February 2 2020

Morning, what a blessing it is to have the weather a little warmer and no rain this morning. Welcome to the freedom Worship Center this morning. We're so glad you're here this morning to be here with us in Jeffersonville, or if you're online watching we've got a couple of announcements this morning. We've got a lot going on this year's I said before our Pastor Doug Tegan. We're going to be meeting this Wednesday with Dave the dog man, if you know who that is, you can find him on Facebook. We will be meeting with him about moving forward Wiggins training and what that's going to entail Pastor Ben's daughter has agreed to help us with that training and doing getting more involved in helping us with walking your dog for bible program that we will be doing as a community outreach are in Jeffersonville. We are also wanting to congratulate Pastor Ben. He got his finished up his schooling so kudos to him. It's been a long been a long road for him. And we're very proud of him. We are also have plans for Easter already Easter Friday on Good Friday. We will be showing the passion here in Jeffersonville at 7. We encourage you to bring the family because in the children's room, Lori, our children's Pastor will be having a movie and some activities for the children during that time. The passion can be pretty intense. So the adults will be in one room. The children will be in another room bring your friends bring your family. We encourage you to see this movie if you've never seen it before Be prepared be prepared. It's probably one of the most significant films in my lifetime that has really forwarded and brought a lot of people to understand really what it was that guy that Christ written went through for us. I'll let see what else am I missing if I like I'm missing something else or anything else going on? Oh well that too but we are actually had a meeting with without giving too much away had a meeting with one of the administrators for VR experience spoke her for about a half hour about that. We're getting everything together for that some more to come on the VR experience. We don't want to give too much away on that. So just keep me posted on that. So this is the third week of my series stand up. Week one was about standing up being that stand to show the Light of Christ. How do you stand up for Christ? How do you be that stand for Christ week 2 Was in order to stand up you have to speak up because even on the cross. Christ spoke up for us even as he was being nailed to the cross. He spoke up for us and interceded for us to God saying, please God forgive them for they not know what they do. So for brothers and sisters to stand up for them to stand up for others, sometimes we have to speak up. So this week is the last week is stand up and this week. We're talking about helping others to stand up.

there is something about us that when we want to help others stand up. Sometimes we go too far. So this week I want you to understand that in order to help others to stand up. Sometimes we have to step back.

So the help others stand up. Sometimes we have to take a step back take a step back. So our first scripture this morning is from proverbs. 22 do not be the one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts. If you lack the means to pay or very bad will be snatched from under you.

Then what you've heard this said time again them the worst thing you can do is lend a friend money that will that will absolutely ruin a friendship what this is saying is you have to understand.

The difference between helping someone and enabling someone there is a huge difference. If you do this, you are enabling them because if they couldn't earn the money to do this in the first place or wouldn't earn the money then you would need to be doing this. If they can pay the bills, they would need the money in the first place. So are you really helping this person or you enabling this person? There is a huge difference helping someone means doing something for them that they cannot or are not capable of doing themselves. Against something that they cannot.

Or are you capable of doing themselves enabling someone is the exact opposite? It has the exact opposite effect enabling someone means doing something for them or giving them something that they could either do for themselves or that they should be able to get for themselves.

So there's a big difference when we enable someone. Yes, that gives us the feel Goods. I was able to help this person out. I did this for this person.

Not really. All you did was teach them nothing. You did not give them any tools. You did not equip them in any way you did not help them in any way to further their life. You put a Band-Aid on the situation and you made yourself feel good. That's not helping someone.

And that's difficult for us to wrap our heads around because we especially with someone you love. It is very difficult to take that step back. And take a check in on yourself. Am I hoping this person or am I enabling this person? It's two totally different things and it's very hard for a lot of us to wrap our heads around. I know it was for me for a long time. It was there was a time. in my life when What are the you know, I don't have a very good relationship with my family my family and I are estranged but my brother. When I was about seven years old, he had a bike was two-wheel bike. I was still on training wheels and because of my family Dynamic there was no such thing as my family ever coming out and teach me how to ride a bike. You know. My dad was never there are my mom. My mom didn't do that. My brother didn't do that. But I reckon remember him out on the street one day and he was playing with his friends and his bike was sitting there and he had put this bike together with spare parts that he had found through the neighborhood. He was always been real mechanically inclined that way and I was Got on his bike there and I was kind of, you know playing with it a little bit and he turned around and he looked at me and he said if you can ride that bike I'll give it to you.

My brother was 8 years older than I was so this is a decent size bike. I'm 7 hump in my mind. This is like the coolest bike ever. This is my Big Brother's bike and he's telling me that if I can write it I can have it.

Stood there for a second.

I thought I can do this. I can do this. Find your money I got on that bike and I wrote it.

Brother never said a word never said good job.

He just turned around start playing with his friends again, and he never once asked for his bike back or said anything about it.

No to this day. I don't know if it takes him off and I actually got on the bike and rode it.

Or if he even had any idea I could ride it but in my mind. Standing here now. Looking back back then to a seven year old little girl and I'm 49 years old. I still look back on that and I draw strength from that experience. If I really want something if I really want something I can do that. I can do that. Let's go to our next scripture next scripture comes from Hebrews.

Hebrews 12 verse 11 no discipline seems Pleasant at the time but painful later on. However, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those have been trained by it. No discipline. We think is something that as a parent or a somewhat that we inflict upon somebody else that is not always the case.

Discipline a lot of times come in the form of cause and effect. Sometimes we have to let people fail or succeed.

By their own devices for them to understand the value. Of the experience in this case I succeeded. And that's something I take pride in that back even even now at the age of 49. I take pride in the fact that I at the age of 7, I was like nobody taught me how to ride a bike. I just got up and Rogue one.

I mean the things like that is a child stick with you.

Well, here's something that I teach you my spiritual leadership classes. I developed a 12-week spiritual leadership course and I teach this concept called fail fast. Spell as fast as you can because it's a learning process. You cannot have someone fail. If you're constantly doing things for them and they will never learn anything. They never get the discipline of learning what it it. Have I failed. What it is what I did wrong, how can they improve them? What they did they never have the opportunity to reflect on what went wrong with the plan. What can I learn from? This discipline is not always a bad thing. It may seem like it. Me and that didn't work. Cuz I hate that but we have to get over the fear of discipline. We have to get over the fear of failure. We have to get over the fear of what that is and look at it is exactly what it is. It is a tool nothing else and as a parent and as God does there are times when God and lets things happen, lets us get into her own messes. He doesn't usually usually I mean that I do not know what time we're God has put me in a mess. It is always been me putting my own self and my own mess. And there are many times when God has looked at me and said you got yourself into this mess now you get yourself out of it. I'll give you the strength. I'll give you the knowledge and the tools to do it, but you got to do the work.

Because you're the one that got yourself into this mess. So if you have to work yourself to get out of it, then maybe next time you're not going to get yourself into this mess. That's discipline.

It's not necessarily you no jail time isn't necessarily a spanking are grounding. It's not necessarily them the silent treatment. It's not something you inflict on somebody else's same experience that you have is what discipline is.

But again to experience that to truly help others to stand up we have to take a step back. For them to experience that. Okay, so we're going to come to you or third scripture today. Again. This comes out of Hebrews 12:2 goes back. It says if you are not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline. Listen to this has no. No barriers to it you me. Doesn't matter what your status is in society everyone undergoes this then you are not you are not legitimate not true Sons and Daughters at all. If you are not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are not legitimate and not true Sons and Daughters at all. So if we all go through this Then we are all legitimate sons and daughters.

There's so much in this verse.

Okay, there's so much in this verse. First of all is tell you I don't care who you are. You're All Sons & Daughters. In the discussion You're All God's Children.

The second thing he tells you about your not immune. You're not immune to God's discipline your not immune to him sitting back and going you got in this mess. I'm taking a step back and I forgot to get out of it. It's up to you. You know what you're supposed to do. I told you how you're supposed to do this. It's totally up to you whether you do it or not.

But here's the thing. If God is love.

Whenever we go through these trials, it's just him showing us love because he wants what's best for us. He wants what's best for us. So disappointed isn't always a bad thing. Stepping back to help someone else stand up is actually a show of love.

You heard the term tough love?

AT&T it can be tough. It can be tough. It is so hard there so many times as a parent that I have had to just step back. Okay. See what happens and you know where it's going to go. You can see it coming.

Sounds like I'm always use this analogy. There's a little kid jumping on the bed you like don't jump on the bed. You're going to hurt yourself. You're going to fall off little kid keeps jumping on bed. I told you don't get on the bed. Quit jumping on the bed. You're going to fall off and hurt yourself. You turn your back next thing you hear?

They come running to you. We do this a lot with God we fall off on the floor right when he told us don't jump on the bed. We throw a little arms up help me help me help me. I'm hurt. And what do we do as a parent? What is God do as a parent? He picks his up and said I told you don't jump on the bed. I told you what to do. You made a choice you had to stop for the consequences of it God's not the one that through you on the floor you did that yourself.

But God and all his loving grace and grace will pick us up. Hold us. Let us do our little fuss puts us down and we taught Aloft different direction that he pointed is sin. We do it all the time. We do it all the time. But sometimes the hardest thing to do is to watch. a person that you love and care about

do something that you can foresee is going to cause them problems, but instead of making yourself feel good and we're rushing in and enabling them. You have to take a step back to help them stand up.

the stand up

I know. There are times and there's some people that really like to do things themselves. I don't need anybody. which is power reminds me of us us a spiritual two-year-old's I can do this myself. I don't need God's help. You know, there are times. But when you need help and you ask for help that shows a lot of emotional intelligence.

that to Is discipline believe it or not? Because what happens is you realize that you have to take and go to people and say hey, I need your help with this.

As Christians we need to go to God in prayer and say I need your help with this. I'm willing to do the work, but I need the strength I need for you to guide me. I need discernment. I need for you to help me with this and I asked him to do it for you. What you are asking for is the tools to do it with.

Because if you don't you're going to fail. If you don't have the tools to do the right job, I don't care what you're trying to fix your working on a car and you don't have the right tools. Trust me been there done that there is nothing more frustrating. If you do not have the tools to navigate this world and this life. It's not going to go well. so you have to learn to ask you have to learn to ask for help to that in and of itself

is a form of discipline and sometimes God again steps back and says wait till they figure out they're going to have to ask me for help. Wait until I know you can't just give us everything. We never learn anything from that. We never learn anything from that as hard as it may be. So that each other's to stand up and to help them stand up. We have to sometimes take a step back.

All right.

Dear heavenly father we come to you this morning is always in a spirit of faith. For all your blessings both seen and unseen.

Sometimes we don't hear you. Sometimes your silent. Sometimes you do take that step back. For us to figure it out on our own. For us to get ourselves on our own messes that we've got our own selves than two.

Sometimes just to figure out that it's you we need to call on.

It is amazing on how much we can learn. From the way that you love us.

It's amazing how much we can learn from your grace? It's amazing how much we can learn?

What you were done at for each and every one of us.

I know in scripture Lord, sometimes we we don't see all the little intricacies of the messages that you give us and it's such a blessing to read it. To absorb it.

Time and time again that there's always an embedded message of that. We are all your children and that we are all loved. Lord, please let us understand and please give us the strength to help our loved ones and help our brothers and sisters.

But sometimes understanding that we just have to take a step back to give them room. Stand up.

It may not even feel good to us on the outside looking in. It may feel like we're being disciplined along with them of watching them struggle. But there's a lesson in that to there's a blessing to us. A lesson to us that this is sometimes how you work. It's a lesson to us to understand how difficult it is for you. to watch a struggle when you know, you have the power to just make everything perfect.

The Lord. We also understand that we wouldn't we would not have the appreciation. For the gifts that you given us in the blessings.

We would not have the appreciation.

pursue you made a choice to be

Lord bless each one here today bless each one of those listening today. Maybe these words be of encouragement each and every one of them and Lord let them know that no matter what but you love them. They do belong to you.

Your strength is always there. Your grace is always there. And your love is always there.

Lord I pray these things in the name of the love of the Christ held within his heart at the hung up on the cross for each one of us.

And Lord, we pray these things to you in the name of Jesus Christ all men. Hope everyone has a very very blessed Sunday. Thank you very much.