1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:01,760 Randy Brower: Good morning again. 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:10,800 Randy Brower: This sermon is a little different than most of the ones I've preached because normally someone will come to me and say 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,480 Randy Brower: Randy, can you preach on such and such a date? 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:15,440 Randy Brower: And I'll say sure. 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,720 Randy Brower: And then I'll go home and I'll start thinking, what should I preach about? 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:19,600 Randy Brower: What should I preach about? 7 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,040 Randy Brower: And then usually on the Thursday night before I'm supposed to preach 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:27,000 Randy Brower: I'll wake up in the middle of the night and go, oh, that's a perfect sermon time. 9 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,080 Randy Brower: And I'll get up and on Friday I'll write the sermon and then Sabbath I'll preach it. 10 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,520 Randy Brower: Easy peasy, right? 11 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,120 Randy Brower: Not this time. 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,600 Randy Brower: This time I got tricked. 13 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:44,400 Randy Brower: First of all, I got asked to be the elder on the platform today because Willie's out of town. 14 00:00:44,260 --> 00:00:45,460 Randy Brower: And I said, sure. 15 00:00:45,460 --> 00:00:48,899 Randy Brower: And immediately Dawn, where did he go, that rascal? 16 00:00:48,899 --> 00:00:51,860 Randy Brower: Dawn said, I'll switch with you. 17 00:00:51,860 --> 00:00:54,339 Randy Brower: I'm supposed to preach that week. 18 00:00:54,220 --> 00:00:59,100 Randy Brower: I'll be the elder, you can preach, and I thought, okay, sure, I'll do that. 19 00:00:59,100 --> 00:01:03,260 Randy Brower: Yes, I said, not knowing what was going to happen next 20 00:01:03,860 --> 00:01:11,220 Randy Brower: Next thing I know, Pastor Dale is telling me what he wants me to preach about. 21 00:01:11,220 --> 00:01:12,900 Randy Brower: I've never done that before. 22 00:01:12,900 --> 00:01:17,300 Randy Brower: I have never been handed a topic and then preached on it 23 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,320 Randy Brower: He said, I need you to preach on Romans 15, 5. 24 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:20,799 Randy Brower: Why? 25 00:01:20,799 --> 00:01:22,719 Randy Brower: Because he's been doing this series. 26 00:01:22,719 --> 00:01:28,240 Randy Brower: Those of you who've been here all along, you know that Pastor Dale's been doing this series on one-anothering. 27 00:01:28,320 --> 00:01:34,960 Randy Brower: All the texts in the New Testament, the New Testament that talk about being this to one another or that to one another. 28 00:01:34,960 --> 00:01:38,720 Randy Brower: And he said, I need you to preach in Romans 15, 5. 29 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:40,360 Randy Brower: And then I had a great idea. 30 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:51,159 Randy Brower: I went to him and two weeks ago and I said, Pastor, since you want me to continue your series, how about you give me your notes on the sermon? 31 00:01:51,140 --> 00:01:52,580 Randy Brower: And I'll use those to preach. 32 00:01:52,580 --> 00:01:55,060 Randy Brower: And then that way I'm on the same page as you are. 33 00:01:55,060 --> 00:02:00,260 Randy Brower: And he said, Oh, I've lost most of my notes for my sermons. 34 00:02:00,260 --> 00:02:01,700 Randy Brower: I don't have it. 35 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,680 Randy Brower: But it's right there in the Bible, he said. 36 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:06,840 Randy Brower: Okay. 37 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,840 Randy Brower: That wasn't much help. 38 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:14,840 Randy Brower: So I decided to do what preachers have been doing for hundreds of years 39 00:02:15,260 --> 00:02:28,140 Randy Brower: I went straight to ChatGBT and I said, hey, give me a 20-minute sermon outline on Romans 15, 5 from the King James, New King James Version. 40 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,439 Randy Brower: And I'll be darned if it didn't do it. 41 00:02:31,439 --> 00:02:33,280 Randy Brower: That ChatGBT is amazing. 42 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:34,640 Randy Brower: I'm I mean I'm old school. 43 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,920 Randy Brower: I've never used it before for anything. 44 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:41,840 Randy Brower: But I've heard all kinds of people my son said my son who's a computer programmer said it's great. 45 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,480 Randy Brower: You go in, you tell it what you want it to do, and it does it for you. 46 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,160 Randy Brower: It's amazing. 47 00:02:46,580 --> 00:02:48,340 Randy Brower: So I went and it gave me this. 48 00:02:48,420 --> 00:02:51,060 Randy Brower: Now I'm not going straight off of that outline. 49 00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:53,620 Randy Brower: Don't think I'm cheating on you here. 50 00:02:53,620 --> 00:02:58,500 Randy Brower: I use that outline as the basis for the things that I wanted to say today. 51 00:02:58,500 --> 00:02:59,140 Randy Brower: And so 52 00:03:00,260 --> 00:03:04,980 Randy Brower: So here we are talking about Romans 15, 5. 53 00:03:04,980 --> 00:03:10,180 Randy Brower: So I said, okay, let me just look at it and see what pops out. 54 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:20,040 Randy Brower: Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another 55 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,160 Randy Brower: according to Christ Jesus. 56 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:27,320 Randy Brower: And that those words like-minded are what popped out to me. 57 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,240 Randy Brower: What does it mean to be like-minded? 58 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:35,080 Randy Brower: Now we're going to get a little deeper into that a little bit later, but for now I want to give you two examples. 59 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,600 Randy Brower: of what I feel like-mindedness means. 60 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,640 Randy Brower: My grandson, who may or may not be watching on streaming right now, I don't know 61 00:03:45,740 --> 00:03:51,100 Randy Brower: But when he was entering third grade, he was asked, what do you want to be when you grow up? 62 00:03:51,100 --> 00:03:53,580 Randy Brower: Now, we all expected 63 00:03:54,040 --> 00:04:02,200 Randy Brower: the an an answer that he was going to give because first and second grade when we asked what do you want to w be when you grow up, it was I want to be a garbage truck driver. 64 00:04:02,959 --> 00:04:10,159 Randy Brower: Which is not a typical you know, but this kid is obsessed with garbage trucks. 65 00:04:10,159 --> 00:04:12,319 Randy Brower: Now and I mean obsessed. 66 00:04:12,319 --> 00:04:12,799 Randy Brower: Okay. 67 00:04:12,799 --> 00:04:15,200 Randy Brower: When they came out last Thanksgiving 68 00:04:15,420 --> 00:04:21,260 Randy Brower: And he found out that the garbage truck was coming on Thanksgiving Day. 69 00:04:21,260 --> 00:04:25,740 Randy Brower: He sat in front of the living room window for six hours. 70 00:04:25,820 --> 00:04:28,540 Randy Brower: waiting, just waiting for the garbage truck come. 71 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:30,540 Randy Brower: We kept saying, Maverick, don't worry about it. 72 00:04:30,540 --> 00:04:31,340 Randy Brower: You'll hear it. 73 00:04:31,340 --> 00:04:32,380 Randy Brower: You'll know that it's there. 74 00:04:32,380 --> 00:04:33,340 Randy Brower: And then you can go look. 75 00:04:33,340 --> 00:04:35,020 Randy Brower: No, what if I miss it? 76 00:04:35,420 --> 00:04:36,940 Randy Brower: He was obsessed. 77 00:04:36,940 --> 00:04:41,340 Randy Brower: So when he was entering third grade and we asked him, What do you want to be when you grow up? 78 00:04:41,340 --> 00:04:43,020 Randy Brower: We expected his answer. 79 00:04:43,260 --> 00:04:49,180 Randy Brower: But instead, he without hesitation and tremendously serious said 80 00:04:50,380 --> 00:04:52,780 Randy Brower: I want to be Taylor Swift's boyfriend. 81 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:00,960 Randy Brower: Smart kid, in my opinion. 82 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:06,560 Randy Brower: He and I are very like-minded on that topic, okay 83 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:10,960 Randy Brower: Bar, I love you, but I wouldn't mind being Taylor Swift's boyfriend either. 84 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:12,320 Randy Brower: Okay. 85 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,600 Randy Brower: So that, you know, that we were very like-minded on that topic. 86 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:20,400 Randy Brower: Now on the other hand, on the other side of it, you will notice that I am wearing a tie today. 87 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:27,919 Randy Brower: If I had my way, I would never, ever, ever, ever wear a tie. 88 00:05:27,919 --> 00:05:28,880 Randy Brower: Okay? 89 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:39,000 Randy Brower: But my wife, bef bless her heart, before she left for her trip, she picked out what I was gonna wear today and including a tie. 90 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,600 Randy Brower: Because she feels like if you're on the platform 91 00:05:43,420 --> 00:05:46,700 Randy Brower: You should be wearing a tie. 92 00:05:46,700 --> 00:05:52,860 Randy Brower: She and I are not like-minded on that topic. 93 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:02,440 Randy Brower: The word like-minded is oftentimes compared to the word unity 94 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,840 Randy Brower: We want unity in the church. 95 00:06:07,840 --> 00:06:12,960 Randy Brower: And we're going to come back to unity in a minute and like-mindedness in a minute. 96 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,600 Randy Brower: But I want to go back to the beginning of the verse. 97 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:23,440 Randy Brower: The God of patience and comfort. 98 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,120 Randy Brower: Those are good feely words, right? 99 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:29,120 Randy Brower: Patience and comfort 100 00:06:30,780 --> 00:06:33,580 Randy Brower: God is a God of patience. 101 00:06:33,580 --> 00:06:35,900 Randy Brower: Let me give you a prime example of that. 102 00:06:35,900 --> 00:06:38,460 Randy Brower: It's found in the book of Numbers. 103 00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:42,300 Randy Brower: Chapter 14, verse 18. 104 00:06:42,300 --> 00:06:43,819 Randy Brower: If you want to look it up, great. 105 00:06:43,819 --> 00:06:45,740 Randy Brower: If not, you can just listen. 106 00:06:45,740 --> 00:06:46,620 Randy Brower: Whatever. 107 00:06:46,620 --> 00:06:48,539 Randy Brower: Numbers 14. 108 00:06:49,060 --> 00:06:58,180 Randy Brower: Verse 18: The Lord is long-suffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression. 109 00:06:58,039 --> 00:07:02,919 Randy Brower: but he by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers of blah blah blah blah blah. 110 00:07:02,919 --> 00:07:05,560 Randy Brower: You think about those children of Israel. 111 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,240 Randy Brower: Was God patient with them? 112 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,280 Randy Brower: Oh boy was he patient with them. 113 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:24,160 Randy Brower: He reached a point so many times where I would have said, That's it, I'm done with these people You're on your own now. 114 00:07:24,259 --> 00:07:26,819 Randy Brower: And God even said that to Moses once. 115 00:07:26,819 --> 00:07:28,819 Randy Brower: He said, Look, I'm done with them. 116 00:07:28,819 --> 00:07:34,419 Randy Brower: I'm just gonna destroy them, and I'll make a new nation from you, your descendants. 117 00:07:34,419 --> 00:07:36,659 Randy Brower: And Moses said, No. 118 00:07:36,820 --> 00:07:39,860 Randy Brower: That's not you, God. 119 00:07:39,860 --> 00:07:45,380 Randy Brower: Why would you want the people to see you that way? 120 00:07:45,380 --> 00:07:46,980 Randy Brower: No. 121 00:07:46,980 --> 00:07:49,060 Randy Brower: You're a God of patience 122 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,240 Randy Brower: God has mercy. 123 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:53,600 Randy Brower: God is mercy. 124 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:58,560 Randy Brower: Over and over and over and over again. 125 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,280 Randy Brower: As many times as you need it 126 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,480 Randy Brower: He gives it. 127 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,280 Randy Brower: That's patience. 128 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:15,240 Randy Brower: But it also says he's the God of comfort. 129 00:08:16,199 --> 00:08:23,160 Randy Brower: Let's look at 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 3 and 4. 130 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:26,759 Randy Brower: This text came up in our Sabbath school class this morning. 131 00:08:26,759 --> 00:08:28,600 Randy Brower: God comforts you. 132 00:08:29,260 --> 00:08:35,260 Randy Brower: So you can comfort others with the same comfort with which he comforted you 133 00:08:38,180 --> 00:08:49,620 Randy Brower: We talked a lot about that in our Sabbath school this morning, about the comfort that God gives, the peace that you can have when God comforts you in your troubles. 134 00:08:49,620 --> 00:08:49,940 Randy Brower: So 135 00:08:51,440 --> 00:09:02,080 Randy Brower: God is a God of patience and comfort, and he expects us to reflect those attributes in our dealings with others 136 00:09:03,460 --> 00:09:06,340 Randy Brower: Because you know what? 137 00:09:06,340 --> 00:09:13,140 Randy Brower: When others create their picture of God, they are most likely creating it 138 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:20,720 Randy Brower: Based on the way that you have shown God to them. 139 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,480 Randy Brower: If you're not displaying patience and comfort 140 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:30,880 Randy Brower: Then they don't see God as a God of patience and comfort. 141 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:32,800 Randy Brower: And and it works the other way. 142 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,760 Randy Brower: The only way that we can display patience and comfort 143 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:41,840 Randy Brower: is by receiving those attributes from God. 144 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,520 Randy Brower: Because we can't create them in ourselves. 145 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:50,880 Randy Brower: All good things come from God. 146 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:57,440 Randy Brower: Now let's get to those words like-minded again. 147 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:01,920 Randy Brower: I already said that like-minded is another word for unity. 148 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:13,800 Randy Brower: But I want to make it perfectly clear that unity is not the same thing as uniformity. 149 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:21,319 Randy Brower: God does not expect every one of us to be exactly the same. 150 00:10:21,319 --> 00:10:24,040 Randy Brower: So then what do we mean by unity? 151 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:26,279 Randy Brower: Well, I looked it up. 152 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:38,880 Randy Brower: And one of the definitions I found of unity is shared goals, values, and purpose. 153 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,960 Randy Brower: Now I want you to be careful when you answer this question. 154 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:48,080 Randy Brower: What is our goal as Christians? 155 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:51,200 Randy Brower: Thank you. 156 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,600 Randy Brower: I uh uh some some people when you ask that question, what is your goal as a Christian? 157 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:57,120 Randy Brower: My goal is to get to heaven. 158 00:10:58,140 --> 00:11:05,580 Randy Brower: And I've said it many times over in Sabbath school, if your goal is to get to heaven, you're doing it wrong. 159 00:11:08,399 --> 00:11:13,440 Randy Brower: Our goal should be to get others to heaven. 160 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:20,480 Randy Brower: To reflect God in such a way that other people will see him as a God of love and that they'll want to be with him too. 161 00:11:22,540 --> 00:11:30,620 Randy Brower: Now granted, if you are pursuing that goal, you're gonna get yourself there too. 162 00:11:31,340 --> 00:11:33,100 Randy Brower: I firmly believe that. 163 00:11:33,100 --> 00:11:37,820 Randy Brower: So you're actually accomplishing both goals by pursuing one of them. 164 00:11:37,820 --> 00:11:39,580 Randy Brower: Think of it this way. 165 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,680 Randy Brower: Have you ever been to see a symphony orchestra? 166 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:46,360 Randy Brower: I just lost half the audience. 167 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:48,440 Randy Brower: Most of you have never been to see a symphony orchestra. 168 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:49,720 Randy Brower: Not most of you, some of you. 169 00:11:49,900 --> 00:11:52,140 Randy Brower: Um, but I'll ask the question anyway. 170 00:11:52,140 --> 00:12:00,860 Randy Brower: Have you ever been to a symphony orchestra where thank you where every instrument in the orchestra was exactly the same? 171 00:12:01,540 --> 00:12:04,500 Randy Brower: It wouldn't be much of an orchestra, would it? 172 00:12:04,740 --> 00:12:11,940 Randy Brower: If every instrument there was a flute, or if every instrument there was a violin, it wouldn't be the same. 173 00:12:11,940 --> 00:12:14,740 Randy Brower: It wouldn't th you wouldn't get the same experience 174 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:20,959 Randy Brower: When you go to see an orchestra, you expect a full array of instruments. 175 00:12:20,959 --> 00:12:23,360 Randy Brower: The more, usually the better 176 00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:26,500 Randy Brower: Every one of them with a different sound. 177 00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:33,300 Randy Brower: A violin doesn't sound like a flute, a flute doesn't sound like an oboe, an oboe doesn't sound like a trumpet, and that's good. 178 00:12:33,300 --> 00:12:38,260 Randy Brower: Every one of them has their own place in that orchestra. 179 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:39,920 Randy Brower: That's what we are as a church. 180 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,600 Randy Brower: We are God's orchestra. 181 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,320 Randy Brower: Everyone playing their own instrument 182 00:12:47,780 --> 00:12:52,740 Randy Brower: But everyone playing the same song. 183 00:12:52,740 --> 00:13:00,500 Randy Brower: Again, I ask you, have you ever been to see a symphony orchestra where every instrument in the orchestra was playing a different song? 184 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,400 Randy Brower: What would you have there? 185 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,680 Randy Brower: The word that comes to my mind is chaos. 186 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,880 Randy Brower: And God is not the God of chaos. 187 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,120 Randy Brower: God is a God of order. 188 00:13:11,220 --> 00:13:18,420 Randy Brower: He wants us all singing out of the same book, singing the same song, but playing our own instruments. 189 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:30,480 Randy Brower: And we should not allow differences in opinion or differences in culture 190 00:13:31,660 --> 00:13:37,180 Randy Brower: or differences in personality to divide us. 191 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:49,040 Randy Brower: If you ever want to see differences in personality, culture, or opinion divide people, go to Facebook. 192 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:55,100 Randy Brower: I don't even comment in Facebook anymore. 193 00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:59,900 Randy Brower: Because every time I do, it sparks this huge flu. 194 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:07,240 Randy Brower: Explosion of everybody telling me why I'm wrong or why I'm right and it just it tends to divide 195 00:14:08,020 --> 00:14:19,300 Randy Brower: Our country right now and our world is in a place where it seems like no matter what you do, it causes a division. 196 00:14:22,580 --> 00:14:28,020 Randy Brower: Everything you see on the news, everybody's got an opinion. 197 00:14:28,020 --> 00:14:33,060 Randy Brower: Everybody's a Republican or a Democrat, and they can't get along. 198 00:14:33,220 --> 00:14:38,740 Randy Brower: There's no way these two parties can work together towards a common goal, it seems. 199 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:54,400 Randy Brower: But God told us through Paul, there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor fent female, sorry. 200 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:57,720 Randy Brower: None of those divisions are there. 201 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:02,600 Randy Brower: And if he knew about it, Paul would have said, there is no Republican or Democrat. 202 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,360 Randy Brower: There is no Adventist or Catholic. 203 00:15:07,980 --> 00:15:10,060 Randy Brower: The dividing wall is not there. 204 00:15:10,060 --> 00:15:14,940 Randy Brower: We are all sinners in need of grace. 205 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:23,040 Randy Brower: And there's only one place you can get that grace. 206 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:27,040 Randy Brower: So the question we need to ask ourselves. 207 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:34,000 Randy Brower: Every time we open our mouths to speak, is this. 208 00:15:34,959 --> 00:15:38,320 Randy Brower: Do our words encourage unity 209 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,840 Randy Brower: Or division? 210 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:49,240 Randy Brower: And if the answer is division, then shut your mouth again. 211 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:51,320 Randy Brower: If your answer is unity 212 00:15:54,839 --> 00:16:00,360 Randy Brower: Preach it. 213 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,240 Randy Brower: Do we allow sinners to come to our church? 214 00:16:03,579 --> 00:16:08,300 Randy Brower: I sure hope so, because if we didn't, this place would be empty. 215 00:16:12,860 --> 00:16:22,780 Randy Brower: If someone has committed an infraction against this church, do we want them back? 216 00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:25,260 Randy Brower: You bet we do. 217 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:33,640 Randy Brower: Because this church is a place where we want to reflect a God of grace. 218 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:34,280 Randy Brower: Christ 219 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:41,319 Randy Brower: Is the standard by which we should be measuring ourselves. 220 00:16:41,319 --> 00:16:46,199 Randy Brower: And I guarantee you, if you measure yourselves by that standard, 221 00:16:46,460 --> 00:16:52,060 Randy Brower: You will come up short. 222 00:16:52,060 --> 00:16:53,420 Randy Brower: And that's okay 223 00:16:55,839 --> 00:16:58,800 Randy Brower: Because we have a savior who makes up the difference. 224 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:10,839 Randy Brower: Unity will not come about by human effort. 225 00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:14,360 Randy Brower: It is a divine gift of God 226 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,720 Randy Brower: One more time I'm gonna come back to the words. 227 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,799 Randy Brower: I can't decide if it's words or word. 228 00:17:23,799 --> 00:17:24,439 Randy Brower: Like-minded. 229 00:17:24,439 --> 00:17:26,519 Randy Brower: It's hyphenated, so I guess it's one word. 230 00:17:26,519 --> 00:17:27,799 Randy Brower: Like-minded. 231 00:17:27,540 --> 00:17:33,300 Randy Brower: It's not hyphenated on the sign outside because I don't think that there's any hyphens in the box of letters. 232 00:17:33,300 --> 00:17:34,820 Randy Brower: So whatever. 233 00:17:34,820 --> 00:17:39,620 Randy Brower: And I don't think I hyphenated it in my text whenever anybody asks me what your title is. 234 00:17:39,620 --> 00:17:40,580 Randy Brower: So it doesn't matter. 235 00:17:40,580 --> 00:17:42,260 Randy Brower: Word words. 236 00:17:42,500 --> 00:17:43,380 Randy Brower: Where was I? 237 00:17:43,380 --> 00:17:44,100 Randy Brower: Oh yes. 238 00:17:44,100 --> 00:17:47,460 Randy Brower: Like-minded. 239 00:17:47,460 --> 00:17:50,100 Randy Brower: Like-minded in what 240 00:17:51,220 --> 00:17:54,900 Randy Brower: Does that mean I expect you to be like-minded with me? 241 00:17:54,900 --> 00:17:57,620 Randy Brower: But I may not necessarily be like-minded with you. 242 00:17:57,620 --> 00:18:02,820 Randy Brower: You all need to come around to my way of thinking, and then we'll all be like-minded, right? 243 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,000 Randy Brower: Well, that's true. 244 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,800 Randy Brower: But I have a better idea. 245 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:15,880 Randy Brower: That better idea is related in Philippians chapter 2. 246 00:18:17,340 --> 00:18:18,380 Randy Brower: Verse five. 247 00:18:18,700 --> 00:18:22,780 Randy Brower: Well I'm going to start with verse one though. 248 00:18:22,780 --> 00:18:28,540 Randy Brower: Therefore, if there's any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love 249 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:43,760 Randy Brower: If any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being, here it is again, like-minded, having the same love. 250 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,080 Randy Brower: Being of one accord. 251 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:51,600 Randy Brower: No, it's not talking about the card, Anne. 252 00:18:52,620 --> 00:18:54,700 Randy Brower: Of one mind. 253 00:18:54,700 --> 00:19:03,500 Randy Brower: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. 254 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:04,840 Randy Brower: That's hard to do. 255 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,640 Randy Brower: At least it is for me, I'll tell you that. 256 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:13,240 Randy Brower: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but for the interests of others 257 00:19:14,060 --> 00:19:19,420 Randy Brower: And then the text that tells you what mind we need to be like-minded with. 258 00:19:19,420 --> 00:19:25,420 Randy Brower: Verse 5: Let this mind be in you, which was also 259 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:34,360 Randy Brower: In Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God 260 00:19:34,540 --> 00:19:41,900 Randy Brower: but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. 261 00:19:44,659 --> 00:19:55,940 Randy Brower: And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross 262 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:02,880 Randy Brower: That's the mind we need to be like-minded with. 263 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:08,240 Randy Brower: Because God runs an upside-down kingdom. 264 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,320 Randy Brower: If you seek to be humble, what happens? 265 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:20,480 Randy Brower: Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name. 266 00:20:20,540 --> 00:20:29,260 Randy Brower: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should 267 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:36,280 Randy Brower: Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 268 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:36,600 Randy Brower: That 269 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:42,240 Randy Brower: is the mind that should be in you, in me, in all of us. 270 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,559 Randy Brower: And we should be like-minded in that way. 271 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:55,200 Randy Brower: Now in practical terms, how do we apply this to our life? 272 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:55,920 Randy Brower: Okay, great. 273 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:56,800 Randy Brower: I'm like-minded. 274 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:57,840 Randy Brower: I love Jesus. 275 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:58,960 Randy Brower: Yay! 276 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:00,080 Randy Brower: Now what? 277 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:09,360 Randy Brower: I have three practical steps that I would like you to I would challenge you to follow this week. 278 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,160 Randy Brower: Number one. 279 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:18,800 Randy Brower: Pray for patience. 280 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:20,400 Randy Brower: What's that old joke? 281 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,720 Randy Brower: God give me patience and hurry up about it. 282 00:21:26,980 --> 00:21:27,940 Randy Brower: Plead God. 283 00:21:27,940 --> 00:21:35,540 Randy Brower: Plead with God to give you patience as you deal with some of these people that you're supposed to be like-minded with. 284 00:21:35,540 --> 00:21:38,260 Randy Brower: Because we're not like-minded. 285 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:44,679 Randy Brower: And you need patience to deal with that. 286 00:21:44,679 --> 00:21:46,840 Randy Brower: Step number two. 287 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:51,400 Randy Brower: Once you have achieved patience, and for some of us it will take longer than others. 288 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:56,480 Randy Brower: But once you've achieved patience, step number two. 289 00:21:56,799 --> 00:22:00,080 Randy Brower: Offer comfort to someone who needs it. 290 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:07,240 Randy Brower: We all know somebody who needs comfort. 291 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:08,679 Randy Brower: And guess what? 292 00:22:08,679 --> 00:22:11,400 Randy Brower: We all need comfort 293 00:22:11,820 --> 00:22:17,020 Randy Brower: And when you comfort someone else, it has a strange effect on you. 294 00:22:17,020 --> 00:22:20,220 Randy Brower: You start to feel better too. 295 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:28,679 Randy Brower: So step number two, offer comfort to someone. 296 00:22:28,679 --> 00:22:32,440 Randy Brower: And step number three, there it is. 297 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:39,840 Randy Brower: And this is probably the most important. 298 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:45,120 Randy Brower: Prioritize Christ-centered goals over your own goals. 299 00:22:48,799 --> 00:22:51,760 Randy Brower: That's how we become like-minded. 300 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:56,960 Randy Brower: We start prioritizing Christ's goals, and all of a sudden we're all thinking alike. 301 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:04,640 Randy Brower: We may disagree on how to achieve those Christ-centered goals, but that's okay. 302 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,160 Randy Brower: We're all different instruments in the orchestra, right? 303 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,799 Randy Brower: We all have our own ways. 304 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,520 Randy Brower: God gives us patience and comfort. 305 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:29,520 Randy Brower: so that we can reflect that to others, which results in unity. 306 00:23:30,980 --> 00:23:37,779 Randy Brower: So my prayer for this church is that we all be like-minded with the mind of Christ. 307 00:23:42,380 --> 00:23:48,300 Randy Brower: As the pastor's been preaching this this uh series on one anothering, he has chosen a closing song. 308 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,720 Randy Brower: The family of God. 309 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,960 Randy Brower: We're not going to do that today. 310 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,440 Randy Brower: And you all know why. 311 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:59,520 Randy Brower: Because when I preach, what do we sing? 312 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:08,280 Randy Brower: Jesus loves me because that's the most important message in all of Christendom. 313 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,640 Randy Brower: Now I gotta get my guitar out again, so give me one second.