"How Jesus Rules and How it Can Free Us" A Sunday Conversation with Pastor Ross Stackhouse

Welcome to Heaven Earth Church.

My name is Ross Stackhouse.

I'm the founding pastor of Heaven Earth Church.

From the beginning, our heart was to be a church for people who

don't fit neatly into church.

Our heart is to meet people where they are, to learn their stories,

to honor their stories.

Because in every human story is God's story.

In this podcast, you'll hear more about the people who now call

Heaven Earth Church home.

Their stories, in many cases of misfits who are discovering or

rediscovering faith.

If you want to know more about us, you can go to heavenorthchurch.org

Otherwise, we invite you now into the story.

Hello good people.

Brad Miller here, the producer of the Heaven Earth Church podcast.

One of the main benefits of being a part of the Heaven Earth

Church community is our Sunday morning conversations taught by founding

pastor Ross Stackhouse.

You can watch and participate in the Sunday morning conversation

this Sunday morning, 9:30am Eastern Time at YouTube.com Heaven

Earth Church.

The audio version of the Sunday morning conversation is available

here on the podcast, which you can find at Apple Podcasts, Spotify

and on the website, which is heavenearthchurch.org let's Join

Now Pastor Ross Stackhouse and the Heaven Earth Church community

with the message how Jesus rules and how it can free us.

Lord, awaken us to your presence.

Help us to sense you beyond our senses, to hear your voice today

so that we grow what is good with you.

In Jesus name, amen.

So in a minute, I have to tell you a story about my arch nemesis,

the bmv.

But first I wanted to ask you a question.

Do you find as you go throughout your day to day life,

when you're traveling through life, so to speak, do you tend to

go with God everywhere you go, or do you hang on just a minute.

Or do you tend to do something more like this?

So maybe you have a little prayer time and then it's like, okay,

thank you Jesus, it was a good time.

And then you put him away in a compartment and then you stash him

somewhere.

And then you go throughout the rest of your day, where are you more

at?

Do you go with God everywhere you go or do you compartmentalize?

Let's hear back from you.

And online, you what?

You go back and visit the box, you're like, oh yeah, hey, by the

way, how are you?

Hey, listen really quick, this coworker co worker sucks.

Can you help me deal with that?

Okay, thanks.

This is not an idol, by the way.

It's a symbol.

Okay, what about the rest of you?

Depends on how much I need him that day.

So you go.

Go to him.

Maybe more when you need something.

Yeah.

All right.

Thank you for that honesty.

What else?

Jamin.

Depends on anything and everything that happens during school,

so circumstances might determine that.

Yeah.

The rest of you.

Charles, another vote for both.

So sometimes Charles will be in a rhythm where.

In the.

In those rhythms, those spiritual rhythms help Charles to

be more in the spiritual mindset of, like, go wherever I go,

I'm going with the spirit.

But other times, if you're out of rhythm, out of balance, maybe

we're more in the compartmentalized life.

The rest of you.

Adam, it looked like that was Kaylee's hand, but it was actually,

so I had to.

Yeah, go ahead.

Yeah.

Yes.

Yeah.

Adams.

Here's the question.

Is God a resource or a friend?

Yeah.

I like silence.

Do you?

I know the answer to that.

Most people don't.

Well, I went to the bmv and I feel like they get some sort of sick

joy out of making you wait 30 minutes.

And then it's like a.

It's like a.

Like a duel, like a sparring match.

Like, did you bring your title with you?

And so like this, because I.

Last time I went.

I went back and forth three times, and this time I had.

I had just brought the filing cabinet with me.

I'm like, they're losing.

This time I win.

So she's like, I had to get the new registration for the car.

First of all, it's next number we're serving is 170.

My little ticket said like 325.

And I was like, cool.

This is great.

I'd already gone on Monday and Monday was closed.

I came back on Tuesday.

Now everybody's getting their stuff done.

So I had the whole filing cabinet.

And then.

And then I get up there.

It's my time.

And she did it.

She's like, do you have your title with you?

I sure do.

What about your id?

Oh, come on.

Easy.

There you go.

Insurance policy number.

Hi, can I get my insurance policy number?

You almost had me, but I got you.

Get all the way done.

We're at the finish line and she says, how would you like to pay

today?

We have no tap to pay features, by the way.

Well, see, when I went to Walgreens about a month back, I paid

for my prescription in the drive thru, and they gave me my card

back in that little white envelope and stapled it to all the

medicine baggage stuff.

Well, then we threw all that away.

So the debit card is gone.

And also in the last few months, I had lost my credit card

too.

So then in this duel, the lady across from the counter was like,

gotcha.

We'll see you next time.

All right?

And so I went out of the BMV disgruntled.

And then I was inclined to rule my world.

Last week, we remember.

Do we need to sing the song again?

We may not want to rule the world, but we want to rule our world.

We want to make it our kingdom.

We want to set the rules for how it's ruled.

And so I just said, now it's my time.

So what did I say?

I went out and I'm like, that's it.

Guess what?

They're getting a bad review.

I'm going to give it to them on Google.

Now's my time.

And, man, I got them.

I got on there.

I sat in my car, and I was like, you know what?

Three stars.

Boom.

In 2025.

It's unconscionable that they have no tap to pay features.

I did not submit that review.

Luckily, that day, I.

I had spent my morning meditation time.

I'll tell you another story that's a failure on the other side

of the ledger, so don't think I'm a hero.

So there was this nudge, and it was this voice that just.

That just said, hey, what are you doing?

Are these people a means to an end for you?

Are they just inconveniences to you?

So let me get this straight, Ross.

This is all in my head.

Is it my conscience, or is it the Holy Spirit?

Yes.

And God is saying, wait, who.

Who lost the credit cards?

Oh, okay.

Yeah, that was you.

So you're going to now make their lives bad?

They're just a means to an end.

They're just an inconvenience.

They're just.

They don't matter.

So now you're going to give them a bad review.

Okay.

And that would be me ruling like everybody else in the world

rules where people are just expendable.

And when they make you upset, you just do whatever you need to

do to make yourself feel okay about it.

Well, that day, the Holy Spirit, I was traveling with him

everywhere I go, and it didn't work out for me because I had to

do this thing that I don't like called accountability.

But it started with there was an elderly lady sitting next to me

that day, and she was struggling to tie her shoes, and

people were watching her struggle to tie her shoes, and she

was sitting right next to me.

And so I didn't compartmentalize Jesus.

I was with him at the bmv and I thought about that golden rule.

If I were in her shoes, literally, what kind of consideration

and love would I hope to receive?

And I went, mm, I wouldn't want somebody just rush in and do

it for me because maybe that's embarrassing to her.

Maybe she really wants to get this shoe tied.

So then finally I watched her struggle for a minute and then I

just said to her, ma' am, would you like help tying that shoe?

I got three kids, I need some good practice.

And she said, she laughed and said, I think I can get it.

I said, okay, great, good.

And I said, well, I'll make you a deal.

The time it takes me to go up to that counter and get back, let's

make a deal.

If you haven't gotten it done yet, how about I'll help?

She said, okay.

I passed her when I was storming out, getting ready to leave

my three star Google review, right?

Jesus was with me at the bmv.

Jesus was not with me at the Triple A baseball field at Greenwood.

Little League one night, nine and ten year olds, guys.

And this umpire, I mean, he came in professional for 9 and 10

year olds.

He's got on all the stuff.

Well, well, he calls the game at time limit.

At the end when it's supposed to be an unlimited inning for us,

it's 15 to 12, my team is rolling.

We're going to win.

You know what I said to him?

I gave him a review.

I said, do you want to get this right guy?

Because you're getting it wrong.

I put Jesus over here in my little storage bin and I started

ruling the world like everybody else does.

Competition.

This guy's a means to an end.

He doesn't matter to me.

I'm going to get what I want.

I'm going to use him to get it.

What about you?

Are you just ruling the way that everybody else rules?

Are you compartmentalizing Jesus, putting him in?

You know you got him with you sometimes, but other times he's not

with you.

And you're ruling the way everybody else rules, Jack, selective

listening.

Yes, sir, I'm with you on that.

At the bmv, I listened to at the diamond, I wasn't even trying

to listen.

Probably when it's easier, right?

Or like some of the folks said in here, when the circumstances make

me more primed to listen.

I may not be listening, but man, when I need something, when

I feel like I'm down and out, God's like, oh, hi, good to see you

again.

I want to show you.

First of all, I want to.

We're in a series called Growing what Is Good with God.

I want to talk to you about this.

Huh?

There it is.

Jesus comes to invite us to a whole life of companionship with

His Spirit, not a compartmentalized life.

So when you go to the bmv, when you go to your school, when

you go to the grocery store, when you're on vacation, when you're

at work, a whole life of companionship corresponding to our

discipleship essential one.

We want to be shaped from the inside out by continuous companionship

with God, not a compartmentalized life with God.

In other words, sometimes I put God in a storage bin and put

it on the shelf, and then I go over here and do my thing.

I want to show you how this worked in Scripture today.

I want to show you how Jesus rules and how he's inviting us to

rule as he does and grow what is good with him.

Remember last week we talked about, like, how sometimes when we

want what we want, we want what we don't have, we create our

own kingdoms with our own rules.

And we stop paying attention to how God has invited us or created

us to rule, to live.

So watch this.

This is in Luke chapter 22.

Luke 22 · chapter mention

There are four Gospels, four accounts of Jesus's life.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

In Luke 22, this is right before Jesus dies.

It is truly right after the last supper.

In Luke chapter 21, Jesus has pointed to a widow who's dropped

Luke 21 · chapter mention

off a little spare change in the treasury box.

And he's like, do you see that?

And then they've had this Passover meal together.

They've been with Jesus for about three years.

And after three years and all that, a dispute also arose among

them.

Who's them?

The disciples.

Jesus closest companions.

As to which one of them was to be regarded as the.

As to which of them was to be regarded as the man.

That's an American core value, greatness.

There's even a book I love by Jim Collins called Good to Great.

He says the good is the enemy of the.

Of the great.

Actually, for a person who follows Jesus, it's the reverse.

The pursuit of greatness is the enemy of the good.

They've been with him for three years, and right at the end,

a dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was

to be regarded as the.

Here's something that Jesus, he already knew this.

He already knew this, but now he was, like, super aware of it.

These fellas and gals may have been physically present With Jesus

for three years.

They were there, they were walking with him.

However, they were also not always with him emotionally and spiritually.

Are you with me?

They were living that compartmentalized life.

Jesus could be right there.

But guess what?

He wasn't their only teacher.

What he saw in this moment is that they were being taught around

the clock by their other teachers.

Do you know what I mean?

So the question is, who is teaching you, Ross, who is teaching

you?

Here's what I mean.

Jesus points it out.

Jesus goes, oh, I know what this is coming from.

They're speaking from the vantage point of being in the classroom

with their other teachers.

Who are their other teachers?

The kings of the Gentiles.

He says, oh, you want to be great?

Like they're great.

They've been with Jesus, they've watched the way Jesus rules.

And yet that's not what stuck.

What has stuck are these other teachers, these other kings, these

other rulers who are in power.

And what do they do with their power?

They lord it over people.

They want these people who are below them and beneath them to feel

their power might.

They're up here and these people are an inconvenient means

to an end to them, to amass power and wealth and status.

And so Jesus goes, oh, I get it.

I've been teaching you some.

They've been teaching you more.

Who's teaching you how to rule?

Ross, who's teaching you?

The kings of the Gentiles lorded over him, and those in authority

over them are called benefactors.

Literally, in ancient Rome, if you were a wealthy person, you could

make a big donation or be a benefactor to somebody in a way.

So you would get a statue built for yourself in that town.

Forget anonymous donor.

It was like, hey, here's a million dollars.

Now let's talk about where my statue goes.

Jesus says, I've been teaching you some.

They've been teaching you more.

I've been teaching you some.

They've been teaching you more.

Who's teaching you?

Who are you spending the most time with?

Even if you are like a hall of fame prayer.

So like, you spend an hour in the morning, which I know all of

you do, you block out an hour.

You get up at 5:30 in the morning, you don't even eat right.

You have 15 minutes of stillness and silence, right?

You read some scripture, you digest it, you pray.

Everybody.

An hour in the morning.

Everybody in here, right?

Yeah.

Okay.

Thou shalt not lie.

And all of you are going, uh huh.

Even if you do that.

But you treat your relationship with Jesus As a compartmentalized

relationship.

So you pray for an hour and then you go, jesus.

Oh, man, that was really good for my spirit.

Thank you.

Alright, I gotta go to work now.

Okay, now let's get to my goals for the day and my to do list.

And you get to work and you're like, oh, there's Bob.

Insufferable Bob.

Don't come and talk to me.

Or you have a student or a peer.

Or you're like me at the Diamonds, treating the umpires like

they're an inconvenience.

I've got my goals I need to win.

And at AAA Division of Greenwood Little League, not Greenwood

Parks, different league.

I gotta win.

Who are your teachers, Ross?

All the competitive sports people you love.

Competition and achievement is your idol.

If Jesus were with me, I would've remembered the main thing.

The main thing is to center these children, to invest in them.

Win or lose, we have three rules.

Rule one, if my son were here, you'd repeat him.

Have fun.

Two, cheer for your teammates.

Three, get better at the game of baseball.

If Jesus would have been with me, I would have been centered in

those things.

I wouldn't be.

I wouldn't be hollering at some cadet umpire who's 16 years

old.

Yeah, yesterday.

Yesterday I was like Bryson, that was outside, not different kid.

Hey, look, we're trying to be vulnerable here, right?

I did well at the bmv.

Not so well when it comes to sports.

I look demon possessed when I'm playing sports.

Sometimes.

Lord help me when I want to win at all costs.

You can tell who my teachers are.

Not him.

Politics.

Who are our teachers?

Do we want to make America great?

Do we want to make America good?

And I could go to the left too.

Folks, my allegiance is to Jesus, not Republicans or Democrats.

Who are our teachers?

Wealthy, powerful congressional leaders or him?

Jesus says, I know who your teachers are.

Jesus says, but here, you read that next line.

It starts with but and you can finish to the.

Let's do it like class.

Come on, some enthusiasm.

Start with but.

Right there.

Go ahead.

Jesus says, that's how I rule.

Let's review how Jesus rules.

I'll make it fast.

It's just this page.

Stick with me.

Oh, man.

But I got Mother's Day plans.

I don't want to hear how Jesus rules.

Don't live a compartmentalized life.

Be present.

Here, Digest this.

Okay?

Let this help you today.

It helps me.

I'm gonna think about you guys when I go to the baseball diamond

next.

Jason's gonna be there to Monitor me.

He's a lovely guy and comes and watched my son play.

Isn't that cool?

But he's also going to be giving me a review.

He's going to report back to you all.

Like Ross was still a jerk.

Starting In Luke chapter 4, Jesus interprets His role as the

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Anointed One as the way Isaiah 61 envisions it.

He quotes Isaiah 61 and says, I've come to release the captives,

give recovery to the sight to the blind, and let the oppressed

go free.

That's how Jesus rules.

When no one else would touch a man with skin disease, they wouldn't

be next to him because it would make him unclean.

Jesus touched him and healed him to make himself unclean.

That's how Jesus rules.

Everybody else wanted popularity and fame.

Jesus withdrew to deserted places to be alone.

He resisted fame and popularity to commune with the Father.

That's how Jesus rules.

He healed a man on the Sabbath in the synagogue, even though he

knew he'd get backlash from the powerful leaders.

He did it again for a woman.

And then he did it again on the Sabbath in the home of a religious

leader.

So he ate with his enemies, he ate with his opposition, but he stayed

authentic while he was doing it.

That's how Jesus rules.

He made a point to cross the lake and go to the land of the garrisons.

Foreigners, strangers, gentiles, they eat bacon.

And he did it just to free one demon possessed man.

That's how Jesus rules.

He gave his power and authority away to his followers.

In Luke chapter nine, he said that phrase literally, I give you

my authority.

That's how he rules.

He empties himself of power and authority to build others up.

That's how he rules.

He had uncompromising integrity about his core values.

He was so dedicated to it.

When he illustrated the Golden Rule, he featured a story about who

Luke chapter 10, a Samaritan.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

He wanted to teach people about how to love your neighbor.

So he featured somebody who people thought is like this religious

mutt.

That's how Jesus rules.

He called out leaders who hurt people they were supposed to represent

and help.

And he did it with concrete examples in a way that cost Jesus,

not in a way that made people like him.

We have a ton of people who think they're prophets today.

If you're a prophet one, it costs you.

And there's fruit out of your actions of love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self

control.

We got a lot of prophets who are like, yeah, I'm a prophet, because

it's costing me.

But as it's costing them, they're not bearing good fruit and

they're actually gathering more fame.

Jesus did and said stuff that cost him and bear good fruit.

That's how he rules.

He called out one of the greatest ills of humankind, greed,

repeatedly.

But he also held himself accountable to not living in greed

ever.

He ate with his enemies not to gain power or influence, but to make

change.

That's how he rules.

In chapter 14, he talked about rejecting popularity, embracing humility,

which again, he embodied himself.

Chapter 17.

He advocated for people whom others labeled as enemies and lowlifes.

He told another story about Samaritans.

Jesus was not a people pleaser.

Anybody need to hear that?

I do.

Did I mention that Jesus taught against greed?

That's how he rules.

He didn't talk about doing justice.

He committed to sacrificial actions that made justice possible.

Think about Zacchaeus.

While everybody was grumbling about this tax collector, chief tax

collector, Jesus or Zacchaeus, Jesus went straight to him and said,

we got to eat in your house today because we got to make some

things right.

Jesus didn't wrote in right into town with a caravan and a bunch

of powerful people.

He rode into town on a what?

On a donkey.

What a joke of a man he was.

Did I say he called out religious leaders in a way that was

costly to himself and empowering to vulnerable people.

That's how he rules.

What about you?

Who's your teacher?

So last thing I have for you today is this second part.

Jesus says, for who is greater?

The one who is at the table.

He says this to his disciples.

The one.

It's the one at the table, right?

But I am among you as one who.

That's how Jesus rules.

When Jesus washed his disciples feet In John chapter 13,

John 13 · chapter mention

that was a job of a lowly, lowly servant.

Jesus emptied himself.

He shared his riches with other people.

He emptied himself of power, authority, riches for what?

To enrich you, not so that you would hoard it, but that you would

rule like he does, so that you would give away your riches to others

to empower them.

But I am among you as one Who.

Who's your teacher, Ross?

Who is your teacher, man?

So here's my question to you.

Will you live a whole life of companionship with the spirit of

Jesus?

Will you take him with you?

Will you travel with him to the bmv?

Even when that duel is happening at the counter, they're

trying to get you?

Will you travel with him to work, to school?

Will you learn to rule as he rules.

And will you grow what is good with him to teach us how he rules?

I want to.

I wanted us to have communion together today because I told you

before this dispute arose, they ate this Passover meal together.

Before Jesus died, he chose to eat with his friends because that's

how he rules.

For Jesus, power was much less about a throne than it is about a

table.

See, if you sit on a throne, it makes you higher than everybody

else.

But as Philippians 2 says, Jesus emptied himself and became

obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Why did he do that?

To enrich you.

And he invites you to a table.

For Jesus, power is about a table, not a throne.

That's how he teaches.

That's how he rules.

And he ate this meal.

Give me just a second.

Thank you.

He ate this meal to kick off a whole new era.

He said, I'm eating this meal to start a new covenant.

A covenant is like this relationship where both parties make

sacrifices to ensure something amazing happens.

Jesus rules by, like, putting his life on the line to establish

this covenantal relationship.

He pours his own blood to make it happen.

He says when he eats this meal, he says, I have earnestly desired

to eat this meal with you.

In the original language, it's a repetition.

It's redundant.

That earnestly desire.

Why do I say that?

Is because the reason that Jesus comes is because he earnestly

desires relationships with people.

People are not an inconvenience to Him.

They are the point.

He earnestly desires you.

He earnestly desires to be at this table with you.

He earnestly desires to pour his grace into your heart, into your

life.

That's how he rules.

And he took this bread, and he says, like, every time you eat it,

remember that my body is broken for you.

My body is broken with you.

That is how I choose to rule.

Not by stepping onto a throne, but by giving myself to you.

And he takes the cup and he says, every time you drink this,

remember that my blood is poured out for you and many for the

release from sins, release from the forces of evil and darkness.

And so I invite you to this time to be with Jesus at this table,

with His Spirit, not just so you can be with him at table here.

And then when you go to your family table later today, you forget

Him.

Now have supper with him here and supper with him there.

Okay?

So you'll receive a piece of bread and a cup, and together we

won't eat it, or today we won't eat it together.

Take it back to your seat, have time for meditation and prayer,

and that's how we'll close today.

Thank you for participating in the conversation happening at Heaven

Earth Church.

Your next opportunity to do so live is this Sunday morning, 9:30am

Eastern Time, either at the main campus at 3:09 East Maine and

Whiteland, Indiana or online at YouTube Live.

That'[email protected] heavenerthchurch the audio podcast

is always available at Apple Podcast and on Spotify.

You can help others find out about the Heaven Earth Church podcast

by going to Apple Podcast and or Spotify and leaving a five star

rating and your review.

Instructions on how to do just that and links are in the show notes.

You can always find out more by going to the church website heavenearthchurch.org.

We want to thank you for spending time with us today.

My name is Ross Stackhouse, the pastor to Heaven Earth Church

and you may think out there that your story is over, but in fact

your faith story may just be beginning.

If you want more information about our church or you're interested

in the next step, you can go to heavenorthchurch.org otherwise

we look forward to being with you next time at the Heaven Earth

Church Podcast.