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Hey, man, so keep your place there in first Kings chapter 19 We're gonna go other places and then come back to this story in first Kings chapter 19. So this morning We are going to be continuing kind of our personal development summer that we're going on here and we're going to talk about Something this morning that I guarantee applies to every single person in the room every single person listening to this sermon what I want to talk about this morning and look at from the Bible this morning is a major source of Stress and anxiety and just negative feelings that people have in their lives And that's why I think it's important that we look at what the Bible says so we can get rid of this We're gonna look at something that that is a major source of personal misery that people have so if you've ever been Stressed out anxious depressed just feeling negative I guarantee that this is at least part of your problem this morning All right, the title of the sermon this morning is Controlling the uncontrollable Controlling the uncontrollable It's where people would try to control things That they cannot control and when you try to control things that you can't control This is where you get stressed out depressed anxious people Some people live in a constant state of anxiety Because of this very reason that they are trying to control things that are simply not under their control You say well, why can't I control these things? Why can't I control all these different things because I'm going to show you from the Bible this morning That you are not supposed to be able to control everything You are not supposed to be able to control not Everything is under the realm of your personal control and that is something that you need to realize and you need to be able to live with and That's what I'm going to show you this morning. The Bible is very clear on this subject. I'm gonna give you four Areas this morning turn to 1st Corinthians chapter number seven I'm gonna give you four areas this morning to focus on and think about this morning on areas that There are situations people beliefs different things where you cannot control what is going to happen and you need to realize that you cannot control the Uncontrollable. All right, turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 7. You're keeping your place in 1st Kings chapter 19 We're gonna go back to that great story in 1st Kings chapter number 19 in just a few minutes But I want to give you four areas this morning areas that people get stressed out about areas that people get stressed out they get anxious they get depressed because They are trying to gain control of something that not only They cannot control But God does not give you the authority to control in those areas Look at 1st Corinthians chapter number 10 7 and verse number 10. All right 1st Corinthians chapter number 7 and look at verse number 10 the first category of places where people try to control the uncontrollable is With people is with people themselves with other people All right, and in 1st Corinthians chapter 7 in verse number 10 I'm gonna give you the most intimate example of you know a situation where you can simply not control Other people the Bible here is talking about marriage Talking about a husband and a wife look at verse number 10 It says in unto the married I command yet not I but the Lord let not the wife depart from her husband Verse number 11, but and if she depart let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband And let not the husband put away his wife So this is teaching against divorce and it's saying look if you do get divorced You can't get remarried Jesus taught the exact same thing, but the Bible saying don't get divorced, you know Don't put away your husband. Don't put away your wife, but to the rest I speak I Not the Lord if any brother hath a wife that believeth not now Paul gets some specific advice here on somebody now Look, you should never be in this situation You should never end up in a situation where you marry somebody that is unsaved However, this is so for all the young people that are not married yet. Don't marry somebody that's not safe. There you go Alright, but this is a very common situation is a very common situation where you find two people that are married and one Person is not saved and the other person is saved. They're literally unequally yoked The Bible says don't be unequally yoked So I love the Bible because the Bible not only gives you direction on things to do But it tells you like what to do if you don't listen to the Bible So saying like if you don't listen to the Bible here's plan B, here's plan C here's plan D Here's plan E. The Bible always has you know an extra plan It's not like if you didn't listen to plan a you're done and we have nothing else to say to you But look people end up married to unsafe people for multiple different reasons First of all people get saved later in life You know people have somebody, you know, two people that are unsaved that are married have somebody knock on their door Somebody gives them the gospel One of them gets saved and then maybe the other one just doesn't Doesn't accept the gospel is just not going to believe that's the case So this is I mean it is shocking how common this is Actually where you find somebody that it's saved and somebody that is not saved and they are married and the Bible here Paul is Saying stay married Don't you know be like, oh my my wife is unsaved. I'm gonna put her away. I'm gonna get divorced Says if a brother hath a wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him Let him not put her away meaning if she stays there So already you're starting to see the point here It says if a brother if a man is married to a woman Look and and we give the the example gets given both ways but in this case, it's saying if a man is saved and is married to someone who is unsaved and She'd be pleased to dwell with him. What does that mean? What if she not be pleased to dwell with him and she just leaves well, like can he do anything about that? There's nothing he can do about that. So the Bible here is already implying that Like she has free will if she doesn't mind that he's saved and she wants to stay there Then what should he do? Right? It says if a woman that I you know, let him not put her away He's saying if she does not want to leave and she wants to stay married and she's doing that right thing Don't get divorced. Don't be like, oh, she's unsaved. I'm getting you know divorced I preached to the gospel and she didn't accept it the first time so I'm gonna divorce my wife The Bible is saying do not do that. It says for look at this. The unbelieving husband is sanctified Oh and it gives the other way around it says that the woman had a husband that believeth not and He be pleased to dwell with her. Let her not leave him I like how the Bible always has to like flip it and just tell you each way Otherwise people would just make up these weird rules on like well, it says you have to do that Not me, but it gives both examples here. So you have a wife that saved you have a husband that's saved You have a wife that's unsaved and a husband that's unsaved. We see both sides of the coin here All right, it says that the woman had a husband that believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her again Let her not leave him. All right So the Bible is saying if you have some people that are unequally yoked not ideal young people don't do that But it's saying don't get divorced for that reason. All right, and then it tells you why I mean God doesn't even have to tell us why but he tells us why as well and it says why for the unbelieving husband is Sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children unclean But now they are holy that is such a great verse right there So first of all, it's saying why well for the well fruit because the unsaved will be sanctified by the saved What does that mean? Do you know how many? Couples in this situation that I have seen where like ten years later the wife gets saved Or many years later the husband gets saved why because he was sanctified by the wife Or she was sanctified by the husband. All right Eventually, they they could accept the gospel eventually they end up getting saved. But also it says for the sake of the children It is obviously better if they stay married for the sake of the children because divorce is destruction upon children period And I know that there's this worldly teaching from the world out there that's like oh it's better that they get divorced Then then the children live in a house where their their parents aren't madly in love with each other or something It's it's ridiculous. It's wrong. It's a lie from the pit of hell It is better. It is horrible for children and anybody that knows children or maybe you grew up with divorced parents or whatever You know, it's terrible. It's a terrible thing. It's so bad for children that even parents I've met many parents 20 30 years later after they got divorced Will tell you that I wish I wouldn't have gotten divorced for my kids sake because it was so Hard on the kids. So that's what the Bible is teaching here. Look at verse 15 But if the unbelieving depart now now it's like now it's like, okay The husband that is unbelieving or the wife that is unbelieving doesn't want to stay now It gives us that example now like what do I do there? So like literally every case is covered here if the unbelieving depart let him depart and it's either case We can say as we saw in the verses above and it says a brother or sister now It's it's showing either case is Not under bondage in such cases, but God hath called us to peace now, let me just say this for a second. All right the Bible here is saying if I am saved and my wife is not I should quit I should not use myself as an example if someone is saved and Their wife is not or a wife is saved and her husband is not if that person if the unsaved leaves You know what the Bible is saying here? That's not something you can control That's not something that is up to you. It's saying let them depart now. Let me give a little a Little disclaimer here. I've met many people. I met some people not many. Thank goodness I've met some people that get divorced and You talk to them about you know, or they tell you that you know, of course, of course I've met some men that have been divorced that of course it had nothing to do with them It was not any part of their fault at all, which is completely false in every case but I've met some men. He was like, yeah, she was she was an unsaved wicked person So let them depart or whatever. So which There is cases where like two people are saved and then you know Obviously, they're not happy with each other it when they get divorced and it's like she was never saved or he was never saved or whatever That's not this is talking about okay, this is talking about somebody who just who's really not saved and Leaves the saved person That's not that's not on them. Just let them leave. It doesn't mean they can go get remarried It's just saying, you know, that's not something you can control Honestly if you're a man and your wife Just wants to leave you and go to Something else or a Husband wants to leave his wife. Look this happens all the time that's a horrible situation for the person that is being left whether it be the husband or a wife, but There's there's little you can do If that person is going to is is decided that they're leaving all right look at verse number 16 it says but God hath called us to what though at the end of that verse 15 God had called us to peace All right fighting and strife and trying to control that person and trying to get that person to do something that they're not going to do is Not peace that is the opposite of peace for what knowest thou a wife for that Shall save thy husband or what knowest thou o man whether thou shalt save thy wife, so it's saying God's called us to peace meaning God is saying if a Husband is saved and a wife is not there should still be peace there It shouldn't be trying to control that situation verse, you know vice-versa it's clearly not an ideal situation, but the Bible is saying just You Know just think of a situation where you have a husband that's not doing the right thing in a marriage You have a husband that's turned Ephesians chapter 5 Let me give you a more specific example on this But the Bible is teaching in 1st Corinthians chapter 7 that you can only control What is under your control and the Bible is telling you? What is under your control look at Ephesians chapter 5 in verse number? 25 Ephesians chapter 5 in verse number 25 Let's let me give you a specific example. The Bible is very clear in Ephesians 5 20 22. I'm sorry Ephesians 5 22 It says wives submit yourselves unto your husbands as unto the Lord For the husband is the head of the wife even as the Christ Even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the Savior of the body So this isn't popular today But it is very clear that God wants the man he has ordained the man to be in charge of the home He's in charge of his wife and his children, but let's say you have a husband That is not doing the right thing You have a husband that you know, there is not doing the right thing and you know You just have a wife that's just trying to control him and get him to do. Maybe she's right Maybe she's not but maybe she is but what is she doing? She's trying to control him The point is the Bible is saying is teaching us in 1st Corinthians 7 and also in Ephesians chapter 5. That's not gonna work The Bible is saying if it's not in your scope of control Don't try to control it Just be in what be in peace be at peace try to do your best to sanctify Your husband turn to Proverbs chapter number 21. Let me just show you that in the case of a husband Let's say and I'm gonna give the this extreme example here in the case of a husband married to a wife Well, just let's just say they're both saved But let's say that the husband's not doing the right thing he's not wanting to go to church and wanting to be that spiritual leader a Wife can do two things She can either just sanctify her husband through her proper godly actions or she can step in and try to put herself in That role and try to control that situation and in that case She's gonna have stress and anxiety and it's not going to work anyway Look at Proverbs chapter 21 in verse number 9 Look, there's only there's I want to show you that in that case in this example of a husband That's not doing the right thing and a wife that is saved and wants to do the right thing There is no win for her to try to control her husband. There's no win there There's no way to win because in one case in Proverbs 21 verse number 9 I mean, I'll just give you two cases like she could either fail at controlling him or she could succeed at controlling him Look, I have you have you ever met a man that's controlled by his wife I've met it many to met that man many times So she could fail or she could succeed but there's no win for her there either way Look at Proverbs 21 verse number 9. First of all, she could fail This is the fail verse right here It says it's better to dwell in the corner of a housetop and with a brawling woman in a wide house Proverbs 21 19 says it's better to dwell in the wilderness Than with a contentious and angry woman. Why is she contentious and angry? Well, she's trying to control the situation She's trying to come in and tell him what the way it's gonna be what maybe she's right Maybe she's not but it's not her situation to control. So what happens she fails and he leaves He goes to the corner of the house. He goes to the garage. He just doesn't want to be around the situation That's an epic fail right there she's not controlling anything She's literally driving him away and the Bible is saying in 1st Corinthians chapter 7 that she should try to sanctify him through peace Not be contentious and angry and let me ask you something. Is this woman happy in Proverbs 21 is the woman happy? No, she's mad She's angry. She's contentious. She's stressed out Look if you're for the woman, you would not be telling her to do this Because she's not living a happy life here Both parties are losing here both parties Well, what if she succeeds? You ever seen a woman that's in complete control of her husband You ever seen a woman that just she she is in complete control She's the boss She just she berates him. She tells him exactly what to do. Let me tell you something This woman resents him This woman she has succeeded in gaining control But she resents him for it And if you can picture this woman in your mind, which I'm sure we could all picture this woman. She's not happy She Can't stand him She can't stand Subconsciously she's thinking to herself. Why do I have to be the one in charge? Why can't you take care of those things? So look even wives that succeed in this They aren't happy. There's no win for them there My wife a couple days ago, my wife showed me this video and she never does this But it must have come up on her feet or something. She showed me this video It was this it was this video of an airplane on an airplane And there was a man His wife and then this young guy There was sitting next to them at the window seat on this three three row on an airplane and this woman somebody one Passenger was recording this whole event, but it was just this this Short-haired angry woman and she's just berating this young man. She's just berating him Just yelling at him because he's like wearing like a MAGA hat or something So he's like a Trump guy and she's just like you don't even believe in gravity and she's just berating this guy Like he's you know, just rip. I mean to the point where like they're kicking her off the plane And her husband is just sitting next to her just like And he's just like this whipped dog sitting next to this woman who's getting them both kicked off the plane By the way, and I'm just looking at this guy and just like you pitiful human being You know and then finally he pipes up to the the law enforcement officer that that's in the situation at that point. He's like If she quiets down, can we stay he says and it's like he doesn't know who's gonna quiet her down Cuz it's not gonna be him apparently obviously, but I mean my point is this woman was miserable is my point This was not a happy woman. She's just completely Lost her mind because somebody had a certain t-shirt on This is not a happy person, but she had him under control That's for sure. So look the point is trying to control something that is in not in your scope to control There's no in there at all. All right You can only really control yourself Even even in a marriage. All right See that's how you actually lead as a man in a marriage is by controlling what you do by leading by what leading by Example, you're the example you control yourself and other people should follow you but the Bible saying dwell in peace Don't try to close don't try to control these things that are not in your scope to control All right. So look you don't have control over other people. That's the first point here. All right, and look This is a lesson that you know, I've learned that You know, especially becoming a pastor and preaching This is a valuable lesson even for me as a pastor and for every pastor every pastor needs to understand This lesson that I don't have control over you In this church, I stand up here and I tell you what the Bible says and I preach the Bible and look I have control over the management of what happens in this church But I do not have control over what happens in your house I don't have control what happens when you leave here if you listen to the sermon or not I remember just starting, you know, just starting preaching and just just having that feeling like this because you would see it you would preach things and people would just completely not listen and People would just like people would have problems in their lives on things that I literally just preached like three weeks ago and They're having these problems and I'm just like, you know, the biggest problem for me Was I was like I didn't feel like I had to go control those people But I was just like is this just a waste of time? Like I spent hours and hours hours writing sermons every single week Is it am I just completely wasting? My time and the answer is like I know now that I'm not wasting my time because number one not everybody doesn't listen But the real answer is this if you don't listen to the Word of God, that is not my responsibility That is not my responsibility. If you take preaching it just goes in one ear and out the other that's not on me What's on me is if I don't tell you So if the watchman does not sound the alarm then it's on the watchman But if I told you and you didn't listen I'm out And I'm pretty good at that turn to first Peter chapter number five first Peter chapter, nor if I look pastors This is why you see pastors get stressed out. This is why you see pastors like quite frankly preach crazy stuff Like you'll see pastors that like preach crazy stuff like this is where this is my opinion But this is where I believe the repent of your sins stuff came from This is where I believe the Lordship salvation stuff came from look it came from the same Feelings the same attitude as infant infant baptism came from why because if I control salvation I You know I can control people if I could control your children's salvation All I have to do is change the gospel a little bit look It's better than just standing up here preaching and having nobody listen to me. No. It's not better But this is where I believe that that it that temptation is there I've heard Baptist intimate independent fundamental Baptist pastors Stand up and say things like if you don't if you don't come down to the altar call after this sermon I wonder if you're even saved That's dangerous territory right there because what that is is the pastor trying to control The actions of the people by like threatening their salvation Something like that. It's just completely wrong the Bible teaches against it look at verse number one of 1st Peter chapter 5 It says the elders which are among you I exhort who am also an elder and the witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall Be revealed now. Here's a command to the pastor feed the flock of God, which is among you Taking the oversight thereof not by constraint though. You know what that means the Bible here is saying feed don't force The Bible saying it's it's my job to feed you not to force you to do something so Pastors that get into this type of attitude They just need to step back and be like hey It's it's not I'm not here to try to control you because that's not my scope That's not my wheelhouse. My job is to feed you but not by constraint Not by constraint, you know, that's why you know But that's where all of workspace salvation came from was just this attitude to want to control people Through their salvation, but that could that control it doesn't exist. It's trying to control the uncontrollable Because it simply doesn't exist a pastor a church does not have the power to control your salvation It's just not there right look at verse number three Neither as being Lords over God's heritage but being examples to the flock what's the best way What's the best way that I can convince you that I can persuade you? To listen to the preaching. What's the best way the best way is the same way you lead your family If you're having to lead your family if you're having to lead your family by constraint, there's a problem The best way to lead people is by example The best way to lead people is to make sure that as a pastor as a father you're doing what you're being an example So people can look at you and say you know what? I know that that was a hard sermon that was just preached that was you know, these are some hard doctrines These are gonna mean some major changes need to happen in my life But I can look at the pastor and I can say well he made those changes and his family's following him through those changes And I see his children and I see his example of a Christian life. Look and no pastors perfect I'm not standing up here saying I'm a perfect example of the Christian life But look a pastor should be an example because that's the most effective way To lead it is the most godly way to lead the church By being that example of those standards of those doctrines I mean, I'm trying to persuade you that what the Bible says will work in your life I am supposed to be that personal example to you and again not perfect No, perfect marriage here. No perfect children here But a pastor should be that that's how the pastor is supposed to lead is what the Bible says not by Constraint it is not my responsibility to constrain you and Pastors need to realize that and look it's something I had to learn when I first started preaching as a satellite leader I had to learn that you know, but it's not a waste of time to preach sermons It's not a waste of time to write these sermons whether people listen or not. I did not waste my time Because it's my job to feed it to you and if you take it and Chew it up and spit it out. I Don't want you to do that. Well, that's on you Not on me The next one is this turn back to first 10 first Kings chapter number 19. So look you simply can't control other people folks It's not your responsibility Other people are going to do things that you don't want them to do Other people are going to do things that you know is wrong and it's simply not your scope To control those other people look at first Kings chapter 19 So first Kings chapter 19 is a great story in the Bible many people focus on the chapter before Because that's where Elijah just had these huge wins. He had this huge showdown with the prophets of Baal There was hundreds and hundreds of prophets. I think there's like 800 some prophets There was 400 of Baal and another 450 of the prophets of the groves So there was like almost a thousand prophets that he has this great showdown with and of course Their God doesn't show up because they're God's fake and God comes and does this great miracle and then he slays all the prophets of The false gods but look at first Kings chapter 19 and look at verse number one The wind doesn't last that long and things start getting bad for Elijah it says an Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and With all how he had slain all the prophets with the sword Then Jezebel sent messenger under Elijah saying so let the gods do to me and more also if I make not thy life As the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time She basically says I'm coming after you and I'm gonna kill you And when he saw that he arose and went for his life and came to Beersheba Which belongeth to Judah and left his servant there but he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and Came and sat down under a juniper tree and requested for himself that he might die and said it is enough now Oh Lord take away my life for I am NOT better than my father. So picture this situation just comes off this big win He's this huge hero. He just represented God in front of the entire nation Slough all the false prophets and all sudden he is running for his life He runs to this city drops his servant off and then he runs literally into the woods He runs into the wilderness just trying to get away at me She clearly has many people coming after him to kill him here and as he lay and slept under a juniper tree behold Then an angel touched him and said unto him rise and eat. So he literally asked God at this point He's so stressed out at this point. He literally asked God just kill me just take my life away and This angel comes and he looked and behold There was a cake bacon on coals and a cruise of water in his hand in his head at his head Sorry, and he did eat and drink and laid him down again Verse 7 angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him and said arise and eat because the journey is too great For thee and he arose and did eat and drink and when the strength of that meet 40 days and 40 nights unto Horrib the mount of God, so he continues running So this angel God gives them some some reprieve here This angel gives him food and water and he keeps running for another 40 days and 40 nights It seems like a quick story, but this was not a quick event in Elijah's life This is something that is going on for weeks and weeks and weeks. He is running running running trying to Escape look at verse number nine He came thither into a cave and lodged there and behold the word of the Lord came to him and he said unto him What doest thou hear Elijah? He said I've been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant thrown down thine Alters and slain thy prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away And he said go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord So now God the angel tells him go stand And God wants to show you something and behold the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind Rent the mountains and break in pieces the rock before the Lord But the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind and earthquake But the Lord was not in the earthquake and after the earthquake a fire But the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice Now I've heard a lot preached on this situation right here with Elijah, but basically Elijah gets up to this point He's up on this mountain angel tells him look God wants to show you something and he sees this crazy wind tear this mountain apart He sees this earthquake break this mountain in pieces and then he sees this huge fire upon this mountain but God was in none of those things and Here's the point the point in applying it to this servant is situations happen earthquakes come wind comes fire comes Situations happen. I mean things happen and it doesn't necessarily mean that you know God caused all those things to happen life happens Things in life happen in your life things are going to happen. You cannot control Every situation in your life if you think you can you're going to be a very stressed out individual You're going to be somebody that's depressed has a lot of anxiety because you simply cannot control Everything that happens to you You can't control people that are outside of your wheelhouse and you certainly can't control Things that happen to you in your life. I used to have I remember I was the kind of person when I especially was in my 20s where I would I thought I had all the plants and I had everything planned out to the last detail and I'll just give you a small example of how this never worked out I had a very hard time when I was in my my my early 20s into maybe probably my mid 20s of having a budget that worked and It's like I could just never get my budget to just work out every month and it was just Hopefully you hear this and this is like kind of a rookie mistake. You're like rookie mistake Well, I was in my early 20s it's like every single month the budget was busted on something and I'm like, oh man They're their car or the the whatever. I mean all these things happen, but here's what I realized I realized my budget was just simply too optimistic Because I realized that every single month is going to be something Every single month I realized that I need to build that in Because I can't control all these things that are happening I just can't control every single and that's just some small Financial thing but look there's major things there's fires earthquake wind all these different things and look those things just happen and What Elijah needed to realize is the same thing that we need to realize as? Christians is the more effective you get in your Christian life The bigger target you are going to be For Satan and all the people that are working for Satan I Mean Elijah made himself a huge target and this wicked woman Working under the power of Satan Was she was gonna take him down because of the wind that he brought forth for the Lord So, I mean, I guess you could say I could just retreat from this Christian life and try to like hide in a hole Somewhere and never do anything for the Lord, but that's no answer or we could just realize that hey Situations are going to happen and those situations are not under our control Look, I mean definitely keep your distance from wicked people as much as you possibly can That's why the Bible teaches separation and all that but look as far as trouble goes Just expect it Just expect it everywhere in your life build it into the budget build it into the budget as with people you simply cannot control every situation and I'm going to show you with the next Example that if you get yourself in a situation where you think you can control everything and then things get out of control You lose the ability to function going forward. This is the problem Because a person that's stressed out that's anxious that's depressed, you know what they're not doing They're not figuring out the best way forward That's what they're not doing Here's another one that you can't control so you can't control people you can't control Situations. Here's another one that you can't control the government You can't control the government Oh, you can go out and you can vote and you can do that and put your little you know a little drop of you know your little raindrop in the in the swimming pool or whatever it is and I'm not against that at all, but you have to realize that you just can't control it And look a lot of people get their lives derailed because they get I mean they just get stressed out anxious and and just completely triggered by Everything that goes on especially in this state You know, I mean people get you know They're like you can't have a straw in a restaurant unless you ask for it because that's what I do with my straws is I take them all from the restaurant and I throw them in the ocean It's ridiculous but It doesn't ruin my life It doesn't wreck my life. That's why you know, I was just talking Wednesday night with a couple guys in the church. That's why That's why what I want to happen As far as policies go is Usually quite different than what actually does happen as far as policies and all the things that get enacted But here's the thing. I mean it just shows you the foolishness of those that reject the Bible a Lot of these policies first of all, I mean But the point is this that's why I'm like a lot of my Conversations and some of the guys that the guys that have been at the church for a long time They know this but you probably need to understand this about me because a lot of my conversations And I'll like give a pretext to sometimes when I'm talking about something I'll say like look this is not what I want to happen But I'm just talking about like what's going to happen Because of this because a lot of people will hear me talking about things. We were talking about diesel regulations on Wednesday night after church and I'm just I was just fascinated with it, but I'm fascinated with it Not because I agree with it, but I'm like, what is this going to make things look like in five years? But many people cannot get to that point because they get completely triggered By the the initial policy of it and they do lose what they lose the ability to think They lose the ability to be able to linear linear But you know put linear thoughts together and come out with a conclusion on what this is going to look like in five years What this is going to look like in ten years? It's not what I think it should be What's it actually gonna be is what I'm after Because here's the thing folks You know, but you end up with people that they get so trigger and they get so upset over You know, whatever this regulation or the other regulation or whatever they get so stressed out They just they can't think and they're like I have to leave the state They they just they lose the ability to function but my point is this It's a huge miss for a Christian to not be able to think this way because guess what? Unlike other people we know things We know things and we kind of can see where certain things are gonna go We can kind of see you know things that other people they don't know So to be able to get so triggered and try to think you could control something like the government or you know What they do in Sacramento, I mean, it's like, you know, what a waste What a waste instead we could sit here we could put our knowledge of the Bible we can look our knowledge of what happened to other nations what's going to end up happening and just like Literally be able to think and literally be able to like position our families and position ourselves To be able to deal with what we know is coming It's a huge miss. It's a huge. It's something that a lot of people a lot of Christians A lot of conservatives are just leaving on the table This ability instead they just get they get so triggered and they just lose the ability to think at all Because look when you're when you're mad and you're stressed out and you're depressed and you're angry. You're not thinking about anything you're just overwhelmed with emotion and What are you really doing? You're just you're trying to control the uncontrollable is what you're doing. You just need to realize like hey, I cannot control this This doesn't trigger me. At least I can see where it's gonna lead And those are the conversations that is love happening Look, we're if we're you could say what you want about where things are going in this country where things are going in this state But we're not living in boring times. I'll tell you that I Mean there's interesting things going on which leads me to my last point My last point is this on things that you can control and things that you can't control where you people try to control the uncontrollable Is in people other people's beliefs Specifically when it comes to religion I Mean you have somebody that I mean look we were just out soul winning yesterday and we ran into we ran into turn to John turn to John 3 36 and if you don't have it memorized John 14 6 says this Jesus said unto them I am the way the truth and the life no man coming to the Father, but by me John 3 36 as he that believeth on this one half everlasting life But he that believeth not the Son shall not see life But the wrath of God abideth on it So we ran into some Mormons yesterday and they had no interest in hearing the gospel zero Now is this a problem? Yeah, this is a problem Like this is a major problem because the wrath of God abides on these two people It is it is like the problem. It's not just a problem. It is the problem, but guess what? It is not my problem And to be a soul winner, I mean it's a major problem. It's just not my major problem To be a soul winner you need to kind of have this weird balance You need to have this balance where You really have to care about people to be a good soul winner You really have to care and really have to want people to shoot hear the gospel and accept the gospel Good it's something you should have in your heart But you also kind of have to be okay or you have to understand at least That it is not your responsibility to make people believe Now again when I was in my early 20s and my wife can attest to this I Had a really hard time with maybe even mid 20s. Maybe I'm being a little Making myself holier than that, you know, then I then I should but When I was even when I was in my 20s, I had a really hard time I wasn't even saved but I had a really hard time with people that didn't believe like me Like there were certain things that I was really passionate about like I really like abortion was the number one thing Like if you were not pro-life you were the you were the worst person ever It was like you just want to I mean, I like I still feel that way Like if you just like think it's okay to murder babies Like but it would trigger me Trigger me like one time like we were arguing abortion At this dinner table like after a softball game with one of the guys on my softball team and he was like pro Choice and I was pro-life and I'm just like let's just go fight We'll figure it out. Seriously. That's what I said I was like, let's just go fight it out and we'll see who's right. I would have been right But like everyone's like oh What? What? But I would just get triggered on Issues like that, but like here's the thing It's not my responsibility If somebody is not going to accept the gospel If somebody has you know, look, I think it's sad. I think it's sad that somebody believes a false religion I think it's sad, but it's not my responsibility. Here's the thing even if we could argue And we could force our belief of the Bible on somebody else. It doesn't work Anyway, it's kind of a catch-22 because what that we must be okay with free will because it is free Will it takes free will to be able to accept and trust Jesus Christ? But the doubt like Jesus told us in Matthew chapter 7 the downside of free will is that many people? most people the broad way Will choose to not trust Jesus Christ But we have to understand that that's just the truth of the world that we live in our responsibility is to tell them or to offer to tell them and if they reject that That that is as far as it goes for us. It's sad It's sad. I don't want to see people reject the gospel, especially when you find really nice Sincere people and they just don't have the time for it. That's a very sad situation to me, but forcing or Arguing or trying to control that uncontrollable freewill of someone else is not in our scope and It will just cause us stress and anxiety and anger just imagine if you're just angry you leave that guy As you knock the next door It's not going to work because what's that next door is somebody that wanted to hear the gospel and Wanted to hear and here's this angry person at their door It's something that you need to balance you need to be okay with free will knowing That many will choose freely to not accept not trust Jesus Christ. Okay, turn to first Thessalonians chapter number four So just to wrap things up Just to wrap things up this morning trying to control things that aren't yours to control It really comes down to this It really comes down to if you're the type of person that wants to control things that are not in your scope not in your wheelhouse To control it really comes down to meddling It really comes down to somebody who's just meddling and things That are not There's to meddling look at first Thessalonians chapter number four. Oh, but I just want to help Yeah, that's but that's called meddling though If it's not your wheelhouse not your responsibility that's what the Bible calls meddling with first Thessalonians chapter 4 and look at verse number 11 this is interesting it says and he studied to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your hands as we commanded you ironically Here's what you will find Here's what you will find and I like this phrase in this verse where it says and to do your own business What you will find with people that just get triggered by things by situations by people By the government that they can't control what you will find with those types of people is most times Those people and it's totally ironic But they do not have things that they should be controlling under control You will find things you will find people that are worried about all those things to the point where they are They're not functional people Where they're worried about all the things that aren't theirs to control and they have nothing that God has told them to control under control Notice how it says and to do your own business That is your control your Self get yourself your things in order. That's why I love talking about the things we talk about I'm like, all right, these things are going on. These things are happening. How's that gonna affect our business? How's that gonna affect of literally affect your business? I mean, I literally asked that very question on Wednesday night to one of the guys in the church. I'm like, hey, how's this gonna affect your business? and I knew that he would know the details about it because He's someone that does his own business He's someone that pays attention to his own business and look turn to Proverbs chapter So basically if you have this problem the Bible is telling you in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 worry about your own business And you know get to work Get to work with your own hands those two pieces of advice right there Just worrying about yourself the things that you do have control over and then getting to work because guess what if you get to Work, you're not going to have a lot of time to worry about other people's business If you're actually working and taking care of the things that God wants you to take care of that God commands you to take care of you're not gonna have a lot of time to worry about other people's business. I Mean if you're a homeschooling mom, that's actually homeschooling actually doing a good job You're not gonna have time to get into all the stuff on, you know, the internet or whatever It is that people get into People that do get into those things. They're not taking care of their own business Get to work and you won't have to worry about it. Look at Proverbs chapter number 26 Proverbs chapter number 26 is the verse of the week look at the front of your bulletin or Proverbs 26 17 the Bible says he that passeth by and Medalleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears It's like somebody that just walks by and is just looking for trouble When they should just be worrying about themselves Proverbs 20 verse number 3 The Bible says it's an honor for a man to cease from strife But every fool will be meddling. Look. It's a foolish thing It's a foolish thing to try to control Things that you have no responsibility to control. I mean you have to ask yourself like why would anyone do that? Why would anyone do that? I mean People that don't worry about their own business. They don't worry about this is so popular today. That's such a common Way of thinking today. This is why like victimology is so popular This is why all these you know, these these wicked ideologies like feminism and like oh you're you're a woman So everyone's keeping you down and everyone you can't you know do anything because because you know Men are keeping you down or wherever. Can someone tell me what women can't do today? That that men can do today Like what is it that you know, what is it that's keeping me it just it sells It sells because everybody wants to meddle in everything else. Nobody wants to look at their own business Nobody wants to look at what they're actually responsible for. They want to just blame somebody else They want to it's because of racism or it's because of you know, sexism or whatever ism you want to come up with? That's why I'm no maybe you should just take care of your own business and try to control the things that are actually within Your control would guess what is yourself is what it comes down to The things that God has given you to control are your actions your family your children All you really need to do is are those things in order if you see all kinds of situations And crazy people and wicked stuff going on. All you have to do is be like, how's this gonna affect my family? My children my you know my situation my business That's all you need to worry about you are not responsible for everything that everybody believes everybody does outside of Your scope look if you can if you can perfect that way of thinking You're gonna be a lot less stressed out. You're gonna be a much happier person Because not only can you not control those things that are uncontrollable like it's not possible It's not possible to win even if you do gain control in a couple places where you're not supposed to have it You're still gonna be miserable But the point is it's not your responsibility to do it All you have to do is worry about yourself and those things that God has put under your control Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer