Oh
hey guys I just want to send a quick video to you guys first want to say Lisa
and I miss you guys so much it is so weird to be apart from family when we've
been so close for so long I seriously pray for you think about you
guys all the time and because everything is so crazy right
now I so want to be there but I thought well at least I could just send you a
quick video and just share some thoughts that God's put on my heart for the
church during this time it was it was kind of crazy like three weeks ago when
we're getting ready to leave I got the kids together and just just ask the
family how they were feeling and you know Zeke and Ellie and and Claire we're
talking about how they were you know a little sad to me you know leaving their
friends they weren't really scared about going into the you know into Hong Kong
with the virus they're excited about the adventure and you notice everyone have
these mixed emotions and then Silas our five year old we're like hey well what
do you think Silas you excited to go to Hong Kong and he just starts crying and
he goes I'm just so sad that all these people are dying in China and it was
like this moment where you're just like whoa like he's actually the only one
that has the right perspective right now we're like we're thinking about
ourselves and and how it feels going into this place are we afraid or we this
or that but he kind of just brought us to this moment of man I naturally
default to myself and I don't think about what's going on and and and during
this time it's crazy it's so easy for us to lose what we're supposed to be all
about which is to be these people who are loving that are concerned that
hundreds of people every day are dying and many headed to an eternity apart
from Christ used to be like this in high school I
don't when I first believed I would just look at all my friends and I would just
be so concerned about their eternal salvation but sometimes the longer
you're in church you can almost get sidetracked by other things and and
believing they're the most important and so my prayer for you guys number one is
that you stay loving that that you during this time that you really be
thinking God I love you what do you want me to do out of love for you and and to
be looking at the others around you in love and going god how can I serve these
people because this is this is one of the greatest opportunities we've ever
had as a church where people are open to talking about serious things
life-and-death things and and suddenly we're no longer in control so man I
understand it is crazy but don't lose your love and secondly I would say don't
lose your joy like the Bible commands as Philippians 4 rejoice in the Lord always
I know it's a weird time where you can't gather together as a big church and
we're even trying to break up the churches into smaller clusters and you
can find some disappointment we can be like I wish it was like this I wish it was that
but man don't stop rejoicing about the fact that right now man you can be alone
in your room even if you're isolated and be in the presence of Almighty God like
you and him in a room together alone with the creator of the universe like we
have to rejoice in that always and and not just that but the joy
of and this is what we've been talking about for years now then we don't need
the giant crowds or anything else if I just have a couple of people in the room
with me and we take of communion like there's a way in which Christ is present
like none other we have this right I mean some of my most meaningful times of
communion have been just with the family or with two buddies and we're just
reminding each other man this is the body and blood of Christ and we're
looking at each other at one time just with Justin and Al is just like three of
us when is communion and Justin's like man I had to open my eyes because I
could have sworn Christ was right there in front of me like I could reach out
and touch him the real presence of Christ. Are you still finding so much joy
in that like hey let's get even deeper during this time and let's find joy in
this. And finally I just want to say don't lose your peace man we are people
that are supposed to be fearless just absolutely fearless, man the number one
command the most oft-repeated command in Scripture is fear not, man I think of
Christ's words in John 14 when he says peace I leave with you my peace I give
to you I do not give to you like the world gives do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid in my father's house are many rooms and if it
were not so I would have told you and I'm going there to prepare a place for
you and if I go and prepare a place for you I'll come back and take you to be
with me so you can be with me where I am and this is this is the crux of
everything we believe is that I don't have to fear death like this is the way
Christ wants me to live like what do I have to fear like if I die for
me to live is Christ and to die is gain man when have you ever feared gain like
getting into the presence of God I hope you have this peace with you I mean we
have the peace that he says if you seek first the kingdom of God all these
things shall be added to you so I walk around going man what could go wrong
with me today like I know him I don't fear death he's gonna take care of me
while I'm on this earth and when it's my time to go is my time to go you guys
this is at the core the resurrection of Christ took away all of that fear so man
I sure hope that right now you are so fearless for yourself and if not man
that's the first thing you gotta do is get alone with God and say God why this
fear you don't want me living like this and so please this is the time where we
thank God and go god it is so good that I am with you and nothing nothing can
separate me from your love like I'm loved about you and nothing can separate
there's no disease no death no life death angels principalities nothing can
separate me from the love of God thank you God thank you that I can be alone
with you thank you that you dwell in me thank you that I'm not alone thank you I
don't want to worry about the future man this is the attitude we have as
believers right now and and I would warn you during this time like I I see a lot
of people going man I'm just gonna podcast I'm gonna isolate and my fear
during this time for the US, for Hong Kong anywhere is we can get so
accustomed to being isolated and that we just go man I'm just gonna keep doing
this this is great I'm gonna stay at home and be by myself but you guys know
that is not the church that Christ wanted he wanted
such intimacy between his children just like every parent does or you just want
them to be this bond this inseparable bond and so man we can do all things
through Christ that means even during this time as you guys are on lockdown
say god we can get closer to each other somehow whether it's through technology
or whatever else when we will figure out a way because there needs to be this
resilience in us as believers and I think that is what the world and the
church is being shown right now is how vulnerable how volatile we are that one
little thing could mess things up but man you guys know this is what we've
been working for for seven years and it's kind of crazy that for seven years
we've been preaching come on you guys we've got to get ready there's gonna
come a day when we can't get in these big gatherings and there's gonna come a
day when you're gonna need to know how to by yourself no matter where you are
that you can thrive in your walk with God and that you can gather with other
believers and you can build each other up I mean that's what we're preparing
for like I said it's like it's like our children like I I want my children by
the time they're 18 I don't want to worry about them anymore
I train them up they can go anywhere they can walk with the Lord they can
lead others to the Lord man they know how to have fellowship with others they
can create their own gatherings and that's been our heart for you guys as
elders to the church is there's gonna come a day there's going to come a day
when we won't have the luxury of all the leaders being together
all of the people and you need to be ready for that it's kinda crazy that I'm
preaching that for seven years and then two weeks after I leave you're living it.
and the whole country is having to live that but it's I believe it's God's grace
on us to show us man am I prepared have I lost my love my joy my peace this is
the fruit of the Spirit man you guys take advantage of this time
don't miss this opportunity this is one of our greatest opportunities for
reaching out to a lost world and showing them that we haven't lost our love joy
and peace even at this moment the enemy can't take that away from us we love the
Lord Jesus Christ and his church is alive and well I so miss you guys I
seriously love you guys and I'm so excited that so many of you have been
prepared for this so take courage and I can't wait to see
you guys again