1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:05,000 All right, crossing family, it is so good to be with you today. 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,480 I want to welcome those of you joining at one of our locations, 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,320 those of you watching online and inside. 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,200 We are so glad that you are here. 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,680 And to those of you who've been kind of going on a prayer 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,880 journey alongside of me, I want to encourage you to join me in 7 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,480 praying for our Easter services. Those are two weeks away. 8 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,960 God has placed a heavy burden on my heart for the opportunities 9 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,800 that I believe He's going to give us this year to not just 10 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,000 preach the gospel, but to lead you guys in celebrating the 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,640 victory that we have in Jesus Christ. 12 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,800 And what I want to encourage you to do is to there are plenty of 13 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,560 people for you to invite who need to hear about what Jesus 14 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,640 can do in their life. I want to encourage you not just 15 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:46,880 that weekend, but all the time. Park far away. 16 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,680 That's where leaders park. Choose the non regular service 17 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:52,520 times. You'll get more information on 18 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,760 that from your campus pastor over the next couple of weeks. 19 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:57,600 And do all the things that you guys are, you know, kind of 20 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,560 accustomed to doing when we have those moments as we try to make 21 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,040 this the hardest place on planet earth to get to hell from. 22 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:10,080 Sometimes when Jennifer and I go out to eat, I find myself a 23 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:14,440 little conflicted. I always want the steak that's a 24 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:20,320 non negotiable I'm a Christian, but sometimes I want something 25 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:21,640 else. Like sometimes I want some 26 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,280 shrimp, sometimes I want the lobster. 27 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,400 Sometimes I'm going I need the surf and turf option. 28 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,440 The problem with the surf and turf option though is they 29 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:33,840 sometimes will reduce the size of the steak. 30 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,200 And again, I'm a Christian, so there's rules. 31 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:42,280 And So what I will do from time to time is I will vision cast to 32 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:48,520 the table that we should get an additional entree for the table, 33 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,800 something for Jesus. You guys have been there. 34 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,280 And that's kind of how I feel about the sermon. 35 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:57,120 It's because I don't just want the steak. 36 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,920 I don't just want the lobster. I kind of, I want to try some of 37 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:01,720 the pasta. And So what we're going to try 38 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,480 to do today as a church is we're going to try to walk and chew 39 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:06,760 gum. Because as I went through this 40 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,000 sermon, I kind of went on a journey of my own. 41 00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:14,920 It starts with comfort. It leads to conviction, and 42 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:19,440 ultimately to celebration. Now, when I talk about 43 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,760 celebration, there's going to be this moment in the sermon where 44 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,040 I think you're going to feel what I felt when I wrote it, 45 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,320 which is you will be overwhelmed by the goodness and the richness 46 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:35,480 of God's grace and His mercy. However, you will not fully 47 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:40,720 enjoy or appreciate the richness of His mercy and His grace if 48 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:46,240 you don't allow through the text, the Holy Spirit to 1st 49 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,200 convict you. I'm not convicting you. 50 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,440 You have to allow the Holy Spirit through the power of His 51 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,280 Word to do that. Let me set it up. 52 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:02,440 This series has been designed to equip you to answer the question 53 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:07,520 that is sometimes lobbed at believers by non believers when 54 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,560 they bring about the proposed difference between the God of 55 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,920 the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. 56 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,400 And what we've noticed and what you will notice again today, no 57 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,320 surprise, is that the God of the Old Testament is the same God. 58 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,720 In the New Testament, it's the same God. 59 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,680 They have the same name because they have the same power and 60 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,680 they are offering the same promise to those who are willing 61 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,440 to receive him. Here's the story. 62 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:39,280 God has appeared to a man by the name of Abram. 63 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,840 Now Abraham eventually gets his name changed to Abraham and his 64 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,960 wife Sarah eventually gets her name changed to Sarah. 65 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,120 So depending on where you're at in the story, God has not yet 66 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:51,480 changed their name. But we're talking about the 67 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,480 exact same people. Genesis chapter 12, verse one 68 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,720 through 2. The Lord said to Abram, go from 69 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,600 your country, your people, your father's household to the land. 70 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,480 I will show you. I will make you into a great 71 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:15,640 nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great and 72 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:21,480 you will be a blessing. At the time, Abram and his wife 73 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:27,920 Sarai were old, old and barren. No kids. 74 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:33,120 If they had to count their kids, it was super easy. 0 Abram was 75 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:41,440 75, his wife 65. Not a lot of parents of newborns 76 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:48,560 in that age bracket. Those of you here today, if that 77 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:55,160 happened to you this weekend, it's going to be interesting. 78 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:04,400 Abram and Sarai have navigated years, decades of infertility. 79 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,400 They've watched their friends and their family members 80 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,880 celebrate one birth after another. 81 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,920 They are beyond tired of the gender reveal parties. 82 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,120 They are having to navigate what the Scripture says, rejoice with 83 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:30,800 those who rejoice only to go home and to mourn with each 84 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:37,520 other as they mourned A few verses and 1000 miles later, 85 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,800 Abram has left her, which is where he lived, and he has moved 86 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,560 to Shechem and the Lord appeared to him again. 87 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,960 Verse seven of the same chapter. The Lord appeared to Abram and 88 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:55,800 said to your offspring, I will give this land. 89 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,480 So he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 90 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:07,520 Couple more verses, a couple more trips, and even more time 91 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:14,400 passes and again the Lord shows up to Abram and issues this 92 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:18,320 promise. Chapter 13, verses 14 through 16 93 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,680 the Lord said to Abram after his nephew Lot had parted from him. 94 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:28,960 Look around from where you are, to the north and the South, to 95 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:33,560 the east and to the West. All the land that you see I will 96 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:40,200 give to you and your offspring forever. 97 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:48,000 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth so that if 98 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:54,440 anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be 99 00:06:54,440 --> 00:07:00,720 counted. Couple more verses later and 100 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:10,960 still no offspring, nothing. Abram and Sarah, I don't feel 101 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:15,200 any closer to the promise that God has proclaimed over their 102 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:19,920 life. Chapter 15 verses one through 6. 103 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,800 The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. 104 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:29,560 Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very 105 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:35,120 great reward. But Abram said, Sovereign Lord, 106 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:43,600 what can you give me? Since I remain childless and the 107 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,840 one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus, almost 108 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,800 nobody gets named Eliezer. That Bible name didn't make the 109 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,960 cut. And Abram said, you have given 110 00:07:54,960 --> 00:08:03,040 me no children to a servant in my household will be my heir. 111 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:09,440 Then the word of the Lord came to him, This man will not be 112 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:18,120 your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your 113 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,400 heir. He took him outside and he said, 114 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:27,480 look up at the sky and count the stars. 115 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:35,440 Indeed, if you can count them, then he said, so shall your 116 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:43,720 offspring be. Abram believed the Lord, and God 117 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:49,040 credited it to him, to Abram as righteousness. 118 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,560 You can almost hear the pain in Abram's voice as you're reading 119 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:56,960 through the text. It almost leaps off the page. 120 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,000 He's going you. You say, you're my reward, but I 121 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:05,680 still don't have any kids. You have yet to come through on 122 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:09,600 your promise. And God takes Abraham. 123 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,680 He says, listen, stop counting the dust on the ground. 124 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,440 Lift your eyes up, look up into the night sky and start counting 125 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:18,880 the stars if you can. And by the time I'm done with 126 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,200 you, you will have more offspring than there are stars 127 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:31,800 in the night sky. And Abram, in his pain, he 128 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:38,720 chooses to believe and trust in God's ability to do what God 129 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:44,200 said he was going to do. And as a result, God accepted 130 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,640 his belief, his trust as righteousness. 131 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,760 What does that mean? Abraham was made right before 132 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:57,120 God because he believed that God would do what he had promised to 133 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,200 do. And right now in the story, 134 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:05,560 things are going great. Still no kids, but you have a 135 00:10:05,560 --> 00:10:08,880 husband and a wife who are clinging to the promises of God 136 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:12,400 while they walk through their darkest, most painful valley. 137 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:20,480 Abraham has received 4 promises, 4 confirmations that he will 138 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:25,400 have a child and as a result his offspring will cover the earth. 139 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:31,520 However, the waiting eventually becomes way too much to bear, 140 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,240 and so Abram and Sarah, they take matters into their own 141 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,440 hands. Chapter 16 verses one through 4. 142 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:49,640 Now Sarah, Abram's wife, had borne him no children, but she 143 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,360 had an Egyptian slave named Hagar. 144 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:58,040 So she said to Abram, the Lord has kept me from having 145 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,240 children. Go sleep with my slave. 146 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,640 Perhaps I can build a family through her. 147 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:10,560 Abram agreed to what Sarah said. Let's just pause for a second. 148 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:18,080 We've entered Stupidville women. What a horrible idea. 149 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,800 Listen, they're flesh and blood, just like you and I are. 150 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:26,400 So you got the guy sitting at home watching March Madness. 151 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:32,360 Wife comes in. Sweetie, I've got an idea. 152 00:11:39,090 --> 00:11:41,650 I think you should sleep with somebody else too. 153 00:11:44,610 --> 00:11:48,330 He's got Doritos, pauses the game. 154 00:11:48,850 --> 00:11:51,250 First time he's ever paused the game when she started talking. 155 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:57,760 Say that again. Yeah, honey, I think you should 156 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,040 try to have kids with somebody else. 157 00:12:02,560 --> 00:12:05,800 And Abram's like, yeah, I I think this is fantastic. 158 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:13,040 Let's keep going in the text. So after Abram had been living 159 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,120 in Canaan 10 years, Sarah, his wife, took her Egyptian slave 160 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:19,760 Hagar, gave her to her husband to be his wife. 161 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:28,080 He slept with Hagar and she conceived. 10 years have passed 162 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:33,640 since the first promise. And look what's happened in how 163 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:40,000 Abram and Sarai view God. He is no longer the solution to 164 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,040 their pain, He's the cause of it. 165 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,520 The waiting has shifted their perspective. 166 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:52,000 God has gone from being their provider to being their problem. 167 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,680 He's gone from being mighty to being the one who needs their 168 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:02,320 sinful help. Let's keep reading verses 4 and 169 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,840 5. When she this is Hagar knew that 170 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:10,680 she Hagar was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress 171 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,760 Sarai. Then Sarai said to Abraham. 172 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:20,000 Classic women logic. You are responsible for the 173 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,800 wrong. I am suffering, I put my slave 174 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,360 in your arms and now that she knows she is pregnant, she 175 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:30,080 despises me. May the Lord judge between you 176 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:35,800 and me. Do you see Satan taking ground 177 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:39,520 in the text? Do you see this watch? 178 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,040 They have the pain of no children, but they had a promise 179 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:48,680 from God and now they have a sinful solution to a heavenly 180 00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:51,880 promise. And Sarah, I had an idea and it 181 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,840 was a very, very bad idea. And Abraham goes along with it, 182 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,600 which is very, very bad. And now this couple that were at 183 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:04,640 one point united in their pain and united in the fact that they 184 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,800 believe God have now started to play the blame game. 185 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,960 And now they have marriage problems. 186 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:15,920 And when you and I are reading this, we're going, this is all 187 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,080 bad, Sarah bad, Abraham bad, situation bad. 188 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:27,480 But in the moment, Satan is so shifty and he clouds our 189 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:31,320 judgement. You would not have done the sins 190 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,640 that you have done if you were thinking clearly in the moment. 191 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,400 Look what it says in Second Corinthians Chapter 11, verse 192 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:44,000 14. No wonder, for Satan himself 193 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:53,120 masquerades as an Angel of light and it just keeps getting worse. 194 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:57,760 Verse 16 or chapter 16. Verse 6. 195 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,200 Your slave is in your hands, Abram. 196 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:08,000 Do with her whatever you think best. 197 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:15,120 Then Sarai mistreated Hagar, so Hagar fled from Sarai. 198 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:19,560 Let's just zoom in for just a second on Hagar. 199 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:27,720 She's a slave girl. No rights, no advocate, no 200 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,320 protection. She's passed from Sarai to 201 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:35,920 Abraham, then back to Sarai. She's seen his property from 202 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,840 Sarai, taken advantage of by Abraham, then passed back to 203 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,640 Sarai where she's punished for the decisions and the outcomes 204 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:48,240 that they wanted. Here's Hagar. 205 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:57,400 No promise, just pain left in the wreckage. 206 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:02,080 Let me pause for just a second. You guys know this to be true, 207 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:06,400 but I just want to confirm it. Sin is never the solution. 208 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,880 Jerry said it last week. God's paths of righteousness 209 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,400 never lead you through fields of sin. 210 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,320 Today you might be joining us and you are experiencing 211 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,480 incredible pain. You may be frustrated, you may 212 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,720 be hurt. You might be at your wit's end 213 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,240 in the waiting. But the solution to what you are 214 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,920 going through is never sin. It is always a Savior. 215 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:38,160 And Satan will attack your pain and He will offer you fake 216 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:42,840 solutions that will only bring about more pain. 217 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,760 The second thing to notice is it is a lie from Satan that your 218 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:57,480 sin only effects you. Your sin always hurts deeper and 219 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,240 wider than you could ever imagine. 220 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:06,040 To the alcoholic, it is not just your body and your liver, but an 221 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,640 entire family walking on egg shells around you. 222 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,640 To the person struggling with marital intimacy, pain, or I 223 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:19,599 mean porn is the easy option, but it is not just you that is 224 00:17:19,599 --> 00:17:22,800 being destroyed. It is rewiring your brain and 225 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,800 then it clouds every interaction you have with members of the 226 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:32,000 opposite sex and it makes the hill even harder and higher to 227 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:38,800 climb in your own marriage. Hagar is now pregnant, alone, 228 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:45,600 abandoned, deserted, unprotected, devastated, living 229 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:50,400 in the sinful realities of other people's sinful decisions. 230 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:54,400 And in that moment, who meets her? 231 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:02,760 Chapter 16, verse 7, the Angel of the Lord found Hagar near a 232 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:06,800 spring in the desert. It was the spring that is beside 233 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:13,560 the road to Shur. It is this God of the Old 234 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:18,600 Testament. It's that God who went looking 235 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:20,800 for the girl that nobody cared about. 236 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,960 It was the God of the Old Testament that went looking for 237 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,640 the girl that nobody had ever cared about. 238 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,280 You can say what you want to say about the God of the Old 239 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,440 Testament, but I see a God who comes looking for the ones that 240 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:41,680 have been cast aside and hurt. Verse 13 she gave this name to 241 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:47,560 the Lord who spoke to her, you are the God who sees me. 242 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:55,680 For she said, I have now seen the one who sees me, and she 243 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:06,320 gives God a name, L row E hear me, if today you feel forgotten 244 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:13,280 and all alone, if you feel overlooked, misplaced, 245 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:19,840 misunderstood, can I introduce you to El Ro E? 246 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:25,560 He is the Maker of heaven and earth, supreme and mighty, 247 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:32,080 majestic and all powerful, and he still sees you. 248 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:37,760 No wonder David cries out in Psalm chapter 8 verses 3 through 249 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:44,160 4 when I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the 250 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,680 moon and the stars which you have set in place. 251 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:52,120 What is mankind that you are mindful of them? 252 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:58,080 Human beings that you care for them? 253 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,320 And this is not a one off concept in the Old Testament. 254 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,320 The Old Testament is filled with these promises. 255 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,400 Job chapter 28 verse 24 has this to say. 256 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:15,440 For he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under 257 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,920 the heavens. Psalm 33, verses 13 through 15 258 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,280 backs this up. From heaven the Lord looks down 259 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:27,840 and sees all mankind. From His dwelling place He 260 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:34,600 watches all who live on earth, He who forms the hearts of all, 261 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:40,440 who considers everything they do. 262 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,000 And then you and I, we Fast forward and turn page after page 263 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,120 until we arrive in the New Testament and the words of Jesus 264 00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,680 wash over us. In Luke chapter 12, verse six 265 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:57,320 and seven. Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 266 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:02,400 pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten 267 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:07,000 by God. Indeed, the very hairs on your 268 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,120 head are all numbered. Don't be afraid. 269 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:15,360 You are worth more than many sparrows. 270 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:22,760 If God notices the status of the lowest birds, how much more will 271 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:28,120 he notice you? How much more will he notice 272 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:34,520 what you're going through? It sounds to me like Jesus is 273 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,080 Elroy. Why? 274 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,840 Because it's the same God with the same power, offering the 275 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:48,120 same promise if you will receive it and walk in it. 276 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:53,120 And right now, my hope is that those of you who are needing 277 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:56,480 some comfort today, who just need to know that God sees you 278 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,080 in your pain and your struggle, you've experienced that comfort. 279 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,480 What I want to do for just a little bit, if you're willing, I 280 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:09,040 want you to push past the comfort and open yourself up to 281 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,120 a conviction from the Holy Spirit. 282 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:22,920 You see God does not just see the pain of your situation, He 283 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:30,160 also sees your sin that causes your separation, that causes 284 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:35,400 other people pain. Just like Adam and Eve who hid 285 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,440 themselves from God when they had sinned. 286 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:42,600 You and I, when we sin, we try to hide our sin and ourselves 287 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:47,480 from God and from everyone else. And what this does is this 288 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:54,120 causes separation and no one loves to see you separated and 289 00:22:54,120 --> 00:22:57,480 alone from God and others like Satan does. 290 00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:02,800 You see it as Satan is the one who leads you and I into sin, 291 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:09,520 and this sin causes separation between US and God, and our sin 292 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:20,840 creates hagars who have to deal with the ramifications of our 293 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:25,400 sin. This causes separation from them 294 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,280 and from others. Because the last thing that you 295 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:33,960 and I want is for people around us to know what we have become 296 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:36,400 and what struggles we are facing. 297 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:43,640 However, El row E he doesn't just sit in our situation. 298 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:48,240 He sees our sin. Look at the Old Testament Job 299 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:53,320 chapter 34 verses 21 through 22. His eyes are on the ways of 300 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,080 mortals. That's you and me. 301 00:23:56,120 --> 00:24:02,640 He sees their every step. There is no deep shadow, no 302 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:07,120 utter darkness where evil doers can hide. 303 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:14,840 Jeremiah 16, verse 17 My eyes are on all their ways. 304 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:20,840 They are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my 305 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:27,800 eyes. Proverbs 15, verse 3 The eyes of 306 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:34,720 the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the 307 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:41,480 good. And if you were to move all the 308 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,360 way to the New Testament, Hebrews chapter one, verse 3 309 00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:50,200 tells us that the Son Jesus is the exact radiance of God's 310 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:54,160 glory, the exact representation of his being. 311 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:58,400 That means that Jesus is the same God with the same power, 312 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,360 which means he sees what God sees. 313 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,640 And if you keep reading in Hebrews, you will come to the 314 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:13,080 4th chapter which contains some of the most terrifying words in 315 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:22,560 all of Scripture, Verse 13. Nothing in all of creation is 316 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:30,080 hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid 317 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:35,400 bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 318 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:42,640 Your wife may not know about your porn addiction, but God 319 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,840 does. Your husband might not know 320 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,920 about your emotional affair, but God does. 321 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,000 The government might not know that you have successfully 322 00:25:55,000 --> 00:26:01,200 cheated on your taxes light hearted, but God does. 323 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:05,600 Your boss may not know that you've stolen from the company, 324 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,280 but God does. Your manager might not know that 325 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,760 you were cheating on your time card, but God does. 326 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:18,920 Your counselor may not know about your anger issues, but God 327 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,320 does. Your extended family may not 328 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:27,320 know about the abuse you are committing in your home, but God 329 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:32,800 does. This is where being a God 330 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:39,720 fearing person matters because a God fearing person understands 331 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:42,960 that they will stand before the judgement seat of God and will 332 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:46,240 have to give an account for what they did regardless on whether 333 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,960 or not anybody else ever saw it. And when you become a God 334 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:54,560 fearing person, it changes how you live and it changes how you 335 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,440 work. It makes you honest in your 336 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,040 business dealings. It calls you to a higher 337 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:04,520 standard in your character. You see Satan in these moments 338 00:27:04,520 --> 00:27:08,520 once you to get you to think that God doesn't notice and that 339 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:13,160 God does not care. And then Satan tries to get you 340 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:16,640 to hide it and he entices you away from God. 341 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:24,280 And then he will entice you away from the solution, which is 342 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:30,920 repentance and confession. And then once Satan has 343 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:34,520 completely isolated you spiritually from God physically, 344 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:39,600 he will isolate you from people because if the people around you 345 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:43,360 knew you, they wouldn't want to be around you. 346 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:53,600 But L row E, he sees and he knows, and there is no place to 347 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:59,120 hide. Before we move on, just for a 348 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:05,320 second, stay in this moment. Possibly we could have a moment 349 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:11,840 of communal conviction. The weight that you could be and 350 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:15,160 hopefully should be feeling right now is a weight that we 351 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:22,800 should feel and hold. There are two ways out of this. 352 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:30,320 God gives us a solution. It is repentance and confession. 353 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,280 When we repent and acknowledge what we've done and choose not 354 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:38,160 to walk in those ways anymore. And when we confess it and start 355 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:41,840 being honest with the people around us about it. 356 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:46,080 And on the other side of repentance and on the other side 357 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:47,720 of confession. Got issues? 358 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:58,200 A promise, healing victory. Now can I invite you to 359 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,440 celebrate with me? And you're going. 360 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,000 Celebrate what? Yeah. 361 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:06,240 That's why I told you it's an interesting journey. 362 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,440 This is the this is the third meal right here. 363 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:13,640 If you keep reading in Hebrews chapter 4, the one that has the 364 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:17,920 most terrifying verse in verse 13, can I read you the next 365 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:24,440 couple of verses? Therefore, since we have a great 366 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:32,000 high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of 367 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:39,240 God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 368 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:45,080 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with 369 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:50,480 our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every 370 00:29:50,480 --> 00:30:00,280 way, just as we were, yet he did not sin. 371 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:07,920 Let us approach God's throne of mercy or of grace with 372 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:15,720 confidence so that we may find mercy and find grace to help us 373 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:21,400 in our time of need. Hear me. 374 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:29,480 The God who sees you and your sin, the sin we are trying to 375 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:36,800 hide from him and everyone else, the God who sees is the very 376 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:45,080 same God who forgives, the very same God who heals, The very 377 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:50,320 same God who claims victory over the very sins that separated me 378 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:54,880 from him, the very sins that I tried to keep hidden from him. 379 00:30:56,480 --> 00:31:01,640 Crossing family. The God who sees is the priest 380 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:07,160 who mediates the broken relationship that we have caused 381 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:12,120 between himself and us, and He mediates it through Jesus 382 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:17,240 Christ, the One who did what we could not do and made a way 383 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:22,440 where we could not make a way. And it is that very same God who 384 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:27,920 is offering mercy and grace to us in our time of need. 385 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:35,480 Did you notice the shift that you and I are able to enter into 386 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:43,400 His throne room with confidence? Where does this confidence come 387 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:48,720 from? Because everything inside of us 388 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:52,600 says isolate and hide and control. 389 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,200 And the last thing we think we could do is walk into the throne 390 00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:04,000 room of God in confidence. But our confidence, hear me, is 391 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:10,120 not in who we are. We walk in confidence because of 392 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:15,440 who Jesus was in our place. Now hear me. 393 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:20,440 Your relationship with God will be made right through what Jesus 394 00:32:20,440 --> 00:32:23,360 Christ has done on the cross. And we receive it. 395 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:28,000 We receive it through faith just like Abraham. 396 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,360 It credited to him as righteousness that he trusts 397 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:33,360 that God would do what He said He was going to do. 398 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:37,040 You and I operate in faith when we believe that Jesus is who He 399 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:40,160 says He is and that God did what He said He would do on the cross 400 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,960 on our behalf. That is how we enter in. 401 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:48,800 But you do not get to walk in faith if you are not going to 402 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:54,360 live that same faith out in repentance and confession. 403 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:56,520 We're moving to a time of decision. 404 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:04,880 To those of you who are here today or watching online who are 405 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,120 not yet in an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 406 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:09,880 I need you to hear me very clearly. 407 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:17,600 Jesus is not your high priest yet, but the good news of the 408 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:22,200 Gospel is He can be, and he can be today. 409 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:27,720 The Bible offers you a choice. You can pay for your sins, which 410 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:32,920 is eternity in hell, or through faith you can accept what Jesus 411 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:38,240 made right on the cross, on the finished work of Jesus on the 412 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:41,000 cross. And so in just a few moments, 413 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,320 when the people around you stand and sing and some of them come 414 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:47,600 to the steps and pray, I want to encourage you if you are outside 415 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:51,040 of Christ for you to start making a move in that direction 416 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:54,240 today. To those of you who do know 417 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,720 Jesus, to those of you who are Jesus followers, kind of hang 418 00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:59,800 with me because I want to kind of have a I'm going to paint 419 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:01,320 with a wide brush for just a second. 420 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:05,720 To those of you that are in here today or watching online, who 421 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:11,040 you're the Abrams and Sarahs, you're struggling in the 422 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,880 waiting. You're starting to doubt the 423 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:20,040 promises of God. Don't be lured into taking the 424 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:24,560 path of sin. I know it might take longer than 425 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:28,239 you wanted it to take, but God's timing has never been our 426 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:31,040 timing. It's always been His timing. 427 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:34,760 But can I show you how good He is to you? 428 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:44,880 When you are waiting, you need the ability to endure, the 429 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:49,880 ability to be patient. Waiting on God's timing requires 430 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,360 that. But when you stepped into an 431 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:56,280 intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you received 432 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,800 the Holy Spirit into your heart and into your life. 433 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:01,920 And the Holy Spirit produces fruit. 434 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,120 And do you know what one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is? 435 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,120 It's patience. Hear me. 436 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:17,600 God has given you through the Holy Spirit what you need to 437 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:21,960 stay faithful in the waiting, a strength that is outside of you, 438 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:26,720 a strength that is beyond you. He has actually given you what 439 00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:29,840 you need to remain faithful to Him in the waiting. 440 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,480 So He doesn't just call you to wait, He provides you with the 441 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:37,720 necessary resources to stay faithful in the waiting. 442 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:41,240 That's how good He is. He gives you what you could not 443 00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:44,600 have on your own, to endure longer than you could have on 444 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,960 your own. So you can stay faithful to Him 445 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:50,280 longer than you could on your own. 446 00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:55,160 Hear me? He gave you the power to wait 447 00:35:55,520 --> 00:36:00,840 and endure longer than you would have ever been able to wait or 448 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:06,440 endure on your own. Don't walk away from that to the 449 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:12,640 Haggars, to those of you who are feeling alone and isolated and 450 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:17,000 discarded, to those of you who have been used and abused. 451 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:25,000 God sees you and He is not distant, nor is He uncaring. 452 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:31,560 The prayers that you are offering in quiet groans, the 453 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:35,760 tear filled whispers that you have, do not escape his ear or 454 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:46,240 hide from His gaze. He sees you, He sees you and He 455 00:36:46,240 --> 00:36:50,560 cares for you. And to those of you right now, 456 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:55,240 that there is a sin that is causing separation between you 457 00:36:55,240 --> 00:36:57,680 and God and you and the people that you love. 458 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:04,080 God's promises are true and He is faithful. 459 00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:12,920 And God guarantees healing on the other side of confession and 460 00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:19,440 repentance. And so through faith today, some 461 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:23,200 of you may need to take a step to start walking in the healing 462 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,200 that God has already provided. Would you stand with me? 463 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:31,480 Heavenly Father, we're thankful for this moment that you've 464 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:33,320 given us right here and right now. 465 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:38,240 And yeah, there are many people within the sound of my voice who 466 00:37:38,240 --> 00:37:41,680 there is a sin that is shackling them, that is holding them back. 467 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:47,280 There is a sin in their life that is getting them to doubt 468 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:50,600 how good and how faithful and how trustworthy you are. 469 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:53,960 There is a sin in their life that is creating. 470 00:37:53,960 --> 00:38:01,440 Hagars and God, I pray that you would lead us into victory, that 471 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:05,280 we would trust you, that we would walk in your promises and 472 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:07,400 in your goodness. Am I praying? 473 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:08,280 Amen.