WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:06.679 Hey, everyone, it's Daily Hope with Pastor Rick Warren. So 2 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:10.199 we're continuing with this series called Daring Faith the Key 3 00:00:10.279 --> 00:00:13.119 to Miracles. And in this series you're learning how to 4 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:17.440 have a bold, unshakable faith. And so far this series 5 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:21.320 is giving all of us powerful tools to share our faith, 6 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:24.800 a faith that gives you courage to impact the world 7 00:00:24.839 --> 00:00:27.800 around you. All right here it comes Pastor Rick with 8 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:31.160 part two of a message called Daring to Believe. 9 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:34.920 Romans Chapter ten, Verse nine in the Bible is one 10 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.560 of the most important verses in the Bible. So if 11 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:40.719 you don't get anything, get this today. It says this, 12 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:45.920 if you confess with your mouth Jesus is my Lord, 13 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.280 and you believe in your heart that God raised him 14 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:54.039 from the dead, you will be saved. Now this is 15 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:57.079 a promise of God. He didn't say you might be saved. 16 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.759 You hope you can be saved. You really wish you'd 17 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:01.799 be said. He said, you can count on the fact 18 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:05.120 you're going to heaven. You can know for certain you're saved. 19 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:07.599 You're going to heaven if you do these two things. 20 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:11.840 Confess with your mouth Jesus is my Lord, and believe 21 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:15.040 in your heart God raised him from the dead. Now, 22 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:18.239 most of us, if not all of us, have already 23 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.680 done the second thing. You believe that Jesus Christ racially dead. 24 00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:24.920 It's an established fact. Our calendars built on it. But 25 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:28.400 many of you have not done the first part. Confess 26 00:01:28.519 --> 00:01:32.640 with your mouth, Jesus is my lord. I circle that 27 00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:34.680 word lord because I need to explain that word to you. 28 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:38.200 It's not a word we use anymore. We don't use 29 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:42.159 it in America because in America we have a democracy. 30 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:47.040 We don't have a monarchy. And this is a term 31 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:50.719 from a feudal system. In a monarchy, you have kings 32 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:56.519 and queens and lords and ladies and knights and squires 33 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:03.000 and serfs and pages, and these are terms of a monarchy. 34 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:05.879 We don't have a monarchy in America. So nobody goes 35 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:09.479 around using the word lord. You don't go around saying yes, 36 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:13.080 my lord, no, my lady, unless you're in Dalton Abbey. 37 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:18.000 But we don't say this term. And we don't have 38 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:23.199 a house of lords in America. Okay, we have representatives, 39 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:26.439 the House of Representatives. So what does the word lord 40 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:29.319 mean for me to say Jesus is my lord. It 41 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:35.520 means he is my master, he is my boss, He 42 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:39.919 is in control of everything in my life. He's not 43 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:43.400 just resident in my life. He's president. And when I 44 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:46.400 say Jesus is my lord, I'm saying Jesus is the 45 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:49.199 CEO of my life. He's the chairman of the board 46 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:53.039 in my life. He's calling the shots. He is my manager, 47 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:59.039 he is my director, he is my God. This week 48 00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:02.039 at the bottom of my hill, well, the Albertson store 49 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:05.680 changed hands. Another company bought them out, and so they're 50 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:07.960 under new ownership, and they're under new management. And they 51 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:10.960 put up a sign in the window that says under 52 00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:16.280 new management. When you truly believe in Jesus Christ, not 53 00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:19.039 head knowledge, but heart knowledge, you should put on a 54 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:23.680 sign that says I'm under new management, because that's what 55 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:26.319 it means to make Jesus the lord of your life. 56 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:29.000 All of a sudden, he's the lord of my life. 57 00:03:29.159 --> 00:03:31.120 I'm no longer the lord of my life. I'm not 58 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:32.319 calling the shots anymore. 59 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:32.919 He's calle it. 60 00:03:33.319 --> 00:03:36.800 He's in control. I'm not in control. He's the boss 61 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:39.159 of my life. I'm not the boss of my life. 62 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.479 See until you do that, you're the lord of your life. 63 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:45.919 By the way, how's that working for you? You call in 64 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:47.759 all the shots in your life, you being the lord, 65 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:50.360 you being the master your faith. Everything happened in the 66 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.400 way you want to do, all your dreams coming true, 67 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:56.960 no problems, totally fulfilled, happy as a as a clam. 68 00:03:57.759 --> 00:03:59.759 How's that working for you? You being the lord of your life. 69 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:02.520 You weren't meant to be God. God is God and 70 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:06.159 you're not. And the reason you get under stressed is 71 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:08.840 when you try to play God in your life. You 72 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:11.840 get stressed out because you don't have the power to 73 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:15.319 change the things that God does. So the first part 74 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.079 of believing means I say, Jesus is my Lord. He 75 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:23.800 is my boss, my manager, I'm under new management. I 76 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:25.560 saw a bumpersticular the other day in the back of 77 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:29.040 a card that said God is my co pilot. There's 78 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:30.800 only one problem with that. God doesn't want to be 79 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:34.079 your copilot. He doesn't want to say, Okay, you control 80 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:36.079 the plane half the time and I'll control at half time. 81 00:04:36.120 --> 00:04:37.720 You run your life half the time, and then I'll 82 00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:40.519 run it the other eye. No, he wants total control. 83 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:43.639 God has a right to total control in your life because. 84 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:46.079 He made you, He loves you, he created you. 85 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:47.879 He said it's time to die for you, and he 86 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:50.839 wants with you, with him forever in eternity. He has 87 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:53.959 a right. He doesn't want to be co pilot. He 88 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.639 wants to be the lord, the manager of your life. 89 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:01.519 The next thing are and trust. What does it mean 90 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:03.720 to believe in Jesus? It means to believe in Jesus. 91 00:05:04.040 --> 00:05:11.079 I are relax in His love. I relax in His love. Now, 92 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:14.639 let me explain this because I chose the word relax intentionally, 93 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:20.160 because what's the opposite of relaxing? Working, working, and God 94 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.439 is saying you don't have to work for God to 95 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:27.000 love you. You don't have to earn God's love. Growing up, 96 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:30.839 you grew up with conditional love. You got conditional love 97 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:34.920 from your parents, your partners, your pals, your professionals, all 98 00:05:34.920 --> 00:05:37.720 the people around you. And you learn pretty quickly that 99 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:39.120 if I want to be loved, I. 100 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:40.199 Got to do certain things. 101 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:43.360 And you have spent most of your life trying to 102 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:45.160 earn the love of other people. 103 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:46.360 You want to be loved. 104 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:49.040 There's nothing wrong with that, because you need love in 105 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:51.160 your life. You want to be loved, But you spent 106 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:53.680 most of your life trying to earn the love of 107 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:57.040 other people, working for the love of others. When you 108 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:02.800 believe in Jesus, you relax and you realize God is 109 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:03.800 gonna love me no matter what. 110 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:05.000 I don't have to. 111 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:07.560 Earn his love. I don't have to work for his love. 112 00:06:07.959 --> 00:06:10.480 I don't have to pay for his love. God is 113 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:14.399 gonna love me unconditionally. God loves me unconditionally. That means 114 00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:17.959 it's not based on what you do. God loves you unwaveringly. 115 00:06:18.120 --> 00:06:21.120 It never, never, never changes. God doesn't love you one 116 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:23.399 day and not the next and then the next. He's 117 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:27.079 not finicky or fickle. He doesn't have a bad hair day. 118 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:31.319 God loves you unendingly. Once you have the love of 119 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:36.519 God in your life, it never, never, never never will 120 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:40.000 leave you no matter what you do. Because God's love 121 00:06:40.279 --> 00:06:42.680 is not based on what you do. It's based on 122 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.959 what Jesus Christ did on the Cross for you. It's 123 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:48.560 not based on who you are. It's based on who 124 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:54.399 God is his character. You can't make God stop loving you. 125 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:56.040 You could try, but you will fail. 126 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.560 Because God's love is unconditional, unwavering, and unending. It is 127 00:07:00.639 --> 00:07:04.639 forever and that gives me enormous confidence. And when I 128 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:08.360 believe in Jesus, it means I believe what Jesus said 129 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.639 about God's love for me, and I relax in God's love. 130 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:15.000 That gives me enormous confidence because a lot of other 131 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:17.360 people may not like me, But the creator of the 132 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:18.519 universe loves me. 133 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:20.839 And that gives me confidence. 134 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:22.759 Let me show you what the Bible says about this, 135 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:28.600 Romans chapter eight. Nothing will ever be able to separate 136 00:07:28.680 --> 00:07:29.959 us from His. 137 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:31.519 Love, that's the love of Jesus Christ. 138 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:37.279 Death can't, life can't, The angels can't, demons can't. Our 139 00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:40.439 fears for today, our worries about tomorrow. Even the powers 140 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:44.600 of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we're high 141 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:48.319 above the sky or in the deepest ocean, Nothing in 142 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:52.360 all creation will ever be able to separate us from 143 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:55.439 the love of God that is revealed in Christ, Jesus, 144 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.199 our Lord, that gives. 145 00:07:57.959 --> 00:07:59.120 You enormous confidence. 146 00:07:59.480 --> 00:08:02.319 If you want to have personal security, you must put 147 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:05.560 your trust in something that can never be taken from you. 148 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:07.160 You put it in your bank account. You can lose 149 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:10.560 your bank account. Put your trust in how good looking 150 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:15.279 you are, Hey tell you you're already losing that. You 151 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:16.680 can put your faith in somebody else. 152 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:18.480 You can lose them. They will die. 153 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:21.160 You must put your faith in something you can never lose, 154 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:24.079 and there's only one thing you cannot ever ever lose, 155 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:28.399 God's love for you. To believe in Jesus means I 156 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:30.639 accept what he says about God's love for me, and 157 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:35.519 I relax in his unconditional, unending love. The you in 158 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:42.320 trust means I use my life to serve God by 159 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:46.279 serving others. To believe in Jesus means I will use 160 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:51.840 my life to serve God by serving others. We are 161 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:55.519 saved to serve God did not come to earth and 162 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:58.200 die on across and pay for all your sins just 163 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:00.799 so you could live a selfish, self centered life all 164 00:09:00.840 --> 00:09:05.559 about yourself. Really, do you think God created you just 165 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:10.279 to go to school, work, make money, and die and 166 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:14.120 live totally for yourself? Really, what's the logic in that? 167 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:16.480 Do you think God made you just to live for you? 168 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:16.919 No? 169 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:20.240 No, No, you were made for so much more than 170 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:23.000 to live for yourself. God has a far bigger purpose 171 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:25.960 for your life than that, and part of that purpose 172 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:29.519 is to serve God while you're here on earth. He said, well, 173 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:30.879 wait a minute, how in the world do I do that? 174 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:32.559 How do I serve God? I can't even see him? 175 00:09:32.759 --> 00:09:36.159 How do you serve an invisible God? Good question? How 176 00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:38.200 do you serve an invisible God? One day we will 177 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:41.200 see God in heaven. We don't see him now. God 178 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.679 wants us to learn to live by faith on earth. 179 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:44.279 That's part of it. 180 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.120 Faith pleases God. One day you'll see him. But how 181 00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:49.159 do I serve a God that I can't even see? 182 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:53.519 Who is invisible? Jesus said, many times, we serve God 183 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:58.320 by serving others. And he said, even if you give 184 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:00.840 a cup of cold water to somebody who thirsty, and 185 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:02.720 you do it in the name of Jesus, he said, 186 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:06.960 that says if you did it to me God, he said, 187 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:10.480 you're doing it to others. You serve God by serving others. 188 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:13.159 You were put on this planet to make a difference. 189 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:18.320 That difference is called your good works. It's also called 190 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:22.200 your quote service. It's also called your quote ministry. God 191 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:25.039 puts you here for a ministry, for a service, for 192 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:27.399 a good works, to make a difference with your life, 193 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:30.399 not necessarily a big, flashy difference, but to make a 194 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:33.919 difference and leave the world a better place. And the 195 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:37.240 Bible says that believing in Jesus is part of accepting 196 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:40.000 that responsibility. Let me show you here on the screen. 197 00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:44.720 Romans chapter six. The Bible says this, give yourselves completely 198 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:48.919 to God, every part of you. That's give everything to Jesus, 199 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:51.919 Lord of my life, for you have been saved from death. 200 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:54.559 So I'm doing this out of gratitude. And you want 201 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:57.039 to be tools in the hands of God, to be 202 00:10:57.240 --> 00:10:59.000 used for his good purposes. 203 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:01.960 There is no greater thrill. 204 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:03.919 Than to be a tool in the hand of God 205 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:06.679 and used for his greater purposes. If you've ever felt 206 00:11:06.840 --> 00:11:09.799 that feeling of being used by God, you know this 207 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:12.960 is cool. This is great. This is what I was 208 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:15.679 made for. This is me, this is my niche, this 209 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:18.000 is why I live here. God made me for this, 210 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:21.240 and it gives you significance, and it gives you satisfaction, 211 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:25.720 and it gives you fulfillment you will never get from money, sex, power, pleasure, 212 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:30.240 or anything else, because you were made for more than money, sex, power, 213 00:11:30.279 --> 00:11:34.120 pleasure and everything else. You were made for significance, and 214 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:38.320 that significance comes from serving something greater than yourself. You 215 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:41.120 were made to live for than more than you. And 216 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:43.279 if you live for you, you're going to be bored 217 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:48.639 and bitter with your life. Now, let me just be blunt. 218 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:53.840 If I claim to be a believer in Jesus Christ, 219 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:58.080 but I have no desire at all to serve Jesus Christ, 220 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:02.159 and I have no desire it all to serve humanity, 221 00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:05.799 to serve God by serving others, then I have every 222 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:10.919 reason to doubt that I'm actually a believer. I might 223 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:13.879 think I've been a believer, but I really wasn't. Because 224 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:17.080 if you are a true believer in Christ, it changes 225 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:20.559 your motivation, It changes your want to, it changes your attitude, 226 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:22.080 and all of a sudden, you don't want to live 227 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:26.360 for yourself anymore. You want to live for something greater 228 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:30.159 than yourself. The Bible says in James chapter two, if 229 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:34.879 people say they have faith but do nothing, their faith 230 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:38.440 is worth nothing. Can of faith like that save them? 231 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:41.320 The answer is no. That's why just saying I believe 232 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:43.080 Jesus on a God is not going to get you 233 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:43.480 to heaven. 234 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:45.559 That's not true belief. 235 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:49.200 If they say they have faith but do nothing about it, 236 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:52.519 their faith is worth nothing. Let me show you another 237 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:56.320 verse Phesians chapter two, verse ten. God made us what 238 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:59.919 we are, the Bible says, and in our union with 239 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:02.919 Christ Jesus, that means by believing in Christ. He has 240 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:07.840 created us. He created you for a life of good works. 241 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:09.639 That's the good things God wants you to do with 242 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.519 your life, which He has already prepared in advance, prepared 243 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:14.440 for us to do. 244 00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:18.200 Now, did you know that before you were born? 245 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.759 God decided the good things he wanted you to do 246 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:23.840 with your life. That's your ministry, that's your service, that's 247 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:27.159 your good works. God decided that. But you can miss 248 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:29.879 it because God's not going to force you to follow 249 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:33.399 his purpose. In fact, most people miss God's purpose for 250 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:38.360 their lives. Most people do. The greatest tragedy in life 251 00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:42.559 is not death. The greatest tragedy in life is to 252 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:46.279 miss your purpose, to waste your life and to not 253 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:49.840 be the woman God intended for you to be, to 254 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:52.720 not be the man that God intended for you to be. 255 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:54.240 That is a tragedy. 256 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:56.720 You could make a million bucks and still be a 257 00:13:56.759 --> 00:14:01.159 failure at life because you missed the idea of serving 258 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:04.799 God by serving others. Now there's a fourth letteres And 259 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:06.720 before I give it to you, let me explain a 260 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:10.080 little background because it's kind of hard to understand this one. 261 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.519 Jesus Christ, because he was the son of God, because 262 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:16.840 he is God coming in human form, lived a perfect life. 263 00:14:16.919 --> 00:14:19.360 He never sinned, he never made a mistake, he never 264 00:14:19.399 --> 00:14:20.759 had any errors in his. 265 00:14:20.679 --> 00:14:21.840 Life because he was God. 266 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:24.399 That's why he could pay for your sin, because he 267 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:25.799 didn't have any sins of his own. 268 00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:28.279 To pay for. He was perfect. 269 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:33.240 But even though Jesus was perfect, not everybody liked him. 270 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.960 Were there some people who, even though Jesus was perfect, 271 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:41.600 disagreed with him, Yes, accused him of things, Yes, misjudged 272 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:42.399 him and maligned him. 273 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:43.879 Yes, hated him. Yes? 274 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:46.960 Were there people who wanted him dead? 275 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:47.480 Yes? 276 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:51.320 Wait a minute, you're telling me that even if I 277 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:54.120 was perfect, some people aren't going to like me. You 278 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:59.279 haven't figured that one out yet. You could be perfect 279 00:14:59.720 --> 00:15:02.639 Jesusjesus was, and there are people who wanted him dead. 280 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:08.840 Why because evil hates good, Darkness hates light, wrong hates right. 281 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.799 And so God says, if you're gonna be a believer 282 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:17.279 in Jesus, you should expect the same reactions from people 283 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.919 that Jesus got. Not everybody like Jesus, because when you 284 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:23.200 do what's right, people who want to do what's wrong 285 00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:24.639 get a little upset about it. 286 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:26.080 Let me give you an example. 287 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:30.039 Let's say your boss comes you and your boss is unethical. 288 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:32.720 And your boss says, look, we're gonna cheat, we're gonna lie, 289 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:35.360 we're gonna steal in order to make this company go forward. 290 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:37.399 And so here's what I want you to do, and 291 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:40.879 I want you to do these things. And you say, sorry, boss, 292 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:45.000 I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ demands 293 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:48.120 integrity that I always do the right thing and tell 294 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:51.639 the truth. So I can't do that. Do you think 295 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:54.879 your boss is going to be happy with that? No? 296 00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:56.600 Do you think your boss is going to give you 297 00:15:56.679 --> 00:15:58.240 a promotion for having integrity? 298 00:15:58.600 --> 00:15:58.759 No? 299 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:02.799 Do you think that boss is actually going to hurt 300 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:04.919 you or cause you to suffer in some way? In 301 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:09.559 all likelihood, yes, you might get overlooked for a promotion. 302 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:12.120 You might even get fired. You might get put out 303 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:15.240 of the company. People suffer for doing the right thing 304 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:18.919 all the time because they're a Christians. Or let's say 305 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.720 tomorrow morning, you're standing by the water cooler at break 306 00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:25.360 and five or six people start trash talking and gossiping 307 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:28.679 and being vulgar and being mean spirited about somebody. You go, 308 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:30.919 this is not the kind of conversation I need to 309 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:33.440 be as a follower of Jesus Christ. So you don't 310 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:37.720 say anything, You just silently walk away. And let's say 311 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:39.399 one of those people comes after you say, hey, wait 312 00:16:39.399 --> 00:16:39.960 a minute. 313 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:41.159 Why did you leave the conversation? 314 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:44.919 He said, well, you know, I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, 315 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:48.679 and I just I don't feel comfortable talking that way 316 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:51.759 about other people. What's going to be their reaction, Well, 317 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:54.799 good for you. No, what they're going to say to 318 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:56.039 you is, oh, you are. 319 00:16:55.960 --> 00:17:00.360 So self righteous. You think you're better than the rest 320 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:00.759 of us. 321 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:04.480 You're such a goody two shoes, you're a Christian, you 322 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:08.279 think you're better than all the rest of us. What's happening. 323 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.039 They're feeling guilty and they're promoting it on you. Does 324 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.720 that make sense? And so you actually suffer for doing 325 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:18.559 the right thing, not doing the wrong. And this is 326 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:21.119 the fourth thing of what it means to believe in Jesus. 327 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:21.720 Write it down. 328 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:26.400 The S stands for I suffer for doing what's right. 329 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:31.920 Because believing in Jesus isn't always convenient. Anybody want to 330 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.200 give a testimony on that. It isn't always comfortable. As 331 00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:38.839 a pastor, I want you to know Jesus Christ like 332 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:40.720 I do. But I also want to tell you the truth. 333 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:45.160 The truth is following Jesus Christ is not for weaklings. 334 00:17:45.880 --> 00:17:48.839 It's not for wimpy people, it's not for people who 335 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:53.200 are wishy washy. Believing in Jesus Christ will demand more 336 00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:57.079 courage than you possibly imagine because it's not always popular 337 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:00.359 doing the right thing. It's not always popular stand for 338 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:03.759 the truth. It's not always easy or comfortable or convenient, 339 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.079 and you could be persecuted, You could suffer, you could 340 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:11.640 be criticized, you could be beligned, people could ostracize you. 341 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:14.519 In fact, in some countries, you could lose your life. 342 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:18.720 And Christians have been dying for their faith for two 343 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:19.720 thousand years. 344 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:20.480 Now. 345 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:22.319 That's not going to happen to you, at least right 346 00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:26.119 now in America. But it happens every moment of every 347 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:29.119 hour of every day, and it has for two thousand years. 348 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:31.160 More Christians are killed. 349 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:34.680 For their faith than any other cause around the world 350 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:35.200 every year. 351 00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:36.799 Why because they're more of us. 352 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:42.440 Two point three billion people give their lives for following Christ. 353 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:44.960 Jesus was honest about this. He said, if you want 354 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:46.599 to follow me, you got to take. 355 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:48.920 Up your cross. What does that mean? 356 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.960 Well, in those days, nobody took up across unless the 357 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:53.440 Romans were going to nail him to it. He says, 358 00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:56.400 are you willing to suffer for my name? And if 359 00:18:56.519 --> 00:19:00.240 need be, are you willing to die? Are you you 360 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:03.319 a true believer? Let me ask you this. If tomorrow 361 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:05.599 they made it against the law to be a follower 362 00:19:05.640 --> 00:19:08.039 of Jesus Christ in America all a sudden is against 363 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:09.799 the law to be a Christian? Would there be enough 364 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:15.240 evidence to convict you? Would anybody know that you are 365 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:16.319 actually a true fellow? 366 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:18.119 Oh well, I believe it. That's not enough. 367 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:23.960 Have you turned your life over everything to Christ? Have 368 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:27.279 you relaxed in His love? Are you using your life 369 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:31.839 to serve something bigger than yourself? Are you willing to 370 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.240 suffer for doing what's right? Let me show you some 371 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:38.279 Bible verses Philippians chapter one. For you have been given 372 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:42.519 not only the privilege of believing in Christ, circle privilege 373 00:19:42.519 --> 00:19:46.160 of believing, the privilege to believe in Christ, but you 374 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:49.400 have been given the privilege of suffering for him. That's 375 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:52.319 the privilege nobody wants to talk about. But I just 376 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:55.519 want to be upfront. It's not for weaklings, it's not 377 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:00.079 for whims, It's for courageous men and women, and you say, 378 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.319 I am willing to do what's right. And what happens 379 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:06.599 if you get ostracized, What happens if you get criticized. 380 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:09.599 What happens if people attack you on the internet for 381 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:12.359 your faith and for standing up and doing what's right. 382 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:13.960 Well, here's what the Bible says. 383 00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:17.920 First Peter three, if you suffer for doing what is right, 384 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:21.160 God will reward you. And by the way, that reward 385 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:22.799 is going to go on and on and on and 386 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:24.880 on and on in an eternity far longer than the 387 00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:29.359 criticism was. So he says, don't be afraid and don't worry. 388 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.920 What a life giving message from pastor wreck And now 389 00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:38.039 here's Rick with a special message. 390 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:41.319 Jesus told his disciples that they should live their lives 391 00:20:41.319 --> 00:20:44.640 according to five specific purposes. He said, you've got to 392 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:48.000 love God with all your heart. That's worship, and love 393 00:20:48.039 --> 00:20:51.960 your neighbors yourself. That's ministry. That's called the Great Commandment. 394 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.039 And then Jesus said, go make disciples, that's evangelism, Baptize 395 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:58.960 them into the Family of God. That's fellowship, a sign 396 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:01.559 of fellowship. And then he said, teach them obey everything 397 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:05.119 I've taught you. That's discipleship, and we call that the 398 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:09.440 Great Commission. We believe it Daily Hope that a great 399 00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:13.839 commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will 400 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:17.839 produce a great Christian, a great church, a great company, 401 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:21.480