 15:56.793 It could be that there are destiny partners connected to your destiny. 15:58.463 --> 15:59.044 And I said what? 16:02.580 --> 16:06.769 Because nobody really wants to hear that when you want to just go where you want to go, you want to go by yourself. 16:07.140 --> 16:14.411 And, in essence, what he was telling me is there are some people in your life that you haven't connected with yet that might be the key that opens the prison door. 16:16.084 --> 16:16.846 Oh, y'all didn't hear me. 16:18.400 --> 16:21.108 Sometimes you are the key that opens somebody else's prison door. 16:25.889 --> 16:27.413 So I'm like man God, what does that mean? 16:27.560 --> 16:30.430 And he says, listen, it doesn't have to be that it's a romantic relationship. 16:30.560 --> 16:31.946 It could just be a relationship. 16:32.440 --> 16:36.988 Maybe there's somebody in your life the Lord wants to put you together and both of you will get together and start an amazing business that will change the world. 16:37.240 --> 16:37.682 We don't know. 16:39.584 --> 16:40.728 Well, maybe it could be romantic. 16:41.020 --> 16:43.802 Hey, now Listen. 16:44.183 --> 16:46.188 Shortly thereafter I met my wife. 16:47.800 --> 16:53.839 She started out as a friend that I got to know at LifeGroup Plug. 16:54.080 --> 16:59.505 I got to know her at LifeGroup and she became my girlfriend at LifeGroup and from there she became my wife. 17:01.944 --> 17:10.528 No, you could clap a little bit better, for my wife, tiffany, is at home and she's actually driving here right now. 17:11.760 --> 17:13.527 She is pregnant with our third child. 17:13.760 --> 17:15.406 She is due March 12th. 17:16.160 --> 17:18.286 So, aka, she is ready to go. 17:20.640 --> 17:22.445 She will be here shortly to receive all of your praise. 17:25.280 --> 17:36.625 But it's funny that I needed to connect with my wife and it set me on such a trajectory because I was working at that job and I get married to my wife and six months into my marriage I get laid off. 17:38.100 --> 17:47.352 I had never been without a job since the age of 14 and I find myself all of a sudden without work at the most important time when I need work to be a provider and a husband. 17:47.560 --> 17:49.125 It was all like, oh, my God, jesus. 17:50.580 --> 18:05.568 But it's so funny that the trajectory of what happened through connecting with her, I watched as the Lord connected me with my wife, that I ended up in my dream job and both of our lives just exponentially kept growing from there forward. 18:07.720 --> 18:15.144 You cannot get where you want to get by yourself, because you, my friend, are a member of the body of Christ. 18:16.400 --> 18:20.562 I don't know about you, but my pinky does not get up and walk away and do its own thing without me. 18:21.780 --> 18:23.885 When my pinky wants ice cream, we want ice cream. 18:25.609 --> 18:27.924 It don't be me, y'all, it be the pinky. 18:33.045 --> 18:34.567 I still didn't hear no amen to that. 18:34.587 --> 18:35.329 But all right. 18:39.660 --> 18:43.007 Matthew 18, 19 and 20 says this again. 18:43.087 --> 18:55.693 I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them. 18:55.820 --> 18:57.246 I'll give you another one for free. 18:57.740 --> 19:07.362 Leviticus 26, 8 says five of you shall chase a hundred and a hundred of you shall put 10,000 to flight man. 19:07.422 --> 19:10.407 That is some crazy kingdom, exponential math. 19:10.427 --> 19:11.769 That doesn't make sense. 19:13.332 --> 19:22.865 But I love it and it just reaffirms further the point that I'm making that God means for you to get where you're going by getting with his people. 19:26.440 --> 19:41.549 So if we can establish that life groups are the way, communities the way, getting with the people is the way, we have to ask the $10 million question and just to be clear, even if you call out the answer, I will not give you $10 million. 19:43.680 --> 19:45.264 People from the first service, just wait and like. 19:48.560 --> 20:00.235 So the $10 million question is this if we know that there is so much power in accountability and community and one another, why don't we do it? 20:02.870 --> 20:13.318 Why is it that when life group semester opens up, as it opened up last week, that every group has to be labeled full for this week because it is at capacity and cannot take anymore. 20:17.063 --> 20:17.884 You want to know why? 20:18.024 --> 20:18.465 I'll tell you. 20:18.505 --> 20:22.017 Why I'll tell you because it's actually the title of this sermon. 20:24.070 --> 20:27.258 The answer is that help sometimes hurts. 20:31.418 --> 20:43.632 See, I was trying to be nice, I was giving the media team a chance to throw it on there like the sermon title, but technically I guess we don't need it. 20:48.294 --> 20:58.482 Help sometimes Somebody feel me. 20:58.690 --> 21:00.035 Help sometimes hurts. 21:01.830 --> 21:03.295 You want to know how I know that this is true. 21:05.070 --> 21:05.733 It's February. 21:07.190 --> 21:08.897 Where are my athletic gym goers at? 21:10.234 --> 21:10.656 Oh, don't you. 21:11.752 --> 21:12.776 Hey, you cross fit people. 21:12.816 --> 21:14.020 Now You've been showing off that body. 21:14.070 --> 21:14.632 Don't get shy. 21:14.693 --> 21:19.990 Now Raise your hand, brother, all right. 21:19.990 --> 21:20.692 Now here's the thing. 21:22.670 --> 21:29.238 It's mid-February, right, a lot of the New Year's resolutions are starting to taper off. 21:31.450 --> 21:34.956 We had some people start and they were on fire. 21:36.579 --> 21:40.914 I'm going to go, I'm going to bear this fruit, I'm going to go Work the thing out. 21:43.070 --> 21:44.897 Everybody working out because they want to be a snack. 21:47.412 --> 21:47.813 Talk them out. 21:52.498 --> 21:53.139 But you know why. 21:53.179 --> 21:56.963 You only get a few people who last off, like my brother in the second row. 21:57.004 --> 21:58.686 Come here, oost, just come here, brother. 21:59.531 --> 22:01.076 Yeah, yeah, come on. 22:02.972 --> 22:05.337 See, oost is a former professional bodybuilder. 22:08.750 --> 22:11.231 You can't see it under here, not a lot. 22:11.251 --> 22:11.772 He married. 22:11.792 --> 22:13.696 So just keep yourselves. 22:16.682 --> 22:17.463 Keep yourselves. 22:17.830 --> 22:24.739 I'm just giving you the warning, but he lives a lifestyle of exercise and working out. 22:25.220 --> 22:27.192 He's a trainer, matter of fact. 22:27.953 --> 22:30.018 I'm just putting your face out so people can come as you are. 22:31.541 --> 22:31.962 Nervous. 22:32.650 --> 22:39.858 No, you good, you got more applause than me, bro. 22:42.030 --> 22:43.374 Give the praise to Jesus people. 22:45.070 --> 22:48.761 So the reason that I pointed them out is because he lives a lifestyle of that. 22:48.990 --> 22:55.374 It's not based on resolution, where every January he's going to get hyped for maybe six weeks and then taper off. 22:56.650 --> 22:58.777 You want to know why most people are not like him? 23:00.070 --> 23:01.977 Because help sometimes hurts. 23:03.493 --> 23:05.998 See the resistance that we get when we go to the gym. 23:06.059 --> 23:07.562 We know the benefits. 23:07.930 --> 23:16.020 We know that we end up looking like a snack tasty Boom, boom, boom. 23:16.610 --> 23:17.211 We know that. 23:17.271 --> 23:29.760 But what's in between that point and the starting point is hurt Is resistance is work, and we don't like that. 23:31.830 --> 23:32.692 We like cookies. 23:35.790 --> 23:36.933 Let the church say amen. 23:41.590 --> 23:50.313 But I've learned that in order to take that step, to get to it, you have to make yourself a little bit uncomfortable and do what you've never done to get the results that you've never had. 23:54.550 --> 23:55.493 Help sometimes hurts. 23:58.070 --> 24:00.298 The only way for you to reach purpose is through community. 24:00.430 --> 24:02.037 It is impossible to do it by yourself. 24:02.270 --> 24:06.759 Any person who is doing it by themselves is using sources that God did not approve. 24:08.870 --> 24:17.135 If you're doing it by yourself, you're using illegal methods, whether that's being a workaholic, whether that's using substances. 24:18.350 --> 24:21.538 If you're using anything but the body of Christ to get the growth that you need. 24:21.959 --> 24:23.062 You are out of bounds, sir. 24:23.390 --> 24:24.293 You are out of bounds, ma'am. 24:25.710 --> 24:27.557 Are you abusing people and things? 24:29.532 --> 24:40.620 Well, you know, by going to say amen, it's all right, it hurts, and we don't like to do it because it involves conversations that hurt. 24:41.492 --> 24:42.717 Because we're talking about community. 24:42.850 --> 24:51.080 We're talking about people getting together, like-minded people who know God and will help you and give you protection. 24:51.390 --> 24:54.819 The Bible says that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. 24:55.690 --> 25:00.250 So why is it that we often find that when we go through circumstances, we isolate ourselves? 25:00.310 --> 25:02.496 Because we don't want nobody saying nothing to us. 25:04.350 --> 25:11.794 If you've ever been in a relationship that had a bunch of red flags and you didn't want any of your friends saying anything to you, how much were you and your friends talking at that particular time? 25:14.094 --> 25:32.737 No, ah, because we instinctively and we know, we know when, man, I think that this is wrong, but there's nobody here to tell me, so I'm just going to keep going we know that if we get around the right people who love us, they will go. 25:32.797 --> 25:35.671 Hey, hey, hey, can we talk? 25:39.990 --> 25:42.177 But we avoid those types of hurts. 25:42.930 --> 25:56.079 We avoid those type of conversations, despite the fact that they help, and I'm inviting you to a place where you welcome the hurt because it will help. 26:00.550 --> 26:07.654 Another reason that we don't endeavor to take the help that hurts is because the devil's giving us anesthesia. 26:10.070 --> 26:15.757 He's given us this thing that numbs the hurt here. 26:15.817 --> 26:16.800 Take some sugar water. 26:17.050 --> 26:18.153 You don't need to deal with these people. 26:21.310 --> 26:49.993 Instead of actually endeavoring to go to that place where we can speak the truth and love and be real with each other, the enemy says take a dose of this, because it hurts to lie, that you won't face the consequences of community and accountability, because the enemy has you in this place where you know how to play the game, because you want God but you don't technically want the method that he uses to bring growth, which is the people. 26:51.030 --> 26:55.281 So you've mastered the art of coming late and leaving early. 26:56.694 --> 26:58.039 Oh, we're not talking to nobody yet. 26:58.431 --> 26:59.415 How about this? 27:03.312 --> 27:03.995 I know some of y'all. 27:04.710 --> 27:05.031 This is you. 27:05.091 --> 27:11.339 On a Sunday morning, you at 44th and Broadway and you like this. 27:11.870 --> 27:13.095 It almost looks like you're playing double dutch. 27:13.470 --> 27:13.811 I go all right. 27:14.493 --> 27:15.295 I got to time it right. 27:15.555 --> 27:19.313 Got to time it right Because I don't want to get caught If DK Mauricio catches me at the door. 27:19.333 --> 27:21.013 I know he's going to pray for me, so we got to avoid that. 27:21.736 --> 27:25.878 Okay, oh, the ushers look like they smiling today. 27:25.959 --> 27:28.237 All right, let me give it to them. 27:28.257 --> 27:29.505 Let me get this, let me get this. 27:30.551 --> 27:31.914 No, no, that's the first song I can hear. 27:31.954 --> 27:44.244 It, that's that One, two, three Go, they rush in and they immediately get into a posture of deep worship. 27:45.031 --> 27:48.795 Because you know, when somebody is deep worship, you don't want to say hello, you just, oh, get it girl. 27:49.750 --> 27:56.684 Hey, yes, god, you don't want to mess with that. 27:57.111 --> 27:58.296 So people have mastered the art. 27:58.590 --> 27:59.553 They look around, they look around. 27:59.593 --> 28:01.478 All right, I'm coming quick, I'm coming quick. 28:02.730 --> 28:03.613 Oh God, he's coming close. 28:03.633 --> 28:10.540 Yes, oh, jesus, jesus, jesus. 28:16.316 --> 28:17.277 And we've mastered the art. 28:17.317 --> 28:25.798 Because then Pastor Bo calls up the worship team and you're like, oh, oh, I got too involved. 28:26.380 --> 28:26.961 I got too involved. 28:28.152 --> 28:32.422 I was hearing the word of God and they thought the ministry team is about to be called up. 28:34.623 --> 28:35.570 I still got to give my offering. 28:35.911 --> 28:36.913 Wait, there's a box at the door. 28:40.450 --> 28:42.570 And then you run and somebody hey, where are you going? 28:42.651 --> 28:44.529 No, no, no, I'm just going to the bathroom. 28:44.590 --> 28:45.272 I'm just going to the bathroom. 28:50.470 --> 28:52.515 You might say Pastor Mo, where are you going? 28:55.110 --> 29:03.918 I'm trying to get you to understand that hurt sometimes helps and you don't have to avoid the conversations and the people. 29:04.350 --> 29:10.778 You just keep saying that you want God and you don't want the people because of the things that you've experienced from other people in your life. 29:11.150 --> 29:15.760 But God is trying to tell you I'm only going to grow you through the same people that you're avoiding. 29:19.270 --> 29:27.393 So we have to welcome the accountability that comes with community, because he's not using another method. 29:28.990 --> 29:30.135 He's proven his method. 29:30.310 --> 29:31.391 His method is his church. 29:32.492 --> 29:44.517 Imperfect as we are and I do get that part it's easy to interact with God when God is perfect, but you're telling me that I have to. 29:46.561 --> 29:54.581 I've got to be vulnerable with these jokers, don't worry. 29:54.621 --> 29:55.863 One finger pointing you for it, me. 30:00.215 --> 30:04.485 But yeah, he's saying this is my method. 30:06.175 --> 30:11.100 I want to use imperfect people to make each other perfect through my grace and my spirit. 30:21.995 --> 30:31.407 Did you know that something as small as a splinter, if unchecked, can lead to gangrene? 30:34.075 --> 30:36.942 You could literally lose your leg off of a piece of toothpick. 30:39.655 --> 30:41.260 It wasn't sharp enough to cut your leg off. 30:42.915 --> 30:56.937 It initially wasn't painful enough to cause your leg to be cut off, but because it was untreated and unaddressed for too long, it grew into something that was beyond your control, and the only way to save what is left is to cut off that which has been infected. 31:00.155 --> 31:09.176 When God is saying I got these things called tweezers, that is, the people of God that are getting your business See, that's the thing. 31:09.216 --> 31:12.284 People are acting like as if I'm talking about this from a lofty center. 31:13.275 --> 31:22.183 No, no, I'm talking about the practical people getting in your business, people loving on you, people asking you difficult questions like how are you? 31:24.835 --> 31:31.056 In today's culture, we don't like that, because a lot of people mean for hello and how are you? 31:31.076 --> 31:33.242 To be breezed by questions hey, how are you doing? 31:33.283 --> 31:33.824 How are you doing? 31:35.038 --> 31:35.841 No, no, no, I asked you first. 31:36.555 --> 31:39.417 When I ask people, I mean it how are you? 31:43.295 --> 31:59.306 Sometimes people ask me how I'm doing and I literally stop and I go, and then I begin to tell them and, much to their shock, they're like oh, you're actually sharing. 32:02.095 --> 32:13.243 And then I tell them I thought you asked me how I was doing, so I was venturing to be vulnerable enough to tell you where I was, so that maybe you would pray with me, and then maybe I could pray with you and maybe we would do this thing called life together. 32:14.995 --> 32:18.061 No concept in the house of God, where we're all supposed to be a family. 32:22.575 --> 32:25.743 Oh, church, if you could see the faces that are coming back to me today. 32:27.495 --> 32:28.337 I'm not scared of y'all, though. 32:31.064 --> 32:32.127 Six, one, 300 pounds. 32:32.255 --> 32:34.382 God gave me grace, but he also gave me physique too. 32:39.184 --> 32:45.967 Plus, I got ooh, don't, don't forget, I called him up for a reason, hallelujah. 32:47.618 --> 32:50.385 So we got to talk about things to stay healthy, amen. 32:51.496 --> 32:57.427 We got to endeavor to allow God in, to be the help that we can only get from his people. 32:58.275 --> 33:05.496 Ephesians 4, 15 and 16 says but speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into him. 33:05.536 --> 33:08.726 Who is the head, christ, from whom the whole body joined and knit together. 33:09.075 --> 33:17.087 So what every joint supplies, according to the effect of working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 33:17.295 --> 33:28.898 It's a very long-winded, theological way of saying talk to each other and I'll use you to help each other. 33:34.555 --> 33:39.796 So again, the enemy stops you from being in places that have the good conversations that hurt. 33:39.896 --> 33:40.478 Oh so good. 33:42.915 --> 33:45.121 My analogy of people running in and out of the church. 33:45.181 --> 33:46.124 That's what that is. 33:47.135 --> 33:52.860 It's the enemy giving you the anesthesia that says you don't need to be hurt, you don't need to feel. 33:53.215 --> 33:54.119 You need to feel. 33:55.616 --> 33:57.723 I do understand what church hurt is. 33:58.055 --> 34:06.082 I do understand that people in your life have abused your vulnerability, but that is not a reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater. 34:07.956 --> 34:16.983 Unfortunately, you still have to deal with God's people because that is the method that he designed to bring breakthrough and deliverance to you. 34:18.795 --> 34:36.676 If there was another way, I would give it to you, but there is no lofty monastic lifestyle where you go into a mountain by yourself and reach seven levels of nirvana and meet Jesus, because every time you go to that mountain by about week three, jesus is going to be like. 34:36.696 --> 34:38.241 So how long are you planning on staying bro? 34:40.800 --> 34:42.225 You didn't eat all the food in the fridge. 34:42.275 --> 34:46.135 I'm just wondering when are you going to go out and do something with what I've given you? 34:55.435 --> 34:56.199 We have to get honest. 34:57.136 --> 35:01.866 I think there's also this other side of it where we want these weird quick fixes. 35:03.155 --> 35:12.324 So we spoke about the person who comes late, leaves early, but then there's also another person who comes to the front for ministry time and this is what it looks like. 35:15.935 --> 35:22.606 Fix me, are you done? 35:22.635 --> 35:26.100 And that's not how this works either, because I need you to understand. 35:26.140 --> 35:31.642 There's no laying on of the hands and pouring of the anointing oil that's going to remove the pride in your life. 35:33.195 --> 35:36.763 It's not going to seep in and by the time you get home the pride has dried up. 35:41.059 --> 35:54.284 No, what's going to happen is the accountability of walking with each other day by day, so that when you are acting prideful, I check you and go hey, don't be like that, that's not godly and it's not like I'm standing above you because you can check me too and go. 35:54.625 --> 35:57.023 You know, you said the right thing, but you could have said it a little bit better. 35:57.295 --> 35:58.797 Oh, my bad, we're learning. 36:01.555 --> 36:15.043 That's how relationship works, that's how true friendship works, where you take a piece of truth and you insert it into the relationship along with love, so that you can get where you both need to go. 36:23.162 --> 36:32.121 Oh man, let me just read this thing the absence of honesty will produce an abundance of pain, not just hurt. 36:40.395 --> 36:51.478 For the church to legitimately help you and the many issues that we all have, it's not just going to be through the laying on of hands. 36:59.155 --> 37:06.582 It's going to be and I'm going to say this, and for certain church people with the history in church it's going to sound like a cuss word. 37:07.357 --> 37:08.621 Now I didn't say curse, I said cuss. 37:09.082 --> 37:09.804 It's a cuss word. 37:10.115 --> 37:12.975 I'm going to tell you down south people know what I'm talking about. 37:12.995 --> 37:16.284 Down south people, somebody will tell you something real sweet and go, bless your heart. 37:17.375 --> 37:17.778 That's a cuss. 37:18.755 --> 37:19.619 They wasn't being nice. 37:19.835 --> 37:21.562 You thought it was nice because you're not from down there. 37:21.795 --> 37:22.538 It was cussing you out. 37:24.379 --> 37:25.783 So we're talking about a cuss word right now. 37:26.555 --> 37:32.663 And really the Bible says that we should be not just hearers of the word and this is the cuss word but doers, doers. 37:36.842 --> 37:37.805 But we are Grace Church. 37:37.935 --> 37:40.922 It's not about do, do, do, because if you do do, your life will be do, do. 37:41.295 --> 37:44.384 Yes, I understand Grace through faith, amen. 37:45.195 --> 37:50.660 We receive our salvation with no input from us at all other than to believe and declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. 37:51.035 --> 37:51.837 But how many of you know? 37:51.857 --> 37:55.318 The Bible says that you should work out your own salvation with trembling and fear. 37:57.155 --> 38:01.778 So there is still a part, and hear me when I'm saying this there's a part for you to play. 38:01.819 --> 38:04.666 But it's not like salvation is contingent upon your part. 38:07.984 --> 38:09.107 The baby didn't like that part. 38:09.335 --> 38:12.375 She didn't like that part. 38:12.856 --> 38:25.784 But there is this place where you have to walk this thing out that he's given you, where you have to do more than just come to the front and wait for the fix me to come. 38:27.075 --> 38:38.502 How about you've got to open your mouth and acknowledge, like you know, what I'm an angry person, and when I'm angry, nobody can say nothing to me. 38:39.935 --> 38:43.384 And when people back me into a corner, I start to lie. 38:45.075 --> 38:48.123 And I'm really good that when I start lying, I start manipulating people. 38:48.324 --> 38:58.085 Like, yeah, you got to open up because the deliverance that you're looking for is not going to come until you actually come clean to God and, by proxy, his people. 38:59.067 --> 38:59.848 That's not for everybody. 39:00.215 --> 39:01.078 You're going to be calling everybody up. 39:01.098 --> 39:03.468 Like you know, I be cheating on my taxes all the time. 39:05.475 --> 39:19.981 I don't need to know that between you and the IRS, bro, but the people in relationship with you, the true friends, the deep one on ones, and you let them know, like yo, I have been cheating on my taxes and if they catch me I'm going to jail. 39:21.715 --> 39:35.969 Them's is the people where you like, I'll make sure your kids is safe because I'm not going to jail for you, if that's what you mean, how about this? 39:37.116 --> 39:47.501 Just so that you can get, so that you won't be discouraged in hearing this message the negative things that the enemy has placed in your life and that have grown and festered into ugly behavior. 39:48.315 --> 39:51.789 The opposite side of that is the goal that God actually put there first. 39:53.736 --> 40:01.242 So if you're a really good liar, god gave you the gift of storytelling, but it's been perverted by sin in the world. 40:03.335 --> 40:12.263 When you're really good at manipulating people and getting your own way callously, it's because you're actually a leader that God wants to motivate people towards things. 40:15.415 --> 40:15.857 Think about it. 40:15.877 --> 40:30.040 You have the ability to coerce people into a direction, but you've selfishly been using it for your own means, when really God means for you to maneuver and guide and exhort people and push them in the right direction, leading them towards that which is holy, righteous and true. 40:31.035 --> 40:42.963 There's gold on the inside of you, and God's people are meant to bring that thing to the surface, but they can't if you don't give them the opportunity to actually see what's under the hood. 40:45.118 --> 40:47.762 Oh, he's spitting bars this Sunday morning. 40:54.063 --> 41:04.034 So again, I need you to hear the word and not be offended, and actually become doers of the word Hallelujah. 41:04.375 --> 41:08.930 So everything that you use to destroy people originally was a gift from God to free them. 41:09.979 --> 41:14.423 You are the key that opens the prison door to other people's cells. 41:19.739 --> 41:23.923 It's funny because I feel like for many of us in the room, if we change just one thing about ourselves, we'd be great. 41:27.098 --> 41:27.700 She believes it too. 41:27.740 --> 41:28.423 Don't even worry about it. 41:28.443 --> 41:36.375 It's like it's that one thing, like nobody wants to work with you, can't, nobody say nothing to you. 41:38.782 --> 41:40.126 Yeah, that's true. 41:42.556 --> 41:44.002 You've got to acknowledge these things. 41:45.501 --> 41:48.375 You've got to open up and be honest and allow God into good. 41:48.816 --> 41:52.747 Like have you ever repented without actually repenting? 41:54.957 --> 41:59.546 Listen, I have a wife, so I know what it is to apologize without saying nothing. 42:02.057 --> 42:03.923 I used to be the world's worst apologizer. 42:04.777 --> 42:09.104 I would go to my wife and be like yo, I'm so sorry, you feel like that. 42:13.797 --> 42:15.202 I would literally just watch my wife just like. 42:19.221 --> 42:21.355 It's like so you're not going to take accountability for none of it. 42:21.636 --> 42:23.441 Well, I mean, these are your feelings. 42:26.690 --> 42:28.335 I learned, I learned I'm a good husband. 42:28.977 --> 42:31.607 I swear I learned, I learned. 42:32.959 --> 42:41.375 But there is this place where you have to acknowledge yourself before his people and before him and ask him to do the work in you. 42:42.559 --> 42:47.375 And the only hilarious part for me is, every time I have asked God to make me better. 42:48.818 --> 42:53.188 He's put me in a situation where I've had to rely on other people to do it. 42:55.240 --> 42:57.286 I said God, I need you to help me in my finances. 42:57.658 --> 42:59.375 He sent me people that knew stuff about finance. 42:59.798 --> 43:00.744 I was like God. 43:00.784 --> 43:02.335 I was hoping for like a download. 43:05.042 --> 43:07.187 I didn't want to have to sit and make a budget with this person. 43:10.365 --> 43:11.375 See, that's how it looks in the practical. 43:12.708 --> 43:13.375 You ask God for something. 43:13.876 --> 43:15.802 God goes oh, I know somebody that could help you with that. 43:17.005 --> 43:17.567 Here's a connection. 43:19.716 --> 43:21.463 But we want the straight. 43:21.564 --> 43:22.507 Just mean you, god. 43:22.548 --> 43:26.323 When God is like the vertical is fine, it's the horizontal I'm trying to get you to. 43:28.022 --> 43:28.845 It's a cross, by the way. 43:33.639 --> 43:39.321 All right, so there are five different relationships that you are going to find in life group. 43:39.341 --> 43:41.375 That is going to bless, strengthen and edify you. 43:41.656 --> 43:44.684 And, yes, this entire message is a plug that you would sign up for. 43:44.725 --> 43:46.209 Life groups gain community. 43:46.490 --> 43:53.335 Oh, you didn't realize that, like, this is the plug, this is the lore that you would take that paper that was on your chair, fill it out for life group seven. 43:54.018 --> 43:56.973 I mean life groups, just life group seven. 43:58.497 --> 44:02.344 Discipleship 101 with Pastor Moe, wednesdays at 6.45. 44:02.384 --> 44:05.349 I'm just saying Praise God. 44:06.183 --> 44:07.072 It's too out there, too pluggy. 44:08.163 --> 44:08.789 All right, just enough. 44:08.930 --> 44:09.274 Just enough. 44:09.375 --> 44:18.363 All right, worship team, you can come up because I'm going to end with these five different relationships that you are clearly going to find that are going to bless you and help you. 44:19.159 --> 44:27.167 Yes, it might hurt a little bit, because help sometimes hurts, but it is going to be so good for you, amen. 44:28.138 --> 44:28.881 Okay, first one. 44:31.696 --> 44:33.443 This is the Nathan relationship. 44:35.017 --> 44:37.245 Nathan to David was a corrector. 44:38.180 --> 44:40.375 Specifically, you can find their story in 2 Samuel 12. 44:40.375 --> 45:12.319 I won't read through the whole thing now, but when Nathan killed somebody to hide the fact that he had committed adultery with somebody's wife, remember, as a king in the Old Testament, he had the ability to have anyone killed on command, including the prophet, but he had given Nathan the authority to speak into his life because he submitted to the hierarchy of God. 45:14.083 --> 45:14.945 Oh, you're not hearing me. 45:15.085 --> 45:16.268 Okay, how about this? 45:16.737 --> 45:30.335 You know, when you come to a church and doesn't have to be city light when you come to a church, if you don't submit to the hierarchy of the kingdom and the system that God has put in place, the person who leads that church, pastor Bo, doesn't become your pastor. 45:30.696 --> 45:31.700 He becomes your preacher. 45:35.042 --> 45:36.375 When you really want him to be your pastor. 45:37.077 --> 45:40.788 You will submit to the authority that God has given him over you. 45:43.244 --> 45:44.335 Oh wait, amen's at church. 45:46.161 --> 45:47.947 Just because he ain't Guatemala, don't change nothing. 45:59.479 --> 46:04.315 So you have to give authority to people to speak into your life, amen, okay, number two Jethro. 46:04.456 --> 46:06.314 Jethro is the guider. 46:08.058 --> 46:10.623 Jethro is the white haired mentor in your life. 46:16.324 --> 46:17.355 They realign you by giving you good counsel. 46:18.658 --> 46:22.708 Very quickly, we're going to read through Exodus 18, verses 13 and 19. 46:24.503 --> 46:29.375 And so it was on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 46:29.395 --> 46:35.274 So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said what is this thing that you are doing for the people? 46:37.082 --> 46:40.375 Why do you alone sit and all the people stand before you from morning until evening? 46:41.082 --> 46:47.207 And Moses said to his father-in-law because the people come to me to inquire of God when they have a difficulty. 46:47.247 --> 46:51.375 They come to me and I judge between one and another and I make known the statutes of God and his laws. 46:52.759 --> 46:57.012 So Moses' father-in-law said to him the thing that you do is not good. 46:58.557 --> 47:04.082 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out, for this thing is too much for you. 47:04.395 --> 47:06.823 You are not able to perform it by yourself. 47:07.616 --> 47:08.862 Listen now to my voice. 47:09.155 --> 47:11.824 I will give you counsel and God will be with you. 47:12.195 --> 47:16.266 Stand before God for the people so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 47:16.495 --> 47:22.764 And basically, he gives him a system of delegation and says that there are different leaders that you're going to position underneath you. 47:23.035 --> 47:31.478 So a white haired mentor will realign you with good counsel Because, remember, the best experience that you can learn from is the experience that is not your own. 47:33.656 --> 47:38.844 I don't want to fall into the pit, get bloodied and bruised to then tell you about it. 47:38.975 --> 47:41.881 I want to go to the person who fell into the pit and they can tell me how. 47:42.041 --> 47:50.717 Not to Funny story I was doing premarital counseling with this couple and I asked him. 47:50.757 --> 47:57.125 I said you know, where are the white haired mentors in your life that have experienced these things, that can talk to you guys? 47:57.515 --> 47:59.141 And the person looks perplexed. 48:00.438 --> 48:02.063 It's like what do you mean? 48:03.055 --> 48:03.396 It's you. 48:05.875 --> 48:07.340 I said the devil is a liar. 48:10.037 --> 48:18.739 I had to go home and reflect and look in the mirror and I was like oh my, I have become that with you. 48:20.658 --> 48:22.545 Whoa, I wasn't ready for that. 48:23.257 --> 48:24.079 It came too fast. 48:25.062 --> 48:25.805 It came too fast. 48:26.255 --> 48:29.785 But if there was ever a day where I was tempted to get the just for men, that was the day. 48:31.438 --> 48:37.943 But he was like you know, you are my white haired mentor and I was just like, wow, I'm like one year older than you know. 48:41.475 --> 48:42.439 The second one is Barnabas. 48:43.115 --> 48:45.322 You need a Barnabas type situation in your life. 48:46.275 --> 48:47.540 So Barnabas is an encourager. 48:48.295 --> 48:49.482 Did you know that Barnabas's name? 48:49.603 --> 48:50.730 You can find him in the book of Acts. 48:51.173 --> 48:54.078 His name is not actually Barnabas, his name is Joseph. 48:55.555 --> 49:02.279 The apostles renamed him Barnabas, which is encourager because of the grace and the gifting that was on his life. 49:03.555 --> 49:06.075 And some of you might be thinking to yourself who is Barnabas? 49:06.296 --> 49:07.702 Where have I heard that name before? 49:07.956 --> 49:08.779 Well, here's the thing. 49:09.575 --> 49:11.160 Have you ever heard of the apostle Paul? 49:13.075 --> 49:21.097 Let me be clear Without Barnabas, there is no apostle Paul, because apostle Paul's ministry had zero followers on Facebook. 49:22.915 --> 49:31.459 Paul was a terrorist by the name of Saul and when he got saved he thought it was all nice and he tried to come to the cookout and they said we're leaving. 49:34.215 --> 49:48.025 He sat down and everybody got up until this man, this encourager, took him aside and said you walk with me, and Barnabas introduced him to the entire community. 49:48.415 --> 49:58.582 He went on mission trips with him and eventually Saul became Paul, wrote over one third of the New Testament that we call our Bible today. 50:00.615 --> 50:04.966 Do you have people in your life that will give you an encouragement behind the scenes? 50:05.315 --> 50:07.543 So, first service, I made a very apt joke. 50:07.635 --> 50:22.203 I said you know, pastors are very unique individuals because not only do they have to face their own things, but they need to face the things that you're facing, because the devil very much is against you. 50:23.215 --> 50:27.506 But the scripture is very clear that if you strike the shepherd, the flock will scatter. 50:28.415 --> 50:41.267 So sometimes some of the things that you're going through, it actually hits leadership as well as you, because the thought is, if I can knock off the leadership that gives them the encouragement to keep going forward, then they'll have nothing to do and then they'll just fall aside themselves. 50:41.456 --> 50:47.603 But little did he know that at City Light we're raising up a team of ministers and powerful Christians that know the Lord for themselves. 50:47.815 --> 50:48.841 Praise the Lord. 50:50.615 --> 50:56.642 But it had me thinking about Pastor Bo and the rest of the leadership team, because his wife, emily was sitting here and I was like first lady. 50:58.875 --> 51:00.380 She left, though, so it doesn't really work anymore. 51:01.455 --> 51:01.837 But the thing is. 51:02.219 --> 51:08.184 I imagine that when he's going through all the stuff that he's going through, it's the silent encouragement. 51:08.275 --> 51:14.360 And I know this to be true because my wife ministers to you guys more than you know, because she ministers to me. 51:15.935 --> 51:24.223 So when I'm able to stand and give you encouragement and give you wisdom and help you to see the right way, just know that I've received encouragement that you don't know about. 51:25.855 --> 51:27.240 She has been a Barnabas to me. 51:27.320 --> 51:31.235 Shout out, bo, I see you. 51:31.255 --> 51:33.103 So there's something about being the Barnabas. 51:33.195 --> 51:34.199 You get that at Life Group. 51:34.379 --> 51:34.921 Think about this. 51:35.535 --> 51:37.903 Everybody always wants to stand on the stage with the mic and do the thing. 51:38.275 --> 51:39.679 How about when you get to heaven? 51:39.719 --> 51:43.999 People are going to come up to you and go thank you so much and you're going to be like, for what? 51:45.915 --> 51:51.259 And then they'll tell you about all the different people that grew to be amazing in God and did so many things. 51:51.795 --> 51:55.977 And they got that way because you encourage them with a word of wisdom, with a word of life. 51:58.117 --> 52:01.382 Amen, come on. 52:02.035 --> 52:04.403 I'm going to get you guys out of here because I know the Super Bowl parties are waiting. 52:06.059 --> 52:06.300 All right. 52:06.555 --> 52:09.138 Next one, timothy, you need a protege. 52:11.855 --> 52:13.159 You need somebody to pour into. 52:15.635 --> 52:19.486 Philippians 2, 19 and 22 says, but I trust in the Lord to send Timothy to you shortly. 52:19.935 --> 52:34.988 That I also may be encouraged when I know your state, for I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state, for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus, but you know his proven character that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 52:35.275 --> 52:37.222 I'll also give you Luke 638. 52:37.875 --> 52:39.141 Give and it will be given to you. 52:39.475 --> 52:47.644 Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be put into your bosom, for with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. 52:48.395 --> 52:49.480 What does all of that mean? 52:49.875 --> 52:53.005 It means that you can't be the Dead Sea. 52:53.025 --> 52:56.075 What the Dead Sea? 52:56.878 --> 52:57.481 Well, here's the thing. 52:57.915 --> 52:59.901 What makes the Dead Sea different from a river? 53:00.995 --> 53:08.458 The Dead Sea does not support life and agriculture because it only has an inlet and it doesn't have an outlet. 53:09.615 --> 53:22.043 So it's getting all of this ocean water in and all of the salt levels and the salinity levels are extremely high that you could just go in and just lay down and float without anything, but it's dead and it doesn't support life because there's no outlet. 53:22.955 --> 53:27.146 A river is different because it takes things in and then it pushes things out and there's movement. 53:27.595 --> 53:32.726 And, in the same way, you need a protégé and you might think to yourself well, I'm not the great minister, I can't do it. 53:32.786 --> 53:42.325 Here's the thing you are better today than you were yesterday and there are some people that are where you were yesterday and you can help them with your experience because you survived. 53:44.475 --> 53:46.939 You don't have to be a teacher, you just have to have survived. 53:49.355 --> 53:50.899 So you need someone to pour into. 53:51.220 --> 53:55.983 Even if somebody's pouring into you, don't just be a selfish, venous fly trap. 53:56.264 --> 53:56.645 Christian. 53:56.995 --> 53:58.440 Feed me she more. 54:00.695 --> 54:01.236 No, like. 54:01.838 --> 54:08.021 You need to get fed and then you need to feed, you need to water, you need to plant and bless other people. 54:08.121 --> 54:11.459 Amen, all right, this is the last one. 54:12.715 --> 54:13.522 You need a Jonathan. 54:15.340 --> 54:16.083 You need a Jonathan. 54:16.195 --> 54:20.623 You need a true friend and, admittedly, you're not going to have many of these. 54:21.115 --> 54:23.544 You're going to have many friends, but a true friend is different. 54:26.023 --> 54:26.665 How can I put it? 54:28.017 --> 54:36.292 I feel like, have you ever tried to save a cat out of danger, especially a cat that you didn't know? 54:36.313 --> 54:37.314 God bless you. 54:40.121 --> 54:41.084 Hold my microphone, lynn. 54:42.455 --> 54:46.726 I feel like in trying to save a cat that you don't know, it looks a little bit something like this. 55:00.086 --> 55:02.968 So you get scars, you get scrapes. 55:03.489 --> 55:11.024 You get all these things because, despite the fact that you're trying to help it, it has a way about it. 55:12.899 --> 55:13.862 And you know what's crazy. 55:14.475 --> 55:17.823 Your true friends will treat you just like you treated the cat. 55:19.475 --> 55:25.127 You will keep it at arm's length because you know that it will hurt you, but you won't let go. 55:26.758 --> 55:27.521 Come on somebody. 55:28.515 --> 55:32.077 You have any true friends in your life that won't let go of you, despite how messed up you are. 55:33.995 --> 55:35.802 They've seen you hurt people. 55:36.275 --> 55:40.633 They've seen you disrespect and curse folk out and they're like man. 55:40.653 --> 55:42.579 I got to keep you at a distance but I ain't going to let you go. 55:43.843 --> 55:44.264 I love you. 55:45.277 --> 55:46.622 I just got to move you somewhere safe. 55:47.395 --> 55:48.799 You need to come on down to Life Groups, brother. 55:52.618 --> 55:56.926 Oh, praise God, I'll give you one. 55:56.966 --> 55:57.888 I'll give you this one for free. 55:58.435 --> 55:59.058 We'll close with this. 56:00.555 --> 56:01.801 You know I come from Pentecostal Ruiz. 56:02.015 --> 56:10.744 This is my sixth closing, so for my final closing I want to read you one scripture. 56:12.075 --> 56:15.244 This is from John 11, verses 43 to 44. 56:16.375 --> 56:17.902 And before we read, I'll give you the context. 56:18.095 --> 56:22.665 So Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, has died. 56:24.115 --> 56:26.201 He dies, and Jesus does not go. 56:26.381 --> 56:32.527 Once he hears that he is sick, he remains where he is for two more days, and then he goes to see him. 56:32.675 --> 56:40.544 By this point, lazarus is deader than a doorknob, but Jesus goes to do what only God can do. 56:41.617 --> 56:42.539 Now, this is where we pick up. 56:45.515 --> 56:48.264 Now, when he had said these things, he cried with a whisper. 56:49.259 --> 56:49.760 Is that what it says? 56:50.755 --> 56:53.352 No, no, no, no. 56:53.795 --> 56:58.294 He cried with a loud voice Lazarus, Come forth. 57:00.680 --> 57:03.587 Now it's only funny, though, because he doesn't whisper it. 57:04.155 --> 57:14.025 He says it loud because, despite the fact that he's at the tomb, he's not speaking to the tomb, because Lazarus' body is in the tomb, but Lazarus is somewhere else. 57:15.316 --> 57:16.960 I'm just giving you some free theological lessons. 57:17.000 --> 57:23.624 Right now, lazarus is in Sheol, he's in another place, so Jesus has to speak to where he is, not to where he is. 57:26.059 --> 57:26.881 Am I blessing you yet? 57:27.342 --> 57:35.463 Okay, so, and then notice that he has to say Lazarus, because he doesn't just say come forth, because if he did, it would be a zombie apocalypse on earth. 57:35.804 --> 57:36.326 He didn't want that. 57:37.216 --> 57:38.859 So he says Lazarus, come forth. 57:39.060 --> 57:41.265 But that's not even the part that we're talking about right now. 57:41.505 --> 57:42.167 Check this out. 57:42.915 --> 57:50.797 And when he who had died came out, bound, hand and foot, with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with a cloth. 57:51.077 --> 57:55.285 Jesus said to them loose him and let him go. 57:58.311 --> 58:04.877 Life groups, life groups, what you mean, life groups, that's life groups. 58:07.695 --> 58:10.123 Because the same thing that happened to Lazarus happened to you. 58:11.155 --> 58:24.783 You were dead and there was no way to redeem you, no way to deliver you, and God came through in his mercy and in his love and at just the perfect and right time he snatched you from the grip of hell and he gave you eternal life. 58:26.735 --> 58:28.096 But I love this Jesus. 58:28.537 --> 58:34.317 He could have said I've done this thing, that only God can do this impossible work. 58:34.558 --> 58:39.218 And he could have said let me take the napkin off your face and let me cut you out of these grave clothes. 58:39.379 --> 58:40.442 But he doesn't do that. 58:41.155 --> 58:44.381 Jesus does what only God can do and he raises him to life. 58:49.915 --> 58:53.866 And then he moves to the side and he says loose him. 58:53.995 --> 58:57.243 He says you believers that are around him, you set him free. 59:00.639 --> 59:01.742 He says can you catch this? 59:03.135 --> 59:08.146 He delegates and puts it into the hands of the believers to bring him the freedom. 59:10.138 --> 59:11.242 Come on, church. 59:12.495 --> 59:13.318 That's life groups. 59:15.835 --> 59:18.262 Help sometimes hurts, but it gets you free. 59:19.875 --> 59:24.566 Jesus is not going to do all of the work when he has his body on earth. 59:25.835 --> 59:29.773 You have to utilize his body, amen. 59:32.561 --> 59:34.706 This is the City Light Church podcast. 59:35.195 --> 59:44.387 If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. 59:45.136 --> 59:46.641 That's citylightnyccom. 59:48.075 --> 59:50.964 Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. 59:51.515 --> 59:52.940 We would love to connect with you. 59:53.975 --> 01:00:01.444 We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. 01:00:02.295 --> 01:00:03.159 Thank you for listening. 01:00:03.835 --> 01:00:09.199 Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.