Church out of the Box 2

the Box and we learned about what are some what are some things that keep us in the box and how come we are stuck in boxes? Sometimes we're stuck with the Box on her head. That just makes you a box head. Other times we're stuck in a in a church in a box. And we do not know how to get out of the box. We don't even know. How can we live outside of the box? It seems scary to venture outside of the box that's called the normalities the complacencies of things. It's scary. But how do you get out of the boss as a church? How do we step out of the box you like looked at? We just been in quarantine. We've been out of the box for a long time. But in our mindset and our will and our emotions and our state of being how do we stay out of the box? What this represents a lot of things that represents complacency, but boxes can also represent presents and gifts. But the funny thing about presents and gifts. Are you never get to play with them until you take them out of the box? You know, I imagine those people who have collectors items, you know action figures and they have them still in the box never opened. The box is still in there and he showed off you look at this. You understand that toy was made to be played with but we keep it in boxes. A lot of times in our hearts and lives as a church God like we are meant to go out into the world and contact them. This is a contact sport if I can say but yeah, we stay in our position because we don't know how to connect in contact people with the gospel. I'm going to begin to reach are some things I should last week. We're going to break down and see what people in the Box what keeps churches in the Box the last week. I said in the Traditions they get stuck in there thinking like, you know what you know what I mean. They can't move forward because this is the way we always did this is the way we're going to do it. It reminds me of a story in the Bible where the Pharisees saw Jesus and his disciples eating and they didn't wash their hands. Do you understand that the Pharisees had a traditional way of washing their hands where they started this way then they went that way glad it wasn't water run down down the arm down the forearms. It was just a lot of stuff to do to me. I'm just like give me some soap done

just know what I mean. Like I'm not I don't use that glowing thing on my clothes. What they were stuck in their Traditions so they could not receive what God was doing in that day. Next were man-made rules which can be looked at your dishes with these rules. These are these our culture appropriate things. These are things that they're undisclosed rules, but you just know they're appropriate. Do you know Jesus broke those rules? There was this lady at the well, she wasn't Samaritan Samaritan me. She was half-jewish and the Jewish people had nothing to do with people who are half-jewish is dead. He said it will talk to her and she's like Jesus if you knew where I was you wouldn't talk to me. I'm a Samaritan woman. I'm no good to Jewish people at Jesus is like I came to this place just for you. He broke a cultural staff wrote man-made rules the next one in churches that keep was in our denomination. We build Idols around a revelation that God reveal. Let me explain what I mean. Each church denomination has found truth and they built around a true that Jesus disclose to them instead of build around true to is Jesus and what we end up doing is make these Idols called denominations.

Culture whatever the culture deems necessary appropriate we just followed culture. That's another box cuz let me tell you. We'll go against your culture.

Let me explain what I mean. I have a buddy. He's like in the Christian dude. He's like, do you know how you're drunk? Cuz I'm I'm like so because you're Irish you're going to get drunk. Who's the Bible say bro? He's like but I'm Irish. What you know, it's when we hold our culture higher than God standard. You guys know exactly what I'm talking about. Oh, you know I'm Brown Skin Man, so we should we do. Why are we eating those things more than him?

Those are things that God wants to get rid of in his body. The last one was personal preferences. It's whatever. Our preference is. We don't really care. It's not listen. I want it my way and I want it now. Those keep you in the box and they keep you back from relationships. I want to share scripture with you and I want to come from 1st Corinthians 1:10 through 17th, because I want to share it with you guys a story about a church that found themselves in a box. Imma, give you a little background information to the Church of Corinth. And yeah, we had some big issues. I mean the one dude he was married to his stepmom. That's some big issues and just being serious if they find themselves in a disagreement and let's pick up right here, and I'm coming from the translation cuz I'm still feeling pretty indian.

Go try. I heard you my brothers and sisters for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to agree live in unity with one another and put to rest any division in attempts to tear you apart be restored as one United living in perfect harmony for it from a constant choreographic to ography my bad among yourselves having communion perspective with shared values my dear brothers and sisters. I have a serious concern. I need to bring up with you bro. I have been informed by those and Chloe's house church. So what kind of church was it? House Church in the house Tracy had these issues. Imagine what we go through. What's diving guys?

That you've been destructively arguing among yourselves and I need to bring this up because each of you is claiming loyalty to different preachers. Summer said I'm a disciple of Paul why follow Paula's or I'm a disciple of Peter The Rock I like how they put that. Do. You know when I read that, you know, the first thing that popped in my head, I'm being honest. I was accused wrestling fan growing up. And some I belong only to Christ. But let me ask you is Christ divided up into groups. Did I did I die on the cross for you and your baptism. Did you pledge ourselves to follow Paul? Thank God. I only got ties to from Corinth Crispus and Gaius. So now no one can say that in my name. I baptized others. Yes, I also baptized Stephanie's and his family. Other than that. I don't remember that tizen anyone else for the anointed one that sent me on a mission not to see how many I can baptize but to proclaim the good news and I stripped of all his esophagus arguments that empties the cross of its true power. For I trust in an all sufficient Cross of Christ Alone. What do you think at the church divided?

I have a pic word up there. What does that say?

But that big is it.

insecurities that's what kept in divided and arguing. Let me slay what I mean. You had them arguing over what preacher they like the most. Which one rub them the right way and you didn't rub you the wrong way, you know sometimes in life you need to be rubbed the wrong way.

Give me an artist. I got the watch this really cool thing happen. I got to watch this girl take find some rocks at a river and then she put them in this machine and it had a certain type of grit sand in it the Polish the Rocks when you look at these rocks in the river, they were just regular ugly looking rocks, but when she left them in there overnight and they had to get this friction and constant class team together. They came out smoother and it was very desirable. You want to wear them on your neck. You want to put them in a ring. They look beautiful. Do you understand sometimes of friction in your life is to bring out the beauty. That's within you. But as long as you're running from challenges, it will keep you away from the experience the fullness of the beauty that God has placed each and everyone of us.

Insecurities represent uncertain exotic anxieties about oneself. It's how you view you see no insecurities just pride in another way. Let me explain what I mean, but we all know what arrogance means right don't you dare get these are the biggest best thing on God's green earth, right?

I think I'm the biggest thing. I'm let me think.

But we look at that that's called outside Pride. You're projecting outward and securities are in word pride. It's you thinking that everyone seeing everything about you and it's still all about you and you're so you're insecure.

Men, have you ever met other guys who make a lot more money than you do I have.

And stay there so you might feel small. Do you know if she feels that way so the insecurities within you? ladies you ever look at another woman and said wow, she's very beautiful. And thank you felt small yourself.

That's the insecurity. Do you know that these churches were dealing with that why I like Paul because he talks off. I like few times. You said it was a rock. Have you heard of Paula speak though? He's very elegant. And he started following these men instead of staying unified in Christ. Well, I don't care for praying in tongues. I just want I just want to understand the history of the Bible leave that another stuff alone until they start building around. Troops and Stella, but truth and it's all based on the insecurities of saying I'm not as spiritual as you or you're not acknowledge about as I am. It is based on insecurities and this church was full of them. They were full of arguments over who sounded better and who they like and so they got off of Christ and they name themselves the followers of all the followers of cephas the followers of a Polish. And they went completely Haywire.

Is that what we do today?

Ameno Simon, right? We're Mennonite. I like we're Mennonite and we buy the name people like we know what you stand for. Your bath is all we know what you stand for. You're going to cost of we know what you stand for. We have all these other names and titles that exalts itself above. Let me explain what I mean here in security mean if you no answer your person clean titles, they clean to position. They don't they're all about competition competitive and when they get with someone else this way instead of really dealing with the heart issue. Coda insecurities

So we have groups of Believers that are divided based off of our insecurities. You know, I found Lewis and give you a chance with you guys. I love diving in scripture. But I tell you what, I mean me and my friend Mark and make a joke. We're Baptists by theology but charismatic my heart.

I love the heights of the spirit and jumping and dancing. I'm excited. I love it. But I also like being stern in the word and getting him break you down the Greek and Hebrew. So I understand I found the best thing I did was find pastors who had different views than idea that they challenge me. I have a friend. His name is David and and he's a Baptist preacher know I when I first met David, I rubbed him the wrong way and he rubs me the wrong way. I wrote to him by saying we need to be free in the spirit. Enjoy book and then he proceeded the quote a lot of scripture at me. What David do the dude has a rich heart? So I started to get to know David Baptist preacher, I mean to do like I'm Baptist to the core. I love it and I found out that where I had holes that he had parts that help the quick.

I found out when I went in like things are going out with Baptist. They had parts that I didn't see. I want to hang out with me. Just what I had. parts that they didn't see and we found them we able to get together. Guess what happened? We saw a fuller picture. And your life with Believers if you if you are so insecure that you stay away from people because they rub you wrong you would miss out on a blessing of being more fulfilled in Christ. but continue on personal personal insecurities are usually because of past hurts same personal action live mine wrong mindsets fear of exposure impersonating personality. Again, these are other things that keep the litter box and the box of insecurity that's in words. So as we're dealing with it as a church group each one of us singular or dealing with it personally.

Some of us have ones that we've been carrying that we just haven't gotten killed from because we don't want to tell anyone that we're sharing this we don't want to say, excuse me. You know what you told me last week? Yeah hurt

You know why we don't tell people that stuff. I'm not going to tell him to hurt me less. I make them feel like they had some sense of power over me and maybe feel a certain way.

Got to insecurities.

Those are walls that keep you inside a box in here. I told you last week keep you from walking and Truth in love. I told you the story about my wife's a Hawaiian chicken.

Instead of walking in truth is the only I really don't like this. I'll eat it, but I don't like it.

We don't tell us when the next we don't want to hurt their feelings. But we're really going to be the church then we're going to have to be okay with her to somebody's feelings.

Let me say that again. If we are going to be the church, then we have to be okay with hurting someone's feeling.

Jesus is walking with Peter. Who do men say that I am? Oh, I know you are a great teacher your John reincarnated Peters. Like now you're the Christ the son of the Living God Jesus like Peter. Oh my goodness. Only God could not that bright.

But one day you will be on the damn pain across. I'm going to light you up like a Christmas tree.

I'm running up to that moment. Jesus is by the way Peter. Your name is going to be cephas which means The Rock.

So then Jesus receives to say well, you know, the son of man must go to the cross and die in immediately Peters like no you won't Over My Dead Body. Jesus is life. No Peter. You're going to be dead when you get in me, you know I'm saying but until then stayed get you hence behind me cuz you only mind the things of man. Do you think that hurt Peter Schilling? Could you imagine Jesus and looking at you saying Satan get behind me?

Listen to be honest about that. Don't hurt your feelings. You would get someone did that to you wouldn't even come back to church. I'm done drawing.

Family members said that they're not coming to my family get together. Are we don't cutting people out of our lives? Because of something they said instead of learning how to overcome.

How do you overcome that? How can you still look Through The Eyes Of Love even though you're someone saying something harsh to you? About to tell you right now I have not done that perfectly.

I'm going to be honest. I have not done that perfectly. There's been time. I've been thinking my head. I should give him a left and then a right and then a foot.

Hopefully the foot get stuck just to be honest. Let's just be honest guys.

But what were you like this? What would Jesus do? He would love them. Do you know what they said to me? Do you know what they call me? Do you know how he made me feel? What we thought we would Jesus do.

I Think Jesus would do something like God forgive them. They don't know what they're doing and hang it still die.

But I find myself not quite there yet. I find myself still responding in the flash based off of my own insecurities.

That's why I understand it. Where are we insecure at? As a person. Where are you insecure at as a church where we insecure at?

Let's pick up scripture again. Celestron Corinthians 4 fix it back up. He says brothers and sisters when I was with you. I found it impossible to speak to you as those are seriously mature people, but you are still dominated by the mindset of The Flash and because you are immature and Vince in Christ. I had to nurse you and feed you with milk not with solid food of more than stitches because you are ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready to feed to be fed. Solid where you are living your life dominated by the might of the flesh ask yourself. Is there jealousy among you who you compare yourself with one another? With others. Do you quarrel like children and end up taking sides? You know, I like to just say this. We can do that as Christians.

Like I get that the sport teams out there and you can pick Cleveland Browns and I can like Pfister Steelers and we can pick our side, you know black and yellow five rings not just saying.

We can pick our sides, but the problem is we take that mindset that the world gives us from dividing us from Sports. politics schools what college did you go to? I want to hear. Oh, yeah. I went there. We take those mindset and we bring them into the church.

And it dominates us which continue on here?

It's so this proves that you are living your life centered on yourself dominated by the mindset of the Flesh and behaving like on. What is that word?

Why in the world would they want your Jesus as your Jesus just as divided as they are without Jesus?

Are you guys following me?

Who when you divide yourselves up in groups of whole group in a Polish group you're acting like people without the spirits influence.

That's a lot about denominations. Doesn't it?

I'm going to come on a little strong now. It says a lot about people it says a lot about churches. Are we inviting our self based upon. Who we like and who we don't like what they said or what they didn't say. Are we following Christ?

But instead we find our cells dividing ourselves because we don't like certain people. Can I just say something to you guys? Not everyone's going to like you.

Not everyone's going to like me. But we can accept that and not hold it against them. We can be okay, and we can live man we can learn to love them. But everyone has to agree with everything you say.

Not everyone has to disagree either but everyone has to agree. Do you know we want everyone to agree with everything that we say? This is a sign of insecurity going on here and it's a sign that we're being prideful and over dominating. If you don't see it my way then do you know there's two ways to skin a cat? He started to hit with the tail. But don't do that cuz I love cats have a cat named buckles. I do. There's more than one way of doing things yet. We are like my ways the right way your way is the wrong way and we end up fighting and quarrelling like little children taking sides. You know, the funniest thing to watch is like my kids fight over a toy. So this morning I'm using you son. Jackson grab guys shark.

I just met a shark. Can Jackson play with your shark.

teachers having a fit how to get my headlight Shark. Yeah, I guess I can but I think about that so simple with children, but we're as adults. Do we do that?

Ricky I don't like the fact that you're in my seat, that's my church seat.

clever jokes

That's what we do.

And then we get upset because we didn't get it our way.

discontinue on who is Apollos really or Who has fought aren't we both just servants through whom you believed our message aren't each of us doing the ministry. The Lord has assigned to us. I was the one who planted the church and ivalas came and cared for it, but it was god who caused it to grow.

That church was dominated by their insecurities another church that was dominated by their insecurities. Let me tell you later this year. If you look in the Book of Revelations, it's the last church that's mentioned and let me get a little background information about where the church was at the church if it was out there on the Roman rule and they were living by Dynasty worship. So there was a rule made by the governor at that time the king to save you must worship our Dynasty our family our lineage. So you must bow if you want to trade buy or sell.

Church became complacent based upon the rules that were given by the culture and they were known as the lukewarm Church. Do you understand? They were very wealthy, but they became dominated by the fact that we don't want to cause too much of a stir. That's why Jesus said if you're not hot or cold because if you're going to be hot, you're going to call the storage and the communities got not going to like it too much. Your insecurities will keep you from following God.

It why they keep you one foot in one foot out or we keep you all the way out or make you jump all the way in but it will keep you from following God tap. What do you mean? Do you know there's this couple that were that was in the early church that their insecurities cause them their life their name is hananiah and Sapphira. T Barnabas was very rich. So he sold all his stuff and gave it to the church and a nice insofar as like well Everyone likes Barnabas. Everyone thinks he's just great. Look what he did follow this example that sell everything so they sell their house but immediately they thought in their hearts, this is a lot of money. We want to give it all the way. I don't think so. No. No, no you gave all of it away. And keep back a portion. So they did. Peter's like what made you lie to God what made you lie to the Holy Spirit and he falls over dead. His wife comes in and says, did you guys give this amount to the church or that amount you like we gave the full amount. She falls over dead. Do you know why they died their insecurities. They were more concerned about people looking at them. Georgie them thinking they were less of a person because they didn't give all of it like Barnabas and whatever is better for them to listen. We're going to give the church 3/4 and we're taking 1/4 1/4 for taking 3/4. Didn't do that. It's that they wanted people to look at them and praise them because they need it to be Affirmed. An insecurity that marks people is the need for people to affirm you.

He looked at that smile of language. You're stepping on my toes Devin on my toes, bro. Who doesn't like people to say nice things about them? But when it becomes the thing that drives you unless they say nice things about me.

Can your dominated by the Flesh and your insecurities could Lead You In possible sin? Because you would do things to please people rather than obey God rather than be honest. You will do things to gain approval.

And other ways to deal with insecurities as on a personal level. Could me. I'm not good enough. That's it inward insecurities. I'm not smart enough. I don't think I can do it. Sometimes we say those things and we like to say I'm not smart enough or you might say well you don't work wrong. I'm just a big idiot. Those things come from insecurities you're saying that from a place of insecurity. You're not saying that from a place of being secure in Who You Are. I think that we should look at this Inn in a clear way. When you say when you feel that you're not good enough. Something made you feel that way and is deeper in the heart that you got to get rid of you got to give that to God and you got to replace that feeling with the word of God. What does God actually say here. Well, you can let you know test and it says no one is good. Even Jesus said no one's good. So guess what? We're at. No. Watch it says you live in Hemi. It's as when you became something new you became in him and he's good that makes you on the good side. Until you see yourself as good because you're in him. You'll still function not a bad. Thanks for telling another way until you see yourself and God you'll function Godless. Let me say that another way.

Until you see yourself as holy you live in that Unholy.

Guess following me.

This is true.

Jesus called Peter The Rock but the problem was he kept seeing himself as Peter. That's why you still function like Peter wasn't finally till he got baptized in the spirit. He started acting like The Rock. You know stalling was wiggling and everything. They heard it from out there. on the day of Pentecost

But it he had to get over his insecurities by God's spirit. Let me tell you how you overcome this. Paul Rudd racing says 2 Corinthians later on 2nd Corinthians. He said we can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture like prisoners of War every thought that insist and insists that a bow in obedience to the anointed one. Do you know what he said when you feel insecure? He's he's not saying hi. He says taking captive replacing What God Says About You. That you can do that with scripture. You can ask the spirit or you get with people your church family and people who know you and they'll tell you who you really are is you have an open relationship like that.

It's why your friend speaking truth and love to you is by the word of God, which is the First Source to go to Second the spirit of God speaking to you and being honest with you. You ever have an imaginary argument?

Give me your remind someone to hear your car and you're having an imaginary argument with yourself like that person's right in the room.

Absolutely imagining their response. Do you know why you're doing that? You're doing that because you're hurt.

The only reason why you do that's cuz you're hurt. Until you can admit that you're hurt. You're going to continue on doing that.

Finger hurt at the fact that you were vulnerable and you got wounded. And so now your anger is there and anger is just an indicator that there's are hurt. No anger can also be an indicator of an injustice that hurt you so much anger as bad as if I would never sit angers bad. It says be angry, but sin not k

but he says that if we would capture that imaginary argument that we have. And bring it under subjection to Christ that thing dies because Jesus like dude, this is a fantasy that you're having right now, but arguing about telling someone this or doing that take you to throw it away. Follow me.

Another way that we overcome is this way. I'm always not trying to flatter you or water down my message to be popular with men. But my Supreme passion is to please God for all four is all I attempt to do is please people I would not be a servant of the true Messiah.

One way that you get rid of your insecurities is by not trying to please people.

The fact that you're still trying to please everyone is clear sign that there's something insecure here.

Did Jesus wear his people thought he was a bad person.

Did Jesus worry about if you will. He was a good person. I like when she was Louis rights hero. Even Jesus you can look at him and examine this way and I'm paraphrasing Louis. He said he's either the Son of God who he says he is a crazy man or something much worse.

Do you know when Jesus walked the Earth people thought those things about him one person called him the son of the devil. The other person called him a prophet crazy thought he was crazy and he didn't worry about that. Jesus wasn't worried about that's what the problem is. We want people to like this one people to look you understand doesn't see that we're good people that we stopped walking in the truth with God.

Because we're focused on trying to please people so that they would like us.

Pause for a moment.

Have you ever acted a certain way so people would like you?

Yeah, my dad went up first follow the leader. Simon Says Simon Says raise your hand

we're all guilty of that in some area. Do you know that's not walking in truth? That's still functioning from a box.

Because you know what? It does. It hinders who God created you to actually be and it hinders your personality. It hinders each and every one of us, but if it's okay to be who God created you to be and have freedom and live in it.

Support Road said if I was still trying to please people I won't even speak to message of Christ's right because people get mad over here if I tell him Jesus Saves the Gentiles and they like me over here. If I say Jesus Saves the Gentiles to instead. I'm just going to be double face double-minded. I'm to be two-faced.

In Christianity, are we like that?

I think it's a fun position to be in. Be in a room with my Baptist friends. Start praying in tongues.

awkward It was very awkward.

But you know what? Are we going to be true to ourselves and to goddess are we going to limit that I would other people are going to think?

That's an awkward position to be in but it was fun. And guess what we all learn to love each other more. I'm going to end with this.

We all at some point deal with insecurities. You always some point deal with our box. I want you guys to write make a list of your box. So homework is at home with your spouse or if you're not married yet make a list of where you're insecure and why?

And then I want you to find scripture. I'm right up the street the truth and that area. That's the first step of you living in Freedom is stepping out of this box as a church community. We step out of that box in Word first with each other. And then we express it to the world openly.

Hi worship team.

Just please one more song and then we're done.

Are you guys meet for everyone to pray for you? You guys are struggling when I pray for you.

We have hand sanitizer. If you don't want to lay hands on you if we don't have to use the word power of the word is as strong as the power of the hand.

so Or they get ready. I'm going to open up the altar. She needs prayer. We're going to pray for you. Morning Cruz. You want to help build you up want to strengthen you in love?