WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.560 Amen. 2 00:00:01.560 --> 00:00:04.840 So good to be with you guys, the little fan crowd. 3 00:00:04.840 --> 00:00:05.880 I love that. 4 00:00:05.880 --> 00:00:07.880 Good friends down here. 5 00:00:07.880 --> 00:00:10.280 Man, I have had the privilege of meeting a lot of you 6 00:00:10.280 --> 00:00:11.400 and going to know you. 7 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:16.120 I've been here for almost 10 years, Pastor Sam, 8 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:17.720 and it has actually been 10 years. 9 00:00:17.720 --> 00:00:19.800 No, who's counting though? 10 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:22.000 No, it's such an honor to be on staff 11 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:25.800 here to serve under Pastor Josh and Pastor Janae 12 00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:28.040 and just the leadership and the vision of this church. 13 00:00:28.040 --> 00:00:35.200 Yes, we can clap for our lead pastors who 14 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:36.760 hasn't spoken for a couple of weeks. 15 00:00:36.760 --> 00:00:40.000 And so I know we're excited to hear from him again, 16 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:42.440 but I'm honored to be able to take opportunities 17 00:00:42.440 --> 00:00:44.840 to share and speak when I get the opportunity. 18 00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:48.160 And we're actually in the middle of a series of messages 19 00:00:48.160 --> 00:00:51.040 that we've titled The Final Discourse. 20 00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:55.520 And Pastor Josh kicked us off with a message encouraging 21 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:57.200 us to lean into the heart of Jesus, 22 00:00:57.240 --> 00:00:59.480 to be close to the person of Jesus, 23 00:00:59.480 --> 00:01:02.320 that he is desiring to be more than just knowledge 24 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:04.560 in our head, but a presence in our everyday life. 25 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.000 And Pastor Dylan took it a step further, 26 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:09.960 and Pastor Logan at our Garrison campus 27 00:01:09.960 --> 00:01:14.000 and taught on the idea of abiding in Christ. 28 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:17.320 Don't just be close to him, but stay connected. 29 00:01:17.320 --> 00:01:20.120 The vine is to stay connected to the branches. 30 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:22.800 And God's growing something new, and no good fruit 31 00:01:22.800 --> 00:01:25.120 can come apart from him. 32 00:01:25.160 --> 00:01:27.200 And today, I want to talk about and go 33 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:31.200 along the lines of that idea of the vine and the branches 34 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:35.400 and the vineyard and talk about protecting the vineyard 35 00:01:35.400 --> 00:01:37.840 that Jesus is trying to grow in our life. 36 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:40.520 And I'm excited to be able to share. 37 00:01:40.520 --> 00:01:44.960 Again, we're in this portion of John 13 through John 17. 38 00:01:44.960 --> 00:01:48.240 And Jesus is sharing his final words with us. 39 00:01:48.240 --> 00:01:51.320 And I've been in those moments of final words 40 00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:52.560 with different people. 41 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:54.600 And their words carry a lot of weight. 42 00:01:54.600 --> 00:01:56.400 And you lean into what they're going to say. 43 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.280 And you wonder, what's the last thing they're going to leave? 44 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.280 And this is Jesus for us. 45 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:04.480 Jesus is giving his final prayers, his final warnings, 46 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.920 his final encouragements. 47 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:11.400 And we're going to pull from this idea today. 48 00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:13.080 But first, I want to bring you back 49 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:16.120 to the beginning of my wife and I's relationship, which 50 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:18.040 actually started way in sixth grade. 51 00:02:18.040 --> 00:02:20.160 But there was another early moment 52 00:02:20.160 --> 00:02:24.320 that I have, because we were high school sweethearts. 53 00:02:24.320 --> 00:02:28.000 But anyways, a moment I remember 54 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:30.720 was, I think, junior high, high school, somewhere in there, 55 00:02:30.720 --> 00:02:32.760 our awkward stage. 56 00:02:32.760 --> 00:02:34.280 And we were both athletic. 57 00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:36.760 She was in track and basketball, volleyball. 58 00:02:36.760 --> 00:02:37.760 And I was in football. 59 00:02:37.760 --> 00:02:38.920 I was the running back. 60 00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:41.200 And we were at this school retreat. 61 00:02:41.200 --> 00:02:42.960 And it was the nighttime activities. 62 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:44.320 The bonfire's happening. 63 00:02:44.320 --> 00:02:46.240 The s'mores are happening. 64 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:47.640 The night games are happening. 65 00:02:47.640 --> 00:02:50.320 And we're playing tag in the dark. 66 00:02:50.320 --> 00:02:51.600 So we called it Ditch. 67 00:02:51.600 --> 00:02:53.440 We're playing tag in the dark. 68 00:02:53.440 --> 00:02:56.800 And you got to know who I'm chasing. 69 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:58.560 I'm going to chase her. 70 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.080 But the thing is, we're both competitive. 71 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:03.280 So she's running as hard as she could. 72 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.600 I'm running as hard as I could. 73 00:03:05.600 --> 00:03:07.240 And I'm about to catch her. 74 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:10.480 But all of a sudden, I get stopped dead in my tracks. 75 00:03:10.480 --> 00:03:12.480 And I'm laid out on my back. 76 00:03:12.480 --> 00:03:16.120 And I realize I ran directly into a birdhouse. 77 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:19.480 It was hiding in the dark, didn't see it coming. 78 00:03:19.480 --> 00:03:21.400 And I'm down on my back. 79 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.560 And she quickly comes to my side and gives me sympathy. 80 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:26.520 And I'm like, man, this played out real well. 81 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:29.360 You got to know I'm eating this up right now. 82 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:33.000 Like, oh, she's giving me sympathy. 83 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:33.800 And here I am. 84 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:34.400 I'm laid out. 85 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.320 And 18 years, we've almost been married, 18 years now. 86 00:03:38.320 --> 00:03:42.840 I'm still chasing her, still running after her, 87 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:44.720 still running into birdhouses, still 88 00:03:44.720 --> 00:03:48.120 sticking my foot in my mouth. 89 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:53.120 But man, Jesus, he gives a final warning in John 16. 90 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:56.400 And he says, disciples, you're going 91 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:58.880 to be chasing hard after me. 92 00:03:58.880 --> 00:04:00.760 You're going to be running hard after me. 93 00:04:00.760 --> 00:04:02.400 You're going to be passionate for me. 94 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:03.320 But he says this. 95 00:04:03.320 --> 00:04:06.200 He says, I have said all these things to you. 96 00:04:06.200 --> 00:04:08.520 I've taught you all these things to you 97 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:12.920 to keep you from falling away, to keep you from falling away. 98 00:04:12.920 --> 00:04:15.440 Jesus says, you're going to run hard for me. 99 00:04:15.440 --> 00:04:18.560 But there's going to be temptation to fall away 100 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:19.079 from me. 101 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:22.240 But church, you have to know that oftentimes, 102 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.360 falling away from Jesus isn't like hitting 103 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:28.720 a birdhouse in the dead of night and stopping you 104 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:31.000 dead in your tracks. 105 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:35.040 But often, it's rather this slow drift. 106 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:38.280 It's the slow fade, where all of a sudden, you wake up one day 107 00:04:38.280 --> 00:04:42.040 and you say, how did I get where I am? 108 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:44.400 I remember the days. 109 00:04:44.400 --> 00:04:48.200 I remember the moments where Jesus felt so close to me. 110 00:04:48.200 --> 00:04:50.000 How did I get here? 111 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.800 You see, drifting doesn't happen overnight. 112 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:55.520 Most people don't wake up and decide, you know what? 113 00:04:55.520 --> 00:04:58.440 Today's the day I'm going to wreck my life. 114 00:04:58.440 --> 00:05:01.160 Today's the day I'm going to destroy. 115 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:05.120 my marriage. Today's the day I'm going to become an addict. Today's the day I'm going to be bitter 116 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:12.480 towards this person. Today's the day I'm going to walk away from God. No, it usually happens 117 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:19.440 slowly. It's after one compromise, one offense, it's one neglected spiritual discipline, one 118 00:05:19.440 --> 00:05:27.360 missed gathering, one secret that we keep hidden. It's this slow fade. It's these small things, 119 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:33.600 which brings me to the title and the scripture of my message today. I'm going to pull a scripture 120 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:40.560 that I want to unpack from a unique book in the Bible. Be careful if you go read it though, 121 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:44.720 because it's like a romance. It's in the romance category, okay? It's the Song of Solomon and it's 122 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:51.120 about the passionate love between a man and a woman. But really, why is it in the Bible? 123 00:05:51.120 --> 00:06:00.240 Because it's a depiction of God's passionate love for us. Not a far, lofty, high, distant love 124 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:06.480 towards us, but a close, passionate love like Pastor Josh preached in week one of this message. 125 00:06:07.200 --> 00:06:16.320 So it's this book on passionate love towards us, his creation, and our passionate love 126 00:06:16.320 --> 00:06:23.360 as his creation towards our creator. But he says this in chapter two, verse 15, he says, 127 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:30.320 catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in 128 00:06:30.320 --> 00:06:37.920 blossom. You're like, man, you picked a unique scripture to preach today. What in the world? 129 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:43.040 We're going to talk about foxes today, okay? The little foxes that spoil the vineyard. If you have 130 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:47.760 your notes and you're going to take notes today, which I heard if you take notes, you get a little 131 00:06:47.760 --> 00:06:52.880 bit bigger mansion in heaven. It's found nowhere in the Bible, but I just heard it somewhere and 132 00:06:52.880 --> 00:06:58.480 I thought it was pretty good. So the message is titled, the little foxes that spoil the vineyard. 133 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:04.480 And I want to share with you about the little foxes that seek to steal and destroy the work 134 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:12.800 that God is doing in your life. The vineyard that is in blossom. Like I said, Jesus warned us in 135 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:20.960 John 16, he says, I have told you all these things to keep you from falling away. And Jesus had warned 136 00:07:20.960 --> 00:07:26.400 them throughout this section of chapters 13 through 17. If you go read it, he's pretty 137 00:07:26.400 --> 00:07:31.600 real and honest with the disciples. He says, you're going to experience tribulation. You're going to 138 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:37.520 experience persecution. You're going to experience deep sorrow and grief. You're going to experience 139 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:44.480 the world hating you. In fact, he even looks to Peter, the most tenacious one. And he says, Peter, 140 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:49.680 you're actually going to deny me not once, not twice, but you're going to deny me three times. 141 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:54.400 And then he says to the rest of the disciples who are feeling pretty good about themselves, like, 142 00:07:55.040 --> 00:08:01.760 yeah, Peter, what's up? He says, you guys are going to scatter like cockroaches. You're going to run. 143 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:08.800 And so Jesus, he's just being real with the disciples. And here's the thing is Peter didn't 144 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:14.400 plan to deny Jesus. The disciples didn't plan. They didn't wake up and say, today's the day I'm 145 00:08:14.400 --> 00:08:20.880 going to scatter. In fact, Peter was adamant. Jesus, I would never deny you. And I would say 146 00:08:20.880 --> 00:08:27.040 you and I would be the same way. Jesus, I would never deny you. I would never destroy my marriage. 147 00:08:27.520 --> 00:08:34.640 I would never have a financial collapse. I would never do these things. But spiritual drift almost 148 00:08:34.640 --> 00:08:41.760 always starts small. And so today we're going to talk about how do we protect what God is growing? 149 00:08:41.760 --> 00:08:48.960 How do we catch the little foxes that are spoiling the vineyard in our life? And it starts with this. 150 00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:56.880 It's realizing that foxes are small, not big. Isn't that really profound? You're like, pastor, 151 00:08:56.880 --> 00:09:02.320 that is so obvious. I do not mean to insult your intelligence, but the writer himself had to call 152 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:09.680 it out. Check out this verse again. Song of Solomon 2.15. He says, catch the foxes for us. 153 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:18.080 And he asked to identify the little foxes. It's the little foxes that spoil the vineyards. 154 00:09:19.040 --> 00:09:24.080 You see, the foxes are dangerous, not because they're powerful. They're dangerous because 155 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:29.600 they're overlooked. The foxes are dangerous, not because they're powerful, but because they are 156 00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:37.840 overlooked. The vineyard is not usually destroyed by a big, strong lion or an untamed ox. But it's 157 00:09:38.560 --> 00:09:47.040 the little foxes, the little things that seem insignificant until enough damage has been done 158 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:56.160 that it is now actually significant. You see, it matters to understand what type of picture 159 00:09:56.160 --> 00:09:59.920 the Bible is painting for us, because it's not painting this image. 160 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:02.880 that you and I maybe think of when you think of a fox, 161 00:10:02.880 --> 00:10:09.160 the cute fox and the hound from Disney, our childhood memory. 162 00:10:09.160 --> 00:10:14.080 But it's no, it's the small, sneaky, destructive animal 163 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:17.000 that's moving through important spaces. 164 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:18.720 It's funny, when I was writing that down, 165 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:20.600 I was like, that's kind of a good description 166 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:22.440 of a little brother. 167 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:24.920 I can say that, though, because I was a little brother. 168 00:10:24.920 --> 00:10:25.760 I was small. 169 00:10:25.760 --> 00:10:26.480 I was sneaky. 170 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:28.520 I was destructive. 171 00:10:28.520 --> 00:10:30.280 But you see, in ancient world, foxes 172 00:10:30.280 --> 00:10:33.000 weren't viewed as harmless woodland creatures. 173 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:37.800 They were small pests that could slip into a vineyard. 174 00:10:37.800 --> 00:10:41.320 They would eat fruit that was developing. 175 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:45.240 They would dig and burrow around roots and damage the roots. 176 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:47.600 They would damage tender shoots. 177 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:51.400 They would spoil the crop before it ever matured. 178 00:10:51.400 --> 00:10:53.280 These are the foxes, he says, catch 179 00:10:53.280 --> 00:10:57.200 the foxes that are going to wreck what's growing. 180 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.320 In fact, fast forward, the church has been planted. 181 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:03.000 Paul is going around, and he's teaching the churches. 182 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:04.600 He's writing letters to them. 183 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:08.280 And he writes this in Galatians to the believers. 184 00:11:08.280 --> 00:11:11.240 He says, in chapter 1, verse 6, I 185 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:14.520 am astonished that you are so quickly deserting 186 00:11:14.520 --> 00:11:17.280 him who called you in grace of Christ 187 00:11:17.280 --> 00:11:21.280 and are turning to a different gospel. 188 00:11:21.280 --> 00:11:24.640 Paul's like, I'm surprised. 189 00:11:24.680 --> 00:11:29.000 I'm shocked that it was actually this quick, 190 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:31.720 that you fell away like Jesus had said 191 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:33.600 might happen, that you'd fallen away 192 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:35.880 from the gospel you'd received. 193 00:11:35.880 --> 00:11:38.800 But later in Galatians, Paul says how it happens. 194 00:11:38.800 --> 00:11:42.680 Galatians 5.9, he says, it's just a little leaven 195 00:11:42.680 --> 00:11:44.840 that leavens the whole lump. 196 00:11:44.840 --> 00:11:47.000 And really what he's talking about, 197 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:49.360 it's the little small things that eventually 198 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:50.920 become big things. 199 00:11:50.920 --> 00:11:52.520 It's the little compromise. 200 00:11:52.520 --> 00:11:54.200 It's the little false teachings. 201 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:55.520 It's the little bitterness. 202 00:11:55.520 --> 00:11:57.000 It's the little bit of pride. 203 00:11:57.000 --> 00:11:59.360 It's the little fox. 204 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:02.360 And it happens over time. 205 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:05.600 You see, this happens in our lives. 206 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:09.960 It happens in maybe ways that feel insignificant. 207 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:14.600 Maybe it's like you get this newfound passion and growth 208 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:17.880 in your life of, I'm going to eat healthy, 209 00:12:17.880 --> 00:12:19.600 or I'm going to start waking up early, 210 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:22.960 or I'm going to start working out. 211 00:12:23.400 --> 00:12:26.400 I'm approaching my 40, and I'm watching my son 212 00:12:26.400 --> 00:12:30.240 just crush it with his workout routine and discipline. 213 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:33.360 And I'm like, eventually, it's going to stick for me. 214 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:38.760 And I actually, I'll be honest, there was an ad, 215 00:12:38.760 --> 00:12:41.000 and I bought an app from the ad. 216 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:42.520 I was like, I'm going to try it. 217 00:12:42.520 --> 00:12:44.400 I'm going to try this workout app. 218 00:12:44.400 --> 00:12:48.160 And guys, I had a four-day streak on this bad boy. 219 00:12:48.160 --> 00:12:50.280 Come on. 220 00:12:50.280 --> 00:12:53.600 And then my abs decided it needed a 40-day fast 221 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.480 from this app. 222 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:57.440 And I don't know what happened. 223 00:12:57.440 --> 00:12:59.560 And it's like many things in our life. 224 00:12:59.560 --> 00:13:02.880 We wake up a couple months later, and you look back, 225 00:13:02.880 --> 00:13:04.440 and you say, what happened? 226 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:06.440 There was something that was growing, 227 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:09.840 a conviction in my heart, a passion for Jesus, 228 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:11.720 a breakthrough, our marriage. 229 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:15.440 We were starting to develop some new rhythms in our marriage, 230 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:17.600 in our family. 231 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:20.040 And then what happened? 232 00:13:20.040 --> 00:13:23.480 It wasn't because of a lion that attacked the vineyard, 233 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:27.520 but it was the few little foxes that went unchecked. 234 00:13:27.520 --> 00:13:29.960 And so how do we catch the foxes? 235 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:33.280 The first thing is we must identify the foxes. 236 00:13:33.280 --> 00:13:35.160 You got to identify the foxes. 237 00:13:35.160 --> 00:13:39.680 John 17, 17, it says this. 238 00:13:39.680 --> 00:13:42.160 Jesus is praying a prayer. 239 00:13:42.160 --> 00:13:44.480 This is a prayer that you, as you read it, 240 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:45.920 can receive for yourself. 241 00:13:45.920 --> 00:13:48.920 But he says this, sanctify them by your truth, 242 00:13:48.920 --> 00:13:51.080 for your word is truth. 243 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:55.160 Before you can catch a fox, you have to identify it. 244 00:13:55.160 --> 00:14:00.080 And one of the primary ways that God gives us and helps 245 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:06.440 us to identify the foxes in our lives is through his truth. 246 00:14:06.440 --> 00:14:10.720 Because the enemy always starts with deception in our life. 247 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:14.400 The foxes always starts with deceit in our life. 248 00:14:14.400 --> 00:14:15.760 It's with the subtle lies. 249 00:14:15.760 --> 00:14:18.720 It's how he approached Adam and Eve in the garden. 250 00:14:18.760 --> 00:14:22.040 It's how he approached Jesus in the wilderness. 251 00:14:22.040 --> 00:14:23.760 It's how he approaches us. 252 00:14:23.760 --> 00:14:29.280 It's with subtle lies that aren't obvious, 253 00:14:29.280 --> 00:14:34.440 little thoughts that say, God's not really working, 254 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:38.400 or it's not that big of a deal, or this relationship 255 00:14:38.400 --> 00:14:41.800 isn't that bad, or you deserve this, 256 00:14:41.800 --> 00:14:45.600 or you're never going to change, or God's forgotten about you, 257 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:47.680 or nobody will ever know. 258 00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:49.200 The lies are endless. 259 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:53.800 You know the lies in your life, the subtle lies. 260 00:14:53.800 --> 00:14:55.320 But the danger of the little foxes 261 00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:57.760 is that they don't always look dangerous. 262 00:14:57.760 --> 00:14:59.960 In fact, sometimes they've been around 263 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:03.380 for so long that we've just stopped noticing them 264 00:15:03.380 --> 00:15:05.580 and we start believing them. 265 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:09.020 It's this attitude that we've taken on in ourself. 266 00:15:09.020 --> 00:15:11.980 It's a resentment that we've been OK with towards someone. 267 00:15:11.980 --> 00:15:14.580 It's a pattern of thinking that doesn't 268 00:15:14.580 --> 00:15:18.460 align with the word of God. 269 00:15:18.460 --> 00:15:23.780 It's a relationship that we've become complacent with. 270 00:15:23.780 --> 00:15:25.580 And it's sabotaging your life. 271 00:15:25.580 --> 00:15:28.620 It's a habit that you're unwilling to put down. 272 00:15:29.020 --> 00:15:32.140 It's something that has become normal to us, 273 00:15:32.140 --> 00:15:35.660 but yet it doesn't align with God's truth. 274 00:15:35.660 --> 00:15:40.500 You see, God's truth has to be a light that exposes 275 00:15:40.500 --> 00:15:42.580 the foxes in the darkness. 276 00:15:42.580 --> 00:15:46.100 Remember when we lost our golden retriever a few years ago? 277 00:15:46.100 --> 00:15:50.300 Sky, we spent many days and weeks looking for her. 278 00:15:50.300 --> 00:15:52.800 And there were some nights, it was the middle of the night, 279 00:15:52.800 --> 00:15:54.860 almost, and I had a huge mag light 280 00:15:54.860 --> 00:15:57.300 and I would go out to this forested area 281 00:15:57.300 --> 00:15:59.060 where we thought maybe she would be. 282 00:15:59.060 --> 00:16:02.740 And I remember standing in front of this forest thinking, 283 00:16:02.740 --> 00:16:04.100 surely there's nothing out there. 284 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:05.380 I don't hear anything. 285 00:16:05.380 --> 00:16:06.740 I don't see anything. 286 00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:10.140 And I take this mag light and I shine it through the forest 287 00:16:10.140 --> 00:16:11.660 and it pierces through the darkness. 288 00:16:11.660 --> 00:16:13.940 And all of a sudden, I see some beady eyes there, 289 00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:16.180 some beady eyes there, some beady eyes there. 290 00:16:16.180 --> 00:16:18.460 And I get a little freaked out because I'm by myself 291 00:16:18.460 --> 00:16:22.220 and I get in my car and drive away. 292 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:24.180 But that's the thing about the light 293 00:16:24.180 --> 00:16:26.700 is it exposes what's in the darkness. 294 00:16:26.700 --> 00:16:29.620 And until we allow and take time 295 00:16:29.620 --> 00:16:33.620 and are willing to sit down with God's truth 296 00:16:33.620 --> 00:16:36.620 and shine it in the cavities of our life 297 00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:39.060 and say, God, expose the foxes, 298 00:16:39.060 --> 00:16:40.980 identify the foxes in my life, 299 00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:43.500 the lies and the beliefs that don't align with you, 300 00:16:44.460 --> 00:16:46.420 the foxes are gonna roam free. 301 00:16:47.780 --> 00:16:51.460 See, truth helps us ask these questions. 302 00:16:51.460 --> 00:16:54.860 I want you to ask yourself these questions right now. 303 00:16:54.860 --> 00:16:56.980 Is there an attitude in my life 304 00:16:56.980 --> 00:16:59.300 that doesn't align with the heart of God? 305 00:17:01.780 --> 00:17:05.260 Is there a relationship in my life 306 00:17:05.260 --> 00:17:08.619 that doesn't align with God's design for my life? 307 00:17:10.020 --> 00:17:12.460 Is there a habit in my life 308 00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:14.940 that doesn't align with God's best? 309 00:17:16.300 --> 00:17:19.819 Is there a belief in my mind 310 00:17:19.819 --> 00:17:21.660 that doesn't align with God's word? 311 00:17:22.619 --> 00:17:25.660 If so, there might be a little fox in your vineyard. 312 00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:29.940 And the thing about foxes is they don't all come 313 00:17:29.940 --> 00:17:31.860 through the same hole in the fence. 314 00:17:33.260 --> 00:17:36.700 It could be an offense that you've justified holding onto 315 00:17:36.700 --> 00:17:38.140 or a relationship at work 316 00:17:38.140 --> 00:17:40.060 that's become a little too comfortable 317 00:17:40.060 --> 00:17:42.140 or escaping to a substance 318 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:45.460 every time the world gets a little too overwhelming 319 00:17:45.460 --> 00:17:48.460 or endless streaming of self-help reels 320 00:17:48.460 --> 00:17:50.860 that make you trust more in yourself 321 00:17:51.300 --> 00:17:53.620 and your own determination and self-will 322 00:17:53.620 --> 00:17:55.500 than trusting in God. 323 00:17:56.540 --> 00:17:57.580 You're like, okay, pastor, 324 00:17:57.580 --> 00:17:59.620 you're being a little too specific now. 325 00:17:59.620 --> 00:18:01.420 I'm feeling a little too vulnerable. 326 00:18:02.580 --> 00:18:04.180 But the point is this, 327 00:18:04.180 --> 00:18:07.580 that identifying your foxes is the key. 328 00:18:07.580 --> 00:18:09.860 Not everyone else's foxes. 329 00:18:09.860 --> 00:18:12.460 But what are the foxes in your life? 330 00:18:12.460 --> 00:18:16.300 Because you can't catch what you refuse to identify. 331 00:18:16.300 --> 00:18:19.260 But it's not just enough to identify the foxes 332 00:18:19.820 --> 00:18:21.860 you have to catch them early. 333 00:18:23.260 --> 00:18:26.100 John 14, 26, it says, 334 00:18:26.100 --> 00:18:28.620 "'But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, 335 00:18:28.620 --> 00:18:30.420 "'whom the Father will send in my name, 336 00:18:30.420 --> 00:18:32.380 "'He will teach you all things 337 00:18:32.380 --> 00:18:36.300 "'and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you.'" 338 00:18:36.300 --> 00:18:39.300 You see, once you've identified a fox, 339 00:18:39.300 --> 00:18:41.020 don't wait to deal with it. 340 00:18:41.020 --> 00:18:43.980 But here's the thing, God didn't just give us his truth 341 00:18:43.980 --> 00:18:47.260 to help identify the foxes in our life. 342 00:18:47.260 --> 00:18:50.860 Jesus says, it's actually best if I go 343 00:18:50.860 --> 00:18:53.540 so that I can send the Holy Spirit 344 00:18:53.540 --> 00:18:55.740 to help you live out the truth. 345 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:57.780 Because once you identify the foxes, 346 00:18:57.780 --> 00:19:01.020 the Holy Spirit will help you catch the foxes in your life. 347 00:19:01.020 --> 00:19:04.380 The Holy Spirit is here to be a help in our life, 348 00:19:04.380 --> 00:19:08.060 to be a counselor, a convictor, a comforter. 349 00:19:10.780 --> 00:19:12.500 Recently, my wife and I, 350 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:14.860 we shifted into a new season of our life. 351 00:19:14.860 --> 00:19:16.580 My oldest son is driving now. 352 00:19:16.620 --> 00:19:17.660 He has his license. 353 00:19:17.660 --> 00:19:22.060 And so we shifted vehicles to having a big family car 354 00:19:22.060 --> 00:19:24.140 to now let's go to a little bit smaller, 355 00:19:24.140 --> 00:19:26.020 you know, crossover vehicle. 356 00:19:26.020 --> 00:19:30.380 And I was excited because this vehicle has the lane assist. 357 00:19:31.380 --> 00:19:33.860 Because us guys, we need help staying in the lane. 358 00:19:35.540 --> 00:19:37.820 And at first I was like, oh, this thing's cool. 359 00:19:37.820 --> 00:19:40.420 Like it just, you know, it kind of veers you this way, 360 00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:42.700 veers you that way and keeps you inside the lanes. 361 00:19:42.700 --> 00:19:45.340 But there's another feature to this. 362 00:19:45.340 --> 00:19:47.260 There's another function to this feature. 363 00:19:47.260 --> 00:19:49.420 It also beeps at you once you start to veer 364 00:19:49.420 --> 00:19:51.980 and get close to either sides of the lane. 365 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:53.300 And I was driving it the other day 366 00:19:53.300 --> 00:19:56.460 because my wife primarily drives this vehicle. 367 00:19:56.460 --> 00:19:59.140 And I'm like, it's beeping all the time. 368 00:19:59.140 --> 00:20:00.700 I'm like, is this thing broken? 369 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.280 broken, like this thing beeps so much. 370 00:20:03.280 --> 00:20:05.400 I was like, does it beep this much for you, Eden? 371 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:07.120 And she's like, no, I actually forgot 372 00:20:07.120 --> 00:20:09.520 that it has that feature. 373 00:20:09.520 --> 00:20:11.720 I was like, come on now. 374 00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:14.200 Really? 375 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:16.800 I see what you're saying. 376 00:20:16.800 --> 00:20:21.520 But you see, the Holy Spirit, he wants to prompt you. 377 00:20:21.520 --> 00:20:22.800 He wants to beep at you. 378 00:20:22.800 --> 00:20:26.360 But before you get into the ditch, 379 00:20:26.360 --> 00:20:29.480 even before you get on the rumble strips, 380 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:33.080 even once you start to get close to the side of the lane, 381 00:20:33.080 --> 00:20:38.160 listen for the prompting and the pushing of the Holy Spirit. 382 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:40.680 Because he wants to catch them when they're small. 383 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:42.880 He wants to catch them when they're early. 384 00:20:42.880 --> 00:20:47.400 But the thing is, are we willing to respond quickly? 385 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:50.640 When we're tempted to despair and throw ourselves 386 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:53.560 the biggest pity party we ever could, 387 00:20:53.560 --> 00:20:57.520 are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit to comfort us? 388 00:20:57.520 --> 00:21:01.400 Because the Bible says that he is the comforter. 389 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:04.240 Don't ignore the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 390 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:10.200 Remember his promises before it gets to be too overwhelming. 391 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:12.760 When you're tempted to sin, remember, 392 00:21:12.760 --> 00:21:16.480 the Holy Spirit wants to be the convictor in your life. 393 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:21.920 James 1 15, he says, desire turns to temptation. 394 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:25.000 Temptation turns into sin, and sin turns into death. 395 00:21:25.040 --> 00:21:29.800 He wants to catch it when it's in its desire phase of like, 396 00:21:29.800 --> 00:21:32.600 hey, this is becoming an idol in your life. 397 00:21:32.600 --> 00:21:36.320 Don't ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit. 398 00:21:36.320 --> 00:21:42.280 When we're tempted to trust our own ambitions, our own will, 399 00:21:42.280 --> 00:21:47.080 our own desires, the Bible says another name for Holy Spirit 400 00:21:47.080 --> 00:21:49.600 is he is our counselor. 401 00:21:49.600 --> 00:21:52.920 When we think what we know, what is best for our life, 402 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:56.560 the Holy Spirit is quick to say, hey, 403 00:21:56.560 --> 00:21:58.880 let's think twice about that. 404 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:01.600 The Holy Spirit wants to counsel you. 405 00:22:01.600 --> 00:22:05.000 But in all these moments, we have to on a daily basis, 406 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:08.560 sometimes it's multiple times throughout the day, 407 00:22:08.560 --> 00:22:12.000 we have to listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 408 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:14.960 But not just listen, we have to be quick to respond. 409 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:17.440 We have to catch the foxes early. 410 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:19.560 We have to deal with the offense. 411 00:22:19.560 --> 00:22:21.600 You have to have the conversation. 412 00:22:21.600 --> 00:22:24.000 You have to confess the sin quickly. 413 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:29.120 You have, man, you're like, man, I'm addicted to this app. 414 00:22:29.120 --> 00:22:30.920 You have to delete the app quickly. 415 00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:33.120 You have to forgive the person. 416 00:22:33.120 --> 00:22:35.720 You have to catch the fox. 417 00:22:35.720 --> 00:22:37.640 The longer the fox stays in the vineyard, 418 00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:40.440 the more damage it causes. 419 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:43.880 And Jesus says, again, John 16, 7, he says, 420 00:22:43.880 --> 00:22:46.720 nevertheless, I tell you the truth. 421 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:49.520 He said, I'm being true with you guys. 422 00:22:49.520 --> 00:22:51.320 It's to your advantage that I leave. 423 00:22:51.600 --> 00:22:52.440 Why? 424 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:53.880 So Holy Spirit can come. 425 00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:57.240 Church, you cannot catch the foxes without Holy Spirit 426 00:22:57.240 --> 00:22:59.560 being a part of your everyday life. 427 00:22:59.560 --> 00:23:02.360 What are we doing to invite him into our life? 428 00:23:02.360 --> 00:23:06.320 Because early obedience is cheaper than late repentance. 429 00:23:06.320 --> 00:23:08.560 Repentance is always an option, 430 00:23:08.560 --> 00:23:11.320 but it's so much easier to obey earlier. 431 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:16.680 You know, as I walk through discipleship journeys 432 00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:20.720 with people, I challenge them with two things. 433 00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:25.120 I said, I say, let God's word 434 00:23:25.120 --> 00:23:27.680 be the guiding truth in your life. 435 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:31.400 Especially if you grew up not serving God, 436 00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:33.040 letting the world form you, 437 00:23:33.040 --> 00:23:36.800 letting society and culture create your world belief 438 00:23:36.800 --> 00:23:40.240 and your worldviews, you have to be committed 439 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:43.120 to letting God's word be your guiding truth. 440 00:23:43.120 --> 00:23:46.520 So there might be a lot of new things you realize 441 00:23:46.520 --> 00:23:48.280 that you got to change, 442 00:23:48.280 --> 00:23:49.640 but as long as you're committed to saying, 443 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:51.720 you know what, I agree. 444 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.880 I'll do it. 445 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:54.080 I'll trust you. 446 00:23:55.320 --> 00:23:59.640 And secondly, when Holy Spirit speaks, obey quickly. 447 00:23:59.640 --> 00:24:02.240 Because you're not gonna change everything at once. 448 00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:05.920 Everything's not gonna just change overnight, 449 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:08.080 but as you read his word, 450 00:24:08.080 --> 00:24:10.640 and as Holy Spirit reveals things to you, 451 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:13.640 you just got to obey what he's trying to grow in the moment. 452 00:24:14.760 --> 00:24:17.360 There might be a hundred little foxes in your vineyards 453 00:24:17.360 --> 00:24:20.320 and God's gonna help you catch it one by one. 454 00:24:20.320 --> 00:24:22.080 There's some time where I'm walking 455 00:24:22.080 --> 00:24:24.720 through discipleship with people and it's like, 456 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:27.920 oh man, there's a lot of foxes right now in this vineyard. 457 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:29.200 I don't know if they should be saying that. 458 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:30.400 I don't know if they should be watching that. 459 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:32.680 I don't know if they should be listening to that. 460 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:34.760 I don't think they should have that relationship. 461 00:24:34.760 --> 00:24:37.280 And like, I want to change everything at once, 462 00:24:37.280 --> 00:24:40.680 but Holy Spirit is patient enough, loving enough to say, 463 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:44.240 let's slowly grow through this relationship. 464 00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:48.440 The next thing is this, is don't guard the vineyard alone. 465 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:52.280 John 13, 34. 466 00:24:52.280 --> 00:24:55.080 It says, a new commandment I give to you, 467 00:24:55.080 --> 00:24:56.760 that you love one another. 468 00:24:56.760 --> 00:24:59.960 Just as I have loved you, you are also loved. 469 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:01.400 to love one another. 470 00:25:02.840 --> 00:25:06.160 There's too many entrances into the vineyard 471 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:10.720 for you to be able to see all the blind spots. 472 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:15.400 You need people in your life to help see the blind spots. 473 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:17.240 You need people in your life 474 00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:20.560 to help repair some holes in the fences 475 00:25:20.560 --> 00:25:23.600 while you deal with a hole in the fence over here. 476 00:25:23.600 --> 00:25:27.080 You need people in your life. 477 00:25:27.800 --> 00:25:30.800 That's why Jesus, one of the major themes 478 00:25:30.800 --> 00:25:33.600 in this last section of his teachings and his prayer 479 00:25:33.600 --> 00:25:37.000 was about relationship and telling the disciples, 480 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:39.960 fight for unity, fight to love one another, 481 00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:43.560 fight to be vulnerable with each other. 482 00:25:43.560 --> 00:25:45.940 In fact, five different times in this section, 483 00:25:45.940 --> 00:25:47.960 he prayed for community, togetherness, 484 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:50.040 and life-giving relationships. 485 00:25:50.040 --> 00:25:55.000 Because the enemy knows this, that disconnected things die. 486 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:57.440 A branch connected, 487 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:01.400 or a branch that is disconnected from the vine dies. 488 00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:04.120 A hand that's disconnected from the body, it dies. 489 00:26:04.120 --> 00:26:07.960 A coal that's removed from the fire, it cools down and dies. 490 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:12.380 People rarely drift while they are deeply connected. 491 00:26:13.480 --> 00:26:17.720 The drift starts when isolation begins. 492 00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:19.120 The writer of Hebrews, 493 00:26:19.120 --> 00:26:20.840 man, this is all over in the New Testament, 494 00:26:20.840 --> 00:26:23.600 he says, do not neglect meeting together 495 00:26:23.640 --> 00:26:26.640 as is the habit of some, 496 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:29.040 but encouraging one another all the more 497 00:26:29.040 --> 00:26:31.400 as you see the day drawing near. 498 00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:35.280 There's an interesting fact that I had learned 499 00:26:35.280 --> 00:26:37.000 about the Redwood Forest. 500 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:38.240 I've never been there before, 501 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:40.840 but obviously have heard about them. 502 00:26:42.520 --> 00:26:46.080 Now these trees are some of the tallest trees in the world. 503 00:26:46.080 --> 00:26:49.700 They grow to over 300 feet tall, 504 00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:52.920 have stood for hundreds, even thousands of years. 505 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:55.160 But here's what they found about these trees, 506 00:26:55.160 --> 00:26:57.200 is that although they grow tall, 507 00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:00.800 their roots are actually very shallow. 508 00:27:00.800 --> 00:27:05.220 Their roots only go down about six to 12 feet deep. 509 00:27:06.920 --> 00:27:08.320 So you ask the question, it's like, 510 00:27:08.320 --> 00:27:13.320 well, how in the world does a 300 foot tall tree 511 00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:19.020 with six foot deep roots survive a massive storm 512 00:27:19.020 --> 00:27:22.840 and stand not just hundreds, but thousands of years? 513 00:27:23.660 --> 00:27:25.320 And stay that tall that long? 514 00:27:25.320 --> 00:27:29.000 They found that their root system is intertwined 515 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:31.800 with the roots of the trees that are around them. 516 00:27:31.800 --> 00:27:34.800 They literally lock together underground, 517 00:27:34.800 --> 00:27:38.320 creating a network of support and strength 518 00:27:38.320 --> 00:27:40.360 so that when the winds come, 519 00:27:40.360 --> 00:27:43.720 they don't stand because of the strength of one tree, 520 00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:49.080 it stands because of the strength of the forest. 521 00:27:49.080 --> 00:27:51.800 It's easy to think, to look at someone, 522 00:27:51.800 --> 00:27:54.740 to look at a pastor and be like, wow, they're so strong, 523 00:27:54.740 --> 00:27:57.400 they probably don't need anyone in their life 524 00:27:57.400 --> 00:27:59.780 to help them not fall away from God. 525 00:27:59.780 --> 00:28:00.880 That's not true. 526 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:04.840 No one is the exception to the rule. 527 00:28:04.840 --> 00:28:06.680 I need people in my life. 528 00:28:06.680 --> 00:28:08.280 You need people in your life. 529 00:28:08.280 --> 00:28:12.760 No matter how strong or disciplined you looked, 530 00:28:12.760 --> 00:28:14.640 you cannot stand alone. 531 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:17.240 God never intended for you to stand alone. 532 00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:19.360 So when the storms of life comes, 533 00:28:19.360 --> 00:28:22.080 when the temptations come, when disappointment comes, 534 00:28:22.080 --> 00:28:25.840 when grief comes, as Jesus said they would, 535 00:28:27.160 --> 00:28:31.040 we don't make it because we're strong enough by ourselves. 536 00:28:31.040 --> 00:28:35.240 We make it because our lives are intertwined 537 00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:37.440 with the faith of other believers 538 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:41.040 who are gonna pray for us, encourage us, challenge us, 539 00:28:41.040 --> 00:28:43.280 support us when we're feeling weak. 540 00:28:44.280 --> 00:28:48.080 And so church, you cannot guard the vineyard alone. 541 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:52.560 And so you gotta know this as we close our time out together, 542 00:28:53.560 --> 00:28:56.640 you have to protect what's growing. 543 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:58.560 You have to protect what's growing. 544 00:28:58.560 --> 00:29:01.880 I wanna go back to this verse in Song of Solomon. 545 00:29:01.880 --> 00:29:04.960 He says, catch the foxes for us. 546 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:08.000 The little foxes that spoil the vineyards, check it out. 547 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:11.280 He says, for our vineyards are in blossom. 548 00:29:12.040 --> 00:29:14.440 The vineyard wasn't dead. 549 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:17.280 The vineyard, it wasn't barren, 550 00:29:17.280 --> 00:29:18.880 but the vineyard was in blossom. 551 00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:25.480 Something was growing, but it also wasn't in harvest yet. 552 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:29.600 There wasn't fruit on the vines yet. 553 00:29:31.080 --> 00:29:32.360 It was in blossom. 554 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:36.960 The fruit wasn't fully visible, but it was coming. 555 00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:40.320 The vineyard was on the edge of harvest. 556 00:29:41.880 --> 00:29:44.720 That means the danger is not just foxes 557 00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:47.760 stealing the ripe fruit in your life, 558 00:29:47.760 --> 00:29:49.560 but the danger is that they damage 559 00:29:49.560 --> 00:29:51.840 what is developing before it can mature. 560 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:54.880 The danger is that the little foxes, 561 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:57.560 the little compromises in your life 562 00:29:57.560 --> 00:29:59.920 damage what is developing before. 563 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.760 can fully mature. 564 00:30:02.760 --> 00:30:04.880 And that's exactly where the disciples 565 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:09.120 were at in this very moment that Jesus was speaking to them. 566 00:30:09.120 --> 00:30:13.200 They were on the verge of harvest in their life. 567 00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:16.080 They'd been walking with Jesus. 568 00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:20.840 They were on the verge of the fruit coming out. 569 00:30:20.840 --> 00:30:24.680 And the day of Pentecost was right around the corner. 570 00:30:24.680 --> 00:30:29.640 The pouring out of the Holy Spirit was just weeks away. 571 00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:33.560 The establishment of the church was just about to happen. 572 00:30:33.560 --> 00:30:37.560 A powerful ministry was about to start 573 00:30:37.560 --> 00:30:40.720 where they were gonna see lives transformed. 574 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:42.400 They were gonna see churches established. 575 00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:46.200 They were gonna see history being altered, 576 00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:48.200 but it wasn't yet here. 577 00:30:49.480 --> 00:30:51.240 They were just in blossom. 578 00:30:51.240 --> 00:30:52.680 And I wanna tell you this today, 579 00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:57.080 that your life is in full blossom, and I believe that. 580 00:30:57.080 --> 00:30:59.440 I believe your life is in blossom. 581 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:02.920 The fact that you are here today, 582 00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:04.880 that you're listening to God's word, 583 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:07.440 that you stood and you sang during worship, 584 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:10.200 to me, that tells me that there's something 585 00:31:10.200 --> 00:31:11.360 growing inside of you. 586 00:31:11.360 --> 00:31:13.680 There's something that brought you here today. 587 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.440 There's something growing in you 588 00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:21.480 that keeps drawing you back to God. 589 00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:24.120 And these aren't signs that nothing is happening. 590 00:31:24.120 --> 00:31:26.600 These are signs that something is growing, 591 00:31:26.600 --> 00:31:28.680 that God is doing a work in your life. 592 00:31:29.640 --> 00:31:32.880 And so if something is in blossom, 593 00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:34.600 and if something is growing, 594 00:31:34.600 --> 00:31:37.000 then there's something worth protecting, amen? 595 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:40.360 If there's something growing in your life, 596 00:31:40.360 --> 00:31:42.800 then it means there's something worth protecting. 597 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:46.080 It means it's worth it to be diligent 598 00:31:46.080 --> 00:31:48.960 to look for the little foxes in your life. 599 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:53.960 It's worth it to slow down the busyness of life 600 00:31:55.240 --> 00:31:58.320 so that you can grow up into the fruit 601 00:31:58.320 --> 00:32:00.120 that God has for you. 602 00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:03.920 And this is why Jesus spends his final moments 603 00:32:03.920 --> 00:32:06.400 warning his disciples about the things 604 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:08.240 that would cause them to fall away. 605 00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:12.080 So in just a moment, I wanna pray 606 00:32:12.080 --> 00:32:15.520 and allow time for Holy Spirit to maybe reveal 607 00:32:15.520 --> 00:32:17.440 the little foxes in our life. 608 00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:20.080 But first, I wanna speak to one more group of people. 609 00:32:21.560 --> 00:32:23.280 Maybe you're here today and you say, 610 00:32:23.280 --> 00:32:27.120 you know what, I feel like my vineyard's dead. 611 00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:31.560 I feel like there is no good thing growing. 612 00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:35.440 And you're like, pastor, you don't understand 613 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:37.240 everything that I've lost. 614 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:43.480 And you feel hopeless, you feel like the vineyard has died. 615 00:32:44.840 --> 00:32:48.200 Maybe you've walked through a recent loss. 616 00:32:49.280 --> 00:32:51.360 You've walked through some type of failure. 617 00:32:51.360 --> 00:32:54.480 You're stuck in addiction. 618 00:32:55.480 --> 00:33:00.480 You're stuck in, or you're hopeless from a divorce. 619 00:33:01.040 --> 00:33:03.560 There's a deep disappointment, you lost a job. 620 00:33:03.560 --> 00:33:06.560 There's a life-changing doctor report you just got, 621 00:33:06.560 --> 00:33:09.920 a financial crisis, a heartache in your parenting. 622 00:33:09.920 --> 00:33:12.960 You guys, I know the list could feel endless. 623 00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:15.160 The list of things that make us feel like 624 00:33:15.160 --> 00:33:17.240 there is no good thing growing in my life. 625 00:33:18.120 --> 00:33:23.120 But can I encourage you today that the story of Scripture 626 00:33:25.040 --> 00:33:29.800 the theme of the gospel has not been taking healthy things 627 00:33:29.800 --> 00:33:31.200 and making them healthier. 628 00:33:32.560 --> 00:33:37.560 But the literal picture of the gospel is death to life. 629 00:33:38.920 --> 00:33:42.480 It's grave to resurrection. 630 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:44.600 That is the story of the gospel. 631 00:33:44.600 --> 00:33:48.440 God saying, I can take dead things, 632 00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:50.120 not even almost dead things, 633 00:33:50.120 --> 00:33:52.080 but I can literally take dead things 634 00:33:52.080 --> 00:33:54.120 and bring them back to life. 635 00:33:55.320 --> 00:33:57.840 Do you believe that today church? 636 00:33:57.840 --> 00:33:59.520 This is the hope of the gospel. 637 00:34:03.640 --> 00:34:06.240 In fact, God says, that's my specialty. 638 00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:10.159 I specialize in bringing dead things back to life. 639 00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:14.760 If I can raise Jesus from the grave, he says, 640 00:34:14.760 --> 00:34:16.840 then I can resurrect hope. 641 00:34:16.840 --> 00:34:18.920 I can resurrect purpose. 642 00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:20.920 I can resurrect faith. 643 00:34:20.960 --> 00:34:25.360 I can resurrect from loneliness to feeling seen. 644 00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:30.480 I wanna close to share this hope. 645 00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:33.480 It's a friend of mine that I recently come to know 646 00:34:33.480 --> 00:34:37.840 and grow in friendship and grow in discipling him 647 00:34:37.840 --> 00:34:39.840 and a discipling relationship. 648 00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:43.520 Got to know him a couple of months ago. 649 00:34:44.520 --> 00:34:49.120 And when I met him and our paths crossed, wow. 650 00:34:50.920 --> 00:34:55.360 He was in this place where his vineyard 651 00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:57.320 felt like it was dead. 652 00:34:57.320 --> 00:34:58.480 Lost his marriage. 653 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:06.240 His family, his job, lost everything. 654 00:35:06.240 --> 00:35:09.600 And first week, I was like, hey, let's grab some coffee. 655 00:35:09.600 --> 00:35:10.600 Let's get together. 656 00:35:10.600 --> 00:35:16.120 So we go to a coffee shop and get to hear his story and about 15 minutes in and he's 657 00:35:16.120 --> 00:35:20.560 starting to break down and I'm like, this is not a great place to talk. 658 00:35:20.560 --> 00:35:23.360 And so I'm thinking like, we should go, we should go on a drive. 659 00:35:23.360 --> 00:35:25.800 And in my head, I'm like, I should take him to Double Ditch. 660 00:35:25.800 --> 00:35:31.200 Now Double Ditch, it's this beautiful scenic space north of Bismarck. 661 00:35:31.200 --> 00:35:32.560 I think it looks like New Zealand. 662 00:35:32.560 --> 00:35:33.560 It's like beautiful out there. 663 00:35:33.560 --> 00:35:35.480 And in my head, I'm like, I should take him to Double Ditch. 664 00:35:35.480 --> 00:35:38.080 I know that feels weird. 665 00:35:38.080 --> 00:35:41.920 I know other people go there for other reasons, but I feel like I'm supposed to take him to 666 00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:46.600 Double Ditch to pray over him and speak God's truth and hope over him. 667 00:35:46.600 --> 00:35:51.720 So I stop him and I said, hey, Jordan, it's okay if we just go for a drive, have a little 668 00:35:51.720 --> 00:35:52.720 more privacy. 669 00:35:52.720 --> 00:35:56.040 We can just pray for you and just read God's word over you. 670 00:35:56.040 --> 00:35:57.560 And so he's like, sure. 671 00:35:57.560 --> 00:36:05.040 So I take him to Double Ditch and we have this powerful moment together where Holy Spirit, 672 00:36:05.040 --> 00:36:11.200 the presence of God came and I parked in this service road there and pulled off to the side 673 00:36:11.200 --> 00:36:18.120 and as he was sharing his life, I stopped and I read Psalm 18 over him and where the 674 00:36:18.120 --> 00:36:24.280 psalmist David, he says, you plucked me out of the miry muck and clay and you set me on 675 00:36:24.280 --> 00:36:27.220 solid ground. 676 00:36:27.220 --> 00:36:30.080 You delivered me because you delighted in me. 677 00:36:30.080 --> 00:36:32.680 You delivered me because you delighted in me. 678 00:36:32.680 --> 00:36:37.280 You delivered me not because you performed enough because you were good enough, but no, 679 00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:40.120 you delivered me because you delighted in me. 680 00:36:41.120 --> 00:36:49.160 And so I prayed this over him and spoke life into him and he said he felt God just rush 681 00:36:49.160 --> 00:36:52.200 through his body and we had this powerful encounter and I was like, all right, I got 682 00:36:52.200 --> 00:36:53.200 to go. 683 00:36:53.200 --> 00:36:54.200 Let's go back. 684 00:36:54.200 --> 00:36:55.200 And so drop him off. 685 00:36:55.200 --> 00:37:00.040 The next day I call him back to check in and how are you doing, man? 686 00:37:00.040 --> 00:37:07.520 And he says, I felt so changed and impacted and he says, but I got to tell you something. 687 00:37:07.520 --> 00:37:15.000 I was debating whether I should tell you this or not, but December 29th after I lost 688 00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:22.820 everything living in my truck, I was so hopeless that I, that day, I, that night I drove out 689 00:37:22.820 --> 00:37:28.840 to double ditch and I parked my car in the very spot where you and I parked and I tried 690 00:37:28.840 --> 00:37:30.840 to take my life. 691 00:37:30.840 --> 00:37:36.700 I said, Jordan, are you kidding me? 692 00:37:36.700 --> 00:37:40.940 Like the very, like that service road where we parked the side there, he's like, yes, 693 00:37:40.940 --> 00:37:44.820 that's the spot where I tried to take my life. 694 00:37:44.820 --> 00:37:49.380 I said, Jordan, if it is not clear that the heavenly father is trying to get through to 695 00:37:49.380 --> 00:37:53.460 you that he can make dead things come back to life, that I don't know what's going to 696 00:37:53.460 --> 00:37:56.740 make it clear to you. 697 00:37:56.740 --> 00:38:01.620 God's doing a work in his heart and I say this story because church, there is no one 698 00:38:01.620 --> 00:38:03.020 that is too far gone. 699 00:38:03.020 --> 00:38:08.340 There's no vineyard that has been too destroyed that God can not restore and redeem and bring 700 00:38:08.340 --> 00:38:09.340 back to life. 701 00:38:09.340 --> 00:38:14.060 And so would you stand to your feet with me today? 702 00:38:14.060 --> 00:38:22.500 Jesus, we thank you for your, your word and your hope and your truth. 703 00:38:22.500 --> 00:38:31.140 God that you are with us always God in our best of moments, in our worst of moments, 704 00:38:31.140 --> 00:38:35.740 but Holy Spirit, we invite you right now. 705 00:38:35.740 --> 00:38:42.340 God is, we get excited about the things that are growing in our life, our faith in you, 706 00:38:42.340 --> 00:38:47.620 our relationships, God, the good things in our life, God, we, God, we don't want to live 707 00:38:47.620 --> 00:38:49.700 in fear, but God, we don't want to live in ignorance. 708 00:38:49.700 --> 00:38:53.340 God, we want to protect what you are growing in our life. 709 00:38:53.340 --> 00:38:59.340 And so God help us right now, even in this moment to identify the little foxes, the small 710 00:38:59.340 --> 00:39:04.740 compromises in our life, God, that might spoil the vineyard. 711 00:39:04.740 --> 00:39:07.660 And for those who are here today, who say, you know what? 712 00:39:07.660 --> 00:39:10.900 It feels like my vineyard has died, that there is no good thing. 713 00:39:10.900 --> 00:39:14.380 And you say today, I need a relationship with Jesus today. 714 00:39:14.380 --> 00:39:19.300 I want you to respond to the call of the father who says, I want to deliver you because I 715 00:39:19.300 --> 00:39:20.700 delight in you. 716 00:39:20.700 --> 00:39:26.740 And if that's you today, Jesus wants to start relationship with you and it starts with you 717 00:39:26.900 --> 00:39:32.580 just inviting Holy Spirit into your life and saying, Jesus, forgive me of my sins. 718 00:39:32.580 --> 00:39:36.540 Heal me of my past, restore what the enemy has stolen. 719 00:39:36.540 --> 00:39:42.940 Today I surrender my whole life to you and say, I will follow you, Jesus. 720 00:39:42.940 --> 00:39:45.860 And so we pray all this in the mighty name of Jesus. 721 00:39:45.860 --> 00:39:46.860 Would you say amen? 722 00:39:46.860 --> 00:39:47.860 Amen. 723 00:39:47.860 --> 00:39:49.500 Church, let's worship together today. 724 00:39:56.740 --> 00:39:57.740 Amen. 725 00:39:57.740 --> 00:39:57.740 726 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:02.060 you