(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Good morning, and welcome to Verity Baptist Church. Let's take our song books. Turn to song number 65. Song number 65. Just over in the glory land. Song number 65. Sing it out together on the first. I've a home prepared where the saints abide. Just over in the glory land. And I long to be by my Savior's side. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. I'll join the happy angel band. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. There with the mighty host I'll stand. Just over in the glory land. Song 65 on the second. I am on my way to those mansions fair. Just over in the glory land. There to sing God's praise and His glory share. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. I'll join the happy angel band. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. There with the mighty host I'll stand. Just over in the glory land. What a joyful thought that my Lord I'll see. Just over in the glory land. And with kindred saved there forever be. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. I'll join the happy angel band. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. There with the mighty host I'll stand. Just over in the glory land. Good, sing it out on the last. With the blood washed wrong I will shout and sing. Just over in the glory land. God will send us to Christ the Lord and King. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. I'll join the happy angel band. Just over in the glory land. Just over in the glory land. There with the mighty host I'll stand. Just over in the glory land. Amen, and we want to welcome you to Verity Baptist Church this morning. We are so glad that you are with us today. Of course this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. And we have a wonderful service lined up for you today. We'd like to begin the service with a word of prayer. So let's go ahead and bow our heads and pray together. Heavenly Father, Lord, we do love you. We thank you for allowing us to gather together this morning. Lord, we pray that you would bless this service. We pray that everything that's done today would bring honor and glory to your name. Help us to be able to sing praises to you. To of course fellowship with other believers. And then to learn from your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Turn to song 24. Two, four, and can it be? Song number 24 on the first. And can it be? That I should gain An interest in The Savior's blood? Guide me for me Who causes pain for me Who him to death pursued? Amazing love, how can it be That thou, my God, Shouldst have for me? Amazing love, how can it be That thou, my God, Shouldst have for me? Let's go ahead and sing it out on the second. He left his Father Swown above So free, so infinite His grace emptied himself Of all but love And bled for Adam's helpless race Tis mercy, all immigrants and free For, oh, my God, It found out me Amazing love, how can it be That my God shouldst have for me? Sing it out on the last. Long my embrace Fast bound in sin And nature's light I might abuse A kicking break I wore the dungeon flame Sing it out. My chains fell off My heart was free I rose when no one can follow me Amazing love, how can it be That my God shouldst have for me? Good singing. Amen, all right, well, let's take our bulletins this morning, and we'll look at some announcements real quickly. If you do not have a bulletin, just raise your hand, and one of our ushers can get one for you. If you did not get a bulletin on your way in, just put your hand up, and we will get one for you. The verse this week, Philippians 2.4, Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. And that's a good verse there. We like that. If you open up your bulletin, you'll see our service time, Sunday morning service, 10.30 a.m. We are glad, of course, that you are with us on Sunday morning on the Lord's Day for church. We do invite you to be back tonight at 6 p.m. for the evening service. The evening service is different than the morning service, different songs that are sung, different sermon that's preached, just one more opportunity to be in God's house with God's people under the preaching of the word of God, of course. And then we have our Wednesday evening Bible study at 7 p.m. We'd love for you to join us for the midweek service. We call it the most encouraging service of the week, and we are studying through the book of Hebrews on Wednesday night, and we'll continue through Hebrews chapter number 11. So we'd love, of course, for you to join us for that. If you look at our soul winning times, our main soul winning time is on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. That's our main soul winning rally. And on Saturday mornings we go out, we knock doors, we invite people to church, and we preach the gospel to anyone who's interested. We also have our Thursday soul winning time back at 2 p.m. And we also have a Sunday soul winning time at 2 p.m. this afternoon. So if you'd like to go soul winning this afternoon, there'll be an opportunity for you to be able to do so. We have several guests with us this morning, and we are so glad that you are with us. We have a gift we'd like to give you if it's your first time here at Verity Baptist Church, or maybe your first time in a long time. We'd love for you to, of course, grab one of these gift bags on your way out. As you go out the main foyer, you'll see a little table with these gift bags, and we want to give this to you as a gift for being our guest this morning. There are several resources in this bag that we'd like you to have. The one I'd like to highlight is this documentary that our church made. It's called Being Baptists. It's very well made, very interesting. I tell people that this is an entertaining documentary. It's an educational documentary, and we think you'll like it. So please make sure you don't leave here this morning without grabbing one of these gift bags on your way out. And if you are a guest, we'd ask that you'd please take a moment to fill out the communication card, which is inserted in your bulletin. If you need a pen, just raise your hand, and one of our ushers can bring you by a Verity Baptist Church pen. And you're welcome, of course, to keep the pen as a gift from us as well. We're not going to do anything odd with your info. We would just like to have a record of your attendance. We actually would like to send you a little gift, but we need your information to do that. So please take a moment to fill the card out. When we're done with the announcements, we're going to sing a song. When we're done singing, we're going to receive the offering. And as the offering plate goes by, you can drop this card in the offering plate. And if you look at the announcements there, of course, we are a family integrated church. What that means is that children and infants are always welcomed in the service. We do not separate children from their parents for any reason. We do have mother-baby rooms and daddy rooms available for your convenience. All of the rooms have comfortable seating. They have monitors set up so you can watch the service and listen to it. The two mother-baby rooms in the back of the auditorium actually have windows, so you can watch the service through the windows and their speakers, of course. If you're not sure where those rooms are at, you can look at the back of the bulletin, and you'll see a layout of our church building. It'll show you where the mother-baby rooms are, where the daddy room is. It'll show you where the restrooms are. So please make sure you use those rooms as needed. And then if you look at the announcements and upcoming events, of course, the big events coming up have to do with Mother's Day, and we just want all the ladies to be aware of a couple of things. First of all, we have our annual ladies' tea coming up on Saturday, May 11th, at 3 p.m. Now, this is an elegant afternoon tea in honor of Mother's Day, but you don't have to be a mother to come. You don't have to bring your daughter or anything like that. This is open for all ladies. Any ladies that would like to participate, we want you to be a part of this Mother's Day tea. But it is in honor of Mother's Day as the day before Mother's Day, and we want you to sign up and let us know that you're coming. On your communication card, you have a place there to be able to sign up and let us know that you're coming to the ladies' tea. And if you're bringing somebody with you, you also have a slot there to let us know how many are coming. There's, of course, absolutely no cost for the ladies' tea. We don't charge for anything here at Verity Baptist Church, but we do want to know you're coming so we can prepare for you. And there will be tea, there will be food, there will be fellowship games, and there will be preaching from the Word of God. So we want to encourage you to come out for the annual ladies' tea. That is on Saturday, May 11th at 3 p.m. here at the church building. There's going to be a gift basket that will be raffled off as well. And then the next day, Sunday, May 12th, of course, is Mother's Day, and we'll have a special Mother's Day service. I'll be preaching a sermon geared towards the mothers, and then we're going to have a gift for all of the ladies, not just the mothers, but all the ladies and girls. And, of course, we've made a tradition of, on Mother's Day, giving out the Verity Baptist Church ladies' t-shirts, all right? So on Mother's Day, we'll have all of the new Verity Baptist Church ladies' t-shirts that will be given after the service as a gift to all of the ladies and girls. We won't have any for the men. The men are going to have to wait until Father's Day. On Father's Day, we'll have the t-shirts for the men, but we'll have that gift for all the ladies on Mother's Day, and we'll have special music from the children's choir. They'll be singing on Mother's Day in honor of Mother's Day, of course, so we want to encourage you to make plans to be here for that. And then if you look at the announcements, of course, the children's choir is practicing for Mother's Day. They have practice today at 5.15 p.m. in the playroom, the big room where the kids have all their games and stuff. That is today at 5.15. Also, we want you to be aware for the adults that choir practice begins in a couple of weeks, Sunday, May 5th, and that is for the Red Hot Preaching Conference. They're going to be singing for the Red Hot Preaching Conference, so make sure you make a note of that. Homeschool group, they've got PE class on Thursday, May 9th. Ladies' weight loss and accountability group, if you'd like to be a part of that, my wife leads that, and they meet on Wednesdays at 6.15 p.m. in her office, and you can speak to her about that. Upcoming cleaning crew, you can check your name there. We appreciate your faithfulness to that. Please don't forget to turn your cell phones off or place them on silent during the service so that they're not a distraction to anybody. If you look at the back of the bulletin, birthdays and anniversaries for the month of April, this week we have Ms. April Villa's birthday on April 22nd. Brother Brent and Leilani Thompson have an anniversary on April 22nd as well. Ms. Lindsey Johnson has a birthday on April 25th, and Brother Alan Courtney has a birthday on April 26th. Praise report, money matters, all of those things are there for you to look at, and I think that's it for all of the announcements. So we're going to go ahead and sing the chorus of the week, which is the insert in your bulletin, and we're going to sing, For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. As we prepare to receive the offering this morning, let's go ahead and sing it out on the first. For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. To know His way and walk His air away, there is no peace, no joy, no thrill. Like walking in His will for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. Good, sing it out on the second. Once my heart was full of sin and shame, till someone told me Jesus came to save. When He said, Come unto me, He set my poor heart free for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. There are things that I still do not know, but of this one thing I'm completely sure, that He who called me on that day, washed all my sins away for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. Amen. Good singing. We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time, and let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, we do love You. We thank You for allowing us to gather together this morning. Lord, we pray that You'd bless the offering, the gift, and the giver. We pray that You'd bless the time set aside for the preaching of Your Word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Hebrews chapter 4, if you do not have a Bible, raise your hand and an usher will bring you one. Hebrews chapter 4, we'll read the entire chapter, as is our custom. Hebrews chapter 4, just keep your hands up and an usher will bring you a Bible. Hebrews chapter 4, the Bible reads, Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left of us entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works, and in this place again, if they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time, as it is said, Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto that thorn of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Let's pray. Father God, thank you for this day. Thank you for this opportunity to come together. Please bless Pastor in the message. Please let it bring glory and honor to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen. Amen. All right. Well, we're there in Hebrews, chapter number four, and of course on Wednesday nights we're studying through the book of Hebrews, and we're not going to spend a lot of time in Hebrews this morning, but we are continuing this morning a sermon series we began several weeks ago, if you remember, on the subject of emotional intelligence, and I won't spend too much time reviewing, but I do want to just remind you of several things we've been learning. We've been learning about this idea of emotional intelligence. We've been looking at it through the lens of the Bible, and we've been learning how to biblically raise your EQ, your emotional intelligence, and of course we've defined emotional intelligence, and we've been using this working definition for emotional intelligence as the ability to recognize and regulate your own emotions and your ability to recognize and regulate yourself around the emotions of others, and just real quickly let me just recap what we've learned just to catch you up as quickly as I can. Obviously if you weren't here for any of those sermons, the two sermons that have been preached before that, I would encourage you to check them out on our website, and you can catch up that way, but if you remember the very first week we were in this series, I preached a sermon entitled Dumb Emotions, and what we learned was that emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and regulate our emotions and the emotions of others, and that our emotions are dumb. We learned about the fact that our emotions are dumb, and we were not meant to be led by our emotions. We were meant to be informed by our emotions but not to be led by our emotions, and when we allow ourselves to be led by our emotions, then we make dumb decisions because emotions are dumb. They're not logical. They're not reasonable, and that's why we were the masterminds behind all the stupidest decisions we've ever made in life. All the biggest regrets that we have are due to us allowing ourselves to be led by our emotions, so we learned about that the first week, and if you remember last week, we learned about awareness of self, and that's where we must begin when it starts with emotional intelligence. We have to begin with ourselves, of course, and I gave you several steps to develop your self-awareness or awareness of self, and of course, I feel like I hear a little bit of an echo. If you could help me with that, I'd appreciate it. Let me just remind you what we learned about last week. We learned that to be self-aware, you must examine yourself, and we learned that to examine yourself, you must not lie to yourself, and we learned that in order to not lie to yourself, you must consider that maybe you are wrong, and of course, when you consider that maybe you are wrong and you don't lie to yourself because you consider that maybe you're wrong and that allows you to truly examine yourself, then that's when we become truly self-aware of our emotions and what we're feeling and what we're doing and things of that nature. So that's where we've been so far. This morning, we're going to continue with this idea of emotional intelligence, but this morning, we're going to deal with not the awareness of self, we talked about that last week, but we're going to talk about awareness of others, awareness of others, and there's really just one word that kind of captures this idea of awareness of others, and the word is empathy, empathy, and we're going to learn about empathy this morning from the Word of God. We're going to learn about empathy in regards to the awareness of others, and of course, I encourage you to take notes. On the back of your course of the week, there's a place for you to write down some notes, and maybe you can jot these things down as we study this idea of empathy, and I'd like to begin this morning by first of all giving you an example of empathy, an example of empathy, and to be very honest with you, I'm not just giving you an example of empathy. I'm giving you the example of empathy. The Lord Jesus Christ, through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I will submit to you that Jesus is the greatest example of empathy, and we see that not only in theory, but we also see it in practice. We see it in reality, in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're here in Hebrews chapter number four, and I'd like you to look down at verse number 14, and I'd like to just show you this idea of empathy in theory through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter four and verse 14 means that the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest example of empathy through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter four and verse 14, notice what the Bible says, seeing then that we have a great high priest, and of course this is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. The theme of the book of Hebrews is that Jesus is better. Jesus is better than the priests. Jesus is better than the prophets. Jesus is better than Abraham. He's better than Moses. He's better than the angels. Jesus is the Son of God. Let us hold fast our profession. And the Bible is teaching us here that Jesus of course is that high priest. And I won't take too much time to develop that. We've been studying about it in the book of Hebrews, but of course the high priest in the Old Testament was that man, that priest that would intercede between God and men and would offer that sacrifice of redemption in the Old Testament. And we know that that was symbolic because he is the great high priest that has passed into heaven. He mediates on our behalf. Notice verse 15, Hebrews 4. Four. The word four here means because. And he says, For we have not an high priest. And what he's going to tell us is why it is that the Lord Jesus Christ is such a great high priest and why it is that he has passed into heaven. Why it is that he can mediate on our behalf. The Bible says that there is one God and one creator between God and the man Christ Jesus. And here's the qualifications. Obviously Jesus is God in the flesh. He's the son of God. We understand those things. But notice what he says. He says, For we have not an high priest. And when it comes to this idea of empathy, I would say that the next few words, the next phrase is probably the greatest definition of empathy that we find in the Bible. And it's said about the Lord Jesus Christ. It says this, For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. And the idea here is that he can be touched and he is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. But was at all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. He's not like us. He's without sin. But though he's not like us, he is still able to be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. There's a double negative there. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Look at verse 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. I want you to notice that connected with this idea of empathy is also mercy and compassion. He offers us mercy. He offers us grace. He offers us compassion because Jesus really is the example of empathy. Now let me just give you some definitions and we're just kind of getting started here but I'd like you to understand that. Hebrews 4.15 we see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the example of empathy. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. That is empathy. Now do me a favor. Keep your place there in Hebrews. We're going to come back towards that part of the Bible but go with me if you would to the book of John. The Gospel according to John towards the beginning of the New Testament. Keep your place in Hebrews. Put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there and then go to John towards the beginning of the New Testament. You have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and then when you get to John because we're going to go back and forth between these two books Hebrews and John and while you go there let me just give you a few definitions because maybe you're here this morning and you're thinking I've heard the word empathy. I'm not really sure what that means and what I found is that often the word sympathy is confused with the word empathy so let me just give you a couple of definitions to help you or a few definitions to help you understand that. Let me begin by defining for you the word sympathy. What does the word sympathy mean? Something that maybe we're more familiar with. Here's how the word sympathy is defined. The act or state of feeling sorrow or compassion for another. I think that would make sense to us. Sympathy is the act or state of feeling sorrow or compassion for another. Sympathy is feeling for others. Feeling for others. So when they are something bad is happening to somebody or something that's not right or not fair or whatever and we feel bad for them. We have compassion for them. We feel for them. That is the definition of sympathy and I think that's probably something that most people are familiar with. Sympathy is the act or state of feeling sorrow or compassion for others. Now what people would often ask or maybe be confused with is well then what is the difference between sympathy and empathy? What is the difference between sympathy and empathy? Well sympathy is the act or state of feeling sorrow or compassion for another. It is feeling for others. Feelings for others. The word empathy let me give you a definition for that is the capacity to understand what another person is experiencing from within the other person's frame of reference. Let me just say that again because I want you to get that. The capacity to understand what another person is experiencing. Not from your frame of reference. Not from your experience. Not from your understanding. But from within the other person's frame of reference the ability to place oneself in another's shoe. And just to be clear let me help you understand. Sympathy is feeling for others. Empathy is feeling with others. Sympathy is when you just have a feeling and usually it's a negative feeling or some sort of sad feeling. Compassionate feeling. And you have that for someone else. You hear about something that they're going through. You hear about something that is happening in their lives and you feel that for that individual. That is a good feeling. Nothing wrong with that. And I think we should have sympathy for others. But empathy is something a little different and something miles different in regards to relationship and how we make people feel. Because sympathy is simply feeling something for another individual. That's good. Empathy is feeling something with another individual. See Jesus did not feel sympathy for us. He did feel sympathy for us. But the Bible says that he felt empathy because he is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. That's empathy. Let me just give you another one real quick just to give you the full picture. I'd like to define for you also this word apathy. Because one thing I've learned in ministry is that oftentimes people who struggle with empathy it's because they have too much apathy. Here's the definition for apathy. Lack of feelings or emotions. Impassiveness. Not feeling or showing emotion. Lack of interest or concern. Indifference. Lack of feeling for something. Apathy is when you're indifferent. You just don't care. You don't have sympathy and you definitely don't have empathy. It just doesn't make a difference to you. And one thing that we need to understand and the reason that empathy is so important is because empathy leads to compassion. Empathy leads to compassion. The Bible says that he's touched, that Jesus is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. And then it says because of that, verse 16. You're there in John 11. Just let me read to you from Hebrews 4 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace. Why can we come boldly unto the throne of grace through the Lord Jesus Christ? Because of his empathy. Because he's touched with the feelings of our infirmity and it says that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. There is a connection between empathy and compassion. Empathy and mercy. Empathy and grace. Empathy and forgiveness. These things are connected. So we see the great example of empathy. The Lord Jesus Christ. And we see it here in Hebrews chapter 4 in theory. But then I'd like you to notice it in John chapter 11 in reality. In John chapter number 11 we have a story that really, and we can look at a lot of stories of the Lord Jesus Christ showing empathy and having empathy. I think John 11 is a good story to highlight that. Notice John chapter 11 in verse number 1. The Bible says this, Now a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary, and her sister Martha. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So there's this man named Lazarus. He has a sister named Mary. We'll also learn here that he has a sister named Martha. Look at verse 3. Therefore his sister sent unto him saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. Now Jesus had a relationship, a friendship with these siblings, with Lazarus and Mary and Martha. And when Lazarus had grown sick, the Bible says there was a certain man that was sick, a certain man was sick named Lazarus. Then the sister sent a message to the Lord Jesus Christ and they said, He whom thou lovest is sick. Verse 4, When Jesus heard that, he said, The sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus already, of course, being God in the flesh and knowing all things knows at the end of the sickness, in the end, at the end of the story, Lazarus is not going to die or stay dead. He says this is happening for the glory of God. Look at verse 5, Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. I want you to notice that Jesus loved these individuals. He was friends with these individuals. He had a relationship with these individuals. He loved, the Bible says clearly there, verse 5, Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. The narrator of the book of John is telling us that Jesus loved these individuals, but these individuals were aware of that love because in verse 3 they send the message about Lazarus to Jesus saying He whom thou lovest is sick. So these sisters knew that Jesus loved their brother Lazarus. Look at verse 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith his disciples Let us go into Judea again and I won't take the time to develop the whole story. There's reasons why Jesus waited on a practical level, but on a spiritual level He waited because he actually wanted Lazarus to die. He didn't want Lazarus to die because he wanted Lazarus to die. He wanted Lazarus to die because he wanted to resurrect Lazarus from the dead. As a show of his power and that it would be glory to God. Look at verse 11 John chapter 11 and verse 11 These things said he and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. Now at this point in the story, Lazarus has already passed He's already dead and Jesus says to his disciples, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Throughout the Bible often for believers death is referred to as sleep. It's often not referred to as death or being dead and the reason for that is because a believer never truly dies. Their body might die, but to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord and not only that but the reason that the Bible calls it sleep when a believer dies is because in sleep there is this understanding that the individual will wake up. Well in the death of a believer there is this understanding of the resurrection that one day that body will arise. It will wake up. So Jesus here says about Lazarus Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. Verse 12 Then said his disciples, Lord if he sleep he shall do well. They don't get it. They don't understand what he's saying. They're like, well Lord if he's taking a nap then why wake him up? I mean he's he's fine. So then Jesus had to just kind of you know he had to put it down on the bottom shelf to make sure they understand. Verse 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death but they thought that he had spoken of taking rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. Skip down to verse number 33. Like I said we won't take the time to develop this whole thing. Jesus gets word that his friend Lazarus whom he loveth is dead. He tells his disciples let's go wake him out of sleep. They are on their way in this journey to go resurrect Lazarus from the dead. Now here's what I want you to understand and here's the reason why I even read as many verses as I did. Jesus knows Jesus knows how the story will end. Jesus knows that Lazarus will resurrect. In fact Jesus waited two days to orchestrate this miracle that it might be for the glory of God. That's why the Bible says there and it says there in verse you don't have to go back to it but in verse 4 this sickness Jesus said is not unto death but for the glory of God that the son of God might be glorified thereby. Jesus understand Jesus is in control. Jesus is God in the flesh. By the way no matter what you and I are going through we should always say comfort in the fact that Jesus knows what he's doing and Jesus is in control. He knows how the story is going to end. He knows how this will be documented in John chapter number 11 but I want you to notice in verse number 33 the Bible says this when Jesus therefore saw her weeping he shows up and he really shows up in the middle of what we might call a funeral service or a time of grieving and you have Mary and Martha they hear that Jesus is coming and we're skipping some of these verses for sake of time but they come out to meet him and they even say and kind of accuse Jesus and said master if thou hadst been here our brother he wouldn't have died and they kind of blame Jesus which is also an emotional intelligence aspect that we'll come to at another time. And the Bible says here in verse 33 when Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her notice these words he groaned in his spirit and was troubled. Now Jesus knew how the story was going to end. In fact Jesus was there to resurrect Lazarus from the dead. But Martha doesn't know that and Mary doesn't know that and the rest of the people there they don't know that and I want you to just notice the empathy of the Lord Jesus Christ he doesn't walk in just stoic and apathetic and saying why are you crying I'm going to solve this problem why are you weeping I'm here to resurrect him. I want you to notice that here we get an insight into the feelings of the Lord Jesus Christ and the empathy of the Lord Jesus Christ though he's got in the flesh though he's there to resurrect Lazarus though he's there to take control of the situation the Bible tells us that when he saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her notice there verse 33 he groaned in his spirit and was troubled and said where have you laid him and they said unto him Lord come and see and then we have the shortest verse in the Bible maybe one of the most popular verses in the Bible definitely one of the easiest verses in the Bible to memorize if you've never memorized a verse in the Bible I recommend John 11 35 for you we have these two little words but I would say they are powerful words Jesus wept Jesus wept why did Jesus weep? didn't he know he was going to resurrect Lazarus? no why he wept is because he saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping and we have not in high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities and though he knew how the story was going to end and he knew what he was going to do he still not only felt for please understand this, empathy is not Jesus feeling sorry for them, it's Jesus feeling sorrow with them he knew what he was going to do but because he is the example of empathy he felt with them he groaned in his spirit and was troubled verse 35 Jesus wept and notice the connection between empathy and compassion then said the Jews behold how he loved him I want you to get the example of empathy and by the way, your goal as a Christian and my goal as a Christian is to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ and to try to be and live like the Lord Jesus Christ Christ living in me should be the goal of a believer and if we are going to try to be like Christ then we must develop empathy like Christ he did not only feel for them he felt with them and I would say this that Jesus loved Lazarus and Martha he whom thou lovest is sick is what they said John said now Jesus loved Martha and her sister Lazarus and when the Jews saw that Jesus wept they said behold how he loved them and I would say to you this morning that if you do not develop personal empathy you will never have and you will never be a real friend you'll never have a real friend without empathy you will never be a real friend without empathy so we see this example of empathy we see it in theory we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities and we see it in practice in reality we see the Lord Jesus Christ when he saw them weeping he wept he groaned in his spirit why? because he wasn't just feeling for them if he was feeling for them then he could say look I'm going to fix it Jesus was somebody who had empathy and because they were weeping and they were sad and they were sorrowing he sorrowed with them that's empathy that's an example of empathy now if you would let me give you an explanation of empathy I think you probably understand it but let's look at it from the Bible you'd be surprised how much the Bible talks about this the Bible never used the word empathy that's the word we've used to define this emotion but the Bible describes and talks a lot about empathy I saw the great example of the Lord Jesus Christ the example of empathy but now let me give you an explanation for empathy you're there in John if you would go with me to the book of Romans Romans chapter number 12 if you're in John you'll go past the book of Acts into the book of Romans Romans chapter number 12 Romans chapter number 12 is actually a verse that is written to a local New Testament church not just a local New Testament church but it's written about the local New Testament church it's not just a verse that's written to the church at Rome it's a verse that is written to all churches and this applies to all churches and this is something that's supposed to describe all churches and I would say to you this that church look we live in a world today you want to know what the opposite of empathy is the opposite of empathy is selfishness and unfortunately you and I live today in this selfie society society where everyone is only concerned with self and I would say that we probably live in the most non-empathetic society that maybe has ever been but the culture of the local New Testament church should be a culture of empathy it should be a culture of individuals that not only that are definitely not apathetic and not only sympathetic, they not only feel for someone, but that they feel with someone notice that there in Romans chapter 12 and verse 15 here's a command to all churches local churches, Romans 12 and 15 rejoice, notice not for them not for them rejoice with them rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep and weep, not for them not for them I mean that's fine, but that's not enough he says weep with them that weep, that's empathy empathy is rejoicing with them that do rejoice and weeping with them that weep now what's interesting if you study and I won't take the time to do it this morning but you can do it on your own if you'd like if you look at Romans chapter 12 it's clear that the passages about local New Testament church and local New Testament church ministry here's what's interesting if you flip over to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, you're there in Romans chapter 12 if you just flip over to the next book, also chapter 12 1 Corinthians chapter 12 you have another passage that is again focused on the idea of local church ministry, in fact Romans chapter 12 and 1 Corinthians chapter 12 are parallel passages, they're in different books of the Bible written to different local churches but they deal with the same sort of content and they're very parallel to each other, both are speaking towards local New Testament ministry notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12 26, and whether one member suffer all the members suffer not for it, with it or one member be honored, all the members rejoice notice the word, with it see the local New Testament church should be a place that is full of empathy where we rejoice with them that do rejoice and we weep with them that do weep whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honored all the members rejoice with it continue to keep your place there in John if you would and go back to Hebrews, if you kept your place in Hebrews look at Hebrews chapter 13 Hebrews chapter 13 see empathy is to feel not for someone but with someone in fact while you turn there to Hebrews 13 let me read to you an excerpt from a very famous book by a man named Daniel Goldman who probably, who made this emotional intelligence subject popular in our day the book called The book is called Emotional Intelligence page 119 here's what he says in tests with over 7,000 people in the United States and 18 other countries the benefit of being able to read feelings from non-verbal cues included being better adjusted emotionally more popular more outgoing and perhaps not surprisingly more sensitive see there's a benefit to empathy there's a benefit to awareness of others let me just show you another verse just real quickly Hebrews 13 and verse 3 the Bible says here remember them that are in bonds this is referring to people that are in prison and specifically here it's referring to people that are in prison for the cause of Christ the writer of Hebrews is reminding his audience remember them that are in bonds and I want you to notice what he says here, he says as bound with them that's empathy he said don't just feel bad for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that are in prison for the cause of Christ, he said don't just feel bad for them he said I want you to remember them as bound with them he's saying I don't just want you to have sympathy I want you to have empathy, why? because empathy is not just feeling for, but feeling with someone and for those of you that are in the selfie culture and you need a selfish reason to care about empathy, which is crazy to me let me just say this, if you develop empathy like we read from our excerpt here you will be better adjusted emotionally more popular more outgoing people will like you more because nobody likes someone who's apathetic nobody likes someone who's selfish and only cares about themselves we talked about an example of empathy we saw the Lord Jesus Christ we've spoken about an explanation of empathy I'd like you to notice thirdly this morning and we're on our third point, but this is where we'll spend the majority of our time I'd like to give you an exhortation for empathy an exhortation for empathy how do we do this, and how do we develop it well I'd like you to continue to keep your place in Hebrews if you would and if you kept your place in John go back towards that part of the Bible but not John, go to Matthew if you would if you're there in John, you'll just go backwards past Luke, Mark, and Matthew Matthew chapter 7 the thing about popular books in our society today, especially books that actually are teaching things that are of value is that all of it has been ripped off from the Bible the Word of God has all the answers and what people do today is they take principles and wisdom from the Word of God they give it a different name and don't give credit to the Lord Jesus Christ and repackage it and send it as sell it as some sort of secular wisdom but if there's any sort of secular wisdom that's actually wise just mark it down, it came from the Word of God and Jesus was actually the first person to teach, I would say God is in the Old Testament, but Jesus in the New Testament was actually the first person who teach on the subject of empathy on the subject of awareness of others on the subject of emotional intelligence and I'd like to give you some thoughts here regarding the development of empathy or how Jesus taught us to develop empathy because I often deal with people and when we get on the subject and maybe we do or don't use the word empathy but when we get on the subject and people say, well I struggle with this idea of empathy and I struggle with this but what I would say to that and please don't misunderstand me I'm not trying to hurt your feelings but I am trying to be a little sharp with you because maybe you need to be sharp with to help you stir up some emotions and it is this if you say I struggle with empathy that's a lie you have the keys in you to be empathetic you have already in you what you need to have empathy you say why? because you're selfish and because I'm selfish and because human beings are by nature selfish and if you can understand selfishness you can understand empathy you say what do you mean? well look at Matthew chapter 7 look at verse 12 one of the most famous teachings by the Lord Jesus Christ Matthew chapter 7 and verse 12 we know this as the golden rule therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you well Pastor Jimenez you don't understand I'm not an expert at knowing how to treat people I'm not an expert at knowing how to talk to people I'm not an expert at knowing how to treat make other people feel okay no problem I get it you haven't read all the books on emotional intelligence you haven't studied these things my wife and I have been in ministry for 13 years and ministry in 13 years is a study on empathy I'll tell you right now you say well I don't have that I'm not an expert in that okay but here's what you are an expert in you are an expert in knowing what you would that men should do to you you're an expert you're an expert at knowing how you want people to speak to you you're an expert at knowing how you want people to relate to you you're an expert at knowing how people make you feel and Jesus said if you can know that and we all know that we all know that even the smallest child knows how they feel when they feel they know that they're not happy when someone took that doll from them or took that toy from them or whatever it might be and Jesus said therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you that's selfishness we're all experts on that he says reverse that and you have empathy do ye even so to them for this is the law and the prophets how do I develop empathy here's how you develop empathy how do you want to be treated? speak to people that way how do you want people to speak to you speak to people that way how do you want to be made to feel make people feel that way but wait a minute wait a minute that only takes us halfway there because I already know the holier than thou is out there well I wouldn't if I was going through that situation I would and if I had that and if I thought okay well hold on a second hold on a second what if you were raised in the same way they were raised what if you had the same experience they've experienced see empathy is not just feeling with them it's not just feeling well how would I want to be treated it's how would I want to be treated if I were them from their perspective from their experience because look as a pastor I have a goodly heritage I was raised in a Christian home I've been a Baptist my whole life I've been a Baptist longer than I've been saved I'm not saying that everything in my life was perfect or whatever but there's not much for me to complain about but empathy is not me looking at other individuals and saying well if I was in your shoes here's what I would do and often times that is the counsel that we can give but when we want to experience empathy what we need to do is put ourselves in the other person's shoes and say well how would I feel if that was happening to me and I was that person I had that experience I grew up in that home that's what empathy is so before you say well I wouldn't react that way if I wasn't in those shoes but what if you were raised like they were raised what if you just got saved like they just got saved what if you had the same experiences the same traumas and the same troubles and here's what I'm saying empathy is not only feeling for them how would I feel in that situation that's sympathy how would I feel if I were them that's empathy now we're going to come back to this idea and we're going to circle back to it in a few weeks when we talk about conflict resolution let me just help you understand something looking at something from another person's perspective does not necessarily mean that that's going to change your mind seeing it from another person's perspective does not mean that they're right and you're wrong it also doesn't mean that you're right and they're wrong seeing it from somebody else's perspective does not mean that you're going to necessarily agree with them but seeing it from somebody else's perspective even if they're still wrong will help you show mercy and grace and patience and love and stop having this attitude that says I don't understand why they can't well you don't understand why they can't because you haven't walked in their shoes and someone with empathy would say well if I was experiencing that here's how I would deal with it but I'm not that person and what I'm going to try to do is try to understand it not only from their point of view but from their perspective because Jesus said whatsoever ye would that men should do you do ye even so to them if you kept your place in Hebrews would you go to the book of James it's right after the book of Hebrews Hebrews then you have the book of James while you turn there let me read to you from Galatians 5.14 Galatians 5.14 says this for all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself you know what Ephesians tells husbands you want to be a good husband love your wife like you love yourself and then here the royal law tells us the golden rule tells us thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself look you'll have no problem you'll have no problem loving other people if you just love them like you would love yourself you understand what I'm saying to you if you would treat them like you would treat yourself if you would care for them like you care for yourself James 2.8 I wonder if I read it let's just read it if you fulfill the royal law according to the scriptures thou shalt love thy neighbor and here's the key as thyself and if you love thy neighbor as thyself he says ye do well for all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself and here's what I'm saying to you if you want to succeed in your relationships if you want to be a good spouse be a good parent be a good child to your parents have a good relationship with your fellow church members have a good relationship with the people you work with have a good relationship with the people you interact with I'm just telling you the key is empathy it's not feeling for but it's feeling with I mean have you ever experienced this I would say the most frustrating thing the most frustrating thing in the world is when you're feeling a lot of emotions about something you're really frustrated about something that's happening or you're really excited about something that's happening you're really heartbroken about something that's happening you're really angry maybe about something that's happening and the person you're communicating with just stoic I mean you're like I'm so frustrated with this and that that's the most annoying thing in the world and often times when I was younger in ministry my wife and I were younger in ministry we would struggle a lot because we often find ourselves having to wage into and wade into situations that are very difficult meeting with people in hospitals and meeting with people in areas at the most difficult times of their lives and earlier in ministry we would struggle a lot and I would struggle a lot with well what am I going to say and what do I say to this person and how what's the right thing to say and not the right thing to say and what verse can be comforting and all those things are good I'm not minimizing any of that and I think as pastors especially we should communicate well and we should have verses available to try to help people but you know what I've learned that it really matters not as much what you say because what people really want is for you to feel with them is for you to have the share the emotions they're sharing with they're sharing they're experiencing at that time again I think it's good to prepare and have words to say and things of that nature but often people say well what do I say what do I say in this situation what do I say to that situation and what do I say here and what do I say there let me tell you something don't say anything just be frustrated with what I'm frustrated with just be excited about what I'm excited with just be heartbroken about what I'm heartbroken with just be touched with the feelings of my infirmities that's all people really want is for you to care is to feel what they feel not feel for them but feel with them someone said this people will rarely remember what you said but they will remember how you made them feel and I'm just here to tell you all of us need empathy in our lives in your relationships ask yourself and often times you know you deal with situations and people say well they're mistreating my kid or they're mistreating my spouse or within spouse you know my my mother-in-law my father-in-law and I I tell people this well how would you want your mom to be treated how would you want your dad to be treated well then let's treat your spouse's mom that way it's not that hard it's not that complicated just you're good at the selfish thing just really dig into that selfish thing but just turn it around you'll have empathy so we see the exhortation for empathy in theory and look I believe that you can work at it I believe that you can just focus it on this idea whatsoever you would that men should do to you do ye even so to them treat people the way you'd like to be treated be less focused on this idea of am I saying all the right things and just feel with them feel with them but let me just give you how to develop empathy and reality because the reality is this if you would go to 2 Corinthians chapter 13 if you kept your place in John you have John, Acts, Romans 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians we're going to look at 2 Corinthians we're going to look at another passage after that and we'll be done alright 2 Corinthians another passage after that and we'll be done in theory in theory we should all be able to develop empathy by simply asking ourselves well how do I feel and how do I want to be treated how do I want to be made to feel and then I'm going to do that for other people and I'm going to feel what they feel and again if you just you say how do I act in this situation don't feel for them, feel with them feel with them they won't remember what you said they'll remember how you made them feel but let's just talk about in reality in reality what my wife and I have found over 13 years of ministry is this the people that have developed the best empathy is because they have gone through something unfortunately that's just the reality 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 3 the Bible says this blessed be God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of mercy 2 Corinthians 1.3 I want you to see it the father of mercy 2 Corinthians and look at the last part of verse 3 the God of all comfort often times the question is asked why does God allow trouble into our lives and I would say to you that one of the reasons that God allows trouble into our lives I'm not saying this is the only reason or that this is exclusively the reason but one reason that God allows trouble in our lives is that we would have an opportunity to be comforted by God the father of mercy look at verse 4 who comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God why does God allow trouble in our lives one reason is so that we can experience comfort of God but I would say it to you and I would submit to you that another reason that God allows trouble in our lives is not just that we might be comforted by God but is that we would then have the capacity to comfort others look at verse 4 look at it again who comforteth us in all our tribulations look at it that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble you say pastor if you knew my story and you knew the trauma I've gone through you knew the tragedy I've gone through tribulation I've gone through and I'm not here to minimize any of your stories but I would say this and please don't misunderstand what I'm about to say to you but don't waste that tragedy don't let it be for naught maybe God meant it to be a time for you to get close to him that he could comfort you but maybe God also meant it that you could turn around and comfort them which are in any trouble that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble often times the people with the highest levels of empathy are the ones that have gone through something they've experienced trouble they've gone through some things it is often the people who have gone through something that have the most empathy now again you don't have to go through some trauma to develop empathy you can develop it on your own you can develop it just by following the word of God and putting yourself in the right reference of mine and all those things asking yourself how would I like to be treated if I were that person if I walked in their shoes if I had their experiences if I lived their life how would I you can develop that but what I'm saying is that often times we don't put ourselves through that grinding of developing empathy we have to go through something and look I would say and don't take this the wrong way and I don't mean this in any sort of prideful way but I would say that my wife and I are probably very in tune with our emotions and are high on this idea of empathy but I'm not saying that that's because we're smart or whatever that's we've experienced trauma too it's called the ministry and you know I have like PTSD from you people I'm like you know sometimes the ministry is like you're in an abusive relationship and you know the congregation I'm just saying when you walk through dark valleys with people when you go through the lowest times in lives of individuals it will expand your capacity for empathy but you don't have to wait for that you definitely don't have to hope for that you can develop empathy just all on your own just decide I don't want to feel for people I want to feel with people I'm really mad at this individual okay but try to feel with them see how that makes you feel I'm really disappointed by this individual maybe you're right in your disappointment maybe they failed you in whatever area but why don't you try feeling not just for them or towards them but feel with them it may not change anything as far as who's right and who's wrong and what needs to be done but it will change your perspective towards them it will bring mercy and grace and patience and love and compassion go to Ezekiel chapter 3 in the Old Testament if you would this is the last passage we'll look at this morning there are these major prophets towards the end of the Old Testament Isaiah, Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Ezekiel chapter number 3 while you go there let me just read to you from 1 Thessalonians 5 the Bible says wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another even as also ye do wherefore comfort yourselves together I'll just say this in ministry we have to do a lot of let's see it from their perspective doesn't mean they're right but let's feel what they're feeling let's feel with them let's experience what they're experiencing and I would submit to you that this will make you a much better a more mature a more spiritual individual and even when we're not talking about trauma and things like that it's interesting to me as a pastor I have to make decisions for the church and I make decisions I have to as the pastor I have to make decisions for the church based on the overall what is the best thing for the church as a whole and often times when people argue with me in ministry and decisions I make or whatever it's because they're only seeing things through their little slice their slice of the ministry or their slice of the situation or their slice of this and I often think to myself I wish you could see things from my perspective because I'm not concerned with just this one little slice of the church ministry I have to concern myself with the whole and if you could just learn to see things not just from the other person's perspective but with the other person's perspective it might not change your mind but you might find that you accept it a little better you understand it a little better you might still say well I don't know that I would make that decision and I don't know that I would do that but you might find that you extend a little more grace a little more patience a little more love Ezekiel chapter 3 and verse 11 I'd like you to see these words we'll finish up here Ezekiel chapter 3 and verse 11 the Bible says this and go and go I'm not preaching on the subject of soul winning but I do want to say this I can't see that word go without thinking of soul winning you know the Bible says the main verses on soul winning use this word go go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature go our job is to go let me just say this if you say I have no burden to see anyone safe that is a very big red flag that you lack empathy and it's going to make your life rough why not get heartbroken with them why not get heartbroken with them I'm thinking if I was lost and on my way to hell and there was a church down the street from me filled with people who knew how to get me saved I wish someone would come Ezekiel 3 and 11 and go get thee to them of the captivity unto the children of thy people Ezekiel is being told you need to go and brought into captivity and he says you need to go get thee to them Ezekiel actually had not experienced some of this and he's being told go get thee to them of the captivity unto the children of thy people and speak unto them and tell them thus say the Lord God whether they will hear or whether they will forbear I won't read all these verses look at verse 14 so the spirit lifted me up and took me away and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit by the hand of the Lord but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me look at verse 15 then I came to them of the captivity of Tel Aviv that dwelt by the river of Kibar look at these words I love these words and I sat where they sat and I sat where they sat and remain their astonished among them seven days you know what empathy is? it is the capacity to understand what another person is experiencing from within the other person's frame of reference it is the ability to place oneself in another's shoes when it is said of Jesus it is said this way that we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities and when it's said of the prophet Ezekiel here it's said simply this way and I sat where they sat why don't you sit where somebody else is sitting for a while feel with them from their perspective from their point of view from their experience because empathy is not feeling for others that's just sympathy and empathy is not feeling at all that's actually apathy but empathy is feeling with others and I sat where they sat let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer Lord we do love you Lord I do not think that it can be over emphasized the importance of empathy it's needed it's needed in ministry it's needed in decision making it's needed in every area of life Lord I pray you'd help us help us to develop it help us to help us to think through it help us not to be so selfish that we can't feel with others and Lord for those that have gone through tragedy, gone through trauma gone through difficult things in their lives we feel with them we feel for them but help them not to waste those opportunities to comfort others who are also going through those difficulties I pray Lord you'd help us to become people that are emotionally intelligent in the matchless name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray Amen Alright we're going to go ahead and sing a final song before we're dismissed this morning I just want to remind you of a couple of things first of all I want to remind you to come back tonight 6pm for the evening service and it's a different sermon, different songs that are sung just another opportunity to be in God's house with God's people and then of course I want to encourage you to be back next week, next week as we continue to learn about emotional intelligence last week we learned about self awareness, this week we learned about awareness of others, next week we're going to learn about awareness of context, awareness of context, you ever been around someone that said something inappropriate, they just said the wrong thing in that wrong situation and we're going to learn about how to be aware of our context sometimes it's appropriate to say things sometimes it's appropriate to not say something and we're going to learn about that from the word of God and I want to encourage you to be with us as we continue to learn about the subject of emotional intelligence, of course if there's ever anything that we can do for you please let us know and we'll have brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song Turn to song number 100 1-0-0 Day by day, song number 100 on the first Day by day and with each passing moment strength I find to meet my trials here trusting in my father's wise bestowments I'm no cause for evil for fear he whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what he deems best loving me is part of pain and pleasure mingling toil with peace and rest every day the Lord himself is near me with a special mercy for each hour all my cares he faint would bear and cheer me through your name is counselor and power the protection of his child and treasure builds a charge that on himself he laid as thy days thy strength shall be in measure this I pledge to thee good on the last help me then in every tribulation so to trust thy promises O Lord that I lose not faith consolation offered me within thy holy word help me Lord when toil and trouble be deep dare to take as from a father's hand want my Lord their days and moments fleeting till I reach the promised land amen good singing before we leave here if anybody has questions about salvation church membership or baptism pastor will be at the door love to talk to you or direct you to someone who's trained to talk to you about that brother RJ would you close the prayer for us amen amen amen