October 23, 2022 - Honour One Another

Gone. There comes up right away. Wow. Well, good to see so many. New faces. I haven't met everyone. I'll meet you later and it's good to see everyone else. I haven't seen in awhile and it was that I see every week. Thank you for being here cuz without you this is me talking to emptiness and we've gone through Cove. And we've done that. And that's no fun at all. Like, it's it's, it's better that you're here. And I really, I really, really, really appreciate you. I appreciate Rick saying that Autumn is here because I've had to stop seeing all because people assume I'm talking about the end of civilization. So I'm just using Autumn now and just, that's a good way to go.

Have you ever found it difficult to honor? Someone

Congrat, if you haven't, you haven't lived long enough to know, that is a follower of Christ, we need to honor all people. And that's a tough call.

It doesn't mean that we don't confront things that hurt others or hurt ourselves.

And this week I couldn't get around 15, I kept on having. So we're going to take some time to explore it here.

You know, Jesus cleared, the temple, cleanse, the temple twice.

We we are the synoptic gospels. Matthew Mark and Luke put it at the end of his ministry. The final Passover, And we'll look at that in a moment. But I believe like, John puts it at the start of his ministry. Another thing about John John is is probably the last gospel written. I think it was written after the Book of Revelation for a couple of reasons. Number one, John was given the revelation of Jesus Christ and the church he was at the church of Ephesus was told if they don't return to their first love, they were going to get wiped out. And if you do a word study for love and Matthew, Mark and Luke and then do richly for love and John John, it's it's it's like triple the amount of times John talks about love than the other Gospels. And so I think John wrote it afterwards to fill in the gaps that are missing like he tells stories that the other gospels don't tell. He lets us know about things that the other Riders left out. Like for example he was John was faster than Peter to the tomb. Only John tells us that

Jesus. John was the disciple that Jesus loved then again, that's only John, that tells us that

He only talks about miracles, some specific miracles in the specific way, he talks, he lets us know that Jesus actually cleanse the temple twice. The other gospels are focused on the end. Especially Mark, Mark is all about passion. and we know Matthew and Luke got a lot of their details from Mark, Mark was the earliest gospel

But John wanted us to be sure to know, he did it twice.

At the start.

She takes the time to Fashion a whip.

And he goes in and starts, clearing out, the ones who were in the court of the Gentiles, who were money changers in selling animals for Slaughter. No, history tells us that it was Caiaphas the high priest of the time, Jesus was alive. He was the one in a little 38D that that allowed in the court of the Gentiles to be used for Commerce.

Jesus seemed to disagree with that. And he went in there and he cleared it, and it was more like he had a whip, it was it was more violent. But his words were different. John record his words, as as this, John 2:16, then going over to the people who sold the she told them get these things out of your stop. Turning my father's house into a Marketplace, It was about Caiaphas is policy to allow. The court of the Gentiles to the court of the Gentiles was a place. They only place the Gentiles could go to get as close to God as they think that's as closest to God as they could get.

We weren't allowed into the temple and weren't allowed into the court of the women. They weren't allowed into the holy of holies. They weren't had to stay out there but that was a closest part

and,

Jesus wasn't confronting an ancient custom, but a new practice introduced by the high priest.

A Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded what happens in the final week and it's a little bit different. Quite a bit different.

Mark tells us that after the triumphal entry. Jesus goes and looks around and sees the temple, and then they go back to Bethany because It's 4:00 in the afternoon and it's getting late.

Then.

The next day on the way back to the temple now. Mark has it that Jesus curse the fig tree.

And then they went to the temple. And Jesus started pushing tables over of the money changers and flipping the chairs over of the ones who sold doves now. Listen to his language Mark, 1117 says he said to them. The scripture declares my temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. What you've turned it into a den of Thieves harsher language. He's doing this on the Passover that he needed, he was going to die on.

It was more aggressive than the first time it was intentional. It was strategic, it was to make a point. It wasn't enough for the Romans to come and come in force and put down the Rebellion. That's significant right? When Jesus came in the triumphal entry, the Romans were like, get your feet or the, the, the the Jews were saying and I get your people to be quiet. So, the Romans don't come and shut us down.

The next day when he comes in.

He upset everybody. Like he turned the heat turned over the tables and end, it wasn't enough for the Romans to come, but it was enough for him to get killed.

Mark 11:15 to 60 just before that. It says when we arrive back in Jerusalem Jesus entered the temple, that's where they the next day, after he curse the Fig Tree, Jesus enter the temple and begin to drive all people buying and selling animal. Sacrifices, he knocked over the tables of the money-changers and the chairs are blue selling. And he stopped everyone from using the temple as a Marketplace. Money changers were

You needed to pay your temple tax in a coin that didn't have a God or an emperor who was called a God on the back, right? It makes sense. They were necessary that they needed to be there or somewhere around there. So that people who are coming from all over the Roman Empire who were Jews who had to pay the temple tax, they could get it in the proper point hitch. It was also the temple. Coinage was pure silver, so, okay, but you no money. Changing today, when you go on a trip, You got things on the fees going and get things done. If he's coming back it was so much worse in the temple. People were making money off the backs of people who needed to pay the temple tax in the in that certain coin. The one selling dogs, specifically doves are the offering of the people who could not afford a sheep or cattle, they were the offering of the disenfranchised. They didn't have anything that they could do and Jesus, specifically sad. Get out of here you thieves. They were ripping people off. It was intentional. It was strategic.

I know this has nothing to do with anything, but listen to, I would Matthew mention to Matthew 21 14.

After he says, my temple will be called a House of Prayer, but you've turned it into a den of Thieves, verse 14, the Blind. And the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them.

Oh man, I've never preached on that before. I've never, I've never seen that before. Like that's Jesus, like, let's go take off the people who are taking off a couple and then let's do God's work, right?

Matthew goes on to say in 15 to 17 the leading Priests of the teachers of the religious law. I saw these wonderful Miracles and heard even the children in the temple shouting. Praise God, for the son of David with the leaders were indignant. They asked Jesus to hear what these children are saying. And yes, Jesus replied. Haven't you ever read scriptures for? They will be called before they say you have taught children and infants to give you praise and then he returned to Bethany where he stayed the night. Now, Luke makes it clear that all of these events, the triumphal entry, the coming back the next day and flipping over tables. The Miracles that were taking place. Look at with how Luke describes what happens next. This is Luke 19:27.

47 it says, after that he taught the Ali in the temple, but the leading priests and teachers of the religious law, and other leaders of the people began planning, how to kill him. but they could not think of it, but they could think of nothing because all the people hung on his every word he said,

That's why they needed someone to betray him.

Get them when no one else is around.

So Jesus cleared them out with a whip at the start of his ministry and now at the end of them in his ministry, he returns on a donkey and they lay palm branches and down. I'm coats and they come the next day and start flipping tables and start killing people, and confronts the ones who want to confront him and and and why would I start a message on how to honor one another with this?

Because I don't want us to ever forget.

Our greatest honor belongs to God.

Our greatest hits not on.

Our greatest honor belongs to God.

If we think all we do is we need to honor each other and honor all people. We think it's okay to keep our mouths shot the shot When sin is all around us.

And please don't think.

I'm not, I want to be really careful on this, because I think the biggest problem we have in the church as we don't confront sin in ourselves.

We don't honor each other by asking the tough questions to say, listen.

I don't see Jesus in your life in this area.

Is Jesus lord of this in your life.

And I think we need to understand that that as we honor one another, we don't excuse things that hurt us and things that hurt each other. We can't.

When were talking about seeing the end in our nation and outside the realm of of the church, like not outside the realm of the church, but you know what I'm saying? Like, in the church, we need to judge each other. We need to, we need to love each other and judge each other and and walk with each other cuz we need each other.

And I don't think it's for us to stand up in the world and point fingers.

but, I do think it's for us to be strategic and intentional when God tells us to do something.

When it's God that's telling us when he quickens that in our life for us to do.

We need to be intentional. We need to be strategic.

We better be ready to heal people and show him love.

The question I had was how was Jesus honoring people honoring others, when he cleansed the temple.

And I realize the better question is who was Jesus? Honoring

Jesus only did what he saw the father, do he only did said what he heard the father say,

If it ticked off Jesus, it took off the father. The fact that they were where the only place Gentiles could draw near to God.

Was. Co-opted by Crooks and criminals.

Something needed to be done.

He did it at the start of his ministry and they came back. So we did it again, just so he could be killed.

Jesus was on God's timetable. And it was that Passover. He needed to die.

His ministry was over 3 years. The first one, he cleanses the temple. The second year, we think he was up in Galilee, we know he was up in Galilee. We think he was walking on water and feeding the 5000. From that time.

Galilee was as far away from Jerusalem, you get and still be around the Jewish people.

Remember, John was saying that. Jesus's brothers, were kind of walking him that first.

Passover saying that if you're really something you should be in Jerusalem. And Jesus didn't go with the crowds. He came leader and started the glaring that anyone thirsty drink. I'm a Lambo. What I did, anyway. I forget what he said. I wouldn't read that part but it's good.

As I studied for this message, it was a tough message to get through, which means it's going to be a good one for you. but I was thinking,

Is cleansing of the temple was on the spur of the moment than you. Oh, so you know it wasn't it was intentional, it was pretty chick. And by the way, do you know sin isn't anchor is sin, anchor isn't sin,

The Bible tells us don't sin in your anger.

There's a huge difference there.

It is kind of we've done with it like what we've done with drinking we say, okay, the Bible Bible, never tells you not to drink. All told Timothy to have a little bit of wind up your stomach.

The command in scripture is don't get drunk. And so we in North America have said well, that means you can't drink.

We've been the same thing with anger. Anger can lead to all kinds of sin. It's not sin.

and so what we've done is, we've men if you want to be more spiritual act like women,

We have.

You want to be spiritual Meek and Mild?

The world needs Men, Christian men to stand up and speak truth and speak truth in love.

And it needs strong Christian, ladies to stand up and speak truth and speak the truth in love.

We're not talking about. That's what they were talking about. What we need to do for each other. It's love one another.

It's okay to be offended by what offends God because what offends God? Is what hurts us or hurt others. Scene is insane because God's offendable Sin is Sin because it hurts us or hurt others. And we can go through any send you want to say. And I can show you how it hurts us and hurt others.

where to confront sent we don't Confront opinions that differ from us. Okay. We don't get offended at at people who have different opinions than us, but if it's in,

You need wisdom. What does it mean to confront sin? It's not pointing your finger. It's not demanding change. they might be demanding change, I don't know, but it it's not

Let's deal with this seminar, these are here.

We want to have those conversations and relationship as much as possible when we need to confront sin. Because we need to speak the truth in love, we need to we need to be able to honor people in those conversations.

listen, there comes a time where we might need to excommunicate somebody And what that is, you're handing people over to Satan, so they're taught not to blaspheme. And you can do that. While still honoring that person. You can do that. if you can do that in love, it's really a It is something we can do in love.

Anyway. Who are we to honor? It's easy for us to honor the honorable. We come by it naturally to do the steam those worthy of respect. Specifically the Bible tells us, we honor our parents, where the honor our wife, we're on our windows were honor, one another and we're to honor all people and kings and everyone in Authority, either. Just going to love to everybody in. No problem is these people may not be worthy of honor.

Peter went on to talk about Kings and all of this already that kitten he was writing about was the one that they killed him.

You may have people who should be worthy of honor but they treat you without honor.

Our prime minister is labeled My Views as extremist. And I still need to honor him.

I don't know the exact boot it. Something about Evangelical. Christians are the worst kind of Canadians or something.

I need, but it's tough for me. Not to share the means and not too sure the Articles and not destroy the opinion pieces but I've been trying really hard. God is dealing with me on this. Because I need to honor him and I don't want his job. I don't want like I can't imagine anyone doing that kind of leadership without it costing so much from them.

it's tough to honor people who've chosen to treat you dishonorably even if they are your parents or even if they are These are your spouse store.

It's also easier easier to see the dishonorable the closer we are to them.

The closer we are to someone, the more we see their faults, the more we see how imperfect they are.

Jesus said that only in his hometown is a prophet without honor.

Only those who are closest to you, who know you best will not give you a chance to redeem your past actions.

That's just really matter. That's a great question. I'm glad you asked. yes, it matters because

one of the one another commands in scripture is for us to honor one another above ourselves, Romans 12:10.

And we live in a world where conversation can devolve into an argument. And even the most trivial statements people have passionately have people passionately fighting for and against it. Have you been on social media anytime soon? Lately. I used to just enjoy being on Twitter. I've seen Miracles take place on Twitter but that was before when it was a conversation and you know, I would just put out a tweet saying I'm here to pray if anyone wants prayer and then we saw Beavers break-in babies. We saw one person, they lost a check and it actually came back in the mail to them. Like it's just crazy stuff. But now, what's happened? Hooters become a shouting match. and it's whoever can pile on the most

and we're supposed to honor at 4.

People are offended and highly offended will lend, and not just in the world in my lifetime. It it's also been in the church.

and if we're honest,

I think most of us would say, at least in the last two years. I will say it, you don't have to agree, but I am more easy to get ticked off. I guess the term this around is, I get triggered by

much easier now that we've gone through poop at and try to come up the other end and then before Have you driven in Edmonton lately? These people

I was driving from the north end to the South side at 5 on Friday. Yeah, everywhere, I could go, there was both Construction in an accident. There was no way for me to go. So they weren't saying about the end days. Okay, I'll take that and a yes. What? Pending it was down to two lanes, instead of 6 and they funnel everyone in two lanes and it's like, it took me an hour and a half to go, 20 minutes. Anyway. God bless.

People were pulling out just to get two cars in front. The pass on the side just to get it. It's like what are you

God bless him. God bless.

We need to honor one another above ourselves. So what does that look like? And how can we practically do that? I'm going to get very very practical for us now. Action, not yet. I got some videos to show you there.

Jesus honored his disciples. He really did even when they did really stupid things, and they're really inappropriate things.

In John 15, 12 3. Jesus said that he don't have that 10. I am the True Vine and my father is the vine keeper. Every branch and me that does not produce fruit. Be removed, any prunes, every branch that produces fruit, so they will not produce. So it'll produce more fruit. You are clean because of the word I've spoken to you. Basically what Jesus is saying there is that to his disciples is. I've cleaned you, I've dreamed you along the way. I've just I've seen that Branch coming off the vine and I've seen it go there and I've just just trimmed it there and trimmed it there. Let's look at a few of these trimmings. Okay this is a good one at the time that

James and John. Oh, that won't read this. What it will just watch the video here. James and John want to call down fire on Heaven on the Samaritan. Let's watch that clip from.

Are you cooking place? Could you just re-register wanted to get a few things up? If that's okay. By all means from home to you too, Jewish, greeting for you

Clifton.

You filthy dogs, I said quiet.

What's the temperature in Des Moines. We knew we couldn't trust these people. We shouldn't have come here in the first place.

Why do you think I have to work next field? What was I trying to teach you?

12. You think it was just to be more helpful? Better farmers.

Supposed to show you that what we're doing here would last for Generations.

What I told Bettina at the well and what she then told so many others, it's sowing seeds. That would have a lasting impact for lifetimes. Can you not see what's happening here? These people that you hate so much on believing in me without even seeing miracles. It's a message, the truth and forgiving them. You're going to get in the way of that because a few people from a region. You don't like or means that they are not worthy but you're so much better. You're more worried, you're not. That's the whole point.

It's why I'm here.

I'm sorry.

As We Gather others. I need to buy a shoes away.

The Bahamas.

We will.

You wanted to use the power of God. Bring down fire. Burn these people up.

When it sounds a lot worse. When you say that way.

I'd like a storm on the sea.

Come on.

Thunder exploding out of your chest to temperature.

But I'm going to call you from now on. James and John the sons of thunder.

Yeah, I think they did a good job that the scripture actually says, Jesus rebuked them. We don't know what he said, but we know it was a trim. Just a cut.

James and John didn't quite learned that whole thing there. Because another time they came and asked Jesus favor. Let's Play that video clip. This is a different James and John, the sons of Zebedee to Jesus. And I will, you do us a favor, Jesus asked them what they wanted. And I answered when you come into your glory, please, let one of us. Sit at your right side and the other at you left, Jesus told them, you don't really know what you're asking. Are you able to drink from the cop that I must soon drink from or be baptized? As I must be baptized. Yes, we are James and John answered when Jesus replied. You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must, but it isn't for me to say who will sit at my right side and my left that is for God to decide when the other disciples heard this angry with James and John. But Jesus told the disciples together and said, you know, that those foreigners who call themselves Kings like, to order their people around and they greatly does have full power over the people, they rule, but don't act like them. If you want to be the right, you must be the servant of all the others. And if you want to be first, you must be everyone's life. The son of man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.

The greatest among you will be servant of all.

The last one I want to show you his clip about Thomas and I think Thomas has been mislabeled as doting. Thomas if you if you read.

The rest like Thomas was the one when Jesus resolutely set his face towards Jerusalem. He said, let's go and die with him. Thomas was in the doubter as much as he was a realist. And so when he said, unless I see his hands and put my hand in his side, he was literally saying, unless the Jesus of history is the Christ of Faith believe. And I think that's a legitimate question. I think we all need to understand that the Jesus the Christ of faith is that uses of history and if he's not he's not worth while away. But anyway, watch this last night.

One of the 12 disciples Thomas called the twin was not with them when Jesus came.

So, the other disciples killed him. We have seen the Lord. Can I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those cars in my hand in his side? I will not believe.

Play some of the disciples were together again indoors and Thomas was with him. But Jesus scream.

Peace be with you. Put your finger here and look at my ass.

Reach out your hand and put it in my side.

Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who believe without seeing me.

In his disciples presents. Jesus performed. Many other Miracles which are not written down in this book. For these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. And look through your faith in him, you may have life.

So Jesus trimdon with his words, right? Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe?

Jesus cleanse them, he clean them. He trim them with his word.

And the good news is he cleanses us as well with his word. You and I can become less offended and less offendable when we spend time in his word and in his presence when we let his word, read us when we hear what he tells us and Obey what he tells us to do.

So the question is, have you been spending time in this word? Have you been letting his word read you? Have you been spending time in his presence?

I find when I'm not doing that. It's often because I'm offended him and I need to go and confess and repent. And say God I I want to, I need you to trim.

Now.

That's not even the point of the message today. I just thought we would do it so that Holy Spirit can use it to kind of trim. Something in all of us movie,

Now, we're its upward to the message. Yay. How to how to honor one another.

The.

Is Holy Spirit, that enables us to honor all people we can't do it without Holy Spirit. Supernaturally doing it in us, we can't honor one another without the help of Holy Spirit to he needs heat, we need to allow him to help us to forgive and to bless and and we need we need him, okay?

Are we at the older? One another tool you find on your sheet here have used the word to listen. now, the challenge for us is that we talk in about 225 words a minute and your mind thinks that about 500 Words a minute,

so, As I'm pausing here your mind is filling up. Those 275 words with other thoughts.

The good news is. We were talking about listening to somebody else. You don't have to learn how to pay attention when you're actually paying attention. You know, it's not about leaning forward. It's not about you. No engaging, and smiling, and nodding, and reflecting back. Those are things you naturally do when you're paying attention.

And the better news is I'm going to give you a list. Listen is how many 66 things you can do. If you do one of these things, just one you're going to have better conversations. Starting next time you have a conversation.

So you're going to listen, you're going to learn to be present, you're going to ignore pontification. You're going to Segway with open questions. You're going to turn into Holy Spirit, you're going to enjoy the interaction and you're going to nurture amazement. So, let's get into that right now. Learn to be present, Romans 12:10. Says love one another with genuine affection and take Delight in honoring each other. when you're having a conversation with somebody, whether it's in the church or outside the church, what be present in that conversation. So it means don't have your phone out, turn off notifications, don't be walking down the hallway. Saying, I still hear you cuz if your mind is on something else you need to do, you're not actually listening. If you're if you can reschedule reschedule, if you don't have time, if you mind is too full right now to actually listen just say can we do this another time and reschedule and keep that, okay.

Question, you can ask yourself as can I be present for this conversation? And if the answer is no reschedule, okay?

You do that one thing you're going to have better conversations because you're going to be honoring the other person. I had. Pastors are the absolute worst for this. I go for coffee with pastors. I did before covid and man. I've had those conversations when their phone keeps on beeping in the old just one second. Just got to check that. It's like why am I here like really why am I here?

Be present in your conversations. That means turning on the TV. If that means turning off the phone, if that means scheduling another time do it, you do that. One thing you're going to have better conversations going to be honoring each other more. The eye is ignore pontification. Pontification is preaching. Don't Preach at them. Proverbs 27 14 a loud and cheerful greeting. Early in the morning can be taken as a curse. What I'm trying to say there is just because you might know more than the other person talking.

Go with an attitude that you can learn anything.

People don't care about how much you know, until they know how much you care. So let them talk. It's, it's always. I mean, I've I've done it myself right. Like when I start talking about something and just I'm the world's expert and then I realize I am talking to an expert in this and it says like oh, shut up forever, but that it is it's more fun when people do it to me. And then it's like, oh well, Let me actually tell you anyway, but don't if you can ignore preaching and be there to. Listen, the tip is M, Scott pack said true, listening involves setting the side of one cell

So it's not about me having the right answer. It's not about me, responding correctly, you're hearing this conversation, it's I'm listening. To what they're trying to say. So the question we can ask ourselves is can I keep my mouth shut and let them speak?

The Essen. Listen, is the Segway with open questions. Ephesians 4:29 says, don't let don't use foul her abusive language. That should be given but I let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those near them or them. Have you ever noticed how many times Jesus in the gospels lead with questions?

John 16:32 tells of Jesus knew all things. And John 24 for twenty to twenty-four. And twenty-five says, he including a new people's parts. Is it new people's hearts? That wouldn't trust himself to them. But he still asked over three hundred questions in the gospels questions. Like, what do you want me to do? If you believe that I can do, you not understand? Why are you looking for me? What things are in your heart? How can you seek praise from one another? Not seek. The praise that comes from God. Stephen Covey has observed, that most people don't listen to the intent to understand. They listen with the intent to reply. And if you can stop doing that in your conversation, you're going to be having better conversations with people. You're going to be honoring them and it's going to be a better conversation. The tip here is understand that complicated questions. Bring simple answers. But simple questions, bring more thoughtful responses.

One of my jobs is I get to go into companies and

we basically just build relationship with people and then when life happens and they need to talk to someone, they can contact us 24/7 or available, but It's amazing. The conversations I have with people and it's simply knowing how to ask simple questions. If I ask a complicated one, I get one word answers back. It's, it's, it's the difference between saying how did you know, how do you feel or how did you feel rather than that must have terrified? How do you, how did you feel? Let them share with their their experience, let them get drawn into the conversation. Question you. Ask yourself is how can I draw them out?

How can I draw them out?

The tea is the tuning, the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 45. Since we are living by the spirit, let's follow the spirit leading and every part of our lives. How you do this if you get elected by compassion. You ask yourself and Holy Spirit. What does God love about them? As soon as you can ask that question, it can be a difficult conversation. You can be one. When someone is just letting you have it but if you can be present enough to ask the question to God, what do you love about them? Compassion gets activated and then you get to see them from God's point of view. And that passion, they're throwing your way. God loves that passion from Whenever Wherever coming from. And you can actually, you can change the conversation just by honoring the thing that God loves about them.

Who did the Holy Spirit? They can't do it without him, okay? He is enjoy the interaction. Romans 112 All rights when we get together. I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. That seems reasonable, right? People respond being heard. They respond to being seen. They they when they get Bella dated they will validate you when you bless others you get blessed. When you refresh others you get refreshed, its simple Kingdom mathematics. Okay? Tips you stay out of the weeds, you can pack check later. It's at let them be wrong.

I try not to repeat yourself. It's condescending in boring. They don't get it about it a different way. are the biggest tip, if you don't know, say you don't know Auction peachy.

We do a really good job of being a really good expert just because I saw that on Tik-Tok. Maybe it's just me.

I got to tell the story. Got time not even noon, my One of the guys I was talking to he was, he's a very nice guy. I've just never connected with him. And I am, I noticed his name somewhere and I said, how do you say that name? And he told me and I remembered, I knew that name from early on and I'm like,

I know people with that name but they didn't spell it that way. And then we went on to this whole town names change and all this other stuff, but you know, I left the conversation and then I was out having other conversations and it hit me. I knew those people when I was 2 years old, I have no way to know how they felt their name. And so I would go back to him and I say, listen, is there, do you have any relatives in cameras and he said his uncles and cousins and but and the tells me their name and I said, yeah, that I said, I think your uncle was my first Sunday school teacher. Superbly. And and so that was okay. Did then I got it was a couple weeks later, I was able to talk to Mom and figure out who these people were. And then next time I saw him, I said, listen, got to figure this out. My mom just told me her best friend. her best friend's sister married, your uncle I grew up with your cousins cousins. Like, We are family. And and and it was just, it was awesome. Because what, I mean, he was just going through some real stuff that needed unload and he needed that to be able to, trust me, to be able to share all the stuff he was caring. And it was, it was amazing cuz we've been friendly to each other for years, but just at the right time. But those connections together, it's it's just

What was that? It say, you don't know yet. So that I thought I knew how his name should have been spelled but then he's like, no, I would have no idea. And so, I went back and apologized in a hole in the lock. The question you can ask yourself this today seem to be enjoying this conversation.

If you can't tell, you're probably not present in the conversation.

And is nurture amazement 1st Thessalonians 5:11. So encourage each other and build each other up. Just as you've already been doing. You need to be teachable, you need to be brief. You need to be interested in the in the other person you meet be prepared to be amazed. Everybody can teach you something. And when you get on the topic that they're passionate about, you can hear them and validate them. And, and eventually in time, they want to hear from you.

Listen, I'm talking most of my examples I'm talking about reaching out to people, but what if we did this for each other? What if we honored each other this way? And just just we listen You guys are doing a great job. When we close the service, the service keeps on going. You just keep on talking and you start praying with each other and you start laughing with each other, and crying with each other, and don't don't give that up. Because God did not Jesus did not come and die and rise again so that you could come together and look at the back of someone else's head. We are here for each other. And if we can't see each other for a few weeks, when we get together, let's catch up. Let's listen.

Except for nurturing, amazement is seek to understand, not just to be understood.

Question you can ask yourselves is what have I learned and experienced?

I watch the. A Tik-Tok video by Celeste headlee and this is one of her quotes says it takes effort and energy to pay attention to someone. But if you can't do that, you're not in a conversation, you're just two people talking. Hope he really related sentence is in the same place.

Take the work. Take the effort. Stay engaged. Listen. When someone is speaking.

It opens up doors for you. To be heard as well.

So, learn to be present. Can I be present in this conversation? Ignore pontification. And I keep my mouth shut and let them speak Segway with open question, how can I draw them out? Tune in to Holy Spirit. What does God love about them? Enjoy the interaction. Do they seem to be enjoying the conversation? Nurture? Amazement, what have I learned and experienced? If you focus on just one of these things, you're going to start honoring each other more. Is one of these things are going to start having better conversation. And why don't you just try it out before we leave today?

But stand, I'm going to pray and I'm going to end with a blessing and then it will encourage you to spend some time listening to each other.

Heavenly father, I thank you so much.

Are you draw people together and place them in families just as you want them to be?

I think you got that none of us are here. Without you drawing us even today. the Lord if there is some way that we can bless each other and listen to them each other if there's some way that we can show, Love to each other. Your love each other. Holy Spirit, make us willing to do it. Holy spirit, Empower us to do it.

I think you got that people can leave here today completely change from the way they came in. I thank you. Lord. God, that is people. Listen and in this week here and is the path to Eternity, will be changed.

Because we go from this place and we listen to others, or they're going to be brought into your kingdom or brought further along in your way. And God just that, we have that one little chance, the water or two so or to reap. God, thank you for trusting us with so much. In your name, we pray. Amen. Face and they just for a second Romans 15:5. And six says, may God, who gives this patient at the patience and encouragement. Help you live in complete, harmony with each other as is fitting for followers of Jesus and you can join together with one voice, giving, praise and glory to God, the father of our Lord, Jesus Christ. You may be seated, Rick will come with announcements, but don't leave here without listening to someone today.

Amen.