Empowering Vs. Enabling (Part 1)- Ministering to Abortion Minded Women

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:05.799 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours. Send Me, 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.390 Lord, I am. You're welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast. 3 00:00:10.509 --> 00:00:13.710 These next two episodes are going to be a two part series on dealing with 4 00:00:13.750 --> 00:00:19.390 abortion minded women and empowering versus enabling. Is An important subject in Christian ministry, 5 00:00:19.429 --> 00:00:31.820 so stay tuned. I felt show passish, touch your heart. Use 6 00:00:33.539 --> 00:00:38.770 Welcome to the Gospel Center per life podcast. We're going to talk about empowering 7 00:00:38.890 --> 00:00:45.250 versus enabling when ministering too abortion minded women. We hope this will be a 8 00:00:45.530 --> 00:00:48.250 two part that we won't stretch it out too long, because we think it 9 00:00:48.329 --> 00:00:51.479 will be pretty long if we do it in one part. So we're going 10 00:00:51.479 --> 00:00:55.079 to try to cut it up into two parts and and really deal with, 11 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:58.359 you know, the spiritual side of this and then the practical side to it, 12 00:00:58.439 --> 00:01:00.240 and we'll touch on those two as we get through the whole thing. 13 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.549 But I think the first part will be more dealing with the spiritual, scriptural 14 00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:07.629 side of it and then the practical side will be in the second part. 15 00:01:08.230 --> 00:01:12.829 And this is Yo really speaking a lot from experience, from the experience we've 16 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:18.659 had a sidewalk counselors and minister into abortion minded women and how we've fallen into 17 00:01:18.700 --> 00:01:23.140 the trap of enabling rather than empowering and we've learned some things. Yeah, 18 00:01:23.260 --> 00:01:27.260 and you know, through mistakes. A lot of times that's how sometimes doing 19 00:01:27.340 --> 00:01:30.939 it right, sometimes right, sometimes not doing it so so right. But 20 00:01:32.019 --> 00:01:36.810 the Lord is very gracious in the way that he teaches us and then redeems 21 00:01:36.930 --> 00:01:41.290 things where we make mistakes. But with any within any ministry. Now this 22 00:01:41.450 --> 00:01:46.129 particularly focused on prolife ministry, you know, pregnancy center ministry. It maybe 23 00:01:46.170 --> 00:01:49.959 even maternity home ministries, course, sidewalk counseling ministries, but really in any 24 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:53.439 ministry that you're involved in. I mean people will tell you within homeless ministries, 25 00:01:53.480 --> 00:01:57.519 within you know, dealing with domestic abuse situation, whatever ministry that you're 26 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:01.150 in, whatever you know, organization, nonprofit sort of thing that you're in, 27 00:02:01.230 --> 00:02:07.550 when you're dealing with people, there's going to be this empowering versus enabling. 28 00:02:07.590 --> 00:02:12.750 I mean we all want to empower people to be what God wants them 29 00:02:12.830 --> 00:02:15.699 to be, what God has called them to be, but we all can 30 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:20.860 fall in to the trap of enabling and we'll see that biblically that there's some 31 00:02:20.939 --> 00:02:23.979 people in the Bible who have fallen into that trap or who you know are 32 00:02:24.020 --> 00:02:28.060 the ones that set the trap? I guess you could say in the name 33 00:02:28.139 --> 00:02:30.090 and love, in the name of love, and you know that is you 34 00:02:30.169 --> 00:02:34.289 know, that's what we're called to do. We're called to love right. 35 00:02:34.689 --> 00:02:38.969 As a matter of fact, Jesus said by this they will know that you're 36 00:02:38.969 --> 00:02:42.490 my disciples for the love that you have for each other. Right, Bible 37 00:02:42.569 --> 00:02:46.719 tells us, and First John, that God is love. Like the very 38 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:50.800 nature of God is defined with love. Now, of course, later on 39 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:53.759 the Hebrews, or before that, and Hebrews that says God is a consuming 40 00:02:53.879 --> 00:02:57.759 fire, but but he's also love. That's like, you know. And 41 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.590 so as Christians we the love of God, the Bible says, has been 42 00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:04.030 shed abroad in our hearts. So we want to love people, but but 43 00:03:04.150 --> 00:03:09.349 often times or sometimes we fall into the trap of is really just kind of 44 00:03:09.469 --> 00:03:14.979 this emotional love rather than actually loving people. So let's dive into this thing. 45 00:03:15.580 --> 00:03:17.699 You've got an article that you wrote and we hope to be able to 46 00:03:17.780 --> 00:03:22.139 link this article, if we get it out on the sidewalks for life site 47 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:24.460 in time, to be able to put it with this podcast. It's one 48 00:03:24.500 --> 00:03:30.090 of the parts of this podcast where you're talking about compassion verslain eight versus enabling, 49 00:03:30.210 --> 00:03:34.569 or empowering versus enabling. So jump into that article. You wrote this 50 00:03:34.650 --> 00:03:38.129 article. This is from some experience that you've heard. Yeah, and not 51 00:03:38.250 --> 00:03:43.159 just one experience. We've all experienced this. Yeah, and anyway. So 52 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:45.560 we want to empower you, want to help you, guys. That's why 53 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:47.560 we're going to Vicki's are written this article and put it out and that's what 54 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:51.080 we're talking about in the podcast. So yea been yeah, so I thought 55 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:53.800 I would be good to start with a case study. Okay, I'm not 56 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.270 going to name any names, I'm not going to give specifics that will allow 57 00:03:57.349 --> 00:04:00.069 anyone to identify this woman, but this is a an actual person that that 58 00:04:01.550 --> 00:04:05.229 I have worked with, yeah, and and others have worked with, and 59 00:04:05.389 --> 00:04:10.819 so I'll just give you a kind of an overview of this woman. She 60 00:04:12.060 --> 00:04:16.379 she came to us and chose life, yeah, and was in pretty desperate 61 00:04:16.500 --> 00:04:25.610 circumstances in every area, and so we gave her really resources that assisted her 62 00:04:25.649 --> 00:04:30.529 in every area. Like we we gave the mentorship program through Love Life Charlotte. 63 00:04:30.529 --> 00:04:32.170 So we gave her mentor that was going to guide and help and be 64 00:04:32.290 --> 00:04:38.879 a friend. We we gave her a baby shower. They gave the first 65 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:43.800 full two years of equipment and close that that baby would need. We helped 66 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:50.160 her pay outstanding bills through actually another sister ministry. We got her involved in 67 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:57.269 a program that gave parenting help and child care in a wonderful residential program, 68 00:04:57.389 --> 00:05:02.670 so she didn't have to worry about anything. Yeah, we helped her secure 69 00:05:02.670 --> 00:05:08.180 a safe apartment. We helped with gas cards, grocery cards, phone bills, 70 00:05:08.899 --> 00:05:14.420 discipleship and spiritual counseling. And she had a good job. She had 71 00:05:14.459 --> 00:05:17.899 gotten that herself, although we did help her clean up her resume. Yeah, 72 00:05:18.579 --> 00:05:23.009 so really, there isn't a whole lot more you could do for someone. 73 00:05:23.290 --> 00:05:29.370 We had truly kind of given her a chance at a brand new start. 74 00:05:29.529 --> 00:05:33.649 She recommitted, or maybe for the first time, committed her life to 75 00:05:33.730 --> 00:05:41.240 the Lord. It seemed to be firm and sincere, and so she was, 76 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:45.480 you know, kind of our poster child and she was on the path 77 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:49.470 to this great new beginning. Right. And then, after a few months, 78 00:05:50.389 --> 00:05:57.470 the old patterns began to re emerge, the same terrible choices, the 79 00:05:57.750 --> 00:06:01.670 same sinful lifestyle. Yeah, that had kind of put her in this mess 80 00:06:01.829 --> 00:06:10.300 in the first place and our world crumbled again. She cried, she repented, 81 00:06:10.660 --> 00:06:15.740 she came to us and requested additional help and and we did help. 82 00:06:15.980 --> 00:06:19.209 Again. We, I think, not only are we called to be loving 83 00:06:19.329 --> 00:06:26.370 and to give, but sacrificial giving is is a definitely a biblical concept, 84 00:06:26.850 --> 00:06:31.879 and so so we we gave again and again. She she said all the 85 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:41.079 right things, she initially did all the right behaviors that indicated that there was 86 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:49.110 change, and and then her actions kind of showed that this was not the 87 00:06:49.269 --> 00:06:54.509 case. She began to fall back again the same pattern of you know, 88 00:06:54.589 --> 00:06:57.110 it's kind of the pattern in the Bible, isn't it? We love the 89 00:06:57.230 --> 00:07:02.459 issuelites and turning to God and crying out in their despair and then God helps 90 00:07:02.500 --> 00:07:05.860 them and then they had them back to they turn right back to the same 91 00:07:05.980 --> 00:07:09.379 stuff and then they cry out to God in their despair, and that's what 92 00:07:09.459 --> 00:07:14.779 we were seeing. Yeah, and and it wasn't just our ministry but another 93 00:07:14.899 --> 00:07:18.730 ministry that had been involved with her that said this is what they had faced 94 00:07:18.810 --> 00:07:24.769 as well. Yeah, so that's kind of what what actually sparked the idea 95 00:07:24.970 --> 00:07:31.759 of this article and this podcast was. When do you know it happens, 96 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:35.160 it happens a lot, where where you have helped someone, you have truly, 97 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:42.439 you thought, empowered them on a good path, a path towards God 98 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:48.189 and self independence and and following the Lord and making good choices, and then 99 00:07:48.230 --> 00:07:53.709 you find out, well, you didn't, you kind of enabled them into 100 00:07:53.829 --> 00:07:57.189 dependence, that the goal was always you know that kind of old adage. 101 00:07:57.310 --> 00:08:00.819 It's better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish, right, 102 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:03.980 teach them to get fishing themselves, and that's that's what we want to 103 00:08:05.060 --> 00:08:09.259 do, right. We want to to teach these women how to be good 104 00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:11.220 mothers and all these things. Would get plug into programs that teach them that 105 00:08:11.300 --> 00:08:15.569 stuff rather than just giving them some baby stuff and give them some money, 106 00:08:15.610 --> 00:08:18.009 right, or pay their bills or whatever. We want to know all those 107 00:08:18.129 --> 00:08:22.329 things. If we do those things, the end desires always that they could 108 00:08:22.329 --> 00:08:26.730 be solid on their feet. So that's always the the desire, right, 109 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:31.480 but that desires not always fulfilled. Yeah, for sure. And sometimes, 110 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:33.840 you know, again, we can, we can fall into the chap and 111 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:37.559 we you know, that's a hard line to try to figure out. Sometimes, 112 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:43.350 am I enabling or am I empowering? You know, just from personal 113 00:08:43.389 --> 00:08:48.750 experience, completely unrelated to this, because I've got some uncles that the don't 114 00:08:48.789 --> 00:08:54.350 do so well, right, they've not done so well their whole lives and, 115 00:08:54.990 --> 00:08:58.019 you know, gotten money off of parents and got money off of their 116 00:08:58.139 --> 00:09:00.940 you know, my grandparents and stuff like that. To uncle's, one on 117 00:09:01.019 --> 00:09:03.940 each side that, you know, have been as I look at they've been 118 00:09:03.980 --> 00:09:09.740 empowered. The other drug addicts and just problems and problems and problems. Well, 119 00:09:09.779 --> 00:09:11.889 they've been enabled. They've been enabled. Sorry that they didn't say I've 120 00:09:11.929 --> 00:09:15.450 not been empowered. Right, yeah, you've been enabled, and it's like, 121 00:09:15.769 --> 00:09:20.529 you know, I even had upper things that I've been asked to do 122 00:09:20.730 --> 00:09:22.809 to help them where I'm like, I don't want to enable and I'm just 123 00:09:24.009 --> 00:09:26.799 not going to. Yeah, but it is hard, especially, you know, 124 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:30.000 if it's a family member, but it's basically also if it's a woman 125 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.720 with children. You know, she's got other children, often times that's right, 126 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:37.960 and baby in her womb. Yeah, and it's like wow, how 127 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.750 in the world do I do I balance this without being an enabler but an 128 00:09:41.789 --> 00:09:46.629 empower you know, a lot of times guilt can drive us and that's one 129 00:09:46.629 --> 00:09:48.350 of the things that we tell our side wall counselors. We're training them, 130 00:09:48.830 --> 00:09:52.860 is it? No matter what you do, it cannot be driven by guilt. 131 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:56.860 It has to be driven by God, by the use of God and 132 00:09:56.899 --> 00:09:58.899 by his truth and his word. Right, right. Yeah, and and 133 00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:03.179 you know, a lot of I don't know a lot, but some of 134 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:07.690 the moms we work with our active addicts, yeah, or alcoholics or something. 135 00:10:07.769 --> 00:10:11.769 Yeah, that is addictive and and that's you know, and that that's 136 00:10:11.809 --> 00:10:20.850 a whole, a whole different layer of discernment between how do you help empower 137 00:10:20.049 --> 00:10:26.879 them versus enable them to just continue in a destructive life style. So so 138 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:31.960 the first thing to really think about is, well, what does the Bible 139 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:37.470 say about how we're to treat others? Because the Bible is clear. You, 140 00:10:37.909 --> 00:10:41.110 love is supreme. I mean it, it I I don't know if 141 00:10:41.110 --> 00:10:45.309 I want to use the word supreme because there are other truth is is certainly 142 00:10:45.350 --> 00:10:48.350 up there with love, but love is certain. We are to treat each 143 00:10:48.389 --> 00:10:54.820 other with love and and by our our love the world will know us and 144 00:10:54.179 --> 00:11:00.820 they will know that where the followers of Jesus. So so I have a 145 00:11:00.860 --> 00:11:05.850 few verses. Okay, and and so the the first one is Hebrews. 146 00:11:05.929 --> 00:11:11.009 One thousand three, UND sixteen. Okay, and do not neglect doing good 147 00:11:11.049 --> 00:11:16.970 and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. So we're did do 148 00:11:18.090 --> 00:11:20.440 good. Yeah, we're to share, and it's sacrificial. Yeah, absolutely, 149 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:26.279 okay. First John Seventeen. But if anyone sees the world's goods and 150 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:31.559 see says brother, I'm sorry, has the world's goods and sees his brother 151 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:37.029 in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide 152 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:39.990 in him? Yeah, so we certainly don't want to be guilty of closing 153 00:11:39.029 --> 00:11:43.830 our now our hearts. No, and and some brother our love, our 154 00:11:43.950 --> 00:11:50.100 love, God's love abides when we open our heart that person who'say need, 155 00:11:50.179 --> 00:11:54.940 especially if we have the resources we have. The world's goods, it says 156 00:11:54.340 --> 00:11:58.779 Luke, Fifteen, twenty, he arose and came to his father. This 157 00:11:58.860 --> 00:12:03.610 is the prodigal son. Yeah, and this is the son who had wasted 158 00:12:03.769 --> 00:12:07.809 his father's fortune. And what does his father do? Does he kick him 159 00:12:07.809 --> 00:12:11.889 out and and say no, you scoundrel, get away. He says he 160 00:12:13.090 --> 00:12:16.639 felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him and then welcome to him, 161 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:20.639 right back into his home and caring for his needs and even killed the 162 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:28.120 fatted calf. Killed The fatted calf. Yeah, proverbs one thousand nine hundred 163 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:31.669 and seventeen. Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and 164 00:12:33.230 --> 00:12:37.149 he will repay him for his deed. Yeah. Yeah, another scripture that 165 00:12:37.230 --> 00:12:39.269 comes to mind, which I see you have it down there, and it's 166 00:12:39.629 --> 00:12:45.659 the scripture that really is the I guess it's sort of like our mission statement, 167 00:12:46.139 --> 00:12:48.500 Philosophy upon which our whole ministry is really basic. Right. So well, 168 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:52.179 kinds of the cities for life. Yeah, is the parable of the 169 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:54.899 Good Samaritan. Yeah, and we know you as are listening, you probably 170 00:12:54.940 --> 00:13:00.009 know the story. Right. A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and 171 00:13:00.210 --> 00:13:03.289 he fell among these, which means thieves overtook him, beat him and left 172 00:13:03.330 --> 00:13:07.690 him naked and half dead in the ditch. And in the course we know 173 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:11.009 the Good Samaritan. This is what you know the Samaritan's purse and all these 174 00:13:11.049 --> 00:13:16.080 other ministries we use that because we understand the Samaritan didn't pass by on the 175 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:18.039 other side. He saw the man's need and he met the man's need. 176 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.519 And so you know, it's biblical to meet People's needs, right, it's 177 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:28.110 it's man dated by the scripture. Yeah, and they're ongoing needs. Yeah, 178 00:13:28.590 --> 00:13:31.789 in that in that parable, because he pays, he pays some the 179 00:13:31.950 --> 00:13:35.269 inkeeper money and says this is for future needs and if there's more when I 180 00:13:35.389 --> 00:13:39.789 returned. So he's we're talking about ongoing needs, which I think is very 181 00:13:41.190 --> 00:13:43.100 much the heart of cities for life. Yeah, absolutely, and you of 182 00:13:43.179 --> 00:13:48.460 course, that scripture and that story that Jesus gave that parable was spurred on 183 00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:52.620 by someone asking, well, who is my neighbor? Because Jesus is saying 184 00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:54.299 they were to love God and we're to love our neighbor. So the context 185 00:13:54.340 --> 00:13:58.809 of that scripture is loving our neighbor and are in the context of really what 186 00:13:58.889 --> 00:14:03.409 we're talking about is empowering people and and helping people to get into a better 187 00:14:03.450 --> 00:14:07.929 place, has to deal with loving our neighbor. Now, as people who 188 00:14:07.970 --> 00:14:11.279 believe that unborn children are individuals made in God's image, that are people as 189 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:16.120 well, we understand that baby is our neighbor to but we also see the 190 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:18.519 mother as our neighbor. She's like you know, we say, as far 191 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:20.960 as we're concerned, they are two people in the ditch. The ditch is 192 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:24.549 the abortion censer and the two people are the mom and the baby. Want 193 00:14:24.590 --> 00:14:26.870 to try to get them both out of that ditch, get their wounds cleaned 194 00:14:26.909 --> 00:14:30.070 off and get them in and end, which is, you know, what 195 00:14:30.149 --> 00:14:33.230 other ministries can meet their needs, right. And so you know, the 196 00:14:33.350 --> 00:14:37.149 motivation is one of loving our neighbor as ourselves. Yeah, but that motivation 197 00:14:37.350 --> 00:14:41.700 can be can be twisted sometimes, it can be manipulated, it can. 198 00:14:41.059 --> 00:14:48.100 Yeah. Yeah, so there's always that tension. I know I feel it 199 00:14:48.419 --> 00:14:52.139 and I imagine everyone does in in any kind of pro life ministry, that 200 00:14:52.299 --> 00:15:00.129 tension between what is loving and what is harming them and allowing them to continue 201 00:15:00.169 --> 00:15:05.009 on a destructive path. Because if they're at that abortion center, there's destruction. 202 00:15:05.090 --> 00:15:09.240 Yeah, there is a destructive probably series of choices and life that they 203 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:13.399 have made that has led them there. So, you know, well, 204 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:16.600 maybe we could should look at well, what is love? What is love? 205 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:20.440 And one of the most famous passages, course, about love is passive. 206 00:15:20.519 --> 00:15:24.830 That's right. First Corinthians Thirteen, chapter thirteen. Yeah, yeah, 207 00:15:24.230 --> 00:15:28.789 do you have that there? How, Dude? Okay, and so you 208 00:15:28.909 --> 00:15:33.350 know, if you've been to a wedding thanks robe, when I wasn't even 209 00:15:33.389 --> 00:15:35.019 a Christian yet. Okay, or was I? Maybe I was. I 210 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:39.379 was a new Christian and they told me that they wanted me to do a 211 00:15:39.419 --> 00:15:41.820 reading, pick any scripture. I was a brand new Christian, and so 212 00:15:41.899 --> 00:15:43.779 I'm reading through the bye, but I said, here's a great one for 213 00:15:45.059 --> 00:15:48.299 wedding. I had no idea that, like, everybody uses this in a 214 00:15:48.379 --> 00:15:52.570 way. Yeah, good idea that. He did great picking out the scripture. 215 00:15:52.970 --> 00:15:54.210 All right, web is a powerful scripture. It is, and you 216 00:15:54.250 --> 00:15:58.610 know, I like to refer to it as the love ver or the love 217 00:15:58.690 --> 00:16:03.490 chapter. Yes, conthians chapter thirteen. Will Start in verse for First Corinthians 218 00:16:03.570 --> 00:16:07.759 Thirteen, for love suffers long and is kind. Love Does Not Envy, 219 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:12.360 love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely. 220 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:17.919 Wow, I need help with that. Sometimes does not seek its own 221 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:21.029 and so that's part of that. Giving sacrificially, that's part of that. 222 00:16:21.309 --> 00:16:25.389 You know, that motivation to empower other people. Yeah, is not provoked, 223 00:16:26.389 --> 00:16:29.909 thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the 224 00:16:29.990 --> 00:16:33.580 truth. And this is love. Again, bears all things, believes all 225 00:16:33.620 --> 00:16:37.500 things, hopes all things, endures all things. And then the first part 226 00:16:37.539 --> 00:16:41.820 of verse aid I'll read. Love never fails. Yeah, and so we 227 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:48.370 should be motivated by love and anything that we do motivated by love for God, 228 00:16:48.490 --> 00:16:51.570 and that's an important point. I think that we can't miss here, 229 00:16:52.129 --> 00:16:55.970 is that our motivation of love must be, you know, Jesus said it, 230 00:16:56.009 --> 00:17:00.480 Love God. So these two commands are great though. The Greatest Commands 231 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:03.640 Love God and love your neighbor. And I think understanding that the love for 232 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:07.799 God supposed to come first so that we can properly love our neighbor, because 233 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:11.680 you really can't love your neighbor properly, in a god honoring way, in 234 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:17.349 a Godly way, unless you love God first. Right, but out of 235 00:17:17.390 --> 00:17:21.910 that love for God naturally flows. It's almost like Jesus is saying, you 236 00:17:22.029 --> 00:17:23.549 know what, if you love God, you're going to love your neighbor, 237 00:17:23.630 --> 00:17:26.069 and if you don't love your neighbor, you proven that you don't love God. 238 00:17:26.150 --> 00:17:30.180 So these two things are tied together, right. But in this your 239 00:17:30.259 --> 00:17:36.819 passage, as it talks about love and in love suffers long. Love is 240 00:17:36.819 --> 00:17:41.819 kind lood, love does not envy, love doesn't seek its own. We 241 00:17:41.980 --> 00:17:47.730 have to be careful because you point out, as you as we were talking 242 00:17:47.769 --> 00:17:53.890 through this podcast, that love in verse ex just not rejoice in iniquity, 243 00:17:55.130 --> 00:17:59.359 right, sin, and it does not and just in rejoices in in the 244 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:03.039 Truth and truth. And so, you know, that speaks to this whole 245 00:18:03.079 --> 00:18:06.720 idea again of loving God first. Yeah, that we want truth, we 246 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:10.200 want to seek the truth. The motivation is not just a good feeling, 247 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:14.789 and that's one of the things, maybe jumping ahead a little bit of what 248 00:18:14.869 --> 00:18:17.630 we want to talk about the first or in the second part. But but 249 00:18:18.190 --> 00:18:21.430 you know, a lot of times our love and the the acts of love 250 00:18:21.549 --> 00:18:29.579 that we do or really motivated by self and really motivated by making ourselves feel 251 00:18:29.660 --> 00:18:33.740 better and not in what is in the best interest of that object of our 252 00:18:33.859 --> 00:18:36.619 love. Yeah, person that we're loving. Yeah, so I think one 253 00:18:36.660 --> 00:18:38.500 of the things that I'll encourage you guys that are listening, whether you minister 254 00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:42.569 in a pregnancy centers, I while counseling or eternity home or whatever ministry, 255 00:18:42.650 --> 00:18:47.369 Soup Kitchen, whatever ministry is, that we need to check our motives. 256 00:18:47.730 --> 00:18:51.089 We need to check why are we doing this thing that we do and are 257 00:18:51.130 --> 00:18:56.599 we motivated by guilt? We motivated by making ourselves selves feel more validated as 258 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:59.079 Christians? You know, I feel more like a Christian when I do this. 259 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:00.000 You know some of the some of the things. You know, just 260 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:06.319 a practical example, and I can tell you anybody who is ever ministered to 261 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.750 homeless people, anybody who runs a homeless ministry, whether it be, you 262 00:19:10.869 --> 00:19:14.230 know, a homeless shelter or soup kitchen or whatever, will tell you one 263 00:19:14.269 --> 00:19:18.710 of the worst things you can do from a homeless person is give them a 264 00:19:18.829 --> 00:19:22.630 dollar, five dollars change that you have in your car when they're on the 265 00:19:22.670 --> 00:19:26.579 street corner asking for money. You know that's that's one of the worst things 266 00:19:26.619 --> 00:19:29.740 that you can do for that person. Now, of course, because you 267 00:19:29.819 --> 00:19:32.779 know, we have this warm fuzzy feeling when we give somebody money. It 268 00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:34.819 makes us feel better and you know, I've heard people literally say that why 269 00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:37.609 I give him money. It just made me feel good to do that and 270 00:19:37.730 --> 00:19:41.730 listen. It might make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but you have 271 00:19:41.809 --> 00:19:45.970 to ask yourself, is this about me? Like if I really I'll say 272 00:19:47.009 --> 00:19:49.529 this a lot of Christian ministry in this country, especially, I don't know 273 00:19:49.529 --> 00:19:55.200 about other countries, been in this country, is motivated by US feeling better, 274 00:19:55.400 --> 00:20:00.000 feeling more Christian, feeling more validated as Christians or warm fuzzy feelings inside, 275 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:02.720 and it's not really motivated by love for God and love from people. 276 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:04.559 You know, if you truly love your neighbor, that person standing on the 277 00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:08.029 treat street corner asking for money, the best thing you can do, and 278 00:20:08.109 --> 00:20:11.470 this is again, this is what people that own those those ministries are actually 279 00:20:11.509 --> 00:20:15.950 reach homeless people on a regular basis, but a lot of energy and pour 280 00:20:15.990 --> 00:20:18.509 their lives into the saying, will tell you, is that the worst thing 281 00:20:18.509 --> 00:20:19.549 you can do is give the money. The best thing you do can do 282 00:20:19.670 --> 00:20:23.420 is point them toward a homeless shelter, because if you give the money, 283 00:20:23.579 --> 00:20:27.660 you're keeping them out on the street. You're actually empowering them to stay out 284 00:20:27.660 --> 00:20:32.380 on the street rather than empowering them to overcome the homelessness. Because you know, 285 00:20:32.539 --> 00:20:36.210 and I'm off track a little bit and talking about homeless people, but 286 00:20:36.289 --> 00:20:37.930 not so much if you kind of see that the look at the concept, 287 00:20:38.009 --> 00:20:42.250 look at the constatoring versus, is that there are ministries that have put a 288 00:20:42.329 --> 00:20:47.690 lot of energy into programs and things that have been proven to get people out 289 00:20:47.690 --> 00:20:49.359 of homelessness, to get people out of me. A lot of times it's 290 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:53.680 drug addiction, mental health issues and stuff like that that keep people homeless. 291 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:59.200 Yeah, these ministries have put a lot of effort. People have again given 292 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:03.119 their lives to put effort energy into programs that will actually get people out of 293 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:06.670 that stuff rather than allowing them to stay in it. But you if you're 294 00:21:06.670 --> 00:21:10.269 giving a money on the street corner, you're empowering them to stay in. 295 00:21:10.509 --> 00:21:14.150 You're actually enabling them, yeah, which is not helpful. Yeah, and 296 00:21:14.309 --> 00:21:17.069 in the same way, when we're dealing with an abortion minded woman, we 297 00:21:17.190 --> 00:21:19.460 have to be careful that the programs and the things that we come up with 298 00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:23.740 and, you know, the money that we give or whatever, is actually 299 00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:29.380 empowering them rather than enabling them. Right, and it's a hard right. 300 00:21:29.660 --> 00:21:33.930 It's a hard balance to strike. But again, the motivation has to be 301 00:21:33.089 --> 00:21:37.809 one of love, but it has to be one of true Biblical love, 302 00:21:37.569 --> 00:21:41.170 that does it just concern itself with how it makes me feel, but actually 303 00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:45.769 is it going to honor God and is it going to actually empower that person 304 00:21:47.009 --> 00:21:51.640 for to do righteousness? Today, in this first Corinthians description of love, 305 00:21:51.880 --> 00:21:59.119 is it going to result in rejoicing in righteousness rather than in sin? And 306 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:04.789 and I think there's always the danger that these women will remain. They are 307 00:22:06.069 --> 00:22:12.789 often in an am moral relationship with with someone and and and by US helping 308 00:22:12.950 --> 00:22:18.180 sometimes we allow them to remain in that relationship with so that's that's rejoicing in 309 00:22:18.339 --> 00:22:26.180 an unrighteousness in a sense. And and so that the truth is that God's 310 00:22:26.180 --> 00:22:30.849 Word is clear about sexual purity and true love will point them in that direction. 311 00:22:30.970 --> 00:22:34.210 Or Yeah, it's not love. Yeah, and it's in nurse of 312 00:22:34.289 --> 00:22:37.849 course. You know, as a ministry ourselves, we've always said our motivation 313 00:22:37.970 --> 00:22:42.170 and everything that we do, everything that we do seasoned with the Gospel. 314 00:22:42.170 --> 00:22:45.400 So whether we do a baby shower or whether we do, you know, 315 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:49.599 counseling, oneonone sort of thing, anything that we do, mentoring, anything 316 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:52.480 like that, it has to be seasoned with the Gospel. Now does it 317 00:22:52.599 --> 00:22:56.759 mean again that we're we've talked about this in the past podcast. We're not 318 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:00.829 shoving the Gospel Down People's throats, right, but we are letting them understand 319 00:23:00.950 --> 00:23:03.950 that our goal is that you come to know the Lord. It's not just 320 00:23:03.109 --> 00:23:07.269 that we meet your practical needs, we give you some baby stuff and we 321 00:23:07.589 --> 00:23:11.509 become friends with you. But and we certainly do want to bless them and 322 00:23:11.549 --> 00:23:15.619 there's not some impure motivation here, but we understand the most pressing need is 323 00:23:15.740 --> 00:23:19.940 that they know the Lord, because we aren't always going to be there cities 324 00:23:19.940 --> 00:23:22.660 for life. It always going to be there to help them in every situation. 325 00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:26.019 You know, other ministries aren't going to be there, but the Lord 326 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:29.769 will, and they need to understand that he's the one that they ought to 327 00:23:29.890 --> 00:23:33.210 cling to so that they can can be empowered to be the mothers and the 328 00:23:33.250 --> 00:23:37.410 father's that they're called to be. That's right. The ultimate and power were 329 00:23:37.809 --> 00:23:40.970 yeah, it's absolutely is God. Yeah, and of course we don't say 330 00:23:40.970 --> 00:23:44.000 that it's just some Tri cliche statement. You know, you need Jesus, 331 00:23:44.119 --> 00:23:45.400 you know right, because some people can make it that. No, we 332 00:23:45.640 --> 00:23:49.160 really believe, because we've experienced ourselves, that's right, that the power of 333 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:53.839 the God pospile will change your heart. And if your hearts change and you're 334 00:23:55.079 --> 00:23:59.470 the focus of your life is changed, then you'll find empowerment in the things 335 00:23:59.549 --> 00:24:02.230 that God has provided for you. You know, you'll find I mean, 336 00:24:02.470 --> 00:24:07.589 we've seen women who've been in very dire situations and they surrendered their lives to 337 00:24:07.670 --> 00:24:11.819 the Lord and that situation has changed. Now we've seen situations like the one 338 00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:14.740 we're talking about, where things didn't go so well. It seemed that she 339 00:24:14.980 --> 00:24:17.380 committed herself to the Lord, but she really didn't. Yeah, but we've 340 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:22.900 seen God just do some very amazing things. In the immediate circumstances really didn't 341 00:24:22.980 --> 00:24:26.009 change. The heart changed. And then, because the heart, the heart 342 00:24:26.049 --> 00:24:30.930 change of this mom, her circumstances began to change because she began to cling 343 00:24:32.049 --> 00:24:36.930 to the Lord rather than clinging to sin, a sinful relationship and things that 344 00:24:37.089 --> 00:24:38.720 just sucked the life out of her. And she began to cling to the 345 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:41.799 Lord, one who puts life into her, and make choices. Then the 346 00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:47.880 choices proceed from that heart and the choices then were more godly, wiser discerning 347 00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:52.190 choices. So so, yeah, so, and you know, we did 348 00:24:52.230 --> 00:24:56.549 a podcast with one of those MOMS. Yeah, really, her life turned 349 00:24:56.589 --> 00:25:00.430 around. She made choices for God and for for the life of that baby 350 00:25:00.549 --> 00:25:06.589 and and all of her choices began to line up with that in her mind, 351 00:25:06.789 --> 00:25:10.500 that I'm going to honor the Lord. So the Bible does have examples, 352 00:25:10.579 --> 00:25:14.779 though, which I think our help us to understand what what is an 353 00:25:14.819 --> 00:25:18.660 enabler look like? Okay, and so the first one is I don't know 354 00:25:18.660 --> 00:25:22.089 if you want to read it, but it's from GNESIS twenty seven versus five 355 00:25:22.250 --> 00:25:26.450 to thirteen, and that's the story of Rebecca. Okay, when? When? 356 00:25:26.609 --> 00:25:30.009 Yeah, when she's well, just use being Isaac. You can kind 357 00:25:30.009 --> 00:25:33.569 of general rundown of this. You've got the scripture right there. I don't 358 00:25:33.569 --> 00:25:36.119 know we need to read the whole passage, but just kind of give an 359 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:37.720 idea of where you're coming from because, you know, as we were talking 360 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:42.079 through this podcast beforehand, some scriptures did come to mind. This one did 361 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:45.559 not, in but this one's great. Actually, the way that you sort 362 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:48.559 of laid it out to me is like wow, yeah, yeah, it's 363 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:56.349 a clastic example of enabler. And so so Rebecca overhears her husband, Isaac, 364 00:25:56.750 --> 00:26:00.269 talking to one of her two boys, the the younger of the yeah 365 00:26:00.349 --> 00:26:03.829 boys. He's sort of the set in the stage for this. Before you 366 00:26:03.869 --> 00:26:06.420 get into this is you're thinking about the story. Those who are listening. 367 00:26:06.700 --> 00:26:11.059 You know, before this time period, Jacob was a was was not a 368 00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:15.859 very good guy anyway. He was a manipulator. Right before member he manipulated 369 00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:18.569 Esau for the birthright, for a bull of soup and he took advantage of 370 00:26:18.609 --> 00:26:22.250 him. So just sort of spring word off of that jump back into this. 371 00:26:22.289 --> 00:26:27.210 Sorry, yeah, okay. So, yeah, and so he learned 372 00:26:27.250 --> 00:26:32.609 from a Master Enabler, apparently, if he and he was enabler and a 373 00:26:32.609 --> 00:26:37.880 enabler himself. But anyway, so, so, so Rebecca's talking to Isaac, 374 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:41.799 her husband, and says and and Isaac. She overhears Isaac Telling Esaw, 375 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:48.150 go go get one of the wonderful animals that you hunt and and bring 376 00:26:48.269 --> 00:26:51.950 it back and make a savory, delicious meal and I'm going to give you 377 00:26:52.029 --> 00:26:57.230 your blessing. And Rebecca's conniving and thinking. Well, but I want, 378 00:26:57.269 --> 00:27:04.500 against selfish as opposed to a true act of love, I want my younger 379 00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:10.059 son, Jacob, yeah, to get the blessing. And so and so 380 00:27:10.299 --> 00:27:15.460 she tells, she tells Jacob, this is what I overheard your father say. 381 00:27:15.890 --> 00:27:18.450 Now you go go hunt and get an animal and we're going to we're 382 00:27:18.490 --> 00:27:22.769 gonna actually trick your father, in so many words, we're going to trick 383 00:27:22.849 --> 00:27:26.730 your father into giving you the blessing instead. Yeah, and so, so 384 00:27:26.849 --> 00:27:30.200 Jacob apparently catches, I don't know, he haunts, he gets an animal 385 00:27:30.279 --> 00:27:34.079 and and Rebecca takes the hide of that animal, the fur of the Animal, 386 00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:38.480 puts it on Jacob's arms so he will be Harry like his brother Esau. 387 00:27:38.680 --> 00:27:41.279 Isaac, by the way, is nearly blind, or I think is 388 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:48.309 blind at this point, so he can't see his son's and and Jacob goes 389 00:27:48.430 --> 00:27:56.309 to his father's bedside long before Esau has returned and with Rebecca's prompting tricks, 390 00:27:56.390 --> 00:28:02.660 his dad and his dad gives him the blessing that belongs to Esau. Yeah, 391 00:28:02.779 --> 00:28:06.460 and so, seemingly, Rebecca, she's trying to help her son. 392 00:28:06.700 --> 00:28:10.980 I mean this is this is her favorite son, right and you know there's 393 00:28:11.019 --> 00:28:15.849 some things that you know, had been prophesied over Jacob, and so she 394 00:28:15.970 --> 00:28:18.529 wants to help this thing along. And of course, you know, Jacob 395 00:28:18.569 --> 00:28:22.049 it already gotten the birth right, at least the commitment, from Esau with 396 00:28:22.210 --> 00:28:26.970 for the bull of suit couple chaps previously. But she wanted to solidify this 397 00:28:26.089 --> 00:28:30.119 thing. She wanted to him what she thought would empower him to get the 398 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:36.319 blessing. Really, she's became in an enabler of manipulation and sin. I 399 00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:40.319 mean, they lied, they that's breaking a commandment. He lead. She 400 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:45.430 told him basically lie to your father. You know, that's not honoring your 401 00:28:45.670 --> 00:28:48.470 parents, which is one commandment, and it's and it's lying. Yeah, 402 00:28:48.630 --> 00:28:52.990 yeah, absolutely inkslor. You know, if you read on and Jacob Story, 403 00:28:53.150 --> 00:28:57.700 he gets it back tenfold later on, does he does? It leads 404 00:28:57.740 --> 00:29:03.819 to it least to then a life, I think. Ultimately, yes, 405 00:29:03.940 --> 00:29:07.460 I wants to kill him. He knows that. And Rebecca sends him away 406 00:29:07.460 --> 00:29:11.890 and I believe that's the last time she sees her son. Yeah, so 407 00:29:11.170 --> 00:29:17.009 the enablement which she thought was going to help her son leads to a permanent 408 00:29:17.049 --> 00:29:19.890 estrangement. Yeah, loss of her son in a sense. She never sees 409 00:29:19.930 --> 00:29:25.000 him again. And then there's just the friction between East Sound Jacob and his 410 00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:27.240 fears, yours whole life until, you know, in the end, I 411 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:33.000 think that it that is resolved and actually taking care of miraculous through the through 412 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:38.829 God's mercy. But the sins of the parents then are transmitted onto the children 413 00:29:38.869 --> 00:29:45.309 and we see that in in in Jacobs continual yeah, so this is you 414 00:29:45.390 --> 00:29:51.630 know, maybe I think the struggle that we have as ministers of the Gospel 415 00:29:51.710 --> 00:29:55.779 and those who want to reach these these women and these families, is more 416 00:29:55.900 --> 00:30:00.900 subtle than this. You know, this is sort of blatant enabling sinful behavior, 417 00:30:00.619 --> 00:30:03.579 and the things, again, that we deal with are more subtle. 418 00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:07.809 But sometimes it takes extreme examples to help us to identify the subtleties in our 419 00:30:07.930 --> 00:30:11.410 lives. So just, you know, meditate on this, guys. Now 420 00:30:11.450 --> 00:30:14.210 one scripture that came to mind for me as you'd mentioned the subject and you've 421 00:30:14.210 --> 00:30:15.970 got it written down right there. But some John Chapter six. Yeah, 422 00:30:17.369 --> 00:30:21.250 this is Jesus being so wise and so awesome. Just love Jesus. I 423 00:30:21.289 --> 00:30:25.319 would not call Jesus and enabler at all at all. But but this does 424 00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:30.279 make the point about what about enablement versus versus? What is a true act 425 00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:33.079 of love? Yeah, makes that point really well. Yeah, he makes 426 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:37.150 that point very well and he actually confronts the those who want to be enabled 427 00:30:37.190 --> 00:30:41.589 by him. This is in John Chapter six. I'll set the states for 428 00:30:41.710 --> 00:30:45.269 this. I don't read the Scriptures entirely, but John Chapter six, Jesus, 429 00:30:45.509 --> 00:30:48.910 there's five thousand people, or so I think it's five that this is 430 00:30:48.950 --> 00:30:53.220 the five thousand men that are following. And you know, he ultimately feeds 431 00:30:53.299 --> 00:30:56.140 the five thousands his disciples. You know, do you having bread? You 432 00:30:56.180 --> 00:31:00.059 get enough bread to feed these and anyway, so he knows the miracle he's 433 00:31:00.059 --> 00:31:04.650 going to perform. He multiply, multiplies bread and fish and the people are 434 00:31:04.730 --> 00:31:11.369 fed. And then Jesus, ultimately he's it says actually that they he knew 435 00:31:11.369 --> 00:31:15.970 that they would seek to make him king, and so he slipped away on 436 00:31:15.089 --> 00:31:18.640 to the mountain and and he didn't want to be made king by them. 437 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:23.240 Jesus is king, he's the king kings and ultimately he's the King of all 438 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:30.240 the world anyway. But they follow him. Ultimately he goes across the the 439 00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:34.230 sea and and they follow him and he tells him this. He says most 440 00:31:34.230 --> 00:31:37.589 assuredly. I say to you, you seek me not because you saw the 441 00:31:37.630 --> 00:31:41.509 signs, but because you ate of the loaves and we're filled. And he 442 00:31:41.549 --> 00:31:45.829 says, do not Labor for food which perishes, but for the food which 443 00:31:45.829 --> 00:31:48.819 endures to eternal life, which the son of Man will give you, because 444 00:31:48.859 --> 00:31:52.099 the father has set his seal on him. And so they want you there. 445 00:31:52.339 --> 00:31:56.740 This is Jesus, I guess, temptation to enable people that there come 446 00:31:56.779 --> 00:31:59.900 after me. It's nothing for him to multiply some more bread and fish and 447 00:32:00.059 --> 00:32:02.730 feed them. And so here's this dynamic that we need to keep in our 448 00:32:02.769 --> 00:32:07.970 minds is that when we give someone something practical, because he's saying, you 449 00:32:07.089 --> 00:32:10.009 got this bread, and he gave it to him freely, gave him the 450 00:32:10.049 --> 00:32:14.970 bread and the fish, but the motivation was that they would labor, not 451 00:32:15.089 --> 00:32:17.079 for that bread, but for the bread that's that leads to eternal life, 452 00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:21.400 for the truth of God's word, and that's, you know, that's his 453 00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:25.359 motivation. He cuts off their their their willingness to sort of suck him dryt 454 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:29.839 be like parasites and just seek him for the bread. Hey, hey, 455 00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:32.069 Jesus, we can stick you in our pocket and we can have any time 456 00:32:32.190 --> 00:32:35.670 we want. We can pull you out and you'll you'll perform a miracle. 457 00:32:35.750 --> 00:32:38.309 You give us some bread's fish. The miracle that he performed in the in 458 00:32:38.509 --> 00:32:44.150 multiplication of bread and fish was designed to show them who he was, that 459 00:32:44.230 --> 00:32:46.980 he is the Messiah, the one who's come to give them true bread. 460 00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:52.180 Yeah, and not just to feed their bellies. Yeah, and so he 461 00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:54.700 cuts that thing off real quick, yeah, and tells them this, you 462 00:32:54.819 --> 00:32:58.849 need a labor for that bread that comes down from heaven, the truth. 463 00:32:58.890 --> 00:33:02.930 Yeah. So there's some really good principles in that, in that passage, 464 00:33:02.970 --> 00:33:06.890 and I think it was when he fed the four thousand. I'm not sure 465 00:33:06.890 --> 00:33:08.930 if it's in this when he feeds the five thousand, but the verse actually 466 00:33:09.049 --> 00:33:15.759 says he had compassion, yeah, on them. And and so the first 467 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:20.599 you know thing is I think anyone in a pro life ministry is motivated by 468 00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:27.230 compassion. Yeah, that's a good motivation. Compassion for others and and show 469 00:33:27.309 --> 00:33:30.589 them God, yeah, but to show them compassion. And that's not there's 470 00:33:30.630 --> 00:33:34.470 nothing wrong with that. and Jesus is showing that. He does that, 471 00:33:34.670 --> 00:33:38.710 he has compassion on them, he feeds them, but he knows when to 472 00:33:38.829 --> 00:33:43.700 stop, unlike us, right he knows the point at which, okay, 473 00:33:43.940 --> 00:33:47.940 it will quickly shift from an act of compassion and meeting needs that they could 474 00:33:47.980 --> 00:33:51.500 not meet. And that was another principle that we'll talk about more in our 475 00:33:51.579 --> 00:33:55.049 second half. But this they could not meet the need of feeding themselves. 476 00:33:55.210 --> 00:33:59.609 They were in a remote place, there was no food, there was five 477 00:33:59.690 --> 00:34:04.890 thousand of them. So they could not meet the need and and Jesus met 478 00:34:04.970 --> 00:34:09.159 the need that they could not meet in compassion. But then new. Now 479 00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:15.280 I'm going to take this act of compassion and point you to the act of 480 00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:19.840 all the the goal of all compassion, which is to show you me, 481 00:34:20.199 --> 00:34:22.000 yeah, me, I like really am, yeah, and who I can 482 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:29.670 be to you. So, so, he he, that he then through 483 00:34:29.829 --> 00:34:32.750 in in that in that scripture. I think that kind of is a perfect 484 00:34:32.869 --> 00:34:38.179 place to just kind of pause and say that that's a good overview. Yeah, 485 00:34:38.659 --> 00:34:44.860 scripturally, of we I think we're all in agreement. We are called 486 00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:49.940 to give and we're called to give sacrificially. But Jesus now is beginning to 487 00:34:50.179 --> 00:34:53.570 tell us in that passage. Yes, you are, but there's a point 488 00:34:53.610 --> 00:35:00.210 at which you need to discern when you're crossing the line and the act of 489 00:35:00.329 --> 00:35:06.610 compassion is no longer drawing people to me but to you. Yeah, and 490 00:35:06.769 --> 00:35:12.159 that that is one of the most important points in this podcast, in this 491 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:15.039 two part podcast, is they were to draw people to the Lord, not 492 00:35:15.239 --> 00:35:19.400 to us. You know, a lot of times, you know in Christian 493 00:35:19.400 --> 00:35:22.150 Ministry, you know we have to raise money and all that other stuff, 494 00:35:22.190 --> 00:35:25.190 and so we want these good, awesome stories about how wonderful we are because 495 00:35:25.190 --> 00:35:28.789 we've helped this person to help that person, and we need to share their 496 00:35:28.829 --> 00:35:30.989 stories, no doubt about it, right. But if the focus is on 497 00:35:31.150 --> 00:35:36.059 US and drawing people to us, we make them, you know, beholding 498 00:35:36.139 --> 00:35:39.820 to us as far as or at least you know we're one of their enablers, 499 00:35:39.900 --> 00:35:45.340 where we're the thing that they come to whenever they need then we're missing 500 00:35:45.420 --> 00:35:47.539 the point, yere right. They need to learn to come to the Lord. 501 00:35:47.579 --> 00:35:50.530 They need to learn. You know, one of the things that we 502 00:35:50.650 --> 00:35:53.849 try to do is plug people into churches so that out of the church will 503 00:35:53.889 --> 00:35:57.409 flow the help in the resources, not out of some, you know, 504 00:35:58.210 --> 00:36:00.650 nonprofits, some peered church ministry, bout of the church, but even within 505 00:36:00.730 --> 00:36:06.360 the church. People and pastors are good at this, discerning what's empowering versus 506 00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:08.199 enabling. So, you know, I think with that, you know, 507 00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:12.800 will end this first part of we appreciate those who've listened to this first part. 508 00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:15.840 Stay tuned for the second part because I think this will be important. 509 00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:20.429 In this next part will be not just scriptural. Will have some scripture, 510 00:36:20.429 --> 00:36:22.389 of course there, but it will be some practical points, yeah, kind 511 00:36:22.429 --> 00:36:27.909 of the how to get out to how to how to empower rather than enable. 512 00:36:28.070 --> 00:36:38.940 So stay tuned. Give me our love for love, give me our 513 00:36:39.260 --> 00:36:52.289 love for gratitude. I know it will cost me my love. Nothing's too 514 00:36:52.570 --> 00:36:53.769 precious. And some you