1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,400 Welcome to the Cross Power Church podcast. 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,800 You're listening to a service from our church in Campbell, TX. 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,480 We pray this message strengthens your faith and points you to the 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,840 cross. Now let's join the service. 5 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:18,160 You know, it's funny how people in different professions or 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:20,600 careers, I guess you would call it, they look at things 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,760 differently. And a scene where Bob Tallman, 8 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,200 he was much a part of our life for a lot of years. 9 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,520 He retired. And if you ever heard watch the 10 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,280 Fort Worth Stock Show or been there, he's the voice of it for 11 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,680 five decades. And me and Bob Rodney, a lot of 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,360 us, we've heard him day after day for years. 13 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,360 And they were interviewing some people up there that had worked 14 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,520 with him for a number of years. He said, I'll never forget what 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,080 Bob told me one time. This sounds just like him. 16 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,280 He said never let the truth get in the way of a good story. 17 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,880 I said, boy, that's good. That's good for Bob because it's 18 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,480 not really life or death. I guess it could be some of the 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,760 stuff he's seen but has been, But I can't, I can't do that. 20 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,840 Amen. I, I got to let the the truth 21 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,920 get in the way of a good story. I would be much more popular if 22 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,560 I did that. But I can't let the I can't not 23 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,120 let the truth get in the way. Amen. 24 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,440 Because he's the way, the truth and the life. 25 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,360 But God's in control titled this message today. 26 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:28,360 He already knows what he's going to do. 27 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,360 Pretty simple, isn't it? But I think sometimes we think 28 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:39,720 that God doesn't know what he's doing, but he always already 29 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,480 knows what he's going to do Amen. 30 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:51,640 Let that sink in a minute. He always knows what he's going 31 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,160 to do. I want to prove you that to you 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,960 in Scripture this morning and John chapter 6, the setting of 33 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:02,440 the Scripture finds Jesus feeding 5000. 34 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:08,240 Some translation say that it was 5000 plus women and children. 35 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,680 So they're very easily could have been 15,000 that day 36 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,920 rounded off number. But Jesus, he went over the Sea 37 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:21,720 of Galilee in John six and one and verse 2 says a great 38 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:26,320 multitude followed him because not because they really knew who 39 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:31,840 he was yet because they had not been to the cross, but they 40 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,680 followed him because the signs which he performed on those who 41 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,120 were diseased, He was healing the sick, He was raising the 42 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,560 dead. So the signs that Jesus was 43 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:46,280 producing in his ministry, hello, 'cause people to follow 44 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:50,600 him today. I'm weary about many ministries. 45 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,040 The only thing that makes a lot of people follow any ministry or 46 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,600 any church is if they're prospering or if that church is 47 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:02,080 prospering. And Jesus went up on the 48 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,560 mountain and there he sat with his disciples. 49 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,280 Can you picture this? Maybe fifth, men, women, 50 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,360 children coming up the mountain to hear what Jesus had to say in 51 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,720 the past? That was the Passover of the 52 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:20,360 Feast of the Jews was near, and Jesus lifted up his eyes, seeing 53 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,840 a great multitude coming toward him. 54 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,880 Think about that. Jesus seen this great multitude. 55 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,160 I begin to think of women there that had to feed more than they 56 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:30,200 thought they were. Go. 57 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:34,000 You want to see a woman get real real, real anxious, real antsy, 58 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,640 have more at the supper table than there's food for. 59 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:39,920 They don't like that. I learned that early on, 35 60 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,320 years ago, that you don't just invite all your buddies into the 61 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,080 dinner table that are out there waiting to eat, right? 62 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,880 When there's nothing to eat, it does not make a woman happy, Am 63 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,480 I right, women? But Jesus was seeing this coming 64 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,120 up the mountain, you know, but he already knew what he was 65 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,160 going to do. But yet he still, I mean, I've 66 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:03,480 read this a lot of times, never got this. 67 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,920 So he looks at Philip and think about this question that Jesus 68 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,040 asked. He said, where shall we buy 69 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,720 bread that these may eat? Jesus was kind of humorous at 70 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,640 times. They had no Walmart delivery. 71 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,560 They had no DoorDash. They had, you know, I was 72 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,880 working the other day and my son's moves way out and he was 73 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:23,240 going to order it, so I'll get DoorDash. 74 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,840 I said, ain't no door here. We're out in the middle of a 75 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:28,840 field. I really did not know what he 76 00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:30,960 was talking about. In the middle of nowhere. 77 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:32,080 And I said they ain't going to do it. 78 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,520 I'll just order DoorDash. We don't have to stop, Let's go 79 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,320 for it. But so there was some 80 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,440 miscommunication there. We didn't get the food. 81 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,760 We were too far. I guess you got to have a closed 82 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,440 door. I don't know, but they did not 83 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:49,240 have that, but yet Jesus asked Philip, he said where shall we 84 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:54,760 buy bread that these may eat? No Amazon get this verse 6 but 85 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,360 he said this to test him. Jesus knew he wasn't going to be 86 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,120 able to buy enough. They didn't have enough. 87 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:04,920 He said this to test him. That makes me wonder how many 88 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:09,680 times in my life have I failed the test that I wasn't really 89 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,920 even going to receive anyway. It was just a question that God 90 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,240 was asking me and Oh my God, I panicked. 91 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,880 I took it into my own hands and I think I got to fix it. 92 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,360 I got to do this, but God was just had. 93 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,000 Jesus was just asking the question. 94 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:24,560 Y'all preach with me this morning. 95 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:31,280 He asked him this to test him come for he himself talking 96 00:05:31,280 --> 00:05:36,600 about Jesus for he himself knew what he would do. 97 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,000 Father, we thank you for your word this morning. 98 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,760 We thank you that your word's life, it's truth. 99 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,480 We pray that it would Pierce into our hearts this morning in 100 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,600 our minds and help us to realize that you're in control. 101 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:50,160 God, that you already know what you're going to do in the 102 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,360 situation that we're not answering the question and can't 103 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:56,120 even answer the question. We know that you're in total 104 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,120 control because you already know what you're going to do. 105 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,680 It's in your son's name. I asked to preach this the way 106 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,160 you showed it unto me in Jesus name, Amen. 107 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,880 He asked him this only to test him. 108 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,880 I told you all a while back, what you was going through is 109 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:17,160 only a test, it will not stay. But Can you imagine Philip 110 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,360 trying to answer this question? He could not answer it. 111 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:26,240 But Jesus said this to test him. See, while you're in the test, 112 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,320 he already knows what he's going to do We don't. 113 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,280 I don't know why he chooses not to reveal it to us many times, 114 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,720 but he does and he's God. And he can't look at your 115 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,920 neighbor and say God already knows because God's in control. 116 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:47,440 Makes me wonder how many times we we fail with a question that 117 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:50,600 was just sent to test us. Right. 118 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,680 He was just sent to test us, but Jesus was fixing to show him how 119 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,280 to pass the test, which seems impossible. 120 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,440 But with God all things are possible. 121 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:03,640 It seems like there's no way out. 122 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:06,040 You know? Jesus, I I found this amazing 123 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:07,680 here. He really didn't need an answer 124 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:08,760 from Phillip. Why? 125 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,320 Why didn't he need an answer from Phillip? 126 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,960 I just read it to you. He already knew, knew what he 127 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,600 was going to do. Hey, man, he just wanted to see 128 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,160 maybe test Phillips, See. Hey, Willie, is he going to 129 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:21,680 doubt me right here? I'm fixing to open his eyes, 130 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:23,680 'cause I'm fixing to feed all these folks. 131 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:25,680 He already knows what he's going to do. 132 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,800 Well, that excited me. Stop trying to answer the 133 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,600 question of your mind. Many times that are only formed 134 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,880 out of doubt, fear, and weary. We think if we can answer the 135 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:37,640 doubt, fear and weary in our mind. 136 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,040 Man, I'm dealing with this right now in my own life. 137 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,240 If I can answer the doubt and the fear and the weary, then is 138 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:45,760 that going to help the situation? 139 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,680 No, it'll help my mind, but it's not going to help the situation. 140 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,600 Many times the only thing that's going to help the situation is 141 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:56,560 to have a God kind of faith and know that your God already knows 142 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,360 what He's going to do. In Galatians chapter 5, it says 143 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,400 what we we try to we got to grasp this this morning in 144 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,040 Galatians 5 and 16. I want to read the rest of that, 145 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,960 but I won't finish the this if I do, but it says walk in the 146 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:13,920 spirit that you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 147 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:18,040 That does not just mean sexual immorality and the the the toys 148 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,160 in the world. It also means that things that's 149 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,680 popping up in your mind that's causing doubt, fear and weary 150 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,360 from you receiving that which God has trying to get to you. 151 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:32,200 See in the Greek to walk means this walk when it when somebody 152 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,240 said walk in the Greek, it there's there's four things that 153 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:40,880 means walk on, walk at, walk by or walk with. 154 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,760 But like that right there. I can preach right there. 155 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,600 Sometimes I need to walk on what the enemy has placed in the 156 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,400 question that has come my way. I need to put him under the 157 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:54,200 soles of my feet where God has promised that he is, Amen. 158 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:58,320 And take my authority as a child of God and walk on the doubt and 159 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,400 walk on the fear. But sometimes the Holy Spirit 160 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,320 will allow to see me, to see it before it gets to me, and I'm to 161 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:08,640 walk at it, Amen. I'm to attack it. 162 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,840 I'm just jump on it and I'm to get it out of my life and pray 163 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,320 about it and seek God's guidance and walk right at it, Amen. 164 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,960 Not walk around it. Christians are very good at 165 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:23,320 walking around it, Amen. But sometimes when I know that 166 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,200 God already has it in control and he already knows what he's 167 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,480 going to do, I can just walk on by it. 168 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,600 Hey, man, I can say you're not going to come now. 169 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,600 My, my dwelling 1000 may fall at one side, 10 and 1000 at 170 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,160 another. Just get away. 171 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,680 I'm going to walk by it. But there's sometimes you can't 172 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:42,120 walk on it. There's sometimes you can't walk 173 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:44,240 at it. And there's sometimes as a child 174 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:48,000 of God, we refuse to walk by it. So when we when we with that 175 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:53,120 happens in your life, sometimes we got to walk with it, but 176 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,160 always know when you're walking with it. 177 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,400 He's with you. He said I'll never leave you. 178 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:00,800 I'll never forsake you. What are you walking with this 179 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,880 morning? What are you walking in doubt 180 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:06,040 and fear or do you or do you have a steadfast in your spirit 181 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,520 that knows that God already knows. 182 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,400 It doesn't matter if you know today. 183 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:15,320 God already knows. 2nd Corinthians 5 and 17 says if 184 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:22,200 anyone is in Christ, there that word is again in walking in the 185 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,920 Spirit. If anyone is in Christ, he's a 186 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,920 new creation. Man, I'll never forget the one 187 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,640 of the first times I read that if I'd read the Gospels over and 188 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,160 over as a child. But but as I got older, I 189 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,280 ventured on in the rest of the New Testament and in my 17 or 18 190 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:40,640 years old. And I read that and I thought if 191 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:42,920 anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. 192 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:44,840 And I looked at my life. I said, you know what? 193 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:46,400 There's a lot of me that ain't new. 194 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,240 There's a lot of me that's the same as it was. 195 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,560 I'm not a new creation. Those old things have not passed 196 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:56,200 away and behold, all things have not become new to me, right? 197 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,920 So I had to do some work and then I flipped over to Romans 198 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,160 81. It says, therefore there is no 199 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:03,560 condemnation for those who are in. 200 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:07,240 There's that word again, walking in the Spirit for those who are 201 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,240 in Christ who do not walk according to the flesh. 202 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,000 But there it is again. But walk according to the Spirit 203 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:19,240 who but so many times our actions as Christian, just like 204 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:21,040 Phillip, he's I don't know what we're going to do. 205 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:24,360 There's nowhere to buy and he just bump fuzzling that he asked 206 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,240 that right. I'm like Phillip Sometimes God 207 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,200 will ask me something and I get hung up on the question because 208 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:32,400 it's too big for my mind to conceive. 209 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:37,280 But so many times the way that I want to ask you all this, the 210 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:42,040 Holy Spirit I had this wrote down to say these things the way 211 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:46,680 they it's like I'm preaching at y'all or somebody else. 212 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:51,360 So I changed it to the way we you can answer it. 213 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,440 You can look at somebody say I'm not walking that way. 214 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,880 So they are walking that way. But I think it's better to say 215 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,920 we the way we talk sometimes, the way we act, the way we look, 216 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,440 the way we treat others, the way we think, the way we dress, the 217 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,880 way we love, the way we react, the way we worry, come on 218 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:13,720 somebody, the way we doubt, the way we, the way that we don't 219 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:18,080 keep our word, the way we answer the question of the test. 220 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:22,080 All of these things reflect what on our faith. 221 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:26,800 Sometimes the question is just a test to make us wonder what is 222 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,560 God up to? He was fixing the show, Philip. 223 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:31,880 What he was up to, he already knows. 224 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,160 Say it with me. He already knows what he's going 225 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:36,640 to do. God's still in control. 226 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:38,920 He already knows. I think of Peter. 227 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,560 He had been warned. He had been, He had denied 228 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:44,520 Christ when he was asked the question. 229 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,680 Standing by the fire, they said, are you with that Nazarene? 230 00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:49,360 Are you with the Jesus of Nazareth? 231 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,800 You talk like him. I've seen you on the streets 232 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,880 with him when he was preaching that Gospel. 233 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,960 Say Peter, it was just a test he had to answer that question and 234 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,520 he answered it the wrong way. He did what he did exactly what 235 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:06,040 Jesus say it with me already knew that he was going to do. 236 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:08,960 He said, Peter, you will deny me before the rooster crows three 237 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,520 times. You will deny me and and and and 238 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:13,160 and the the measurements of that thing. 239 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,360 When you look it back where Peter was standing in the 240 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,280 courtyard. Jesus was at the counsel table 241 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,800 and they say that scholars believe that Jesus could see 242 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,520 Peter as he denied. Can you imagine looking at the 243 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:26,560 Master? God already knew that he was 244 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:29,240 going to do it, had already warned him what was going to 245 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:32,560 happen, and yet Peter did it. And we're like that so many 246 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:35,680 times. But thank God, even when Peter 247 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:38,800 denied, even when we fall short, say it with me. 248 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:41,600 He already knows what he's going to do. 249 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,560 What did he do? He reinstated Peter, he forgive 250 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:46,880 Peter. And he asked Peter the another 251 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:48,200 question. Do you love me? 252 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,120 Feed my sheep. Peter knew not to question this 253 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,200 time. He just got busy feeding right 254 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:56,600 as I preached last week about Steven as he was passing the 255 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,240 test and and God already knew what he was going to do. 256 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,080 He was going to let the stones hit him, but he injected him 257 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,520 with some grace. He injected him with the power 258 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,160 of God from on high. And I don't believe he felt the 259 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:09,920 stone. He just said go ahead and throw 260 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,720 him because I see Jesus standing and the heavens are opened up at 261 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,200 the right hand of the Father. God already knew what he was 262 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,400 going to do. I think of Jonah and I'm going 263 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,320 to preach to you a little bit right here out of the book of 264 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,400 Jonah because I've preached it many times. 265 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,480 It's only four chapters. I've preached the whole book of 266 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:33,800 Jonah probably 15 or 20 times in the last 10 years. 267 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,040 But I got something I never got out of it. 268 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:38,600 You know, I hear Christian say, well, I've already read the 269 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:40,960 Gospels that you know, ain't no need to reading them again. 270 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:46,200 Hello, hello. I loved, I didn't even watch the 271 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,200 Super Bowl. I refused to watch it, but 272 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,520 somebody sent me a clip of another guy, you know, and, and 273 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,960 he was out there and I hope his heart's right, but you know it. 274 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,240 What gets me is, is when you sell out to Jesus Christ. 275 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,120 I guess some people's different. I had to get rid of everything 276 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,640 of my old identity. I couldn't go be this other 277 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,520 person with this other name that they knew me under and then step 278 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,480 out and talk about Jesus and be different. 279 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,440 But thank God he's moving. Hey man, they'll get to that 280 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,720 level. But I love what what? 281 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,880 What's his real name? Not he ain't calling him the 282 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,240 Rock no more. What's his real name? 283 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:27,320 Richie who? Robert Ritchie when he was a 284 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:32,960 self and not a stage name, he proclaimed something that we 285 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,560 proclaimed for years. The preachers of the God dust 286 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:39,040 your Bible off because there's a man that's on a cross say man 287 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:40,960 and he died for you. What a great message. 288 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,880 What a great thing to reach for in the world that we live. 289 00:15:44,880 --> 00:15:47,640 You know, we're seeing some bad things in these times, but but 290 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:51,480 God's also sending revival and God's also move it in the lives 291 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,120 of some people. And I pray God that they would 292 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:59,440 realize the magnitude of it. But I think of Jonah many times 293 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:03,600 he went through a test in the belly of a whale. 294 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,440 Jonah was probably questioning this because see, I've preached 295 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:10,640 to that Jonah was a young preacher that didn't want to do 296 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:12,600 go do the will of God. I would have done it. 297 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,840 It's one way to preach it, right? 298 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,040 He didn't go what go do what God wanted him to do. 299 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,000 And then he did what God wanted him to do. 300 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,400 And now life finds Jonas sitting out by a tree and he said, oh, 301 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,880 at least I got a shade. You know about that time God 302 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,800 causes the leaves to fall off the tree and the tree died. 303 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:32,520 Now he's really down in the Mullah grubs. 304 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,240 God, I went and preached to Nineveh what you told me to that 305 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,040 you was going to destroy him and then you didn't do what you said 306 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,040 you was going to do. You saved them instead of 307 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,320 destroyed them. I preached it every way you can 308 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:43,400 preach it. But get this. 309 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,280 It's always amazed me how Jonah, when he obeyed God, he went 310 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:52,240 there and not just the people of the town of Nineveh, but 120,000 311 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,640 people. It says set and sackcloth and 312 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:58,840 ashes and fast to try to get 120,000 to fast, much less set 313 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,840 in the sackcloth and ashes in the streets and they repented. 314 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,960 It's always amazed me how how but the greatest, probably the 315 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,319 greatest conversion of all time was right there in the book of 316 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:13,119 Jonah right far as man goes at preaching the gospel. 317 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:15,760 But God already knew what he was going to do. 318 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:21,079 See that he was put in the belly of a fish of a whale and he was 319 00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:25,359 swallowed because God already knew what he was going to do. 320 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:29,200 But the Bible says the book of Jonah that the we've known this 321 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,400 story since we was little. I remember the whale shooting 322 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,280 the water out the top of his head and Jonah up there kick 323 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:35,920 back on it. Y'all seen the pictures? 324 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:40,040 I don't know if it happened like that, but I do know that 325 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,000 wherever he got swallowed, it wasn't real close to Nineveh 326 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,240 where he was going. I do know that God turned that 327 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,840 fish and He put him on the beaches of Nineveh with one 328 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:54,080 day's journey from where he had first told him to go, and he 329 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:58,520 spits him out upon the beach or upon dry land, and Jonah begin 330 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:00,240 to walk. But there was people there, I'm 331 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,000 sure, that begin to see him. They thought we got us another 332 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,200 preacher. And see, Nineveh was known for 333 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:10,560 killing preachers. Wasn't that Jonah didn't want to 334 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,800 just go there and preach because there was a history of preachers 335 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:17,040 going there, prophets, apostles and preaching to Nineveh. 336 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,840 And they would cut their tongues off, they would skin them alive, 337 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,240 and they would hang their skulls on the wall because they 338 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,000 worshipped a God called Dagon. All right, get this. 339 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:31,920 This is intro. I never caught this. 340 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,400 I thought that God was getting Jonah's attention with the belly 341 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:37,400 of the fish. I'm sure Jonah was in there 342 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,960 questioning, right? But now he's been in there three 343 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,000 days and three nights. And this is a scripture when 344 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:47,160 Jesus is asked about his walk up on this earth that he tells the 345 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,960 scribes and Pharisees that it's much like Jonah. 346 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,600 As Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3 days and three nights in 347 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:57,120 Matthew, he says, so will the Son of Man be in the center of 348 00:18:57,120 --> 00:18:58,680 the earth 3 days and three nights. 349 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,360 But see, here's where it gets interesting because the whale 350 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:03,840 turns and he comments Jonah out where? 351 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,760 On the beach and he's one day's journey from going and 352 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:08,520 preaching. And he goes and tells him a 353 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,400 simple message. You're going to hell, God's 354 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,880 going to destroy you. Not something you go and and and 355 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,080 are welcomed with very many places. 356 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,280 But get this, they I'm sure they said, oh, we got us another 357 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:21,640 preacher. Let's sharpen the knives. 358 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,480 Let's get ready. Let's get ready to cut his 359 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,000 tongue off. Let's get ready to do this. 360 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,640 But why didn't that happen? It it always is down. 361 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:32,080 One man went to one big city. 120 thousand were converted and 362 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,880 repented that day. Why didn't it happen? 363 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:39,280 Because see, you go back to First Samuel, I think it's 5 or 364 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,520 6, when they brought the Ark of the Covenant back to its 365 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,000 rightful place and they had placed it there. 366 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:50,120 There was also a God there that was called Dagon, which the 367 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,480 Ninevites worshipped. And it was a the God that was, 368 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,240 well, God say it with me. God already knows what he's 369 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,200 going to do. He already knows. 370 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,320 So the God of Dagon was half fish, kind of like a man on the 371 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,400 top and a mermaid tail on the bottom and it was an image that 372 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:11,200 they worshipped. So as as God put Jonah in the 373 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,040 belly of the fish. Say it with me, y'all ain't 374 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:14,920 getting this. He already knew what he was 375 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,040 going to do. He said I'm going to bring you 376 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,520 the real God and what you're worshipping as a fake God. 377 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,120 Hello, anybody been there? What you thought was your life, 378 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:27,560 what you thought God was sending your way, it just come on in and 379 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,640 wrecked your world and saved your soul. 380 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:31,680 Oh, can you give God praise in the house? 381 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:36,320 But Jonah, God delivered Jonah spit him out there in the form 382 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:38,960 of their God. They didn't kill him because 383 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:43,320 they thought that, hey, the God that we've been worshipping has 384 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:45,920 spoken. This is our God. 385 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:48,360 He ain't a God at all, but he has sent us a man. 386 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:52,240 Hello, he sent us a man out of the belly of the fish. 387 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:53,640 See, it wasn't about Jonah at all. 388 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,320 God knew that those folks were worshiping Dagon, which was half 389 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:02,000 God, half man and half fish. So he just sends them in that 390 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:08,360 wow preach many times. Never caught that like this, but 391 00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:10,320 daggone it. Like I said, it was it was in 392 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,800 there and when they brought the ark of the covenant. 393 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:16,840 But but God prepared the whale. He already knew the people would 394 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:21,480 listen because God sent his man and what they thought was their 395 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:23,800 God. You know, we still try to do 396 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,280 that today. A lot of churches, we still try 397 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,960 to present the gospel and mix it with some of the world. 398 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,120 And I guess if it's reaching people, it's working. 399 00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:37,240 But you got to be very careful. I did that with rodeo. 400 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,320 I, I would present it to kids with learning to ride bulls and 401 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:42,280 horses. And as I've said many times, if 402 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,520 the bulls and horses were there and we were bucking them and 403 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:48,160 having a competition, I would have 100 and 5200. 404 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,080 If not, it would drop to single digits. 405 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,040 Sometimes if I announced it the week before, we're not going to 406 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:58,800 buck buck bulls and horses. We're just going to have bring 407 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:02,480 the word. It would go from 150 to 8. 408 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,440 It still does unless you feed them. 409 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:11,480 I thought about wrapping up as a big old cinnamon roll one time a 410 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:16,320 walking in the chart. If you feed them, if you if you 411 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,680 bring food, they will come. They may leave before the 412 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,200 preaching, so you better preach first. 413 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,480 I figured that out. Christy and Trish told me one 414 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,000 time their dad's church had dwindled down to nobody. 415 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,120 They said he tells them all these guys, Jesus, that's not 416 00:22:31,120 --> 00:22:32,840 enough. And you know what, the older I 417 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,000 get, the more I'm with him because that's enough. 418 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,320 But God had prepared the well. He already say it with me all 419 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,480 ain't getting it. He already knew what he was 420 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,760 going to do. God knew Jonah would run. 421 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,040 He already knows what we're going to do. 422 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,440 How many times do we pray out of the will of God? 423 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,600 Because the question that God asked was sending us to test it, 424 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,120 and we're hung up on the test that we're praying about. 425 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:01,200 And it really ain't even the direction God's wanting to take 426 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,400 us. He already knows. 427 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,680 He already knows what he would do. 428 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,280 But when Jonah came out of the belly, they thought that their 429 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,360 God had sent it. They listened, they repented. 430 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:18,800 And as I close today, the test of your faith at many times 431 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:21,600 could be how you answer the question. 432 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:23,840 Do you get hung up on it? Do you? 433 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,640 Do you discern which question is just to test you or which one it 434 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,560 is? It is requiring action because 435 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:33,000 God does ask us things just to see where our faith is. 436 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,240 Most of the time we focus, and I see this so much. 437 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:41,160 Something has never changed and 30 years of ministry. 438 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,400 It's a simple 3 letter word called why people are missing 439 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,880 the call of God on their life because of why did God, Why 440 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,160 didn't God? Why won't God? 441 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:53,840 Because we refuse to walk by that. 442 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:55,760 See, there's some things that you got to walk in. 443 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:57,680 There's some things that you got to walk at. 444 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,680 There's some things that you got to walk by. 445 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:04,320 Hey man, walk by the why walk by it because the why will trouble 446 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:06,920 your soul. The why will keep you from from 447 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,200 receiving the miracles and the blessings of God. 448 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,120 Because I learned a long time ago when the why comes just I 449 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:15,520 don't know why. I may never know why, but it's 450 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:18,120 not going to get in the way of what God has called me to do 451 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:24,120 Amen. Jesus in Matthew chapter 12, in 452 00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:33,400 Matthew chapter 12 and verse 38, he was preaching to Baptist and 453 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:38,960 Methodist that day. Oh, I'm sorry, scribes and 454 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:45,480 Pharisees and he said, teacher, we want to see a sign from you. 455 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:48,200 How many know somebody in their life? 456 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:50,120 You ever heard that? If God would just show me a 457 00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:56,360 sign, there's a big old cross that's standing in the way, He's 458 00:24:56,360 --> 00:25:00,120 alive. There's your sign, that's only 459 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:02,480 sign you need to follow Him is the cross. 460 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,720 When you accept the cross and you accept that He already knew. 461 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:09,600 You know, I thought many times, what if Abraham wasn't offered 462 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:12,640 up Isaac on the mountain, that God had not have found him a 463 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:15,000 man, what would he have done? Why does it matter? 464 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,400 He already knew. You hear people reading the 465 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:19,720 Bible. Well, I thought God should have 466 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:21,600 done it this way. He already knew. 467 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,520 I realized a long time ago, God does not care what I think. 468 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,920 If Christians would realize that you would grow this tall that 469 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,680 fast, He don't care what I think. 470 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:39,160 But some of the scouts of Pharisees answered saying, 471 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,080 teacher, There's that word teacher again. 472 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,440 They still thought he was a teacher, not the Messiah. 473 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:47,600 But he answered and he said to them, they said, we want to see 474 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,280 a sign. He said an evil and adulterous 475 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:55,160 generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to you 476 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:57,360 except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 477 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:00,840 Jesus thought this Jonah thing was pretty important, didn't he? 478 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:06,040 He knew about it. For as Jonah was 3 days and 479 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:11,200 three nights symbolic right in the belly of a fish, so will the 480 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,120 Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of the 481 00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:16,320 earth. But yet they still didn't know 482 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,320 what he was talking about. I'm sure these dudes had heard 483 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,440 about Jonah since they was a little kid like we did and they 484 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,200 had a pitcher draw to the will spewing him out but yet they 485 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,640 still didn't really believe it. Then here comes the Messiah 486 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,520 saying hey say thankfully to happen again just in a different 487 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,480 form. Jesus went on in 41. 488 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,480 He said the men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with 489 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,400 this generation and condemn it because they repented. 490 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,080 Wow. Jesus was moved by the repenting 491 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:49,880 of those 120,000 that God used a fish in the form of their God to 492 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:54,040 spew out a profit to save them. It doesn't matter what God uses 493 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,800 at the preaching of Jonah, but he said it and indeed a greater 494 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:06,520 than Jonah is here and you still don't believe 3 days and three 495 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:07,200 nights. Let's look at that. 496 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:08,400 I want to look at this a little bit. 497 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:14,160 I am going to close, but it says that it says those back up to 498 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,240 44. As Jonah was 3 days and three 499 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:21,200 nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be 500 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:25,800 3 days and three nights. Where in the heart of the earth. 501 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,680 He wasn't just laying in the tomb, you know it was cool. 502 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,400 He never died. His flesh died, but his spirit 503 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,920 was on the move. What was in the heart? 504 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:39,000 What was in the core of the earth in those days they 505 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:43,480 referred to it as paradise. They referred to it as Abraham's 506 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:48,600 bosom because man did not know where people were going that 507 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:51,480 were Saints of God. So they reserved, the Bible says 508 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,640 in the core of the earth. They were, you can go back and 509 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:57,560 look it up. They were reserved there until 510 00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:02,040 the Day of Atonement, right? Why were they reserved there? 511 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,720 Because before the cross, before Jesus, what he prophesied was 512 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:07,640 going to do. And use Jonah as an 513 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,640 illustration. He said, I went three days and 514 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,080 three nights in the heart of the earth, but he was doing 515 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:16,240 something. Go to Ephesians chapter 4, 516 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,120 Ephesians chapter 4 verse 8 and 9. 517 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,880 We can read about this. What was going on. 518 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:24,280 There was something going on and what they thought was the 519 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,720 graveyard, the Saints was about to rise. 520 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,480 Can I tell you there's something fixing to go on in the graveyard 521 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:33,000 again, when the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall 522 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,200 be no more. There's something great going to 523 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:36,960 happen. The dead in Christ are going to 524 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:40,520 rise 1st and then those that are alive and remain will be caught 525 00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,160 up to meet Him in the air. And you know what, there's a lot 526 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,560 of Christians that love Jesus but don't believe that. 527 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,720 Hey man, but you better open your eyes, child of God, because 528 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,520 it's already happened and it's about to happen again. 529 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:53,920 But what was happening right here? 530 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,920 The apostle Paul said, he said, but to each one of us in 531 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,640 Ephesians 4:00 and 7:00, to each one of us, grace has been given 532 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:06,080 according to the measure of Christ gift, Amen. 533 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:08,400 And what did he do when he was sending? 534 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,880 We're going to read on. Therefore, he says when he 535 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:14,400 ascended on high, you can go to Acts chapter 1 and read about 536 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,000 it. When Jesus ascended, they were 537 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,280 standing there watching him, and He appeared, He ascended into 538 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,520 the heavens, Amen. And that's what he's talking 539 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,240 about. When He ascended into heavens on 540 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,280 high, first he descended, He went to the pits, to the core of 541 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,000 the earth, and it says He led captivity. 542 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,080 Those that were in Abraham's bosom or in paradise, he took 543 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,360 them because, see, they were held captive because what the 544 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,960 blood of a goat and a bull and a sheep could never do. 545 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:44,440 The blood of Christ had just hit planet earth. 546 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:48,080 And the blood of Christ is what we learned last last week, the 547 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:51,880 martyrs, the blood of Christ. The blood is the seed for the 548 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,960 Church, right? He led captivity captive and he 549 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,720 gave good gifts to men. We ought to get excited about 550 00:29:57,720 --> 00:29:59,960 that. Now, Apostle Paul really 551 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:05,440 confuses Now this he ascended. What does it mean? 552 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:07,600 It means he went up to the Father. 553 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:12,280 He ascended into heaven, but first he descended into the 554 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:16,120 lower parts of the earth. Who descended is also the one 555 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:21,360 who ascended far above the heavens that he might feel all 556 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:23,680 things. God already knew what he was 557 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,600 going to do, right? But yet we're so worried about 558 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:28,320 it. But he went there and he took 559 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:30,320 the keys to death, hell and the grave. 560 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,600 He took those that were captive and he said, because Can you 561 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:37,080 imagine Moses and all those, Can you imagine Isaiah that had 562 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,520 prophesied this great king coming, this Messiah that would 563 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,160 come from the from the, from the lineage of David? 564 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:46,600 Can you imagine him being in Abraham's bosom and seeing Jesus 565 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,160 that he said come on, we're fixing to ascend on into heaven. 566 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:52,720 The promise that you preach for years and believe for years even 567 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,960 though you had to die for it. It is now here. 568 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,080 Come on up here with me. He already knew what he was 569 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:01,760 going to do. But see many times we question, 570 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:05,280 we fail the test. Let's go to Acts chapter 2. 571 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:07,720 Notice this is my third time to say it. 572 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:12,160 Third time's a charm of closing Acts chapter 2. 573 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:21,440 Acts chapter 1. I mean somebody say glory, how 574 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:23,720 many is excited that this world ain't your home? 575 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:32,360 In Acts chapter 1 and verse 6, the Holy Spirit was about to 576 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:36,600 fall upon the disciples and many other people, but he said you 577 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,240 shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, 578 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:44,280 and you should be able to witness in Jerusalem and in all 579 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,040 Judea and Samaria and other most parts of the earth. 580 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:52,080 Think about this. The last time that Jesus Christ 581 00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:58,280 would speak up on planet earth in a form of a man. 582 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:05,040 Think about it verse 8. But you shall receive power. 583 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:08,720 He didn't say we were to be weak and lowly Christians. 584 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:13,080 He said you shall receive power. I've already been here, but I'm 585 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,760 going to send the Holy Spirit and He's going to come upon you. 586 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:17,480 You ain't going to know where He comes from. 587 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:19,760 You ain't going to be able to control him. 588 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:23,320 He's just going to fall upon you and something unique is going to 589 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:24,880 happen to you. You're going to have to go 590 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:29,120 witness all over. You're going to talk a new 591 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,640 language. There's some things that's going 592 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,480 to come up on you that you're not going to understand, but 593 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,760 that's OK. He thought that was pretty 594 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:38,840 important if that was the last words he spoke. 595 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,920 Now, when he had spoken these things in Acts 1 and 9, while 596 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:50,280 they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of 597 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,000 their sight. And while they looked 598 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:59,920 steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, men stood by, 599 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:03,600 and white apparel. Who were those men? 600 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,080 They were men in white apparel. That's all we're told. 601 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:10,240 The rest is speculation. I'm trying to get away from 602 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:11,880 speculating in the Bible. Amen. 603 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:17,880 There were men in white apparel who also said men of Galilee. 604 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:20,600 Can you imagine them as you stand your feet standing there 605 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:23,640 looking up at Jesus as he just floats on through the sky? 606 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,400 He had already floated through the door of Thomas's doubting 607 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:30,920 question. Thomas didn't know what he was 608 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:36,080 about to do, but Jesus, what he already knew what he was going 609 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:40,520 to do. He already knew what he was 610 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,760 going to do. He said, men of Galilee, why do 611 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:48,760 you stand gazing into heaven? Say it with me, this same Jesus. 612 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:53,240 It's not another Jesus. It's the same Jesus that's got 613 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,880 the nail scarred in his hands and probably the crown of 614 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:58,920 thorns. He's got a few scars up on his 615 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:03,320 head. He's got big old scars in his 616 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:06,040 feet. Say it with me, this same Jesus 617 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:11,920 who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like 618 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:17,400 manner as you saw him go. One of these days he's going to 619 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:22,239 part the open the eastern sky, He's going to open them clouds, 620 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:26,199 and Gabriel's going to blow the horn, the trumpet, and it says, 621 00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:28,679 when the trumpet of the Lord shall sound. 622 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:30,760 Say it with me, those who know it. 623 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:35,000 Time, my God, can you think of a life where time is nothing? 624 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,040 Can you think of a life where time as we know it will be no 625 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:40,880 more? Because there will be no time 626 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:42,440 frame. It's going to be forever, 627 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,679 infinite, like a laser. And this keeps going. 628 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:52,960 Time forever will be changed. In the moment, in the twinkling 629 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,040 of an eye, the graves are going to burst open. 630 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:02,240 And this same Jesus, what a word from God. 631 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,520 He already knows. You know, there are those that 632 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:10,280 are still doubting they can fly when the rapture takes like, 633 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,200 boy, I'd like to go, but I just don't know if I can fly. 634 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:13,560 You ain't going to have to worry about it. 635 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,480 I'd like to go, but boy, I just don't know about that fly. 636 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:24,200 He already knows. There's a cool thing too. 637 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:26,920 You're going to be changed. That thought in the moment, in 638 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,080 the twinkling of an eye. Oh, doubt. 639 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:31,880 I'll worry. I'll fear all pain will be gone. 640 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:37,040 We're going to be different. Who's going to be in heaven, 641 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:37,720 Will? I know him? 642 00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:39,600 Doesn't matter. You're going to be different in 643 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:41,760 the moment, in the twinkling of an eye. 644 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:45,000 This, this, this. Immortality going to take on 645 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,880 immortality. I'm never going to die again. 646 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:53,280 See, I fear people believe the cross, but they don't believe in 647 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,760 what God already knows that he's going to do. 648 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:01,240 The trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no 649 00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:04,600 more. In a moment, in the twinkling of 650 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:09,320 an eye, we will be changed forever. 651 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:14,360 Because who ascended? Well, you just don't know what 652 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:16,920 I've done. It don't matter. 653 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:18,960 God knew what he was already going to do. 654 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,600 What did he do? Why can't we step into the 655 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:23,480 press? It doesn't matter what I done or 656 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:26,080 didn't do, or what I could do, because all that's going to 657 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,400 matter is that debt has been paid. 658 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,600 You see, I owe the debt. Would you lift your hands? 659 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,680 And we closed with this course. I owed a debt that I could not 660 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,080 pay. Thanks for listening to the 661 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:41,400 Cross Power Church podcast. May you know that true hope, 662 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:44,480 peace, and salvation can only be found in Jesus. 663 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:48,680 If you're near Campbell, TX, we would love for you to join us in 664 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,160 person. You can find service times at 665 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:52,760 crosspowerchurch.com.