Dr. Tony Evans is known as a relevant expositor and is a pastor of pastors and a father in the faith.
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Dr. Tony Evans | Tony Evans - Releasing God's Restoration | July 12, 2026
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- Tony evans: we are in the restoration business.
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- Part of why the church of jesus christ exists
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- Is to restore.
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- God's normal way of working is through his people
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- For the improvement of his people,
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- And so that is why people are to gather
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- As part of the family of god, not just for a sermon,
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- Not just for a song,
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- But to be healed or to be a healer.
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- ♪♪♪
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- Tony: far too many churches have settled in to be hospices
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- Set up to make people comfortable,
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- When god created us to be hospitals
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- To make people better.
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- Far too many people will come to church just to salve
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- Their religious conscience,
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- Not necessarily because they want to improve, heal,
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- Or become better followers of jesus christ.
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- And unfortunately, many churches have accommodated
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- This hospice mentality,
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- And instead of hospitals, they become spiritual event centers
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- Where people come for their weekly show,
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- The show from the pulpit, the show from the choir,
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- The show from the singing.
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- And when the show is over, they go about their lives
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- Until next week, same time, show time.
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- Paul, in chapter 6 of the book of galatians,
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- Speaks to this church who has been infiltrated
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- By a group of people called judaizers.
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- The judaizers were the legalists of the day,
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- And they were holding these christians hostage
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- To the old testament law that they were unable to satisfy
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- As a way for them to measure their spirituality,
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- And paul has to correct this false teaching
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- That has infiltrated the church of galatia,
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- Taking away the freedom of the saints
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- To be all that god had created them to be.
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- And in chapter 6, the first five verses
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- That we have read,
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- He gives an assignment to the church,
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- And an assignment to every member of the church,
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- Because the word "you" in verse 1 is plural.
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- So he is not speaking to just an individual,
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- He's not just speaking to you, he's speaking to y'all--
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- That is, to the collective gathering of saints--
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- To talk about our hospital care,
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- To talk about this healing environment spiritually
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- That the church is to provide
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- If it's going to be an authentic hospital
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- And not a hospice event center.
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- He says in verse 1 of chapter 6, "brethren."
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- So i'm talking to christians, fellow saints.
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- "even if anyone is caught in a trespass,
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- Restore such a one."
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- A trespass is a sin.
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- He says, "if somebody is caught in a sin--"
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- Meaning, they are stuck in a sin that they can't get out of,
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- They have an addiction, a stronghold,
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- A set of circumstance that is holding them hostage,
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- And they can't break away.
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- Some of us have been in those situations.
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- We all know people who are in those situations
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- Where they're trapped and they can't get out.
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- He says, "your job is to restore such a one."
- 00:04:02.791 --> 00:04:09.264
- In other words, to unhook them
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- From the thing that's trapped them
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- That they can't get out of.
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- That is one of the fundamental roles
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- Of the church body of believers is to be a restorative agency
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- For people who are in circumstances and situations
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- That they're unable to hook themselves from.
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- The greek word for "restore" means
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- To re-set a broken bone or to re-stitch a torn net.
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- It was used of mending something that had gotten frayed
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- In some form or fashion.
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- What god says is "i want you in the family of god
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- To be a place where folk who have been tore up
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- From the floor up,
- 00:05:02.084 --> 00:05:03.919
- Folk who've been broken can come and know
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- That there are doctors and nurses who are there,
- 00:05:06.788 --> 00:05:10.625
- And one of their purposes is to fix that which is broken."
- 00:05:10.625 --> 00:05:15.797
- One of the spiritual responsibilities of believers
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- Personally and the house of god collectively
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- Is where broken people who are stuck
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- And caught in circumstances and sins
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- That they are unable to get out of,
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- There is a place that they can go
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- Where healing is part of the reason
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- Why they are there.
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- He says, "restore such a one."
- 00:05:42.791 --> 00:05:46.194
- But he gives a qualification.
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- He says in verse 1, "you who are spiritual,
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- Restore such a one."
- 00:05:53.135 --> 00:05:55.103
- He says, "i want you who are spiritual
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- To restore such a one."
- 00:05:58.006 --> 00:05:59.374
- What does it mean to be spiritual?
- 00:05:59.374 --> 00:06:01.910
- To be spiritual means you're operating by the spirit,
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- And in order to know
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- Whether you're operating by the spirit,
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- It means you're operating according to the word.
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- So you're operating according to the word,
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- Which means you're operating by means of the spirit,
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- Which means the spirit can intercede based on the word
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- To bring healing into the life of the person
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- Who's caught, or broken, because of sin and its effect.
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- He says, "you who are spiritual," based on the word,
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- Which then the bible calls the spirit,
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- The spirit of truth who only operates on the word,
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- Who uses the person who's operating with the truth
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- In the life of the person who needs to be restored
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- In order for them to get the healing
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- That they have come to the hospital, spiritually,
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- To receive.
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- He says, "you who are spiritual, restore such a one."
- 00:06:43.985 --> 00:06:49.658
- In other words, we are in the restoration business.
- 00:06:49.658 --> 00:06:53.562
- Part of why the church of jesus christ exists
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- Is to restore.
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- Now, he talks about two groups of people in verse 1.
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- He talks about the person needing to be restored,
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- And he talks about the spiritual persons
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- Who are doing the restoring.
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- So this place should be made up of one of two people:
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- People who have come because they're trapped
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- In something they can't get out of
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- And people who are spiritual enough
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- To help get them out of it because they love the word,
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- Operate by the spirit, in order to bring divine help
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- To release the person from that which is holding them
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- Illegitimately hostage.
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- He says, "i want you to do this."
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- And the reason why you want to do this
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- With spiritual people
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- Is that you've got to operate with truth.
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- See, and that's what spiritual people do:
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- They appeal to the truth.
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- That's why he says in verse 1,
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- "restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness,"
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- In the spirit of gentleness.
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- In other words, don't hurt the person more.
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- In other words, when you're trying to help
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- Somebody who's caught, who's stuck,
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- You're not trying to make them more caught and more stuck,
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- Because you are sticky.
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- He says, "you do it with the spirit of gentleness."
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- You've seen a doctor use a scalpel.
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- They take their time to make the cut.
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- They're not slashers,
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- 'cause they're not trying to hurt more.
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- They're trying to to be as careful as possible
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- While still dealing with the problem.
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- You see, because restoring doesn't condone wrong.
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- Restoring doesn't cover up what's really going on.
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- But restoring seeks to fix it
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- Based on the truth of the problem
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- That is seeking to be addressed.
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- He says, "i want you to restore with the spirit of gentleness";
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- That is, it becomes inextricably clear
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- "i'm here to help."
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- Paul says to people, to the church of corinthians,
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- 1 corinthians chapter 4, verse 14,
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- Where he was correcting all their issues, he says,
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- "i don't say this for your shame.
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- I'm not trying to embarrass you. i'm not trying to hurt you.
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- I'm just saying this because i wanna help you
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- And i wanna encourage you."
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- So we are to be in the business of restoration,
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- But the business of restoration done in such a way
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- Where people know we care about their improvement.
- 00:09:20.976 --> 00:09:25.413
- In all of our lives, things can get crooked,
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- And we need some folks to put some braces on us
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- So that they get back in alignment
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- So that things get straight again.
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- But he says, "don't just try to hurt
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- When you do it; try to help when you do it."
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- With the spirit he calls the spirit of gentleness,
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- The spirit that is seeking to use
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- Spiritual truth with a kind heart
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- In order to bring healing to a situation,
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- Because sometimes you can get trapped
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- In things you don't wanna be trapped in,
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- But like the lady in the commercial who says,
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- "i fell down, but i can't get up."
- 00:10:00.548 --> 00:10:03.852
- That happens to many people over time
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- In many different ways.
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- He says, "you who are spiritual,
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- I want you to be a hospital.
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- I want you to be a place where healing occurs
- 00:10:11.660 --> 00:10:14.929
- Because there are doctors and nurses and technicians
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- That are spiritual people who understand
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- One of their roles in being part of the family of god
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- Is to help the hurting."
- 00:10:23.705 --> 00:10:25.674
- That's why if you only show up to show up,
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- If you only show up to be helped but not to help,
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- Then you don't understand the nature of the church.
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- It's not an event center for a weekly event.
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- It is a place where caring people
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- Care for people
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- And are being cared for themselves.
- 00:10:44.592 --> 00:10:47.395
- So, he says, "this is what i want you to do."
- 00:10:47.395 --> 00:10:50.465
- If you've ever seen a dog wrapped around a pole,
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- And the dog is trying to get unwrapped
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- But it's tightening itself more
- 00:10:56.171 --> 00:10:59.040
- Because it doesn't understand it's gotta go this way
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- To unwrap, so it keeps pulling this way
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- To try to get out from around the pole,
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- But it can't get out.
- 00:11:05.814 --> 00:11:07.148
- It needs somebody to re-steer it
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- Back in the right direction so it can be released
- 00:11:09.217 --> 00:11:12.587
- From the trap it keeps tightening on its own.
- 00:11:12.587 --> 00:11:16.324
- He says, "that is one of the reasons
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- Why the church exists,
- 00:11:18.026 --> 00:11:20.061
- And the way god releases restoration
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- Is through his people."
- 00:11:22.564 --> 00:11:24.466
- Yeah, he can do it directly and sometimes he does,
- 00:11:24.466 --> 00:11:27.001
- But that's not his normal way of doing it.
- 00:11:27.001 --> 00:11:29.504
- God's normal way of working is through his people
- 00:11:29.504 --> 00:11:33.975
- For the improvement of his people.
- 00:11:33.975 --> 00:11:35.910
- He says, "i want you who are spiritual
- 00:11:35.910 --> 00:11:38.012
- To restore such a one,
- 00:11:38.012 --> 00:11:39.914
- To bring them back in alignment."
- 00:11:39.914 --> 00:11:42.484
- We are god's jaws of life,
- 00:11:42.484 --> 00:11:45.153
- And if you've seen the jaws of life
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- When there's been a car accident,
- 00:11:46.688 --> 00:11:48.556
- You've seen this big utensil come in.
- 00:11:48.556 --> 00:11:50.692
- But they have to be careful, because the person is trapped,
- 00:11:50.692 --> 00:11:54.262
- So they have to be careful in how they do it
- 00:11:54.262 --> 00:11:56.531
- So that the person is not hurt more.
- 00:11:56.531 --> 00:11:59.000
- So they work in tandem with carefulness
- 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:02.437
- Because they wanna release the person,
- 00:12:02.437 --> 00:12:04.372
- But they wanna do it in such a way
- 00:12:04.372 --> 00:12:06.374
- Where not more damage occurs.
- 00:12:06.374 --> 00:12:09.978
- So he says, "this is what i want you to do.
- 00:12:09.978 --> 00:12:12.547
- I want you to be this kind of environment."
- 00:12:12.547 --> 00:12:15.316
- But then he says something else.
- 00:12:15.316 --> 00:12:17.819
- In verse 2 he says, "bear one another's burdens,
- 00:12:17.819 --> 00:12:21.189
- And thereby fulfill the law of christ."
- 00:12:21.189 --> 00:12:27.662
- A burden is not a sin. he deals with sins in verse 1.
- 00:12:27.662 --> 00:12:31.833
- A trespass, that's a sin, verse 1.
- 00:12:31.833 --> 00:12:34.569
- A burden is a load, a weight,
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- Something too heavy to carry on your own.
- 00:12:38.973 --> 00:12:42.610
- He says, "bear one another's burdens."
- 00:12:42.610 --> 00:12:47.715
- A burden is when life has gotten too heavy,
- 00:12:47.715 --> 00:12:51.553
- When the weight of what you're dealing with
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- Is too much for you to bear,
- 00:12:54.289 --> 00:12:56.658
- When the problems have just mounted and mounted
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- On top of each other,
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- The losses have mounted and mounted
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- On top of each other, the financial needs
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- Have accumulated more and more on top of each other,
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- The emotional pressure that you're feeling,
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- You think you're gonna lose your mind
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- Because all of this pressure is on you.
- 00:13:13.808 --> 00:13:16.244
- You feel this weight of life on you.
- 00:13:16.244 --> 00:13:20.582
- That's a burden.
- 00:13:20.582 --> 00:13:22.584
- He says, "bear one another's burden."
- 00:13:22.584 --> 00:13:27.422
- And when you have lived long enough
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- And you have gone through enough,
- 00:13:29.357 --> 00:13:30.725
- You will hit the time in your life
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- When it becomes weighty to be alive,
- 00:13:32.961 --> 00:13:35.797
- Weighty to deal with all of these problems,
- 00:13:35.797 --> 00:13:38.333
- All of these difficulties, all of these challenges,
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- All of these hurts, and you're gonna need a spotter.
- 00:13:41.302 --> 00:13:45.273
- He says, "bear one another's burden."
- 00:13:45.273 --> 00:13:47.842
- In other words, be a spotter until you need to be a spottee.
- 00:13:47.842 --> 00:13:53.081
- In other words, make sure that you are available to serve,
- 00:13:53.081 --> 00:13:57.051
- To help, somebody else who's under the load of life,
- 00:13:57.051 --> 00:14:00.788
- Because there's coming a time
- 00:14:00.788 --> 00:14:02.357
- When the load will be too much for you to bear
- 00:14:02.357 --> 00:14:06.094
- Because that's how life is sometimes.
- 00:14:06.094 --> 00:14:09.330
- It becomes weighty, heavy, and too much to handle.
- 00:14:09.330 --> 00:14:16.137
- And you can talk spiritual all day,
- 00:14:16.137 --> 00:14:18.439
- You know, "god is good all the time,
- 00:14:18.439 --> 00:14:20.541
- And all the time god is good,"
- 00:14:20.541 --> 00:14:21.876
- And "jesus can fix it," and all that.
- 00:14:21.876 --> 00:14:24.078
- All that's true, but the way he does it,
- 00:14:24.078 --> 00:14:29.717
- Normally, is through his people.
- 00:14:29.717 --> 00:14:32.387
- That's his normal way of doing it.
- 00:14:32.387 --> 00:14:34.255
- So if his people aren't right,
- 00:14:34.255 --> 00:14:36.557
- The people with problems are in trouble.
- 00:14:36.557 --> 00:14:41.663
- Because they've decided to be a hospice, not a hospital.
- 00:14:41.663 --> 00:14:46.467
- He says, "bear one another's burdens."
- 00:14:46.467 --> 00:14:51.172
- Come alongside and help people carry the weight,
- 00:14:51.172 --> 00:14:55.977
- To carry the load that is weighing them down.
- 00:14:55.977 --> 00:15:01.182
- And so he says, "if anyone thinks he is something
- 00:15:01.182 --> 00:15:09.524
- When he is nothing, he deceives himself," verse 3.
- 00:15:09.524 --> 00:15:16.264
- God's translation of that is "you ain't all that
- 00:15:16.264 --> 00:15:18.266
- And a bag of chips," all right?
- 00:15:18.266 --> 00:15:21.936
- Okay, don't think you're too good
- 00:15:21.936 --> 00:15:24.505
- To help somebody else.
- 00:15:24.505 --> 00:15:26.307
- That's why he says in verse 1,
- 00:15:26.307 --> 00:15:28.109
- "watch out for yourself lest you be in the same position
- 00:15:28.109 --> 00:15:31.112
- That this person is in who you're refusing to help."
- 00:15:31.112 --> 00:15:36.684
- Don't think you are all that,
- 00:15:36.684 --> 00:15:38.252
- That you're too good to be a servant--
- 00:15:38.252 --> 00:15:41.556
- Too good, too big, too--
- 00:15:41.556 --> 00:15:47.929
- You have too many titles in front of your name--
- 00:15:47.929 --> 00:15:51.366
- That you can't be a servant,
- 00:15:51.366 --> 00:15:56.170
- That you can't be used of god to help somebody else.
- 00:15:56.170 --> 00:15:59.374
- Nobody is that important.
- 00:15:59.374 --> 00:16:02.110
- He says, "and the only person you're fooling is yourself,"
- 00:16:02.110 --> 00:16:07.448
- Because god knows you ain't all that.
- 00:16:07.448 --> 00:16:09.784
- And let life go left on you long enough,
- 00:16:09.784 --> 00:16:12.353
- And you'll discover you're not all that.
- 00:16:12.353 --> 00:16:17.125
- He says, "you are deceiving nobody but yourself."
- 00:16:17.125 --> 00:16:21.662
- If you've got this "self" mentality--
- 00:16:21.662 --> 00:16:24.899
- "i'm too good for that.
- 00:16:24.899 --> 00:16:27.835
- I don't have to serve.
- 00:16:27.835 --> 00:16:29.437
- I don't have to be caring about anybody else.
- 00:16:29.437 --> 00:16:32.974
- I'm concerned about three people:
- 00:16:32.974 --> 00:16:34.475
- Me, myself, and i."
- 00:16:34.475 --> 00:16:37.378
- He says, "you have tricked yourself,
- 00:16:37.378 --> 00:16:39.614
- You have fooled yourself."
- 00:16:39.614 --> 00:16:45.753
- So we're dealing with restoring on two levels:
- 00:16:45.753 --> 00:16:50.858
- Releasing somebody, releasing somebody
- 00:16:50.858 --> 00:16:54.962
- Who's caught in a sin,
- 00:16:54.962 --> 00:16:57.298
- Or somebody who's under the load,
- 00:16:57.298 --> 00:17:00.802
- Relieving them.
- 00:17:00.802 --> 00:17:02.603
- So release or relieving.
- 00:17:02.603 --> 00:17:05.339
- We should all be available to be used of god
- 00:17:05.339 --> 00:17:08.176
- To release somebody caught
- 00:17:08.176 --> 00:17:09.777
- Or to relieve somebody who's under the load.
- 00:17:09.777 --> 00:17:14.015
- That's what it means to belong to the family of god,
- 00:17:14.015 --> 00:17:16.818
- And that's what it means to, what he says,
- 00:17:16.818 --> 00:17:19.053
- "fulfill the law of christ."
- 00:17:19.053 --> 00:17:22.056
- Hmm, what is the law of christ?
- 00:17:22.056 --> 00:17:24.725
- James chapter 2 calls it the royal law.
- 00:17:24.725 --> 00:17:31.966
- It's the law of love.
- 00:17:31.966 --> 00:17:33.301
- The law of christ is the law of love.
- 00:17:33.301 --> 00:17:37.705
- He says, "i want you to fulfill the law of christ,"
- 00:17:37.705 --> 00:17:40.908
- Complete the law of christ.
- 00:17:40.908 --> 00:17:42.877
- You fulfill the law of christ not by just saying,
- 00:17:42.877 --> 00:17:45.146
- "i love the lord."
- 00:17:45.146 --> 00:17:46.881
- That's not fulfilling it, that's talking it.
- 00:17:46.881 --> 00:17:49.750
- Fulfilling it is when you are relieving and releasing--
- 00:17:49.750 --> 00:17:54.122
- Releasing somebody caught or relieving somebody
- 00:17:54.122 --> 00:17:57.191
- Who's under the load.
- 00:17:57.191 --> 00:17:58.693
- He says, "you are fulfilling the law of christ."
- 00:17:58.693 --> 00:18:00.895
- In other words, you are showing love not talking love.
- 00:18:00.895 --> 00:18:04.999
- Anybody can say, "i love god" and "i love you, you love me."
- 00:18:04.999 --> 00:18:08.603
- Those are cute words, but they must be married
- 00:18:08.603 --> 00:18:11.672
- To biblical action.
- 00:18:11.672 --> 00:18:14.075
- Love has not been manifested until it's been demonstrated.
- 00:18:14.075 --> 00:18:20.681
- And you demonstrate it by relieving and releasing
- 00:18:20.681 --> 00:18:24.685
- The burden of others.
- 00:18:24.685 --> 00:18:26.020
- In other words, god measures how much you love him
- 00:18:26.020 --> 00:18:30.258
- By how much you're loving other members of his family.
- 00:18:30.258 --> 00:18:36.230
- That is the measurement that god uses.
- 00:18:36.230 --> 00:18:38.933
- And if he sees that you only come in the church for you,
- 00:18:38.933 --> 00:18:42.370
- You're only concerned about your blessing,
- 00:18:42.370 --> 00:18:44.539
- You're only concerned about your miracle,
- 00:18:44.539 --> 00:18:46.807
- You're only concerned about what god has done for you lately,
- 00:18:46.807 --> 00:18:50.278
- You are not fulfilling the law of christ.
- 00:18:50.278 --> 00:18:54.715
- You're talking a good game, i'm talking a good game,
- 00:18:54.715 --> 00:18:57.919
- But we're not walking a good game.
- 00:18:57.919 --> 00:19:00.454
- And so he says, "this is the dynamic
- 00:19:00.454 --> 00:19:03.024
- Of the people of god: to relieve and release"--
- 00:19:03.024 --> 00:19:05.626
- That is, to restore-- "the lives of others."
- 00:19:05.626 --> 00:19:11.566
- Now, he says, "each one must examine his own work,"
- 00:19:11.566 --> 00:19:19.807
- Because this is the work he's called us to do,
- 00:19:19.807 --> 00:19:23.010
- "and then he will have reason for boasting."
- 00:19:23.010 --> 00:19:26.214
- He says, "if you wanna be able to brag on
- 00:19:26.214 --> 00:19:28.583
- How great a christian you are, show me your work.
- 00:19:28.583 --> 00:19:33.087
- Show me who you cared about.
- 00:19:33.087 --> 00:19:34.789
- Show me who you served.
- 00:19:34.789 --> 00:19:36.324
- Show me who was somebody down that you encouraged.
- 00:19:36.324 --> 00:19:38.926
- Show me somebody who was sick in an illness you had
- 00:19:38.926 --> 00:19:41.062
- And i got--i let you get healed,
- 00:19:41.062 --> 00:19:43.698
- And now you have the opportunity to encourage them
- 00:19:43.698 --> 00:19:46.000
- With your testimony on how i healed you
- 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.402
- So that they can know i can heal them.
- 00:19:48.402 --> 00:19:50.271
- Tell me about the work you've been doing.
- 00:19:50.271 --> 00:19:52.173
- Tell me about the person who was down who you encouraged.
- 00:19:52.173 --> 00:19:55.376
- Tell me about the person on the sick list
- 00:19:55.376 --> 00:19:57.545
- That you called.
- 00:19:57.545 --> 00:19:58.879
- Tell me about the person that you walked beside
- 00:19:58.879 --> 00:20:01.415
- Because they didn't know where else to turn."
- 00:20:01.415 --> 00:20:03.651
- He says, "when i see your work,
- 00:20:03.651 --> 00:20:05.653
- Now we can talk about you bragging.
- 00:20:05.653 --> 00:20:07.989
- Now you can call yourself the goat,
- 00:20:07.989 --> 00:20:09.957
- Because i've seen what you've done
- 00:20:09.957 --> 00:20:12.226
- Not just heard what you've said."
- 00:20:12.226 --> 00:20:14.762
- He says, "and then you will have reason to boast on yourself
- 00:20:14.762 --> 00:20:18.199
- And not against the backdrop of somebody else."
- 00:20:18.199 --> 00:20:23.137
- You say, "well, that sounds like a lot of work.
- 00:20:23.137 --> 00:20:28.409
- That sounds like a lot of work."
- 00:20:28.409 --> 00:20:30.745
- Okay, god is not asking you to do this for everybody.
- 00:20:30.745 --> 00:20:34.181
- He's asking you to do this for somebody.
- 00:20:34.181 --> 00:20:37.818
- You can't solve everybody's problem,
- 00:20:37.818 --> 00:20:39.987
- But if you got hundreds and thousands of people
- 00:20:39.987 --> 00:20:42.356
- All reaching out, all touching another,
- 00:20:42.356 --> 00:20:44.725
- All seeking opportunities to fulfill the royal law,
- 00:20:44.725 --> 00:20:47.428
- Nobody gets overloaded,
- 00:20:47.428 --> 00:20:48.763
- Because everybody's doing the little that they can,
- 00:20:48.763 --> 00:20:50.731
- So everything is getting done
- 00:20:50.731 --> 00:20:52.233
- Because the whole family of god is tied to it.
- 00:20:52.233 --> 00:20:58.673
- He says something to help you out,
- 00:20:58.673 --> 00:21:01.342
- Help me out, help us out.
- 00:21:01.342 --> 00:21:03.244
- "for each one will bear his own load,"
- 00:21:03.244 --> 00:21:06.247
- In verse number 5.
- 00:21:06.247 --> 00:21:08.082
- Oh, this is good news.
- 00:21:08.082 --> 00:21:11.118
- He says, "you help bear the burden,
- 00:21:11.118 --> 00:21:16.023
- But everybody has to bear their own load."
- 00:21:16.023 --> 00:21:19.026
- Ah.
- 00:21:19.026 --> 00:21:20.361
- In other words, you don't let other people
- 00:21:20.361 --> 00:21:22.630
- Give you the whole load.
- 00:21:22.630 --> 00:21:25.633
- You help them with the burden,
- 00:21:25.633 --> 00:21:27.635
- But you don't take the whole load.
- 00:21:27.635 --> 00:21:29.837
- In other words, you don't let them off the hook
- 00:21:29.837 --> 00:21:32.039
- For what they should be responsible for themselves.
- 00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:35.109
- You help them with the burden,
- 00:21:35.109 --> 00:21:36.510
- But they gotta carry their own load.
- 00:21:36.510 --> 00:21:40.414
- The bible says we're to feed the poor.
- 00:21:40.414 --> 00:21:41.982
- The bible says we're to help the poor.
- 00:21:41.982 --> 00:21:43.718
- But the bible also says, "a man that does not work
- 00:21:43.718 --> 00:21:46.821
- Should not eat."
- 00:21:46.821 --> 00:21:49.290
- So they can't say, "feed me, feed me,
- 00:21:49.290 --> 00:21:50.991
- Feed me while i stay home."
- 00:21:50.991 --> 00:21:53.027
- No, if you're an able-bodied person,
- 00:21:53.027 --> 00:21:55.396
- You better go get a job, or i ain't feeding you
- 00:21:55.396 --> 00:21:57.398
- No more, okay?
- 00:21:57.398 --> 00:21:59.367
- So we are to help with the burden,
- 00:21:59.367 --> 00:22:01.535
- But we're not to take the whole responsibility.
- 00:22:01.535 --> 00:22:04.505
- And a lot of people will do that.
- 00:22:04.505 --> 00:22:05.840
- There are a lot of people will try to use
- 00:22:05.840 --> 00:22:07.875
- The sympathy of other christians and the sympathy of churches
- 00:22:07.875 --> 00:22:11.512
- To alleviate them of being responsible.
- 00:22:11.512 --> 00:22:14.949
- And paul says, "no, you don't go that far.
- 00:22:14.949 --> 00:22:17.017
- You help lift the burden.
- 00:22:17.017 --> 00:22:20.020
- You don't take the weight and say, 'let me just lift
- 00:22:20.020 --> 00:22:21.822
- The weight for you.'"
- 00:22:21.822 --> 00:22:25.726
- You say, "why do this--why? why does this matter?"
- 00:22:25.726 --> 00:22:33.534
- Well, here's why it matters.
- 00:22:33.534 --> 00:22:35.736
- It matters because james says,
- 00:22:35.736 --> 00:22:39.540
- In james chapter 5, verse 19 and 20,
- 00:22:39.540 --> 00:22:43.811
- That when we help a person, we save their lives.
- 00:22:43.811 --> 00:22:51.952
- And that can be their physical life,
- 00:22:51.952 --> 00:22:53.821
- It can be their spiritual life,
- 00:22:53.821 --> 00:22:56.223
- But he says, "when we come and we intervene
- 00:22:56.223 --> 00:22:59.627
- In somebody who's caught in a sin," he says,
- 00:22:59.627 --> 00:23:02.596
- "we save their lives."
- 00:23:02.596 --> 00:23:04.865
- We keep it from going south further.
- 00:23:04.865 --> 00:23:08.569
- You don't just let people, particularly fellow saints,
- 00:23:08.569 --> 00:23:13.140
- Go left.
- 00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:14.475
- You let them go left and you say,
- 00:23:14.475 --> 00:23:16.644
- "well, i wish you the best."
- 00:23:16.644 --> 00:23:19.380
- He says no.
- 00:23:19.380 --> 00:23:20.714
- He says, "you save their lives,
- 00:23:20.714 --> 00:23:22.850
- Because satan wants to destroy them,
- 00:23:22.850 --> 00:23:24.618
- Satan wants to kill them.
- 00:23:24.618 --> 00:23:26.120
- Physically, spiritually, he wants to destroy their life."
- 00:23:26.120 --> 00:23:32.460
- God responds to christians who intervene.
- 00:23:32.460 --> 00:23:37.298
- Oh, this is an important principle.
- 00:23:37.298 --> 00:23:39.700
- For christians who intervene to somebody,
- 00:23:39.700 --> 00:23:42.136
- To--or another christian who's going south
- 00:23:42.136 --> 00:23:45.506
- And you intervene-- it's called interposition--
- 00:23:45.506 --> 00:23:48.442
- When you interpose yourself in the middle of that.
- 00:23:48.442 --> 00:23:51.846
- Exodus chapter 4, god is gonna kill moses.
- 00:23:51.846 --> 00:23:55.549
- He's going to take moses's life because moses has refused
- 00:23:55.549 --> 00:23:58.819
- To circumcise his son.
- 00:23:58.819 --> 00:24:01.622
- And the bible says in exodus chapter 4
- 00:24:01.622 --> 00:24:03.824
- That moses was--god was on his way to kill moses.
- 00:24:03.824 --> 00:24:07.528
- But then it says his wife zipporah intervened
- 00:24:07.528 --> 00:24:12.266
- And went to her son and circumcised her
- 00:24:12.266 --> 00:24:15.836
- Before god got to moses.
- 00:24:15.836 --> 00:24:18.606
- God is on their way to kill moses,
- 00:24:18.606 --> 00:24:21.542
- But zipporah interposes herself prior to god getting there.
- 00:24:21.542 --> 00:24:26.881
- She circumcised her son, and the bible says,
- 00:24:26.881 --> 00:24:29.783
- "and when god saw what zipporah did,
- 00:24:29.783 --> 00:24:32.520
- His wrath turned from moses," his wrath turned from moses,
- 00:24:32.520 --> 00:24:36.957
- Because somebody loved him enough
- 00:24:36.957 --> 00:24:39.293
- To interpose themselves
- 00:24:39.293 --> 00:24:41.462
- Before god had to take care of it themselves.
- 00:24:41.462 --> 00:24:47.234
- So it is to save the life,
- 00:24:47.234 --> 00:24:50.871
- Because we are to love one another enough
- 00:24:50.871 --> 00:24:54.141
- To care about the consequences of sin
- 00:24:54.141 --> 00:24:58.279
- And the bur--pressure of burden,
- 00:24:58.279 --> 00:25:03.484
- And because we're gonna need that same interposition
- 00:25:03.484 --> 00:25:07.888
- In our circumstance.
- 00:25:07.888 --> 00:25:11.025
- Your job and my job, if we're gonna be
- 00:25:11.025 --> 00:25:13.160
- A real church and not a fake church,
- 00:25:13.160 --> 00:25:15.829
- If we're gonna be a hospital and not a hospice
- 00:25:15.829 --> 00:25:18.899
- Is to make sure we're not making the thing worse,
- 00:25:18.899 --> 00:25:23.270
- Because we are a family that cares enough
- 00:25:23.270 --> 00:25:26.807
- About the family of god to be his agents of restoration,
- 00:25:26.807 --> 00:25:32.012
- Whether it's relieving or restoring
- 00:25:32.012 --> 00:25:33.480
- In any possible capacity.
- 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:37.251
- 1 peter chapter 4, verse 8, says,
- 00:25:37.251 --> 00:25:39.453
- "love covers a multitude of sins."
- 00:25:39.453 --> 00:25:42.590
- Love doesn't cover up, but love covers.
- 00:25:42.590 --> 00:25:45.426
- In other words, it doesn't make the situation worse.
- 00:25:45.426 --> 00:25:49.630
- He says that "if you do this, you are positioning yourselves,"
- 00:25:49.630 --> 00:25:53.867
- We are positioning ourselves to have something
- 00:25:53.867 --> 00:25:56.637
- We can take to god.
- 00:25:56.637 --> 00:25:59.673
- Last week i talked about hezekiah.
- 00:25:59.673 --> 00:26:02.242
- Hezekiah was dying.
- 00:26:02.242 --> 00:26:03.777
- God says, "you're going to die."
- 00:26:03.777 --> 00:26:07.247
- Hezekiah then prays to god, and he says to god this thing.
- 00:26:07.247 --> 00:26:12.353
- "remember the good i did."
- 00:26:12.353 --> 00:26:15.556
- He says, "remember the people i helped.
- 00:26:15.556 --> 00:26:18.926
- Remember the kindness i showed."
- 00:26:18.926 --> 00:26:21.729
- And when god remembered what he had done,
- 00:26:21.729 --> 00:26:26.000
- "before the prophet left the courtroom,"
- 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:29.203
- The bible says, "god changed his mind."
- 00:26:29.203 --> 00:26:32.239
- One day you're gonna face something where you need god
- 00:26:32.239 --> 00:26:34.775
- To change his mind.
- 00:26:34.775 --> 00:26:36.410
- You're gonna face something where you're gonna need god
- 00:26:36.410 --> 00:26:38.445
- To reverse your situation.
- 00:26:38.445 --> 00:26:40.414
- You're gonna face something where you're gonna need god
- 00:26:40.414 --> 00:26:42.916
- To deal a death blow to something coming against you,
- 00:26:42.916 --> 00:26:46.954
- And he's gonna check your credit report.
- 00:26:46.954 --> 00:26:49.590
- He's gonna check your kindness report.
- 00:26:49.590 --> 00:26:51.859
- He's gonna check your ministry report.
- 00:26:51.859 --> 00:26:54.094
- He's gonna say, "well, i tried to get you
- 00:26:54.094 --> 00:26:57.031
- To help somebody, but you were too busy.
- 00:26:57.031 --> 00:26:59.433
- I tried to get you to care for somebody,
- 00:26:59.433 --> 00:27:01.502
- But you were too much into yourself.
- 00:27:01.502 --> 00:27:03.337
- I tried to get you to minister,
- 00:27:03.337 --> 00:27:04.938
- But you didn't wanna serve, you just wanted to be served."
- 00:27:04.938 --> 00:27:08.242
- "but god, i need you to intervene for me."
- 00:27:08.242 --> 00:27:11.945
- Well, god wants to see you to intervene for others
- 00:27:11.945 --> 00:27:15.249
- So that when you need him to intervene for you,
- 00:27:15.249 --> 00:27:18.018
- You got a credit report with a high credit score.
- 00:27:18.018 --> 00:27:22.489
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:22.489 --> 00:27:22.489