Explore God

Speaker 1 0:30

Hey , good morning everybody . Oh , good to see you . Thank you , megan . So good to see you up here .

Speaker 1 0:37

Hello , my name is Jeff Bachman . I'm one of the Pastor's here and staff , and it is a privilege to open up God's word and to share it with you and to also go . I think there's something that we should do with that . We have been preaching through Matthew . If you've been with us for the last couple of years , you took a break in the summer to talk about relationships . We are next week gonna be taking a break also for the rest of the year .

Speaker 1 0:58

We're stepping into a seven week initiative called Explore God . Who , by show of hands , who , got a postcard in there ? Oh , you even brought it . You brought it . I'm not . That's great . You can share that with somebody else . Anybody else get their postcards in the mail . Okay , if you didn't , they'll be coming . But we really have gone and blanketed this area in the community to say we would love to engage you .

Speaker 1 1:19

Explore God is essentially this it's seven big questions of people who are exploring faith which , frankly , let's be honest , these are seven questions that you have either dealt with at some point in your life or you will , and so what we are doing is saying what if we as people , human beings , broken people in a community at Northgate say we'd love to invite you in two , four , seven weeks Explore God where'd they get that name right ? But we're gonna explore God and ask those questions and we want to do it together . So hopefully those invitations are going out and that , if you've gotten them , that also means that other people are . Then here's what we're inviting you into this week . Is that ? Not only do you now have an invitation that you can share with somebody else , but we are asking would you consider to share your social media with Northgate and with Explore God ? And here's what we're gonna be doing Every day we are gonna be sending out a image or a video and then also copy so the words that you would even have to say , and then we're gonna send those out to people and we would love for you to use your social media , your influence , your people to then say would you join me ?

Speaker 1 2:22

It really is . I think the most powerful invitation we have is to say I'm not asking you to do something I'm not willing to do . Would you come and join me in this ? And I think a lot of that comes through social media in our digital world right now , so you can text . If you text , explore One to 94,000 , that'll put you on a text list . That'll just be for this week and then we'll get rid of it after that , but it's our way of then saying that's the group of people we're gonna be sending images , video and copy out to , and we'd love for you to , and whatever context that works for you , and so that could be at your workplace , it could be with your people and your family and your friends , it could be in between cat videos that you share on social media , or even with your high school student friends . In all those it's you saying , would you come and be a part of what it is that I'm doing ? So that's what's happening in the next couple of weeks . Next week we're gonna talk about how people can be getting into groups and we'd love for you to be inviders of that as well , but that's what we're doing . So for one last week , we're gonna be ending on Matthew 18 , seven through nine .

Speaker 1 3:18

Now this is actually a continuation on from Matthew 18 , one through six , which Larry did a fantastic job with last week and talked about this idea that , as we are called , it was the disciples asking Jesus , saying who's the greatest Jesus ? Is it me or him ? Which one of us is the greatest ? And he said , actually , it's none of you , you hardheaded humans . And he said it's the greatest in God's kingdom are those who are the children . And he both said the children , but he was saying people who have childlike faith not childish , but childlike faith . And so he really he drove home this point , and then that's actually gonna be our launching point , because that idea of childlike children means literally the children , but then he also referred to it as little ones , which then means it's a metaphor for the marginalized and those who are less than in culture . Kids at that time had no seniority , had no importance , and so it was saying who you see as the least important , I actually put at the front of the line , and what do you if you go and detract them from my kingdom ? Because I see them as the most precious . So that's where we're at , and though I'm not gonna be teaching one through six , one through six actually really informs where we are today , and so we'll kind of launch from there .

Speaker 1 4:30

I don't know if you can tell this by just not looking at me . I'm not super handy with the old tools around the house and you're laughing indicates that you already knew that , so it's a bummer , but I will tell you what I can do . I'm not great at fixing stuff , but I'm awesome at watching YouTube , and YouTube tells me how to fix things . I have a ton of respect for my mom and dad in that they raised me as a full , fully functioning adult and they never had YouTube to tell me what to do . I don't even know how they did it , so I should probably thank them for that . But here's what I've learned is that YouTube will tell you how to do a lot of really cool things .

Speaker 1 5:05

I've changed my alternator on my car I know , I know you can call me a mechanic . I have I've fixed sprinklers , so I guess I'm a gardener and most recently I changed the exhaust fan in our bathroom . So I'm thank you . I'm a contractor . Now I will be offering bids . As long as you have Wi-Fi in your house , I should do just fine , so that's going to be great .

Speaker 1 5:31

Now here's what I noticed about myself in any of these circumstances , and just in general , is that I never have the right tools for the job . I never have the right tools for the job , but I should . I should probably spend the 20 bucks to get the tool to fix it , and then I'm going to have that tool from then on . So no lie , I was changing the exhaust fan and I had YouTube told me , so I did it . I cut all the power to the house because electrocution is frowned upon , and so I'm in there , and the bathroom that I was in didn't have a window , so it was dark in there . And , I kid you not , I had this little step stool and I'm out there fixing this thing with like a butter knife and some hope and dreams , and it was pitch black in there . So I took my iPhone , I put it in my teeth and so the light is shining up like this . Now the problem is that every time that I went to go look at the thing , the light started shining back that way and I was like , well , that's not going to help , and so I got it done . Thank you very much for your thoughts and prayers , but it's just , it was like this would be way easier if I had a flashlight and an appropriate tool , and I think what we're going to look at today though it comes with very harsh language , it is Jesus talking to his disciples and saying there's a thing that you have been designed to do and to be .

Speaker 1 6:42

I'm asking you to live in a certain way , so then , live how you were made , not . Otherwise . You're not going to be as full of joy , you're not going to feel as fulfilled , and your purpose , and ultimately , what he's saying is , if you don't live in the way that God has designed you to be , there's actually another way that you do not want to be a part of , and so that's what we're going to be doing today . And here are a couple of the findings as you look at Matthew 18 , seven through nine . So these are things to just be looking for .

Speaker 1 7:09

The first is that the audience has moved . He started by talking to the disciples . It's now expanded . There are other people that Jesus is talking to , but he's also not talking to the individual anymore . He's now talking to us as the world , as the audience , those who are listening , and so you're going to see this term right at the start , where it says woe to the world , which , if you're like me , I read that and I think it feels very finger waggy , like shame on you , and so I've always approached this one a little bit like this , but as I spent some more time in it , I saw that idea of woe to the world . And it's not shame on you , it's not , you're going to get it when your dad gets home . It's a I need you to beware . And it's Jesus imploring his beloved disciples and those who are listening , of saying there's something better out there . Woe to the world . Those who believe this or those who lean into this other life are not going to experience the joy of what we've intended here , and so woe to you . That's the first .

Speaker 1 8:01

The second is this he's alluding to the world that is to come , and we'll get into that in a second . And then the third one is that you're gonna see him refer to world , and that really equals people in the sense of a people group , and so again , it's not an individual person , though he does say what are the ones who go and live in this way ? So just to live in that balance . But again there's he will also say this phrase where it says such things must come , this idea that we live , essentially identifying the fact that we live in a broken world , you and I are human beings , and that we are finite . God is infinite and we are finite . We also will have a point in time where we will experience our last breath here on earth , so there is a finite amount of time . Because of sin , that is how it goes , and so we live in a broken world that is degrading over time , and so what Jesus is alluding to is that there is something after this . So then look to that .

Speaker 1 8:53

Don't put your faith in this . We're gonna see Jesus communicate the gravity and the weight of sin in a life outside of God . He uses the same hyperbole that he's talking about here . He uses it in Matthew five , indicating that there must be something important about eradicating sin out of our lives and going so far as to be almost literal of cutting those things out . You're gonna hear these words and , based on your background or where you've come from , in your perspective , you're gonna hear it as maybe even an attack . But I would rather ask that you see this from a loving God who is awakening his people to stop driving straight off of a cliff .

Speaker 1 9:33

And what I'm gonna tell you is we're gonna read Matthew 18 , seven through nine . I'm gonna go away from that because , well , two things . One , this passage here doesn't give you a list of things not to do . So that's the first . The second is this is that I actually think it's a much more powerful and compelling picture to paint a picture of who God has made you to be , rather than what you shouldn't do and holding that off like it's the fine China . So I would rather tell you about who God has indicated that we are through original design , and then aim our lives towards that through Christ , and then we'll get back there . But I just don't want you to think that I just read a passage and then I'm gonna walk away from it .

Speaker 1 10:06

So Matthew 18 , seven through nine says this Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble . Such things must come , but woe to the person through whom they come . If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble , cut it off and throw it away , it is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire . And if your eye causes you to stumble , gouge it out and throw it away , it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire for hell . Welcome to the Northgate everybody . So

The Importance of Holiness to God

Speaker 1 10:48

okay .

Speaker 1 10:48

So here's what I want you to notice from this as you look at this . What I see from this is that Jesus is calling for us to cut sin out of our life because it's urgent , it matters and it costs something . Those words thrown into an eternal fire in verse eight , talking about the hell of fire in verse nine . And even last week he said to take a 2,000 pound stone and throw it around your neck rather than distracting kids from Jesus or in the kingdom of heaven and I know that there's gonna be there's probably a list of 20 to 30 , hundreds of different experiences that people have had in scripture and , as people have come here , of other church experiences .

Speaker 1 11:27

But here's what I wanna say is that this isn't , this is not what God designed and this is not who God is in the sense of saying that's what he wants for us . In fact , what I see is John 3.16 . For God to love the world , that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life . 2 Peter 3.9 states that so that no one may perish . So it's not his heart and his intent and or his delight that anyone would go there , and yet there are consequences of living outside of life , outside of the way that we were designed and the way that God has set it up for us to live . He believed so much that he went through time and space and interjected Jesus into our lives . He believed that , though no one would perish , he would give Jesus so that no one should have to . And yet there are consequences outside of a life , of the way that God has designed it , and it does come at a cost . I almost get the sense in some way , that God is then allowing as Jesus talks about these other ways of living eternally . It's almost as if to say if this isn't the life that you choose to be with God through holiness , righteousness , forgiveness of Jesus , then there is a life outside of that , and saying then I'm going to give you over to that .

Speaker 1 12:45

We have three kids , and the three kids that we have , like , they're now in junior high and high school , and so they're at that place of really starting to figure out their own life for themselves . And I would say that the goal of most parents , as I've talked to them , is that these kids , as they become adults , become fully formed humans that are followers of Jesus and that they then are also kind and that they are investing back into humanity and that they are caring and that's my heart for them too . And so there are gonna be times , and whether it's in how they work on their projects and papers or how they take a test , how they interact with other people and sometimes it's conflict and sometimes it's joy how they go to a party or even sometimes how they drive is that there are times that I'm going to say look , as your father , I have a way , based on my wisdom and experience that is more than yours , just based on chronology , that this is probably the way that you should do it . And there are times that they look at me and they say father , I know that might have been how you did it , but we don't write on stone tablets or take buggies to school or pump our own water . So , but almost that sense of like , I thank you for your investment , thanks for telling me about how to do it . But I think I've kind of got this , and we could oftentimes waste a lot of time going around and around and sit here and say I think that this is the way , and typically at some point it gets to the point that I kind of go okay , okay , and not that I delight in that , and obviously I'm going to do everything in my power as a parent to not have grave consequences come to them . But it really is saying if this is what you are choosing , then I'm going to allow you to live like that , to figure out some of those consequences for yourself . And nine times out of 10 , they come back and they're like you were right , and I will tell them . I'll say I know not just kidding , but it's this process , and so I see a little bit of a heart of what God is doing , of saying so that none would perish . He gave Jesus . And yet there is and we'll talk about it in a second this idea of freedom that also then allows to say if this is what you choose to live , then here's what that life looks like , that's how we're called to live , and so what I think that this is telling me is that holiness matters to God . Holiness matters to God because that is God's very nature .

Speaker 1 15:08

If you were to go and scan through scripture , is that one of the words that he has described as is holy meaning set apart or consecrated or sacred , other than , higher than and all throughout scripture . If I was to sit here and try and describe and though we can't contain who God is in words , if I were to put into a box all the words that I would use to describe God first off , sin would be nowhere in that . There would be no words of evil or wrath . It would be a sense of a loving God who also enacts consequences , both truth and justice , and grace and love . So it's all that , but sin doesn't belong in there .

Freedom in Relationship With God

Speaker 1 15:46

And so then , we have to take a holy God and then take into consideration the fact that sin a term that ultimately is an archery term Sin meaning that , as you are in aim at a target , if you fired an arrow at a target and you miss it , they'd say that you've sinned , you've missed the mark . And so then , as we are living our lives , and God has said this is what holiness looks like , this is that target , and we have missed that mark , is it then that means that that doesn't belong anywhere near God ? That's not who he is , that's not what he is , and yet he was willing , willing to invest his holiness into the life of Jesus , to intersect that for you and for I , and so then , we , as this creation , have the opportunity to then be a reflection of his very nature and his character . We , too , are called to live like that . And yet what I know is this is that freedom , which is what we have freedom in relationship , freedom in God we have this freedom that means that we can choose that and we can also not . And so , in a sinful world like what we live in , is that that freedom comes , and it's beautiful to be free in Jesus . And yet what I also see is that freedom allows us to experience some things in a way that God never intended us to . Our freedom , I think , looks different . I think it looks different , and I think , if we're forced to love and worship a God , then what kind of freedom is that ? So God has to like it's almost as if he set up the rules and then he has to live by them , where he says that you are free to engage in a relationship with me . And yet , in that freedom , there's also sometimes some level of limitations that we feel . I'll say it like this .

Speaker 1 17:26

So I asked the worship team if I could grab their guitar , so and as a youth pastor , I know three and a half chords and I'm going to play them all for you right now , Just kidding . So if you're familiar with a guitar , you know how to play a guitar . You know that you strum it and these strings vibrate and it creates music . The better a guitar player you are , the more the sound's going to make right ? There's freedom in that . I could play you lots of different songs if I knew them . I could strum fast , I could strum slow . There's lots of different ways .

Speaker 1 17:53

I have freedom in how I'm to play this guitar . What I will tell you is this 10 out of 10 ways . I cannot play the guitar this way and make a beautiful song for you . The best I'm going to be able to do is a little bit of drumming , but that is it , and you go . Well , but wait a minute . Aren't you free to play it ? Play it any way you want . Yes , I am free to play this any way I want . And yet in my freedom , I am not going to be using this thing for the way that it was designed or intended . And so if you're missing out on in saying like , look , if you , I don't even know who invented the guitar , but somebody created this and they say this is how you play it . You press these strings down and you strum this and it will create a song . Am I free to do this ? Yes , but it is never going to do what you intended it to do .

Freedom and Relationships With God/Others

Speaker 1 18:35

And that's what I see freedom to be that there are limitations within our freedom , and yet there's also this beautiful opportunity for us to live freely , and that's what God is ultimately calling us to then do in our entire life as well . It's the nature of relationships , not only with him , but with everyone . We enter into any good and healthy relationship freely , because that's what we do . We want to exercise love , but then if I'm not acting in my freedom and exhibiting the fullest version of love and care and service and freedom , then it's not going to ever become the fullest version of what that relationship was meant to be . I mean , if you were to take a relationship like my wife and I is that , if , in our marriage , if I was to hold back and to be dishonest and if I wasn't to fully serve her and put her needs before mine , and if she wasn't to do the same to me , then we're going to sit there and it's going to be a relationship , but it won't be the fullest version of what it is that we were supposed to do .

Speaker 1 19:32

And I think if we take our will and our freedom and it's not enacted in the same way for God , then that's what we're going to experience . Does that make sense ? That God has given us the freedom to engage in that , he's also given us the freedom to not ? And so in this passage that we're looking at , in Matthew 18 , seven through nine , it's not only should we not bring other people into sin and pull them away , but then we also have an opportunity to choose differently than what our own wiring , dna and our flesh aims us towards , which is sin . And the problem is is that from the beginning of time , humankind picked differently in that freedom . It was both the beautiful blessing and the problem .

Speaker 1 20:10

Because you look back at Genesis one and as they talk about creation in Genesis one , it talks about the first humankind that was made , and you see the word Adam , which translates Adam translates to Adama in the in the Hebrew , which means person and humanity , and it is this beautiful story of God and humanity and how they lived in perfect relationship with each other , so much so than in Genesis one , 28, . He , god , even said I will give over to you the earth to rule . It is yours to care for , to administrate , in fact , ruling the earth meant to be a reflection of God administering and distributing God's nature and his character . That , as we live here , we are exhibiting that nature and character out to not only earth but other people . That's why it matters how we steward our things , that matters how we care for other people in relationship , because that's how we were made to do , that's what we are , that's it's like a human longing that we have and that's who God put us in there to be , in fact , human as far as to say the heaven is mine , the earth is yours .

Speaker 1 21:09

Psalm 115 , 16 says . It says the highest heavens belong to the Lord , but the earth has been given to mankind , and so we are to be ruling and to be sharing that with others . So then , fast forward that up to Matthew 18 and look at one through six . It's where , then , you get this idea that we are expected to point others , especially children . We're supposed to point them with our lives , to choose in our freedom , to point them back to God , to exhibit those relationships and nature and character of God to other people , which is where then Jesus says if you're not doing that , we're in big trouble . And it's why Northgate exists , as Pastor Megan said , is that we , that Northgate exists to help unchurched people become wholehearted followers of Jesus through transforming our homes , communities and world , by living out who God is on a day to day basis , at your works , at your schools , in your families , in your homes , in every part of who we are . We are called to live that out , which actually that makes the most sense , doesn't it ? If that's who God made you to be , then we get a chance to reflect that and exhibit that in how we live , move and breathe . We are image bearers and breath carriers of God and something we should look exactly like Him .

Speaker 1 22:22

How many of you have ever had your identity stolen or somebody's like hopped on your social media and taken over that for anybody ? Wow , you guys are all safe , safe people . If you haven't , it's awful and you shouldn't have that happen . But , like , have you ever seen somebody who's gotten there , like their Instagram account hacked or Facebook and they go ? Hey , if somebody's asking you for money , that's not me , because that's not my character . I wouldn't just come up to you and ask for money over a social media account , or somebody takes your credit card , that , and they start going and buying electric scooters over on the East Coast . You're like that's not me and that's not what I would do , and we very quickly get very possessive . That's my Instagram account , that's my social security number , that's my money and I don't want you to do with it what it's not supposed

God's Desire for Living in Alignment

Speaker 1 23:02

to be .

Speaker 1 23:03

So then why in the world wouldn't God be jealous of the exact same thing , that if we're living a life that looks different than his character , then he goes well , of course you're not supposed to live like that . That's not who I made you to be , and if you don't reflect the nature of who God is in your life , then why shouldn't we be subject to some form of consequences , which that word consequences isn't even bad . You can even say it good . You can say you've done some great things and , consequently , you get to have a reward , you get a cookie , and so , even when you talk about it from a consequence point , it's God's just saying it's life outside of me is going to be other than me . That's what it is . So then , don't live outside of me . I didn't make you that way . That's not the way you're supposed to live , and that's not how you're going to experience the most joy .

Speaker 1 23:49

So then , when you , or any part of you , is doing anything that you aren't supposed to do , that it doesn't belong in his kingdom , it doesn't belong there , and he says , because he is holy , that it should be gone from there . It's to be removed , which is what we see all the way back at Genesis they're from Genesis 1 to 3 that when humankind says no to God and sins for the first time , it's because they believe the lie and they ultimately are removed then from the place that God created , I mean the first . The first sin was that Eve was tempted with the idea that she could be God-like instead of like God , and here's the difference in that . Is it meaning that , instead of just exhibiting the nature and the character of who God is , she thought , if I learned enough , if I did enough , I could actually become God . That's the problem . She thought of it that there was something more for her , that God was , was holding back .

Speaker 1 24:44

But that resonates with us , doesn't it ? That if a little is good , a lot more is even better . Who stops on the first pizza ? Pizza , I mean like , right , like what ? If one piece of pizza is good , like seven's better , but okay , maybe just me . But that's that's life . That we sit here and think that those limitations that have been put on us and whatever in time or space or Spiritual , is that those limitations are then meaning that there's something out there that if I just step outside of that , that I'm going to experience a fuller life and cut snow . That's not who I created you to be . I said no to Eve and humankind for one reason Because I said no . And God's not a withholding God . He's not withholding something that's greater , he's not a holy killjoy . He is giving and gave freedom to experience the fullest version of who God made us to be , and there's no cheat code in that . But know this is that the way that God has designed it . There is a specific way that he wants you to experience that life on a day-to-day basis with people and in his word and as a spirit to lead you . He says I created it this way and I want you to experience it this way .

Speaker 1 25:51

One of my most favorite vacations that we do and I learned this from my wife is that if we travel some places , that will see if they're offering any cooking classes and people like and people's homes . I'll like open them up , like , make sure you sign up , just don't show up . That's weird , but but we would go to these people's homes and one of my favorite ones we went to went to Mexico and there was a lady who hosted us and she she made us soup , she made us tacos and guacamole and dessert , and everything she made was delicious , but with every one of them is she made it . She also showed us how to eat it . I learned there that tacos are supposed to be a certain size . You hold them with these three fingers and it's three bites . If it's more than three bites , it's a burrito , if it's less , it's an appetizer . So that's how it's supposed to be eaten . And if we would do it in any other way , she's like no , no , no , that's not how you do it . Okay , but you just go back to this and you go .

Speaker 1 26:38

The designer , the creator of this , is telling me how I'm supposed to experience it and enjoy it . So then of course , that makes sense , but that's the lie , because we all believe . Then in some capacity I know better than God . He's given me life and it's pretty good . I bet I can make it a little bit better and that maybe he's withholding something from me , which then also goes back to Matthew 8 . Say one through six , because when's the last time that a four-year-old thought that you were holding out on him ? They just want more of you . They just want they'd say , I trust you , I want to follow you , and there's this beautiful innocence of them of just going Everything that you are . I want to experience the fullness of that . Not , they don't ever ask to upgrade to another mom , unless , of course , you made him clean the room , and then that's a different story .

Speaker 1 27:28

But the problem comes when we're not putting our faith into every part of who God is , because it's not just that he putting our faith in what he did by sending his son , it's that we're putting our faith in who he is . I Believe what scripture says , but am I putting my faith in who he is and his nature and his character ? Because , of course , if we think that God is God , a 2.0 version for somebody else , then of course we're gonna think he's trying to outfox us , of course we're gonna think that there's something else there . But if we truly believe that God wants us to experience life , and life abundantly , then we are going to be able to experience the fullness of who God made us to be , now and beyond , because holiness is God's original intent and it's also what we are called to then aim our lives at . So it's how we design this and it's what we are supposed to then run back to .

Speaker 1 28:20

1 Peter 1 16 says to be holy , be holy as I am holy , or be holy because I am holy . To be righteous , because here's the idea that word right means that it really means to be right . Have you ever had a day that it's just everything's right ? You're like not since 1996 , but have you ever had a day ? Your shoes just look awesome , your pants are just a little looser than they were the other day , breakfast tastes fantastic , every green light showers , the perfect temperature , everything's just , everything's right . That's what righteousness is . It really means it's kind of that idea .

Speaker 1 28:55

It's the scriptural term shalom , which means peace , which is it's whole , full . Nothing is broken , nothing's missing , and God's inviting us into that , not a list of things that you shouldn't do . He's inviting us into experience the wholeness of the wholeness of his holiness and his righteousness and his freedom , and that's why this call that Jesus makes to the disciples is all that much bigger and it's also a bigger miss , because Jesus takes sin seriously and we can't try hard to work hard to do good , because ultimately then we're gonna fail . That's not the call , because sin's not a physical thing , see , it's a heart issue , because you can have people who are blind and limping around and they are still full of sin . Because it's a heart issue of what's going on here and Jesus wants us to change our heart , not by our own will , but by aiming our life at the spirit that comes to dwell in us to lead us , teach us , guide us , convict us . So I mean the other day , like a thing on a line that was saying the Holy Spirit does make you dance and speak in tongues , but it also makes you to apologize and say you're sorry a few times too . Yeah , so it needs to be both of those . And the Holy Spirit does that to lead and gently guide .

Speaker 1 30:13

Look at it in Galatians . Galatians 5 , 13 says it this way you , my brothers and sisters , were called to be free . There's that idea of free , but do not use your freedom to indulge in the flesh . Rather serve one another humbly in love . Freedom in scripture is not that I get to do whatever I want . And we , as Americans understand that . Even if we don't understand that , we understand it because we love the land that we live in and call it the land of the free . And yet we also know that there may be a consequence for us if we drive 75 miles an hour . Right , that may be something that's waiting for us on the other side . We know that we can't go outside of the law and not pay the consequences for that . You go . Wait , I thought America is free . You're like it is free but you can't do anything that you want .

Speaker 1 30:58

Freedom in Christ is not longing for those things of the world . Freedom in Christ is allowing his spirit to change and our taste change . Our head changes , our heart changes . Based on what I see in freedom in Christ , it means that you should actually indulge more in serving other people . That's what freedom is . Is that you should be looking for other ways to serve another human being rather than make sure that your own needs are fully indulged .

Speaker 1 31:24

And then it goes on in Galatians 5 , 22 and 23 , it says but the fruit of the spirit is love , joy , peace , patience or forbearance , kindness , goodness , faithfulness , gentleness and self-control . And again , so things . Here's the good news , everybody no law , not a single law . When's the last time that you overindulged in forgiving ? Never , I never have done that . There's never been a day that I walked out of the door and was like , oh , I was so kind yesterday and I just want to be kind again , but I probably shouldn't . No , indulge away , just have at it , go nuts , just have the best time doing these things . Where it says you are free to do those things .

Speaker 1 32:07

Because what we see is that God in the Old Testament , he restores the nation of Israel by giving them a new heart and a new mind through His Spirit . Ezekiel 36 , 26 and 27 says I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you . I will remove from you a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh , and I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws . God is offering us a new heart and a new mind , and it's not a matter of trying harder , but it's also not a matter of just fulfilling more of my own wishes and desires , because what I've seen , and I can attest to this , and I don't fully understand it . But when I allow God's Spirit to dwell in me and lead me and guide me and teach me and convict me , is that there are moments of things that I had a taste for I don't anymore and you go . That doesn't make sense and you're like yup , how is that , don't know . But God's word is faithful . Now there is a human will part in this , of me enacting , and that there are times when I'm like , oh , I should say that to this . Is that been you ? And you go ? Nope , it's God's Spirit . He shuts us up , it's good , it's good . So I believe in all of this .

The Cost of Confession and Community

Speaker 1 33:27

What we see is that Jesus came and lived the life that we can't to allow us to have the relationship with God that we don't deserve and to be in holiness with Him . That's what it . Well , that's what's at stake . Again , it's not a list of what you shouldn't do We'll get to that some other day but for today , it's saying this is what is out there , and that's why Jesus says that this is the cost of that , because through Christ , we're not only offered a new life , but , as it says that we are a creation of God , it goes farther than even creation is to saying that you're not only a creation , but you belong . You are sons and daughters . It's one thing to be made , it's another to be welcomed in as family . And so then that brings us back to Matthew 18 , seven through nine , where you go . What in the world do we do ? Because we don't wanna walk around as a bunch of one , armed , limping saints , right . So then , what do we do ?

Speaker 1 34:23

I think that there's three things that we can aim our lives towards . Again , there is a human responsibility that we have as we allow his spirit to dwell on us . The first is confession , which is really uncomfortable , and that may be confession to somebody else , but I think it starts with confessing back to God . Because here's what I know is that I think we have an opportunity , before things get out of hand , is to begin to have God work in us with the little stuff Solomon talks about , and it's in relationships . But it says to catch the little foxes . And in that context and that poetry it was talking about the foxes who would go and eat the fruits and the vineyards . And it says catch the foxes to stop those things so that something can bloom and grow . So it's catch the little foxes .

Speaker 1 35:01

I also think that what I see in there comes out of Proverbs , where it says a little sleep , a little slumber . This is Proverbs six A little sleep , a little slumber , a little folding of hands , and destruction comes on you like a wanton man . I would believe and this is true for me , it's probably true for you is that there are different places in your life , with sin and temptation , where you never intended to get here and you don't even know how to get back . And so , instead of actually traveling there and trying to figure out how to get back , why don't you just not go there , which is easier said than done , but that's where we're talking about this . Of these are the things catching the foxes a little sleep , a little slumber .

Speaker 1 35:34

And then I think , though it is a hyperbole that he says to cut off the hand and poke out the eye . What I do know is this there are some things in our lives that we need to start cutting . Probably not the hands , but take some inventory of the things in your life that are causing you to sin , causing you to be tempted , causing you to live a life that is other than what God has called you into , and you may need to start cutting those out . And if you can't handle yourself when you go to the bar , then you probably shouldn't go to the bar . And if you get onto the internet and if you look at things that you're not supposed to look at on the internet , then you probably need to set that up and cut it off . And if there's different areas in your life that you find yourself stumbling and living outside of the holiness of who God has called you to be , then it means that you need to do something about it , because there is a consequence on the other side that is far worse than what you are indulging in right now .

Speaker 1 36:27

And then I think the other thing that I see in scripture in this area of confession is also this idea of fleeing , which is not popular in Western Christianity . But 1 Corinthians 10 , 13 says that there's no temptation , that it sees you , but that which is common demand , and God is faithful , and he will give you strength to stand up under it . And if you can't stand up under it , he will give you a way out , which I read that I go . Just get out of here . I'm going to tell you , students , nothing great happens watching a movie after 11 o'clock at night . Get out of here . You know they say there's no good decisions made after midnight Probably not . So don't put yourself flee from . If you find yourself , if you're at a place where you realize that there are things that you have done , get out of there . It's all a part of eradicating those things , because there is a cost . And then I think the other part with this is this there's confession in the secondest community .

Speaker 1 37:23

We were never intended to do life alone . I think that's a bell that I ring all the time . But , my friends , if you are alone , that is not who Northgate wants you to be , that's not who Jesus wants you to be , and we are better together . I think that we have missed as a humanity the fact that there is a belonging that we have to each other . Now we're not told the rule over each other . It says that God is our king and he should be our king , but there is a responsibility that we have to one another . We belong to each other .

Reconnecting With Belonging and Prayer

Speaker 1 37:49

I found myself in the last two weeks getting in some really stupid conflicts with people , and I've contributed to it too . It's not that other people are awful , but what I've found is that we've lost our sense of belonging to each other , that you are more important than me . My wife for me a couple of years ago , in these beautiful little images and it's up here , it's this idea of belonging , and these are over our nights in it says I belong with you and you belong with me . I think that we're missing as a humanity the fact , the opportunity as it says in Galatians 5.13 , that in our freedom indulge in serving each other . And if we miss that , then we really are missing the essence of who God has created us to be as caring for other people , in that I take care of the things that belong to me , not possessive , but I take care of them . We should probably do the same for each other .

Speaker 1 38:41

And then I think the third is prayer , which ultimately goes back to that confession . So it kind of starts and ends with prayer . But it's the idea of prayer where I think that it's aiming your life towards God and his nature and his character , and taking a moment to allow God to reveal to you . Because I think here's what I find . First off , I find in my own life that I will avoid prayer because I'm afraid of what God's willing to tell me , and yet I also know that God wants to gently lead us back to a place away from that life , outside of sin and temptation , outside of holiness , outside of his creation .

Speaker 1 39:23

Here's what we're going to do . I've got a passage I'm going to read over you out of Psalms , out of the Psalms , and then I'm going to give you 60 seconds of silence . It's going to feel like an hour and a half , but it might be the quietest minute of your week and it may be the opportunity for God to be the loudest . Psalm 139 , 23 and 24 says this search me , God , and know my heart , test me and know my anxious thoughts , see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me into the everlasting .