No Lone Rangers

Let's just start out and pray our Father.

We just thank you, lord, for your word.

It's alive, it's powerful, it's sharp.

We thank you, father, that Our ears are open to what you have to say tonight.

Our, our heart is receptive.

Holy Spirit, you are welcome here, and so it's not my words, but it's your words, father, and so we just thank you that those are mighty, and so we put away any distractions or things that we may be thinking about what to do tomorrow or Later tonight.

We put those away and we focus on your word, because it's your word that's going to bring true change in our lives.

In Jesus name, amen, amen.

So I went back and forth on my title tonight, which sometimes I do, and sometimes I have a little crazy titles.

I'm a youth pastor, you know, got to talk to those teenagers and so, if you're taking notes, the title of my message tonight is no lone Rangers, with it being go Texan day, no lone Rangers.

And so tonight I just Want to talk about.

You know, god's a relational God.

I mentioned this morning that we, the staff, went to these co-op meetings and I mentioned and, and, and I heard one of the speakers say one another scriptures, and so I never heard it that way and I knew.

I know all the one another scriptures but I did some study on how many want times one another is in the Bible and it's there a hundred times the Greek word.

It translated one another use 94 and 94 separate verses, and so that's a lot right.

And it's this Greek word, god help me, a lay lone, which means one another or each other, and so 60% of those verses were written by Paul, and so the word has a lot to say about relationships and One another.

And so God's not called us to be lone Rangers, god's not called us to be off in a corner by ourselves.

We always we have these cafe policies and in the policy it's like talk to the to the wall flowers.

You know the new kids and new teens that are coming in for the first time.

You know as a teenager and you go into a youth group, you go into this building, you don't know anybody.

It can be a little scary, right, and so the enemy would like to.

If you read in the word, I mean he's.

He's all about dividing and Division and discord, and Just you know getting yourself off in the corner, just be by yourself.

But God, that's not the God we serve, right, he's called us To be, to work alongside each other, and so I just want to go through a couple of scriptures.

I'm not gonna read all 100 scriptures, but I am.

I'm gonna read a couple.

So Ephesians 4 to, and I'll try not to go too, too fast and I didn't give my scriptures to Lee, so I apologize for that.

Ephesians 4 to, and I think, let's see, I think I grabbed these off from the new King James version.

Ephesians 4 to, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love.

Ephesians 4 32.

And be kind to one another, tender hearting, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you, and that good.

Colossians 3 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.

Galatians 6, to Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ First.

Thessalonians 5 11.

Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

Romans 12-10,.

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor, giving preference to one another.

Romans 12-5,.

So we, being many, are one body and Christ and individually members of one another.

Hebrews 10, 24 and 25,.

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

And James 5-16 says Confess your trespasses to one another Not good and pray for one another that you may be healed.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, and pastor has been talking about prayer, right, and that's his scripture, one of his key scriptures that he uses, that he's been preaching on John 13, 34 through 35.

A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

By this, all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

And so again, just a couple of scriptures on one another.

God's a relational God.

He doesn't want us to be lone rangers, he doesn't want us to live life doing things our way, just being alone.

No, he is all about community.

And so have a couple of points.

Number one we need each other, right, amen.

We need each other.

And so, as a believer, we're part of a family, right, the church, we're part of a family.

And so Jesus said, you know, to Peter, I will build my church.

And so, meaning that it's a community, it's a gathering, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves.

That was the scripture I read when we were in the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Hey, god hasn't called us just because you're in Oklahoma and we're in Texas.

Hey, we are still one body, we are one voice, one church, and God hasn't called us to just do it our way and just be by ourselves.

And so God has called us to come together, to assemble together, right.

And so we are equipped.

You know, we're equipped, so we're called to proclaim the good news.

And I wrote down you know church is a team sport.

How many of you all played sports?

Or how many of you all were in groups together and like right or like if you were in class and you had a group project and you want kind of everybody to, you know you don't want to be the only one in the group doing the project, right, because then you're like what's up?

No, you want everybody has a role to play.

You know, in that group and just like that, in the natural, in the spiritual, we all have a role to play as the body, we, your role is important in the body of Christ.

Ecclesiastes 4, 9 through 12 says two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion, but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up Again.

If two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one be warm alone?

Though he may be overpowered by another to with can withstand him in a three-fold cord is not easily broken.

And so you know, here he is saying hey, we need community, two are better than one, so we need it.

It's just like pastor says love plus unity equals miracles.

Right, and so we have to make, we need each other, the importance of you know.

A fellow believer encouraging somebody, first Corinthians 12, 20, and the New King James says but now, indeed, there are many members, yet one body.

And then, if you skip down to verse 27, says now you are the body of Christ and members individually.

So God has called us to run this race together.

Right, I taught a message, I don't remember when it was, but let's get along.

That was the title of my message.

God wants us to get along.

Okay, god, you don't want us to be lone rangers?

Okay.

You want us to work with people?

Right.

Sometimes it's hard to get along with people.

Yes, right, yes, we are Christians, but we don't always act Christ like, do we?

And so?

But God you know, we don't stay where we're at we.

God wants to see growth.

God wants to see fruit on our tree.

What's a tree?

Do you have a fruit tree with a whole bunch of leaves and no fruit?

It's useless.

You can think you're bearing fruit, but you might just have a lot of leaves doing stuff, but God actually wants us to bear fruit.

He wants us to grow.

That's part of momentum, that's part of excelling.

That's part of going into 2024, 25.

You should be excelling.

You shouldn't get flustered about the same things that you did in 2022 or 2021.

There should be growth.

God has called us to be together.

We should be encouraging one another.

We should be lifting each other up.

It's so important.

Ephesians 4, 1-6 says I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and one Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all.

And so here he's telling us hey, walk worthy of the calling.

Are you walking where you all, all of y'all, have a call on your life?

And so are we walking worthy of that call?

The Holy Spirit.

That's a person Like we can grieve the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we, you know, we may not realize that, but the things we say and the actions we take, we can grieve the Holy Spirit.

And so we have to make sure that we're not grieving the Holy Spirit.

Right, amen, amen.

And so number two is dominate your flesh.

And so you know, god's a relational God.

It's all about relationships, it's all about getting along with each other.

But how many of y'all know we have a flesh and sometimes it talks, right, it talks loud, especially when Pastor talks about those donuts, chocolate filled donuts.

It caused somebody else to go buy some Bavarian cream donuts.

That's how loud it's talking.

No, I'm just making making light of that.

But seriously, our flesh talks, but we have to make sure that we are not led and dominated by our flesh Right, it's.

We need to work together.

We have to make sure the devil wants to divide and destroy Right.

And so he throws thoughts your way, he throws suggestions your way.

Oh, you aren't good enough.

Oh, you messed up, I'm not good enough to listen to that.

But no, we have to make sure that our spirit man is louder than our flesh Right.

The more you feed something, the more it grows.

A very simple analogy, right.

And so the more you dig into the word, the more you, the more you.

You pray much in the Holy Ghost.

When you wake up, right, what's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Do you put on a praise song?

Do you say thank you, jesus, thank you for this day that you've given me, thank you that I'm alive, that I have breath, right, amen.

And so the first thoughts of the day, the first words of the day, the first song of the day, is so important, right.

And so even before your coffee, right.

Sometimes, like, oh, I got to get coffee first, I got to get some hot tea.

No, even before that, thank.

What words are coming out of your mouth, right, that has been so just on my heart lately, like the first words, the first thoughts.

Those are very important because it's going to help you when you're, as you're, dominating your flesh.

The words coming out of your mouth, that's that's going to help, right.

But but if you're silent, you lose by default.

If you're I'm not much of a talker, I don't you lose I mean, I'm not going to call you loser or anything but you lose.

The word says it.

Right, I didn't say it, don't get mad at me, the word says it.

And so you have to make sure that the first words in the morning coming out of your mouth, and all throughout the day, because it sets the tone Right, it sets the atmosphere Right, and some of us can be cranky in the morning.

No, I thank you, lord, that I am not cranky.

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha.

Be like Cinderella.

Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, right.

And so we have to make sure in this life that we are not dominated by our flesh.

Right, flesh gets offended.

Right, flesh gets offended.

Well, how dare they?

They didn't even talk to me, they didn't even say look at how they respond.

Oh, that's your flesh.

But we are called to be mature Christians.

We are called to have some fruit on our tree Right.

We are called to be fruitful.

And just because you come to church and sit in a chair doesn't mean you're a mature Christian Right or have a mic or stand up on stage.

There should be fruit evident in your life, just like I would go to an apple tree Right, like I could pull it apart and I could DNA and put it under my microscope.

But I wouldn't even have to do that.

All I would have to do go up to that apple tree and pull off an apple.

That tree is an apple.

It is evident to my eyes by the fruit it is producing Right.

And so in that way, god wants us to produce good fruit, amen.

Romans 8, 26 through 28 says likewise the spirit also helps in our weaknesses, for we do not know what we should pray as we ought.

But the spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Now.

He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is, but he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And then verse 28 says and we know that all things work together for good.

Then stop there.

There's no period there.

To who?

To those who love God.

Well, I love you, god, but I'm just going to do my thing.

No, that is not love.

Just like I said this morning, it produces obedience to his word.

God is not interested in lip smack.

You're just saying I love you, but I'm going to do what I want.

I'm going to say what I want.

I'm going to sleep with who.

I'm going to gossip about who I want.

That is not a God.

By love, we can repent and we can move forward.

True repentance is changing and moving forward.

You're not going to go back to that.

So we have to make sure, say, we know, all things work together for good.

To those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose we are called, you're called, amen, amen.

So we have to make sure that we are fruitful and we dominate.

Dominate our words, dominate by our thoughts.

Thoughts come and you have to make sure where do that thought come from?

Sometimes it's just like a crazy thought.

You're like no, that's from the enemy.

That's crazy, that's a whack.

You have to replace that thought with the word of God, just like a weed in a garden.

You have to replace it with something or weed Guess what Weeds are going to come back Then you might get a letter from the HOA and then it's war Not in my yard.

So we have to make sure that we're dominating our flesh by dominating our thoughts, dominating what we say, allowing our spirit man to grow inside of us and being real about it, because anybody can say amen here at church when we're all gathered together in front of pastor.

But what happens on Monday morning?

What happens on Tuesday?

What happens when life hits?

Do we say the word, do we proclaim the word, so that in those seasons is when you will grow and you will bear much fruit and be pleasing to God.

He loves all his kids, but are you pleasing to him?

Does he like?

Oh yeah, ms Gwen, she's doing such a good job, you know, look at her, she's bearing much fruit.

Are you pleasing, ms Gwen is pleasing to God.

You're faithful, ms Gwen.

So we want to make sure we're dominating our thoughts and our words.

So first, corinthians 9.27 says but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection Less when I have preached to others.

I myself should become disqualified.

So we have to exercise dominance over our flesh.

We live in a fallen world and so we have to make sure that we dominate exercise and really our flesh talks.

Just like I said, flesh always sides with darkness.

It does.

Oh, it's just my flesh.

It's just a little here and a little there, and flesh always sides with darkness, as little as it may seem, it's just what I eat, it's just what I watch, it's just that one song.

It always sides with darkness, but your spirit is always light.

When you feed your spirit, it squishes that darkness.

There is no room for darkness when your thoughts are filled with God's word.

There is no room for lust, there is no room for sin thoughts, because your thoughts are so full of the word of God.

I don't need that.

That doesn't satisfy me.

Only God satisfies me.

And so, really, it's just, the more you get filled up with the word of God, the easier it's going to be to dominate you.

That's nothing, because your spirit, man is big, it's strong.

You fed it in the morning, you fed it again during lunch, just like we eat.

I mean the most questioned that has been asked in my house what's for dinner, what's for lunch?

And like y'all turn, you cook.

No, I enjoy cooking, but you know, everybody wants to eat.

Kids want to eat, babies want to eat, adults want to eat, we all got to eat.

And so, just like we feed our flesh, we should be feeding our spirit man, right, feeding it.

The word of God, meditating on the word of God.

Even when I'm cooking, I have preaching going off, I have praise and worship, because I don't just like being there, like if the kid we have young adult kids, and so if Ethan's gone, if Allison's doing her thing, and like Jay's somewhere else and I'm cooking, it's just like silence.

So I always I like to have praise and worship, music on, I like to have sometimes I listen to Mark Hankins or Pastor, so different things, always filling.

Even if you're not reading the word, you're listening to the word and it's getting inside of you, right, and so that's how you're going to dominate your flesh.

Let's see where am I at Matthew, let's say 20, 25 through 28 in the message, and let's see.

I'll read that first and then turn here.

So Jesus got to them to settle things down.

He said you've observed how Godless rulers throw their weight around and how quickly a little power goes to their heads.

It's not going to be that way with you.

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.

Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

That is what the Son of man has done.

He came to serve, not to be served and then give away his life.

I want to talk about a little bit about carnal ambition that goes with flesh.

Because there are so many, you can just do a series on this.

I wanted to read out of Tony Cook's qualified book Serving God with Integrity and Finishing your Course with Honor.

It's a pastoral book but it's really great for everybody.

Leaders, let me just read you really quick.

Jesus made it clear that his kingdom was not going to be based on dog eat dog politics for the get ahead at any cost system of the world.

In God's kingdom it is his responsibility to call, appoint and promote.

It is man's responsibility to serve.

Oswald Sanders said the word ambition comes from a Latin word meaning campaigning for promotion.

The phrase suggests a variety of elements social visibility and approval, popularity, peer recognition, the exercise of authority over others.

Ambitious people In this sense enjoy the power that comes with money and authority.

Jesus had no time for such ego driven ambition.

The true spiritual leader will never campaign for promotion.

Then it talks about just what would carnal ambition look like wanting to be noticed, posturing to make oneself look important, competing against instead of cooperating with others, again being a team player, talking about no lone rangers working together, right?

Self exaltation, trying to make oneself look good even though it means making others look bad, engaged in power plays.

Positions are a power trip, not opportunities.

It's to serve and so.

And then it says the counterfeit trinity is me, myself and I, and so of course it should be Father, son and Holy Ghost, but a lot of times it's me, myself and I.

So we have to make sure that you know.

It's not about us, it's about Jesus in us, right?

It's not about our gifts, our talents, it's about him working through us and we give our life to people.

It's not about us, and so we have to dominate our flesh and love people.

It's an honor, it's a joy to you know.

Jesus was always moved with compassion.

It was all about the people, amen.

And so my third point is, and relates the question stumbling block or flourishing.

Question mark 1, peter, 2, 9 and 10 says but you are not like that.

You are chosen people.

You are a royal priest, a holy nation, god's very own possession.

As a result, you can show others the goodness of God and that good, for he called you out from darkness into his marvelous light, right.

And so you're set apart, like we're not supposed to blend into this world.

We are supposed to stand out.

You should want to stand out.

We are chosen, we are royalty, we are priesthood, right.

And so we have to make sure and that's part of flourishing, knowing who you are in Christ.

So we have to make sure we're walking in that, because when we're flourishing, we're not causing others to stumble, and that's a whole nother message about being a stumbling block, right.

If you're not working properly, if you're doing it for the wrong motives, if you're just doing it for you, whatever the motive may be, that can be a stumbling block for somebody else, and woe is he right.

That causes another believer to stumble, and so we don't want that.

We have to make sure that we keep our heart right and that we're flourishing.

Romans 14, 13 in the new living translation says so let's stop condemning each other.

Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

And so we have to make sure that we're passionate about the body of Christ and working together.

Right, let's see.

Are you more passionate about the body of Christ and the church, flourishing or selfish gain?

And so we have to make sure.

Hey, we got to work together.

It's about the body of Christ.

It's about helping the iron sharpens iron.

We got to help each other out.

We all go through things right, and so we have to make sure that we're not a stumbling block.

Romans 1419, the new living says so then let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

So that should be our goal.

Aim for it, right, it's like not going to have, it's not going to just fall upon you and you're going to have this fuzzy feeling and you're just going to love everybody and you might.

That's great, but a lot of times you have to aim for harmony, right, you have to aim for that in the church and build each other up.

And then the passion translation of that same verse, romans 1419, says so then make it your top priority to live a life of peace with harmony in your relationships, eagerly seeking to strengthen and encourage one another.

Right, one another.

It's all those one another scriptures.

We have to meditate on those.

It's on about us, it's about one another.

It's about the other person and so we have to make it, make sure it is top priority.

And I'll end with this.

Let's see, I'm not going to read all of it, but I jotted it down, so if you read, so most of those one another scriptures are Paul's writings, and so the last letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 4, 9 through 18, in the new living it actually talks about several times here like he talks about just people.

And and in verse 11, I don't want to read all of it for the sake of time Demis has deserted me because he loves the things of that.

That's verse 10.

Okay, verse 9 Timothy, please come as soon as you can.

Verse 10 Demis has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica.

And then verse 11 only Luke is with me.

Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me and my ministry.

So he's pointed out names.

He's saying hey, luke is with me, but bring Mark when you come, he's very helpful to me.

And then verse 14 Alexander the copper Smith did me much harm, but the Lord will judge him for what he has done.

Be careful of him, for he fought against everything we said.

So, paul, I mean, you know he was telling to name names like hey he was, he was helpful, he was harmful.

Be careful, watch out.

So if Paul's telling Timothy how much more like hey we have, we have to make sure Um and verse so, verse 15, be careful of him for what.

He fought against everything we said.

The first time I brought before the judge.

No one came with me, everyone abandoned me.

May and not be counted against them, but the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I may preach the good news.

That's a good one, hey, you know what People may have left, left and right now, but the Lord stood with me in that good Amen.

Um, verse 18.

Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and bring me safely into his, his heavenly kingdom.

And so you know, the part that we play, the role here in this church and as a body, is so important.

God has not called us to be lone rangers, god has not called us and an island off to ourselves.

So, um, but there's a uh, and this is just a whole message, a whole really series on on relationships and how to, how to work together and, um, honor and honoring your pastor and praying for your pastor and praying for your pastoral staff, um, we have to make sure that we are flourishing, could?

God wants us to flourish.

He doesn't want us to be lone rangers.

You know, it can be easy to be alone.

No, I just going to, you know, be alone ranger.

I'm going to do what I want.

I'm going to say what I want.

I'm going to go, just do my thing.

I'm, you know, I don't have to be accountable to anybody.

Uh, you know, just think what I, you know, say what I want.

No, we, we need to be accountable to one another and that's a whole nother message.

I'm so glad that we, that J and I started going to Winter Bible and Mark Hankins and and hooked up with these relationships, because we grow when we're around other believers and other pastors and other leaders, right, that are stronger than we are, that know the word, like iron sharpens iron, and we get so filled up and it is so important to be around other Christians, other.

It's not enough just to come to church for just this little amount of time, for an hour and a half, and talk to nobody.

Come here late, you know, and not early, and then leave, and then he don't talk to anybody.

Well, that's not forming relationships.

And so, again, god's called us to work alongside each other.

Amen, and he gives us the grace to do it.

He gives us the grace to do it, amen, amen.

Well, just wanted to bless you with that tonight.

Praise God.