Warning to Churches

0:00 Man, it's been a good month just seeing people's faces again and being together for the month. This will be our last Sunday night gathering. We just thought that we would try something for a month where I did some teaching because I felt like the Lord had certain messages that he wanted me to teach the whole church at once. We want to stay focused on everyone doing their Bible reading, but I think there's times when God will speak to the elders or to myself and just say, hey, I think there's some things we've got to all get on the same page on. And so it's just nice to gather together for that reason. And we've been talking as elders how it would be nice just maybe every quarter or so to get together and do prayer gatherings together maybe for a few weeks in a row. And it's just something that we get when we're all together.

1:00 You know, I mean, it's dangerous if this is all we do and we're not really living it out throughout the week and really loving each other, but this has been good. And so next week we're going to be going back to our homes and celebrating there. And I hope that the goal is for all of you to just love being with the body in whatever form and understand the honor of taking that bread in a cup. You know, going, gosh, this is an honor if I'm in my living room. It's an honor if I'm in a giant cathedral. It's an honor if I'm in a stadium. It's an honor of just my family around the dinner table. Like, this is insane. We're saying, I'm taking of the body and blood of Jesus. Because we don't want to be people that we require something other than God to enjoy God. Like, I want it all to be people who can just get alone with the Bible and go, I love this. I am so happy. It just, it doesn't make sense to me that so many people call themselves Christians are just so unhappy and are so needy because if the Lord is your shepherd, you know, like David says, your cup overflows. But I think we've done a weird thing in America where we have all these expectations from other people or we won't be happy rather than going, gosh, I'm thrilled to take of the body and blood of Jesus.

2:29 And we're supposed to be people who rejoice even when we're suffering. Okay? So we can't be people that just rejoice when everything's right the way we like it. But the joy is I get to be a part of the body of Christ. And what a mystery that is and what an honor that is. And like the Bible says, we should rejoice in Him always, always, even in our suffering. Tonight, I wanted to share a few thoughts because I'm very excited about the direction of the church, but at the same time, I just want to throw out a few cautions out there that we need to be careful about as we pursue everything we're pursuing right now. Some of you guys know I used to pastor a big church down in Southern California, and part of me leaving, there were a bunch of different reasons why I felt like the Lord was leading me on. But one of the things was my failure as a leader. I was so frustrated because I couldn't figure out how to mobilize 5,000 people. I thought, here are 5,000 people who all supposedly have an insane gift, like a miraculous gift, like a supernatural gift that they could bless other people with. And I couldn't figure out how to get them using those gifts.

4:05 And so as a leader, you're just going, I am wasting a lot. This is very, very bad stewardship. Here are 5,000 supposedly powerful, powerful people, and they're all just sitting here. And I couldn't figure it out, and I was trying, and I just couldn't figure out the way to mobilize them. And so I just thought, God, there's got to be a better way where I'm not the only one talking, or there's not just a handful or 20 or even 50 or 100 people using their gifts. But if there are 5,000, according to the Bible, supernaturally gifted, because the Bible says anyone who's a child of God has a gift for the body. And it's not just a little, you know, mediocre gift like, oh yeah, I'm good at passing out bulletins. It's like, no, anyone can do that. You don't need the spirit of God for that. Like there's a spiritual gift that's actually the way the Holy Spirit shows himself off, puts himself on display is through a human being in a supernatural way. And I'm going, God, that's supposed to happen. And so it was a very frustrating thing. And that's why when I started over out here, I thought, you know what, let's get in smaller gatherings so that everyone has opportunity to use their gift. Because even in this room, not everyone can use their gifts at once. And so it's like, but in a smaller group, we can really know each other and care for each other and use our gifts and pursue these gifts because according to the Bible, that's a big deal. Okay, that's why when I was reading the Bible and looking at 1 Corinthians 12 through 14, I'm going, man, that's a big deal. In God's eyes, the church, the body is not really functioning until all the parts are using their gifts.

6:00 and so I thought that has to happen. This is a big deal to him, so it needs to be a big deal to me, but not only that, it's not only, I mean, that should be enough right there. God, I want to please you, and you say you want a church where everyone is active. That's what he wants. That's what we're here for, right? To please him, and he says that's what he wants, but then the other part that was frustrating me was how much I loved the people. Because I think, you know what? You're going to be most fulfilled when you're using your gift. Because that's what you were created for. You were made for this. I go nuts when I don't get to use my spiritual gifts. Like there's an intimacy with God that I enjoy while I'm teaching. Maybe a weird thing to you, but it's like, oh, it's like God and I are one and we're using, he's giving me this gift to bless the body. And otherwise it's like, why even exist?

7:04 If I can't use my gift to bless other, why am I on this earth? And that's where you find fulfillment. And so to me, it's like, well, it's not just trying to get people to work, but it's trying to get people to really be fulfilled in life. And that happens when you're using the gift that God's given you. There's an intimacy you have with God and a joy when you see, wow, I actually blessed other people. So you're never going to be happy if you just come to consume because Jesus says it's more blessed to give. And I want everyone to feel it. So on the one hand, you see how it was frustrating for me because I'm going, God, you want everyone using their gifts and I can't figure out how to do this. And secondly, it's like, I love these people and I kind of figure out how to mobilize them so they can all be using their gifts. And I couldn't figure it out. And so it's been exciting for me, you know, especially over the last few months, seeing more and more of you used those gifts and really seeking the spiritual gifts.

8:12 and man, I hope we continue down this path, but I felt like the Lord also wanted me to share like, we also have to be careful as we pursue this. Okay. We have to pursue it because the Bible says to eagerly pursue it, but there's a way to do that in a way that honors the Lord. And I want to make sure we, we just keep these cautions going. Um, and the, and the main things that came to my mind is, it's just basically three questions. And understand a lot of churches, they will not seek prophecy, tongues, spiritual gifts. They will not seek other people using their gifts because they've seen it abused. And that was some of us, we're fearful of this because I've seen this go bad, so let's just not do it at all.

9:08 And that's so unbiblical. We've got to be able to eagerly pursue these gifts, but just do it in a biblical way. We're not people who are fearful. What are we afraid of? We've got God with us. I'm just saying let's be cautious and be biblical as we pursue these things. And the number one question I want to ask you is, for those of you that have been pursuing the gifts, the spiritual gifts as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.

9:41 Are you pursuing the person of God more than you're pursuing the gifts? Okay, seriously, you guys, this is so huge. Are you pursuing God himself more than you're pursuing a spiritual gift? because this book from cover to cover is not about pursuing spiritual gifts. This book cover to cover is about people longing for him and wanting him and thinking at the end, oh my gosh, he's going to be here on the earth with us. Are you kidding me? He's going to dwell amongst us. There's not going to be this gap between he's up there and I'm down here, but I'm going to walk with him. I can't wait for that. And so that's what it was about Adam and Eve in the garden. That was about Moses on that mountaintop or in the tabernacle when the high priest would go in the Holy of Holies. That was about Jesus walking on this earth and being with mankind. And that was about his Holy Spirit now coming and dwelling in us and amongst us.

10:47 It's like God is with us and we pursue the person of God more than the gifts of God. that's one part of it but I've seen this go bad where churches just get so excited about the gifts but I don't hear a lot about the person and them just saying I love him I love him and so as you pursue let's be careful some of us that are parents you know when your kids just always want something from you, you know? And it'd be nice every once in a while if it was just, I just want you, Dad. You know? I'm just pursuing you. Then you start giving them all sorts of gifts, right? Even if they're faking it. It's just, it's just, so always pursue Him. I mean, that's the greatest command in Scripture, right? The greatest command. And so we don't want to be known as a church that's pursuing the gifts. We want to be known as lovers of Jesus. If Jesus told Martha and Mary, look, there's only one thing that's necessary. There's only one thing necessary. When David says, look, this is the one thing I ask for. I just want to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Man, as we pursue God, would you do something through me and everything else?

12:12 man, make sure he's still your number one love and that you pursue him more than anything. And this is about a personal relationship with him. You know, last week we had a time where some of the elders and leaders were just laying hands on people and praying the Holy Spirit just fall upon you in a new way. and it was really interesting because this morning I felt like that happened in my life. But you know what I was expecting this week? I was expecting like power to heal someone. Like I want to see a guy with one leg and just make it grow. You know, like I just want like a miracle thing, you know, where it's just radical like that. And this morning, you know, I was running with a couple guys, Al and Joe and Justin.

13:14 And we just got to this mountaintop and started praying. And it was like my enjoyment of God was just at a new level where I just felt like, God, I just so enjoy you. like I'm so rested like there's nowhere no pursuit it's just enjoying like enjoying him it was kind of carry over from earlier that morning when I was alone with God going God just I don't want anything from you I just want to be in your presence and tell you how great you are I want to just just get over myself and just keep telling you because I really feel this way and then I just love being with him in my little prayer room and then when I got together with some brothers and, you know, and then we just started praying. It was just like, God, this just is so good. I'm just so content. I'm just so happy. See, because so often for me, some of you may be like me where you're addicted to accomplishment. And so your mind is always about, okay, I want to get this done. I want to get this done. And even when you think the Holy Spirit, I'm thinking, okay, God, this year I want to see revival. I want to see a hundred house churches. I want this. I want, But, you know, and I'm always thinking future rather than sitting down and just enjoying him, like deeply enjoying him.

14:40 And there's this thing called the Westminster Catechism. It was written, I think, in the 1600s or something like that. But it says the first thing is that the chief aim of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. It was when the Church of England and the Church of Scotland wanted to just come together more and say, okay, what do we really agree on? What is this about? And they said, you know what the chief aim of man is? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And so often my chief aim can be accomplishment and growing something, building something. But it was like the Holy Spirit just slowing me down. because I was a little stressed. Like I was thinking, man, I took a couple days off this week. You know, we took the kids up to the snow and I didn't get anything done.

15:32 And so, you know what, Sunday, I'm going to hit it hard. And I was like, no, you know what? Just calm down and just enjoy Him. Like right now. Like He is the I am. And we're always thinking future. What am I going to do tomorrow? All the things I got to get done before I go to bed tonight. We're thinking future and God is right here, right now. He's the I am. And just to enjoy Him and go, God, are you kidding me right now? Okay, I'm in a room right now with people who love you. Some of you, man, we've got some deep relationship over time. And I love just being with some of you who have the same mindset in the heart. Some of you pastors that we've been working together, trying to minister to people together. It's like, man, this is so good what you've built, God. And I get to enjoy this right now and enjoy you. I mean, that's got to be first. It's got to stay first.

16:28 When is the last time you were just alone with God and you just wanted to look at Him in the face? just to tell him how much you love him and say, God, I don't need anything in return. I am just so wanting to tell you, I still can't believe you sent your son to die for me. I still can't believe that I am a part of the body of Christ. I can't believe I'm attached to you right now and you're inside of me. like this is who we want to be. This is what he wants his church to be known for, is people who just love being in the presence of God. This morning when we were standing on that cliff, I was like, man, think about that sun that is 93 million miles away, and we can't stare at it or we'll go blind. It's 93 million miles away and I can't look at it. And I'm going, God, what are you like? The one who shines brighter than the sun? I can't even look at that thing that is 93 million miles away. And yet you created it.

17:53 You shine more brightly than that. And I'm attached to you. There's no way. and then just to go, God, and you made a way, you sacrificed so that I could know you and be one with you. Like that's got to be the joy of your life. I mean, I've been praying for you that all the earthly pleasures and everything you pursue just feels so ridiculous compared to knowing him. Okay, so as we pursue the Holy Spirit, which is so honoring to him, and eagerly pursue these gifts. It's so honoring to him. Let's just make sure we're always seeking him first, that we seek him more than the gifts.

18:37 The second question I have for those of you who are really wanting a spiritual gift and to have your spiritual gift being used, I want to ask you this. do you want a spiritual gift because you want a spiritual gift or do you want a spiritual gift because you love us This is huge. Do you look around this room? Do you get in that home on Sunday mornings and just think, God, I really deeply love these people. And you say there's a way that I can bless them.

19:32 Like, I really love them. And I want to impart something. Is that why you want a spiritual gift? Or is it just a cool thing to think, whoa, that would be cool to prophesy. Whoa, that would be cool to heal someone. Whoa, that would be cool to be whatever it is. Because the Bible says to each one has been given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good.

20:03 That's why they were given. You look around this room and you go, man, I love these people. that's why I was praying this morning I was thinking about some of your faces and I'm going God I really do love them and I want to protect them and I want to teach in such a way that they can see the things of the earth man I don't want those things to tempt them I want them to find so much pleasure in you like that's why I teach that's why I wanted this time is oh I just want I want to protect you man I want you enjoying him And of course, I'd love to feel the Holy Spirit flowing through me, using me. I'd love to do a miracle, whatever. I'd love to teach in a miraculous way where things are happening in your heart and changing.

20:55 But more than that, the Bible says that's why it has 1 Corinthians 13 in between 12 and 14. When it's talking about the gifts on either side of in the middle, He goes, I got to make sure you understand the center of all of this. He says, it doesn't matter if I speak in tongues. I can speak every language on earth and in heaven. If I don't have love, I'm just making noise. I'm like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. He goes, I don't care if I have faith to move mountains. He goes, I don't care if I have so much faith that I'm starting to give everything over to the poor. if it's not out of love, it doesn't profit me anything.

21:39 See, Jesus' desire was in John 13, and this is a big reason why we have our churches the way we do. You know, Jesus in John 13, he says this, verse 34, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

22:17 That was another concern of mine in the way that I did church in the past was like there was no one anothering going on. It was just a guy up here, like this was just our church every Sunday. One guy talking and then everyone listening. And yet everything I see in scripture is about one another. And here Jesus says, look, I'm about to give you a new commandment.

22:43 He already told them that they're supposed to love one another. But he goes, I want you to love one another just as I have loved you. Think about this. think about the depth of love that he wants us to have for one another he says I want you to do it the way that I loved you what did Jesus do for you he went to the cross And I just felt like so often times we can look at each other like as obligations.

23:22 You know, like, I have to love you. But it's just kind of like, let's just try to have a church that doesn't fight too much. And that's not what God was after. He says, I'm giving you a command. I want you to love each other just as I've loved you. That's difficult. And that's why in a group like this, even, and we're not that big. I don't know how people are gone today, but even this is, it's, I, I can't love you all to that. I can try or whatever, you know, but it's just, it's just too many people. But that's why we wanted to get in smaller gatherings where we go, you know what? Let's put this kind of love on display where we make sure everyone's needs are taken care of. But when we come into a gathering, is this your goal? Do you go, you know what?

24:20 With this, some of you are jumping into some new gatherings. We're starting a couple churches in the East Bay. We're starting another one out here. And we're just, but others of you are going to continue on with your same church for a little while longer before you multiply. And we can kind of lose focus of what's the goal. The goal is not just to get together a couple of times a week. According to Jesus, the goal is, God, do a miracle in me where I walk into a room and I don't think about me at all. I just think, God, I want to look at each person completely selflessly and just think to myself, how can I bring the most life to that person right now? Okay?

25:13 Where you walk into this room and you go, God, whoever I encounter, give me this ability to just bring life to them. You know? With nothing in return, without an expectation, okay, because then they're going to give it back to me. You know? And then I'm going to get this pleasure. No, no, no. Or they're going to thank me. later for this. No, that's not, that's not it. That's not what Christ did it for. Think he says, I want you to love each other just as I've loved you. When's the last time? Think about this. You look someone in the eyes and all you thought about was them. You thought, how can I bring the greatest amount of joy to that person right now? How can I just give so much life?

26:09 How can I be this giver to that person? Because again, man, our minds are conditioned to consumerism. We're just used to, what have you done for me? I didn't get enough of this from you. And that's not Jesus. Is that what he came on the earth to do? It's like, no, he came and just thought, I want to give. I'll give my life. And there he says, follow that example. Do that for one another. He came down there in that context of John 13. He was washing their feet and going, I don't even want you to wash my feet in return. He goes, just wash each other's feet. You want to bless me, take care of each other. And that's why he said to Peter, you love me? Go feed my sheep. Go take care of one another.

27:03 And so as we pursue the gifts, are you pursuing the gifts? Do you want a gift because you want a gift? or do you want a gift because you love the church? It's a big, big difference. See, again, there are so many churches out there that are known for so many different things, right? They're known as the brilliant church, the hipster church, the great music church, the ones with, you know, spiritual gifts church, the one that's very heady and you'll learn something church, the outreach church. I don't want to be known as the house church church or the, you know, the pursuing the gifts church. That we want to be known by our love because Jesus says, by this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. I mean, I try to rack my brain years ago thinking, do I know of a single church that's known for their love for one another?

28:06 Like that's what they're known for. Oh, my gosh, this church, they care for each other so well. People walk in and they are just thinking others, others, others all the time. Don't you want to become that? Like, that's what Jesus wanted. I'm thinking, wait, that's what Jesus asked for. And yet I can't think of a single church like that. Like, can we become that? That's up to us as individuals. That's up to me. I wake up and I usually wake up thinking about me. It's very natural. But we're saying, Holy Spirit, do something supernatural in me. Where I wake up and all I want to do is give to others. Because I've been so filled up by you. We want to be known as lovers of God and lovers of each other. That's what Jesus wanted.

29:00 Those were the greatest commands. And so whenever you're doing a self-evaluation of where am I at in life, don't just jump to whatever sin issue you've been struggling with. You know, that prevailing one that keeps coming back and go, OK, I haven't been lusting too much or I haven't. No, go back to these greatest commands. Do I love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind? You know, when I look at my life going, oh, am I just a lover of Jesus? Because that's what I want to be known as. I want that to be number one. And then am I known as a lover of people and loving the church? The people in the church go, oh, I love when he's around. Because he always gives me life.

29:45 She always just encourages me. Like, those should be at the top of the list. Okay? and the gifts are a means of getting there. You know, saying, God, I just want a gift because I love these people. I don't know what it is. Sure, I'd love to do a miracle. That'd be fun. But the biggest thing is I want to love you and I want to love these people. And the last thing I wanted to caution us on, and it's not perfectly symmetrical because I just don't do that well, is I just got to ask, have you been studying and trembling over his written word?

30:32 Okay, and I say this because there's a concern I have with churches that pursue prophecy. A lot of times it becomes a laziness where we just want to hear a word from God rather than really take the time to study what he's already written. And how can we ever discern if something we think we heard from the Lord is really from the Lord unless we really know this book? And the other thing is, it's not just the laziness, but it can almost cheapen God's word, where we get excited to possibly hear someone who has a prophecy, and we don't get excited about this book. I mean, the Bible says that these words in this book have a life to themselves. We can be sure that these are, you know how sometimes when you think, I think God might have said something to me.

31:33 Like that's kind of the best you can do, I think. And yet with his written word, we're going, okay, I know this is true. And you got to understand this is so key in this day and age because we live in a time when so many people trust their own hearts, their thoughts, their feelings, their opinions. but we as Christians are saying, no, I trust God's words. Even when it goes against my feelings, your feelings, all of our opinions, scripture says, let God be true though every man a liar. If he said something and it's written in this book, the Bible says these words are living and active and they're sharper than a two-edged sword. Like somehow reading the words of this book, Man, there's a power in it. Jesus says in John 6, 63, he says, the flesh is of no help at all. It's the spirit who gives life.

32:31 And he says, in these words that I speak to you are spirit and life. He says, okay, so all your opinions, you trying to talk your friend into following Jesus, your whole plan to try to convince someone to walk away from their sin, there's, you really don't help the matter. He says, it's the spirit that gives life. The flesh is of no help. Your plans really don't help. And yet he says, and these words I speak, they're actually life. These words themselves are spirit and life. He says about his word in John, I mean, in Isaiah 55, he says, you know how he says, my thoughts aren't your thoughts. My ways aren't yours. You see the heavens up there. See the stars. That's where my thoughts are and yours are way down there somewhere. And then he says right after that, he talks about how his word is kind of like the rain when it comes down.

33:29 It doesn't just bounce off the earth and go back up into the sky. It comes down. I don't know what it does. It gets on the seed and it sprouts. It waters things. But it accomplishes something in that dirt. It doesn't just disappear. And he goes, that's the way my word works. When you speak it, it doesn't just bounce off of people and disappear. He goes, my word doesn't return to me void. And so I want to make sure that we as a church value his written word because there's so much power in this. And I've seen churches that pursue prophetic words suddenly be so into, I think I heard God say this, I think I heard God say that. And that's wonderful. We want to pursue that, but not at the expense of making this like some secondary book. Okay, this is where the power is.

34:26 This is what we have confidence in. How else can we discern what people say, whether it's of God, unless we know this book? And so I just want to make sure that we don't cheapen God's word and that we're also careful. This is the last thing that goes along with that one. when we say, hey, I think God said something to me, let's be very careful. I mean, we want you to pursue that, but let's be careful how we express that because you don't want to come up to someone. I've had people do this where they'll say, you know, hey, Peter, the Lord told me, you know, you're supposed to go do this. what do you do with that?

35:20 You know? I remember there was one girl in our old church, I remember that, with Mary, someone came up to her and said, hey, God told me I'm going to marry you. And she's like, she ran to Lisa like, what do I do? He didn't tell me that. You know, like, I mean, what do you do when someone says, this is what the Lord told me? You know? We just have to be so careful. You know, like, let's be careful in our verbiage because you can actually hurt someone's faith if you say, hey, the Lord told me tomorrow this is going to happen to you. You better be sure that was the Lord if you're going to say that. Because what if tomorrow comes and the thing that you thought the Lord said was going to happen didn't happen? that can harm someone's faith.

36:15 But there's other ways to say things, to just say, hey, test this. I'm not sure, but here's something. As I was praying, this came to my mind. I don't know what's of God. Maybe it may, maybe not. Let me just say it to you and see if it does anything. You know? And I love that humility and that reverence for God's word. in saying, look, this, when I read from this book, I can say this is what God said. When I think the Lord said something to me, I go, hey, I think, okay, test this. I'm not sure, but let me just throw it at you because as I was praying for you, this thought came to my mind. Please, I am not saying I know this is of God. I just want to be faithful to share it in case it was. There's so many ways to say this.

37:08 Let's just be cautious. Because I was reading in Jeremiah chapter 23, verse like, I can't see verses because my eyes don't work. I think it's 16. He says, thus says the Lord of hosts, do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. THEY SAY CONTINUALLY TO THOSE WHO DESPISE THE WORD OF THE LORD, IT SHALL BE WELL WITH YOU. AND TO EVERYONE WHO STUBBORNLY FOLLOWS HIS OWN HEART, THEY SAY NO DISASTER SHALL COME UPON YOU. SO GOD SAYS, DON'T LISTEN TO THESE PROPHETS WHO PROPHESY LIES. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST FOLLOW YOUR HEART.

38:01 YOU KNOW, LOOK, I DIDN'T TELL THEM TO SAY THAT. HE SAYS LATER ON, 25-ISH, I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat, declares the Lord? Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another. Behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their tongues and declares, declares the Lord.

39:04 Behold, I'm against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the Lord, who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness. When I did not send them or charge them, so they do not profit this people at all, declares the Lord. You know, he's just saying, God in heaven's like, man, because there's people on the earth. Everyone's quick to state their opinion and say, this is of God. This is truth. And God is very against that. We need to hold his word in high regard and be very, very careful and treat his word as sacred. And so as we pursue prophecy, there's a way that he says eagerly desire this. Like my desire is to speak for God. That's what prophecy means. You're speaking on behalf of God. And so that means I study this word and I come to you with a word from the word of God.

40:01 And if I think I got something extracurricular or whatever you want to call it, you know, that that's outside of this, I better test it against this book. And I better be cautious because I don't want to be one of those guys that's prophesying a lie to you. Say, oh, just stay in that relationship. Oh, this is OK. God doesn't mind that anymore. God is so against people like that. And we just don't want to be that. And so there has to be a way. The answer is not being so afraid of the abuse of the gifts that we don't eagerly pursue the gifts. Because it's commanded. But as we do this, number one, let's make sure we seek the giver and enjoy him more than what he gives us, more than what he does through us. We just love him.

40:53 and make sure that our desire for the gifts is out of a love for the people in our church. That we just say, God, teach me how to walk into a gathering with pure love, not trying to get anything from anyone, but just seeking to give. I mean, when he says we want to love like Jesus, he gave it all. so with that um does that make sense i mean that doesn't dampen anything right it's just saying gosh i want this i'm pursuing the gifts i'm going god i want any gift i can get but it's because i love you and i want to somehow be a better lover of people and bring them close to God.

41:53 Loving you doesn't mean drawing you to me. You know, it's drawing you to Him. And somehow, how can I just get people to focus on Him? God, use my gift because you're the greatest gift. And if somehow you can use me to get people close to you, that's all I want to do in life. And then I want to be out of here and I don't want them to remember my name. I just want them to think about you. That's the goal in all of this. And so with that, I think what I'd love to do is just have a time of worship to God again. You know, just some time of singing. And where you take your mind off of anything that you want from him. And there's a time for that. I'm not saying that's what we always do.

42:45 but I just thought tonight what God may be calling us to do is just a time where we just seek him and the goal isn't for you to leave with a good feeling but the goal is, Lord, I just want to minister to you. I want you to be blessed. You know, you ever, you know, I think about we just got back from, you know, three days in the snow with the kids And, you know, I just, it's just fun to just go, gosh, I'm going to figure out how to give them the best time ever. You know, I don't care about me right now. If I can see a smile on their faces, you know, and so I took Zeke and Ellie snowboarding. And but I kind of screwed up because it was on a day where it was a blizzard. and their just first run of the day, one of them was actually crying because he was so cold and, you know, and I'm just like, okay, you're going to wear my goggles.

43:50 We're going to buy you a handkerchief over your face. You're going to wear my beanie and I'll just go cold, you know, and I'll just wear my glasses, you know, I'll just wear your glasses. Give me your stuff because I want you to be happy, you know. Like, I didn't care. I don't, it makes me happy to see you happy, you know? And so, yeah, I'm a little colder, and yeah, I actually wanna wear that mask, and I actually wanna wear those goggles, and I wanna wear that beanie, but it's, I wanna see you guys happy, you know? And can we be that way with the Lord right now? to say, Lord, all I want to do is glorify you. I want to bless you. I want to kiss your feet. I want to minister to you and bless you by the way I sing to you right now from my heart.

44:50 He's a real person. So let's just work hard. Holy Spirit help us get over ourselves right now. Help us just to focus on the one who's already given us so much. Not to ask for more. God we just want a pure heart right now.

45:15 We just want him to be pleased. Jesus did so much for us and God we get so selfish and we want, we just want to forget ourselves, Lord, but we need your power to do that. Just to sing songs from the heart. Regardless of how we feel afterwards, we may be exhausted afterwards, but as long as you're blessed by it, that's all we want to care about right now. In Jesus' name.