Did anyone memorize it? Did you go to one of our groups that got together & talked about what it would look like if we did it? Did anyone do it?

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1 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 1 Show video: Francis Chan Clean Your Room < I just love that clip, that idea, that insight. Maybe it s cause I have a teenage daughter, and I can hear her saying Dad, I memorized what you said. You said, Liz, go clean you room. What do you think? Do you relate to the insight here? Simon says: we just do it. Jesus says: is a different game. We memorize it. We can say it in Greek. We have studies to talk about what it would look like. We don t always do it. What are we doing? Why do we think that s okay? Anybody have a comment or thought? Last week we talked about how God tells us Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled [God s] law. We talked about putting that into action. We talked about what it might mean to do something that loved another. Did anyone memorize it? Did you go to one of our groups that got together & talked about what it would look like if we did it? Did anyone do it? Think about this week. Did you love any person in any way similar to the way Jesus loved you? Can anyone share a story of how you did that specifically this week and what happened? Or can anyone share a short story about how you saw someone in your life do that this week? Raise your hand if you can say, yeah, I did that this week. I saw a few examples this week.

2 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 2 Like, I saw a Facebook post from someone in our church, Krista Stinebiser, that said, Took a shoe box from church, went and filled it, brought it back when I was bringing Kayleigh for choir practice. Then, somehow I m in the choir now?! So, that was hearing his word that day and obeying it by filling an Oper. Christmas Child shoebox. Well done. Thank you. In fact, all these shoeboxes are examples of fulfilling the debt to love one another. These are Operation Christmas Shoeboxes. We have over 160. These go to poor children in impoverished developing countries around the world. They contain toys and candy and school supplies. And they receive an age appropriate comic or coloring book about how Jesus loves them. Well done all of you who did them!! Thank you. <Clap> This Wednesday I saw Jan Brown, and Sandy and Jim Hall in here go over all these boxes. Making sure they had the right labels, and the shipping fees, and rubber banding them all. Well done to you, and all who help do the rest of the work to get these out. Our Christian school has about 110 kids. A few weeks ago Jim & Sandy & I spoke at their chapel & encouraged our kids to do a shoebox. They did 82 boxes. But we don t ask our kids to pay the cost it takes to ship these boxes, which is $7 for each box. So the group that does our funeral dinners has a surplus in their fund. And they are paying to ship those boxes around $600. Thank you and well done. If you are a kid who goes to our Academy or you are part of an Academy family, You are like that boy who gave Jesus his lunch. It seemed like something small, but Jesus took it and used it to do a miracle for thousands. You never know what He could do with this little box of love. Thank you! And well done! Would you take a moment and say a prayer with me for the kids who these boxes are going to find somewhere in this world. Prayer...

3 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 3 I saw a few other people obeying Jesus words in other ways this week. Manav and Alpana Gupta did something Jesus said to do this week. Jesus said to be baptized in his name. Show pics of baptism These two have decided to follow Jesus and they are looking to learn how to obey him. The Mann family opened up their home and their hot tub for the baptism. Show pic of group Imagine using your hot tub for Jesus! Insert your own joke about holy water here. And so they and the Gupta s friends and family who follow Christ were obeying Christ in helping others come to be baptized and be disciples. So well done and thank you. And a special personal thank you for the huge apple pie. This week I saw kids who were obeying Jesus words. Show pic of BARF cake. Our kids had their BARF night on Wed. that was B-A-R-F; Bring A Real Friend night. It was great night for kids at Armbrust AWANA. There was over 40 kids and teachers. They learned about Jesus. They studied his word, and memorized it some. They had great cake and fun and prizes. We even had one kid who got totally into the spirit of the night... who actually barfed in the hallway. He was one of the friends who came. He is allergic to onions and somehow he smelled some. So, pray for him & his family who probably don t know about letting him come back to this church. And 8 kids brought a real friend to church to learn about Jesus. That s making disciples. Well done kids. And well done teachers, helpers, cake bakers, Children s ministry leaders, parents, and puke picker uppers. And thank you.

4 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 4 (blank) Then, on Thursday evening Harry Bisping drove our bus filled with a group from our church into Pittsburgh. They went to the Consol Energy Center for the Evening with David Jeremiah. Driving a bus in downtown Pittsburgh is fulfilling the debt to love one another. On Friday night the bus got used again. Show pic of all nighter. John Porter drove our bus filled with teenagers up to Clearfield for an all-nighter of worship, teaching at a church and fun and recreation at the YMCA. John and Elsie slept in a motel, and he got up in the morning and drove them home after their all nighter. Driving a bus of teenagers 100 miles for an all-nighter is Paying It Forward on an epic scale. The teens also had a significant number of friends who got invited and who went. Thank you and well done everyone. (Blank) One more chance. Did anyone think of a story of loving one another from this week? So speaking of doing what Jesus said, Friday my wife and I had a wedding to go to. I actually was performing the wedding. Congratulations to Michael Green and Jeanne Wilkinson Green, now. And our boys were going with the youth group to the all nighter. But we had to leave before them. So as we were about to leave my wife told our teenage son, who is an excellent young man, she said: Wes go down to the church at 10 of 6. He said, I don t need to go then. She said, Just go down at 10 of 6. Why do I have to go at 10 of? Wes go down at 10 of 6. You can t miss the bus. Okay, okay. I ll get there when I need to. So, I chimed in with, Wes tell you mother you ll go at 10 of 6. And he said, Okay, Mom I ll go at 10 of 6... if I can, but I don t think I have to.

5 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 5 I told my son for saying that last line I was going to use that story in my sermon. And so I did. And we have a policy in our family. He gets a dollar every time I tell a story. (Give dollar.) That dollar policy use to work better when they were 4 or 5. Now it s like: you can have the rights to that story for 10 bucks against 20; 10 now, 20 if you use it. You know what I believe? I m not absolutely sure. I wasn t there. But I strongly believe, that my son left our house at 10 of 6 and he took his younger brother w/ him. And even more importantly, I know he was instrumental in driving this event to happen. He asked for it. He told me to tell Pastor Tyler about it. He invited his friends to it. Now, notwithstanding the real desire I have for my son to be able to humbly submit to his mother even when he doesn t like it. What s most important here is what he did, not what he said he would do, right? What s really important is what we actually do, Not what we hear Jesus said, Not what we memorize, Not what we say, But, what we actually do, right? Jesus told a story like this. We call it the Parable of the Two Sons Matthew 21:28-31 What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. I will not, he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, I will, sir, but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? The first, they answered.

6 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 6 What do you think? Jesus asked. What do you think? What do you think Jesus means by this parable? The best would be to tell his father, yes I ll do it and do it. No question. But Jesus is trying to show the Jews in his day, who were saying they loved God but who were not obeying Him, that saying it doesn t matter at all if you don t do it. And in the context of when he told this, he was saying: Hey look around. Tax collectors and prostitutes are coming into the kingdom of God. They are repenting. They are following me. They are doing it. You guys talk a good game, but these guys just do it. So for us, the same applies. Do you say, I ll go work in the vineyard. But then when the day comes, you re not there? Do you tell yourself you love God, but your life doesn t really show it? Do you tell yourself you love God, but the actions just don t line up? You need to change that. Do you think Jesus doesn t know? Do think it doesn t matter? Do you think he wants us to just do our duty and listen to his words on Sunday, but go from here and live unchanged lives!? No! What does he want? He wants faith. And the faith he wants includes action. He wants thanksgiving. But more importantly He wants thanks living. He wants love. And the love He wants includes obedience. We show we love Him, when we love one another. We show we love Him, when we obey Him. We show we love Him, when we love one another last week. We show we love Him, when we obey Him this week. We show we love Him, when we do what He says

7 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 7 Jesus said, John 14:15, 21, 23-24, 31 If you love me, keep my commands... Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.... Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.... I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. He says it frontwards and backwards. If you love me, you will obey my teachings. If you obey my teachings, you love me. He says it positive and negative. If you love me, keep my commands. If you don t love me, you don t obey my teachings. He says it by his example. Last line. Jesus says this how is how He loves the Father, he does exactly what the Father has commanded. There is no mistaking this. But in the game of Jesus says, somehow we ve turned this into: If you love me, you ll memorize my commandments. If you love me, you ll listen to my teachings. If you love me, you ll have a group and you ll talk about what it would look like if you were to keep my words. So how is it with your soul today? Do you say yes Lord, but then live no. Do you know that his word says, do not judge, but then you take his word and use it to judge others? Do you know his word says do not look on a woman with lust, but you have unfiltered, unaccountable internet access? Do you know his word says do not gossip or slander, but you tell other people what happened or what you heard? What area of your life do you need to do what Jesus says? Putting an end to that friendship that leads to doing drugs or getting drunk? You re not going to save the unbelieving friends you smoke pot with. They may end up destroying your soul with them.

8 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 8 Is he calling you to do something? Get out of the boat? Read his Word? End that relationship? Do something by faith? Trust Him? Surrender your life to Him? If you could ask him to change one thing about you right now, what would it be? If you could ask for his power to enable you obey in some area, what would it be? If you have the faith to trust Him, he will give you the grace to do it today! If you believe in Him and will obey him, you can be a fully obedient follower of Jesus today. And if you do, you will be blessed. As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you. Luke 11:28 He replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it. You will be happy. Your life will be more satisfying. You will have strength for the challenges and in the difficulties you will have peace. I received an from Manav a couple weeks ago. It was after we met for the first time and they told me about what God was doing in their lives. He wrote. I would like to come in tomorrow at a time that's convenient for you. I would be a lucky man if you become my mentor. I read Matthew Ch 6 today. Every word is full of His Glory and I feel Him present around me all the time. I believe in God, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. HE is my savior. I am ready to Walk With HIM and I want to go where HE will take me. HE is my leader and I will follow HIM. Thank you Pastor Tim. My reply. Your faith is already so strong! And those statements are so clear and important. God must be so pleased. And the Bible says angels rejoice when we believe in Jesus. They must be too. Your brother in law has been very good to direct you and by his example. He must be so pleased to hear about your faith.

9 Sermon, , Debt, How to Pay Forward the Debt to Love Others, part 2 9 And you have given your wife a wonderful gift. You are showing your love for her by your decisions and your intentions. But, following Jesus is not only decisions and intentions. Those in fact are the easiest to give. Following Jesus is lived out every day. This can be more difficult. But, your faith is the most important part of everyday. So I have great hope for you. And I will be glad to mentor you to become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Isn t his confession inspiring? But intentions and decisions are easy. Following Jesus is not only intentions and decisions. Those in fact are the easiest to give. Following Jesus is lived out every day. This can be more difficult. But, your faith is the most important part of everyday. So I have great hope for you. And I will be glad to mentor you to become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Because after all, as Francis Chan, the speaker in the video we started with, reminded us. That s the most important thing Jesus called us to do. Jesus said, Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. We are on the right track together. You re inviting and bringing family, kids, friends, to church and groups and your youth events so they can grow as disciples of Jesus. We are baptizing. We baptized several in August and now two more. And always, especially today, we re teaching you to obey everything Jesus commanded. The choice for you today is are you just going to memorize what Jesus said today? Are you going to just listen and learn? Or are you going to obey it and live it? Jesus is helping us to make disciples for him. And Jesus is with us to the very end. Jesus says.