1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,920 Just want to start off by saying Happy Mother's Day. 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,240 I hope everyone takes time, like Kevin said, just to honor the 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:09,000 mothers in your life. And you know, like he said to 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,960 every dad experiences, you know, what a mom does when when we 5 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:14,960 have to watch the kids and it's hard. 6 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,240 It's very difficult. And so, yeah, just want to 7 00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:21,480 encourage all the moms though, that everything you do that goes 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,840 on scene, God sees it and it is worth it. 9 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,200 And so happy Mother's Day. And yeah, just on the video 10 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:29,840 again, it is an exciting time to be here. 11 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,040 We call this mission season. We're officially kicking off 12 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,000 summer. I think everyone's done with 13 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,520 classes at UCF. We already have some people who 14 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:42,320 are in Italy and the base team is leaving tomorrow. 15 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,320 So I get the pleasure of driving some of them to the airport. 16 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,040 But we're we're here talk about it all year. 17 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,320 We're finally here. And we're going to have, you 18 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,800 know, like you said, I'm not going to list all the locations, 19 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:55,760 but there's going to be people everywhere. 20 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,800 And we're doing evangelism never stops here in our backyard. 21 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,400 We have the basketball camp that you guys can be serving in or 22 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,640 praying for this summer as well to reach the youth. 23 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,160 But yeah, like I said, we're all in it together. 24 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:08,960 And this is just an exciting time. 25 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:13,560 So if you don't know John and Nicole, that was John and I 26 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,840 think most of you do. I was trying to look and see, 27 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,720 you know, how many people I don't recognize but just wanted 28 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:24,400 to to honor them. They sorry, I lost my spot real 29 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,920 quick. But yeah, John and Nicole, 30 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,360 they've given their lives to this church. 31 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,400 They're all in people. They have a yes to the call of 32 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,800 God in their life. And it has paved the way for 33 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,440 everyone here to be blessed and grow in our faith. 34 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:38,920 And the main reason they keep leading these base teams is 35 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,160 because they love investing in the next generation. 36 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,920 And even though they've seen so many lives transformed, they 37 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,600 know that God has not done and they want to be at the front 38 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,120 lines. And so, yeah, I'm thankful for 39 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,040 the ways that they've modeled faith and obedience to Jesus 40 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,720 through every season when finances are tight, in the ups 41 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,640 and downs through sicknesses or and raising a family, they've 42 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,520 always had a yes on their heart. And they've been a great example 43 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,960 to myself and others and what it is to persevere and following 44 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,479 Jesus. And so although we miss our 45 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:11,280 family, we miss our pastor and, and their kids and everyone when 46 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,720 they're gone, it's, it's an exciting time to be here and we 47 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,000 all are a part of this. And so like he said, let's be 48 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,080 praying for them, be praying for everything that's happening at 49 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:22,280 our church throughout this summer. 50 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,280 And then we get to look forward. It's always awesome at the end 51 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:27,040 of summer for everyone to come home. 52 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,200 And you know, when the last trip comes back, we're finally all 53 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,640 together and we have that Sunday just to rejoice at all that God 54 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:35,320 has done. And then we launch into the 55 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,880 fall. So like he said again, we are 56 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,280 starting a new series called Summer in the Psalms. 57 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,360 And you know, he stole my whole intro, but strengthening 58 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:46,800 yourself in the Lord through the Psalms. 59 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,480 That's kind of our our heart for this. 60 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:52,760 The Psalms. The psalms just have a way to 61 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,200 minister to our hearts and we know that the Christian life. 62 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,000 It really is all about loving God with all of our hearts, 63 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,120 seeking him and loving him with all of our hearts. 64 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,400 But our hearts are are just so hard to understand. 65 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,640 They feel so strongly, but they're confusing. 66 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,960 But when we go into the Psalms, there's a Psalm for every season 67 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:15,160 of life just to and neck to your heart and give words maybe to 68 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,760 what you can't express. And they really help us to 69 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,040 follow Jesus and pursue him in every season. 70 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,560 But it's also a well of rich promises and truth that can 71 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,240 anchor our soul through life. And so it's going to be fun to 72 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,800 just plant ourself here for the next, I think 12 weeks and we'll 73 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,120 do a Psalm every Sunday so that we can grow in intimacy with 74 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,080 Jesus this summer. That's what it's all about. 75 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,080 So if you don't know me, I'm one of the elders. 76 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,120 My name is Nathan and I first started coming to Antioch in 77 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,240 2014, back when I was a UCF student. 78 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,400 Like many of us, that's our path into Antioch is just going to 79 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,600 UCF and getting connected, getting an invitation. 80 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,480 So I grew up in the church and I'm very thankful for that. 81 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,400 I think, you know, no matter your experience, it's always a 82 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,880 gift to grow up here in the name of Jesus, here in the gospel, 83 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:03,440 hearing sermons, you know, knowing the hymns and the, the, 84 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,480 the worship songs, listening to Z88, all that stuff is it's it 85 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,720 really is preparing your heart just, you know, to love him and 86 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,440 receive him one day. But yeah, to no fault of anyone 87 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,000 but myself. I became self-righteous and I 88 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,120 knew right from wrong and I that's all I could comprehend. 89 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,120 The Christian life was about is, is just doing the right things. 90 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,160 And you know, the further up you get in school, the more you see 91 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,040 people just like, you know, doing a terrible thing, 92 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:33,240 especially when you grow up in church. 93 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:34,720 It's like, I remember getting into high school. 94 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,960 I'm like, I can't believe like people are doing this stuff. 95 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,800 Don't they know this is wrong? But it led to just a 96 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,040 self-righteous attitude in me thinking I was better than 97 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,680 people. And it ultimately led to failure 98 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,200 when I couldn't uphold the standard that I knew that God 99 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,640 had for me. And then I, I just, you know, 100 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:52,880 there was a couple of years where I was just living. 101 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:58,000 I was, I was lost. I was confused and I, I knew 102 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,840 that there was a love for the world in my heart and that 103 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:04,000 tension between what I knew I was supposed to live and the way 104 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,840 I wanted to live was just really hard for me. 105 00:05:06,840 --> 00:05:08,960 And I didn't think that God was the answer. 106 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:11,920 I thought I had heard it all and it wasn't working. 107 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:16,600 And so I turned to the world. I mean, you know, I, I, for me, 108 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,440 a lot of it was sports. I could just watch football all 109 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,200 day every day, like every day throughout the week is just 110 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:27,560 thinking for the next weekend. I gave myself to sports, a lot 111 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,400 of like long distance sports, you know, it's just an amazing 112 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,720 way to like clear your mind. It becomes addicting. 113 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,720 But those were the comforts that I went to to try to satisfy, 114 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,800 like comfort my soul in those years where, you know, my soul 115 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,400 had no comfort, but as you know, any comfort other than God, it's 116 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:46,640 just momentary. It's nice when you're watching 117 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:48,800 the game. It's nice when you're things are 118 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,320 going your way like, but but the moment it stops and the noise 119 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,840 settles and you're just by yourself, like the anxiety sets 120 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:57,400 in. And that was me. 121 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:03,280 And I find myself in 2014 coming to UCF and I ran into an old 122 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:05,840 friend that I hadn't seen in five or six years, which is 123 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:07,480 always cool to see an old friend. 124 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,240 She was going to the church to Antioch at the time. 125 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:12,200 And she invited me to her life group. 126 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,640 And funny enough, like I said, I wasn't looking, I, I wasn't 127 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,280 really looking for a church. I never stopped going to church 128 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:22,040 with my family and and so I had no intention to go. 129 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,360 I didn't want to go. But then I see her like 2 days 130 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,040 later and she invited me once again to her life group and I'm 131 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,960 like man, I can't like be this guy that just says no all the 132 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:32,480 time. So I really went just to appease 133 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,600 my friend. And that night it was Tyler and 134 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,480 Sarah's life group and I finally went full circle. 135 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,960 Now I'm back in their life group after all this time, which is 136 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:44,040 awesome. But I remember walking in and 137 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,320 the room was filled with, honestly, a lot of our core 138 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,200 leaders today, just young college kids. 139 00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:53,120 I could tell that there was a love for each other in the room. 140 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:55,000 They embraced me. They welcomed me in. 141 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,640 No one knew me except my one friend from years ago. 142 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,720 And I could tell that they loved God. 143 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,200 And the way that they talked about him was amazing. 144 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,480 And they really believed that he was real, you know, and they 145 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,280 wanted to follow him and to know him. 146 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,720 And I was just taking it all in. I'm that guy that comes to life 147 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:14,480 group and you don't know what he's thinking. 148 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,600 Just like a bump on the log. But I was, I was taking it all 149 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:20,400 in. I grew up in a Presbyterian 150 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:22,680 Church. So, you know, everything was 151 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:24,160 different. The way they encouraged one 152 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,080 another, the way they talked about Jesus, the way they 153 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,560 worshipped. I was like doing nothing and 154 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,160 just taking it in. And then during worship time, 155 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:33,920 these two guys came and prayed for me. 156 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,320 And I don't remember the specifics of what they prayed, 157 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:38,800 the small talk, I don't remember. 158 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:42,480 But I remember that they spoke the gospel as they were praying 159 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:43,480 for me. They were just praying the 160 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,840 gospel. And it was in that moment, like 161 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,280 I just broke down. And for whatever reason, that 162 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:54,000 was the moment that God opened my eyes to see for the first 163 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,640 time clearly the gospel message. And he, he just gave me a new 164 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,480 heart, you know, And I knew in that moment that it was 165 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:03,520 personal. This was a personal faith that 166 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:05,840 God was calling me to. And he wanted me. 167 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:09,520 He wanted to walk with me. And yeah, it was awesome. 168 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,520 I remember walking to the car after that, you know, I, I went 169 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,320 in, I didn't know anyone. And then I have this like 170 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,960 emotional moment and then I'm leaving and it's just like, what 171 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,800 in the world just happened? And I remember like looking up 172 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:22,920 to the stars kind of that like movie moment. 173 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,240 But it was real for me. And I was amazed that I went to 174 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,440 church my whole life and it I never understood it as clearly 175 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,200 as I did right now. And I didn't even come like 176 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,520 looking for anything. And so yeah, that was awesome. 177 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,200 And I pray that our life groups will always be a place that 178 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:42,039 people can walk in and encounter the presence of God and that 179 00:08:42,039 --> 00:08:44,560 they would know Jesus by the way that we love one another and 180 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:46,920 that our arms would be open wide to anyone and everyone that 181 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,480 walks in. And I pray that even without 182 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,800 being told, they would just see and know that we truly are a 183 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,400 family who seeks Jesus together on mission. 184 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,440 And yeah, like I said, I, you know, it was all new to me. 185 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:02,920 I remembered I loved that people actually cared about my personal 186 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,160 relationship with Jesus. They didn't just want me to come 187 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,840 and fill a seat. But I had no idea how to spend 188 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,280 time with God, to walk with him, to share my faith. 189 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,240 And it was through discipleship, investment fellowship that I 190 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,600 learned, I, I came to learn, you know, and grow in these things 191 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,680 through time. And in 2017, that was so three 192 00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:25,360 years in to me being here was the first time I had the courage 193 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,600 to go overseas. I had never been international 194 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,760 and I never wanted to before this church. 195 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:35,080 I thought it was crazy. But 2017, I got the, you know, 196 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:37,440 our church, we were all going to Columbia that summer and it was 197 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,800 the second summer going to Columbia. 198 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,160 But I signed up for just like a five day impact trip, just a 199 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,280 little trip. And a couple weeks before we 200 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,680 were going to leave, Mike asked me to be a part of the the small 201 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:51,840 base team. It was like 12 people and they 202 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,920 were core people in the church. And I had no idea why he asked 203 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:57,840 me. I hadn't been through ADS like I 204 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,440 just served. I didn't lead anything, but I 205 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,480 went and I, I just felt like it was something I was supposed to 206 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,040 just say yes to. So it was a month long base 207 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,360 team. My job was the water boy and I 208 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,120 was content. I was happy with that and it was 209 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,840 an awesome month. We got to just go on the campus, 210 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,200 the university, and we saw so many kids. 211 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,080 I think we started a life group and the life group, every time 212 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,360 we would do it would have like 15 to 20 people. 213 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,760 We were doing personal discipleships and people were 214 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,960 hungry to know Jesus. And then we get to the end of 215 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,280 this month and we're about to leave and there was an 216 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,360 opportunity, you know, for for people to stay behind and 217 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:38,880 continue to lead this life group and invest and just see what 218 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,280 would happen with it. And so that invitation came to 219 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,960 me as one of the, you know, we had a team of four that ended up 220 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:47,840 staying. But when I got that invitation, 221 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:52,240 it was, I was like, I had never felt more excited to come home 222 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:54,080 and be a part of the life of the church. 223 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:58,280 I felt so close with everyone. I was excited to go home. 224 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,120 And then we're here. We're here like a couple days 225 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,880 before we fly back and I'm being asked like, would I stay another 226 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,440 2 1/2 months with a small little team? 227 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,440 And I just had so many fears inside of me, you know, what was 228 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:13,040 I going to miss back home? What's going to happen at the 229 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,520 end of this summer when we just have to leave again, You know, 230 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:16,760 is it going to be the same thing? 231 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:20,480 And I went and I went to this little park next to the hotel 232 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,480 and I spent time with the Lord and was praying about it. 233 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,680 And I landed on no. And I remember calling John with 234 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:29,760 full intention to say, like, I'm not going to do this. 235 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,360 And he gave me advice that I'll carry with me the rest of my 236 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,640 life. He said, we don't get the 237 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:39,040 privilege of knowing how it will end, but often times God gives 238 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,080 us the opportunity just to take one step. 239 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,360 And if we don't take it, we'll never know where it might lead. 240 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:47,680 And I think about that often in my life. 241 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,120 But yeah, anyways, I knew in that moment that this was a step 242 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,120 that God was just asking me to take in faith. 243 00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:56,080 And that summer had such a huge impact on my life. 244 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:59,280 I have a family in Colombia. I mean, I can't even speak 245 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,480 fluently to to them, a lot of them, but they're still family. 246 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:04,720 They love me. I love them. 247 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:08,920 And it feels like home away from home at this point and it's 248 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,960 still going. And I love that my wife and I 249 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,920 can't go this summer. But you know, God is still, he 250 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,160 is still moving. There's still a future to be 251 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,960 unfolded with our investment in Colombia. 252 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,640 And who knows where it could lead. 253 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,800 But yeah, this church has taught me that living by faith is the 254 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,520 only way of living and that it's an exciting adventure to follow 255 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,440 Jesus. And then March of 2024, my wife 256 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,160 and I, we were called to pursue adoption. 257 00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:38,680 And that was yet another faith journey for us, just a one step 258 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:41,760 at a time kind of thing. When we started, we didn't know 259 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:45,760 if it would be a boy or a girl. We didn't know what age child 260 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,520 that God would lead us to. We didn't know what country we 261 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,600 knew we wanted international, but it wasn't even you know, we 262 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,560 went to hungry and we had never even thought about hungry. 263 00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:57,040 We were hoping for like South America, but just like seeing 264 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:01,280 the Lord unfold every single step as we just said, yes, you 265 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,480 know, and it, it's cool being on the back end to look back and 266 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,880 see his faithfulness to lead us. And this year we finally got to 267 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,600 travel to Hungary and finalize the adoption of our daughter in 268 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:15,560 March, which it was exciting. And when John asked me to preach 269 00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:21,800 on a Psalm this Sunday, for me, it had to be Psalm 81, Psalm 81. 270 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,160 When when we were in Hungary, we had just gotten to the city we 271 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,560 were staying in for a while. We were going to be there, you 272 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:30,440 know, to meet our daughter. And then we had to stay there 273 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,720 for a month for this bonding period. 274 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,280 It was, yeah, like 2 days before we're about to meet this girl 275 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,840 we've spent a year and a half pursuing and praying for. 276 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:43,960 And I was by myself and I think a like in our apartment elevator 277 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:46,680 or something. And I, I just, the Lord just put 278 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:50,000 it in my mind, open wide your mouth and I will feel it. 279 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:53,320 And I knew that it was in the Bible, but I hadn't read it 280 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,320 anytime recently. So I looked it up and, but since 281 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,480 then it's been a verse, it's been a Psalm that I've meditated 282 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:01,960 on frequently. And it's really allowed me to 283 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,520 see the, the heart of God towards me and my weakness. 284 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:09,120 He's, he's my good father who abundantly and graciously longs 285 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:13,400 to satisfy me even amidst my brokenness and my unfaithfulness 286 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,800 and my failures. And I realized, you know, just 287 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:21,200 as I'm meditating and, and dwelling on this Psalm, that in 288 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:24,600 my moments of weakness, I am prone to disregard God's love 289 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,880 for me and to run to worldly comforts, whatever it is. 290 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,920 And I needed to learn, I needed to grow in, in seeking God, in 291 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:35,240 my weaknesses. And God knew, I think God knew 292 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,720 for sure that I'd be feeling more weak more often as a 293 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:44,240 father, even this week, you know, yesterday actually, I'm 294 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:48,480 driving to, to a funeral and going down the highway by myself 295 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,520 and just just the, you know, the worries and the anxieties of 296 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,440 life. And I, you know, you have those 297 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,720 moments where it's like, man, I could just turn on music, not 298 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:58,440 think about it. I could listen to a podcast, 299 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,400 something I want to listen to you, but I needed just to ride 300 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,280 in silence and just to meditate on these things and seek the 301 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,320 Lord. And yeah, feeling weak and 302 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,080 broken, discouraged. It's it's this is normal for the 303 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,440 Christian life. And I hope that today you guys 304 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:16,720 like I have, will all be blessed to see the God of heart, the the 305 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,160 heart of God towards us this morning. 306 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,680 So yeah, you can go ahead and open up the Psalm 81. 307 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,120 I'll read through the whole thing and then we'll just go 308 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:29,880 through it piece by piece. So Psalm 81 says, sing for joy 309 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:32,680 to God, our strength, shout joyfully to the God of Jacob, 310 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,000 raise a song, strike the timbrel, the sweet sounding lyre 311 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,600 with the harp, blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full 312 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,920 moon on the feast day. For it is a statue for Israel, 313 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:44,600 an ordinance to the God of Jacob. 314 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:46,480 He established it for a testimony. 315 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,280 And Joseph, when he went through the land of Egypt, I heard a 316 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,600 language that I did not know. I relieved his shoulder from the 317 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:55,360 burden. His hands were freed from the 318 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,000 basket. You called in trouble and I 319 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,120 rescued you. I answered you in the hiding 320 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,000 place of Thunder. I moved. 321 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:04,360 I proved you at the waters of Meribah. 322 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:08,760 Say law here, O my people, and I will admonish you, O Israel, if 323 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,240 you would listen to me. Let there be no strange God 324 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:14,000 among you, nor shall you worship any foreign God. 325 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:17,560 I, the Lord and your God, who brought you up from the land of 326 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:20,400 Egypt, open wide your mouth, and I will fill it. 327 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,680 But my people did not listen to my voice, and Israel did not 328 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:26,640 obey me. So I gave them over to the 329 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,720 stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices. 330 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:31,800 Oh, that my people would listen to me. 331 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:33,760 That Israel would walk in my ways. 332 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,960 I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against 333 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,480 their adversaries. Those who hate the Lord would 334 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:42,280 pretend obedience to him, and their time of punishment would 335 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:44,600 be forever. But I would feed you with the 336 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,760 with the finest of wheat and with honey from the rock. 337 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:50,760 I would satisfy you. Amen. 338 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:55,000 So, yeah, this song, this is something that would would have 339 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:59,240 been spoken aloud or sung at an annual feast. 340 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,040 It was an ordinance. So it was required for Israel, 341 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,760 instituted by God. And it was, it was meant to be a 342 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,000 reminder for Israel to repent of their sins and return to paths 343 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,200 of obedience. And you know, if you're new and 344 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,599 you just have no clue about the history of Israel, basically God 345 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:19,880 made a covenant with them. And most of the Bible is about 346 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,880 Israel's unfaithfulness to God, yet God's remains faithful to 347 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,040 them. And is that not our story as 348 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,800 well? That's why 1st Corinthians 10 349 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,160 says took that we can, we can actually look to Israel and a 350 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,120 lot of the Psalms, you know, it's, it's, it's them, it's 351 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:37,480 about their context. But we can look to Israel and 352 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,360 learn from them because our human nature never changes. 353 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,200 And we're, we're, you know, the natural state is just like them. 354 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:50,280 And so, yeah, it starts off, I love verse one through 7, just 355 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,680 simply with a call to worship. That's all that's happening 356 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,720 here. And you know, shout, he's saying 357 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:57,680 shout, sing, play the instruments. 358 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:01,400 Let's worship this God. And it's, you know, we do the 359 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,880 same thing here every Sunday, maybe at Life Group, anytime we 360 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,040 gather to worship the Lord. Christians have been doing this 361 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:08,920 for all time, this call to worship. 362 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,200 And it's just putting truth before us again, because we are 363 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,160 so quick to forget the things that are, the things that are 364 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:16,520 unseen. They're more true than the 365 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,160 things that are seen. We get stuck in the world with 366 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,160 our head in the sand, but the psalmist is reminding us that he 367 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,560 is worthy and we need to worship him. 368 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,840 And I like what John said last week too, like we, we weren't 369 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:31,800 delivered from Egypt. So you see some of these things 370 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:37,040 that the psalmist is is putting before them for them to remember 371 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:40,160 God's faithfulness and worship. You know, for us, it's not like 372 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,160 Ricky's not up here saying, remember, he delivered us from 373 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,680 Egypt. But it's, you know, it's, it's 374 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,520 other things and namely Jesus in the Gospel. 375 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,080 And so for us, God has carried our burdens. 376 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,880 He's freed us from sin. He's defeated death so that we 377 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:56,720 may have life in him forever more. 378 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:00,200 But we are so forgetful. And that's why we need to lift 379 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,320 our eyes often and posture ourselves rightly before God 380 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:07,280 because we know that God desires genuine worship from our hearts. 381 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,640 And even though this festival was something that was mandated, 382 00:19:10,640 --> 00:19:13,920 it was required. The festival, no matter how well 383 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:19,360 it's, it's, you know, performed, it cannot please it, it cannot 384 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:22,480 create pleasing worship to the Lord in its formality. 385 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:25,760 And the same is with us, simple formality of like a Sunday 386 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,320 service, no matter how well we set up and they sing, it cannot 387 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:33,600 create pleasing worship. But for pleasing worship, you 388 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,640 know, we must engage our hearts with God. 389 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,320 And that's something that we can all, we all must do 390 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,320 individually. No one can do that for us. 391 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:45,280 So anytime we gather Sunday service, life group, even, you 392 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:48,600 know, communion, when we get the chance to just meditate on the 393 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:53,080 gospel or going to a baptism and seeing people profess just 394 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,400 giving their life to Jesus and the symbolism of of going down 395 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,000 and coming up. All of these are opportunities 396 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,720 to engage with God and remember him so that we can be alive in 397 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:04,880 him. And you know, if we're not 398 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,320 coming to worship God and engage with him at Life Group or on a 399 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,960 Sunday service. It's going to become lifeless 400 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:17,040 very quickly, but I love what verse 7 says he says you called 401 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,160 in trouble and I rescued you. I answer you in the hiding place 402 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:22,000 of Thunder. I proved you at the waters of 403 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,000 Meribah say law. So he gives 3 reminders that he 404 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:30,440 puts before Israel. He puts before them to stir 405 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:35,360 their heart to worship God. In one is a reminder from Exodus 406 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:38,000 2 that the Israelites when they were in harsh bondage, they 407 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,120 cried out to God for deliverance. 408 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,200 And it says that their cries rose up to God. 409 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,800 They rose up to heaven. And the same is with us. 410 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:48,320 All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. 411 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:53,440 He actually hears when we call on Him, and He is willing and 412 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,000 able to rescue us from our bondage to sin. 413 00:20:56,160 --> 00:21:00,160 So we're to never forget that God heard us and He responded 414 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,200 and He saved us when we cried out to Him. 415 00:21:02,600 --> 00:21:06,200 And 2nd, it says I answered you from the hiding place of 416 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,080 Thunder, which is a reference to Mount Sinai. 417 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,680 And he came down, you know, just this dramatic scene with, with 418 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:16,840 clouds and Thunder, but just a reminder that God came down to 419 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:19,080 them. He condescended to establish a 420 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:22,480 new covenant with his people. And likewise, Jesus also 421 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,760 condescended to the earth to establish his new covenant with 422 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,640 us through his blood. And his presence is is with us, 423 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,200 gifted in dwelling us forevermore. 424 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,560 And then the waters of Meribah. I proved you at the waters of 425 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,880 Meribah. That's like a passage that's a 426 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,760 part of Scripture that's almost uncomfortable. 427 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:43,680 It should be uncomfortable for all of us to read right after 428 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,200 God delivers them from Egypt. If they go through the Red Sea, 429 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:50,800 just dramatic victory in the Lord and you know, Israel is 430 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,120 wiped out and they're free. And then like immediately 431 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,480 they're just complaining in unbelief. 432 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,240 Like surely God can get us out of Egypt, but he cannot provide 433 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:02,720 food for me. Like he can't give me water when 434 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:06,160 I'm thirsty. And it's it's hard to read like 435 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:10,080 how forgetful and, you know, just weak they are. 436 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,360 But the waters of Meribah was one of those moments where they, 437 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,320 you know, they're complaining against Moses. 438 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,960 They actually are willing to go back into slavery. 439 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:23,640 And but in that place of, you know, just mocking God, really, 440 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:27,480 after all that he's done for them, God so graciously provides 441 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,000 water from the rock. And that was like the good time 442 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,360 when Moses hit the rock. And So what is he reminding us? 443 00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:36,680 He's reminding us that God saves us, that God dwells with us and 444 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,360 that God's continued and he's reminding us of God's continued 445 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:42,200 grace despite our unfaithfulness. 446 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,720 He hasn't forsaken or given up and he remains faithful even 447 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,640 when we do not. And these are not just facts. 448 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,600 These are they're not just facts for the head. 449 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:53,800 You know, we want to know these things, but these are truths for 450 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,880 our soul and they should invoke worship in us. 451 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,040 But sadly, we get so used to these things. 452 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,640 And even even here, I love that they put a say law at the end of 453 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:10,760 these reminders to worship God. And one now Charles Spurgeon, 454 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:12,880 here's a quote from him just on this say law. 455 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,560 He says great is our sin, great is the mercy of our God. 456 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:19,280 Let us reflect upon both and pause awhile. 457 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,120 Say law. Hurried reading is of little 458 00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:24,800 benefit. To sit down awhile and meditate 459 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:29,080 is very profitable. So if we do not pause here and 460 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:31,800 enter into the rest of this Psalm with a humble and tender 461 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,040 heart, we may miss what God wants to speak to us. 462 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:36,600 And I would say that's the same for any Sunday service. 463 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:39,560 You know, if we just fly through worship, if we fly through this 464 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,920 call to worship and you know, God might want to speak 465 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,720 something to us and we might not be in the right heart to receive 466 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,080 it. And so we go on to verse 8. 467 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,640 He says here, O my people, and I would monish you, O Israel, if 468 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:56,480 you would listen to me. So God is wanting again, this is 469 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,600 this is calling them back to the Lord God's wanting to admonish 470 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:02,720 them. And but we heard last week, you 471 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:07,360 know, when Jesus is at the, the, the Last Supper with Judas and 472 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,640 he is so gentle, you know, he could have, he could have said 473 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,360 you're the guy you're going to like you're going to betray me. 474 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:17,640 But Jesus gives opportunities. He's he's trying to poke at your 475 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:19,400 heart. He's saying 1 here will betray 476 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,840 me. And but Judas just never 477 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,120 listened, you know, and here again, you see the gentleness of 478 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:28,120 God and his admonishment. He could he could come out and 479 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:31,680 just say like, you know, just harsh rebuke for Israel. 480 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,440 But he's saying if you will listen, if you will listen. 481 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,480 And one pastor says, he says we are not fond of being unbraided. 482 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,480 We had rather avoid sharp and cutting truths. 483 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:46,720 No one wants those harsh rebukes, even though sometimes 484 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,120 we need them, and sometimes even the Lord will give us those 485 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:52,120 graciously. He says though the Lord rebuke 486 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:54,240 us, we fly from his gentle reproofs. 487 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,400 And you know, we know that God, He is a gentle God. 488 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:03,880 And yeah, you know, how many times do we even know throughout 489 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,360 the day that the Holy Spirit, He's just gentle. 490 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:09,160 He is gentle and wanting to convict us of sin. 491 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:13,040 But we need ears to hear and we need just a heart that, you 492 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:15,800 know, wants to be tender to the Lord. 493 00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:20,760 And yeah, when we, when we have conviction, like John said last 494 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:23,080 week, an exposed heart must always run to Jesus. 495 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,320 And that's what God is wanting to do here. 496 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,400 Even though it's through like gentleness, he is wanting to 497 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:30,920 expose Israel's hearts that they would run back to God. 498 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,240 And the same is for us, you know, anytime we hear the Lord 499 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,240 just wanting to convict us, it's so that we would run back to 500 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:38,840 him. And I think you'll see that 501 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,880 that's God's heart here in this Psalm as well. 502 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:44,640 So eight through 10 again here, all my people, I would admonish 503 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,400 you, oh Israel, if you would listen to me. 504 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:49,440 He's saying, let there be no strange God among you, nor shall 505 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:53,560 you worship any foreign God. I, the Lord and your God who 506 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,520 brought you up from the land of Egypt, open wide your mouth and 507 00:25:56,520 --> 00:26:00,480 I will fill it. So we see that what is what is 508 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,480 God asking them to listen to? What's he asking them to hear 509 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,520 and to obey? And it's a direct. 510 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:10,640 It's a direct reminder of the first commandment back in Exodus 511 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:15,080 20 verse one and two, God spoke all these things saying I am the 512 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,760 Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of 513 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,600 the House of slavery. You shall have no other gods 514 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,720 before me. God wants, he has always wanted 515 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,400 devotion. He is the only God and he wants 516 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,360 our devotion. He wants our whole heart and 517 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:32,640 idols of the heart. Some of you have read that book, 518 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:37,400 but the author points out he says before God demands his 519 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,200 rightful worship, referring to the first commandment, he 520 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,480 demonstrates his love and goodness towards us before he 521 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,400 says to have no other gods to worship him alone. 522 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,400 He he reminds them, I am the Lord your God who brought you 523 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,040 out of the land of Egypt. And how many of you know that 524 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,120 there's there's people on earth who try to demand worship. 525 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,520 They're always have been. They're always there, you know, 526 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,840 you can think about countries where they're they're dictators 527 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,040 want worship, but it's never through love. 528 00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:06,320 It's always through fear, control, manipulation. 529 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,160 You have to force people and scare people into it. 530 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,480 But our God is love. And if you're new, maybe it 531 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:17,560 sounds weird that that God would make a command to worship him 532 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:20,080 and to worship him alone. Maybe you've heard that in 533 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,280 evangelism people get mad. You know, most people would 534 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:24,920 agree that most of the commandments are good. 535 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:26,600 Don't lie, don't commit adultery. 536 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,360 Those are good things. But why would God command us to 537 00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:30,840 worship him? Why? 538 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,960 Why would he command that You can't worship anybody else? 539 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:34,400 What about all these other religions? 540 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:38,320 And one thing we have to know that's foundational is God's 541 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,200 commands, therefore our good. Just like a parent makes rules 542 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,120 for their kids and you tell them over and over and over this is 543 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:45,920 for your good, even though they don't believe it. 544 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,560 And So what are these reasons? And if you, if you don't know 545 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,400 God or you know, back when we, we weren't walking with the 546 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,520 Lord, I think one of the reasons is because he doesn't want us to 547 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,080 die in our sins. So he commands allegiance that 548 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,280 we would worship him alone because even unbelievers, 549 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:05,720 everyone can do relatively good things and be relatively good 550 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:07,760 people. And I think that's why a lot of 551 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,960 people think they don't need God, because they look at 552 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,240 themselves, they look at the evil in the world and they say, 553 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:15,480 why would I need him? You know, I'm doing pretty good. 554 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,400 But the problem is, is that God demands holiness. 555 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:22,680 And you can't achieve holiness even if you're good sometimes 556 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:27,360 you will never fulfill the law perfectly and and achieve 557 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:30,840 holiness in yourself. But thankfully God he, we have a 558 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:34,920 God who Stoops down to save us and we can never ascend to him. 559 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,800 But he came down to us. And This is why he commands 560 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:40,360 allegiance because no other God will do that. 561 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:42,480 No other God can save but him alone. 562 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,520 And he wants us to know him. He wants us to be saved and to 563 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:49,400 not die in our sins. But for us who do know God who 564 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:53,200 have been saved from our sins, he commands allegiance because 565 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,480 he wants us to have life in life abundant. 566 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,360 And we know that there actually is no other God. 567 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:03,960 Every other God is a small G and every other God is, is really an 568 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:05,680 idol. And the Bible says if you 569 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,440 worship a false God, if you worship an idol, you'll become 570 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:11,240 like them. Psalm 115 verse 7 says they have 571 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,480 hands, but they cannot feel. They have feet, but they cannot 572 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,920 walk, They cannot make a sound with their throat. 573 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:19,240 Those who make them will become like them. 574 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,000 Everyone who trusts in them, they are lifeless. 575 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:24,800 And when we trust in them, we too will. 576 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,800 We will become lifeless. And maybe you've experienced 577 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,000 this. I know I have those moments 578 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,400 where your soul is restless and you're just longing for God. 579 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,440 But for whatever reason, you turn to an idol, you turn to 580 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:41,520 something that's easy. You turn to something 581 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:44,280 comfortable, like to give you comfort, but it just leaves you 582 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,400 feeling lifeless. And then you feel like you have 583 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,440 nothing to give and you kind of like go into the spiral feeling 584 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,240 bad about yourself and stuff. But that is the result of 585 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,080 trusting an idol. And they can't give what they 586 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:58,360 don't have. Only God can give life. 587 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:02,480 But anything we turn to in those moments where God is, is asking 588 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:05,400 us to look to him. If we turn to something else, it 589 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:09,520 will make us feel lifeless. But God here is saying open wide 590 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:13,760 your mouth and I will feel it. And I think we need to hear him 591 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,400 whisper this to us more often in those moments when we're feeling 592 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:20,800 discouraged or frustrated, depressed, you know, we feel 593 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,080 like we've blown it, like we're a failure, like we're the worst 594 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:26,560 Christian under the sun, like we should be so much further along. 595 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:30,360 It's in those moments I think we need to hear God's loving desire 596 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,800 to satisfy us and him. Whisper open wide your mouth. 597 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,360 I will feel it. No one else can. 598 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:41,480 And we go to verse 11, sadly, but my verse my, my people did 599 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,000 not listen to my voice and they did not obey me. 600 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:49,520 So he he is specifically talking about the first commandment, but 601 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:54,240 also they failed to to like Israel was literally worshipping 602 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,280 Pagan gods. They were worshipping idols. 603 00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:59,000 They would create statues. And so, you know, they were, 604 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:01,760 they were like breaking the first commandment in that right. 605 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,680 But what God is saying here is that they also, they didn't just 606 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,720 disregard God, but they disregarded all of his ways, all 607 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,000 of God's laws. And that's how it works. 608 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,240 If you're going to, if you're going to put off God and have 609 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:14,800 other idols, you know, you're not going to fear him. 610 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:16,920 Of course you're not going to uphold his ways. 611 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,480 And that's why you see the world wanting to push God out of 612 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:21,560 everything because they don't want to walk in his ways. 613 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:25,440 But God's intention was always that Israel would walk in his 614 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,840 ways and be blessed and be a blessing to the world. 615 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,200 And the same is for us. We are called to follow Jesus. 616 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:34,880 We're not called to just believe in Jesus so that we might be 617 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:36,360 saved, but we're called to follow him. 618 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,520 And he literally says that to his disciples when he, when he 619 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:43,240 calls them, he says, follow me. And I just wanted to touch on 620 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,280 this real quick. Just the fact that we're all 621 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:50,960 called to to obedience to Jesus. Matthew 513 through 16 says, If 622 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,240 you, it says you are the salt of the earth. 623 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:55,840 But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made 624 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:57,960 salty again? It is no longer good for 625 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,880 anything except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 626 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,720 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be 627 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:06,680 hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and 628 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,920 put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to 629 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,720 all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men 630 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,720 in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your 631 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:21,080 Father who is in heaven. So when God saves us, he says we 632 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,760 were born again. We literally become a new 633 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,360 creation and we have a new natural state. 634 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,360 And in that natural state being a new creation, Jesus says that 635 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:34,960 we are the light of the world. We are salt in the world, and 636 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:41,160 it's just by his doing. And so, yeah, as we follow Jesus 637 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:45,160 and simply obey him, our faith is displayed to the world. 638 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,560 God is glorified. Others are drawn to him. 639 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:52,120 And what he's saying is faith without obedience. 640 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,120 It's like a lamp with a basket over it. 641 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,360 The lamp is designed to give life, and you cover it up. 642 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:02,040 It's like, you know, if you're suppressing the very nature, the 643 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:06,400 thing that it's made for, And as James would say, your, your 644 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:10,080 faith has become dead. You know, and I, I, I thought 645 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:13,960 that that verse, just that that parable that Jesus gives us is 646 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:19,280 such a good understanding that like we're, you know, I think 647 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:22,840 people look at obedience to Jesus as this like harsh thing, 648 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:24,920 you know, I can't be free. But we're actually made for 649 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:26,960 this. And it's when we follow him that 650 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,560 our faith comes alive. And yeah, when we forget that 651 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,200 we're following him and that it's no longer I who lives, we 652 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,880 begin to live for ourself. That's our that's our natural. 653 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:39,120 You know, we take our eyes off him. 654 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:42,120 We're going to live for ourself. The cares of the world become 655 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:44,320 higher priorities than walking by the Spirit. 656 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:48,360 And we will ultimately miss His purpose for our life and become 657 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:52,080 apathetic, lifeless, will neglect prayer, and our hearts 658 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:56,400 will grow hard to the gospel. And maybe you've experienced 659 00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:57,720 that. Maybe you're there right now. 660 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:01,040 I know I have. But if that's you, you can cry 661 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,440 out to God. He's actually longing for your 662 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,680 return. And remember Ephesians 210 says, 663 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:10,159 for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good 664 00:34:10,159 --> 00:34:12,480 works, which God prepared beforehand, that we would walk 665 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,280 in them. So whatever has God give, 666 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:18,320 whatever God has gifted you in, do it with all your heart. 667 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,560 If it's to give, to be hospitable, even building 668 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:24,880 relationships with your neighbors and Co workers, being 669 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:27,159 a good friend. Don't overcomplicate what it 670 00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:30,600 means to be obedient. It's so easy to do that, but 671 00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:33,679 just be. Be the person that God has made 672 00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:37,719 you to be. And God says every command can 673 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,440 be simplified to two things, to love him and to love your 674 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:42,719 neighbor as ourself. And so I think we need to get 675 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:46,600 back to regularly asking God, daily asking God maybe multiple 676 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,520 times throughout the day, just asking the Holy Spirit, God, 677 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:51,159 what? What are you asking of me? 678 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:53,520 What can I, what are you asking me to obey today? 679 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:55,960 What would you have me do? Or when you're reading the 680 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:59,400 Bible, ask the Holy Spirit say, how can I obey this instead of 681 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,080 just learning about it, How can I obey this and apply this to my 682 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:07,080 life? So we see in verse 12, you know, 683 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:09,120 they didn't do this, they didn't hear, they didn't obey. 684 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:11,000 And So what happened? God gave them over to the 685 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,920 stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices. 686 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:15,400 And we've talked about this often. 687 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:17,320 We heard it last week. We saw it with Judas. 688 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,440 Just given over. God pursues, pursues, pursues. 689 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,280 But at some point we are given over just to walk in our own 690 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:25,160 ways. And that's when our conscience 691 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,440 is seared and we are no longer sensitive to this sin. 692 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,280 And ultimately, ultimately, we're going to pay the 693 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:33,240 consequences. It's going to destroy us. 694 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:37,040 And if we're his like First Corinthians 5, it says that, you 695 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,040 know, in a, it's a different context, but someone's given 696 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:43,840 over even the church is no longer pursuing them so that 697 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:45,840 they can just go and pursue their sin. 698 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,160 And it says it's for the destruction of their flesh so 699 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:52,080 that their souls in hopes that their souls will be saved. 700 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:56,880 In other words, we too, as believers, can be given over to 701 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:00,400 our sin if we are silencing the voice of the Holy Spirit, if 702 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:05,400 we're rejecting God's call to listen to him, at some point 703 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:08,080 we're just going to go in this pattern, pattern, pattern. 704 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:11,560 And it's going to produce life, lifelessness. 705 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,320 It's not going to give life. It's going to it's going to hurt 706 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:16,440 us. It's going to wound us and we 707 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,240 will pay consequences for it. But the hope is that when we 708 00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:22,760 it's called learning the hard way ultimately, like hopefully 709 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:25,720 when we we're paid the consequence like God cares about 710 00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:28,080 our soul and we can come back to him. 711 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,080 But we see with Judas too and Romans one as well. 712 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:35,280 They're sadly there is a given giving over that ultimately 713 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:39,280 leads to people who will never turn back to God and they will 714 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:43,600 pay the ultimate price of the you know, losing their soul, 715 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,440 destroying their soul, not just their flesh. 716 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,400 So we see God's heart to satisfy a few verses ago saying open 717 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:51,840 wide your mouth and I'll fill it. 718 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:55,760 But here verse 12 Israel is at the lowest of low They they 719 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:58,080 didn't listen. They've been given over and they 720 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,960 followed after other idols and they've rejected God. 721 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,840 They've refused to listen to him and they've gone their own way. 722 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:06,880 But we're about to reach the pinnacle of this passage, and I 723 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,880 think, you know, this is where everyone needs to be listening 724 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:14,000 because we all find ourselves weak and broken and failing and 725 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,640 struggling, maybe even lost and confused at times trying to 726 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:20,440 figure things out. Satan wants us to wallow in our 727 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:24,600 shame and condemnation. Our flesh wants to try to earn 728 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:26,480 our way back to right standing with God. 729 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:30,960 But we need to hear what is God's heart towards Israel even 730 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,600 get being given over and worshipping other gods just 731 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,360 touch such an offense to the their creator. 732 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:39,960 But what is God's heart towards them in this moment? 733 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:42,040 I'll read verse 13 through the end. 734 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:46,400 He says oh that my people would listen to me that Israel would 735 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,080 walk in my ways. I would quickly subdue their 736 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,320 enemies and turn my hand against their adversaries. 737 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,080 Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him and 738 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:56,800 their time of punishment would be forever. 739 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:00,640 But I would feed you with the finest of wheat, with honey from 740 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:02,160 the rock. I would satisfy you. 741 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:07,560 That's awesome, you can hear it. He says, Oh my people, that you 742 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:10,280 would listen to me. It's the cry of a father. 743 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,240 He is longing for them to come back, even though they have 744 00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:16,760 completely blown it. And he even calls them his 745 00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:20,440 people. His people, He says, My people, 746 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,680 he longs to fight for them. He, he says he would subdue 747 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:27,080 their enemies. He longs to satisfy them with 748 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:30,440 the best, with the finest of blessing. 749 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:35,760 It's like the prodigal son, his father, he comes back and you 750 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:37,480 know, we, we are the prodigal son. 751 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,640 We come back and we're like, oh, you know, like, I don't need 752 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:41,920 that big a blessing. I've blown it. 753 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:44,600 And then you see the Father, like giving the fattened calf 754 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:48,680 and throwing a party. God, he, he, God sees us trying 755 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:51,760 to fight our battles on our own, and he actually longs to fight 756 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:55,840 them for us. And when it seems like we're far 757 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:59,520 from blessing and we deserve to be held at a distance, it's God 758 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:03,280 that graciously longs to satisfy us fully with himself. 759 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,600 And so let me ask, why do you resist God in your low moments 760 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:11,400 after you've blown it? Those moments where you turn to 761 00:39:11,400 --> 00:39:14,480 worldly comforts and suppress your soul's desire for God? 762 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:18,440 And it's usually with things that are not evil, with media, 763 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:22,760 with music, your hobbies, with food, with exercise. 764 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,400 Maybe it's checking the news. Maybe it's checking your 765 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,560 investments. Why, when your soul is longing 766 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:31,400 for God, do you run to these comforts? 767 00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:36,120 Do you actually realize that even in your lowest moments, God 768 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:38,320 wants to satisfy you with His best? 769 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:42,480 Second Chronicles 714 says, if my people who are called by My 770 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:45,920 name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn 771 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,680 from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and we'll 772 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:50,680 forgive their sin and heal their land. 773 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,680 In Romans 2, we know that it it is the kindness, it says it's 774 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:56,720 the kindness of God that leads to repentance. 775 00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:58,600 And how many of you know that that is true? 776 00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:01,960 And you see it's so clearly here, the loving kindness of God 777 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:05,360 wooing them back. He is always wanting to draw us 778 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:09,320 back by His love. And he wants us to run back to 779 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:12,320 Him confidently. And this is a daily thing. 780 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,640 But we got to ask, why would God be this gracious and kind to us? 781 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,040 It doesn't make sense. We don't deserve it. 782 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:22,920 You know why? Why wouldn't he just say, 783 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:24,880 forget, forget them, They don't want me. 784 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:28,080 And it's simply because we're His. 785 00:40:28,680 --> 00:40:31,520 Once we've been born again, we're adopted and we have the 786 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:34,840 right to call the Creator of the universe, ABBA Father, And 787 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:37,280 there's nothing that can separate us from his love. 788 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:41,240 And how many of you know that feeling just walking into a life 789 00:40:41,240 --> 00:40:43,880 group, just feeling like you have nothing to give. 790 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:48,920 Like, you know, I, I like to say after, after a day at work where 791 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,960 I like, you know, just have given my mind to the things of 792 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:53,600 the world. You know, I'm not dwelling on 793 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,040 the things of the spirit. I say it just turned me into 794 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,160 like a potato. You know, I feel like, like I 795 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:00,960 have nothing to give. But how many of you know that, 796 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,160 like, you walk into life group and you feel like that? 797 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:06,720 Like, man, you're just like you're just weighed down by the 798 00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:09,480 cares of your day or your failures. 799 00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:11,520 Yeah. Maybe you're ashamed of how you 800 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:12,920 spent your day. Maybe you're going through a 801 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:14,800 trial. Maybe there's frustrations in 802 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:17,920 your life, disappointments. Whatever it is, it's in those 803 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:20,240 moments. It's on those days that we need 804 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:22,320 to learn to do business with Jesus. 805 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:27,240 On our worst days, God desires to satisfy us so that we can 806 00:41:27,240 --> 00:41:30,720 have life, so that we can have the fullness of life, but also 807 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:33,680 that so that we can take our eyes off our self and be a 808 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:37,280 blessing to others. And I think everyone here would 809 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:41,360 say in 20 years from now, 30 years, whenever you know that 810 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,000 you would want to still be passionate about Jesus and you 811 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:48,000 want to still be living for his Kingdom, still evangelizing, 812 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,720 still sacrificing yourself so that you can love others so that 813 00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:55,400 they might come to know him. But for that to happen, for us 814 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,920 to be passionate in 20 years about Jesus and still be in the 815 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:02,960 game, we must become experts at turning from idols that robbed 816 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:08,160 us of life and learned to seek Jesus so that we might in 20 817 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:10,640 years be filled with life and have so much to give. 818 00:42:12,240 --> 00:42:15,280 And I want to remind you again, John has brought it up the last 819 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:17,760 couple weeks. James, four one through 10 says 820 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:20,360 draw near to God and he will draw near to you. 821 00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:23,720 Cleanse your hands, you sinners, purify your hearts, you double 822 00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:26,000 minded. Be miserable, mourn and weep. 823 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:29,560 Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 824 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,560 Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord and he will exalt 825 00:42:32,560 --> 00:42:34,800 you. Amen. 826 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:39,920 So I wanted to end just on a quick story from our time in 827 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:44,960 Hungary when we were going to to pick up our daughter, which was 828 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:46,880 an awesome trip. We had to go for about two 829 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:50,720 months. And yeah, so we we went, we went 830 00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:52,880 to her little village and we met her the first day. 831 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,760 It was awesome. It's just the craziest feeling 832 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:58,040 driving there. And you're about to meet in 833 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:02,320 person this girl that you do, you know a lot about her, but 834 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:05,400 you don't know her. You haven't seen her. 835 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:09,120 Like, you know, her actions and her emotions and her personality 836 00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:12,240 and all these things. So, yeah, it's just a whirlwind 837 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,600 of emotions that day. But it was awesome to a very 838 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:17,520 open heart to it. But it was just a short, quick 839 00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,320 visit. And we never left her house, 840 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,880 really. But the second day was the first 841 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:25,200 day we went back. And that was the first day we 842 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:27,480 were going to take her out of her house for the first time. 843 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:30,560 We went to McDonald's. There's not much to do in her 844 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:34,800 city or anywhere close to there. So we went to McDonald's and 845 00:43:35,120 --> 00:43:38,680 that day, if you don't know, I mean, I didn't know anything 846 00:43:38,680 --> 00:43:40,640 about adoption. I'm sure most of you guys don't 847 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:44,480 as well. But it's, it's hard for a kid to 848 00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:47,680 attach to these strangers as their parents. 849 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:51,880 And it's, it's common, it always happens that they will attach to 850 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:55,200 one quicker than the other. You find your comfort place and 851 00:43:55,200 --> 00:43:58,360 then in time they'll, you know, be comfortable with both of you. 852 00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:02,840 And for us, that was Kathy. And I'm very thankful it was 853 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:06,480 Kathy and not me, but she was, she was really attached to 854 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,840 Kathy, you know, physical touch, everything, affection playing. 855 00:44:12,280 --> 00:44:13,800 You know, she loved Kathy right off the bat. 856 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:17,520 But that second day when we went to McDonald's, she wanted 857 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:21,600 nothing to do with me. She like, she didn't want to 858 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:23,160 look at me. She didn't want me to play with 859 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:25,240 her. And the only time she would 860 00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:28,480 interact with me is to like, essentially mock me. 861 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:32,960 And yeah, she would say this like Hungarian phrase. 862 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:34,840 It's basically like, oh, Dad's crazy. 863 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:40,560 And yeah, So it was, it was funny. 864 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:44,720 And I think like her family, her foster family at the time, like 865 00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:47,160 they saw that. And I think they really helped 866 00:44:47,240 --> 00:44:49,640 coach her like, hey, you can't be that mean to this guy. 867 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:52,520 So she she turned around really quick. 868 00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:57,320 But after that day, I, I like, it didn't really hurt me because 869 00:44:57,320 --> 00:44:58,760 we've done so much training and stuff. 870 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:00,280 I know this little girl doesn't know me. 871 00:45:00,280 --> 00:45:03,000 Like it's such a big hard thing for her to go through. 872 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,360 I can't expect her to like be comfortable with me right off 873 00:45:05,360 --> 00:45:08,640 the bat. But I knew if this was going to 874 00:45:08,640 --> 00:45:11,160 persist. But I have no guarantee that 875 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:13,600 she's going to like me tomorrow or she's going to like me a 876 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:16,040 month from now. What if she acts like this for, 877 00:45:16,120 --> 00:45:18,800 for like months? You know, it could be really 878 00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:21,640 difficult. And so that evening, I, I just 879 00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:24,000 had to like go and spend time with the Lord just to like be 880 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:28,760 proactive with the, the heartache that could come in the 881 00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:32,680 future. And yeah, that was when, you 882 00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:36,080 know, the Lord really it was, it was just a really good time just 883 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:38,480 to remember that Christ alone is my reward. 884 00:45:39,720 --> 00:45:43,760 It and this for him, you know, he, he's my reward. 885 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:48,080 And he reminded me that like, I need to be confident in his love 886 00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:52,080 for me if, if I'm going to be able to love her adoption. 887 00:45:52,080 --> 00:45:55,520 It's a choice to unconditionally love and give all of yourself to 888 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:58,840 an orphan. No, like unconditional means it. 889 00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:02,000 It doesn't depend on how they treat you or what they give in 890 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:05,320 return. But I realized that my love, my 891 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:08,200 love, my heart is weak. It's so weak. 892 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:12,080 When I look to 1st Corinthians 13, you see, it's, you know, it 893 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:14,480 teaches us about love, but it teaches us about God. 894 00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:17,600 And when you read that and you realize that that's God's love 895 00:46:17,600 --> 00:46:21,920 for us, it's amazing. And I, I realized how weak my 896 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:24,640 love is. I long to be loved in return. 897 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:27,160 I want this little girl to like, love me if I'm going to love 898 00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:30,240 her. You know, I have expectations 899 00:46:30,680 --> 00:46:33,880 and I didn't really realize that going into it, but you know, I, 900 00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:37,400 you know, I do, I want, I want to receive something, but the 901 00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:41,360 only way that I can, God told God taught me that the only way 902 00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:44,880 I can endure rejection and still love with all of my heart is to 903 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:49,800 be confident in his love for me. And do you realize that this is 904 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:54,160 the love that God has for US? Jesus loves us perfectly, even 905 00:46:54,160 --> 00:46:58,360 though we are that orphan that often disregards his love. 906 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:05,160 God has, Jesus has dwelt, you know, the Trinity God, he has 907 00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:07,240 dwelt securely for all of eternity. 908 00:47:08,160 --> 00:47:10,920 Jesus has dwelled securely with his father and that's a good 909 00:47:10,920 --> 00:47:11,440 thing. Why? 910 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:13,480 Because he doesn't need anything from us. 911 00:47:13,720 --> 00:47:17,280 And that's why you see this, this persistent love towards 912 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:20,400 Israel in the same his persistent love towards us is 913 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:22,720 because he actually doesn't need anything from us. 914 00:47:23,240 --> 00:47:27,000 And so when we want to to wallow in shame of our failure, turn to 915 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:31,160 idols, we we actually are displaying a lack of confidence 916 00:47:31,160 --> 00:47:35,320 in God's love for us and a lack of confidence and understanding 917 00:47:35,320 --> 00:47:39,520 of of our identity as children to him. 918 00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:43,920 And so, yeah, just a question before we go back into worship, 919 00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:47,520 just want to ask if you were confident in the love that God 920 00:47:47,520 --> 00:47:51,080 has for you, if you really believed that God would satisfy 921 00:47:51,080 --> 00:47:53,600 you, what are those things in your life that you would no 922 00:47:53,600 --> 00:47:58,280 longer depend on? I think we need to ask ourself 923 00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:02,400 again more often just that question of God. 924 00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:07,160 How can I obey you today and ask God, help me to be confident in 925 00:48:07,160 --> 00:48:10,040 your love for me. Holy Spirit, convict me quickly 926 00:48:10,040 --> 00:48:14,720 when I turn to idols. God's promise for us, God's 927 00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:18,040 promise for you, God's promise for our church is life. 928 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:22,000 He, he wants, He desires you to have the fullness of life in 929 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:23,840 him. He desires this church. 930 00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:26,560 He desires your life group to be full of life. 931 00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:32,000 But we must turn from every idol, every comfort that we turn 932 00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:35,920 to our world is full of them. That is the American way. 933 00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:39,320 We have comforts all around us. And it could be anything. 934 00:48:39,320 --> 00:48:42,400 I I can rattle off list. I have a little bit, but it 935 00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:45,840 could be anything. And I think only you know what 936 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:49,040 those things are. Only you can sense those moments 937 00:48:49,520 --> 00:48:52,240 when God is is what he is calling you. 938 00:48:52,240 --> 00:48:55,680 He is wooing you to himself. He's asking you to seek him and 939 00:48:55,680 --> 00:48:57,880 it's in those moments we turn to other things. 940 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:00,320 Those are no one else can see in your heart. 941 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:02,280 No one knows when you're watching sports. 942 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:05,880 Is it are you idolizing it? Are you, you know, just enjoying 943 00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:09,600 it And it's it's not bad. It's it, it's work that all of 944 00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:11,000 us have to do in and of ourselves. 945 00:49:11,000 --> 00:49:15,120 We can't judge when we look around and see like, you know, I 946 00:49:15,880 --> 00:49:19,760 God is has room every all, every year, like every sports season, 947 00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:22,760 It feels like God is just taking it like more and more and more 948 00:49:22,760 --> 00:49:25,840 away from me. But I'm just so weak. 949 00:49:26,040 --> 00:49:30,560 I'm so weak and I look at other people that can go and like play 950 00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:33,080 fantasy football and stuff and I'm like, how in the world do 951 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:36,400 you do that and not just get consumed by it? 952 00:49:36,680 --> 00:49:38,600 I can't do it. I don't know, I can't. 953 00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:42,960 And God, he wants my heart. And so for me, you know, though, 954 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,480 that's one of those things that I'm always on guard against. 955 00:49:45,480 --> 00:49:48,680 But we can't look at other people like no one else is like 956 00:49:48,680 --> 00:49:50,880 us. So just want to ask you today, 957 00:49:50,960 --> 00:49:55,400 you know, even in this time of worship, just to just to 958 00:49:55,400 --> 00:49:58,960 meditate. What are those things that are 959 00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:02,600 creating lifelessness? They're stealing life from you. 960 00:50:04,960 --> 00:50:07,600 Where does God want to give you life this morning? 961 00:50:09,520 --> 00:50:15,280 Yeah, he's good. He loves you no matter where 962 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:18,840 you're at this morning. Just hear him say open wide your 963 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:21,720 mouth. I want to fill you this morning. 964 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:24,560 Whatever you're fighting and getting worried about and 965 00:50:24,560 --> 00:50:27,200 anxious. I would quickly subdue your 966 00:50:27,200 --> 00:50:30,640 enemies. I would turn my hand against 967 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:35,440 your adversaries. Yeah, I love the ending. 968 00:50:35,440 --> 00:50:39,120 But I would I would feed you with the finest of weed, with 969 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,000 honey from the rock. I would satisfy you. 970 00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:44,520 He, he wants to give us his best. 971 00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:50,480 And yeah, Lord, help us believe that this morning. 972 00:50:50,840 --> 00:50:54,680 Help us believe that you are a good father, that you hold 973 00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:58,920 nothing back from us. You hold nothing back, but you 974 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:01,560 desire to give it all to your children. 975 00:51:02,200 --> 00:51:06,080 And Lord, forgive us for the ways day after day, moment after 976 00:51:06,080 --> 00:51:10,400 moment sometimes where we just run and we numb ourself. 977 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:15,800 God, I pray that you would bring clarity just even throughout 978 00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:17,680 this week. Lord, I pray for a sensitive 979 00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:20,840 conscience and that we would hear you saying, if you would 980 00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:24,880 listen, if you would listen, don't turn to this thing. 981 00:51:26,680 --> 00:51:28,680 Open wide your mouth. I will fill it. 982 00:51:29,400 --> 00:51:32,800 I will fill it. God help us, you know, let us be 983 00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:36,320 those people that come to life group even in low moments, even 984 00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:39,880 in trials, even after we've we feel like we've blown it. 985 00:51:39,880 --> 00:51:43,480 We can do business with God, we can run back to you and we can 986 00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:46,960 come in with life and actually have something to give. 987 00:51:47,560 --> 00:51:49,400 Lord, let us be a selfless church. 988 00:51:49,760 --> 00:51:52,800 The enemy wants us to just have our eyes on our self all the 989 00:51:52,800 --> 00:51:56,960 time, all the time. But it's, it's looking to Jesus, 990 00:51:56,960 --> 00:52:01,360 it's looking to your love, it's looking to psalms like this to 991 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:04,720 remember that you're a loving father who wants to bless us. 992 00:52:04,720 --> 00:52:08,000 It's it's looking to your love and your heart that transforms 993 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:09,800 us and gets our eyes off our self. 994 00:52:10,240 --> 00:52:13,920 And so Lord, even this morning, help us to get our eyes off our 995 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:15,760 self. Lord, would you remind us of 996 00:52:15,760 --> 00:52:19,040 your love? Holy Spirit, help us to believe 997 00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:21,400 where we don't believe. Help our unbelief. 998 00:52:25,080 --> 00:52:27,720 And God, help us to have no idols. 999 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,960 And remember that you saved us from our sin. 1000 00:52:32,120 --> 00:52:35,160 You saved us from our bondage. I pray that the gospel would 1001 00:52:35,160 --> 00:52:41,840 never grow hard to us. And yeah, for anyone in the room 1002 00:52:41,840 --> 00:52:44,280 who feels like man, the gospel is not touching my heart. 1003 00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:50,640 Cry out to God this morning. Spend some time to meditate on 1004 00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:52,320 the gospel and what that means for you. 1005 00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:55,720 Don't worry about lunch. Don't worry about, you know, 1006 00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:57,680 your future. Don't worry about the things 1007 00:52:57,680 --> 00:52:58,920 that are burdening you right now. 1008 00:52:58,920 --> 00:53:02,760 But in this moment, this morning, meditate, say law. 1009 00:53:03,600 --> 00:53:07,000 Remember that God has saved you. Remember that he doesn't turn 1010 00:53:07,000 --> 00:53:09,920 away from you. And let's worship him again this 1011 00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:11,320 morning in Jesus name.