Don't Waste Your Pain

being in August is our next men's huddle where we'll unpack what it needs to be a godly courageous man in today's world through engaging stories expert teaching unscripted interviews and personal insights this study calls every man to become bold leaders in their own lives marriages churches and communities plan to join the men of a LCF community for this exciting series on Saturdays August 25th through November 10 and the cost is $25 in September we've got some exciting events planned starting with an evening with Tim Keller hosted by transforming the bay with Christ pastor Tim a pastor and New York Times bestselling author speaks about the church as an unstoppable force and shares his views on what a radical Christian community looks like join us on Thursday September 6th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the ALCS sanctuary for this unique event tickets are $20 on September 23rd we launched two classes Jesus among secular gods and the art of parenting living in the Bay Area's high tech center of the world we are often confronted with questions about science versus religion in Jesus among secular gods Valerie Saunders our director of evangelism uses a video chat workshop format to help us prepare to challenge the isms of modern belief including world and views and present compelling evidence for revealed absolute truth as founded in Jesus this six week class helps seekers to explore claims of Christ and will provide Christians with knowledge to articulate why they believe Jesus stands tall of all all other gods the cost is $25 includes child care with pre-registration also on September 23rd the art of parenting developed by Family Life today helps parents feel confident in building a foundation for their children in four key areas identity character relationships and mission this eight-week DVD small group curriculum based on Psalm 127 4 features insights and decades of expertise that Dennis and Barberini glean from ministry and raising six children facilitated by Zeke and Marie Harvey who looks for the following topics the goal of parenting forming character applying discipline building relationships understanding identity nurturing identity preparing for mission the power of family the cost is $40 per couple which includes child care with pre-registration space is limited to 24 couples are you new to abundant life are you interested in learning more about our story dreams and values and then a welcoming environment with no pressure to join if so our guest orientation lunch is just the place for you find out what we're all about on Sunday September 9th from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the chapel and speaking of values going is one of ALCS core values as born-again believers God commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19 in order to prepare you to go we invite you to participate in one of four trains being offered each Sunday in August from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. another great opportunity to go and bring the hope of Jesus to people in need is the Johnny and Friends Bay Area walk and Roy Bend on September 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto join us for this one-of-a-kind fundraising event all of the money raised will bring Christ centered encouragement and practical support to special need families in the community you can sign up from August 17th through September 15th and Johnny and Friends org slash Bay Area now are you ready for some fun what about ALCS annual church picnic make plans to join the ASF community for our most popular event of the year and be part of a great afternoon of fellowship fun food and games this year's event will take place on Sunday September 16th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at rings to a part in mountain fever and if you're available to help out please come to our volunteer meeting on Sunday August 12 from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. to sign up for any of the upcoming events and classes go to LC f net slash signups or the AOC FM to stay connected with everything a LCF check out the website app by weekly emails newsletter social media and remember at a LCF our goal is to make a difference in your life so you can make a difference in the lives of the people in your sphere of influence or as we like to say around here abundant life exists to make a better you for a better world so father God we do pray that you speak to us from your word what I have to offer is not enough to do the kind of work that needs to be done in the lives of those who are gathered today there is a significant gap between our need and my ability so I asked Lord God that you would stand in the gap I feel like that little boy who came up to Jesus there are thousands who are hungry and he said here's a few pieces of fish here's a few loaves of bread in and of itself it wasn't enough but oh when Jesus got his hands on it it was more than enough so take these few pieces of fish take these few loaves of bread and feed the people here today strengthen encourage change save it's in Jesus name we pray amen if you have your Bibles please meet me in the Book of Ruth I'm excited to go on this four-week journey beginning today through the Book of Ruth as you're making your way there let me just run two things by you number one I want I want all of you if you can write after service if you could just kind of go to my left your right fellowship halls right there we've got a we've got it laid out snacks is that right Eldar show we got hors d'oeuvres things of that nature but it is to officially just embrace Gary and Beth Anderson into our family so I know you have to hurry up and get to in and out for your gourmet lunch but if you could just stop by and hug their neck put some money in their pocket do something to let them know that you appreciate them it's a reception so please if you could just quick stop in say hello to them greet them that would mean so much to me and to them last thing before we get to the city of God's Word I really need every man in the house we are officially launching our men's huddle our fall men's huddle that's our ministry that builds into men so we don't beat up men here we we build into men and I want to invite you for the fall kickoff of our men's huddle we've got a special speaker coming in from Southern California he's gonna give us an encouraging word if you can give me an hour and a half from 8:30 to 10:00 breakfast will be provided you'll hear an encouraging word and then you're gonna meet other men who are trying to head in the same direction you're trying to head in the Bible says it's not good for us to be alone we need other men first hundred men who come you're gonna get our new men's huddled t-shirt so please do whatever you can last Saturday of this month make sure you come for that route chapter one pick me up in verse one let me just read the narrative to us in the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab he and his wife and his two sons the name of the man was a limerick in the name of his wife Naomi and the named names of his two sons were Malin and Chile on they were make note of this ephra thights from Bethlehem in Judah they went to the country of Moab and remained there but Allah Mallick the husband of Naomi died and she was left with her two sons these took Moabite wives the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth they lived there about ten years and both Malin and Chilean died so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband man then she rose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food so she so she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah but Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law go return each of you to her mother's house may the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me the Lord grant that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband then she kissed him and they lifted up their voices and wept and they said to her no we will return with you to your people but Naomi said turn back my daughters who why will you go with me have I yet sons in my womb that might that may become your husband's turn back my daughters go your way for I am too old to have a husband if I should say I have hope even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons would you therefore wait till they were grown would you therefore refrain from marrying no my daughters for his exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me then they lifted up their voices and wept again and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law but Ruth clung to her and she said see your sister-in-law is going back to her people into her God's return after your sister-in-law but Ruth said do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you for where you go I will go and where you Lodge I will Lodge your people shall be my people and your God my God where you die I will die and there I will be buried may the Lord do so to me and more also of anything but death parts from parts of me from you Ruth is right of die and when when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her she said no more so the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem and when they came to Bethlehem the whole town was stirred because of them and the women said is this Naomi she said to them do not call me Naomi call me Mara for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty why call me Naomi when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me so Naomi returned and ruth the moabite her daughter along with her who returned from the country of Moab and they came make note of this to Bethlehem at the beginning of underlying this phrase barley harvest the word of the Lord thanks be to God his name was Bob Gross and boy did his NBA team need him the season was winding up and this NBA team if they had any hopes of making the playoffs they had a big game coming up that they had to win but there was a problem there their big star Bob Gross had a severely injured ankle that was shooting pain all throughout his body no problem they thought win get Bob to play and so not long before tip-off they brought in a doctor and a doctor injected some some painkillers into three places and Bob grosses but totally numbing the pain tip-off happens the game commences a couple sequences later Bob Gross goes up for a rebound and when he comes down all the players on the court all said the same thing we heard a loud snap but since Bob couldn't feel anything he didn't know anything was wrong so he got up tried to run down court and he immediately crumpled back down on the floor and that not only was the end of the game for Bob that was also the end of his career Bob grosses inability to feel pain ruined his career it's counterintuitive but oftentimes pain is our greatest gift this message is up because you and I try to structure our lives in such a way in which we're we're paying free we we want to do everything we can to not feel it into and to avoid it but but it really is a counterintuitive principle of life that more than being harmful pain is actually helpful I'm thinking now dr. Paul brand at one time he was the world's foremost scholar when it comes to pain he had given his life to working with a leper colony in India if you know anything about the disease of leprosy what makes leprosy so bad is lepers can't feel pain because they can't feel pain they do irreparable damage to themselves so here's dr. Paul brand he is immersing himself in the lives of these lepers analyzing their pain studying their pain and after a lot a lifetime of studying pain here's what he says look at it with me he writes pain is often seen as the great inhibitor keeping us from happiness but I see it as a giver of freedom it was the great writer and intellectual seus Lewis who continues dr. brands train of thought by connecting the assets of pain to God when he writes look at it God whispers to us in our pleasures speaks to us in our consciences but shouts to us in our pains pain see us Lewis writes is his megaphone to rouse a deaf a deaf world Payne Stewart it right is far more helpful than it is harmful I want to plead with you this morning from the subject don't waste your pain if there's one word that sums up Ruth chapter one it the word pain there's one word that we can kind of fit the whole narrative of Ruth one into it's it's it's the word pain our text is riddled with pain here is Naomi she starts off in Bethlehem this is interesting you know what Bethlehem means it means the House of bread and yet right off the bat in verse one we're told ain't no food in the house of bread and that's something there's a famine in the land there's pain here here's Naomi she has to uproot her whole life that the friendship she's made the relationship she's nurtured the school she sent her kids to all of that is uprooted and she immediately has to leave think of the pain in that think of the pain of literally not not being able to have food and looking at a bare pantry but it gets worse the Bible says she has a son and and that son's name is Mei Lan you need to understand in antiquity they didn't just get out a big book of names some through and and kind of say that sounds cool because that sounds cool let's name our kid that that's not how they did names back in the day names were a statement of character and she decided to name one of her boys Milan you know what Mahlon means weak or sickly either she named him that immediately because this child was diagnosed with some kind of debilitating disease or maybe the child was born healthy and later on she changed the name to male on in either case her plight in life as a mama was to watch a struggling disabled child struggle some of y'all been there done that my wife and I we could tell you about sitting at st. Jude's Children's Hospital for years dealing with a child they said had an incurable disease well we know that pain but it gets worse her husband dies both of her children died parents aren't supposed to bury kids and if that's not enough the text actually tells us that she's an F recite this is this deep and technical as it gets she's from Bethlehem that's the statement of her ethnicity she's Jewish being an effort fight is a statement of her class it's like saying she from Palo Alto or better yet was at Portillo Valley here she is it's the equivalent of saying if I was preaching this text in the 19th century she's a Vanderbilt I was preaching in the 20th century she's a Kennedy she's a Zuckerberg girlfriend had a lot of money and just like that pain comes knocking her way and bankrupt sir mind just throw this in there for free be careful what you're seeking for identity if you lean it on anything else outside of Jesus Christ God will come get it see this helps me because I think the narrator by saying that she's an F recite a wealthy person an upper-class person who suffers I think one of the things a narrators helping us to see is a fundamental property of pain is pain does not discriminate pain doesn't have implicit bias pain ain't prejudiced ain't no redlining when it comes to pain pain to come get you in the projects and in the gated community and everything in between keep inhaling and exhaling as my mama used to say she I think with the narrator is helping us to see his pain as universal the pain is inescapable we all know that don't we we can just call the role some of you all know the pain of growing up in a broken home you've endured the pain of watching your parents get divorced some of you know the pain of a parent who just wasn't there others of us we know the pain of failure failed at school failed at a job others of us know the pain of doing all we can to make ends meet I'm doing the best but I keep coming up short others of us know the pain of trying to raise that child in the fear and admonition of the Lord but that child is making unwise decision after unwise decision after unwise decision and that is that is pain others must know the pain of divorce when you go out wasn't the perfect spouse I I did the best that I could but here I am I get cheated on those of you know the pain of bankruptcy we just keep calling the rolls if you don't know pain it's you you must be a couple months old pain is inescapable God whispers to us in our pleasures speaks to us in our consciences and yet shouts to us in our pain pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world so a question on the table I want explore with you is what do we do and what do we need to fundamentally understand when pain comes our way I'm not trying to be masochistic here I'm not saying pray for pain or any of that no no you're gonna pray for it just keep doing what you do it pays they'll come your way don't even put on the prayer list it's that perfect elephant gift that white elephant gift it's gonna come what do I do with it bless you first thing you have to understand when pain comes your way is pain is always purposeful pain is never random its never happ hazard pain is always purposeful either God decrees it or God allows it but pain has a purpose we see this in broad strokes in our text notice what happens to Naomi when when pain comes her way and in Ruth chapter one verse one there's there's a pain of a famine that comes her way she's enduring the pain of that but but all of a sudden she in the middle of this pain they just decide to uproot from the house of bread that doesn't have any house that doesn't have any bread to go to another place to go to another place so literally this pain moves her she gets to Moab and she endures even more pain husband dies kids dies she loses a daughter-in-law and what does she do this pain now moves her back to Bethlehem and when she gets back to Bethlehem notice what she says in the text in verse 20 she said to them do not call me Naomi call me Mara for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty she goes on to say why call me Naomi when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me now here's what she's saying she's saying listen the Lord has testified against me the idea of testified it is the idea legal term it pictures somebody being in a courtroom and building a case against another person here's what she's saying the reason why I'm here is I've done something wrong and that's where you want to go timeout girlfriend you've got God wrong here see Naomi's problem is our problem it's the problem of perspective see we have a view that Naomi doesn't have and that is we want to say hold on girlfriend you just in chapter 1 but little do you know God is using pain in your life to set you up for a major move of God in your life so you you need to understand that you only see chapter 1 but we see all four chapters see our problem is we do exactly what Naomi does something happens to us and we do it see us Lewis calls we put God on the dock we put God on the defense stand and we just start complaining and wailing and pouting and throwing spiritual temper tantrums as if we know the end of the story you don't know the end of the story God is moving you through the pain God is setting you up through the pain God is writing a story through the pain all the best movies have conflict and there's pain and there's all this stuff but if you hang in there to the end you'll be able to look back and say yeah you may have meant it for evil but God meant it for good God used this cancer in my life he used the betrayal in my life he used the heartache in my life to get me right where I need it to be you need to understand prosperity is a terrible teacher I'll say it again prosperity is a terrible teacher sometimes the only way God can move us is to introduce us to pain so pain has a purpose thinking now 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 Paul writes to the Corinthians but it hurts you only for a little while now I am glad I sent it not because it hurt you here it is but because the pain turned you to God it was a good kind of sorrow you felt kind of sorrow God wants his people to have some of us it's kind of hilarious God says you know I've noticed an interesting pattern in your life I only hear from you when there's pain I don't know about you if that's you I'm learning that listen real quick so God says if if I have to use pain to turn you to me then I'd much rather have you facing me in pain than never facing me at all [Applause] her name was Mary Verghese Mary Varghese was an up-and-coming medical doctor in the early part of her career until she got into a car with a young man one day in that car ended up hanging over an overpass bad accident deeply scarred her face left her lower extremities paralyzed here she is in agonizing pain a significant amount of time later her colleagues encouraged her to get back into the medical profession she's known as India's first wheelchair doctor she decided to practice medicine in a lepers colony when she would wheel in it is said of Mary Verghese that those lepers would stop their self-pity they would stop their bitterness they would stop their cynicism because they're looking at a person whose face is scarred just like theirs and looking at a person who's on the outskirts just like they are they're looking at a marginalized individual just like they are and they say Mary more than any other doctor has an ability to empathize with them that no other doctor could why Mary would say my pain here we learn a valuable lesson if you want to know it know your purpose in life take inventory of your pain for oftentimes purpose is birth out of pain I'm often asked the question Brian why are you so passionate about the multi-ethnic church I answer real quickly by telling them here's where that passion got birthed out of when I was in Bible College I was called the n-word by a fellow classmate and colleague of mine who likewise prepare was preparing for the ministry these words cut me deeply at one point I heard God's saying what are you gonna do or you would allow that pain to make you bitter or you and allow it to make you better [Applause] nothing happens in your life by accident child of God everything happens for a reason and I understand this is a tough message because we are kicking against the American god of comfort and we look at God as some cosmic Santa Claus who exists for us to just have a good time that would be no God that would be the cruelest kind of God there is more than your comfort God is concerned with your growth and sometimes he has to use pain not only does pain have a purpose but secondly pain is transformative text says that Naomi and Ruth get back to Bethlehem the house of bread and it says the whole city is stirred because of them this is interesting I think part of the reason why they're disturbed is yes they hadn't seen they only in a long time but when they finally see her they're shocked her season of pain her tour of duty in her pain has has literally changed her so they call her what they know her to be Naomi I love this Naomi says don't call me Naomi anymore call me Mara you know the name Naomi means pleasant and Mara means bitter Naomi says don't call me Naomi anymore don't call me Pleasant anymore I've just lost a husband I've I've lost two kids I've endured a famine you you may have seen me as some chipper person that was what my mama named me because that was my countenance and that was what she was hoping me to be and I lived into that then all of a sudden trouble hit and I'm here to tell you it's changed me don't call me Pleasant that girl's long gone call me bitter you go through pain it will change you the question is will your tour of duty in your season of pain make you bitter or better this is all throughout the Scriptures how pain changes us I could I could take it to the longest narrative in the book of Genesis it is about a guy named Joseph when we first meet Joseph he's some punk arrogant kid he's narcissistic on a whole nother level I mean if you put Joseph next to Muhammad Ali it would make Muhammad Ali look like some pious humble person Joseph's arrogance was off the rails kept telling his brothers I'm bow down to me one day y'all gonna worship me one day but then we meet the same guy at the end of the story thirteen fifteen years later when he's reunited with his brothers we catch him crying we see deep-seated compassion for them and then he tells them in Genesis 45 listen in deep capacities has you been if we're evil but God meant it for good and he hugs them and embraces them and treats them with with unprecedented favor to the point where they're shocked he's changed well what changed him being sold into bondage being lied on and betrayed by Potiphar's wife spending many sleepless nights in tears being forgotten about in jail and at some point Joseph made up his mind I've I've got this gift of pain how will I steward it I'm I'm going to steward it in such a way that I'm gonna come up out of this bad boy better and not bitter stories told of a of a young man who was residing in a village and there's this village wise man who had the perfect answer to every single question it came his way and it drove this young man in this village nuts he made up in his mind I'm going to stump this wise man I'm gonna put him in a predicament where he doesn't have the answer or he's gonna give the wrong answer so what he decided to do was he was gonna go out and buy a bird put this bird in his hand stand before the village wise man and asked this guy a full-proof question is this bird alive or dead if the village wise man said it was dead he would open up his hands and release the bird showing that it was alive if he said that it was alive he would take this bird and crush it in his hands to show that it was dead this was a foolproof pant plan so he grabs this bird puts it in his hand stands before the village wise men and he says to him is this bird alive or dead those wise men strokes his beard thinks to himself and he says neither that bird is in your hands so it is a pain pain is in your hands you determine will it kill me will it kill my joy will it kill my spirit will it kill my attitude will it poison me will God get glory out this bad boy cuz I ain't gonna let the enemy steal my joy he can take my new car but he can't take my joy he can take my health but he can't take my joy I'm coming up out of this bad boy full of joy and life and vigor pain is in your hands what will you do with it my mother and I had an interesting conversation one day my mama's from Philly Eldar she'll see from the rough part of Philly Street called diamond if you ever in Philly and you see a street called diamond it ain't what it seems my momma grew up rough dad was never really a part of her life my grandmother her mother was not a nice person kind of abusive to my mom and I'll never forget me in 16 17 years old just just just thinking I've got an amazing mother I said mama knowing the little bit I know about your background your dad wasn't around your mama wasn't somebody you'd want to emulate and yet I'm looking at you mom and and in look at you you're doing a phenomenal job as a mama how did that happen she says son yeah I went through a lot of stuff but I made up in my mind as a young teenage girl if God would ever bless me with kids my kids will never know the pain I knew in my house she decided she was going to reverse the curse some of the best dads I know our dads who came from fatherless homes we made up in my mind that that daddy wasn't around but that's okay I have a Heavenly Father and when mother and father forsake me the Lord will take me up I'm going to break the cycle of fatherless men I'm going to steward my pain in such a way then I'm not going to deposit anger or bitterness or cynicism into the next generation pain is in your hands what will you do with it thirdly let's go home on this one I love it Naomi Ruth been hanging out in Moab Ruth says I you ain't get rid of me I'm I'm coming home with you I'm I'm hitching my wagon to you I'm rollin with you and the text says that when they get to Bethlehem the house of bread I love it here is the narrator and he drops in a little phrase he says they come home at barley season now the Jewish calendar this is around what we would call April or May it's the barley harvest here there's anything about the Jews they celebrated everything the barley harvest was a time of celebration and and fun and festivities there's there's laughing and singing and dancing I can almost hear the tambourines beating through the page here's Naomi girlfriend has gone through a lot she's lost her husband her kids she's lost the dust she's gone through a lot and yet she's making her way down the long dusty road from Moab back into Bethlehem and she hears the singing and the laughing and the dancing don't you see the juxtaposition here she's literally stepping out of one season and stepping into another season she's literally it's it's a literary device that the narrator employees called foreshadowing when he talks about her coming home at the barley harvest he wants the reader to understand that girlfriend is about to radically change seasons she's stepping out of her season of pain into a season of rejoicing and dancing and celebrating God is about to move in a major way the season is ending what do we learn here about pain yes pain has a purpose and yes pain is transformative but fundamentally you must understand that pain is always temporary as they said in the old Negro spirituals trouble don't last always [Music] there's another side to pain I'm thinking out David here is David a man who's gone through a lot of pain he spent 15 years on the run from Solomon excuse me from Saul 15 years dodging Spears from this deranged leader 15 years hiding out in caves he even loses an infant child pain and yet in Psalm 30 what does David say weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning trouble does not last always your pain is not final you've seen my wife she's a little something who's given birth to three big head boys all natural all natural let me say that one more time for the Holy Ghost all natural I got the ripped shirts to prove it now I understand I shouldn't say this but if you've had a spouse who's given birth all natural it wasn't a walk in the park for her and it wasn't a walk in the park for me I'm not comparing that by the way honey but it's a whole lot of stuff going on it's a whole lot of things that are taking place and happening here she's spoken to me in tongues but here's what blows my mind about my wife after the first two at some point she says I want to do it again I want to say to her don't you realize what you've just been through the pain and the agony and and all of this all natural and yet you want to do it again why two reasons when she understood that that season of pain was just that it was a season and to and more importantly she understood that what was on the other side of the pain made the pain so much more worth it this is what the writer says of of Jesus when he says in the book of Hebrews speaking of Jesus who endured the pain of the Cross his beard was plucked out a crown of thorns was placed on his head a spear was run through his side and yet he says who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame Jesus why did you enjoy it endure the cross because Jesus knows what was on the other side was with spiritual children there's people coming to faith in Jesus Christ friends there are some things that God cannot develop in us but through pain some message Pastor Gary shared couple weeks back as he walked us through James chapter one character is not formed through seasons of ease and comfort and prosperity maturity happens when the pain comes and yet when it comes I got to trust God he's gonna get me through and in the middle of it I got a make up in my mind no you ain't changing my name to Mara I'm staying Naomi I'm gonna be pleasant I'm gonna be sweet I'm gonna be joyful yes I can cry my eyes out to God yes I can ask him to take it away but I ain't lettin no one take away my joy because I understand God is that work the pain will end the season will end even if he takes me out of this life I understand what Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord the ultimate barley harvest an eternity with him this Cormack and the team comes we see the gospel here don't we here's Ruth in the midst of the season of pain she says I'm not leaving - you Naomi your people shall be my people your God shall be my God scholars tell us what's going on in verses 16 and 17 of Ruth chapter 1 is Ruth is coming to faith in Yahweh but hear me how does she come to faith in Yahweh pain God uses pain and suffering she's lost a husband - she's enduring a famine - and God uses pain and suffering to bring her to him now here's my fear here's my fear pastoring in Silicon Valley this is one of the most godless places on the face of the earth 10 million people 2 to 3 percent Christian and it's also one of the most affluent places on the face of the earth those two things go together I'm not saying there's no pain here but what we tend to do when pain comes in affluent place is we want to hurry up and get rid of it we want to turn against God we want to get bitter with God if you're here today and you don't know Christ as Lord and Savior I'm here to tell you that he's calling you to him just like he called Ruth to him and God is saying today would you turn from your ways because when he takes us out of this life yeah we enjoyed good things here but we gonna stand before God on our jet skis we gonna stand before God on our new house and that perfect zip code our standing before God isn't based on what we drive or how much money we this is a blip on the map of eternity there's gonna come a day when God's mistake give me back my breath and we shall behold him face to face and you're gonna look to the rearview mirror of your life and what are you gonna say had good times in Tahoe the stuff we go after in this life when we are with him ten thousand years we will look back and say foolishness foolishness I gave my life to stuff that went in the scheme of things and the scope of eternity didn't matter so I came back from vacation with just a renewed vigor to just plead with you in Tesla ville USA Tesla's aren't unspiritual if you got a problem with that email me at Pastor Gary at al CF dotnet they're not unspiritual get the point your identity better not be in Google your identity better not be in Facebook your identity better not be the fact that you own a home and one most desirable places in the world I've done a lot of funerals I've seen a lot of crazy stuff I never seen a u-haul at a cemetery naked you came up into this bad boy and naked you shall return [Applause] so I make it when I complete with you someone's here today you don't know Christ and you're saying I've been going through some stuff speaks to us in our consciousness shouts to us in our pains God is on the megaphone saying will you come to me the divorce you went through wasn't by accident will you come to me the heartbreak you're going through not by accident will you come to me the cancer you're enduring not by accident will you come to me so that's the first call will you come to Christ second and final call sometimes we hear the word of the Lord we put it on layaway it's not where I'm at right now I'll come back and get it another time but sometimes we hear the word of Lord it is a word in season and someone saying I'm a believer but this is a word in season for me because I'm going through some pain and I just need I just need prayer and I need help to navigate this season of pain in such a way that I don't turn in tomorrow but I I'm Naomi I'm Pleasant I'm joyful and I glorify God in the midst of it I'm hurting right now I'm in pain could be physical could be emotional could be relational whatever it may be I'm in pain I'm in pain I'm in pain pastor and I need some prayer I just need some primal believer but I need some prayer I want to invite our elders and prayer team people to come to the altar right now if that's you I need salvation I want to be like Ruth or I am a believer but I'm in pain and I need prayer I'm gonna pray you're going to us from Father God right now in the name of Jesus we we say something crazy not that we wish it but we thank you for the pain in our lives we're not saying you did it but we are saying you allowed it thank you for loving us enough to get on the megaphone and to grab our attention so father God as we walk this road we we make up in our minds we ain't gonna turn in tomorrow no we're not gonna get bitter that God we're gonna steward the pain well in such a way that we get better that we're we get stronger some man some woman needs to hear that today that they gonna leave here resolved to be a better dad a better mom a better husband a better wife a better friend because of the pain they went through so thank you for getting on the megaphone today now Lord God we leave here under your covering cover us with your grace protect us provide for us surround us we pray in Jesus name we pray when is Michael Davidson and here's what's going on at abundant life may in August is our next men's huddle where we'll unpack what it means to be a godly courageous man in today's world through engaging stories expert teaching unscripted interviews and personal insights this study calls every man to become bold leaders in their own lives marriages churches and commune I plan to join the men of a LCF community with this exciting series on Saturdays August 25th through November 10 and the cost is 25 dollars in September we've got some exciting events planned starting with an evening with Tim Keller hosted by transforming the bay with Christ pastor Tim a pastor and New York Times bestselling author speaks about the church as an unstoppable force and shares his views on what a radical Christian community looks like join us on Thursday September 6th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in the ALCS sanctuary for this unique event tickets are $20 on September 23rd we launched two classes Jesus among secular gods and the art of parenting living in the Bay Area's high tech center of the world we are often confronted with questions about science versus religion in Jesus among secular gods Valerie Saunders our director of evangelism uses a video chat workshop format to help us prepare to challenge the isms of modern believed including world religions and views and present compelling evidence for revealed absolute truth as found in Jesus this six week class helps seekers to explore claims of Christ and will provide Christians with knowledge to articulate why they believe Jesus stands tall of all all other gods the cost is $25 includes child care with pre-registration also on September 23rd the art of parenting developed by Family Life today helps parents feel confident in building a foundation for their children in four key areas identity character relationships and this eight-week DVD small group curriculum based on Psalm 127 4 features insights and decades of expertise that Dennis and Barbara Rainey gleaned from ministry and raising six children facilitated by Zeke and Marie Harvey will explore the following topics the goal of parenting forming character applying discipline building relationships understanding identity nurturing identity preparing for mission and the power of family the cost is $40 per couple which includes child care with free registration space is limited to 24 couples are you new to abundant life are you interested in learning more about our story dreams and values and a welcoming environment with no pressure to join if so our guest orientation lunch is just the place for you find out what we're all about on Sunday September 9th from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the chapel and speaking of values going is one of ALCS of core values as born-again believers God commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19 in order to prepare you to go we invite you to participate in one of four trains being offered each Sunday in August from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. another great opportunity to go and bring the hope of Jesus to people in need is the Johnny and Friends Bay Area walk Android on September 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto join us for this one-of-a-kind fundraising event all of the money raised will bring Christ centered encouragement and practical support to special need families in the community you can sign up from August 17th through September 15 and Johnny and Friends org slash bay area now are you ready for some fun what about ALCS annual church picnic make plans to join the ASF community for our most popular event of the year and be part of a great afternoon of fellowship fun food and games this year's event will take place on Sunday September 16th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at a ring store part in Mountain View and if you're available to help out please come to our volunteer meeting on Sunday August 12 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. to sign up for any of the upcoming events and classes go to ALCS net slash signups or the lcff to stay connected with everything a LCF check out the website app by weekly emails newsletter social media and remember at al CF our goal is to make a difference in your life so you can make a difference in the lives of the people in your sphere of influence or as we like to say around here abundant life exists to make a better you for a better world

Channel: Abundant Life Christian Fellowship

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Length: 58min 19sec (3499 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 12 2018