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00:00:39
- Hey, welcome to Crossroads.
My name is Brian.
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00:00:41
It's great to be with you today,
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00:00:42
this first weekend
after the election.
-
00:00:45
Oh, my goodness.
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00:00:47
I'm recording this on Thursday.
-
00:00:49
We pushed it later in
the week than normal
-
00:00:51
because we wanted to be
able to comment on the election.
-
00:00:53
What do you know, as
of this taping on Thursday,
-
00:00:55
nothing to comment on because
-
00:00:57
we still don't know who the
next president is going to be.
-
00:01:00
Is it still going to
be President Trump
-
00:01:01
or is it going to be President
Elect Joseph Biden?
-
00:01:04
We don't know.
-
00:01:05
And I actually find
that fascinating.
-
00:01:09
Two things to say
about that before Chuck.
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00:01:11
Chuck is going to give us some
really great real time thoughts.
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00:01:13
Before he does, two
things to consider.
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00:01:17
Number one, I follow a God
who is never up for an election
-
00:01:22
and he can never be
booted out of office.
-
00:01:24
My primary allegiance
is to Jesus as my leader.
-
00:01:28
And He has a
Kingdom that's existed
-
00:01:30
long, long before
American democracy
-
00:01:33
and will exist long, long after
-
00:01:37
people have forgotten
about America.
-
00:01:40
The second thing
is, here's a crazy one,
-
00:01:42
you realize that no
matter what you believe,
-
00:01:44
no matter who you voted for,
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00:01:46
there's 140 million
people who voted.
-
00:01:49
And so roughly 70 million
people are against your beliefs.
-
00:01:53
Roughly 70 million people
think opposite of you and I.
-
00:01:57
It doesn't matter what you
think, no matter what you feel.
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00:02:00
That shows how divided
we are in our country.
-
00:02:04
That shows how our
culture is hanging by a thread
-
00:02:08
because we're tearing
each other apart.
-
00:02:10
We've got to feel
secure that we can live
-
00:02:14
with people who disagree with us
-
00:02:16
and we've got to be praying for
-
00:02:18
and fighting for
the unity of our land.
-
00:02:21
That's why I love Crossroads.
-
00:02:22
It's a big tent where
all kinds of people,
-
00:02:23
different beliefs come together.
-
00:02:25
But we have one thing in common,
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00:02:27
we're trying to figure out
what Jesus wants for our life.
-
00:02:31
That's what we have in common,
-
00:02:32
no matter if you're a seeker,
-
00:02:33
you're a believer,
wherever you are,
-
00:02:35
you're here today
because you want more
-
00:02:37
or you're open
for more from Him.
-
00:02:39
And that's why we're
glad you're with us today
-
00:02:41
and that's why we're
going to keep going.
-
00:02:43
Hey, before we go any further,
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00:02:45
we're going to have an
opportunity to do communion today.
-
00:02:48
Communion is an
opportunity to tap into
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00:02:50
an ancient spiritual,
primal tradition
-
00:02:53
that all followers
of Christ have done
-
00:02:55
for thousands of years
-
00:02:56
and it's a way for us to
come together as one.
-
00:02:58
So go ahead and get your
elements, get them ready.
-
00:03:01
Whatever you have in the house,
-
00:03:02
if you've got wine
or juice or Pepsi
-
00:03:04
or crackers or bread,
whatever you have, go ahead
-
00:03:05
and get that because you'll
need that in a little bit.
-
00:03:09
And right now we're
going to worship.
-
00:03:12
Not just a break through
our personal lives.
-
00:03:14
We're looking for a
breakthrough in our country.
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00:03:17
So let's sing about that
to God together right now.
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00:08:19
- Look at this room.
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00:08:21
Whether you feel
like you won or not,
-
00:08:24
at the end of the election,
-
00:08:25
somebody has to
clean this mess up.
-
00:08:27
And today we're going
to clean this mess up.
-
00:08:31
It turns out there's only --
And actually, I should say,
-
00:08:33
I'm filming this before
the election happens,
-
00:08:35
because regardless of who wins,
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00:08:37
the timeless truth of
scripture is very clear.
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00:08:39
I feel like there's a
message of good news today,
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00:08:41
but you're going to have
to hang in there with me
-
00:08:42
to hear it and receive it.
-
00:08:44
There's only three times
you're going to see me
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00:08:46
in dress shirts as a pastor:
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00:08:48
weddings, funerals, and it
turns out after this election.
-
00:08:51
Truth is, some of us right
now, man, we feel like this.
-
00:08:57
We're elated.
-
00:09:02
Our candidate won.
-
00:09:03
We think all is
right in the world.
-
00:09:04
For others of us, we feel
like hopes have been busted.
-
00:09:09
And for some of us--
(balloon whining)
-
00:09:17
It's like all the hope
just left the building.
-
00:09:19
Of course, that could
have more to do with
-
00:09:20
what you ate last
night than anything else.
-
00:09:21
But I'm telling you, and
even a white balloon.
-
00:09:23
I had to use white balloons,
not red and blue balloons,
-
00:09:26
because I don't want
to indicate any favor
-
00:09:29
one way or the other.
-
00:09:30
Guys, what are we to do now?
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00:09:33
I believe the
Bible is very clear
-
00:09:35
on how we're to live
right now as Christians.
-
00:09:37
I want to say to you
that today may be
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00:09:39
the most engaging and
important church experience
-
00:09:41
you've had in a
really long time.
-
00:09:43
Because you're not just
gonna listen to me talk,
-
00:09:45
but you're going to
have a chance to live into
-
00:09:47
and put into practice
what it looks like
-
00:09:50
to be the church in a
divisive moment like this.
-
00:09:53
I want to read to you
from Ephesians 4.
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00:09:56
It says this; this is Paul
writing to the early church:
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00:10:32
See what the Bible
says is no matter
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00:10:34
what the outcome
is of this election,
-
00:10:36
no matter what the issues
that divide us may be,
-
00:10:39
we are one as Christians.
-
00:10:42
Unity exists because of
what Jesus has already done.
-
00:10:45
Unity is maintained by
the powerful spirit of God,
-
00:10:48
and unity is preserved
when believers
-
00:10:51
make every effort to make
peace with one another.
-
00:10:54
And I don't mean
a negative peace.
-
00:10:55
I don't mean a peace that
ignores the brokenness
-
00:10:56
and the problems,
-
00:10:57
the real problems that
need to be addressed.
-
00:10:59
I'm talking about
a positive peace
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00:11:01
where we say we understand that
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00:11:03
in this broken world we are one.
-
00:11:06
As followers of Jesus, how
are we one in this moment?
-
00:11:10
Well, first, let me talk to
those who feel like you won,
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00:11:12
you feel like this is
what the country needed.
-
00:11:14
We got exactly what we need
it for the best in our country.
-
00:11:17
Paul's words to
you are very clear
-
00:11:20
in the same way they are to
people who feel like they lost.
-
00:11:22
Be completely humble and gentle.
-
00:11:25
Be meek with those who disagree.
-
00:11:28
Recognize that there
are people today who feel
-
00:11:31
like they're bearing a
disproportionate burden
-
00:11:33
because of the
results of the election.
-
00:11:35
They don't feel like it
was in their best interest
-
00:11:38
and just be willing
to be humble enough
-
00:11:40
and gentle enough to
get proximate to people
-
00:11:43
who may feel hurt or angry
or sad or disappointed today,
-
00:11:47
to check in with them,
-
00:11:48
not as a person
who voted differently,
-
00:11:50
but as a fellow brother
and sister in Christ.
-
00:11:54
Be willing to be humble and
gentle and meek in that way.
-
00:11:59
Now, let me talk to those
who feel like you lost.
-
00:12:02
Maybe today you are angry,
you're hurt, you're confused.
-
00:12:05
But Paul's words are
equally applicable to you,
-
00:12:07
to be humble and gentle.
-
00:12:10
People who believe
that even if you landed
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00:12:13
in a different place
in this election,
-
00:12:14
we serve the same Jesus
-
00:12:16
and His grace is
sufficient for both of us
-
00:12:18
in the places that we need it.
-
00:12:20
What does it look like to
give grace in this moment?
-
00:12:23
What does it look like to
get proximate with those
-
00:12:25
who may feel a
sense of relief or joy
-
00:12:28
and to seek to understand
-
00:12:29
more than trying
to be understood.
-
00:12:31
Whether you feel
like you won or lost,
-
00:12:33
there are three
things I think all of us
-
00:12:34
are called to in this
moment as people of Jesus.
-
00:12:37
First, whether you won or
lost, we all need to lament.
-
00:12:41
We all need to lament.
-
00:12:42
That we're lament in the
Bible is actually an outcry.
-
00:12:44
It means, "God, how?"
-
00:12:45
We're saying, "God, how
can we be in this place?"
-
00:12:48
And we need to lament.
-
00:12:49
Now, if you felt like you lost,
-
00:12:50
you're probably in lamentation.
-
00:12:52
But even if you won, we
need to lament the fact
-
00:12:55
that, sadly, God's church
has been more divided
-
00:12:59
on these issues than
people who don't follow Jesus
-
00:13:02
and that breaks
the heart of God.
-
00:13:05
Jesus didn't die
for a divided church.
-
00:13:07
He didn't die for a church that
-
00:13:09
couldn't get over our
political differences.
-
00:13:11
He did it.
-
00:13:12
And that was the beauty
of the first century church
-
00:13:14
is that you had,
Republican and Democrat.
-
00:13:16
You had conservative
and liberal.
-
00:13:17
Now, they didn't
have those terms,
-
00:13:18
but they had social
differences that were profound.
-
00:13:22
There were political
differences that were profound.
-
00:13:24
There were cultural
differences that were profound.
-
00:13:27
And yet through
what Jesus had done,
-
00:13:30
they became one body,
-
00:13:32
breaking bread
at the same table.
-
00:13:33
And we have to
get back there today,
-
00:13:38
maybe not today, but,
church, we've got to
-
00:13:40
get back there in the weeks
and in the months to come.
-
00:13:43
Which means that
whether you won or lost,
-
00:13:45
the second thing is
we all need to repent.
-
00:13:48
Repentance is the
sweet term in the Bible.
-
00:13:51
It's this invitation
that we have from God
-
00:13:53
to change our direction,
to change our mind.
-
00:13:57
I just need to be
honest with you
-
00:13:59
and just repent and say
-
00:14:01
I have really struggled
with anger in this election.
-
00:14:04
I'm not typically
an angry person,
-
00:14:05
but man, I am angry.
-
00:14:07
I've been angry with
people I don't know.
-
00:14:10
I've been angry about
positions that people have taken
-
00:14:12
that disagree with my position.
-
00:14:13
I have really struggled.
-
00:14:14
I have struggled
to pray for people.
-
00:14:15
I have struggled to have grace.
-
00:14:18
And I just need to
repent of that because
-
00:14:21
Jesus has forgiven
me of so much.
-
00:14:24
You know how many times I
am opposite to what He wants?
-
00:14:27
Do you know how many
times the way that I think
-
00:14:29
or the things that I do
are not what He desires.
-
00:14:33
Jesus calls me to
be a person of grace.
-
00:14:34
That doesn't mean
I have to agree.
-
00:14:36
It doesn't mean I have to line
up with every point of view,
-
00:14:38
but it means that no matter
what I'm called to love.
-
00:14:40
No matter who wins,
I'm called to love.
-
00:14:42
No matter who wins, I'm
called to pray for my president.
-
00:14:45
None of this of like
it's not my president.
-
00:14:47
No, I am called to pray
for whoever is in that office.
-
00:14:50
I am called to not be
afraid, but to trust the Lord.
-
00:14:56
And I'm called to do that
from a place of repentance.
-
00:15:00
So whether you won or lost,
-
00:15:02
we all have
something to lament of.
-
00:15:04
It's a broken, broken
time and the church,
-
00:15:05
unfortunately, has not
shown up as the salt and light
-
00:15:09
that we're called to
be in so many ways.
-
00:15:12
And we need to repent of that.
-
00:15:13
We need to turn our hearts
and change our direction
-
00:15:17
so that we can resolve
to make every effort
-
00:15:22
to maintain the spirit of
unity in the bond of peace.
-
00:15:25
That word "make
every effort" in the Greek
-
00:15:27
is the word "spoudazo".
-
00:15:28
It means to do it
with all of your energy.
-
00:15:30
Hey, it is not going
to be automatic.
-
00:15:32
See, here's the problem.
-
00:15:33
The problem that
we face is not that
-
00:15:35
one person wins and one
person loses in this election.
-
00:15:38
It's that the division
and brokenness
-
00:15:41
that has been rippling
through our culture
-
00:15:43
in the last several
months and years
-
00:15:45
is such that it will take
decades of healing to overcome,
-
00:15:49
regardless of who
sits in the White House.
-
00:15:51
And, and it has to
start with the church.
-
00:15:55
We are called to make
every effort to be unified.
-
00:15:58
We're called to keep
or to guard that unity.
-
00:16:01
We're called to, as one
person so aptly put it,
-
00:16:04
we're called to become
who we already are in Jesus.
-
00:16:09
See, in Ephesians
Paul's talking about unity
-
00:16:11
and he's basing it on a
premise that he wrote about
-
00:16:14
two chapters earlier
in that same book.
-
00:16:16
The premise is what
Jesus has done for us.
-
00:16:18
In Ephesians II Paul says:
we were dead in our sins.
-
00:16:21
We were all enemies of God,
-
00:16:23
but Jesus saved us by grace.
-
00:16:25
We've been saved.
-
00:16:27
But he goes on to say
that Jesus's rescue of us
-
00:16:29
didn't just make us right
in relationship with God,
-
00:16:33
it actually makes us
right in relationship
-
00:16:35
with those who are different.
-
00:16:37
In Ephesians
2:15-16, Paul says that
-
00:16:40
by abolishing the law of
commands expressed in ordinances,
-
00:16:43
Jesus did this, that he
might create in Himself
-
00:16:46
one new man in place of
the two, so making peace.
-
00:16:51
This is referencing
the deep divide
-
00:16:53
between Jew and non-Jew,
-
00:16:55
this deep cultural divide
that had existed for centuries,
-
00:16:58
this deep cultural
divide that caused people
-
00:17:00
to line up on one side,
-
00:17:02
to have some in an in group
and some in an out group.
-
00:17:04
But Paul is saying what
Jesus did on the Cross
-
00:17:08
made one new
man out of those two.
-
00:17:12
And it might reconcile
us both to God
-
00:17:14
in one body through the
Cross, killing the hostility.
-
00:17:18
Jesus purchased our unity.
-
00:17:21
Jesus perfects our
unity through His Spirit.
-
00:17:25
And so we are called to live
like the people we have become.
-
00:17:27
See, I believe right now
how we respond is critical.
-
00:17:32
I think it was very important
-
00:17:34
for us to engage
on November 3rd.
-
00:17:35
I hope that you did.
-
00:17:36
I hope if you had
a chance to vote
-
00:17:37
that you exercise
that right to vote.
-
00:17:38
That's very important.
-
00:17:39
And as important
as November 3rd is,
-
00:17:42
I want to submit to
you that for the church,
-
00:17:44
November 4th, November
5th, November 6th, 7th,
-
00:17:48
ongoing is even more important
-
00:17:50
because how do we
heal the brokenness?
-
00:17:54
How do we clean this mess up?
-
00:17:56
How do we bring ourselves
back to that bond of peace?
-
00:17:59
I believe the way that we do it
-
00:18:01
is we adopt a
different constitution.
-
00:18:04
I'm not anti the
constitution of our country,
-
00:18:06
but we need to adopt
a greater constitution,
-
00:18:09
the constitution of Jesus,
-
00:18:10
the Constitution of the Kingdom.
-
00:18:13
Jesus gives His constitution
as the Sermon on the Mount
-
00:18:16
in Matthew Chapters 5, 6, and 7.
-
00:18:19
But in Matthew 5
at the beginning,
-
00:18:21
Jesus proclaims His preamble.
-
00:18:23
Jesus stood up.
-
00:18:25
He stood up on a hillside
-
00:18:27
and He proclaimed His
preamble to His constitution.
-
00:18:31
And He opened his
mouth and He said,
-
00:18:33
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
-
00:18:35
for theirs is the
Kingdom of heaven.
-
00:18:38
Blessed are those who mourn,
-
00:18:40
for they shall be comforted.
-
00:18:42
Blessed are the meek,
-
00:18:44
for they shall
inherit the earth.
-
00:18:46
Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst
-
00:18:48
for righteousness, for
they shall be satisfied.
-
00:18:51
Blessed are the merciful,
-
00:18:53
for they shall receive mercy.
-
00:18:55
Blessed are the pure in heart,
-
00:18:56
for they shall see God.
-
00:18:59
for they shall be
called Sons of God.
-
00:19:03
Blessed are those
who are persecuted
-
00:19:05
for righteousness sake,
-
00:19:06
for theirs is the
Kingdom of Heaven.
-
00:19:08
Blessed are you
when others revile you
-
00:19:11
and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil
-
00:19:14
against you falsely
on my account.
-
00:19:16
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad
-
00:19:19
for great is your
reward in heaven
-
00:19:21
for so they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.
-
00:19:27
Jesus lays out this preamble
-
00:19:29
as a set of behavior for us
-
00:19:31
and how we honor each other,
-
00:19:33
how we preserve our unity.
-
00:19:35
He says that we're
to be poor in spirit,
-
00:19:37
to be spiritually
innocent enough to say
-
00:19:39
we don't have all the answers.
-
00:19:40
We're called to mourn,
-
00:19:42
not just to mourn
with those who mourn,
-
00:19:43
but also mourn the fact
that anyone in this world,
-
00:19:46
in this country would
feel in some way
-
00:19:49
like they don't
have representation
-
00:19:50
or no one is fighting for them.
-
00:19:52
We want to be
people who mourn that.
-
00:19:54
We also want to be meek.
-
00:19:56
And that means that
we're the opposite
-
00:19:57
of self asserted
and rude and harsh,
-
00:19:59
that we're gentle and our
emotions are under control.
-
00:20:01
We are to be people
who hunger and thirst
-
00:20:04
for a world where
all can flourish
-
00:20:05
and want to see more of
the reign of our good God
-
00:20:08
impact every person in America,
-
00:20:10
not just America, but
all around the world.
-
00:20:11
And we're called
to be peacemakers,
-
00:20:14
people who represent the
peacemaking power of Jesus
-
00:20:16
and show up that way.
-
00:20:17
For that to be true, we
have to show up that way
-
00:20:20
in our own relationships.
-
00:20:21
We have to show
up that way at home,
-
00:20:23
at work, as a church.
-
00:20:26
We have to show up that
way with our neighbors.
-
00:20:28
And for that peace that we need,
-
00:20:31
I love what the Bible says,
-
00:20:33
that God wants
to give us a peace
-
00:20:34
that passes all understanding,
-
00:20:36
that will guard our hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus.
-
00:20:38
And from that place
of peace we can love,
-
00:20:42
we can be repairers
of the breach
-
00:20:45
in this moment of division,
-
00:20:46
and we can be those
who have a peace that says
-
00:20:48
even when it looks like
this world is out of control,
-
00:20:51
my King is still on the throne
-
00:20:53
and His Kingdom
is still advancing.
-
00:20:54
We can be people who live
out the constitution of Jesus.
-
00:20:59
And I want to give
us an opportunity
-
00:21:01
to have that peace
in a fuller measure
-
00:21:03
because we're going to need it.
-
00:21:04
And the way that we do
that is we come together
-
00:21:07
and we pray together.
-
00:21:08
And so this would
be an easy time
-
00:21:09
for you to check
out and to think,
-
00:21:11
"Oh, I've heard the
message, I'm all done."
-
00:21:12
But I want to submit to you
-
00:21:13
what we're about to do next
-
00:21:14
is the most important thing
-
00:21:15
that we're doing
in our time today.
-
00:21:17
We're going to pray together.
-
00:21:18
Let's do that now.
-
00:21:28
Justin, thanks for
being with me, man.
-
00:21:29
- Glad to be here.
-
00:21:31
- This next part is something
we're going to do together.
-
00:21:33
Justin is here with me
because we're going to pray.
-
00:21:36
And one of the ways that we pray
-
00:21:38
is we actually sing
prayers set to music.
-
00:21:40
And so we're going to be doing
-
00:21:41
some praying and some singing.
-
00:21:42
And this is the
part where I said,
-
00:21:44
this is why I think this is
such an important weekend
-
00:21:47
and an important
moment for all of us,
-
00:21:49
because as much as I hope that
-
00:21:51
you've been helped
by what I've shared,
-
00:21:53
God wants us to
act in this moment.
-
00:21:55
One of the ways we do that
together is through prayer.
-
00:21:58
You know, there's a
moment where Jesus
-
00:21:59
is coming into Jerusalem as
He's preparing to be crucified.
-
00:22:04
And it says in Luke 19, that:
-
00:22:17
And I believe that
Jesus right now
-
00:22:19
would weep over our country.
-
00:22:20
And I really believe
He would weep
-
00:22:21
over the state of
His church and say,
-
00:22:23
"This is a moment,
church, where we need
-
00:22:25
to be doing those
things that lead to peace."
-
00:22:27
And one of the things
that leads to peace
-
00:22:28
is when we come
together in prayer.
-
00:22:30
Later, we're going
to take communion.
-
00:22:32
If you haven't had
a chance yet to grab
-
00:22:33
some elements to
participate in communion,
-
00:22:35
I want to encourage
you to do that.
-
00:22:37
This is the most important thing
-
00:22:38
I think we can do
that leads to peace.
-
00:22:41
It's just to humble
ourselves before God
-
00:22:43
and seek Him together.
-
00:22:45
We're going to
start by kind of being
-
00:22:47
in a place of lament,
of lamentation.
-
00:22:49
You know, the Bible
has so many prayers
-
00:22:51
that are really just
honest expressions to God
-
00:22:54
about the pain or the
questions that we have.
-
00:22:58
And I know for many of us, t
-
00:22:59
his is a moment of questioning.
-
00:23:01
Psalm 61 says this. It says:
-
00:23:03
"You have rejected us,
God, and burst upon us."
-
00:23:07
Some of us may feel
that way right now.
-
00:23:18
And I know for
for me it feels like
-
00:23:20
there's so many
fissures and fractures
-
00:23:22
that have been just
broken wide open
-
00:23:23
in our country through
this election cycle.
-
00:23:26
God, we just want to come
to you with those feelings.
-
00:23:29
I want to ask you as
Justin plays and as he sings
-
00:23:33
to just pray, to talk to God.
-
00:23:34
What are you feeling right now?
-
00:23:36
What's in your heart?
-
00:23:37
Bring that raw, honest
state before God right now.
-
00:23:40
He cares about it.
-
00:23:42
Are you filled up
in this moment?
-
00:23:44
Are you empty in this moment?
-
00:23:46
Whatever it is, just honestly
pray that before God now.
-
00:23:55
- (singing) Nowhere else to go,
-
00:23:58
we've nowhere else to turn.
-
00:24:02
We're kneeling at
your door singing,
-
00:24:06
come near, come here.
-
00:24:13
- God, hear our
prayers in this moment.
-
00:24:16
Hear our heart before You,
-
00:24:17
all of our emotions
we bring to You.
-
00:24:22
- (singing) We need
Your Kingdom now.
-
00:24:25
Would You exchange
it for our doubts?
-
00:24:28
We're kneeling at
your door singing
-
00:24:32
come near, come here,
-
00:24:35
come near, come
here, God, come near,
-
00:24:40
God of the breakthrough,
Your promise to stand true.
-
00:24:47
You haven't failed us yet.
-
00:24:49
No, You haven't failed us yet.
-
00:24:53
Our miracle maker,
our hope and our Savior,
-
00:25:00
you haven't failed us yet.
-
00:25:03
You haven't failed us yet.
-
00:25:10
- One of the things that we do
-
00:25:11
when we open up our
heart to God is we recognize
-
00:25:14
there are things in our
heart that need to change.
-
00:25:16
The Bible calls this repentance.
-
00:25:17
Repentance is the
sweet, sweet word
-
00:25:19
where we get invited
to go in a new direction,
-
00:25:23
but through the power of
God's Spirit working in us.
-
00:25:26
In Psalm 51:10,
David, put it this way:
-
00:25:34
Can I ask you a question?
-
00:25:36
What's pressing on
your heart right now?
-
00:25:39
Maybe God is pointing out
something in your life right now.
-
00:25:43
I know for me, God has
been pointing out my pride.
-
00:25:47
My pride, that sometimes
this righteous indignation
-
00:25:49
is sometimes is
just plain old pride,
-
00:25:51
that I know better,
-
00:25:52
that if everybody
would just see this
-
00:25:53
the way that I see it,
-
00:25:54
it would be better
for our country,
-
00:25:55
it would be better
for the world,
-
00:25:56
it'd be better for the church.
-
00:25:57
And I just have to say,
"God, I repent of that pride.
-
00:26:00
I want to lay it down.
-
00:26:01
I want to go a new direction."
-
00:26:04
You know, for me,
it's also been fear,
-
00:26:07
which has led to a
grasping for control,
-
00:26:09
if it doesn't go the way
that I think it should go.
-
00:26:11
And God, too, I just
lay that before you.
-
00:26:13
What is it that you
need to repent of?
-
00:26:15
You just need to say, "God,
create in me a clean heart."
-
00:26:19
While the music
plays, I just ask you
-
00:26:21
to have that conversation
with God right now.
-
00:26:22
You can just say,
"God, I repent of,"
-
00:26:24
and just fill in that blank.
-
00:26:25
What is it? Offer
that to God in prayer.
-
00:26:58
And because we're talking
about the unity of the church,
-
00:27:00
our repentance has to move
-
00:27:02
from just a heart
thing to an action thing.
-
00:27:04
Jesus put it this way
in Matthew, he says:
-
00:27:14
Jesus says, and go,
first, make things right
-
00:27:19
with your brother or your
sister or your coworker
-
00:27:23
or your cousin or
your uncle or your aunt
-
00:27:26
or your small group member
-
00:27:28
and then come back
and offer your gift.
-
00:27:34
- It's convicting there.
-
00:27:38
I sing a lot of songs
-
00:27:40
in front of a lot of people
on a Sunday morning.
-
00:27:43
Rarely do I start
the first song and go,
-
00:27:46
"Oh, wait, I shouldn't
be singing this right now.
-
00:27:49
I should put my guitar
down and go back
-
00:27:51
to the person I wronged
earlier this week."
-
00:27:54
You know? Conviction, how
much Jesus cares about that
-
00:27:58
and how right we
need to be together.
-
00:28:01
And I immediately
think of grace,
-
00:28:05
that God has shown me
this amazing amount of grace
-
00:28:09
and I'm stingy with it
and I'm stingy with it
-
00:28:13
most often with those
who disagree with me.
-
00:28:16
And so when you talk
about repenting of pride,
-
00:28:20
that's where I'm convicted
right in this moment.
-
00:28:23
I'm not a grace giver to
people who disagree with me.
-
00:28:26
I think about a
conversation with my dad
-
00:28:29
just a couple of months ago.
-
00:28:30
I was not a grace giver in that.
-
00:28:32
I was giving out judgment.
-
00:28:34
I was making a
statement and not listening.
-
00:28:37
And so I need to be reminded
-
00:28:39
the amount of grace
Jesus has given me
-
00:28:43
and then give it away
freely, like he says.
-
00:28:45
So who do you need
to make it right with?
-
00:28:49
- Yeah. Yeah.
Who is that for you?
-
00:28:50
Who do you need
to make it right with?
-
00:28:52
Some person in your life,
-
00:28:54
maybe it's a person
who voted the other way.
-
00:28:55
- Yeah.
-
00:28:56
- Maybe it's a person
who disagrees with you
-
00:28:57
on some other issue.
-
00:28:59
It could be someone
under your roof,
-
00:29:00
it could be someone
that you work with,
-
00:29:01
but Jesus is very clear.
-
00:29:04
No other act of worship matters
-
00:29:06
if we haven't first done
that. That is convicted.
-
00:29:11
- There's some
work I need to do,
-
00:29:13
there's some
places I need to go,
-
00:29:14
some phone calls I need to make,
-
00:29:15
and I just would encourage
you to do the same thing.
-
00:29:18
Let's be reconcilers.
-
00:29:19
It's what the world
desperately needs right now.
-
00:29:22
And the only way
we can do that is
-
00:29:23
if we really believe
that we've received
-
00:29:25
the grace that God
freely offers to us.
-
00:29:28
- Yeah, so this is where
my mind went for us.
-
00:29:33
(singing) Amazing grace,
-
00:29:38
how sweet the sound
-
00:29:44
that saved a wretch like me.
-
00:29:55
I once was lost,
-
00:30:00
but now I'm found,
-
00:30:06
was blind, but now I see.
-
00:30:17
- Grace is amazing, and
it's only through grace
-
00:30:20
that we can do what
we see in Ephesians,
-
00:30:24
conduct yourselves
with all humility,
-
00:30:26
gentleness and patience.
-
00:30:27
It is so important that we say
-
00:30:29
we're going to
adopt that mindset.
-
00:30:31
We're going to adopt that way
-
00:30:32
of engaging with other people,
-
00:30:34
particularly in this moment.
-
00:30:36
Accept each other with love
-
00:30:38
and make an effort to preserve
-
00:30:40
the unity of the spirit
-
00:30:41
with the peace that
ties you together.
-
00:30:44
We are one.
-
00:30:45
We are one through the peace
-
00:30:46
that Jesus purchased
for us on the Cross.
-
00:30:48
We are one.
-
00:30:50
So, God, in this moment,
I want to pray for unity.
-
00:30:52
Would you join
me in praying this?
-
00:30:54
God, I want to
start by just praying
-
00:30:55
for unity in our own
church in Crossroads.
-
00:30:58
God, we're a broad,
diverse range of people,
-
00:31:00
people who voted all
kinds of different ways,
-
00:31:02
people who hold all
kinds of different political
-
00:31:05
And God, we just say
together we want to lean in
-
00:31:09
and reflect the peace
that is ours through Jesus.
-
00:31:12
Lord, would You unify
our church in this moment?
-
00:31:16
Would you bring
couples back together?
-
00:31:18
Would you bring
families back together?
-
00:31:20
Would you bring
friends back together?
-
00:31:22
Would you bring Your
church closer to that bond
-
00:31:26
of unity in the spirit of peace?
-
00:31:28
God, I also want to pray that
-
00:31:29
for churches all
across the country.
-
00:31:30
Right now, this is
a challenging time
-
00:31:32
for believers everywhere.
-
00:31:34
And God, I'm praying
that You would do
-
00:31:35
something miraculous
in Your church,
-
00:31:38
a miraculous work of unity,
-
00:31:39
a miraculous work of
bringing our hearts together.
-
00:31:44
And that's all based
on what Jesus did.
-
00:31:47
It's not lost on me that the
symbol that Jesus chose
-
00:31:51
for us to remember
what it means to be
-
00:31:53
a part of his family
-
00:31:54
is the simple act of
breaking bread together.
-
00:31:57
The simple act of a shared meal.
-
00:32:00
It's a reminder of unity.
-
00:32:01
It's a reminder of grace.
-
00:32:03
It's a reminder of what's
possible in relationships
-
00:32:05
when Jesus is at the center.
-
00:32:06
So we're going to practice
communion right now.
-
00:32:10
We're going to
practice it because
-
00:32:11
it's so important
for us to remember
-
00:32:12
that Jesus is blood
purchased our unity.
-
00:32:15
You know, here in the
United States we have a motto.
-
00:32:18
It's a model that
shows up on our money,
-
00:32:20
E Pluribus Unum, from many one.
-
00:32:26
Can I be honest and tell you,
-
00:32:28
without the reconciling
power of Jesus,
-
00:32:30
that's a pipe dream,
that's a pipe dream.
-
00:32:33
We have seen progress
certainly as a country.
-
00:32:36
We've seen progress.
-
00:32:37
And obviously we have
seen challenges to that.
-
00:32:39
But can I just tell
you, the only thing
-
00:32:40
that can route me in
oneness with people
-
00:32:42
who are fundamentally different
than me is the one body,
-
00:32:48
the one body who
broke itself for me,
-
00:32:52
the one body who
shed blood for me,
-
00:32:54
the blood of Jesus Christ.
-
00:32:55
And that's why it says
in 1 Corinthians 10:17,
-
00:32:57
because there is one bread,
we who are many are one body,
-
00:33:02
E Pluribus Unum, from we
all partake of the one bread.
-
00:33:06
And so we're going
to do that together.
-
00:33:08
We're going to partake
of the bread together.
-
00:33:09
And we're also going to
use this as an opportunity
-
00:33:11
to say, God, we want to
continue to be people of peace.
-
00:33:14
Jesus said blessed
are the peacemakers,
-
00:33:16
for they are the
children of God.
-
00:33:18
So I want to invite you to grab
-
00:33:19
whatever elements
you have in this moment
-
00:33:22
to join us in partaking
in communion.
-
00:33:24
If you're a follower of Jesus,
-
00:33:25
it is right for you to do this.
-
00:33:27
And I think in this moment
-
00:33:28
it is so important for
us to remember this.
-
00:33:31
Justin, I want to offer
you from the one loaf.
-
00:33:36
And as we do this together,
-
00:33:38
I want to invite
you to do it with us.
-
00:33:40
I'll take a piece of myself.
-
00:33:42
Just a reminder to us,
-
00:33:44
the body of Christ
was broken for our unity
-
00:33:46
and our oneness.
-
00:33:47
You're not like my
brother, you are my brother.
-
00:33:49
- That's right.
-
00:33:51
- And His blood was shed
-
00:33:52
for our oneness with
Him and with each other.
-
00:33:55
- Thank you.
-
00:33:56
- Justin and I are going to dip
-
00:33:57
because we are dipping
church, not a sipping church.
-
00:34:00
You can do whatever makes
sense with your elements,
-
00:34:03
but we remember in this moment
the blood and body of Jesus.
-
00:34:12
As we wrap up this time,
I just want to invite you
-
00:34:15
to take a posture of
saying yes to Jesus.
-
00:34:17
Put your hands out like
this, just an act of surrender,
-
00:34:20
to say we're going to say yes.
-
00:34:22
In the days ahead, I think
-
00:34:23
it's going to be
really important
-
00:34:24
that we say yes to
love and not fear.
-
00:34:28
That we say yes to
unity and not division.
-
00:34:30
That we say yes to
humility and not pride.
-
00:34:33
That we choose
to be peacemakers,
-
00:34:35
not just in our
hearts, but in our lives.
-
00:34:38
So let's just use this song
as a prayer of declaration
-
00:34:41
and say, "Jesus, because
of what You've done for us,
-
00:34:43
we say yes to these things.
-
00:34:45
We say yes to being Your
peacemakers in the world today."
-
00:35:51
- I just want to bless
you and commission you
-
00:35:54
to be a peacemaker,
-
00:35:56
to be someone who lives
-
00:35:58
the constitution of our
God and King Jesus.
-
00:36:01
No matter what the
days ahead may bring,
-
00:36:03
we know one thing:
His Kingdom is sure
-
00:36:06
and it will last forever.
-
00:36:08
So we say yes to Him.
-
00:36:09
We say yes to His ways.
-
00:36:11
May you be a peacemaker.
-
00:36:13
May you be one of the
people who makes every effort
-
00:36:18
to maintain the spirit of
unity and the bond of peace.
-
00:36:21
God bless you and thanks
for being with us today.
-
00:41:06
- Well, I hope you met God today
-
00:41:07
or got something that
caused you to think about Him
-
00:41:10
in a way that you really
needed to think about Him.
-
00:41:12
That's why we're here.
-
00:41:14
We're also going to have
an ability to be like Him,
-
00:41:17
that is to be generous.
-
00:41:18
You can go to
Crossroads.net/give
-
00:41:21
if you want to be on
the team of people
-
00:41:23
who are fueling life change
in ourselves and others.
-
00:41:26
Go ahead and do that.
-
00:41:27
And I really want
you to experience
-
00:41:29
the full, adventurous life.
-
00:41:31
Here's some ways you can
do that and get connected.
-
00:41:33
We'd love to pray
with you or just talk.
-
00:41:35
There's a whole
team of people here
-
00:41:37
to give you prayer
and care for you.
-
00:41:39
Chat with us at Crossroads.net.
-
00:41:41
Keep moving with your group
or connect with a new one.
-
00:41:44
The Journey's over, but
you can keep going together.
-
00:41:47
Unpack the weekend message
-
00:41:48
with our weekend
follow up prompts.
-
00:41:50
They're posted every week
at Crossroads.net/followup.
-
00:41:54
You can also help a
family this Thanksgiving.
-
00:41:56
For two decades,
we've done a thing
-
00:41:58
called the Thanksgiving
Food Drive to help families
-
00:42:01
that are struggling to have
a great Thanksgiving meal.
-
00:42:04
To find out more, go
to Crossroads.net/TFD.
-
00:42:08
So we've got a brand new
series starting next week.
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00:42:10
I'm pretty excited about it,
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00:42:11
it's called Thrive this Winter.
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00:42:13
We'll see you then.
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00:42:16
(bird chirping)
Winter's coming.
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00:42:19
Cold, long, dark,
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00:42:24
and it's going to be...
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00:42:25
amazing!
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00:42:27
Give yourself a shot in
the arm of encouragement.
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00:42:30
Just survive, hibernate?
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00:42:32
No way!
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00:42:34
God wants you
to thrive this winter
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00:42:35
and we'll show you how.
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00:42:37
A new weekly series
from Crossroads.
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00:42:39
Check it out by downloading
the Crossroads app
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00:42:41
on your smart TV
or at Crossroads.net.