1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,300 Crossing family. It is so good to be here with 2 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:09,500 you this weekend, I have missed you. 3 00:00:09,700 --> 00:00:12,700 It is one of my great Joys to be one of the pastors at this 4 00:00:12,700 --> 00:00:14,500 church. As we try to make this the 5 00:00:14,500 --> 00:00:18,100 hardest place on planet Earth to get to Hell from. 6 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:20,500 I want to welcome you joining from all of our different 7 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:24,400 locations online and inside and are also want to welcome those 8 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,400 of you who are joining us for the first time or maybe the 9 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,900 first time in a long time. Let me in Encourage you to use 10 00:00:30,900 --> 00:00:33,600 the QR code, on the seat in front of you at any point in 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,900 time during the service. So you can engage with our 12 00:00:35,900 --> 00:00:38,500 church family in a variety of ways. 13 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,200 And on behalf of all the people who call The Crossing home, I 14 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,700 want you to know that we love you and that we are in your 15 00:00:44,700 --> 00:00:47,000 corner. Life gets complicated, would you 16 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,500 agree? And life can be hard at times. 17 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:51,500 Would you agree? But I want you to hear this 18 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:54,700 promise. We do not have to do it alone. 19 00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:57,900 Today, we are finishing up a sermon series called weeds in my 20 00:00:57,900 --> 00:01:00,000 garden. When we started this sir. 21 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,800 In series, I was a little nervous about what would happen. 22 00:01:04,300 --> 00:01:09,300 Would people leave our church would people get mad. 23 00:01:09,300 --> 00:01:11,500 What's going to go on with the sermon series? 24 00:01:11,500 --> 00:01:14,200 Be too long? Well, I've been amazed at what 25 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:15,900 God has done during this sermon series. 26 00:01:15,900 --> 00:01:18,300 In fact, our church has grown through this sermon series and I 27 00:01:18,308 --> 00:01:20,800 found out so far. During the street sermon series 28 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:25,300 147, people have been baptized and that doesn't even include 29 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,700 what's going to be happening this weekend. 30 00:01:27,900 --> 00:01:30,900 There have been emails from people all across Sr region and 31 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:34,000 from across the country who watch online, who have been 32 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,800 stepping into these areas, many of you have received help and 33 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,100 hope others of you have listened intently. 34 00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:43,600 So that way you could offer help and hope to those that you love 35 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,400 that are in a battle, I want to read an email that was passed on 36 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,500 to me by one of our parents who attend one of our different 37 00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:56,100 locations and they receive this email from the teacher of one of 38 00:01:56,100 --> 00:01:58,700 their kids. I'm going to call him jack. 39 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:01,300 Although after service he came. Up to me and said, my name is 40 00:02:01,300 --> 00:02:03,700 Johnny so I guess we can use Johnny. 41 00:02:03,900 --> 00:02:05,500 I have to tell you something funny. 42 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:08,000 That's how the email begins two days ago. 43 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,100 I was doing my usual bouncing from Kid to Kid in the resource 44 00:02:11,100 --> 00:02:13,500 center forming plans for what they are doing. 45 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,700 What's missing Etc? It can be exhausting at times, 46 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:20,900 especially with difficult kids. It is a large class after all, 47 00:02:22,500 --> 00:02:26,000 Johnny was sitting next to our para and he said she needs to go 48 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,900 to my church and listen to the sermons on how to weed your 49 00:02:28,900 --> 00:02:33,700 garden. She had to tell me later and he 50 00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:36,100 said, you look stressed. You need to weed your garden. 51 00:02:36,700 --> 00:02:39,700 He went on to explain the sermon series a little bit more. 52 00:02:39,900 --> 00:02:42,900 I told him that he was so kind and that he was watching out for 53 00:02:42,900 --> 00:02:45,200 me and he offered a great suggestion. 54 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,700 I also told him it's just part of the job. 55 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,800 I may look stressed but I'm trying to work quickly to you 56 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,500 make sure that everything gets started on something. 57 00:02:53,500 --> 00:02:56,400 So I also let him know that I thought it was great that he was 58 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:57,500 listening and applying these things. 59 00:02:57,500 --> 00:03:00,300 He heard from the sermon. I thought you might like to Hear 60 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:02,400 this too. He's a great kid. 61 00:03:02,500 --> 00:03:05,600 We're going to have a fun year. How cool is that email? 62 00:03:06,300 --> 00:03:08,100 As we're getting ready to start this series? 63 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:09,700 There's a couple things are this in. 64 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:11,600 Start this sermon. There's a couple things I want 65 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,600 to do, and I was about ready to cut this going into this 66 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,200 message. But then I had just a 67 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,700 heartbreaking conversation with a girl, in the lobby, who came 68 00:03:21,700 --> 00:03:25,600 up to me? Whose friend is going through a 69 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,000 really dark time. And so, I'm just, I'm really 70 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:32,000 glad that it got kind of used that to kind of create space, 71 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,500 because I was about ready to cut all of this. 72 00:03:33,700 --> 00:03:36,000 When we started the sermon series, there were resources 73 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,200 that we put together. And one of the resources is kind 74 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:45,500 of like low end is, are weeds in my garden playlist on Spotify, 75 00:03:45,500 --> 00:03:47,200 and if you don't have Spotify, I apologize. 76 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,000 But this is just where we figured it out. 77 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,700 And the reason why I want you to have access to, this is because 78 00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:54,500 there's going to be times where you need to kind of recenter 79 00:03:54,500 --> 00:03:56,800 yourself. There's gonna be times where 80 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,300 you're going to find yourself, maybe a little overwhelmed, a 81 00:03:59,300 --> 00:04:01,600 little stressed out. And you just kind of need to 82 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,300 speak the name of Jesus, over your situation and recenter 83 00:04:04,300 --> 00:04:06,300 yourself on the goodness of our God. 84 00:04:06,500 --> 00:04:09,300 And this playlist will help you do that. 85 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:15,200 The second thing and this is you may have need to re-watch one of 86 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,300 these sermons or maybe you want to catch up on one of the 87 00:04:18,308 --> 00:04:22,000 sermons or God may put you in a position where you over hear 88 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,600 somebody talking about something and you're going, you know what 89 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:26,600 I have. Something for you. 90 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,700 You can catch all of these sermons on our website or you 91 00:04:29,700 --> 00:04:33,600 can watch them on YouTube. But the thing that's the most 92 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,700 important that we did during the sermon series, is we created a 93 00:04:36,700 --> 00:04:40,100 resource page, it has access to all the sermons. 94 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:44,700 It also has coaching from a psychologist on what you can do 95 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:48,600 to provide help and hope as well as resources that you can look 96 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,800 at questions, you can ask and the national and Regional 97 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:53,600 resources. This girl came up to me and she 98 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,700 said, my friend is having deep dark thoughts, and I don't know 99 00:04:56,700 --> 00:04:59,100 what to do. And I said, go to this site and 100 00:04:59,100 --> 00:05:02,700 do what it says. And tears were just welling up 101 00:05:02,700 --> 00:05:05,100 in her eyes and there may be a moment where you find yourself 102 00:05:05,100 --> 00:05:07,900 in a situation, you're going. I'm not a psychologist. 103 00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:09,500 I don't know how to navigate this. 104 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,300 This will tell you exactly what you should be doing on your end 105 00:05:13,700 --> 00:05:16,900 because you don't have to carry this and walk through this all 106 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:19,300 on your own. When we started the sermon 107 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:22,200 series, I talked to you about the course of a song that 108 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,600 impacted me, deeply. In fact, you just heard it 109 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,700 saying at all of our different locations but I want to walk you 110 00:05:26,700 --> 00:05:29,000 through it. I tell you that I'm whole but 111 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,900 I'm still healing. I Tell you that I'm happy. 112 00:05:31,900 --> 00:05:34,000 But I'm grieving thought I was a fighter. 113 00:05:34,900 --> 00:05:39,600 I'm still in the fire. But if I'm being honest, I'm not 114 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,200 being honest. I'll give you roses. 115 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:44,900 Just hoping you don't see the weeds in my garden. 116 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,600 If I'm being honest. I'm at my darkest. 117 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,000 I'm sitting here, waiting and praying for someone to show me 118 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:57,200 what love is. I'm just being honest. 119 00:05:58,700 --> 00:06:01,800 I wonder how many of our spouses kids. 120 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:08,600 Grandchildren, employees, co-workers bosses, find 121 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,200 themselves relating to these words. 122 00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:17,600 I can't help but wonder how many of you and week one. 123 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,900 We talked about. It's okay to not be okay. 124 00:06:20,300 --> 00:06:24,100 That you can be messed up and still be part of this church. 125 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,000 And then we talked about the three lies that Satan tries to 126 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,400 tell you. That if the truth about you were 127 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,700 found out or when you find out that you're navigating weeds in 128 00:06:33,700 --> 00:06:37,800 your garden, that somehow your life loses, its meaning that if 129 00:06:37,808 --> 00:06:41,500 people knew everything about you, that they wouldn't accept 130 00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:43,500 you and that God wouldn't love you. 131 00:06:44,300 --> 00:06:49,300 And we dispelled those lies and then we did a deep dive into 132 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:52,800 issues related to self-esteem suicide anxiety. 133 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,500 Stress burnout worry and depression and then we brought 134 00:06:56,500 --> 00:06:59,000 in dr. Wes Beavis, you has Pastors all 135 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,700 across the country as well as 10 to 15 percent of the staff here 136 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:05,500 at the Crossing and he gave us practical steps that we can take 137 00:07:05,500 --> 00:07:08,000 on Mental Health. We talked about the four 138 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,800 buckets. Where mental health issues, 139 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,100 reside in there's the spiritual bucket. 140 00:07:12,100 --> 00:07:15,600 You have an enemy who's trying to steal and kill and destroy. 141 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,100 There's the biological bucket. Each of us were kind of made 142 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:21,300 differently and uniquely. Which means that there's going 143 00:07:21,300 --> 00:07:23,400 to be different and unique challenges that we are going to 144 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,700 have to face and we talked about the situational bucket, 145 00:07:26,700 --> 00:07:28,300 sometimes you're just going to find yourself. 146 00:07:28,300 --> 00:07:32,000 Elf in tragic circumstances and then there's the clinical 147 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,100 budget, our bucket where you're going to have to have help from 148 00:07:35,100 --> 00:07:38,000 other people to help you chart a path forward. 149 00:07:38,300 --> 00:07:41,700 However, from the very beginning of this sermon series, I've been 150 00:07:41,700 --> 00:07:44,600 looking forward to preaching this message. 151 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,500 I called it hope weekend because I believe that there is so much 152 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:55,200 hope for you, your family, your friends and for your future is 153 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,100 there anyone here at any of our locations? 154 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,600 Watching online or inside. That would be willing to be a 155 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,200 little bit honest. And admit that they have some 156 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:08,400 weeds in their Garden. Okay, I want to have been bad. 157 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,600 If I came to preach this sermon to the wrong group of people 158 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,200 during our first service today, as people were walking into the 159 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,100 auditorium. There was a greeter going. 160 00:08:17,100 --> 00:08:24,500 Did you get your weed yet? And I was thinking to myself all 161 00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:27,600 across this region, people are going to be going at the 162 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,100 Crossing this weekend. They were passing out weed at 163 00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:33,200 the doors before you walked into the church. 164 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:44,800 God, protect us. There might be some of you 165 00:08:46,100 --> 00:08:51,700 tempted to think that if you were more spiritual, you 166 00:08:51,700 --> 00:08:53,900 wouldn't have weeds in your garden. 167 00:08:56,900 --> 00:09:01,200 The maybe if you just prayed a little longer, read a little 168 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,100 harder. You wouldn't have some of the 169 00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:07,200 weeds. However, just a simple look 170 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,600 through the Bible. Shows us that even the super 171 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,600 spiritual from time to time, had to navigate the weeds and their 172 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:16,700 Garden. Just because your spiritual 173 00:09:16,900 --> 00:09:19,200 doesn't mean you're exempt from Weeds. 174 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,700 If only, I spent more time, I wouldn't have these problems but 175 00:09:24,700 --> 00:09:28,200 just because you're listening to The Shepherd's voice, doesn't 176 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,700 mean that there aren't wolves who will try to bite just 177 00:09:31,700 --> 00:09:35,100 because you've read the Bible and done what it says doesn't 178 00:09:35,100 --> 00:09:37,400 mean your life won't have storms. 179 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:43,800 It just means that after the storm you're still standing just 180 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,400 because you're doing spiritual things, doesn't mean that you 181 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,200 are exempt from Weeds. Maybe if I did more for God, Or 182 00:09:52,500 --> 00:09:57,100 maybe if I served more saying louder gave more, then I 183 00:09:57,100 --> 00:09:59,000 wouldn't have these weeds in my garden. 184 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,200 But if you were to look through Scripture, its chapters are 185 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:07,800 dripping with stories of people who are spiritual and doing 186 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:12,900 spiritual things that still had to navigate weeds in their 187 00:10:12,900 --> 00:10:16,200 Garden. It was Jonah who preached a 188 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:21,600 sermon and 120,000 people the entire town, repented and turned 189 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,400 to God, I've preached a lot of sermons and never change the 190 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,300 city. In fact, I don't know anybody 191 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:33,600 who's preached a sermon that had greater effect than Jonah and 192 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,300 right after that sermon, he begged God to let him die. 193 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:43,900 It was Moses who led the people out of captivity descended, the 194 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:48,800 ten plagues on the Egyptians walked across the Dead Sea who 195 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:55,000 finds himself overwhelmed and distraught in Exodus 11 and said 196 00:10:55,000 --> 00:11:01,900 I can't do this any more. It just might mean that when you 197 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:06,700 try to do things for God and walk with God, the more 198 00:11:06,700 --> 00:11:10,800 susceptible you might be. Become to weeds because Satan 199 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:15,000 will do anything. He can to stop the work that God 200 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:21,200 is trying to do through you and in you and on your behalf hear 201 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:25,500 me. I came today to preach a sermon. 202 00:11:26,100 --> 00:11:30,100 That when you find weeds in your garden, it is not a sign that 203 00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:33,000 you are not spiritual. It is not a sign that you are 204 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,000 not significant. It is a sign that you are human 205 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:42,400 living in a And world that Jesus came to die for redeem and 206 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,600 prepare a heaven for my sermon today is called, It's Not Over. 207 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:53,500 It is not over just so I wouldn't forget it. 208 00:11:53,600 --> 00:12:00,300 I made a shirt that said it this message is for all of you who 209 00:12:00,300 --> 00:12:04,000 have weeds in your garden. This sermon is a message. 210 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000 For those of you with loved ones who have weeds in their Garden, 211 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,700 this message is for those of you in a troubling situation, coming 212 00:12:11,700 --> 00:12:14,700 to terms with the past, trauma, navigating a devastating 213 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:17,600 diagnosis and those of you fighting for your life, with a 214 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,500 battle between your ears, the sermons called, It's Not Over 215 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,100 turn to your neighbor and say It's Not Over. 216 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,900 Turn to your other neighbor. The one you like the least? 217 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:35,200 Tell them it's not over. Say it say it just a little bit 218 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,600 louder so hell knows. You're paying attention. 219 00:12:37,700 --> 00:12:41,800 It's not. Say it a little bit louder so 220 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,000 God knows we're serious. It's not over. 221 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,000 Let me tell you why, it's not over. 222 00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:58,700 I may have weeds in my garden. Weeds that have been in my life, 223 00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:03,600 my whole life. And weeds that just sprung up. 224 00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:10,700 Weeds that I've picked before and weeds, I can't remove. 225 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:16,800 Weeds, I thought were behind me and weeds that keep showing up. 226 00:13:17,500 --> 00:13:22,100 I may have weeds in my garden but my promises I have a good 227 00:13:22,100 --> 00:13:28,000 Gardener and if you have a good Gardener, it's not over. 228 00:13:28,900 --> 00:13:32,100 We serve a God who can turn things around. 229 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,800 We serve a god, who's caring enough to notice the little 230 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:36,800 things. And strong enough to handle the 231 00:13:36,808 --> 00:13:41,300 big ones and wise enough know how to repurpose and redeem our 232 00:13:41,300 --> 00:13:42,000 pain. Jane. 233 00:13:42,300 --> 00:13:44,900 I came to preach a very simple message to you today. 234 00:13:45,300 --> 00:13:49,200 I may have a weeds in my garden, but I have a good Gardener. 235 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:55,700 And if I have a good gardener, Second Corinthians says, praise 236 00:13:55,700 --> 00:13:59,300 be to the God and father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the father 237 00:13:59,300 --> 00:14:04,100 of compassion, and the God of All Comfort, who comforts Us in 238 00:14:04,100 --> 00:14:09,400 all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble 239 00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:13,900 with the Comfort. We ourselves receive from god, 240 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:19,100 notice God cares. And God Comforts, he feels it 241 00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:22,000 with you and he is moved to action on your behalf. 242 00:14:22,100 --> 00:14:25,100 Behalf. Then he does something that only 243 00:14:25,100 --> 00:14:28,500 God can do. He takes our troubles and he 244 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:32,600 turns them into bridges into the pain of other people's lives. 245 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,200 The sermon is simple. I may have a weeds in my garden, 246 00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:39,600 but I have a good Gardener and because I have a good Gardener, 247 00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:42,800 It's Not Over. You might be tempted to think 248 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,000 that, because of what you've been through that. 249 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,800 God could never use you. But little did you know that 250 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:53,600 your pain Was preparing you? Like I said, It's not over your 251 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:55,800 troubles. Just might be the intro to your 252 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:59,600 testimony because it's not over. Your struggle is just the 253 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,500 beginning of your story because it's not over. 254 00:15:02,500 --> 00:15:05,700 You're paying just might be building your platform, you're 255 00:15:05,700 --> 00:15:07,500 hurt. Just might be what God starts 256 00:15:07,500 --> 00:15:10,800 using to bring healing into somebody else's life. 257 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,200 Your trauma, just might be your ticket to speak to someone's 258 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,500 life. Your diagnosis. 259 00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:18,700 Just might be the open door that God is using to change. 260 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:21,700 Somebody's Destiny, your oppression, just might be your 261 00:15:21,700 --> 00:15:25,400 opportunity. tunity just show that God is still good Crossing 262 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:29,500 Church, you may have weeds in your garden but you have a good 263 00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:36,700 Gardener and because he's your gardener It's Not Over. 264 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,100 Second Corinthians. Paul writes, me and I want you 265 00:15:43,100 --> 00:15:46,000 to be uninformed brothers and sisters about the troubles. 266 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:50,000 We experienced in the province of Asia we were under great 267 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,000 pressure, far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired 268 00:15:54,000 --> 00:16:00,200 of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received 269 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,400 the sentence of death, but this happened that we might not rely 270 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:08,600 on ourselves but on God who raises the Dead. 271 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,100 Notice this. He has delivered us from such, a 272 00:16:13,108 --> 00:16:18,300 deadly Peril and he will deliver us again on him. 273 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:22,400 We have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us. 274 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:23,700 Do you notice what they're saying? 275 00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:27,000 They're saying God's pulled weeds in my past. 276 00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:33,100 And he'll pull weeds again. He'll remove things in my past 277 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,900 and he'll remove them again, but you'll also, if he doesn't 278 00:16:35,900 --> 00:16:40,600 remove it, he'll redeem it. Paul is trying to tell you and 279 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,700 me and everybody who will read that passage of scripture, you 280 00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:48,500 may have weeds in your garden, put take hope you have a good 281 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,900 gardener. God can redeem the pain of weeds 282 00:16:52,900 --> 00:16:56,300 in our garden to move us from dependence on our self to 283 00:16:56,300 --> 00:17:00,300 dependence on him. For he is our Rock, our shelter, 284 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:05,000 our great defender and Redeemer the power that he has in your 285 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,400 life and over your story to bring purpose out of your pain 286 00:17:09,500 --> 00:17:14,000 is the same power that he used to raised Jesus from the grave. 287 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,800 And Romans tells us this that that same spirit that has that 288 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,900 same power. Lives in you turn to your 289 00:17:23,900 --> 00:17:27,200 neighbor and say It's Not Over. Hear me. 290 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,800 When I say this, if Jesus can handle your sin, if he can 291 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,200 resurrect you make you new handle your eternity. 292 00:17:34,300 --> 00:17:37,100 Prepare a place for you and write your name in the Lamb's 293 00:17:37,100 --> 00:17:40,000 Book of Life. Is there anything that he can't 294 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,300 do? You may have weeds in your 295 00:17:42,300 --> 00:17:45,800 garden but you have a good Gardener and because you have a 296 00:17:45,808 --> 00:17:49,900 good Gardener, it's not over. I could tell you the story of 297 00:17:49,900 --> 00:17:54,500 Elijah who went and overcame the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel 298 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,300 and he demonstrated In strated, the goodness and power and 299 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:01,700 sufficiency of God, and as soon as he was done doing your great 300 00:18:01,700 --> 00:18:05,100 thing for God, all he wanted to do was die. 301 00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:10,500 However God reminded him. That God wasn't done and that he 302 00:18:10,508 --> 00:18:16,100 wasn't alone and so we sent Elijah to raise up Elijah and 303 00:18:16,100 --> 00:18:19,900 Elisha prayed a simple prayer. Give me a double portion of 304 00:18:19,900 --> 00:18:25,900 Elijah and Elisha went on to do 2 times the ministry of Elijah 305 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,400 and others. Art's, you may have weeds in 306 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,300 your garden but you have a good Gardener because you have a good 307 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:36,600 Gardener. It's not over Elijah went on to 308 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,600 bring a woman's son back to life. 309 00:18:38,900 --> 00:18:41,300 He brought a man, who'd been buried a long time. 310 00:18:41,300 --> 00:18:44,500 Back from the dead, he cleans the water that was making a 311 00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:47,000 community sick and impacting their Crop Production. 312 00:18:47,500 --> 00:18:50,600 He stepped in and kept a woman from losing her two sons to 313 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:54,500 slavery to pay for unpaid debts. He went on to feed over 100 men 314 00:18:54,500 --> 00:18:56,400 who were hungry with only a little bit of bread. 315 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,800 Ed and he cured Naaman from leprosy. 316 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,400 There's a man named Naaman who was cured of leprosy by a guy 317 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:05,800 that was raised up by a dude who wanted to quit. 318 00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:13,000 In other words, it's not over God can still redeem and 319 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:17,200 repurpose your pain. The story I wanted to tell you 320 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,300 when I preach the sermon on suicide I held off to this very 321 00:19:20,300 --> 00:19:23,600 moment because this just might be my new favorite story in 322 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:30,000 scripture, pay attention. Paul and Silas went to a town 323 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,100 called Philippi. When they arrived in the town, 324 00:19:33,100 --> 00:19:34,400 they were looking for a place to prayer. 325 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:36,600 They didn't find the prey. They didn't find one. 326 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,700 So they they went to another spot down by the river, and they 327 00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:43,800 met a woman named Lydia. She was a worshiper of God but 328 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,500 not a follower of Jesus. God opened up her heart while 329 00:19:47,500 --> 00:19:51,100 they were speaking to her and she and all of the members of 330 00:19:51,100 --> 00:19:54,900 our house were baptized and she invited them to come and stay 331 00:19:54,900 --> 00:19:59,800 with her in her house a little bit after that as Paul and Silas 332 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,900 were going to a place to pray. They were met by a slave. 333 00:20:02,900 --> 00:20:05,800 Girl who had a spirit that gave her the ability to tell the 334 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,700 future. She earned a great deal of money 335 00:20:08,700 --> 00:20:12,800 for her master's by fortune. Telling she was following Paul 336 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,400 and Silas and she was proclaiming out loud. 337 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,600 These are men of God who are telling you the way to be saved. 338 00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:21,900 But Paul in the name of Jesus Christ, commanded the spirit to 339 00:20:21,900 --> 00:20:25,300 come out of her. Her owners realizing that their 340 00:20:25,300 --> 00:20:28,500 ability to make profits in the future had been compromised 341 00:20:28,900 --> 00:20:32,600 immediately seized Paul and Silas drag them in front of the 342 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,300 authorities. They were misrepresented 343 00:20:35,300 --> 00:20:39,600 stripped, beaten with rods, after being severely beaten, 344 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,200 they were placed in the Inner Cell of the jail and their feet 345 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,800 were fastened in stocks, this allowed them to keep Paul and 346 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:50,500 Silas in a painful position resulting in stretching and 347 00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:55,300 cramping muscles. but at midnight in that inner jail 348 00:20:55,300 --> 00:20:58,100 cell, While their legs were stretched. 349 00:20:58,100 --> 00:21:01,700 Apart Paul and Silas were found praying. 350 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:06,900 And singing to God, in the midst of a weedy situation, they were 351 00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:09,600 proclaiming that God is a good Gardener. 352 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:13,800 And in that moment, an earthquake hit the jail and the 353 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,900 doors flew open and the shackles came loose off their feet and 354 00:21:17,900 --> 00:21:22,700 let's pick up the story in Acts 16, the Jailer woke up and when 355 00:21:22,700 --> 00:21:26,800 he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about out 356 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,500 to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had 357 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:33,500 escaped. But Paul's shouted, don't harm 358 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:38,000 yourself. We are all here. 359 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:41,600 The Jailer called for lights rushed in, and felt trembling 360 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,900 before Paul, and Silas that he brought them out and asked sirs, 361 00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:51,200 what must I do to be saved? They replied believe in the Lord 362 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:56,000 Jesus and you will be saved you and your household. 363 00:21:56,700 --> 00:21:59,400 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the 364 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,200 others in his house. At that hour of the night, the 365 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,300 Jailer took them and wash their wounds. 366 00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:09,200 And then immediately he and all his household were baptized the, 367 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,000 Jailer brought them into his house and said a meal before 368 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,000 them. He was filled with joy because 369 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,800 he had come to believe. In God, he and his whole 370 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:24,800 household. if you don't believe my sermon yet, you better 371 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,500 believe it now. Because God took a man who was 372 00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:31,700 on the brink of suicide and turned him into a spiritual 373 00:22:31,700 --> 00:22:35,800 leader in his home, he took a man who is about to end his life 374 00:22:36,100 --> 00:22:40,300 and gave him eternal life. And that man along with that 375 00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:44,700 woman became the founders of a church in Philippi. 376 00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:50,600 And years later, Paul writes to this church, founded by a woman 377 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:56,600 in a suicidal man we call that book Philippians and it is from 378 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:00,800 the words in Philippians that for centuries, Christians 379 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:06,000 worldwide have found a source of strength for it's in this book. 380 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:11,300 In Philippians that Paul writes these words Being confident of 381 00:23:11,300 --> 00:23:15,400 this that he who began a good work in you. 382 00:23:16,900 --> 00:23:21,500 Will be faithful to carry it on to completion and other words, 383 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:24,000 Paul writes to them. You may have weeds in your 384 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,300 garden. But you have a good Gardener and 385 00:23:28,300 --> 00:23:32,400 when you have a good Gardener, it's not over Paul. 386 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,500 Goes on to tell them that God is repurposing. 387 00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:39,200 His pain for God's glory. He says this to this church, 388 00:23:39,300 --> 00:23:41,500 founded by a woman in a suicidal jailer. 389 00:23:42,500 --> 00:23:44,500 Now I want you to know brothers and sisters. 390 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,700 What has happened to me? The weeds that have been put in 391 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:54,400 my life, have actually served to advance the gospel as a result, 392 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,900 it's become clear throughout the whole Palace guard. 393 00:23:56,900 --> 00:24:01,000 And to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ, and 394 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,900 because of my chains because of my weeds, most of the brothers, 395 00:24:05,900 --> 00:24:09,200 and sisters, have become competent in the Lord, and dare 396 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,700 to proclaim the gospel without fear. 397 00:24:12,300 --> 00:24:16,900 In other words, Paul saying God's using my weedy situation 398 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:21,300 to inspire other people to proclaim, the goodness of God, 399 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:25,200 Paul writes to this church and says you may have weeds in your 400 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,600 garden but we have a good Gardener and because we have a 401 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:33,200 good Gardener it's not over. He's saying there's hope Paul 402 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:37,700 writes to this very Church in chapter 3 but whatever we're my 403 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:40,200 gains to me. I now consider loss for the sake 404 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,100 of Christ. What is Consider everything a 405 00:24:43,100 --> 00:24:47,700 loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus. 406 00:24:47,700 --> 00:24:51,300 My Lord and Savior for whose sake, I have lost all things. 407 00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:55,100 I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ and be found in 408 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:58,200 him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the 409 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,000 law, but that which is through faith in Christ. 410 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,500 The righteousness that comes from God, on the basis of faith, 411 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,600 I want to know Christ. Yes. 412 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,000 To know the power of his resurrection and participation 413 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,600 in his sufferings Earrings becoming like him in his death 414 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:20,000 and so somehow attaining to the resurrection of the Dead, not 415 00:25:20,300 --> 00:25:24,900 that I have already obtained, all this or already arrived at 416 00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:31,300 my goal here. This, but I press on to take 417 00:25:31,300 --> 00:25:36,000 hold of that for which Christ took hold of me brothers and 418 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,200 sisters. I do not consider myself yet to 419 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:39,300 have taken. Hold of it. 420 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,500 Paul keeps riding, but one thing I do, I do forgetting. 421 00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:46,900 What is behind and straining toward what is ahead? 422 00:25:47,100 --> 00:25:51,600 I press on toward the goal to win the prize, which God has 423 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,000 called me heavenward in Christ. Jesus. 424 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,600 He's saying, even though you have weeds in your garden, Press 425 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:04,800 On, Because you have a good Gardener press on keep walking, 426 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,200 hold on. And the one you're holding on to 427 00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:11,300 it's good. He can either remove the weed or 428 00:26:11,300 --> 00:26:15,000 redeem the weed, but don't let go press on. 429 00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:17,900 He writes to this church and Philippians chapter 3. 430 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,500 The church that was founded by woman in a suicidal Jailer. 431 00:26:21,700 --> 00:26:27,100 Our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a savior from 432 00:26:27,100 --> 00:26:30,500 there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who by the The power that 433 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:34,800 enables him to bring everything, under his control will transform 434 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:38,100 our lowly bodies. So that we will be like his 435 00:26:38,300 --> 00:26:41,500 glorious body. He's saying, our citizenship is 436 00:26:41,500 --> 00:26:46,200 in heaven, no matter how many weeds are in your garden, your 437 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:50,600 position in Christ is steadfast its strong. 438 00:26:50,700 --> 00:26:53,100 Satan can't touch it. You can't lose it. 439 00:26:53,100 --> 00:26:56,600 He has a hold on, you Philippians chapter 4. 440 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:59,600 He says this for I have learned to be content. 441 00:26:59,700 --> 00:27:04,000 ENT, whatever the circumstances, I know what it is to be in need 442 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,800 and I know what it is to have plenty, I have learned the 443 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,900 secret of being content in any and every situation, no matter 444 00:27:10,900 --> 00:27:17,000 how many weeds are in my garden. I have a good Gardener because I 445 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:21,800 can do all of this through Christ who gives me strength. 446 00:27:22,500 --> 00:27:24,800 He says, this, for those of you who are doubting that, God can 447 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,100 handle your weeds. He says this in Philippians 4:19 448 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:33,500 and this same God who takes care of me, will supply, all your 449 00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:37,000 needs through his glorious riches, which have been given to 450 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:41,000 us in Christ Jesus no matter how many weeds you have. 451 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:45,700 God has given you everything you need to Stand, everything you 452 00:27:45,700 --> 00:27:50,100 need to keep going, are yours and they have been purchased in 453 00:27:50,100 --> 00:27:53,900 Christ in Philippians chapter 2. He writes to this church. 454 00:27:53,900 --> 00:27:57,500 You wouldn't have this letter. If it wasn't for a suicidal, 455 00:27:57,500 --> 00:28:01,900 Jailer who got saved. In your relationships with one 456 00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:05,300 another. Have the same mindset as Christ 457 00:28:05,300 --> 00:28:09,400 Jesus who being in the very nature, God did not consider 458 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,500 equality with God. Something to be used for his own 459 00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:16,000 Advantage, rather. He made himself Nothing by 460 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:18,600 taking the very nature of a servant. 461 00:28:19,700 --> 00:28:23,400 And being made in human likeness and being found in appearance. 462 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,900 As a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even 463 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,500 death on a cross. Therefore God, exalted him to 464 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:33,300 the highest place and gave him. The name. 465 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:37,600 That is above every name that at the name of Jesus. 466 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,700 Every knee should bow in heaven and on Earth and under the 467 00:28:40,700 --> 00:28:42,300 Earth. And every tongue acknowledge 468 00:28:42,300 --> 00:28:47,300 that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father it is 469 00:28:47,300 --> 00:28:53,500 here in these pages of scripture that we realize that God is 470 00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:57,600 using us and using the weeds for his glory. 471 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:02,400 And for his purpose, he says to this church, do everything 472 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:06,400 without grumbling or arguing so that you may become blameless 473 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:13,900 and pure You know, I love you. Some of you because of the weeds 474 00:29:13,900 --> 00:29:17,400 in your garden, you've been grumbling and arguing. 475 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,500 He's saying, don't Grumble, don't argue, so that you may 476 00:29:21,500 --> 00:29:25,200 become blameless and pure children of God without fault in 477 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:29,200 a warped and crooked generation. Here's why then you will shine 478 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:33,700 among them, like, stars in the night sky, as you hold firmly to 479 00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:39,800 the word of life, no matter how dark it gets, no matter how long 480 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:43,600 the night it is used standing. I'm clinging to your good 481 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,600 Gardener while you navigate the weeds in your garden, that will 482 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,100 give the people around you. Hope it will give them something 483 00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:53,200 to fix their eyes on. There is a star shining in the 484 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,800 night and that star is lit up by Christ himself. 485 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,700 It is perhaps why Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12? 486 00:30:01,100 --> 00:30:05,000 Therefore in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was 487 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:09,400 given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment 488 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:11,900 me. Three times, I pleaded with the 489 00:30:11,900 --> 00:30:18,000 Lord to take it away from me, but he said, to me, my grace is 490 00:30:18,100 --> 00:30:23,700 sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness. 491 00:30:24,300 --> 00:30:27,900 Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses 492 00:30:28,300 --> 00:30:30,900 so that Christ's power May rest on me. 493 00:30:31,700 --> 00:30:35,500 That is why for Christ's sake. I Delight in weaknesses in 494 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:39,900 insults, in hardships, in persecutions in difficulties. 495 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:44,300 Paul saying I got weeds, some of you, you're listening to me and 496 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:47,700 you're in a spear, a period of weakness, you're navigating 497 00:30:47,700 --> 00:30:51,500 insults, you find yourself in the midst of hardships, You're 498 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:54,700 going through persecutions, you're in difficult situations, 499 00:30:54,700 --> 00:30:58,100 but Paul is clinging to the truth of the gardener, for when 500 00:30:58,100 --> 00:31:05,300 I am weak, then I am Say it With Me, Maybe instead of asking God 501 00:31:05,300 --> 00:31:09,500 to remove our weeds, we would humbly pray that God would 502 00:31:09,500 --> 00:31:14,700 redeem them for his glory. And for his purpose, I came to 503 00:31:14,700 --> 00:31:18,300 just tell you one thing, Crossing family. 504 00:31:18,700 --> 00:31:23,200 You may have weeds in your garden but you have a good 505 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:29,800 Gardener and if you have a good Gardener, it's not over. 506 00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:31,400 We're moving to a time of decision. 507 00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:39,900 This is a special moment for me because I'm getting the 508 00:31:39,900 --> 00:31:43,700 opportunity to speak to all of you at all of our different 509 00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:49,800 locations. I wanted this moment with all of 510 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:53,500 you because I know that There are many of you. 511 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,900 Who right now? Your garden has no gardener. 512 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:06,700 And the weeds in your garden are going to choke out all the fruit 513 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:12,400 and growth in your life. It will steal from your future, 514 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:18,500 your family and your purpose. The reason I'm calling this hope 515 00:32:18,500 --> 00:32:20,800 weekend is because there is hope. 516 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:27,200 Not hope has a name. And it is the name of Jesus. 517 00:32:28,100 --> 00:32:30,900 There has never been anyone like him. 518 00:32:32,700 --> 00:32:38,400 He knows you, he created you, he puts you together on purpose and 519 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:42,700 for a purpose and he died on your behalf and there is no 520 00:32:42,700 --> 00:32:47,500 sinner that he can't save. And you might be thinking right 521 00:32:47,500 --> 00:32:52,800 now, but Clayton, not me. I'm too messed up and I just 522 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:54,500 need you to know. I've been a part of this church 523 00:32:54,500 --> 00:32:58,300 long enough to know that there is somebody sitting in your row 524 00:32:59,700 --> 00:33:04,900 who could testify all day to the goodness of our God. 525 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,500 You might be going but I don't have it all figured out all. 526 00:33:09,500 --> 00:33:14,200 That's why I love this story. The Philippian Jailer How many 527 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:20,800 times has he been to church? How many sermons had he heard? 528 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:24,900 How many worship songs had he sang? 529 00:33:26,300 --> 00:33:33,000 You're so far ahead of him. right now, in this moment, he 530 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,700 hasn't attended any Bible studies. 531 00:33:35,900 --> 00:33:40,000 He hadn't read his Bible, he hadn't offered any prayers. 532 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:48,000 He was just on the brink. He was just done, he was at the 533 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:52,200 end of his rope. And he learned that ropes don't 534 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:57,200 save Jesus does you can hold on to a rope, you can hold on to 535 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:00,400 yourself, you can hold onto your job, you can hold on to your 536 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:02,900 political party. But the only thing that I'll 537 00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:05,700 never let you down. The only thing that can save, 538 00:34:05,700 --> 00:34:09,100 the only thing that can restore. The only thing that can redeem 539 00:34:09,100 --> 00:34:14,600 is Jesus and there's hope in that and there's hope for you. 540 00:34:16,300 --> 00:34:20,000 Hear me to those of you. Listen to my voice right now? 541 00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:23,100 If you have weeds in your garden, don't you? 542 00:34:23,100 --> 00:34:26,100 Dare give up. And don't you dare let up? 543 00:34:26,100 --> 00:34:30,500 It's not over, God has a purpose for your life. 544 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:34,199 He can still use you. Your weaknesses are simply an 545 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:40,000 invitation for the power of God to show off in your life, in the 546 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,000 midst of your weedy Garden. God still good. 547 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,699 In the midst of all of the weeds. 548 00:34:46,100 --> 00:34:50,800 Still got you in the midst of all of your weeds Satan, can't 549 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:57,400 take anything from you. because your citizenship, Is in heaven. 550 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:00,100 All you may have weeds in your garden. 551 00:35:01,700 --> 00:35:05,700 But you have a good Gardener and when you have a good Gardener, 552 00:35:06,500 --> 00:35:11,400 it's never over. And so, if you've never started 553 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,300 an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 554 00:35:14,900 --> 00:35:17,200 just a few moments, the people around, you are going to stand 555 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,900 and worship and there's going to be people off to the sides of 556 00:35:19,900 --> 00:35:22,900 the stage, more than likely over by where the baptistery is. 557 00:35:22,900 --> 00:35:25,100 And they would love a chance to talk with you about how to start 558 00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:27,800 that relationship with Jesus Christ. 559 00:35:29,500 --> 00:35:33,100 To the rest of you. specifically, those of you who 560 00:35:33,100 --> 00:35:39,900 call The Crossing home, My prayer ever since I wrote this 561 00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:44,300 message. Was that we as a church, would 562 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:48,600 be so close to the plans and purposes of God, that we would 563 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:53,300 have the testimony of Paul and Silas that while they suffered, 564 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:57,300 they still praised. God while all the weeds that 565 00:35:57,300 --> 00:36:00,400 were in their life that they wish were gone in the midst of a 566 00:36:00,408 --> 00:36:05,000 weedy situation. They still gave God praise and 567 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,000 that while they were praising. God, everybody else took notice 568 00:36:08,300 --> 00:36:11,400 because Paul said we are all here. 569 00:36:12,500 --> 00:36:14,700 It wasn't just Paul and Silas that stayed. 570 00:36:15,300 --> 00:36:19,000 Everybody else took notice that when the doors came off their 571 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,400 hinges and the shackles came off their feet, they knew it wasn't 572 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,700 so that they could get out. But so the Jailer could get in 573 00:36:28,500 --> 00:36:32,200 what if we would stop asking God to remove all of the weeds in 574 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,000 our garden? But ask God to let people find 575 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:41,900 him through our weeds. You know, this. 576 00:36:43,300 --> 00:36:48,400 It's dark out there. It's dark. 577 00:36:49,700 --> 00:36:54,600 To those of you in 48. It's dark in the communities of 578 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:58,300 Macomb Kirksville and down at 9:29. 579 00:36:58,300 --> 00:37:03,200 It's dark in Pike County, and it's dark in Hannibal, it's dark 580 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,600 and Lima and Mount Sterling and Keokuk. 581 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:10,500 It's dark in Monmouth, it's dark and Jacksonville. 582 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:15,100 And we could Grumble and complain about the weeds in our 583 00:37:15,100 --> 00:37:18,900 garden or we could choose to shine like stars and the night 584 00:37:18,900 --> 00:37:21,900 sky and Proclaim that God is still good. 585 00:37:21,900 --> 00:37:26,300 We have we It's in our garden, but we have a good Gardener. 586 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:29,800 So here's what I'm going to ask you to do all of you. 587 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:33,600 When you came in, you received some weeds and I know, some of 588 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,900 your, like, these aren't weeds. And I'm not a horticulturalist, 589 00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:40,100 or I only know how to say that word, but hey, when you have a 590 00:37:40,100 --> 00:37:42,800 church, you bring your own we'd say, okay, this is what we got. 591 00:37:45,500 --> 00:37:48,300 There's a spot on there for you to write some stuff down. 592 00:37:49,300 --> 00:37:51,900 We've got pens up at the front at all of our locations. 593 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:55,900 I want you to write down your weed. 594 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:02,800 What's the thing in your garden? I want you to come up here and I 595 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:06,800 just want you to plan it and say, God this belongs to you. 596 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:14,700 Selfishly God. I want you to remove it but if 597 00:38:14,700 --> 00:38:18,200 you're not going to remove it, please redeem it. 598 00:38:18,900 --> 00:38:22,800 Put your hands so far into the situation that other people are 599 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:28,100 brought to you because of it got this sweet isn't mine, it's 600 00:38:28,100 --> 00:38:32,300 yours. And then plant it in his garden. 601 00:38:33,700 --> 00:38:35,800 The while you're down here, would you would you pick up one 602 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:39,200 of the stickers? We have, I want you to take it 603 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:40,600 with you. I want you to put it somewhere 604 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:43,700 in your house, somewhere in your car, somewhere, on your Bible 605 00:38:43,700 --> 00:38:45,700 somewhere when you see it, you'll remember. 606 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:48,900 Because Satan is going to attack you. 607 00:38:49,700 --> 00:38:52,200 He's good at showing off all the weeds and all the areas where 608 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:55,200 things aren't going the way we want them to go, but I don't 609 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:59,700 ever want you to lose sight of. Just, one thing you may have 610 00:38:59,700 --> 00:39:05,000 weeds in your garden, but we have the hope of a good Gardener 611 00:39:05,300 --> 00:39:06,900 and because we have a good Gardener. 612 00:39:07,500 --> 00:39:10,000 Well, you know, the answer, it's not over. 613 00:39:10,100 --> 00:39:15,600 Would you stand with me? Heavenly Father, be glorified In 614 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:19,200 This Moment. Dual work. 615 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:23,300 That only you can do in a way that only you can do it. 616 00:39:24,700 --> 00:39:28,600 Bring about a change in our hearts and in our lives. 617 00:39:30,900 --> 00:39:35,200 Got our weeds belong to you because we belong to you. 618 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:43,200 So father, in every single one of the rooms where this prayer 619 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:48,100 is being carried all across this region, I'm asking you to move 620 00:39:48,100 --> 00:39:51,800 Among Us. And your name. 621 00:39:51,800 --> 00:39:54,000 I pray. Amen.