1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,480 Hey man, how you doing crossing church? 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,520 It is so good to see you. You. 3 00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:07,760 Guys are already amped up. I don't even have to ask you 4 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:09,640 twice. That's awesome. 5 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,520 And I mean, how can you not be after you watch 44? 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,360 That's just incredible, you know? 7 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:17,760 And you know what we call that at the crossing we call. 8 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,560 That last weekend. I mean, that's what God does. 9 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,360 I mean. He is just working. 10 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,440 He's moving. He's, he's changing hearts and 11 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,600 lives. And you know the thing about 12 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,270 that? Is that you know that that's not 13 00:00:31,270 --> 00:00:34,430 just. Affecting them that that's 14 00:00:34,430 --> 00:00:36,630 affecting a whole generation of people, That's. 15 00:00:36,630 --> 00:00:41,150 Affecting families and extended families and that, that. 16 00:00:41,350 --> 00:00:45,590 Decision that's made is just having this repercussion. 17 00:00:45,590 --> 00:00:48,670 You know, we we often think about like the sins in our lives 18 00:00:48,670 --> 00:00:50,230 are like when we throw a rock in the. 19 00:00:50,230 --> 00:00:52,390 Water and you see these ripples. Going out. 20 00:00:52,390 --> 00:00:55,950 And that affects other people, but so do these wonderful 21 00:00:55,950 --> 00:00:59,280 blessings that happened to us that we allow. 22 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,320 God to work in us. They also go out like that and 23 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,480 they. Affect so many people in such a 24 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,440 positive. And I'll tell you something else 25 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:13,640 that's great is. I get to preach Romans 9 today, 26 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,560 and you know, some people might not think that's great because 27 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,600 Romans 9 takes us into some really deep water. 28 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:29,070 Into some into some deep understanding of God of his. 29 00:01:29,070 --> 00:01:33,990 Word of the understanding of God and and so I really want you to 30 00:01:34,790 --> 00:01:37,190 to dive. In deep with me, OK, I'm going 31 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:38,830 to. I'll be tied to my notes a lot 32 00:01:38,830 --> 00:01:40,070 because. Because. 33 00:01:40,070 --> 00:01:42,390 Romans 9 is heady stuff. It's deep. 34 00:01:42,390 --> 00:01:47,870 Strong stuff, but it will enrich you in your faith and in your 35 00:01:47,870 --> 00:01:50,870 understanding of God. I want to welcome all of our. 36 00:01:50,870 --> 00:01:53,590 Campuses joining from all over the region, if you're. 37 00:01:53,590 --> 00:01:55,790 Inside and online, we're thankful for you. 38 00:01:56,310 --> 00:02:00,230 As well and excited to be able to share this. 39 00:02:00,510 --> 00:02:04,550 With you. So when we get to Romans 9, Paul 40 00:02:04,950 --> 00:02:09,830 he dives deeper into. Understanding God, then many of 41 00:02:09,830 --> 00:02:13,630 us may even want to go. I mean, we might like that more 42 00:02:13,630 --> 00:02:15,710 superficial. Understanding of God, but we're 43 00:02:15,710 --> 00:02:20,320 going to go down deep and the things he's teaching us goes to 44 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,280 like. Deep questions in our hearts, 45 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:28,080 like why bad? Things happen to people and why 46 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,120 do they? Why do innocent people suffer? 47 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,160 What choices or control do I actually? 48 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,360 Have in my life. I expect those are. 49 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,840 Questions that all of you at one time or another. 50 00:02:43,590 --> 00:02:47,950 Have asked internally, maybe even to other people, and 51 00:02:47,950 --> 00:02:52,510 answers have been hard to come by for the Apostle Paul. 52 00:02:53,150 --> 00:02:56,990 That that internal question was breaking his. 53 00:02:57,550 --> 00:03:01,110 And when we start in Romans 9, we'll see that. 54 00:03:01,350 --> 00:03:04,670 So look. At verse one with me I speak the 55 00:03:04,670 --> 00:03:07,150 truth in Christ. I am not lying. 56 00:03:07,950 --> 00:03:12,470 My conscience confirms it. Through the Holy Spirit I have 57 00:03:12,470 --> 00:03:16,550 great sorrow. And unceasing anguish in my 58 00:03:16,550 --> 00:03:20,990 heart for I. Wish that I myself listen to how 59 00:03:20,990 --> 00:03:22,830 powerful this is. I wish. 60 00:03:22,830 --> 00:03:28,790 That I myself were cursed. And cut off from Christ for the 61 00:03:28,790 --> 00:03:32,310 sake. Of my people, those of my own 62 00:03:32,310 --> 00:03:36,790 race, the people of Israel, theirs is the adoption. 63 00:03:36,790 --> 00:03:40,530 To son sonship. There's the divine glory, the 64 00:03:40,530 --> 00:03:43,970 covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the 65 00:03:43,970 --> 00:03:46,690 promises. There's are the patriarchs. 66 00:03:46,970 --> 00:03:51,930 And from them is trace the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is 67 00:03:51,930 --> 00:03:55,570 God over all, forever praised. Amen. 68 00:03:57,370 --> 00:04:02,770 What the anguish is in Paul's heart is why could these people 69 00:04:02,770 --> 00:04:08,010 of his not see who Jesus for he for who he really was? 70 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:13,100 Why was there there this barrier to keep? 71 00:04:13,100 --> 00:04:15,460 Them from accepting the truth of Jesus. 72 00:04:15,460 --> 00:04:18,300 Being the Son of God and the Savior of the world, why would 73 00:04:18,300 --> 00:04:21,540 they? Listen to him and that. 74 00:04:21,540 --> 00:04:25,860 Really wasn't just a question for his race, they were internal 75 00:04:25,860 --> 00:04:26,540 questions. He. 76 00:04:26,540 --> 00:04:31,100 Had in his heart about himself, because. 77 00:04:31,100 --> 00:04:35,100 When we go back to his conversion in the book of Acts. 78 00:04:36,330 --> 00:04:37,690 You could ask the same questions. 79 00:04:37,690 --> 00:04:41,730 Why couldn't Paul see the Jesus Who really? 80 00:04:41,730 --> 00:04:44,890 Was until he was blinded on this road to Damascus. 81 00:04:45,130 --> 00:04:48,650 Why had he missed what seems so obvious? 82 00:04:48,650 --> 00:04:52,410 Now, maybe some of you've asked yourself that question. 83 00:04:52,410 --> 00:04:55,370 Why did it take? Me so long to be able to. 84 00:04:55,370 --> 00:04:58,170 Figure this out. Or to to be able to just 85 00:04:58,170 --> 00:05:01,610 surrender to it and trust Jesus? I mean, why did I? 86 00:05:02,170 --> 00:05:05,670 Why did I miss so much in the past where I tried to? 87 00:05:05,670 --> 00:05:11,550 Live life on my own terms and not just accept it back then, he 88 00:05:11,550 --> 00:05:15,110 goes on to give. Illustrations in Romans 9 from 89 00:05:15,110 --> 00:05:18,990 the Old Testament about God's promises and He He says that 90 00:05:18,990 --> 00:05:21,390 God's. Promises came through Isaac, but 91 00:05:21,390 --> 00:05:25,550 not Ishmael. They came through Jacob. 92 00:05:25,790 --> 00:05:30,350 But not esaw. And the question that rises out 93 00:05:30,350 --> 00:05:33,250 of that is why is it that seems that God would? 94 00:05:33,250 --> 00:05:38,570 Choose some people and leave. Others out in the cold, How 95 00:05:38,570 --> 00:05:40,850 could Paul make? Sense of this. 96 00:05:40,850 --> 00:05:44,570 How can we make sense of this? Why did we get to be? 97 00:05:44,570 --> 00:05:48,250 Born in a country with so much opportunity and so many people 98 00:05:48,250 --> 00:05:52,130 are born in parts of the world where there is. 99 00:05:52,130 --> 00:05:55,210 So little opportunity. Why is life so? 100 00:05:56,410 --> 00:06:00,330 How could a good God have? Anything to do with that? 101 00:06:01,620 --> 00:06:04,980 Don't you think that? Question is being asked all over 102 00:06:04,980 --> 00:06:10,220 the world today. Those are some. 103 00:06:10,220 --> 00:06:13,540 Seriously deep questions and Bible scholars have been 104 00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:16,380 debating those. Questions for years, and it 105 00:06:16,380 --> 00:06:21,420 really boils down to two schools of theological thought, the 106 00:06:21,420 --> 00:06:24,660 first one being that God. Determines everything in 107 00:06:24,660 --> 00:06:27,980 advance, so there really. Are no choices. 108 00:06:30,090 --> 00:06:33,330 And in in whatever you're doing, you're just. 109 00:06:33,330 --> 00:06:36,370 Playing out with God predetermined or there's a 110 00:06:36,370 --> 00:06:38,810 belief. That God does not predetermine 111 00:06:38,810 --> 00:06:42,090 things and we are subject to all the choices. 112 00:06:42,090 --> 00:06:46,010 That we make and people have attached labels to those schools 113 00:06:46,010 --> 00:06:48,610 of. Thought those opposing positions 114 00:06:49,250 --> 00:06:52,130 and some of the labels you may have heard before would be like. 115 00:06:52,130 --> 00:06:56,010 Calvinism and Armenianism. Those were named after two 116 00:06:56,010 --> 00:06:59,120 different. Theologians Armenius and Calvin. 117 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:04,160 John Calvin, But actually, that debate predates. 118 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,600 Them by 1400 years so even though they. 119 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,360 Kind of got the names of those that really, it really wasn't 120 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:17,360 just. Them so let's this is going to. 121 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,520 Get dealt with in Romans 9. So let's dive down into it. 122 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,760 Look at verses 14. To 18. 123 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:30,200 What then, shall we say is? God unjust not at all for he. 124 00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,680 Says to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I have mercy, I'll have 125 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:36,440 compassion on whom I have compassion. 126 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:41,720 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort. 127 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:47,940 But on God's mercy for this. For and and so let's go on. 128 00:07:47,940 --> 00:07:51,700 It says for Scripture says to Pharaoh, I raised you up for 129 00:07:51,700 --> 00:07:53,900 this very. Purpose that I might display my 130 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:58,300 power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the 131 00:07:58,340 --> 00:08:01,660 earth therefore God has. Mercy on whom he wants to have 132 00:08:01,660 --> 00:08:05,540 mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 133 00:08:05,540 --> 00:08:08,900 Now that sounds a lot to me like God has predetermined 134 00:08:08,900 --> 00:08:11,980 everything. I read that in Romans 9. 135 00:08:12,420 --> 00:08:17,940 I kind of hold that up and I'm like and it sure sounds like 136 00:08:17,940 --> 00:08:20,180 that's what Paul thought because if you go. 137 00:08:20,180 --> 00:08:24,260 To the next 5 verses 19 to 24. Well, just let's just read it. 138 00:08:24,260 --> 00:08:26,820 Together, one of you will say to me. 139 00:08:27,300 --> 00:08:30,940 Well then, God, why does God? Still, blame us for who is able 140 00:08:31,260 --> 00:08:33,460 to resist his. Will I'm only doing what God 141 00:08:33,460 --> 00:08:35,299 predetermined for me to do, That's what he's saying. 142 00:08:37,179 --> 00:08:39,940 But who are? You, a human being to talk back 143 00:08:39,940 --> 00:08:43,539 to God, shall what is formed say to the One who. 144 00:08:43,539 --> 00:08:45,580 Formed it. Why did you make me like this? 145 00:08:46,180 --> 00:08:47,700 Does not the Potter have the right? 146 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:51,100 To make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special 147 00:08:51,100 --> 00:08:54,100 purposes. And some for common use. 148 00:08:55,900 --> 00:08:59,220 What if God although choosing to show his? 149 00:08:59,220 --> 00:09:03,660 Wrath, to make his power known, bore with great patience the 150 00:09:03,660 --> 00:09:08,300 objects of his wrath prepared for destruction. 151 00:09:08,780 --> 00:09:12,030 What if he did this to make the riches? 152 00:09:12,030 --> 00:09:15,230 Of His glory known to the objects of His mercy, whom He 153 00:09:15,230 --> 00:09:20,150 prepared in advance for glory. Even us, whom he also called, 154 00:09:20,350 --> 00:09:22,190 not only from the Jews, but also. 155 00:09:22,430 --> 00:09:25,710 From the Gentiles? What does that mean? 156 00:09:26,230 --> 00:09:29,950 Does that mean that we really don't have any choices and we're 157 00:09:29,950 --> 00:09:32,430 just? Playing out what God has 158 00:09:32,430 --> 00:09:38,150 predetermined for us to do. Now I want you to remember some 159 00:09:38,150 --> 00:09:40,950 rules that we established. At the beginning of Romans. 160 00:09:41,340 --> 00:09:43,620 And one of those big rules was this. 161 00:09:43,620 --> 00:09:47,900 Context is king, and it really is so. 162 00:09:47,900 --> 00:09:49,940 What is the context of this discussion? 163 00:09:50,180 --> 00:09:55,420 Well, it's Paul. Answering his own question, What 164 00:09:55,420 --> 00:09:56,940 is what? Why has God? 165 00:09:59,020 --> 00:10:01,180 Been in this relationship with the Jewish. 166 00:10:01,180 --> 00:10:05,580 People and they don't seem to understand or accept who Jesus 167 00:10:05,580 --> 00:10:07,660 is. And his anguish in his heart. 168 00:10:07,660 --> 00:10:09,490 So it's. Really answering Paul's 169 00:10:09,490 --> 00:10:12,210 question, not yours. Why do? 170 00:10:12,210 --> 00:10:14,930 Jewish people not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. 171 00:10:16,610 --> 00:10:19,370 What is he saying in that those scriptures I just read? 172 00:10:19,370 --> 00:10:22,810 First, he's making it clear that God is God. 173 00:10:22,810 --> 00:10:27,090 And we're not, And I don't think any of us would argue with that. 174 00:10:28,010 --> 00:10:31,210 Even if we think we could do things better than God, which 175 00:10:31,210 --> 00:10:34,480 oftentimes we do, we're like, well, if I were. 176 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,000 God, we don't say it that way. But you know, when we ask why, 177 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,080 that's kind of what we're implying. 178 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:45,280 Second, Paul doesn't actually say that God was. 179 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,600 Predetermining heaven or hell for people before. 180 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,760 They were born or that they had no control over their actions if 181 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:54,640 you read it. Again, you'll see that he's 182 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:59,120 forming them as questions. He's saying, what if God had 183 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,720 prepared objects for wrath or destruction? 184 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:06,860 And what if God had prepared objects of love for his glory? 185 00:11:06,860 --> 00:11:08,540 He doesn't say that he did. He says. 186 00:11:08,540 --> 00:11:10,820 Well, what if he did, and he's what he's? 187 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:13,700 Doing is He's reestablishing the fact that God has an 188 00:11:13,700 --> 00:11:16,780 indisputable right to make choices. 189 00:11:16,780 --> 00:11:21,700 No one else has that right. He can do whatever he. 190 00:11:25,580 --> 00:11:29,820 What do we learn from that point that Paul's making? 191 00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:32,940 Only that, God. Is the only one who has an 192 00:11:32,940 --> 00:11:35,940 indisputable right. To make those choices because. 193 00:11:35,940 --> 00:11:41,060 He and he alone is the sovereign of the universe. 194 00:11:41,060 --> 00:11:48,340 But where does that leave us? Are we just puppets on a string 195 00:11:48,340 --> 00:11:50,700 that God has created to amuse himself? 196 00:11:51,660 --> 00:11:57,100 Is God so cruel as to predetermined people to be 197 00:11:57,100 --> 00:12:01,190 homicidal? Child molesters, abusers and 198 00:12:01,190 --> 00:12:06,230 every other vile. Can I believe that some are 199 00:12:06,230 --> 00:12:08,670 shaped by God? For that very thing. 200 00:12:10,150 --> 00:12:14,190 And then when we're left with this idea that God is who he is. 201 00:12:14,990 --> 00:12:17,670 And maybe we just can't understand the infinite mind of 202 00:12:17,670 --> 00:12:19,350 God. Maybe we just have to just. 203 00:12:19,830 --> 00:12:23,230 Punt and say I just. I don't get it, but I'm just 204 00:12:23,230 --> 00:12:26,310 going to believe in God, even though I I don't get it. 205 00:12:27,510 --> 00:12:30,900 So there's some problems with this idea. 206 00:12:31,180 --> 00:12:35,820 Well, there. Certainly is to me in our desire 207 00:12:35,820 --> 00:12:39,060 to understand the greatness of God through his. 208 00:12:39,980 --> 00:12:42,020 The fact that he controls everything. 209 00:12:42,380 --> 00:12:45,580 What have we done to the goodness of God? 210 00:12:47,540 --> 00:12:51,380 When I was a little child, our family started out in the 211 00:12:51,380 --> 00:12:54,060 Methodist Church and when I was a little child, we were taught 212 00:12:54,060 --> 00:12:59,960 to pray before we ate our meals. And we didn't have to come up 213 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:03,360 with our own prayers. We were taught a prayer to pray. 214 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:06,720 And the prayer that I learned to pray. 215 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:11,800 When I was just a little little boy was this God is great. 216 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,680 God is good. And we thank him for our food. 217 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,160 By his hand we must be fed. Give us, Lord. 218 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,080 Our Daily Bread. Amen. 219 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:23,080 How many of you remember that or heard that? 220 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:24,360 Yeah, a lot of you. Yeah. 221 00:13:24,710 --> 00:13:26,790 Okay. Well, let me tell. 222 00:13:26,790 --> 00:13:30,070 You in that little tiny prayer, there is incredibly powerful 223 00:13:30,070 --> 00:13:32,950 theology, because what it's doing is it's. 224 00:13:32,950 --> 00:13:36,310 Showing you the duality of the nature of God, God is. 225 00:13:36,310 --> 00:13:38,150 Two things. He's not only one. 226 00:13:38,150 --> 00:13:40,830 He's two things. What are those two things? 227 00:13:41,430 --> 00:13:48,190 He is great and he is good. Defining the quality of his 228 00:13:48,190 --> 00:13:49,830 nature. His power over. 229 00:13:49,830 --> 00:13:54,460 Everything and yet. He is an incredibly good God. 230 00:13:54,460 --> 00:13:58,180 And if God is good, how could he? 231 00:13:58,180 --> 00:14:02,380 Predetermine these obviously horrible things that people do. 232 00:14:04,460 --> 00:14:07,500 Because when you go down that road, it seems to me like it's 233 00:14:07,500 --> 00:14:09,700 more God's fault and not my fault. 234 00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:11,420 And that's really what Paul points. 235 00:14:11,420 --> 00:14:13,340 Out in Romans 9. Why? 236 00:14:13,340 --> 00:14:14,980 Why? Why would we resist His will if 237 00:14:14,980 --> 00:14:17,820 this is what God is? How he's made us. 238 00:14:18,690 --> 00:14:21,010 Also I have. This big problem with the idea 239 00:14:21,010 --> 00:14:26,250 of loving God if I if I. Fall into this camp of 240 00:14:26,250 --> 00:14:31,330 predestination because love is always a choice. 241 00:14:33,130 --> 00:14:37,410 Like I can't be made to love anyone and no one else can be 242 00:14:37,410 --> 00:14:40,810 made to love me. Like I don't have any choice. 243 00:14:40,850 --> 00:14:46,480 It's always a choice. Love is always, always, always a 244 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:50,200 choice that. We make and we're told to love 245 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,520 God in. Return that he loved us first. 246 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,400 And that we should love him in return. 247 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,960 So is Paul. Saying that God preprogrammed 248 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,320 certain people to love. Him and others not to love him? 249 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,360 And how is that even love at all so? 250 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:13,600 I have some big issues with that first reality or that first 251 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:16,900 theology. Now we've already covered this 252 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:21,180 idea of faith and belief and that being that's what God 253 00:15:21,180 --> 00:15:24,100 requires to receive. This incredible gift of grace, 254 00:15:24,500 --> 00:15:25,620 right? You remember that way? 255 00:15:25,820 --> 00:15:29,900 And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as 256 00:15:29,900 --> 00:15:32,900 righteousness he believed. Him or He had faith in him, and 257 00:15:32,900 --> 00:15:34,700 it was credited as. Righteousness. 258 00:15:34,700 --> 00:15:38,180 The question is, was that faith or belief a choice That. 259 00:15:38,180 --> 00:15:43,180 Abraham made, or was it predetermined by him by God for 260 00:15:43,180 --> 00:15:46,680 him? Did Abraham have any part to 261 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:51,160 play in that? Now let's kind of move to this 262 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,800 other side, this other. Now if I choose to believe in 263 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:59,520 free will or in my own ability to make choices, it. 264 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,120 Solves some of these problems like it helps. 265 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,760 Me to understand that God didn't make these vile people vile. 266 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,840 It was their own choices or my own choices. 267 00:16:10,390 --> 00:16:13,270 That made them or me, who I am or who they are. 268 00:16:13,430 --> 00:16:15,510 So the fault. Is theirs and mine. 269 00:16:15,510 --> 00:16:19,390 It's not God's, so that solves that. 270 00:16:19,590 --> 00:16:23,790 It also solves the love issue because I can choose to love God 271 00:16:24,350 --> 00:16:26,310 or As. Paul says to put my faith or my 272 00:16:26,310 --> 00:16:32,750 belief in him, but if I go down that road, this Free will Rd., 273 00:16:33,150 --> 00:16:35,310 what does that? Do to my understanding of God's 274 00:16:35,310 --> 00:16:41,580 greatness and his sovereignty and his absolute rule, what do I 275 00:16:41,580 --> 00:16:45,180 do with? Ideas like foreknowledge that 276 00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:47,660 God would actually know things before they would happen. 277 00:16:49,020 --> 00:16:52,540 So you can see, can't you, why this has been debated for 1900 278 00:16:52,540 --> 00:16:54,420 years? Because it's. 279 00:16:54,420 --> 00:16:57,740 Deep and it's hard and it's difficult, but it. 280 00:16:57,740 --> 00:17:00,060 Isn't just some theological thing out there. 281 00:17:00,060 --> 00:17:02,700 It goes right into your heart and your life, right? 282 00:17:02,980 --> 00:17:04,500 Because you're like, why do these? 283 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:06,500 Bad things happen. Why did this? 284 00:17:06,500 --> 00:17:09,000 Happen to me how? How's their? 285 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:14,079 Fairness in this and yeah, well to. 286 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:17,359 Understand this better. We need to go back to the 287 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,280 beginning. And when I say the beginning, 288 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:24,400 I'm talking about creation because it's in creation. 289 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:28,200 That you begin to understand the nature of who you are and how 290 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,430 you were made. So I want us to look at. 291 00:17:31,430 --> 00:17:35,590 Genesis 126 to 28 OK, so this is. 292 00:17:35,630 --> 00:17:40,270 God creating human beings. In verse 26 it says Then God 293 00:17:40,270 --> 00:17:43,630 said let us make mankind in our image. 294 00:17:43,710 --> 00:17:47,870 Well, that's powerful. Like a reflection of God in our 295 00:17:47,870 --> 00:17:52,870 likeness, so that they may say that word rule. 296 00:17:52,870 --> 00:17:57,550 Now that's a sovereignty word. That's a control word. 297 00:17:58,950 --> 00:18:02,190 And you all know that they may rule over the fish of the sea, 298 00:18:02,190 --> 00:18:04,270 the birds of the sky, over the livestock. 299 00:18:04,270 --> 00:18:07,150 And all the wild animals and over all the creatures. 300 00:18:07,150 --> 00:18:09,990 That move along the ground, so God created. 301 00:18:09,990 --> 00:18:13,910 Mankind in his own image, in the image of God He created them. 302 00:18:14,190 --> 00:18:19,230 Male and female He created them and God bless them and said to 303 00:18:19,230 --> 00:18:22,710 them, be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and 304 00:18:22,710 --> 00:18:25,950 subdue it. What's the next word rule over 305 00:18:25,950 --> 00:18:27,550 the? Fish of the sea and the birds in 306 00:18:27,550 --> 00:18:30,510 the sky. And over every living creature 307 00:18:30,510 --> 00:18:35,110 that moves on the ground. Now this scripture not only 308 00:18:35,110 --> 00:18:38,030 tells us that we. Were made in God's image, but 309 00:18:38,030 --> 00:18:41,430 that we also have God's attributes because. 310 00:18:41,430 --> 00:18:45,510 We're the children of God, and it uses a specific word to tell 311 00:18:45,510 --> 00:18:47,630 us. That and that is the word rule, 312 00:18:48,550 --> 00:18:51,110 and in two contexts it said twice. 313 00:18:51,510 --> 00:18:55,190 In those verses. And it means that we were 314 00:18:55,190 --> 00:18:58,610 created for it, that he created us to rule. 315 00:18:58,850 --> 00:19:00,850 And he then commanded us to do it. 316 00:19:01,170 --> 00:19:05,570 He commanded us to rule those passages. 317 00:19:05,570 --> 00:19:09,650 Inform you who you truly are, and here's what it. 318 00:19:09,650 --> 00:19:14,170 Boils down to you don't have control over everything, but you 319 00:19:14,170 --> 00:19:16,330 do have control over some things. 320 00:19:17,090 --> 00:19:20,490 In other words, God. And only God has an indisputable 321 00:19:20,490 --> 00:19:23,370 right to make choices. He's the sovereign, but if he 322 00:19:23,370 --> 00:19:26,670 chooses to. He can share that rule. 323 00:19:26,670 --> 00:19:30,070 He can. Share that sovereignty, and part 324 00:19:30,070 --> 00:19:33,070 of us being made in His image was him sharing that. 325 00:19:33,390 --> 00:19:37,510 With us and giving us a measure of control. 326 00:19:37,710 --> 00:19:44,150 Not all control, but just a. Measure of it now, at the time 327 00:19:44,150 --> 00:19:47,450 in the garden. All of those things were in 328 00:19:47,450 --> 00:19:49,330 perfect alignment to what God was doing. 329 00:19:49,330 --> 00:19:52,290 In other words, God's will and God's choices. 330 00:19:52,410 --> 00:19:54,970 And whatever human beings were doing at that time, they were 331 00:19:54,970 --> 00:19:59,610 They were in total harmony, in perfect sync with one another. 332 00:20:01,210 --> 00:20:03,290 So our. Choices in the context of God's 333 00:20:03,290 --> 00:20:06,730 sovereignty was the same. And then sin came into the 334 00:20:06,730 --> 00:20:09,970 world. Now Paul talked about that in 335 00:20:09,970 --> 00:20:12,730 the last half of Romans chapter 5. 336 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:15,560 And that is when our choices and it was a. 337 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:18,080 Choice that was made whether or not to eat of the tree of the 338 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,920 knowledge of good and evil. That is when our choices went 339 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:27,120 out of sync with. God's sovereignty and God's 340 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,440 choices We were. Out of alignment with God. 341 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:33,920 Now we have a language for that at the. 342 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:38,440 Crossing and We've been using this language for a number of 343 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,100 years. And I learned it from a great 344 00:20:42,100 --> 00:20:44,700 friend of mine, Randy Frazee. He's been up on this stage and 345 00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:48,780 he's preached before up here. And he was the one that pinned 346 00:20:48,780 --> 00:20:51,940 this language and I thought it was brilliant and we adopted. 347 00:20:52,060 --> 00:20:54,420 So I'm giving him the credit for it, but we call it the upper 348 00:20:54,420 --> 00:20:59,380 story and the lower story, right, you'll hear us talk 349 00:20:59,380 --> 00:21:00,980 about. Living, trying to live in the 350 00:21:00,980 --> 00:21:06,020 upper story and living. Down in this lower story. 351 00:21:08,050 --> 00:21:10,450 Let me explain to you what that means. 352 00:21:10,930 --> 00:21:14,890 I'll define it. God's upper story has. 353 00:21:14,890 --> 00:21:18,570 Never and will never change. It's as unchangeable as God 354 00:21:18,570 --> 00:21:21,210 himself is. It's full of love. 355 00:21:21,210 --> 00:21:23,810 And order and purpose and meaning. 356 00:21:24,050 --> 00:21:26,970 And there is nothing in the upper story that will. 357 00:21:26,970 --> 00:21:31,330 Harm us, says so in. Jeremiah 2911 This is what it 358 00:21:31,330 --> 00:21:35,570 says, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. 359 00:21:35,570 --> 00:21:39,550 Plans to prosper you? And not to harm you plans to 360 00:21:39,550 --> 00:21:44,790 give you hope and a future there is, absolutely. 361 00:21:44,790 --> 00:21:50,230 Nothing in the upper story that. Any of us ever can change, not 362 00:21:50,230 --> 00:21:54,830 by choice and not by action, when God said he was going to 363 00:21:54,830 --> 00:21:57,710 send his son into the world to solve the problem. 364 00:21:58,030 --> 00:22:01,910 Of sin there was absolutely. Nothing or no one on this earth 365 00:22:01,910 --> 00:22:04,630 that could change that. Even in the smallest amount, 366 00:22:07,180 --> 00:22:10,580 when Jesus said that, he was. Going to return and take his 367 00:22:10,580 --> 00:22:12,980 people. Home with him and that date is 368 00:22:12,980 --> 00:22:15,060 somewhere out there on the calendar. 369 00:22:15,060 --> 00:22:17,940 Could be today we. Don't know there is, absolutely. 370 00:22:17,940 --> 00:22:19,740 Nothing in the universe that can. 371 00:22:19,740 --> 00:22:23,380 Stop it from happening because God asserts his sovereign. 372 00:22:23,380 --> 00:22:26,900 Control over that and there's so many other choices. 373 00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:29,980 That God has already made part of the upper story. 374 00:22:30,140 --> 00:22:35,220 That none of us can do anything about, nor should we, because 375 00:22:35,220 --> 00:22:40,500 it's all good. Nothing in God's upper story is 376 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:44,460 changeable. But then there is our lower 377 00:22:44,460 --> 00:22:50,220 stories. What a mess our lower stories, 378 00:22:51,660 --> 00:22:56,180 these are where our choices. Come in and also all sorts of 379 00:22:56,180 --> 00:22:59,340 difficulties. And challenges and chaos and 380 00:22:59,340 --> 00:23:05,380 pain all connected to it. And our choices can hurt us. 381 00:23:06,070 --> 00:23:10,190 And they can hurt others. But it will not change God's 382 00:23:10,190 --> 00:23:14,870 upper story plan. And so we live. 383 00:23:15,190 --> 00:23:20,750 In this tension between the upper story and the lower story, 384 00:23:21,230 --> 00:23:25,510 and when we come to believe in Jesus, what we try to do is. 385 00:23:25,950 --> 00:23:29,230 Make choices that are in alignment to God's upper story, 386 00:23:29,230 --> 00:23:32,390 not our lower story. We want to become more like him 387 00:23:32,390 --> 00:23:35,310 and less like ourselves. We want to live in a way that he 388 00:23:35,310 --> 00:23:38,150 wants us to live, and not the way that we might choose to live 389 00:23:38,510 --> 00:23:41,790 ourselves what we're. Trying to do is make decisions 390 00:23:41,790 --> 00:23:44,470 and choices that reflect. What it was like in the garden 391 00:23:44,470 --> 00:23:49,150 before sin came into the world. That's what we're. 392 00:23:49,350 --> 00:23:51,150 Trying to do and of course we fail. 393 00:23:51,830 --> 00:23:56,350 All the time at that in Galatians 5 when we read about 394 00:23:56,350 --> 00:23:59,270 the fruits of the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience. 395 00:23:59,270 --> 00:24:02,710 Kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control, 396 00:24:02,750 --> 00:24:06,790 all of those flow. Out of an alignment with the 397 00:24:06,830 --> 00:24:13,670 upper story. In Paul's case, Israel's 398 00:24:13,670 --> 00:24:18,390 unwillingness to believe in Jesus, their lower stories 399 00:24:18,670 --> 00:24:21,030 their. Choices in the lower story. 400 00:24:22,070 --> 00:24:26,750 Brought about an opportunity for the rest of the world to believe 401 00:24:26,750 --> 00:24:30,350 in Jesus. Gentiles, most of us, you and 402 00:24:30,350 --> 00:24:34,350 me, see God's. Plan God's upper story Was that 403 00:24:34,350 --> 00:24:36,350 the gospel. Of Jesus Christ was not going to 404 00:24:36,350 --> 00:24:38,190 just be for some people. It was going to be for 405 00:24:38,190 --> 00:24:42,710 everybody, whether or not some people chose not to believe it. 406 00:24:43,230 --> 00:24:46,590 Or even nations chose not to believe it was immaterial 407 00:24:46,590 --> 00:24:49,230 because because. God's upper story plan was never 408 00:24:49,230 --> 00:24:52,740 going to change. It was always part of God's. 409 00:24:52,900 --> 00:24:58,220 Plan Look at verse 25 and 26 in Romans 9 as he. 410 00:24:58,220 --> 00:25:01,580 Says in Hosea. I will call them my people who 411 00:25:01,580 --> 00:25:04,140 are not my people. I will call. 412 00:25:04,140 --> 00:25:08,460 Her My beloved one who was not my beloved one, and in the very 413 00:25:08,460 --> 00:25:11,100 place where it was. Said to them, you are not my 414 00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:13,860 people. There they will be called. 415 00:25:13,860 --> 00:25:16,500 Children of the living God? Yeah. 416 00:25:17,300 --> 00:25:21,720 Are you seeing that even before? Jesus came into the world. 417 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,440 God is. Declaring his upper story plan 418 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,360 that it wasn't just going to be for one people, but it was going 419 00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:31,200 to be for all people. And nothing can change that. 420 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:36,560 Now you can take a breath, because that's an awful lot to 421 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:38,680 digest. I told you we were going to. 422 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,000 Be in the deep water that we were going to be. 423 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:42,840 Cutting red meat in this one, right? 424 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,160 And so, yeah, that's a lot. But I want you to. 425 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:49,600 I want to leave you with an illustration that'll help you to 426 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:55,560 understand this better. Back in verse 17, the Apostle 427 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,840 Paul. Used the example of Pharaoh in 428 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:03,200 Egypt and most of you have. Seen the Prince of Egypt, you 429 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:07,320 know, or you've seen the 10 Commandments, or you've read it. 430 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:13,280 So, so you know this story about the Israelites sold into 431 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:17,790 slavery? In Egypt for over 400 years and 432 00:26:17,790 --> 00:26:21,550 then Moses rises up God. Brings Moses up burning Bush all 433 00:26:21,550 --> 00:26:23,590 that. Then Moses goes to Pharaoh and 434 00:26:23,590 --> 00:26:27,830 he says. Let my people go, God's will. 435 00:26:27,990 --> 00:26:30,230 Was that the nation of Israel would be delivered. 436 00:26:30,230 --> 00:26:32,550 Out of the hands of slavery and go to the promised land. 437 00:26:32,670 --> 00:26:35,310 That was his upper story plan. Nothing was going to change 438 00:26:35,310 --> 00:26:37,670 that, right? Except for Pharaoh. 439 00:26:37,670 --> 00:26:44,210 Had a different idea, so when? Moses told Pharaoh. 440 00:26:44,210 --> 00:26:49,010 Let my people go, Pharaoh said. No, not doing it. 441 00:26:51,010 --> 00:26:56,490 That was Pharaoh's choice. That was his lower story idea 442 00:26:56,490 --> 00:26:57,690 and so. You know what happened? 443 00:26:57,690 --> 00:27:03,170 There were 10 plagues, and bit by bit it whittled. 444 00:27:03,170 --> 00:27:06,890 Down the resolve of the Egyptians until they did let the 445 00:27:06,890 --> 00:27:10,930 nation of Israel go. And Moses led them out. 446 00:27:11,850 --> 00:27:17,690 Of bondage and led them to the promised land Right if you go 447 00:27:17,690 --> 00:27:19,490 back. And you read the narrative in 448 00:27:19,490 --> 00:27:20,810 the book of Exodus. It's. 449 00:27:20,810 --> 00:27:25,890 Pretty interesting what you're going to read, because those 450 00:27:25,890 --> 00:27:30,850 plagues are divided up. And at the beginning, when you 451 00:27:30,850 --> 00:27:34,730 read it, it'll say. That Moses said this and then 452 00:27:34,730 --> 00:27:38,610 it'll say. And Pharaoh hardened his heart. 453 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:47,240 That Pharaoh hardened his heart. Later on in the later plagues 454 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,480 you read. The same narrative, only it says 455 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:53,440 and. God hardened Pharaoh's heart. 456 00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:58,640 So which is it? Was Pharaoh? 457 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:02,440 Making a choice or was God. Predetermining it? 458 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:05,920 Which was it? Let me give you this 459 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,870 illustration. It's been pretty hot around 460 00:28:09,870 --> 00:28:11,390 here, hasn't it? Amen. 461 00:28:12,230 --> 00:28:16,950 Yeah, so let's say you. Know yesterday the day before is 462 00:28:16,950 --> 00:28:20,950 like I don't know 103 degrees and say I have a table like. 463 00:28:20,950 --> 00:28:25,150 This, and I would take it out onto my driveway, your driveway. 464 00:28:25,470 --> 00:28:34,430 And in one hand I would have a lump of wax and I would shape 465 00:28:34,430 --> 00:28:37,030 this wax. Into a ball okay. 466 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:39,680 And then I would take it out of the. 467 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:44,240 Air conditioning out into the driveway onto this table and I 468 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:47,960 would set it here. On the table and at the same 469 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:52,000 time that I was doing the lump of wax, I would also be doing. 470 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,360 A lump of modeling Clay and I took. 471 00:28:55,360 --> 00:29:00,040 That modeling Clay and I formed it into a ball and I set it 472 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:05,120 over. Here and on a bright sunny 100 473 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,850 and three degree day. What's going to happen? 474 00:29:09,890 --> 00:29:11,730 What's going to happen to the wax? 475 00:29:11,730 --> 00:29:14,690 Say it. And what's going to happen to 476 00:29:14,690 --> 00:29:19,210 the clay? So what? 477 00:29:19,450 --> 00:29:24,290 And is the sun changing? Is the sun saying I'm going to 478 00:29:24,290 --> 00:29:28,090 make the wax do this and I'm going to make the clay do this? 479 00:29:28,250 --> 00:29:30,730 No, the sun is just. Shining, right. 480 00:29:30,970 --> 00:29:34,170 Just shining. It's it's just bright and hot. 481 00:29:36,610 --> 00:29:40,050 And this is the point. It is the substance of the 482 00:29:40,050 --> 00:29:43,050 material that determines what happens to it. 483 00:29:43,530 --> 00:29:46,250 It's the substance of the wax that. 484 00:29:46,250 --> 00:29:49,170 Determines that it is going to melt. 485 00:29:49,210 --> 00:29:53,650 It's the substance of the. Clay that determines whether 486 00:29:53,690 --> 00:29:58,490 that it's going to harden. And what you see in the story of 487 00:29:58,490 --> 00:30:02,290 Pharaoh is this that Pharaoh. Made a choice. 488 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,120 And he made a choice about what the substance of. 489 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:09,920 His heart was going to be, and the choice that he made was that 490 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:13,440 He hardened his heart. He said this. 491 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:19,800 Heart is going to be clay. And so, as this narrative goes 492 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:24,840 on, Pharaoh has just solidified this idea that he was going to 493 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,850 be resistant to. The upper story plan of God, 494 00:30:28,130 --> 00:30:31,570 That heart of clay it got. Harder and harder, and the 495 00:30:31,570 --> 00:30:37,930 effect of God on Pharaoh's heart was too hard in his heart, but 496 00:30:37,930 --> 00:30:40,370 Pharaoh could have said I'll have a heart of wax. 497 00:30:41,610 --> 00:30:46,050 It didn't matter what, Pharaoh. Was going to do God was going to 498 00:30:46,050 --> 00:30:49,290 deliver his people, Period. Nothing was going to change it. 499 00:30:50,770 --> 00:30:52,730 Pharaoh was just. Getting in the way, Instead of 500 00:30:52,730 --> 00:30:56,360 being In Sync with the will of God, he was outside the will of. 501 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:02,120 And that's why his heart was. Hardened instead of melting. 502 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,960 Pharaoh had a choice. Whether to lean into God or away 503 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:13,000 from God, Pharaoh determined the substance of his heart. 504 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:19,680 But God never changed. What is the substance of your 505 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:24,820 heart? We were having a devotional this 506 00:31:24,820 --> 00:31:27,820 morning. Katie Hollensteiner leading this 507 00:31:27,820 --> 00:31:30,740 devotional for. Communion. 508 00:31:32,500 --> 00:31:36,580 And she was reading some of that Scripture and referring to some 509 00:31:36,580 --> 00:31:40,980 of that scripture. And I started thinking about my 510 00:31:40,980 --> 00:31:50,100 heart, that there are areas. In my heart that I'm determining 511 00:31:50,100 --> 00:31:56,430 the substance of and I'd like to be able. 512 00:31:56,430 --> 00:31:58,430 To say that my whole heart is wax. 513 00:31:59,950 --> 00:32:02,950 And I would, and I just. I'm just moldable and meltable 514 00:32:02,950 --> 00:32:06,790 before my Heavenly Father. But I can't say that because. 515 00:32:06,790 --> 00:32:09,150 There are certain areas in my heart that are hard and. 516 00:32:10,190 --> 00:32:17,420 When I'm doing that, the got the effect. 517 00:32:17,420 --> 00:32:21,510 That God has on me. If I continue to make that 518 00:32:21,510 --> 00:32:23,910 choice, it's going to have a very detrimental effect on me 519 00:32:23,910 --> 00:32:29,270 and it will on you as well. So to me, I think that's the 520 00:32:29,270 --> 00:32:33,950 question. You have an opportunity to make 521 00:32:33,950 --> 00:32:36,310 that choice today. Will you look up to the upper 522 00:32:36,310 --> 00:32:38,830 story? Will you make your choice 523 00:32:38,830 --> 00:32:42,470 aligned to God's or will you stay down in your lower story 524 00:32:42,470 --> 00:32:47,670 and harden your heart again because the sun is shining on 525 00:32:47,670 --> 00:32:48,230 you? Now? 526 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:54,240 What will you do? We're moving to a time of 527 00:32:54,240 --> 00:33:05,080 decision. It's a very convicting sermon to 528 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,720 me. I don't know if it is to you, 529 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:14,960 but it's very convicting to me because when I look into my own 530 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:20,850 heart I just see that. There's a lot of inconsistency 531 00:33:20,850 --> 00:33:26,370 there and I really don't want it to be that way, but. 532 00:33:26,450 --> 00:33:28,130 Some of those things are hard to give up. 533 00:33:29,090 --> 00:33:32,290 Some of those things, and the longer that I've allowed my 534 00:33:32,290 --> 00:33:35,090 heart to be hard in those areas, the harder it is to give it up, 535 00:33:36,250 --> 00:33:38,490 the more reinforcement. That I have. 536 00:33:40,290 --> 00:33:44,090 When I was in college, there was a singer-songwriter who wrote a 537 00:33:44,090 --> 00:33:47,170 song. That really affected me. 538 00:33:48,430 --> 00:33:50,710 And I'm not going to sing it for you, but I will give you the 539 00:33:50,710 --> 00:33:54,110 words of it. He said. 540 00:33:54,110 --> 00:33:58,550 My eyes are dry, My faith is old. 541 00:33:59,630 --> 00:34:04,870 My heart is hard. My prayers are cold. 542 00:34:06,230 --> 00:34:10,270 And I know how I ought to be alive to you. 543 00:34:11,670 --> 00:34:16,469 And dead to me. And then he his chorus is. 544 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:21,520 What can be done for an old heart like mine? 545 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:31,159 Soften it up with oil. And wine, The oil is you, your 546 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:36,199 spirit of love. Please wash me anew in the wine 547 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:46,330 of your blood, you. Don't have to resign yourself to 548 00:34:46,330 --> 00:34:50,570 the choices of your past because your heart. 549 00:34:50,570 --> 00:34:58,490 And my heart are still at the disposal of God if we choose to. 550 00:34:58,490 --> 00:35:03,490 Let him have it. So what I would like for you to 551 00:35:03,490 --> 00:35:05,570 think about today if you're here? 552 00:35:06,570 --> 00:35:10,570 And you have never come in to an intimate, personal relationship 553 00:35:10,570 --> 00:35:15,130 with Jesus like the Bible says. You may have a heart of. 554 00:35:17,380 --> 00:35:19,540 But God and only God through Jesus. 555 00:35:19,540 --> 00:35:22,900 Christ can take a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of 556 00:35:22,900 --> 00:35:25,820 flesh. There's going to be somebody 557 00:35:25,820 --> 00:35:28,260 right over there by the baptistry that would. 558 00:35:28,260 --> 00:35:32,140 Love nothing more than to talk to you about those next steps. 559 00:35:32,540 --> 00:35:34,340 What would it? Be like to become a follower of 560 00:35:34,460 --> 00:35:37,980 Jesus, as inconsistent, as hypocritical as we all. 561 00:35:37,980 --> 00:35:42,020 Are he knows that, but we're his children. 562 00:35:43,820 --> 00:35:47,950 I encourage you to make that decision today if you've already 563 00:35:47,950 --> 00:35:51,110 made a decision. To make Jesus Christ your Savior 564 00:35:51,110 --> 00:35:55,070 and Lord, if you would listen to the Holy Spirit speaking 565 00:35:55,070 --> 00:35:58,110 quietly, whispering. In your heart right now, you 566 00:35:58,110 --> 00:36:02,350 know that there are areas in your heart that are hard, areas 567 00:36:02,350 --> 00:36:07,950 where you're giving. Permission to not have the 568 00:36:07,950 --> 00:36:12,510 attention of the Holy Spirit. To soften that heart. 569 00:36:14,540 --> 00:36:18,340 And that's why these steps are. Open for you to come up here and 570 00:36:18,340 --> 00:36:21,820 to just do some a little bit of time with the Lord. 571 00:36:24,940 --> 00:36:27,140 I know that some of you might say, well, I can just do that in 572 00:36:27,140 --> 00:36:29,700 my seat, you know, I can just pray in my seat, but there's 573 00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:34,980 something about putting. Some motion to it, making some. 574 00:36:34,980 --> 00:36:37,020 Commitment to it enough to be able to. 575 00:36:37,020 --> 00:36:39,340 Stand up and to come up here and you get down and your knees in a 576 00:36:39,340 --> 00:36:43,140 humble position which is admitting that God is God. 577 00:36:43,140 --> 00:36:47,560 And you're not. Saying, Lord, help me. 578 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:55,600 I want to soften my heart, but I don't know that I can do it 579 00:36:55,600 --> 00:37:02,600 alone. What do you think God's going to 580 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:07,520 do with that prayer? Sorry, you've just gone too far. 581 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:16,570 You're just broken. Or do you think that he'll be up 582 00:37:16,570 --> 00:37:18,490 here ahead of you waiting for you? 583 00:37:18,490 --> 00:37:21,890 And when you say something like that to. 584 00:37:21,890 --> 00:37:27,850 Him, he'll say. That's my girl, that's my boy. 585 00:37:29,770 --> 00:37:33,250 I'm proud of you. I'll help you. 586 00:37:34,370 --> 00:37:40,210 I love you of. Course you know what he will do, 587 00:37:42,100 --> 00:37:45,180 whatever it is. That you're dealing with right 588 00:37:45,180 --> 00:37:46,020 now. Let him have it. 589 00:37:46,020 --> 00:37:51,780 Would you stand with me? In Jesus name, Heavenly Father, 590 00:37:51,780 --> 00:37:57,020 we come before you, and we can only do that because your Son 591 00:37:57,020 --> 00:38:02,060 paved the road and he did it with His. 592 00:38:02,060 --> 00:38:05,740 Body and his blood. He paid our debt. 593 00:38:05,860 --> 00:38:13,920 He set us free. We are no longer slaves, but 594 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:15,600 help us. Father to live in this new 595 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:24,040 reality and help us. Father, to yield to your 596 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:31,040 presence, to your ability to change us, we've made. 597 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:36,600 Decisions in the past in our lower stories, Father, but 598 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:40,270 right. In this moment of clarity, we 599 00:38:40,270 --> 00:38:43,190 want to look up to that upper. Story We want to be in alignment 600 00:38:43,190 --> 00:38:48,910 with you. I know you've been patient with 601 00:38:48,910 --> 00:38:54,790 this, but your. It has no end and I pray right 602 00:38:54,790 --> 00:39:00,310 now we will find the peace that comes from coming into alignment 603 00:39:00,310 --> 00:39:04,190 with you. In Jesus name, Amen.