The Real Old Time Religion

Welcome To The River. City Church podcast and a

message by our lead. Pastor Jason Powers our prayer

is that this message would Inspire and encourage you, build

your faith. And point you to the

life-changing love of Jesus, may you enjoy the goodness of God as

you follow him today, So this is our confession and

boy, doesn't it seem relevant right now?

Our confession is we are badly broken.

Yes, you are Grace and peace to you.

It's a crazy time we come here and we do this and this is are

kind of our thing in this, all kind of falls.

Under the broad scope brought of religion, right?

Like a religion and religion gets a bad rap like it's a

common, a popular thing to say what to say, right?

We say that people their spiritual but not religious,

right? People will often say I believe

in God I just don't like organized Religion, right?

And so, they hear I'm a pastor and I'm like, the great, you

know, like I'm the problem right?

You just talk to me, you find out what do they like?

And yes, they say, yeah, well, they like the idea that that

there is goodness. The, I like the idea that there

is love, but when they see religion, what something they

say, it's just man's activity. It's just man.

It's just the works on the accident.

Well, they're right. Here's a definition.

This is what Merriam-Webster the great theological tool Merriam

Webster says about religion religion is an institutionalized

system of attitudes beliefs. Oops and practices in service to

and worship of God or the supernatural.

Big idea is institutionalized and I think this is the problem.

This is where we get the problem, right?

This idea of when things become institutionalized, when they

become repeated, when they become kind of wrote, they can

kind of lose their meaning and they become for for the sake of

the thing. This was the problem in first

century Israel. The first century Judaism was

built on this idea. God gave Israel, the law, And so

over time as they heard God's voice and the prophets came the

law, they grew, and they built temples and they were God's

people didn't really follow it, but then after the Book of

Malachi for 400 years, there's no spoken word from God.

There are no profits in Israel. And so what do they do?

They go to the law and they set up this system of behaviors,

right? You can't walk this far, you

can't go this far. You can't eat this on that day

or wear this on that day or do this.

And you should do this. And what happens was that

Religious system that institutionalized set of beliefs

and attitudes and activities and behaviors begins to push some

people away and some people up and I believe this is still what

people say and what people think about when they think about

religion and it looks different and some of it has been on I

grew up Baptist and so from me religion was hymnals and suits

in pews on Sunday, right? Some of you had to say now I

went to a church of Christ College where religion Was

acapella singing and a certain Behavior or belief about the

Holy Spirit and scripture. If you grew up Presbyterian you

grew up baptizing infants with a liturgical service and reformed

theology. If you grew up Methodist, you

grew up also baptizing infants. But with a more Wesleyan

arminianism geology. And so, we have all these

religions and everybody looks as you guys can't even get

together. You guys can't even figure out

what you're doing, right? So, the question is, What does

Jesus say about this? Because for the last several

weeks, we've been looking at Matthew, 5, 6 and 7,

specifically Matthew 5, Jesus called we call ragamuffins,

right? This group of people who had

found themselves on the wrong line, on the wrong side of law,

religious law, they found themselves excluded from all the

things that made Israel, Israel. They were, they were by their

Heritage. They were just, they were

excluded from the temple because they were unclean because they

were sick or because they were lawbreakers, and Jesus comes and

starts saying, There's a new kingdom and it's not the kingdom

with temples and sacrifices in the law that says Kingdom of

Grace. It's a kingdom for the

have-nots, and he began to teach them about what relationships in

the Kingdom look like. And what relationships look like

is, well, they're supposed to look like self sacrificial.

Love. That's what Jesus did, but he

calls us to this inside-out transformation says, it's not

enough. Just not to kill people.

You need to not hold him in contempt either.

Right, we need to practice and work on this forgiveness, and

it's not enough to not just physically cheat on your spouse.

You need to not have adulterous eyes.

You need to just not be watching people walk by right, like

shaking your head, that doesn't honor them either.

So talks about this transformation where your heart

for people is real and it's, and it's good and it's not just this

external show, right? So how does that work when he

talks about religion? Because that Principle as we do,

if the kingdom is about this Inside Out transformation and a

God, who sees the What does that have to do?

What does that have to say about religion?

What Jesus in Matthew chapter 61 says this.

Be careful not to practice your righteousness.

Now, there's a big war. We talk about that.

Just like be careful. Not to practice your

righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.

Now, be careful, not to practice your righteousness for his now.

Just a second. We're going to talk about

giving, like giving alms begin. We're going to talk about prayer

or in, talk about fasting. Here's the thing.

Up, ferrite Jesus says prayer, I don't don't.

What is this? A don't practice your

righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.

So what does that mean for me, when I when I do here, right?

Because you can hear me and you can see me.

Does that mean that my prayers offered from the stage are

invalid? Because people in here that

listen, what's important? There's a difference between

practicing your righteousness and being seen and practicing

your righteousness to be seen. You see the difference, right?

One is Yeah, it's an accident, you're walking by something.

Oh, hey, that person is doing a thing.

Another is, I want to be visible and I want to seen.

Jesus says, if you do, you'll have no reward from your father

in Heaven. So when it says your works of

righteousness, righteousness is a word that the implications in

the Old Testament were about and the New Testament were about.

Covenant righteousness, is about Covenant, we take righteous.

The mean some General Degree of Moral goodness, right?

When Jesus talked about righteousness, he's talking

about faithfulness to the Covenant, specifically the

Covenant of Abraham, right? God went to Abraham and said

Abraham, I'm gonna make a people out of you.

I'm going to make a nation out of you.

And what'd he say, says the whole world will be blessed

through them. That was the Covenant Abraham's.

Like, I don't even have kids and God says, it's not about you,

it's about me. That's what the Covenant is,

right? And the problem is, then that is

right, people stopped doing that.

They stopped being a blessing to the world and they started

filling the coffers, being a blessing to do their whole

selves and then God's like got to start over.

Right? And so when Jesus came and at

the end what he say, this is the new what Covenant in my blood do

this, as often as you remember in remembrance of me, write as

often as you drink. And so the idea by Justice is

faithfulness to God's promise to bless the world through us.

Now that's going to look a lot like moral righteousness, love

and grazing, is like the idea. It's It's behind.

The idea is it's a connection to the heart of God.

That looked at humanity and said, I want to make you a force

on this world. I want to use you to be a

reflection of my goodness and my power and well that's why God

planted him in the garden, right?

Hey, make things grow because that's what I do.

I make things grow. God says Hey make expand the

boundaries on the borders of garden because that's what I do.

That's what it is. That's what Covenant is.

That's what righteousness is that's our doesn't God said,

Jesus said be careful not to just do that.

That so that everybody can see and everybody can walk.

You see, that's where we get off in our religion, the purpose of

Kingdom religion. Because remember, that's what

Jesus was talking about. The Kingdom of Heaven, is at

hand. The purpose of Kingdom religion

is to turn our eyes and our hearts from our self to God.

So, when we're doing these religious things, the question

is, who is the focus The questions that we asked

ourselves, maybe if it's self-focused worship.

Maybe Who hears me? Singing.

Maybe I don't like this song. Why doesn't Oscar?

Just seeing, oceans more? We need more oceans from Oscar

oceans, right? That's cell was just God.

I can't watch it because I don't like that.

Now, there's some room for premise, right?

But yeah, it is like what does this do or say about God?

Is this God's heart that we are celebrating that we are

reflecting. So I guess I'd want to talk

about giving and going to talk about prayer and we're gonna

talk about fasting. Those three religious practices

in particular. Euler kind of form the basis for

the foundation of Jewish religious life, going to the

temple. Now the thing is so every

religious observant religious person would have would have

could have done those things, right?

That form the foundation, we most some, a few of us, don't

practice all these things. But I feel like we should and I

think that part of the problem maybe is that we don't have this

well-developed system and set an understanding of Religion.

That takes our eyes off of us and off of this world and puts

it on him. So, as we talk about these, as

we talk about these three kind of disciplines in these

practices, as we practice them, well, they turn our eyes up,

maybe just up this far right from here, from looking at mean

navel-gazing, if you will to my neighbor, To God.

These three are powerful and perfect.

So, let's take a look and let's see what they say.

We start in verse 2. So when I win is an important

word, Jesus could have said if hey if you decide that this is a

proper religious tract for you, that's not what he says.

What Jesus says is when when so when you give to the needy Do

not announce it with trumpets as the Hypocrites, do in the

synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others.

Truly, I tell you they have received their reward in full

now. Does this say that if you give

and somebody sees a that come and go Hey, I saw that you gave

to that person. That's really nice.

Does that mean that you just go? Great.

Worthless gifts. Here's the deal.

If that were the case, it wouldn't matter.

Do you know why? Because I'm not doing it for

that. But the idea is, if we'll do

that, the ideas that God will actually reward.

So the question is, who's reward are we seeking yours or

father's? Because there's a way to do it

with both 11 way apparently involves trumpets, I don't feel

like I haven't noticed any more River City.

We haven't had like, the long trumpet Fanfare offering box

thing, right? When someone puts it in their

own rights, I don't think most of you give with Fanfare but the

idea again, is this word hypocrite hypocrite, an old

Greek word that talk about actors, they would have a play

with 20 act with 20 Parts in the play, but they would only have

five actors. So, the actors the Hypocrites

would take their masks and they would go.

Now I'm Susie. Now, I'm Jane, now, I'm Red.

Now, I'm Bob, this is the idea behind hypocrisy.

Now, I'm religious now, I'm a Cowboys fan.

Now, I like softball, not whatever it is and we change

with the wind as it goes in. With Jesus saying is, don't be

like that. Don't be all about the Fanfare.

Don't be all about where you are and what you're doing, right?

He says When you give do it in secret, right?

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know

what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be done in

secret. Then your father, who sees, what

is done in secret will reward you.

Giving is a thing in the church that has been abused often.

It's easy. Listen, you just need to know.

Pastors are human Pastor struggle pastors, lose Faith,

sometimes pastors. See.

Instrumental mountable obstacles and scripture talks a lot about

money because money is important thing.

And it's listen, like I said, pastors lose faith, and one of

the easiest ways to start abusing and manipulating people

is to start hammering on money if you if the Bills are all that

the incomes a little low. You start whipping the troops,

you start doing that. We don't really try not to do

that here. I don't know who Gibbs if you

give. I'm not going to know it partly.

Because of the scripture says, because I don't want to

jeopardize your gift, I want you to have your gift between you

and the Lord. Right?

I want to be able to that, but part of the reason is, yeah, I

want you to take that. I want you to be able to

experience the blessing, and the reward that God says is

available to you as you, give as you go.

Oh, right. And so here's the idea when I

have my stuff, whatever. My stuff is my house, my money,

my car, and my kids, my stuff like that.

I look at it and go. This is mine, right?

And I look going to go, I need this, this is what I have now.

Everything over is fine. If I go okay okay you can have

you can have this right? But this stuff is still mine.

What happens is we begin to believe that this is the

effective range of God's goodness, right?

And so I have all this stuff in here that I only have one little

thing out here and so I just go Got no, don't have anything.

No, yes, you do. Look.

You have all of this, right? So what if instead of doing

this? What if we just go this?

Here's what I suspect will happen.

If we just are going. Okay.

Can use this use this and use this and use this, right?

What happens? Is you go?

Here you can have this and then God goes over your shoulder puts

little something back. Yeah.

So you give it away. I can never run out.

Now, what I didn't say? This is not Not Prosperity

Doctrine. Just so if a suite of 10% in a

lord, I'll give you 100 fold it about.

No, not the case. Jesus himself said the son of

man doesn't have a place to live.

This ain't what that's about. What this is about is

understanding that God is absolutely trustworthy with

stuff and God is absolutely infatuated with people.

So, your stuff is an opportunity for you to make an impact on

those things that God Loves the most and you know who my

favorite people in the world are people who give my kids, great

gifts. You know why?

Because now I don't have to and that's I wish I were more

spiritual than that, but really, that's it, right?

But what if God feels like that too?

Not without the not have to write, but what if God just

goes, oh my gosh, that person just prayed for something to

look my friend. AJ just gave it to him.

All right, it's working. Whoo.

And my friend AJ. Now gets to experience, God

putting back and restoring and redeeming my promise to you is.

I'm not going to go looking and searching and hunting and

finding out who gives? What or where when why or how?

Because that's not up to me. Listen God didn't give me your

stuff, he gave you your stuff. And so I want to invite you.

The point of this is intimacy. The point of this is for you to

begin to see God. God as a giver for you to begin

to see and know that God knows your needs better than you do.

That's why I said, the kingdom blessed are those who mourn for

they will be comforted, right? If we don't allow ourselves to

mourn, will never know what it is to be comforted.

If we don't allow ourselves to give, we will never know what it

means for God to give back. And by the way, the whole time,

we're protecting this, we're forgetting that, he's the one

that put it here in the first place.

Right, because I was born with nothing - hey j-bird when I die.

I'm gonna have a cheap set of clothes on a box and they're

gonna put me in the ground. And that's going to be it.

Everything between naked and cheap suits, God did it.

So I can just go ahead and give it away and trust that he's

going to give back and trustees going to put it back.

What if that was the position of the church?

Always when there's a need, will meet it.

I mean, right, if there are fatherless children, well, we'll

adopt them. If there are hungry people, well

will feed them. If there are sad people, well,

we will figure it out. Here's the good news because I

don't think many of you are really like Trumpets on the

street corner kind of people, right?

But here's the idea. Here's what this means for us.

That it's not a show. If your gift is smaller than

someone else's, that's not what it's about.

The idea here is that our God sees you are, God knows you.

He knows what he's given you, some of you.

What you Your hoard is this big, some of you, your heart is this

big. Some of you can't even contain

all your horde of the Lord knows where you are.

But what happens is, when you begin to get involved in his

kingdom by becoming a Giver by by spreading around my past.

And he's like, that's exactly what you were created to do.

That's exactly what your life is Right.

Ephesians chapter 2 is pulsed talking about salvation, right?

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

For by Grace you are saved through faith and this is not of

yourselves. It is a gift of God.

You're looking all that. You know what, the last verse

and that is as your savior saving, his Grace's place.

The last verse in that chapter is for you, are his work.

Command Ship. You are his Masterpiece created

to do good works and This falls under that category.

So the question is, do we value intimacy?

Do we value provision or publicity?

Because if our giving is about an obligation, if our giving is

about, so everybody can see so that I can have position, it

will be pretty much empty not because God is mad at you but

because people's reward people's adoration, it really doesn't

last long. So if you're giving to be seen

the I had to come and realize is most people really just don't

care that much. right it's just you don't care how much I give

you don't care whether I like you so people are so if that's

what I'm working for that's not enough and yet Jesus tells me

that there is a way. There's a thing that I can do in

this life and this place that can allow me to experience.

God in tangible ways we can begin to go where in this world,

do you think God would like comfort, and we can begin to

funnel our resource to that place.

Maybe it's money. Maybe it's come from, the,

whatever it is, but to position ourselves, as a giver to say

that God has given me. And so I want to give And what

happens in his, we realize that we're never truly alone, we

realize that we're never truly powerless.

We can't do all the things, but we can do something.

And so, our religion, our practice of being like, Jesus,

draws us closer to him, also closer to each other.

He goes on verse 5, and when you pray, I bet, if you asked a

hundred percent of Pastors in this country, what's the one

thing that they feel guilt, or some matter of Shame over.

Over my bet is somewhere between 90 and 100 percent of those

pastors would say a prayer. You want to know why.

I know that, right? I need to pray more.

I need to pray better. I need to do more.

So she says when you pray don't be like the Hypocrites for.

They love to pray standing in the synagogues.

Well, that's what I'm doing right here.

That's not good. I don't like to read that.

And on the street corners to be seen by others, this doesn't

mean that if you bow your head to pray at a restaurant and

somebody sees you, it doesn't mean that your prayer isn't

heard. The question is, is that While

you're doing it, are you doing it to be seen?

And if so that's a heart issue and the question would be why,

what do you want from them? What do you want them to see?

Or think about you? And the question is, why does

that matter to you? Why is that important?

So he says, don't stand in the synagogue.

Truly, I tell you they have received their reward in full

and the ideas and Jesus being stingy the ideas.

That's what you wanted. So fine, you got it.

That's what you want, but you can't say, you want that and

then expect more. On top of that.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to

your father, who is unseen. Again, we have this image of

this hidden. This invisible God who's

attending to your every move who is watching you, who is with

you? Who is there?

Any in your prayer cause where nobody else can see you?

He is there, then your father who sees what is done, will

reward you and when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans

for, they think they will be heard because of their many

words. Do not be like them for your

father, knows what you need. Before you ask him, sit with

that picture, your father knows what you need.

What that means is that you don't have to come up with an

eloquent way to convince him. What that means is that you

don't have to beg him against his will.

As if he's out there going, I don't want to give you good

things. The idea is he knows what you

need more than you do. And so, when you go into that

room, maybe all you can do is be silent, maybe all you can do is

cry out or cry. Or scream.

Picture that Jesus gives us a prayer as this intimate

Connection in silent places where the depths of our heart

are opened up and loved. And the Dole word and cherished,

right? You talk about fear and what you

want the antidote to fear is a radical crystal-clear ever

growing awareness and understanding of God of Jesus,

and his presence and his purpose with us.

So he says, don't write like, you don't have to battle.

This is good news for us because if you're not eloquent, if you

weren't raised in the church and you don't know, all the lingo

and you don't know all the jargon.

What I want to tell you is Jesus.

Doesn't care about that. Jesus doesn't need you to stand

up and pray with preacher language or with King James

English language. He doesn't need you to pray and

do all those things. What do you want you to do is be

alone with him? I love some of my favorite

times, as a parent when my kids were babies, right?

When they would seem like, all they ever did was scream and

yell and snot, and poop. And they all needed somebody

that my favorite times were when they're asleep.

Do you know why? Because they don't need anything

then, and I could just look at him and I just loved to be with

them. And what we're told is prayer is

where we get that and we're father, gets that we're father,

gets to just spend time with you and be with you.

The point of our prayer isn't to get God to hear our voice.

The point of prayer is for us to be able to hear God's voice.

And so the question is, do you value intimacy over honor, do

you want to be known as a great Prayer by people here?

Or do you want to be known as a great Prayer by Father, in

Heaven were great prayer. Doesn't mean the words that you

say to him but the Action in the heart that you have with him.

One who need knows your needs. I think it's especially relevant

in Seasons like this. Where maybe you're sad, or your

grieve, or you're angry, or you're, you're upset, because we

did talk last week and Jesus talked about non retaliation

about not giving an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

But let me just tell you right now.

I like I for eye tooth for tooth.

I want that because right now, I'm aiming it as somebody else,

but in prayer, I sit and well, look, a little.

We read. Jesus says, this then is how you

should pray. Jesus didn't say, you have to go

and recite this word, for whatever this is.

This is a model. For your prayer, Our Father in

heaven Hallowed, Be Your Name. See when I pray and seasons of

Darkness, I pray, Hallowed be your name.

What? I'm reminding yourself as a

weight. God, you're not out of control.

The world seems like it's spinning off.

Its axis right now. World everything seems to be a

giant dumpster fire god and I don't get it, I don't

understand. But when I said, I can go our

father in Heaven, your holy your God.

I'm not you're in control, I'm not.

I also pray Our Father, not just my father, Our Father, father,

all who are grieving and lost in her.

And right now we call and we claim on you, how would be your

name, your kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is

in heaven. Here's the good news, when I go

to God and I pray simply like that.

What I'm asking is not, I don't want a World created in my

image, your kingdom come your will be done as it needs.

God, help us, get to a place. Move me, motivate me.

Help me. Encourage me.

Make me. I don't want to live in a place

where I have to be afraid of the news anymore because my heart

can't take one more. Sad thing I want to can't.

I want the king. I want your kingdom.

My kingdom. So we submit to the idea of

Jason, maybe things will look differently when I do, what I

want. Then when you do what you want

and so when I pray your kingdom, come your will be done on Earth

as in heaven. I opened myself up to the idea

that it may not be my plan that we go with.

And then we pray. Give us today.

Our daily bread. What does it do?

You need courage? You need hoped you need loved.

You need an opportunity. Do you need money?

Do you need a job? Do you need comfort?

Do you need healing? Give us today.

My prayer is Lord, give me for the next seven months so that I

don't have to live in doubt, but Jesus says no known just.

I'll be here tomorrow. Come tomorrow.

And you know why it feels risky because I haven't been in that

place where every day I go because I 17 months, right?

I want my horde and Jesus has just come back everyday.

Give us today. Our daily bread.

Forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass

against us, forgive us. Our debts.

We begin with confession. You know why we confess first?

Because when we confess first, and we receive Grace, it makes

it much harder than to go back and go, but don't get Grace to

that person, get Grace to me. God, don't give rise to that

person because they're terrible, right?

And lead us, not into temptation, protect us and got

us. And then he says, Is this?

Are you ready? Don't like this part as much for

if you forgive other people, right?

As he's talking about prayer, for if you forgive other people,

when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also

forgive you. But if you do not forgive

others, their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.

Donna, just leave that up there because this confronts us, it's

right. And I want to try to explain

what and I want turns out all I would say is other ways that

this idea could be expressed. Maybe the reason that I don't

want this to Say this is because I don't like this but in

essence, Jesus is asking what kind of world do you want to

live in? Because you have to live in the

world that you create? Do you want to live in a world?

That is created around the idea of forgiveness, and Grace, and

Redemption. Then you better be a person

about forgiveness and Grace or redemption or you won't fit in

it won't be your kind of world. If you want everybody to

forgive, except you guess, What? You're Now, The Outsider you're

now the enemy but if you want a kingdom of Grace because you

need Grace. Do you know where that starts

with you and with me, I forgive well I don't forgive first

because Jesus forgave first and he didn't wait for me to come to

him. He forgave me for us and then he

says that's what the kingdom is. Like the kingdom is a place

where people forgive so Do you want it or do you not any

includes this in prayer talks about praying for your enemies

praying for people, right? That's what you saying, is that,

as you're praying, you need to be forgiven confess because then

you receive Grace. And as you receive Grace you

recognize. And you now say, oh well Lord,

let's get it out there, you've forgiven me, I've been forgiven

so now help me to forgive my wife, my kids, my neighbor, the

the senator, the congressman, the shooter, the person, the

neighbor, whatever it is. It begins with an awareness and

understanding, if we don't practice confession, forgiveness

is going to be nearly impossible, almost impossible

because we just don't get or understand Grace.

And so he goes on, when you fast fasting, is the deliberate and

intentional foregoing of food. And you can say, oh, people say

I forgot, I fast Facebook There's a difference.

I think between abstaining and fasting.

When Jesus talked about fasting in the Bible.

He was talking about food. When he talked an Old Testament

fasting. He was talking about food.

Here's why I don't like that because I like food and I want

other things. But Jesus says this, when you

fast do not look somber as the Hypocrites do for they disguise

their faces to show this other fasting.

Here's the deal. If I wake up one morning and I'm

just going, I'm doing something. If I get to go play golf, if I'm

going on the Moor, and I'm playing golf and I go, I'll play

right through and it'll be the And it'll be 11:30 12:00.

I'm like, I better get something because I'm hungry.

If I go to bed at night and say, I'm going to fast the next

morning, the instant that I get up, my stomach feels like it's

caving in on itself, right? My body is telling me like

you're about to die, you've got to have sustenance, right?

Because it's a spiritual discipline.

Fasting is saying I will intentionally and deliberately

not put food in my gullet to tell my body, that it doesn't

call the shots. So in says don't look summer.

That's was talking about, right? Like I could say I'm fat Fast.

And I can show it to our staff meeting on Tuesday and just be a

week, huh? I'm fasting today don't ask me.

Hard questions, right? And what Jesus is saying is

great, if you want people to think that you're awesome,

that's one way to do it, but what he says is wash your face,

comb your hair, put on a clean shirt, do your thing and show

up, right? Because they'll have their

reward in full. But when you fast Put oil on

your head and wash your face. So there will not be obvious to

others that you are fasting but only to your father who is

unseen and your father, who sees what is done in secret will

reward you. The thing is, I need reminders

that I can tell my body. No.

Because my body tells me all the time.

You gotta do this. You gotta go, you gotta strike

back. You got to fight.

You got to have sex. You Gotta Eat.

You Gotta cheat. You got to do this.

And what fasting does it says? No, I don't.

It's you're hungry, you're gonna die.

Okay, bet I won't eat for an hour and I bet I'm not dead and

then you don't eat an hour and then at the end of that hour,

you go I bet I can eat an I cannot eat for another hour and

what if you go for a whole day, here's the principle.

Right? Because you go.

Why does that? Why is that a thing?

Listen, Galatians 5:13, you my brothers and sisters were called

Galatians 5:13

to be free. Listen.

Stop. Are you looking that's for you?

You were called to be free free to what?

Listen. But do not use your freedom to

indulge the flesh freedom to free to do whatever.

I want, you're free to do whatever you want.

Just not religiously, not do you go do whatever you want.

But in the Kingdom, it's different.

Rather serve one another humbly and love for the entire law is

fulfilled in keeping this one command, love your neighbor as

yourself. If you buy you, devour each

other watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

That's the whole you have to live in the world that you

create, right? So I say walk by the spirit and

you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Well, what does that mean? Listen, this is so good.

It's like for the flesh desires. What is contrary to the spirit

and the spirit, what is contrary to the flesh?

They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do

whatever you want. But Are led by the spirit.

You are not under the law. Here's the image.

You got two dogs. You got to husky dogs.

Right in their puppies. So they're this big right here,

you got a choice every day. One of those little husky

puppies is called spirit and one of those is called flesh.

Flesh, says feels good. Do it.

You gotta do it. And your spirit says, no, you're

an eternal being your created for eternity.

You got to and you got this much food and you got every day you

got to decide which one do I feed.

If you feed that flesh, dog. And you don't feed the spirit,

dog. Guess what?

That flesh. Dogs going to do?

This big and then when you tell it, no, don't respond in Anger.

When your wife has offend you, you know what?

That flesh dog is gonna do. He's gonna snarl, he's gonna

bite your head off and you're going to snap.

But if you feed that flat, that Spirit dog, you start to go, I

can forgive my spouse, I can forgive my wife, I can forgive

my kids. I can forgive my co-workers.

I can give I can pray. I can fast, and it begins by

saying one day. When you just go?

No, I'm not eating. I'm not going to eat today,

instead of eating, I'm going to pray.

I'm going to feed this Spirit dog.

So that someday that Spirit, dog can eat all the flesh that at,

once it can eat all that and I will begin to look like Jesus.

I will begin to have this to be spiritually, significant to have

a spiritually, strong and vibrant life, right?

Did I read it all that? You're fasting?

Yes, so that's the idea, right? So here's the question.

Do you believe in us to believe that spiritual Are real.

Or do you believe that this world is all that there will

ever be? Because if spiritual reality is,

first of all, a spiritual reality isn't real.

If this world is all there is, you don't have to come here

anymore because 100% of what this is about, is the Kingdom of

Heaven here, extending into eternity forever.

If that is real, then every investment in your face every

time you humble yourself. There's a reward now and in

eternity, every time you give every time you pray every time

your father who is in secret sees, you there is life and

there is hope, and there is reward.

That's what religion is religion, isn't just about doing

things. It's not about earning, it's not

about earning at all for Jesus. When he talked about religion,

he talks about fasting and giving him.

Praying religion, is what facilitates intimacy with God.

That's what religion is about. It's about bringing you into the

very presence of God. It's about Denying myself I

hoard because it's about me. But when I give, I believe that

saying Jesus, I believe that you're real and so I'm going to

trust you. And so we give when we pray

Jesus, I believe that you're real.

So I'm not going to just rush out and do it myself.

I'm going to talk to you first. I'm gonna get your word when I

fast Jesus. I believe that you're real, and

you're able to nourish and sustain me even when I can't

nourish and sustain myself that understanding, and that instinct

that God has big and is in control that changes Everything

that moves the church that inspires the church.

And the only way for us to do that is for us to learn to Value

discipline over comfort. We have to Value discipline, we

do value discipline in some areas, some of you go to the gym

and work out. Are you run long distances or

whatever it is that you do, right?

And it hurts and it's uncomfortable but you see the

value and you know that ultimately it's worth it.

Spiritual disciplines are the same way they hurt.

They are uncomfortable, but the value is eternal value goes on

and on forever. So life is hard, there is Not

hard option. The question isn't, would you

prefer an easy life or a hard life?

The question is, would you prefer to go through a difficult

life alone or with Jesus? And the promise?

That this isn't how the story ends.

My Hope Is that you'll choose Jesus.

Because look at what he said, John 16 Verse 33.

John 16:33

He said, I have told you these things so that in In me you may

have peace. Anybody need piece this week.

In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have

overcome the world. So, practice generosity,

practice prayer, practice fasting and do those things now

today, so that the next time, there's tragedy.

So the next time the world seems to be pulled out from under you

like a rug, your spiritual store your intimacy with Jesus will be

intact, you'll be able to in that moment.

Go Jesus. Where are you?

Because you have disciplined, your flesh, you will have Hast

your desires. You have been used to living

with his voice in your head, you'll be used to being the

blessing that he created you to receive practice.

Secrecy, discipline yourself to be secret.

A great way to do that is to take a, take a break from from

social media, right? Just not being seen, not being

visible, not saying all the things that you think.

But having conversations asking questions doing things

privately, practice, confession, and why do we do that?

Listen, the first religion was instituted in the Garden of

Eden. When God stood with Adam and Eve

in the garden and he said be fruitful.

And multiply when he said, take the fruit of the earth and

extend the garden expand, fill the Earth.

And multiply the first religion was in the presence of God and

it was about managing and stewarding God's good creation,

and light of his good and perfect character.

His original intention for religion was, for us, to be with

him and experience him in the cart and the context of growing.

Living things. That's what this is.

That's what religion is supposed to be a vital and vibrant

connection with God, that enables us to be his hands and

feet in this world to love those.

That he loves that, we sometimes don't to serve those.

That he would serve that. We often don't, we don't give

because of people because people are fickle, you will give to

people and they won't appreciate you and they won't thank you and

they will take and they will ask for more.

We don't give because of Well, we give because of God, we don't

pray because of people, because people are selfish, we pray,

because God hears us. We don't fast because of people

because people are unimpressed we fast because God, as mighty

and big and strong and powerful as he is, he is impressed and he

loves you and all he desires us time.

So, Jesus, I ask that you would help us to be disciplined in

Pursuit Of You. And it's hard.

Sometimes we get tangled up because we know we're not saved

by the things that we do. We know we can never pray our

way into the kingdom. We can never fast our way in the

Kingdom. We can't make you love us when

we fast. We don't you're not more proud

of us when we when we give you just love us on your proud of us

because it's not it's not about us.

It's about you. And so Jesus, as your child, as

a servant in your kingdom, I lay down my rights.

And I ask that you would help me to live simply and intimate

connection with you. Lord help me to see people as

you see them. The shooter.

Help me to see him as you see him my neighbor.

Help me to see them as you see them.

And just maybe you may you be glorified by the way that we

walk and talk in this world and Lord, I pray that you truly

would raise up your church to make a change in this world.

I pray that we would come together for Life To Worship

You, to serve our brothers and sisters, and to point to a

different way into call. Watching World Jesus.

We ask these things in your name and for your glory.

Amen. Thank you for joining us today.

River City Church is all about experiencing and expressing

God's love in our lives and community.

And we hope that you've been able to experience that today as

grateful. As I am, that you've spent this

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is those who show up week after week.

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Thanks so much for listening. May the Lord bless, and keep you

in all Grace and peace.