Shane Willard 2019 Session 02 Literal, Symbolic and Evental

[Music] you I hope you guys enjoyed that first session that was um I realized that was a more academic session but on a Thursday night I figured it'd be something you would find interesting and if it gives us language to frame things in a more meaningful way then it can be very very helpful it can also be helpful and applicable for how we process difference obviously I love the way Thomas Merton says this he says if that disagreement and difference can often be the elixir that transforms us from our former self to a better self if the U of ten years ago looked at the U of today and did not think you were a heretic then you're not growing love I love that cigarettes of profound it's profound Thomas Merton in other words if the U of ten years ago saw the U of today without the context of all the small shifts you would be shocked I mean you you would just be shocked you don't notice because you grow in small shifts and so so I want to apply what we talked about in the first one to a specific passage I realized that two years ago what I did was is I did a message on creating a shame free culture by using the last chapter of Ruth as my text there was Ruth and Boaz and polonium Maloney and now that I'm expect you to remember any of that but here's the thing after that talk people did come up to me afterwards and say I mean you ought to do the whole book of Ruth of course I was I was working on it and so I this is the beginning of the Book of Ruth now I want you to remember literal symbolic event oh and we're gonna look at this historically because when you look at the scripture the easy way to think of it is is first thing want to do is ask what happened second thing we want to do is ask what and more importantly what's happening in me right now because of it and what does this teach me about how I approach certain things so this is Ruth chapter one verse one um I I don't expect anybody to remember anything I said from two years ago anyway so I'm just gonna start from the beginning because I've never covered this here in the days this is Ruth one-one in the days when the judges so Ruth is like somewhere in the middle of Judges you just don't know where in the days where the judges ruled there was a famine in the land so a man in Bethlehem in Judah together with his wife and two sons went to live for a while in the country Moab the man's name was eliminate his wife's name was Naomi and the names of his two sons were my own and kill young this is how we know this is historical literature it's naming specific family specific places specific times and they were Ypres types for Bethlem and Judah and they went to Moab and let's suppose you're stopped just for a second and let's try to read this emotionally family of for not enough food to eat had to take refuge in another country that is not stressed that is distress this is a bet this story starts out really bad and and it actually gets way WAY worse before it gets better that's the problem next slide watch this now lemon elect Naomi's husband died that's worse and she left she was left with her two sons and they married Moabite women as a know no one named or pawned the other roof and they lived there about ten years so sometimes the scripture fast-forwards in action it's ten years later like in other words they're trying to get to the meaning liked in just 10 years on both mañana Killian also died now if you're if you're paying attention every man in this story dies this is tragic if every man in the story died today that's tragic it is sad in that day that is massive distress because women in that day weren't even considered people social historians have called have a name for them they're called liminal people with women not attached to men they were liminal and unless you think that's far-fetched it wasn't until 1919 that the United States of America thought women were smart enough to vote if my history is right I think y'all beat us to that by a little bit and New Zealand even before that but but here's the thing right in 1919 was the first time in United States history that the United States government thought women were smart enough to vote right now that's that's a hundred years ago I mean now they voted twice and we had the Great Depression so I'm not sure how it works but nonetheless nonetheless nonetheless that's that it's a historical fact it's how it worked relax I'm joking I'm joking that all right all right the Great Depression was caused by white men in suits allowing people to buy stocks on credit okay there we go so so this is a time where man every man dies these women are destitute now if you start adding up the things not going well in this story just in five verses it's pretty daunting I made a small list in that next slide they're living in the wrong time period time of the judges last time on earth you won't be alive people say oh you believe how bad this world is what are you talking about compared to win like a time with no king no judicial system no triple o no 911 everybody just did what was right in their own eyes the book of Judges is the Walking Dead on speed okay it is it is the biggest strongest tribes dominating the smaller weaker clans and yeah you'd have families forced to give up their little girls as as virgin what would you call it bartering services to barbarians I mean it was just unbelievable wrong time very wrong country Moab wrong gender she's a female you did want to be a woman back then now it's got done redeeming women's rights no is it better than it's ever been oh you know she's the wrong race she's a Moabite they were very hated we'll talk about that in a second she's married to the wrong husband she married an Israelite they but that wouldn't have been her choice women and have choice in marriage here's how marriage here's our marriage work back then you had your period within six weeks that had already been arranged for you to be given to somebody in exchange for food or promise of protection or you know whatever that's just how it worked right so so when people shout on the internet we stand for biblical marriage please be more specific right I know what you mean I do I know what you mean and I get it but that's in there so be specific stick with like Matthew 19 or something like something we stand for biblical marriage what right so so so Ruth was forced to marry an Israelite not to start adding that up wrong place wrong time wrong gender wrong race wrong husband what do you call that if you wake up in the morning you're like man I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time have you ever felt that way you ever woke up in the morning thought man I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time and then you look over you're like I'm married to the wrong person no never happen to you you know like hey have you ever have you ever been asleep at four o'clock in the morning and your significant other we won't even name which gender is making noises that should never come out of a human being and your bladder wake up a little bit but you could tell yourself you know what I can tough this out and go back to sleep but they're noise there's there's no way it's no way it's gonna happen and and and that you know that Aerosmith song I could stay awake just to hear you breathin right it takes on a whole new literal sort of sense you know and it's not nearly as romantic as Aerosmith wrote it you know and you're just looking at them you know and you can't take it one more second you can't take it one more second and say you hit them and your whole goal in hitting them is to make them stop just long enough so you could fall back asleep that's your whole goal and you hit them and it works a little too well and they Russell you know and then they they they just at the right angle they turn and they blow all that 4:30 a.m. morning breath wah and you look and you think oh yeah till death do us part right yeah listen wrong place wrong time wrong race wrong gender married to the wrong dude there is one word for that that's called stuck now normally normally there's a story underneath Bible stories that make the story better that's normally the case there's normally a history underneath it makes it better and there is a history underneath this one problem is doesn't make it better makes it worse when you look at the history behind this it is such an important part of Jewish history it takes up four full chapters of the book of numbers to tell the story now in Bible terms dedicating four chapters to a story that's a saga it's like the Shawshank Redemption or something right right this story goes all the way back to Abraham and lot I'll tell that part very fast Abraham went that way lot went that way and lot becomes the father of the Moabites and Abraham becomes the father of the Israelites this story ultimately is about the reconciliation of a family that might not even know they are family 400 something years later the Israelites come out of Egypt through a series of incredibly unfortunate events and yet fortunate the Israelites come out of Egypt and the first people they run into is the Moabites their distant cousins and I don't know if they knew they were related I just know they ran into each other and Moab is run by a guy named Balak and Balak is faced with three choices choice number one welcome them hello pick a piece of land welcome over-over population is hardly an issue please welcome he doesn't choose them door number two is attacked them he doesn't choose that either he chooses door number three here's what he chooses I'm gonna hire a foreign arrow my twitch doctor named Ramon and it named Balaam who worships Ramon sorry i'ma hire a foreign air mite witch doctor worshiper of Ramon named Balaam that's how I should have said it and I'm gonna pay him a fee to put a curse on the people and here's the thing if he curses them then they'll be weak and then I'll attack them so here's what he does he hires a foreign arrow might witch doctor worship of Rome put to put a curse on the Israelites and then it gets really weird Balaam shows up takes the fee for cursing and he tries to curse and then nothing comes out of his mouth they said the blessing well this is a problem Balak sticked Bey looks like maybe it's your vantage point bro and remember I'm the one paying you changes the vantage point three times and all three times Balaam Balaam opens his mouth to curse and nothing comes out of his mouth except the blessing well this leaves Balak in a conundrum not only are these people not cursed they're actually blessed and he has to do something to fix the problem that is a three minute summary of numbers 21 to 25 okay let me show you some snippets from those passages just to show you I was telling you the truth and to ground it in something literal alright next next life so Balak said a people have come out of Egypt now that's what makes me think he didn't know they were related a people have come out of Egypt he doesn't know what to call them they cover the face of the land have settled next to me now coming for the curse on these people because they're too powerful for me press then I'll be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land for I know that whoever you bless is blessed that whoever you cursed is cursed evidently Balaam is very good at his job right keep going so the elders of Moab there's Moab and Midian left taking with them the fee for divination so they're gonna pay him to divin eight and he takes the money and then it doesn't work watch this keep going so Balak said to Balaam what are you done I've brought you to curse my enemies now you blessed him and he answered must I not speak what the Lord has put in my mouth stop let's talk about this for a second when Balaam said I inquired of the Lord who's he talking about he's told me his God he doesn't even know these peoples name he does not know their God he's a worshipper of a god named Ramon here's what's happening in this story Balaam is inquiring of Ramon fully expecting a good cursing to come up he then goes to open his mouth to curse and nothing comes out of his mouth except a blessing it surprises him and Balak Bale said what are you doing he says I'm just speaking what the Lord put in my mouth what's happening in this story is the Living God of Israel is filling the mouth of a foreign era might which dr. worshipper of Ramon and using him to prophesy blessings over his people which leads to this question is God allowed to do that yes practice that if I say is God allowed to do something the answer is yes all right so let's practice that so God is filling the foreign era might witchdoctor worshipper of Ramon's mouth with a prophecy to bless his people is God allowed to do that this guy's never been saved he's never asked Jesus in his heart he's never been baptized only spirit he's never went through some odd ritual with three old women shouting unintelligible words over me never there is a story there in this story god is stepping over every rule we've ever created about who can be used by God and who can't and he's using the mouth of a foreign air mite which dr. worship a hormone to bless his people why because God loves people more than the rules if that's what's available that's what we're gonna do now watch what happens they keep going now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel he's surprised he's normally the cursing one he did not resort to divination as he had at other times the theological word for that is repentance I used to curse I'm finding it more fun to bless I'm not gonna go back to that in this in this story it's the kindness of God that brings this man to repentance with no doctrinal knowledge at all but turned his face to the wilderness when Balaam looked out and saw Israel and camp tribe by tribe the Spirit of God came on him and he spoke a message what twice three times the Spirit of God is filling the mouth of a foreign air might which dr. worshiper Ramon if you read the whole story there's even a talking donkey involved in this thing what you find in this story is that God will step over every rule ever created to bless his people because evidently God loves people more than the rules we create this is amazing stuff now this ticks Balak off and rightfully so put yourself in Bailey's shoes you paid for good cursing else guys bless these people I needed them cursed not only not cursed of blessed he'd let them have it to watch this next life then bail it's anger burned against Balaam he struck his hands together he said I summoned you to curse meta means now you bless them three times now leave it once and go home I said I would reward you handsomely but the Lord has kept you in other words you see the sarcasm there hope you enjoy your relationship whatever God you serve because he just kept you from getting paid bro now if you're paying attention to the story Balak got a problem he needs these people cursed and they're not cursed they're blessed so here's his idea okay his idea and because there's a few children here I'm gonna change my language a little bit but you adults follow me here he says here's what we're gonna do to get them first we're gonna throw an outdoor festival as a celebration to the bale of peor the bale of yours the god of fertility who receives worship through outdoor public acts of a certain fertility ritual now that's pretty good right there come on and he tells the Moabite women your job in life is to seduce the Israelite men into participating in this outdoor and morality festival and here's the thing it works this is the next chapter this is numbers 25 watch what happens while Israel was staying and them now that's funny right there I don't care who your honor I don't care your that's that's that's funny right there guys because because when you give in the Moabite immorality it could put your life in the land of them send the Bible is just right there word-for-word well Israel staying and them the men began to indulge in immorality with Moabite women who invited them to the sacrifice of their gods the people ate in the sacrificial rebelled down so Israel yoke themselves to the bale of pure and the Lord's anger burned against them the end of this story everybody's ticked off God's ticked off Moses ticked off Balak ticked off Palin's ticked off talking donkey somewhere ticked off is a crazy story there's an insane sort of story here's the thing everybody starts overreacting Balak overreacts Balaam over reacts the donkeys overreacting and moping Moses overreact Moses was given to overreaction he did stuff sometimes the problem is Moses wrote is overreaction down the problem is where would he write it down in Deuteronomy which became the Bible watch Moses's reaction to the shipments of that to watch this know ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants sounds like everybody may enter into the Assembly of the Lord not even in the tenth generation in other words I don't care if it's ten generations so now God is not gonna get over this no mo byte will ever be welcomed by God now who in this stories of Moabite ruth evidently ruth isn't supposed to be welcomed here's the problem with that if Ruth isn't welcome who's never born yeah David first and then Jesus do you see where the tension in this story is going to come and then Moses goes on so that no one forgets why but they did not meet you with bread and water on your way meat came out Egypt they heart Balaam the son of Beor from pit Thor and Aaron to pronounce a curse on you but the Lord you've got keep going but the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam and turn the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord God loves you more than the rules do not seek a treaty a friendship with them as long as you live and a follow me here if it's Jewish law that you can't be friends with Moabites can you marry them okay this story just got worse wrong place wrong time wrong race wrong gender married to the wrong dude and now even the Bible forbids your presence no that is stuff no one in this room has ever been that stuck ever you imagine you imagined truth telling God about her life really really wrong place wrong time wrong race wrong gender wrong husband even the Bible says I'm not welcome no one's ever been that stuck now watch what happens given that is the historical context watch what happens it'll make more sense now this is back to the Book of Ruth when Naomi heard that Brooke Moab he was sorry when we heard him Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there were their two daughters-in-law and toshi she left the place where she'd been living and set out to the road that were taking them back to Judah let's be clear Judah is under what law Deuteronomy 23 Deuteronomy 23 forbids who Moabites and Ruth is a Moabite this is the stories they get very tense very quickly right next slide then they owe me said to her two daughters-in-law go back each of you to your mother's home now why would she say that because the law forbids Moabites you're not gonna be welcome in Israel if you come back to Israel they could they might throw you out and that's gonna be death you can't you can't just go home just go home it may the Lord show you kindness as you've shown kindness to your dead husband's into me may the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of Ana you see how the you see how the the whole goal elementally is we got to get you a man because if you don't have a man you're not a person and Ruth more white women marry mo bite menu Israelite men are not even allowed to be friends with you they somebody might even throw you out you can't no no your best your best advice and wisdom is to go home watch and watch what happens keep going at this they wept aloud as you as you would then or pop kissed her mother-in-law goodbye but Ruth clung to her I watched Naomi that's pretty blunt here look said Naomi your sister-in-laws going back to her people and her gods go back with her what's Naomi think in here there's no way only not care about Ruth's eternal soul what if Ruth dies in a donkey accident that night what why would you why would you ever tell someone to go back to another god if you're a fully devoted follower of Jehovah why would you ever do that well in ruse were in Naomi's world Deuteronomy 23 was all the revelation they had and that was written not to be statically appropriated but as a law for a certain group of people to defend against possible contamination from another tribe that had shown themselves to be willing to do this and so naomi is like listen Ruth this is unfortunate it had nothing to do with you it was years ago nothing doing anybody still alive today but you got a Moabite nose and mobile accent this whole thing happened it him and nothing do you but because of that incident you can't come back the Bible forbids it the scripture absolutely forbid your presence and that's unfortunate I hate that but it is in our law so if you come back you're actually risking your life this is not good you can't do this go back to your people in your gods Moabite gods except Moabite women Israelite gods do not accept Israelite women doesn't work doesn't work it's it's it's it's in our scripture can't can't do that see how this story got very tense very quickly watch what Ruth says this is what she's famous for watch what she says next life but Ruth replied endure don't urge me to leave you turn back from you where you gonna go where you stay I'm gonna stay your people will be my people and your God my God Ruth you're not paying attention the mobile byte knows mobile accent like I'm incident like you can't I'm Balaam Balak talking donkey it's it's written in our law that you won't be welcome and this is why in my opinion this is just my opinion I think Ruth's the bravest person in the whole Bible at least in the Old Testament here's why single woman who drew a line in the sand that said here's what I think I think your God is nicer than the rules Moses made and I think your God loves people more than the rules that's what I think and you know what I'm not just gonna believe that I'm gonna risk my life on that I'm gonna risk my life that if your God is 10% as nice as you are I think your God loves people more than the rules I think that's the case and I'm gonna risk my life on this now let me tell you why this is important let's talk about this application why isn't Aventa Lee here's what's going on in this story and I find this so applicable if you're here and you're like a jerk you're in the wrong place anyway I don't think you'd last long here but here's the thing it's true here's the thing if you're like a jerk okay don't worry about what I'm fixing to say nothing imma say would shift you anyway doesn't matter I'm actually okay with wherever you are here's the thing though for those of us in the room that are basically good-hearted basically mentally healthy and basically committed to Christ and to Scripture here's the problem that that has have you ever been put in a situation where your call to love somebody seems to flirt with a line of violating Holy Scripture and our call to revere Holy Scripture seems to flirt with a line of violating our call to love somebody right let me tell you what I mean by that because I didn't get the reaction I was looking for there so maybe and maybe I'm not being clear have you ever as a good-hearted person wrestled with the tension of our call to love somebody when the Bible strictly forbids something about them and if you haven't I would suggest you're not paying attention or you need to get new friends or you branch out a little bit right because this happens all the time where and I am someone who Revere's Holy Scripture I've given my life to studying it and interpreting it the best I can communicating it the best I can and in my life I encounter people that I know I'm called to love but there is clearly something about them that the Bible strictly forbids now that's what's going on this story the Bible strictly forbids in this case her race and the people in Bethlehem have to decide what do we do with a Moabite who's clearly forbidden who wants to become a Jew and she wants to abandon her God and join our God what do we do when Deuteronomy 23 clearly says she's not welcome but yet she wants to be welcome what do we do with that where does our call to love her violate Deuteronomy 23 and where does Deuteronomy 23 violate our call to love her now I have tell me I'm speaking applicable truth right now at least applicable tension what do we do with that like what do we do right what do we do when we're clearly called to love somebody but the Bible strictly forbids something about them right and let's just look let's be brave it's 9 o'clock at night may as well be brave right right is there any group of people that just comes to your mind you know and when I say that example is there a group of people that just instantly pop up in your mind and we all know we're called to love them but the Bible strictly forbids something about their lifestyle choice right let's just be brave and let's call it what it is right there's a group of people that we're cold to obviously love and nobody argues with that but yet the Bible obviously strictly forbids something about the way they choose to live right and we we have to we have to do it and let's just be brave Who am I talking about I'm talking about the gluttons right right be the unrepentant Overeaters okay the people who unrepentantly eat too much food right because the Bible strictly forbids that by the way 25 times more than the one you were thinking okay now the Bible forbids gluttony 25 times more than what you were thinking now what I just did there is called judo now here we go so so how should this church respond if a busload I'm not talking about one lonely fat dude neither I'm talking about a busload of unrepentant overeater showed up here Sunday I'm talking about oh god we might have to reinforce the floor what what should our response be and here's the thing and I'm making you laugh and I'm glad but we better get this right and I'm not just gonna leave you with a problem I'm gonna leave you with a suggestion for a solution any vent away I think our choice today is the same as their choice in Ruth and they had this choice they could be right about one verse in Deuteronomy 23 if she comes in think about this all that would have taken was one bible-thumping literalist to go we have one verse Moabite knows mo bi DAC sent out and if they'd had done that would they have been correct according to the scripture that they had at the time oh yeah they would have been but then David would have never been born and Jesus would have never been born but they choose to do something more profound and they do it very creatively through something called the blessing of Perez but another message another time but here's what they did they chose to fulfill Scripture instead of simply being right about one verse I think that's a much more profound way to live people who choose to fulfill the whole of Scripture instead of being right about one part of it and here's what fulfilling Scripture is do unto others as you would have them do unto you and when you treat others as you would be wanted to be treated yourself you could do something more profound than be right about one verse you can fulfill the whole lot of it and I think if there's any statement that ever sums up Jesus in one statement it's that that Jesus challenged his followers to be people who fulfill Scripture instead of being right about one verse was there a verse that said you should stone adulterers yes did Jesus stone adulterers know why cuz God loves people more than the rules and he chose to fulfill Scripture instead of being right about one verse if you were caught in adultery hug would you want to be treated stoned I don't think so you'd want to be let off the hook and you'd want to be challenged to change your life and that's exactly what Jesus did it's exactly what he did and I think I think this would end 95% of meaningless boring pedantic vitriolic internet debates that make us look horrible in public if instead of being right about one verse we chose to be more profound and fulfill the whole lot how do you fulfill the whole of Scripture you do unto others as you would have them do unto you Jesus did not stone Sabbath breakers somebody with a straight face told me the other day I live by the whole Bible do you would you put your neighbor to death or not taking Saturday off he said no I said then you don't and I don't think that's the point I think the point is to fulfill the whole lot of it instead of simply being right about one part of it here's what they do in Ruth they choose to fulfill Scripture without even that language they choose to fulfill Scripture by treating her how they would want to be treated and what comes out of it the savior of the world no that's the literal and the meaning let's talk about the event all nature of it what do we do with that next life so one question The Book of Ruth addresses is am I stuck with my lot in life I cannot be empowered by a better choice nobody in this room has ever been more stuck than Ruth nobody can make that case not in today's technology not in today's world not in Australia for sure if you're on the dole in Australia you're in the richest eight percent of the whole world a nation with motorcars paved roads stores the prepackaged food for us clean water and our tap machines to do washing other machines that do drawing world-class health care right down the road and it's largely free because Australians live with a conviction that everybody should have access to high-quality health care regardless of social economic status America is still debating this this this place amazing no one's ever been that so when I hear Australians go I'm just stuck I'm just stuck what well if I hear Australians complaining about Australia Nate where are you gonna go seriously if you can't make it here bro see Ruth had every excuse in her disposal to not move forward and give up on life wrong place wrong time wrong gender wrong husband even the Bible forbidden her that's a lot of stuck so what's been our excuse let's say it this way next slide at the end of the story God uses Ruth as a part of a lineage that brings salvation to the world in other words you never know we're taking the one next step changes everything for everybody Ruth bravely set out to Israel to change her life and did she yes but it didn't just change her life it changed me and you you never know we're taking the one next step doesn't just change your life but everything which leads me to this next slide so what has been our excuse I don't have the Heritage the DNA the background I was born in the wrong place I don't the skill this is Australia go get the skill the government will pay you to go learn said skill of American we'd never heard of this we've never heard of four weeks vacation with 17 percent loading in our life never personality the finance the diagnosis believing the wrong story see here's the challenging part in this passage for Ruth the wrong story was Deuteronomy 23 she had to go more profound than that and put her faith in the character of a loving God instead of the list of rules she knew she knew the message of grace before the risen Christ was manifested and that is profound too many obstacles people won't approve so here's some sticky things next light things that'll stick our lives one excuses excuses we'll stick your life if all you can think of is why you can't do something you'll never do anything excuses will stick your life but here's the motivating part of Ruth nobody had more excuses than Ruth and she still chose to take her one next step and it unstuck her life and it unstuck the world actually living with other people's expectations in mine I don't know I'm on a Thomas Merton kick tonight I may as well how can you expect to arrive at your destination if you're on the road to another man City I love that in other words if you only consider what other people think you can't help but wonder why you end up where they want you right now let me say this is a psychologist if you never consider what other people think that makes you a sociopath like people go I don't care what anybody thinks you're a sociopath if you mean that in other words if you walk through an entire day without considering how your actions or inactions affect anybody else that makes you a sociopath what if you only consider what other people think you're stuck next life or believing the wrong story that'll stick your life or unforgiveness and bitterness no one had more of a reason to be bitter at her lot in life than Ruth but she chose to go higher and how did she do that she made a couple big decisions so how do you end stick your life how do we do that two things two things for your heart two things for your head one you unstick your life spiritually by two convictions one that God loves people more than the rules and I'm gonna commit my life to fulfilling Scripture instead of simply being right about one verse I'm gonna commit my life to doing unto others as I would have them do unto me and that is a dynamic progressive inspiring way to live everyday with infinite possibilities that is that is profound I'm gonna choose to live with a conviction that God loves people more than the rules and I'm gonna wake up every day committing my life to fulfill Scripture instead of being right about one verse but two thoughts for your hands but let's say this way next night of the sticky things which is your biggest hurdle excuses other people's expectations believing the wrong story unforgiveness and bitterness what is your one next step to Bethlehem there's two things you can do spiritually does take your life one live with the conviction that God loves people more than the rules and two to wake up every day committed to fulfilling Scripture instead of simply being right about one verse but the thing you could do with your hands is wake up every day taking your one next step to Bethlem whether you know what step three four and five are it doesn't matter sometimes you just got to take the one next step with no guarantee of where it might lead she could have been killed she did not she said I am NOT going back to Moab and she took her one next step was to Bethlehem that's all she knew and she took it which leads me to this question what is your one next step toward Bethlehem and are you willing to take it without any guarantee of where it might lead your one next step might be relational it might be spiritual you might need to trust Jesus maybe that is your one next step to trust Jesus's version of your life story and said the one you've been writing on your own that's pretty you don't know where that might lead that's that's fun and exciting you might need to make that step your one next step might be spiritual in the sense of instead of sitting on our butt waiting to go to heaven when we die we need to talk to Joe and Simon and the team here and go how can I get involved with what you guys are doing all over the city maybe it's that maybe you're one next step is vocational start the business you've been dreaming about it for years he was they all ashamed I'm just stuck in my job I'm stuck him a job I'm stuck in my job I hate my job I'm just stuck in my job here suck Australia go start your own business you've been dreaming about it for years what's the worst thing that can happen it doesn't work and if it doesn't work you go back to the job you hate when the worst thing that can possibly happen is already happening nowhere but up from there maybe you're one next step is relational tell them how you feel and be normal don't have your left eye twitch when you do it don't say God said I'm 43 and I'm single that gives women all over this world a cue sometimes particularly they're of a certain age I know it says we're meant to be together and the creative ways in which they tell me that listen when someone comes back to the table and their opening line is I think God said we're gonna be together that is instant retreat just run right so - oh my god just tell them and be normal if you need an example of normal here you go hello you seem like the kind of person that I'd love to get to know better would you like to have a cup of coffee with me what's the worst thing that can happen they throw up in their mouth a little you ask her for coffee and she well if they respond like that at least you know honestly you know what maybe you're one next step is is its forgiveness maybe you're one next step is a text a coffee an email a phone call maybe in some real deep way it's a visit to the cemetery maybe you need to tell your dad I forgive you maybe it's just you know I love the way Jesus defined forgiveness he just defined it as cancelling debt it's not saying they didn't do something wrong it just means they don't owe you anything and it's it's it's dad you don't owe me anymore mom you don't owe me anymore ex-husband we're not doing this again but you don't owe me anymore ex-wife oh but you don't owe me anymore you know what I don't know what your next 1 step is but I do know this that the only way to unstick your life is to believe that God loves people more than the rules to commit to fulfilling Scripture instead of simply being write about it and to wake up every day taking your one next step to Bethlehem so my brothers and sisters of servants of Jesus may you not just be people on your way to heaven when you die may you be people who bring heaven to every place you see hell here may you proclaim truth in the most meaningful way possible the literal the meaning and the event Oh may we embrace oneness without expectation of sameness may we discipline not only our doctrine but our imagination of how that doctrine works may we live with a conviction that God loves people more than the rules and may we commit our life to fulfill inscription instead of being right about it and may we wake up tomorrow with the voices of the infinite possibilities coming alive inside of us and take our one next step to Bethlehem thank you so much let me be a part of your life grace and peace everybody I'll see you next time god bless you [Applause] [Music] you

Channel: Servants of Jesus Community

Views: 1,870

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: AvZEWbSRa8s

Length: 45min 51sec (2751 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 16 2019