1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:00,880 Well, hey. Hey. 2 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:02,040 Good morning, St. City. 3 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:04,720 It's good to see you all today. My name is Brandon. 4 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,680 If we don't know each other, I get to serve as the lead pastor 5 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:09,800 here. And it is my honor, my joy to 6 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,040 open up God's word with you this morning. 7 00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:15,240 It is also the pleasure of my life to be worshiping with you 8 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,400 each and every week here. I'm so thankful for our worship. 9 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,280 Anybody else thankful for them? Yeah. 10 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:26,240 We gather here on Sundays for the express purpose of worship. 11 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:28,920 We gather worship, we scatter on the mission each week. 12 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,360 We go about our lives, we go to work, we raise kids, we work 13 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,320 jobs. We do that, and we do that for 14 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:38,960 the mission of Jesus Christ, helping people realize what He's 15 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:41,760 done for them and turn from their sin and embrace Him by 16 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:42,920 faith. That's the mission. 17 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,360 But here on Sundays, we have one audience we're primarily 18 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,120 concerned with, and that's Him. We could care about what he 19 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:50,880 thinks about worship. We care about what he thinks 20 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:52,440 about his word. And that's why we open up the 21 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,120 Bible each and every week. In fact, if you could turn in 22 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,880 your Bibles to Joshua chapter 20, That's right. 23 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:02,080 We've been marching through the the book of Joshua offspring 24 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:03,320 here. If you don't have a Bible, it's 25 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,600 going to be on the screen beside me as well as on the Bibles and 26 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,440 the seats in front of you. It's going to be on page 194. 27 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,720 So you don't even have to worry about like looking to do a table 28 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,520 of contents. It's just right there in the 29 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:14,920 Bible. You can keep that Bible if you 30 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:16,600 don't have one. We want to get as easy as 31 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,360 possible for you to understand what God has said for your life. 32 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:28,160 Hey, we live in a world full of well-intentioned but frequent 33 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,200 broken promises, do we not? And this can be from the highest 34 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,200 of heights to the most personal of experiences, like at the 35 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,000 highest level. I, I really do think politicians 36 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,280 mean like, Hey, I want to raise the the OR, excuse me, raise. 37 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,080 You don't want them to do that. We want them to lower the prices 38 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:47,880 of houses of the generation at least, like, Hey, can we get in 39 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,520 one of those houses, please? They'll make promises like that. 40 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:52,880 And I think they mean it, but that the promise that's more 41 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:57,040 than likely going to be broken as parents will say, hey, you 42 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:00,280 can have that treat later tonight, little kid, because 43 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,400 that's when you can have it. And then we'll forget about 44 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:03,760 that. And then they'll the kid won't 45 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:05,440 forget, though. They won't forget that promise. 46 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,000 They'll make sure we keep our word. 47 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,199 Maybe in college, we'll say, hey, guess what? 48 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:13,000 I'll, I'll have it done by tomorrow as part of that group 49 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:14,600 project. You know, I'll get it done then. 50 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,040 You're not getting it done. Then you're not going to text 51 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,120 them back tomorrow. You meant to, you wanted to, but 52 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,120 you know, deep down you're the kind of person who says you're 53 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:22,160 going to text them back tomorrow. 54 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,280 You won't. It's OK. 55 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,280 We're all, we've all been there. I But I found, I found in a 56 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,800 world full of broken promises, I am the number one culprit. 57 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,680 I am the number one culprit of saying, hey, I want to do 58 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,240 something, but I don't end up following through. 59 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,000 I'll start tomorrow. I'll keep in touch. 60 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,320 I'll have it done by then. Hey, I'll follow up with you. 61 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,640 That's like my life. And I found myself woefully 62 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:55,720 skilled at breaking promises. I wish I was better. 63 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:00,320 I wish I was more faithful, wish I was more like God. 64 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,240 You see, I think our experience of promises is a lot like this. 65 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:09,120 You see, here's how a promise works is a promise with God gets 66 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:16,640 declared. And then a promise gets 67 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:23,040 delivered. A promise gets declared, a 68 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:24,760 promise gets delivered, but here's a problem. 69 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:32,440 There's a gap between when God said it's going to happen and 70 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:37,520 when it does that the very idea of a promise is the word is 71 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,520 going forth. The the very words coming out of 72 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,080 somebody's mouth. They're saying, hey, this is 73 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,360 what's going to happen. And in between, when it was 74 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,160 declared and when it's delivered, there's a gap that 75 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:56,360 we're living inside of. And that is where faith lives. 76 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,280 That's where we spend our life worshipping, walking, and 77 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,920 working for Christ. It's living in the gap of God's 78 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:08,520 promises that he has declared, promises that are great and 79 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:14,160 precious and valuable, and they're already been spoken, but 80 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,839 they are not yet fully experienced. 81 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:21,720 We're living in the gap of him saying that we will be fully 82 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,040 provided for, living in the gap of saying that we will overcome 83 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,160 our sin, living in the gap of saying He is with us. 84 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:34,160 We experienced here on earth a gap between what God has 85 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:35,960 declared, what God has delivered. 86 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,600 For Israel, it was 400 years of slavery after Abraham, Isaac, 87 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,720 and Jacob. And for us, it's Monday morning. 88 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,760 Like that's where most of this room actually lives, between 89 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,240 what God has said and what God has done. 90 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,160 I think there's three people, types of people here in the room 91 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,280 this morning living in the gap. There's people who have heard 92 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:06,800 God's promises and believe them. And each and every day they're 93 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:08,640 trying to live in this gap by faith. 94 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,000 There are people here in this room today who have never heard 95 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,280 God's promises, who have never heard of them, and they're here 96 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:17,240 right now. They're like, hey, I don't, I 97 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,000 don't believe them because I've never heard them. 98 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:21,880 Then there's a third person in the room, the people who have 99 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,240 heard what he has declared and don't believe. 100 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,280 And I want to talk to all three of you today because I believe 101 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:34,200 that God, through Joshua chapter 20 and 21, wants to show you 102 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,520 something about himself. He wants to tell you who he is. 103 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,640 He wants to show you how to live in the gap. 104 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,400 Would you pray with me? And then let's get into God's 105 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,560 word together. Lord, we are grateful that in 106 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,920 the gap there is a God who is with us, a God who is near, a 107 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,680 God who is good. And today, God, I pray that you 108 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:57,200 would help us discover just how faithful you are to your word, 109 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,680 that when you say you're going to do something, you do it. 110 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,000 And that while we sit in the gap, while we wait, while we 111 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:10,920 anticipate, while we hope for the not yet will be trust in the 112 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:15,040 God who keeps his promises in Jesus name, Amen, Amen. 113 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,560 Let me give you this big idea that we're going to see you 114 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,240 together in the text today that kind of summarizes chapter 20 115 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,400 and 21, why the author was writing not just these two 116 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:25,880 chapters, but actually the whole book of Joshua. 117 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:27,320 This is the theme verse of Joshua. 118 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:28,680 You just saw it on the bumper video. 119 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,800 It's this idea that not even one promise of God has failed. 120 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:35,240 If you'd like to take notes, I hope you do. 121 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,560 It helps you to understand God may re reference it throughout 122 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:39,680 the week as you're going through the details of it. 123 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,480 But hey, listen to me. Not even one promise of God has 124 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,160 ever failed. He's batting 1000 at keeping his 125 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,160 promises. His free throw percentage is 126 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:54,880 perfect, never missing. Not even one promise of God has 127 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,160 failed. Well, what has he promised? 128 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,080 Let's discover that together. Let me show it to you in the 129 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,520 Bible. We're in Joshua chapter 20. 130 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,000 If you're there, say I'm there, right? 131 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,440 It says this big old 20 verse one. 132 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:11,920 Then the Lord said to Joshua, say to the people of Israel, 133 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,600 appoint the cities of refuge of which I spoke to you through 134 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,840 Moses, that the manslayer who strikes any person without 135 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:22,080 intent or unknowingly may flee there. 136 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:26,560 They shall be for you a refuge from the adventure of blood. 137 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,640 OK, let's stop and explain what's going on here. 138 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:32,600 You're like, wait a second, Manslayers cities, what's going 139 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:33,960 on in here? Let me explain all those key 140 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,320 terms first. Manslayer, this is somebody 141 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:38,760 who's an unintentional killer. Keep in mind that there's no 142 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,080 police force back then. There needs to be justice still. 143 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,720 So this is the kind of person who unintentionally has killed 144 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:46,760 somebody in our modern times. Good example, this might be like 145 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,760 Alec Baldwin on the set of that movie where he accidentally the 146 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,040 prop gun didn't work and he actually shot and killed 147 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,280 somebody on accident that that's manslaughter. 148 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,000 There is blood on his hands, but he didn't commit murder. 149 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,880 The intentional taking of life. That's these people. 150 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:05,160 And the problem is in in that culture and in that time there 151 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,680 was a person called the avenger of blood. 152 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,200 This is how they took matters in their own hands, how justice was 153 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:12,000 enacted. The avenger of blood was the 154 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,560 person in the family who was authorized to take blood when 155 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:17,920 blood was spilled. It was perfectly legal, 156 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:22,080 perfectly valid, perfectly just. And God is kindness to the 157 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,280 people of Israel saying hey, when it's an unintentional 158 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,240 taking of life, that there should be a place for those 159 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:31,120 people to go so they don't die. That though they might have 160 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,200 sinned, though they might have shed blood, and though that has 161 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:39,440 spilled on ground, they don't need to die for that sin. 162 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,120 Rather, they can go to a city of refuge. 163 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,120 He has just allocated over the previous eight chapters all of 164 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,320 the land to all the 12 tribes of Israel. 165 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,880 And this one tribe, the Levites, remain. 166 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,880 And he's saying the Levites, the priests, hey, you're going to 167 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:58,000 have among you these cities of refuge where these people who 168 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:04,040 have committed unintentional sin can go and find rest and relief 169 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:09,120 from the avenger of blood. Though it was unintentional 170 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:10,720 doesn't mean it's inconsequential. 171 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,080 And so the cities of refuge are God's way of protecting more 172 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,960 people and preserving life. Look back at the text. 173 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,480 So these people, they shall be for a refuge from the avenger of 174 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:27,320 blood that manslavers for shall flee to one of these cities and 175 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,080 shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and then 176 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,080 explain his case to the elders of that city. 177 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,880 So God understands what some people are going to do here. 178 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:37,680 He's like, hey, there's going to be some people who take life and 179 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:40,680 pretend that it was on accident. So you have to plead your case 180 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,120 before the city and they're going to have a trial of whether 181 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,040 or not it was on accident, whether it was on purpose. 182 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,880 And if the event of blood pursues him from verse 5, they 183 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,000 shall not give up the manslayer into his hand because he struck 184 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,160 his neighbor unknowingly and did not hate him in the past. 185 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:57,760 He shall remain in that city until he has stood before the 186 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,400 Congregation for Judgement, until the death of him who is 187 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,800 high priest at the time. Look up at me. 188 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:08,960 What this is saying here is when the manslayer goes to the city, 189 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:13,040 when the accidental, the person who's spilled blood accidentally 190 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:17,680 goes to the city of refuge, their freedom comes the day of 191 00:10:17,680 --> 00:10:21,600 their high priest dying. That sounds interesting, doesn't 192 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,680 it, that what sets them free? That's what their sentence is, 193 00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:28,280 as long as a high priest lives. So I think some of these guys 194 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:29,640 are praying for some old high priest. 195 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,640 You know, like, let me run to the scene with some old high 196 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:32,920 priest. I can be free sooner. 197 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:37,840 But they're there until the death of him who's at the high 198 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,240 priest of the time. Then the Manslayer may return to 199 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,600 his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled, 200 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,680 where his family is. So here's what they do. 201 00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:49,000 Here's what Joshua does with a high priest of the Big One to 202 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,840 say, let's set apart Kardashian Galley in the Hill Country of 203 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,680 Naftali and Shechem in the Hill Country of here and girieth Arba 204 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,240 that is Hebrew in the Hill Country of Judah and beyond the 205 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:00,320 Jordan east of Jericho. They appointed Bezer in the 206 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,200 wilderness on the table Land from the tribe of Reuben and 207 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,080 Rammeth and Gilead from the tribe of Gad and Golan, and 208 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,200 Bastion from the tribe of Manassa, summering 3 cities on 209 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,600 the east side of Israel, three cities on the side of the West. 210 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:14,440 And if you want, you can study the names of those in your own 211 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:15,800 time. It's actually a fascinating 212 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:16,800 study. They all mean something really 213 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,440 cool. These were the cities designated 214 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,920 for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning 215 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,760 among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent 216 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,040 could flee there so that he might not die by the hand of the 217 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,320 avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation. 218 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,720 This is God keeping his promise. This is God keeping his 219 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,240 promises. This is 1 promise that could 220 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,920 have gotten overlooked could have gotten missed, but instead 221 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:47,240 God's going to keep his word that he said back in numbers. 222 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,280 He said hey, I'm going to establish these cities for 223 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,760 people and I'm going to keep my word that it exists and it's not 224 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:55,960 just going to be for Israelites. It's before. 225 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,400 Did you notice that the stranger meaning anybody's welcome in on 226 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:04,640 this Outsiders, insiders. Mercy is available for all. 227 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:11,200 If I got down this, that God promises to me this mercy for my 228 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,920 sin. What has God promised if not 229 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:17,920 even one promise of God has failed? 230 00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:24,840 Here's a promise of God for you. There is mercy for your sin. 231 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:30,080 There is mercy for my sin. There is mercy for our sin. 232 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:33,320 Now that word mercy is a very church where? 233 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,360 So let me make sure you understand what the Bible means 234 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,000 by that. There's two sides of the same 235 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:38,800 coin. There's grace and there's mercy. 236 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:40,880 And I'm going to give them to you in the form of a crossing so 237 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,400 you understand what they mean. Grace is what I receive and 238 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:47,000 mercy is what I escape. So grace is this. 239 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:53,240 It's God's riches at Christ's expense, God's riches at Christ, 240 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,560 because that's what grace is. It's getting the riches of God, 241 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:57,120 the wealth of God, the treasure of God. 242 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,840 You get it because Jesus paid the bill. 243 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,640 Maybe an illustration for that. Imagine you stole $1 million. 244 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,080 You linked up with Danny Ocean and the gang. 245 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,760 You went to Vegas, you erotic casino and you stole $1,000,000. 246 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,920 But you got caught and you're before a judge. 247 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:17,640 And if the judge says hey, you're guilty, but I'm going to 248 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,360 not going to punish you, that's mercy. 249 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,160 But what grace is, is if the judge says, hey, you are guilty, 250 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,320 not only can you keep that million, here's 5 million more, 251 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:33,760 that's grace. You got riches at the expense of 252 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:38,600 somebody else. And that's exactly what these 253 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,760 cities of refuge are pointing to it a place where guilty people 254 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:48,240 could run and find mercy. Mercy is what I don't receive 255 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:50,160 that I do deserve. It's escaping. 256 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:52,800 So right on this acronym, mercy is escape. 257 00:13:53,440 --> 00:14:00,520 My escape requires Christ's yes, my escape, my avoidance of that 258 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:06,320 which I deserve. It's at the yes of Jesus. 259 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:12,200 It requires Jesus to say yes and dying for us so that God could 260 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,800 withhold that which our sin has purchased for us. 261 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,800 Jesus stood in our place and said yes to the punishment so 262 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:26,040 you and I could walk free, so you and I could escape, so we 263 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:28,280 could experience the mercy of God. 264 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:33,680 God promises mercy for all who run to him. 265 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,120 We don't have to have to run to a city. 266 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,120 We're not running a Casa Grande. We're not having to run to 267 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,440 Dallas. We're having to run to Chicago 268 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,200 or even Jerusalem. There's a real person that we 269 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,880 run to, and his name's Jesus, and he is a place and promise of 270 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:52,920 mercy for all who call upon His name. 271 00:14:55,280 --> 00:15:02,240 So we're here in the gap now. We've been promised mercy and 272 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,000 some of us haven't felt like we've been delivered mercy in 273 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,600 our life. We're standing in the gap and 274 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,400 what's on the line with God's mercy is simply this is God who 275 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,440 he says he is. Every time God makes a promise, 276 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:18,560 it's his character that's on the line. 277 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,520 It's his reputation on the line because he says, hey, I am a 278 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:29,680 promise keeping God. Exodus 34 verse 6 says this. 279 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,040 When God is introducing himself, when he wants us to know what 280 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:36,160 he's like, he says this, I am Yahweh, Yahweh, the Lord, the 281 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,560 Lord God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and 282 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,520 abounding and steadfast love and faithfulness. 283 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:47,000 He's saying this is who I am, not only who I am, it is what I 284 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,840 do. I am merciful to every 285 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:52,480 generation. So while we're waiting in the 286 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:56,320 gap and we're waiting for God's mercy to reach our life, we have 287 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,960 to remember this is who God is. And if he was merciful in the 288 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:06,040 cities of refuge, he'll be merciful to you and I that if he 289 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:09,600 never fails, he never fails to keep a promise, He's not going 290 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,040 to fail to keep a promise to you because God does not lie. 291 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:19,800 So he can't lie to you. He's telling you this morning, I 292 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,080 am the God who is merciful, and there is mercy for your sin. 293 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:26,320 Would you run to me, the Redeemer for sin, and you give 294 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,560 it to me so that I might make you clean? 295 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,320 Because if the question isn't whether or not we deserve mercy, 296 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,840 the question in the gap is whether or not God is who he 297 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,000 says he is. And I'm happy to report He is. 298 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:47,560 He's exactly who he says he is. And the next question is, will 299 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,720 you run to His mercy? Will we run away from it? 300 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:54,440 His mercy is available to all. Run to Him. 301 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,480 So believe or listen to me. Full mercy is coming. 302 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,560 Full mercy is coming. Right now you could experience 303 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:03,440 the mercy of God. His mercies are new every single 304 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:05,640 morning. And you can turn to God and say, 305 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:07,800 thank you God for not giving me what I deserve. 306 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,160 But you can await the day and anticipate the day and hope for 307 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,560 the day where there His mercy is fully realized. 308 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:19,640 And thank God that he was merciful to me, that that mercy 309 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,160 should make you worship believer every single day that God 310 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,680 extended it to you, He revealed it to you that you have mercy 311 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,640 for your sin. But listen to me, if you were 312 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:30,640 here today and you did not know that God is the merciful God, 313 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:35,840 that he's not punitive, He's not vengeful in this way, but rather 314 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,880 listen to me. Everything God says comes true. 315 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,600 So if he says he's merciful, he will be merciful. 316 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,640 And there is consequence for your sin. 317 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:51,120 But there is a way to escape it. Would you run to Jesus? 318 00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:53,400 Would you experience the mercy of Jesus? 319 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,880 Don't run somewhere else. Run to him. 320 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,360 Because every other city there's walls with Jesus. 321 00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:05,280 There's just an open door. Come on in, My arms are open. 322 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,640 Welcome home. That's what the Redeemer saying 323 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,000 to you today. If you have sinned, don't run 324 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:15,080 somewhere else, run to Jesus because there is mercy for your 325 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,120 sin. That's the first promise, the 326 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:19,880 second promise that will find the text today. 327 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:24,240 God promises presence for my soul. 328 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:28,680 Mercy for my sin is a big deal because now we're right 329 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,400 relationship with God and to be in a right relationship with 330 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,000 God, there's something spectacular that happens is God 331 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,000 comes and lives with you. Now He makes his home your 332 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,520 heart. And so God promised his presence 333 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:42,480 for my soul. He's going to show it to us in 334 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,960 picture. Now I don't want to scare you. 335 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:46,920 I'm not going to read 40 to 2 verses. 336 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:48,720 Oh, you should read 40 to 2 verses. 337 00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:52,160 I want to highlight for you the theme that I think these verses 338 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,840 capture for us. Verse 20, Chapter 21. 339 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:57,920 Verse one. Then the heads of the father's 340 00:18:57,920 --> 00:18:59,960 houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, and to 341 00:18:59,960 --> 00:19:02,240 Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the father's houses of 342 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:03,400 the tribes, the people of Israel. 343 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:07,640 And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, hey, the 344 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,680 Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell 345 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,520 in along with their pasture lands for our livestock. 346 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,280 So by command of the Lord, the people of Israel gave to the 347 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:21,200 Levites the following cities and pasture lands that out of their 348 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:26,360 inheritance go down to verse 8. These seas and their pasture 349 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:30,520 lands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites as the 350 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,360 Lord had commanded through Moses. 351 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,080 If you were to total up all the cities through verses four and 352 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,880 seven and the remaining 40 verses, what you would find is 353 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,880 that there was 48 cities given to the Levites, 48 cities. 354 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:48,240 This is because God wanted to keep His promise from Numbers 355 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,880 chapter 18, verse 20. That's a verse you might have 356 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,400 overlooked, but God didn't overlook it. 357 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,960 He wanted to keep His word. He was watching over it just so 358 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:59,520 he would be able to perform it. And so Numbers 1820 says the 359 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:03,040 Lord said to Aaron, He said, hey, you will have no 360 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,040 inheritance in the land. You're not going to get a bunch 361 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:06,720 of real estate. You're not going to get a bunch 362 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,800 of property, nor will you have any share among them. 363 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:15,200 Here's what God says to Aaron. Here's what He's saying to you. 364 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,120 I am your share and your inheritance. 365 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,920 I am your share, I am your inheritance. 366 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:26,640 Because it wasn't about the land, it was about the Lord. 367 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,480 The Levites received no land inheritance because God Himself 368 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,400 was their inheritance. He was their portion. 369 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:43,000 He was enough for them. Now the Levites are just with 370 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,080 the 12 tribes of Israel. They had three. 371 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:50,120 Levi had three kids and you'll see them right there just kind 372 00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:52,240 of headlining the the area. You Amira rights, the 373 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:54,720 Gershwites, the Coethites, and then you have this other tribe 374 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,360 named Aaron, because Aaron was one of the Coethites and he, his 375 00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:00,880 kids all get to be the priests. We're all the other three 376 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:02,920 descendants. They get to be the workers, They 377 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:04,920 get to be the worship leaders, the salt company directors. 378 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,720 They could be the ones working in the temple, in the synagogue, 379 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:12,800 and in the church. So these four clans are 380 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,240 separated. Aaron gets 13 cities, Poets gets 381 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:17,280 10. Gershwin gets 13, Mirrorites get 382 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,000 12. It's distributed evenly and 383 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:22,680 apportioned to how much they have, how many people they have 384 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,360 in a land. And God wants us to signal to us 385 00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:28,680 something that's different about the Levites, something that's 386 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,280 different about you and I even. It's foreshadowing what it's 387 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:36,080 like to be a part of the church that the Levites tell us. 388 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,320 See what God truly wants for all of us. 389 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:48,120 He wants us to live with Him as our portion, that He is our 390 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:49,600 inheritance. He's the thing that we're 391 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:54,280 chasing after in life. For the Levite, being with God 392 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:58,920 was the greatest treasure. His presence was the best gift 393 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:07,680 for their soul. The promise wasn't necessarily a 394 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:13,960 role, it was God himself. We get to experience that same 395 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:18,440 gift, that we who are far away from God can be brought near. 396 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,760 We who wanted nothing to do with God could want everything to do 397 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,960 with God. We who carry a role in 398 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,200 responsibility in the church, we who are the church, his bride, 399 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,520 the Saints, the called out ones, that's all that means. 400 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:35,720 The people who are set apart by God. 401 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,640 We could have a ministry to God. It wasn't just one tribe that 402 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:44,920 got to do it, but all who call upon Jesus can have a ministry 403 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,440 with him, the priesthood of all believers. 404 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,200 It's a gift because we get to minister to God together. 405 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:54,960 Tim Keller, who is an author and pastor, that I really 406 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,000 appreciate. He's up in heaven now with 407 00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:59,240 Jesus. He said this, and I think this 408 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:00,640 quote is helpful in understanding. 409 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:06,880 He said, hey, life is a journey. Life is a journey from weariness 410 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:13,760 to rest, from alienation into his presence, isolation into the 411 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:24,160 city of God, from weariness to rest from alienation into his 412 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:29,200 presence, from isolation into the city of God. 413 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:32,840 That life is just living in the gap. 414 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,640 That's the journey. One day at a time, one step at a 415 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:39,760 time, walking with God in the gap. 416 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:44,480 The promise was declared. It was not yet fully delivered. 417 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,160 What are we to do? We're to hold tight to the 418 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:53,560 promise that His presence is for my soul, His presence is with 419 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:56,640 me, and not look for the peace of His presence in all the wrong 420 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:01,160 places, chasing career and identity and family as the means 421 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:05,000 to fulfilment. They will fall short. 422 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,200 You'll find yourself spectacularly disappointed in 423 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,560 your family and your friends and your work and your bank account 424 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,840 as being the great fulfillment of your life. 425 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,320 There will never be enough. Never enough hugs, never enough 426 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,760 dollars, never enough people, Never enough to fulfill the 427 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:24,720 emptiness in your soul. You need your portion. 428 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,800 You need the living water of God to be in your heart and in your 429 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,960 life. You need God's presence for your 430 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:35,640 soul, and that is not just for salvation, that is for our 431 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:39,200 sanctification so that we might be changed, that we might look 432 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:42,280 more and more like Jesus. Listen to me, believer, You were 433 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,680 made to be a priest for God. You were made to work for God. 434 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:50,000 You made to do things for God. And here's what I mean by that. 435 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:53,120 I don't mean every one of you supposed to be employed by a 436 00:24:53,120 --> 00:24:57,400 church and wear a black collar and the white thing that that 437 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:00,080 other animations wear. I don't wear that. 438 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:01,280 I don't wear the clerical collar. 439 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,880 I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is that every 440 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,960 single one of us was made to be in relationship and in God's 441 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:11,680 presence and to work for Him in some way, shape or form. 442 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,680 That some of us are going to be marketers for the glory of God. 443 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:16,880 Some of us are going to be students for the glory of God. 444 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:18,800 Some of us are going to be moms for the glory of God. 445 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:20,280 Some of us are going to be dads for the glory of God. 446 00:25:20,360 --> 00:25:22,320 Some of us are going to be employed by the church. 447 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,040 Some of us are going to be team leaders and kids classroom 448 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:26,960 leaders and parking lot attendants. 449 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:28,840 Some of us are going to be set up and tear down. 450 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,320 We are going to carry a role and a responsibility. 451 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,800 And listen to me, if you are doing that so that you would be 452 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:37,920 comforted, so that you would be validated and you were doing 453 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,880 that apart from God's presence, you will be disappointed because 454 00:25:40,880 --> 00:25:45,200 it will not fulfill you. But, but, but, but, if God's 455 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:50,400 presence is our comfort, and our comfort isn't our comfort, then 456 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:55,240 our souls will be well. They will be filled from the 457 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:58,920 well of salvation with living water. 458 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,880 So come play a role. Participate. 459 00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:08,920 Don't spectate in the church. Don't come to watch. 460 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:13,680 Come to minister. You'll find that the promise of 461 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:18,920 God to be present for your soul will be wonderful. 462 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:24,400 It'll be a gift to your life. This is the second promise God 463 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,800 is giving to us in this text. And 3rd and finally, God 464 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:33,440 promises rest for my future, Rest for my future. 465 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:38,320 We're at the end of 21 now. Joshua is wrapping up all the 466 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,600 land being given to all the tribes now, and now all 12 467 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:42,840 tribes are taken care of. The leave. 468 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:45,680 I got their land. They're aware that God's 469 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:49,080 presence is their gift. The Manslayers have the city of 470 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:52,880 refuge. And here's how Joshua recaps not 471 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:58,320 only the story of conquest, the story of Joshua taking down, 472 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,120 crossing the Jordan River and taking down the city of Jericho 473 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:04,640 and taking down armies like they've overcome water and walls 474 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,400 and weapons. And he gets here to the 475 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,080 conclusive verse, the theme verse of the book. 476 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:14,400 He wants you to see this idea. Thus the Lord gave Israel all 477 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,120 the land, and they swore together fathers, and they took 478 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:21,880 possession of it, and they settled there, and the Lord gave 479 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,520 them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to to their 480 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:30,200 fathers. Not one of all their enemies had 481 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:34,120 withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into 482 00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:37,160 their hands. Not one word of all the good 483 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:39,760 promises that the Lord had made the House of Israel had failed. 484 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:45,240 All came to pass. All came to pass. 485 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:50,840 All enemies, all land, all sides taken care of. 486 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:54,760 Why? Because not one word of God, not 487 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,520 one promise of God has ever failed. 488 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,480 Joshua didn't just want the people to have that confidence. 489 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:07,080 God wants you to have that belief that not one word of God 490 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,440 has ever failed. The Lord gave all the land He 491 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:13,040 swore to give. He gave them rest on every side, 492 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:15,800 fulfilling His promise of Deuteronomy 12 we had on the 493 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,000 screen. I believe yes we do. 494 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:22,000 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land the Lord 495 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,840 your God is giving to inherit, and when He gives you rest from 496 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:30,720 all your enemies around so that you may live in safety, this is 497 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:33,160 God keeping His word from four years ago. 498 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,160 He's saying, hey, 40 plus years ago I thought, I'm going to do 499 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:37,240 this. Guess what, I'm going to do it 500 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,840 now. There was a gap between the 501 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:45,840 promises declared in Deuteronomy and the promise delivered in 502 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,000 Joshua and Joshua and all the people of Israel had to go 503 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,120 through the gap going, man, God, you said we could have all the 504 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:53,520 land. You said we beat all the 505 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:55,000 enemies. But guess what? 506 00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:00,200 They're big, they're scary. Their walls are ginormous. 507 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,400 Their biceps are huge. This river is big. 508 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:08,960 How are we going to cross it? Not one word of God failed. 509 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:15,800 He wants you to have that same confidence that the Old 510 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:19,200 Testament is helping us see that God is a promisor. 511 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,560 It is who He is, and it's what He does and He has. 512 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,160 He can't help it. He's like addicted to bringing 513 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,200 his promises. Genesis Chapter 9 he promised 514 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,800 Noah he would never again destroy the world by flood. 515 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,720 Genesis chapter 12 he promised land and innumerable descendants 516 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,480 to Abraham. Exodus chapter 6 he promised to 517 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,280 deliver Israel from slavery to Egypt. 518 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,520 Deuteronomy 28 He promised blessings to Israel for keeping 519 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,120 the law. Joshua chapter 1 he promises 520 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,480 victory to Joshua over all the land of Canaan. 521 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,480 Second Samuel 7 he promises an everlasting throne to David's 522 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,160 descendants. What is God doing? 523 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:58,240 What is God demonstrating? Why is the Old Testament for us, 524 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:00,200 believer? It wants you to know. 525 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,280 It wants you to believe. It wants you to bleed in the 526 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,920 hope that Jesus Christ is the one who keeps his promises. 527 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,840 Every single one, every promise God has ever made. 528 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:14,440 It's yes, and it's that's right. And Jesus is coming to earth and 529 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:17,280 saying, guess what? I am the God who keeps his 530 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:21,400 promises. Not one word, not one dot, not 531 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:29,880 one apostrophe gets overlooked. And that gives me rest for my 532 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:33,920 future because He's promised me that one day when I'm up there 533 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:35,440 in heaven with Him, there's going to be no weeping, no 534 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,400 hurting, no pain. He's promised me that my sin 535 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,080 nature can be gone one day. He's promised me that I will be 536 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:44,360 resurrected and have life eternal with Him. 537 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:48,400 Those are promises that have been declared but not delivered. 538 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,600 I'm living in the gather that promise right now. 539 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:54,560 But listen, I have a sure hope. Not a hope so hope, but a know 540 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:58,600 so hope that one day I will see Jesus face to face and I will 541 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,160 live with Him forever in immortality. 542 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,000 Not because of anything I've done, but because of what He did 543 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,080 on a cross. Paying for my sin so that I can 544 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,680 have eternal life that is a rest for my future. 545 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:16,280 That it might look bad right now, but it's going to be so 546 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:22,400 great then that I might be living in the gap of broken 547 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:31,240 promises and a broken world and hardship and fear and difficulty 548 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:37,880 and disillusionment. But my soul doesn't have to be 549 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,200 in turmoil. It can be at rest for my future. 550 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,680 Why? Because God keeps his promises. 551 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:48,000 Joshua's written. So you'd believe that. 552 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,920 That when in the gap, you're invited to rest in, to live in 553 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,040 the hope of his promises. Every so often I'll just go on 554 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:58,720 Zillow and, you know, see what's happening, you know, in these 555 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:02,120 valley, you'll get a little little peak, see at what's going 556 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:03,640 on, see what home price are doing. 557 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,000 Dreaming a little bit like, oh, that, that, that house over 558 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,160 there that that's definitely on my we're going to change the 559 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:10,560 range a little bit. Just like you can dream for a 560 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:15,960 moment, you know, and the thinking about Zillow is Zillow 561 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,360 is an illusion most of the time, right? 562 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:20,520 It's like, I'm not actually going to live there. 563 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:22,080 I'm not actually going to dwell there. 564 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:23,280 I'm not actually going to live on that street. 565 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,440 I'm actually going to have that kind of the bedroom or that pool 566 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:29,760 or that backyard. I think sometimes when we're in 567 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:31,720 the gap, we get on spiritual Zillow. 568 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,640 We think to ourselves, Let me just imagine to myself this, 569 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:37,520 where can I live? Where can I rest? 570 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:39,480 That's not God, That's going to be better than where I'm at 571 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:42,880 right now. We dream up a preferred future. 572 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,920 We hope and something else that where we are actually called to 573 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:47,960 live, we're actually called to rest. 574 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:53,560 We're actually called to dwell. You're called to rest in God's 575 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:58,200 promises. Your hope is in who he is and 576 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:02,920 what he has done. Not in some imagined future that 577 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:10,400 you're asking for, but in what's actually concrete. 578 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,560 It's way more sure of a foundation because where you 579 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:19,120 live matters. And went on the mission, went on 580 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,920 the walk with God in the gap. If you think that you have to 581 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,600 live here, this side of heaven where all God's promises are 582 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,040 fully delivered, you're going to live disappointed. 583 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,720 Your expectations are going to go unmet. 584 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:40,080 You're going to find yourself again and again going back to 585 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:41,480 Zilla, wishing for something different. 586 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:47,280 But you have something good. You have something sure, you 587 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:51,880 have something steady. God's promises never fail. 588 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,800 He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion of 589 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:59,640 the day of Jesus Christ. You keep putting yourself under 590 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,000 the waterfall of grace and let God keep changing you from the 591 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,240 inside. I know you're weary. 592 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:06,440 I know you're discouraged and who you still are. 593 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:08,600 But listen me, You're not what you could be. 594 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,320 You're not what you should be, but you're not who you were. 595 00:34:13,159 --> 00:34:15,480 He who began a good work will bring it to completion of the 596 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:18,880 day of Jesus Christ. Your rest isn't just past tense. 597 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:20,639 It's right here, right now, believer. 598 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,639 You can be encouraged. You can rest in the future. 599 00:34:23,679 --> 00:34:28,040 God finishes what he starts. You can rest in that He's in 600 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:29,960 control. That for those who love God, 601 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,800 He'll work all things together for good for those who are 602 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:36,199 called according to His purpose. So that we might be conformed to 603 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:38,880 the image of His Son, so we might look more and more like 604 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:42,159 Jesus. That's what good is good, is 605 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:45,520 that we would look more like Jesus until the rest you're 606 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:47,800 running from at times is the rest you were made for. 607 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,280 Being on the altar, being transformed from the inside out. 608 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:59,080 Life change and some of you, your rest for your future isn't 609 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:03,440 found in Jesus at all. You know it, you're here curious 610 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:05,000 about it, and praise God, you're here. 611 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,920 That's why we gather is to tell people about Jesus, tell them 612 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:11,480 the good news of gospel, that you can have a real rest in your 613 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,440 soul. You can have a real rest for 614 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:15,440 your life. You don't have to be wired for 615 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:19,400 insecurity and anxiety and depression and anger and just 616 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:22,400 total disappointment in life, but rather you can have a true 617 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:26,480 joy, a true hope, a true love that God himself came and died 618 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:29,800 for you such you could have rest in life forever. 619 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:36,160 God loves you enough to die for you even while you were still 620 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:38,880 Sinner, even while you're at your worst, He loved you enough 621 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:41,560 to die for you. And so how do you enter into 622 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:43,360 true rest? Three steps into true rest. 623 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,440 If you're here today and you don't know Jesus, I want to make 624 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:49,160 it really simple. How can you find true rest? 625 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:52,080 It's first admit. Admit that you're a Sinner. 626 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:56,320 Romans 323 All have sinned and fallen short, the standard for 627 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:57,800 perfection, and you've fallen short of it. 628 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:00,960 You would know that. So everybody just needs to admit 629 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:06,640 to themselves, I am not perfect. I need God, I need salvation. 630 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:10,360 And if you would believe Romans 5/8 that God demonstrated His 631 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,080 love, that while you were still a Sinner, while you were still 632 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:16,160 very imperfect, Christ died for you. 633 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:20,120 If you would admit it and believe it and confess with your 634 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:24,160 mouth that Jesus is Lord. Romans 10 to 13 is a promise for 635 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:31,080 you. Everyone, everyone, everyone. 636 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:37,600 No matter the story, no matter the doubts, no matter the 637 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:42,640 difficulties, everyone who calls upon Jesus Christ will be saved. 638 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:48,000 They will be delivered. They will be free. 639 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:53,040 They will find rest. I pray that you would call upon 640 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:56,200 them to be saved, that you would find the ultimate rest for your 641 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,200 future because the best move you can make today is a spiritual 642 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:05,320 one that you would live or God wants you in the rest while in 643 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:10,600 the gap. Before I close, I just want to 644 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:14,040 close with this today. I, I'm convinced that here in 645 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:17,480 this room today, there are people, those three people who 646 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:20,960 are hearing all this in different ways, who hear and 647 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:24,960 believe who and never to now are wondering if they believe and 648 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:28,400 people who have heard and don't believe. 649 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:31,240 But I believe that the Spirit of God is at work and I believe 650 00:37:31,240 --> 00:37:36,680 he's changing people right now. But I also know that there is a 651 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:40,760 bunch of people right now who feel burdened by the gap. 652 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,680 The promise has been declared. It has not yet been delivered 653 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:54,680 that they need to be encouraged that before them are walls, 654 00:37:55,480 --> 00:38:01,040 before them are weapons, before them is the struggles of life. 655 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:04,200 And they feel it, and they are exhausted from it. 656 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:09,200 They are struggling to believe in the promises of God. 657 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:13,080 Now, humility, Here's what I want to ask of you. 658 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:15,560 I just want to pray for each and everyone of you who's in that 659 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:17,360 spot. In fact, let's just have a 660 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:19,040 moment together as a church family of prayer. 661 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:22,880 If you, that is you, if you find yourself, you're like, man, I am 662 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:25,280 the person living in the gap. And I don't just feel like I'm 663 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:29,000 living in the gap. I feel like I'm stuck in the 664 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,720 gap. I have very little hope, very 665 00:38:32,720 --> 00:38:35,200 little trust, very little leaf that God's going to keep his 666 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:39,280 promise to me. If that's you, may I just invite 667 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:40,520 you to stand so we can pray for you. 668 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,920 It could be one or two people. It could be 50 people. 669 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:46,400 It could be all the whole room. I don't know, but if that's you 670 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:48,520 and you're feeling like you're stuck in the gap, burdened by 671 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,120 the gap meaning prayer, where I just invite you to stand right 672 00:38:51,120 --> 00:39:10,460 now. Perfect. 673 00:39:10,460 --> 00:39:12,220 We're going to pray for you guys. 674 00:39:12,940 --> 00:39:15,620 Lord, thank you. Thank you for the people who 675 00:39:15,620 --> 00:39:18,260 have stood and who have admitted and even humbled themselves. 676 00:39:18,260 --> 00:39:22,100 Like right now, God. They feel stuck and trapped in 677 00:39:22,100 --> 00:39:27,420 the gap that they know what you've declared over their life, 678 00:39:28,140 --> 00:39:31,520 but they have not seen you deliver from the promises they 679 00:39:31,520 --> 00:39:38,680 feel like are theirs to have. There's waves that they can see. 680 00:39:39,240 --> 00:39:43,120 There's wind that they can't. There is walls in their hearts 681 00:39:43,120 --> 00:39:46,760 and in people and relationships that are so difficult, God, and 682 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:53,800 they're so discouraged. They're so disappointed because 683 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:56,200 they believe in who you've said yourself to be. 684 00:39:56,600 --> 00:39:59,120 They believe that your promises are good, but God, they haven't 685 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:03,160 yet experienced it. They don't feel the full force 686 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:06,360 of the reality that not one of your promises has ever failed. 687 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:08,200 God, I pray you give them a hope today. 688 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:09,920 I pray you give them a strength today. 689 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:11,640 I pray you give them a wisdom today. 690 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:15,080 I pray you give them a love today, a joy today, a patience 691 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:17,520 today, a hope to God. Would you give them all those 692 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:21,240 things and more to keep living in a gap with strength that they 693 00:40:21,240 --> 00:40:24,120 would not give up, They would not lose heart, but they will 694 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:26,360 turn to you. And then they'd say, God I. 695 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:29,920 We need you that this declaration of dependence upon 696 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:34,720 you, God, would bring joy, it'd bring life, it'd bring a smile 697 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:45,080 in the midst Thank you for our brothers and sisters. 698 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:47,160 Thank you for all the people here in the room who are joining 699 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:49,360 me in prayer for this. Now I pray God that we would be 700 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:52,760 a people who believe in your promises, who take you at your 701 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:56,880 word because you are the Holy One who we lift up, who we 702 00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:00,280 adore, who we trust, because God, you are a God who keeps 703 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:02,720 your promises. Not one of them has ever failed 704 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:04,760 and not one ever will. Who? 705 00:41:04,760 --> 00:41:07,520 We believe that with all our heart, in Jesus name, Amen.